iPhone Apps

Two weeks ago we changed mobile carriers and went with iPhones. VB wasn't so enthusiastic, but the kids were dying to get them, and The Boss Man loved his, so VB got stuck with one too. Well, she's addicted, particularly to the Photo Apps. Below are examples of what VB's three favorites are like.

COLORSPLASH:

The Colorsplash is a bit difficult to work with. It changes your original to a black and white. You can then go in and paint one object to stand out. Skinny fingers are pretty much a requirement, even though you can change the size of the paintbrush. (VB's no damn good at this one.)

LOMO:

The Lomo is great. As with real Lomo photos they're grainy and have off colors.

Original:



LC-A Normal:



Redscale:


Black & White:

CameraBag:

CameraBag has got to be VB's favorite so far. The photos are pretty clean, and you can flip through to see numerous transformations.

Original:



Helga:



Lolo:



Magazine:



Mono:




1962:



1974:



Cinema:



Infrared:



Fisheye:


More of VB's favorite Apps are: 2 Across (crossword puzzle app), FlightTrack (airline tracking app), Amazon.com, Camera Zoom, Yelp (for finding places to eat), KitchenCalc (converts to and from UK and US measurements).

Funkengroovin - The Cairo Apple Store

As you can see from some of the photos, VB's not gotten back into the swing of things, just yet. She actually became half decent at taking photos of moving cars, but since she's been out of practice, it might take some time for her to get her skill back. Some of the photos were taken on our way to the Apple Store in Mohandissen, which is actually a Best Buy store. It's pretty empty. They have numerous white counters, with nothing on them. The "geniuses" working there, all used non-Apple laptops. You can probably find more Apple products at the Virgin Megastore at Stars City Center.


(Below 3 photos): On the way to Mohandissen.







(Below 3 photos): A "Pagoda Roof" Mercedes, near our place in Maadi.






(Below): Two Beetles, one getting washed.



(Below): White Beetle with a bad scar.



(Below): The dashboard - owner is obviously a Bug freak. On the right is a metal wire Beetle. According to VW Beetle Toys, by Matt Meyer, the maker is unknown and it's worth is $20.00.



(Below): The other side.


(Below): The complimentary Cairo traffic photo.

NEWS:

VB is going to try to catch up with old news. Friends have submitted newsworthy items, which VB has neglected to post. So, in order to catch up, here they are with thanks to Nevin and The Boss Man.

Woman fights off armed carjacker
"It was Harmony Bates' weekly trip to Whole Foods. The personal chef and dancer was about to load her two grocery bags into her cherished Volkswagen van when a man with a gun told her to give up her money."

Wooden Volkswagen Beetle Gives Us Woodenly Timber

The Hot New Car Is Your Old Car

More News:

Jan. 28, 1938: The Passing of the Silver Comet
"1938: German race car driver Bernd Rosemeyer drives his Auto Union streamliner to the unheard-of speed of 268.432 mph on a stretch of autobahn between Frankfurt and Darmstadt. Never before has anyone driven so fast, and never again has someone gone so fast on a public road.
Rosemeyer was behind the wheel of an Auto Union, which was little more than a grand prix car wrapped in a slick alloy body. It was designed by an up-and-coming engineer named Ferdinand Porsche...."


From Hemmings (subscription required): 1954-'60 VOLKSWAGEN CONVERTIBLE

VW Bug Motorhome

A Peek Inside the New Porsche Museum

USB Beetle hub has a port for each wheel

Monday Close-up: Club catches the VW bug
"Schetselaar is not alone in his crusade of fahrvergnügen (driving pleasure). There are typically anywhere from 10 to 20 air-cooled Volkswagens at the club meetings. And as long as there are people around the world who love their cars, there will be people like Gilchrist and Ramirez who keep them running and looking great decades from now."

Budapest-Bamako started on Saturday morning

Budapest to Bamako is a rally that's usually shown on the Travel Channel (more info here) in Cairo. "From its humble roots the Budapest-Bamako has grown into a major international sporting and cultural event. Hundreds of drivers and adventurers set out each winter for Africa bringing direct aid to the world's poorest communities.In 2005 only 45 teams lined up at the start line. In 2008 over 400 people made the journey. As the event constantly evolves the spirit remains the same: Anyone, By anything, By any means." VB has seen the past two seasons, and the man who originated the rally, usually drives a Beetle. From the looks of this year's race, there are several VWs including a Beetle and a Transporter T3. Check your local listings, since the show has been aired (from past experience) in the spring. If you're interested in more, photos and videos are here.

Do it again: Mazatlan inspires repeat visits
"The driver seems oblivious. Like most operators of the doorless, open-air taxis converted for street use with Volkswagen Beetle parts, and named pulmonías for the locals' joke that one can catch pneumonia in them, he has installed a sound system whose primary purpose is to call out his musical predilections."

