Car companies suck at tech. Two examples...

I build scale models in my spare time, and this is where I do it. It's usually far, far messier than this...

Came here to say this. Honestly I don't get the dislike for Battleship. Maybe it's a matter of expectations, but I went in expecting a big, dumb lummox of a film - a yellow lab of summer movies, if you will - and I got exactly what I was expecting. Besides - what else were they going to call it? The licensed property…

Why couldn't drones handle air superiority? Air-to-air combat has evolved into BVR standoffs with guided missiles. When's the last time a US pilot had to resort to actual dogfighting? Vietnam? Drones are cheaper than manned aircraft and could be slaved to operate as one massed unit directed by a manned aircraft or…

I don't get the Countryman hate. People like crossovers and pay money for them. Mini makes it's interpretation of a crossover (that's smaller than my Focus, for crying out loud) that's small, fuel efficient compared to competitors, and a brilliant handler compared to any competitors. And the AWD gives them an in into…

Don't hate on Battleship without seeing it. It's awful - but it's that good melty cheese kind of awful. I decided to see it while killing myself over a big presentation - needed two hours of absolutely not thinking - and had a blast. It's no Avengers, but Battleship was better and way more fun that the last two…

My parents took me to Britain back in '98. We were driving through the Lake District (I think...my memory of the exact geography's foggy) one some twisty country road when out of nowhere two RAF Tornados came over some nearby hills at treetop level and buzzed us at a few hundred feet, tops. Some locals said that the…

If I stay up late, the kids are asleep, the wife is asleep, the house is quiet, and I can enjoy some solitude.

The first book (and trilogy) is pretty great. Stirling has a habit of going overboard with his scenery and spiritual ceremony, but the world-building is top notch and the exploration of how post-apocalyptic societies coalesce - or don't - is where Stirling especially shines. The follow-up trilogy, which tracks the…

IMO you can tell a retailer is crashing and burning when they start stocking random crap and featuring it prominently at the front of their stores. Last time I was in a Best Buy around Christmas, the front aisles weren't video games, or Blu-rays, or mobile stuff. Nope. Electric razors and novelty pillows. Turned…

I guess this doesn't qualify as world-altering, then?

And none of the ironic things in that Alanis Morissette song are actually ironic.

Mini isn't a size. It's a brand. As I see it, "Mini"-ness is about 1) being smaller than other vehicles in the category, 2) being a more engaging drive than other vehicles in the category, and 3) design and customization. The Countryman works because, next to the CR-V, Tiguan, and what-have-you, it's small and darty.…

@Defender90: Agreed-and-a-half. The Disco II has always struck me as the last gasp of the old Land Rover. The one that put offroad capability first and luxury second. It reminds me in a lot of ways of the last prop-driven fighters that got pushed out by the jet age. Calling the LR4 an improvement really depends on the…

@zacarious: Sorry, incorrect. The Defender is the best Land Rover ever. Followed by the 1st-gen Range Rover. Which, while not exactly reliable, was at least wholly unreliable with style.

@mts229: you're forgetting the other half of BMW owners, who just buy it for the badge and then drive it like a Camry (also applies to Porsche owners - there is no reason a 911 of any stripe should ever be going five miles under the limit)...

Changing the white balance can help offset the nastiness of an onboard flash somewhat I guess, but 1) a ton of cameras already set the WB to Flash when the onboard flash is engaged and 2) white balance can't change the direction and harshness of the light.

Can't agree with the title. It should read "turn off your BUILT-IN flash...". A good external flash that you can angle up, back, or to the side can bounce light off ceilings and walls and provide really great illumination. Of course, it's probably best to keep for shooting food at home, and not in a nice restaurant...

Jeep Compass.

I actually like the redesigned regular Edge better than the blacked-out Sport pictured here...