The Daily Procrastinator

According to a Wall Street Journal article, “Microsoft Corp. is developing a new videocamera for the Xbox 360 console that will allow players to control games with the movement of their bodies.” It looks like the Nintendo company’s uber-popular gaming system, Wii, is about to have a little competition. According to the article, a camera is being developed that can sense motion in three dimensions, and this camera is made to be attached to the XBox 360. It will “watch” video game players’ movements and translate them into control of the game.

As an XBox 360 owner, I’m totally psyched about this. The camera, which is supposed to become available in 2010, could revolutionize game play. Imagine using not only your hands but your whole body to control your video game system. Also, unlike the currently available Wii controllers, this camera will free the player from having to hold any kind of controller. It’s completely hands-free.

As a thirty-something, this advancement in video game technology literally stuns me. My first video game system featured games and controllers like these:

I seriously LOVED this game.

The progression from Combat on the Atari 2600 to Assassin’s Creed on XBox 360 is almost unbelievable.

It's so beauuuuutiful.

I thought my copy of Assassin’s Creed was a bad-ass as video games could get. Wrong! Imagine playing this game with full-body control. My mind is boggled by the mere possibility.

Procrastinators looking for a more efficient mode of transportation in these trying economic times may find themselves drawn to Vespa mopeds, ultra-compact Kia Soul cars, good old-fashioned Schwinn bicycles, or even Segway electric transportation. Allow me to make another suggestion. At least two different companies now offer three-wheeled vehicles that bridge the gap between motorcycles and larger, more stable automobiles.

First, have a look at the Scoot Coupe. According to the website, it’s “sleek, elegant, smart, and just plain fantastic.” It apparently travels 70 to 80 miles on a gallon of gas, and is “everything you need to turn heads.” Check it out:

Oh, yeah. That'll turn heads.

On second thought, I’d call this vehicle “everything you need to look like you stole a vehicle from the carnival” or “everything you need to look like a toolbag while you drive near the beach.” Wow. Does anyone need to get 80 miles to the gallon this badly?

Conversely, check out the Can-Am Spyder. This vehicle is produced by a company that got its start making snowmobiles, and it shows in the design. It’s available with either automatic or standard transmission, and like the Scoot Coupe, it seats two. The similarities end there, though.

Everything you need to be a raging badass.

Yes, the Spyder costs as much as a small car. No, it doesn’t get 70 mpg on the highway. On the bright side, though, it can actually travel at highway speeds. Also, it won’t cause members of the opposite sex to view you as some sort of sensible, green-minded, responsible, boring, predictable dork.

Have I lost sight of the original intent of this post, namely, more affordable transportation? I have. Does it even matter, now that you’ve seen the Can-Am Spyder? I think not.

For those of you who prefer to procrastinate via your iPhones, load up The Daily Procrastinator URL there and you’ll get a shiny iPhone specific user interface.

I may have joined this blog as the token female voice in a sea of testosterone, but this doesn’t mean that I’ll be posting about cosmetics and fashion.  To prove my worthiness, I’ve decided to talk about adrenaline-pumping speed for my first post. 

With all of the talk about climate change, energy independence and alternative energy, there’s a lot of focus on the gasoline-electric hybrid engine, like that of the Toyota Prius.  Cool technology, but it’s not the kind of design that can turn heads, nor the kind of performance that leaves you breathless.

On Wednesday, I had my first sighting of a Tesla Roadster.  Absolutely gorgeous.  It looks fast even when parked in the corporate lot.  I was so infatuated with this car that it took great restraint not to go into their building, hand someone my business card and beg them to use me as a freelance writer for their marketing materials.  Or, at the very least, invite me along for a ride!

Sadly, I don’t have anything close to $109,000 to spend on a base model roadster, but if I had money to burn, this is where I’d spend it.  Look at the specs on this thing:

• 0 to 60 MPH in 3.9 seconds
• 100% electric
• 14,000 RPM redline
• 244 miles per charge
• Burns no oil

I think I’m in love.  A great anecdote from the company website: “How powerful is the acceleration? A quick story to illustrate. A favorite trick here at Tesla Motors is to invite a passenger along and ask him to turn on the radio. At the precise moment we ask, we accelerate. Our passenger simply can’t sit forward enough to reach the dials. But who needs music when you’re experiencing such a symphony of motion.” 

This car defies all of the stereotypes about the capabilities of electric cars.  I can’t wait until the technology develops into something that’s a mainstream vehicle that even writers can afford.