Jalopnik Exclusive Interview With VW's Max The Beetle

CLICK & CLACK : Bugged by a 'Midlife Crisis'
"I just turned 40, ughhh, so I guess I have hit my "midlife crisis." Unlike my friends, I don't want a Porsche or a Ferrari. I want a late-'50s to early-'60s VW Bug. That's right, a VW Bug. I live in Kentucky, and you are more likely to find a vintage Camaro or Mustang than an old VW that still has a floor. I have, however, found several for sale at very reasonable prices in Southern California. Would I be crazy to fly to Los Angeles, buy a VW and then drive it across the country back to Kentucky? I have never been on an airplane and have never been more than 300 miles from home. I think this could be one of the great adventures of my life -- or not. What do you think? -- Don"

From KitCar Magazine
Classic Custom Roadster - In The Lupe

Below two articles are identical.
The machines that shaped a century

Cars that made a mark

Obama riding in the front of the bus

Volkswagen Bus Radio

Actor enjoys the drive of his life
"A BREATHTAKINGLY beautiful Westcountry coastal drive will be featured in a new TV series.

A stretch of road on the West Cornwall coast has been picked out for the programme entitled Britain's Best Drives. The broadcast, to be screened in March, will show viewers the splendour of the route between St Ives and Land's End.

The series will be hosted by Richard Wilson, famed for his role as grumpy Victor Meldrew in the hit show One Foot in the Grave.

The new programme will see the comedy actor steer six classic cars round the twists and turns of six of the best drives of 1958 as described in motoring guide books of the period. For the Cornish leg of Mr Wilson's journey, he will use a VW camper van.

The BBC has commissioned Plymouth-based company, Twofour Broadcast, to make the seven-part series."

Camper van company defies economic gloom
"A specialist camper van rental company is enjoying a boost in bookings as the weak pound increases the popularity of holidaying in the UK. Southampton-based Kamper Hire has already seen a 20 per cent increase on 2009 bookings for their Volkswagen ‘California’ camper vans compared to the same time last year."

The New York Times and Wired Magazine have both recently discovered (it's about time) the Verdier Bus, which has been mentioned here before.
Ideas: A Hippie Microbus for a New Green Age
"Autos | A Canadian designer has given the hippie cult-classic VW Microbus an "eco-overhaul" with the latest green technology packed into a biodiesel hybrid. We're talking a solar-paneled peace 'n' love machine running on recycled veggie oil. Cost: about $129,000 [Wired, YouTube]"


American road trip
"America's historic Route 66 fascinates visitors from other countries."

Jesus Told Me to Ram that Car, Says Driver
"A driver who rammed another car at high speed outside San Antonio last week told police that Jesus had told him to do so because the other motorist was not "driving like a Christian.""


No Music today. Instead, since VB's talked about Doggie and cupcakes recently, a hysterical video from one of VB's favorite weekly TV shows (The Soup) back in the States. This is must see TeeVee!

The Soup: It's Me Or The Dog [1.23.2009]

Walking "The City" - The Apple Store

One person who saw VB's Apple Store photo a few posts ago, exclaimed, "But...but....the Apple store looks EMPTY!!!" Yes indeed it does, but that's just the entrance. Usually, the entrance itself is backed up, like a bottleneck traffic jam. But, it was so cold when we visited, and not really the "official holiday shopping season" yet, that it was probably not as busy as it will be in the coming weeks. The actual store is below ground - a subterranean Mac vault, filled with the most recently released, and luscious colored gizmos on the planet. Listening and play stations abound. Accessories, and software face off at either end of the computer play-station area. Here's a tour.

(Below): The exterior - a glassed in entrance, above ground.


(Below): A MacBook station, for checking out the new laptops. There are about four long tables at the store, with around 10 laptops on each one, just for the MacBook area alone. Check out "The Geniuses" in the light blue shirts.



(Below): A view of the entry and a MacBook Table.



(Below): The entry - another view. Some dick walked right in front of VB's camera.



(Below): A view from the cash out end of the store. They also carry printers, and accessories.


(Below): A lot of people sit around the base of the entry, waiting for their Apple addicted loved ones to get another dose of Apple love, (or they're possibly avoiding the cold weather outside.)



(Below): The entry steps.



(Below): The elevator.


(Below): A listening station for one of the various iPods. There are quite a few of these, as well, for each different flavor - Nano, iTouch, Shuffle, Classic, as well as an area for the iPhone.




(Below): A closer up view.


(Below): Most of the iPods and iPhones are located under that colorful wall sign.




(Below): The desktop area.




(Below): A view of "The Genius Bar." Just a guess, but the guys at "The Genius Bar" have dark blue Tees on - does that mean they're bigger, and better geniuses? Doubtful, (if you've ever had an experience with an Apple genius, then you know.) VB avoids them like the plague (unless she's actually buying something - then it's unavoidable.)


(Below): When you leave The Apple Store, to your right you will see Central Park. Go to the corner. There, you can look up to Columbus Circle (the two towers) where the new CNN headquarters are located. The building connecting the two towers holds a small shopping mall. If you choose to walk there, via Central Park South (the traffic jammed street in the photo), you will pass The Jumeirah Essex House (previously known as The Essex House.) Across the street from Columbus Circle, is a Starbucks, just in case you need a lift. Then you can (turn around and head south to) begin your trek down Broadway.





Feist - 1 2 3 4 (Song from an iPod Ad.)




The actual iPod commercial can be found here.