drifting

Reckless Racing is just plain fun, taking some gameplay ideas from old classic console games like RC Pro-Am, and adding in modern graphics and physics to make a racing game that is a blast to play and looks great on the iPhone 4 Retina Display.

The game delivers on two major counts: graphics and controls. Reckless Racing is absolutely dazzling, with vibrantly colored cars and tracks that are just shy of photorealistic. And you get to choose from five different control schemes--everything from basic left/right-gas/brake buttons to an onscreen steering wheel, to accelerometer steering. We're partial to … Read more

The big news this week was Apple's announcement Friday morning regarding the antenna issues on the iPhone 4. Steve Jobs came to the stage in a very unique Apple event to talk about the iOS 4.0.1 update that he says shows signal strength much more reliably. As a way to quell concerns about dropping calls by gripping the iPhone 4 a certain way, which Jobs admitted decreases signal strength in some circumstances, Apple is offering free bumper-style cases for everyone. Those who have already bought the bumper will receive a full refund. iPhone 4 users will be able to sign up for a free bumper or refund starting next week at Apple's site.

I have had the iPhone 4 for exactly a week now and I haven't experienced any connection issues so far, but I bought the bumper a couple of days ago for protection, in case I drop it. I was wondering what Apple would do with people like me who already bought the bumper (most people I talked to agreed that I was out of luck), so it was a pleasant surprise to hear I would get a refund, too.

This week's apps include a slick-looking and useful calculator app and a drift racing game that challenges you to master the controlled slide.

Calcbot (99 cents for a limited time) from the makers of stylish currency converter Convertbot brings more than your iPhone's included calculator wrapped up in a nice package. Like other apps from Tapbots, when you launch Calcbot, the first thing you notice is the slick-looking design. Features include a live as-you-type expression view so you know you have all your values correct, a history tape so you can track back to earlier calculations, and an advanced functions screen, all accessible with a swipe of your finger.

For all of Calcbot's class and functionality, it's not the most feature-rich calculator in the iTunes App Store. But if all you need is to make basic calculations (and some advanced functions) and the ability to send your work elsewhere, Calcbot is an attractive option. A swipe downward brings up the history tape, and a swipe to the left brings up the advanced function screen. I'm a little disappointed there is no graphing calculator, but Calcbot is an excellent alternative to the iPhone home screen calculator.

Drift Mania Championship (99 cents) is a drift racing game that offers excellent controls, smooth graphics, and challenging gameplay, and even though it's a little short on content, the price makes it a must have for drift racing fans. The precise tilt controls work better than most racing games in the iTunes App Store, letting you truly control how you attack each corner. Your speed is controlled by where you place your finger on the throttle bar on the right side of the screen, and you'll need to adjust your speed a lot to get the best drift through each turn.… Read more

LilRacerz Pro Rally is a top-down 2D racer where you'll need to win races on various terrains to unlock more cars, tracks, and upgrades. The control system consists of two touch-screen buttons on the left for turning and a gas pedal and break on the right. You also get a turbo button above the gas pedal for brief bursts of speed on straightaways. LilRacerz has two game modes including Quickrace for practicing on tracks with cars you've previously unlocked, or Cup races where you'll race against the AI and unlock cars and tracks by winning.

LilRacerz Pro … Read more

While it has been fun watching Jeremy Clarkson of BBC's "Top Gear" fame test out fantastic rides for a thrill, I figured why not keep the fun going and bring on all the guys from "Top Gear"--Anthony Davidson and The Stig in this instance--as they try to figure out what the best car is for drifting.

In case you didn't know, drifting is "a driving technique and to a motor sport where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a … Read more

If you're a fan of drift racing, you'll like this video clip. It's not quite a trailer, but it is a sneak peek at a new French movie called "Vernal Equinox"--coming out in May.

An equinox is something that occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis isn't inclined away from, or towards, the Sun.

According to director Stephane Benini's Twitter page, the movie is about a student who faces a unexpected situation when he returns home. I'm guessing the plot of "Vernal Equinox" will … Read more

Not too long ago I delivered a few blog posts featuring some big-ol' gas guzzling SUVs like the Hummer and the Dartz Kombat. Well, I was sitting here stumped on what to write a blog about and I thought to myself that I hadn't done a full-fledged theme week with this video blog in a while, and from there I brainstormed what to do: this week's video blog posts are going to take a look at some of the worst new and ongoing offenders in gas mileage. And I figured since I was giving Hummer some air time … Read more

It's Friday afternoon leading up to a three-day weekend. Let's be honest, you're not doing any work right now. So, how about a cool video to keep you entertained?

We've already seen Ken Block's inhumanly precise drifting in Gymkhana 1 and Gymkhana 2. Just when you thought it couldn't get any crazier, Ken Block and pal Rob Drydek get extra silly in Gymkhana 2.1.

Featuring Drydek piloting a go-kart kitted up to look like a Mini-Me version of Block's WRX STI car, this video features some close calls and a few funny … Read more

Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California is usually busy around this time of year, and this last weekend was no exception. While much of the attention was on the Indy Car Grand Prix race held on Sunday with commercials pimping such Indy Car stars as Danica Patrick (duh) and Helio Castroneves, the Formula Drift company had an event of its own at Infineon the night before featuring Round 6 of the Locked and Loaded series.

Formula D's "Locked and Loaded" was held on Saturday August 22 at Infineon Raceway, and based on the video here it looked like … Read more

For whatever it's worth, the new Vin Diesel racing flick Fast and Furious topped the box office charts over the weekend. So, I thought it timely to bring you a drifting video for today's blog. And keeping with the "All About Jaguar" theme for this week, I managed to find a recent online video featuring someone drifting in a Jaguar XJ sedan.

This video apparently comes from Germany, and it features some cool drifting moves in what appears to be a mid-2000's edition of the Jaguar XJ sedan. The soundtrack goes along real well with … Read more