Inside Sega Republic: In motion

I *obviously* should've seen this coming!

In all cases, I think I will survive the YouTube moment and casually label it as my 'internet 1:03 minute of fame' (Thank you @TarekMiknas and @MartinYofre for never letting go of your Flip *Ironic tone in the voice* - I thought I was safe! *laugh*)

Notes:
1) Enjoy my ridiculously tense face/smile while riding on the HalfPipe Canyon (and getting off of it)
2) Yes, I am wearing one of the *very cool* Threadless tees ('I'm huge on Twitter')

First look at... Sega Republic!

I always believed that advertising was the perfect career for people excited by novelties (just like myself): you get to pick your brain across all possible industries (from government projects to orange juice), meet incredible people and –most importantly- access news/products/places way before anybody else.

I thought I would lose this sexy advantage when I quit Lowe to freelance (had no more love for all-nighters and overdoses of Diet Coke). But I was wrong and realized that I had the best of both worlds when I got invited by the agency to have a sneak-peak at Sega Republic – set to open soon in Dubai Mall.

Yes, Sega Republic - one of the most anticipated venues of Dubai. And ‘I’ was going to check it out - Talk about an ego boost!

We met there at 2pm.
As soon as I crossed the electronic barrier, I was immediately overwhelmed by Japanese magic. Hello Sonic & friends! (I missed you, where have you been?)



The volume of the space is impressive; I felt tiny. I couldn’t stop looking left and right, I was running around like a kid and I wanted to touch everything. Don’t laugh, this will happen to you as well. After going over some technicalities and a quick Q&A session with a very friendly staff member, we were finally allowed to get up-close and personal with the rides/games.

Fact: there are 9 attractions and 150 games across 5 zones (spread on two floors).

I - Speed Zone:
All the super fast cars and multi-player races you can dream of.

Highlights:

Storm-G:
A high - speed bobsled race in a capsule that rotates at 360 degrees (and sometimes twice in a row)! Four capsules race against each other and each capsule holds two people. Thrill guaranteed.



D4:
One of my favorites – because I’m crazy about cars (and because I won the race against 2 teams). You hop in a real-life sized car (Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R, Toyota AE86 Trueno or Subaru GC8 Impreza STI V.4 Coupe – I was driving the STI in manual mode) and drift-race. The graphics are awesome (I deleted the picture by mistake)

Sonic Hopper:
One of the two attractions we were not able to try as the staff was testing and adjusting it. I was a bit disappointed as I really felt attracted to the 9m drop (with a twist and turn). The guys had a big smile on their face while freefalling – which I thought was a positive sign.




II - Redemption zone:
All the cool arcade games you can think of. Perfect for the light-hearted and the smaller children who are not allowed on some rides. I didn’t see the redemption stand (it was covered) but given the size/height of it, I assume there is a good range of toys and wide variety of prizes to choose from.




III - Cyberpop zone:
The name says it all. From Karaoke booths to amazing sticker machines and virtual gaming experiences, you’ll have all the opportunities in the world to unleash and discover your hidden talents.




IV - Sports zone:
This is where you seriously test your skills and compete to win on the latest sports simulation games.

Highlight:

Halfpipe canyon:
Now this is what I call a really serious adrenaline rush. It looks pretty innocent when you’re not on it, but things immediately change once you are strapped.

Description: ‘Throttle up and down a 7 metre incline at up to 40 kilometres per hour or test your skills at dropping a 360’. Two teams (of two people each) compete against each other; The more you spin (you have to hit the 45 degrees angle for maximum results), the more points your earn.

I had to close my eyes a big portion of the time (ok, no cheating, @AkankshaGoel witnessed the whole thing - they were closed 'all' the time) and scream a bit as well. Good exercise for the vocal chords. Definitely one of the best attractions. Thumbs up for the strong sensations!





V - Adventure Zone:
I thought I was safe after I was done with the Halfpipe canyon – but I wasn’t. The adventure zone is another section of the park filled with adrenalin-rush type of rides (what the guys there like to call ‘eye-popping, hair raising fun’).

Highlights:

Wild wing:
A wild 3D experience: On a plane, flying over villages and cliffs – encountering obstacles.
The graphics are breathtaking - Expect a couple of surprises.



Let’s go jungle - Special:
Another wild 3D experience – but this time in a jungle. I was riding alone (two people are supposed to ride each car) my 4x4 and had to fight/shoot huge spiders on my own with my laser gun so I didn’t get a lot of points (liked the game, regardless).



SpinGear:
The second attraction we were not able to try is certainly one of the main and bigger ones: a roller coaster. I was not able to gather a lot of details about the ride itself, except that it is partly in the dark (if it is half as good as Disney’s space mountain, you’re in for a really intense couple of minutes). I am certainly looking forward for this one.




Fun detail, Japanese style:
The ticket/card admission sliders.
I fell in love with the rainbow blinking lights – I want one (not that I can do anything with it, but it will look cool in @_syma_’s room).




And this is where it ends – for now. I hope I was able to share a bit of the magic with you, until you get the chance to experience it first hand. I was only allowed in there for a limited time, so I did not try all the attractions nor played all the games.

I initially had quite a bit of reservations when the project was announced: How good could it be?
Well, for two full hours, I forgot that I was stuck in a mall, that the weather outside was awful, that I had to go to the supermarket and that I had x emails waiting for a reply in my inbox.

I was so genuinely happy that I almost forgot to tweet.


Notes:

A- @AbuSyma was missing in action; Although I had lots of fun with my Lowe buddies/partners in crime @TarekMiknas & @MartinYofre, it was not as perfect as it would have been if he were there. I am now counting the days till the opening to hit Sega Republic again - with him.

B- All pictures were taken with my Nokia N97. Cameras were not really welcome, so I documented as much as I could, on the go. You can click on the pictures to zoom in.

C- The final opening date is not set yet. But given the state of the park, I think they are ready to launch very soon (probably this coming week-end)

D- The operating hours should be the following:
Sunday to Wednesday 10:00 - 22:00
Thursday to Saturday 10:00 - 24:00

E- If you have any question, please leave a comment and I will try my best to answer it myself or go through the agency if necessary.

Buzz - Peek-a-boo!

With all the hype built around the new A380, it's worth having a sneak preview of the cockpit, in a 360 degree view rendering - Exciting!

Have a look here at the latest flying technology - in all its glory.

Web 2.0 - Wikia Search launched

Wikia Search launched on the 7th of January - I know, we're the 13th.
I always have good excuses: I was too busy testing/enjoying/loving search, so
I delayed reporting about the hottest/most awaited for launch of 2008.

The net.. The blogoshpere.. The universe.. They were all on fire. Literally. Press releases, interviews, posts, debates. Some loved it and others hated it.

Detractors built their case mainly on the fact that the results were not accurate, and that it was too soon to launch the Alpha version of Search (omitting one little detail: Alpha comes before Beta, and doesn't mean anything but "very early stage of development").

The social networking component (you can customize a profile page and add friends once you sign up) was also very widely criticized: does the world need another Facebook?

In my *humble* opinion, they failed to see the big picture: this open source human powered search engine IS the next big thing.

Of course, it will take time to be perfect, and Jimmy Wales gave a clear warning about the matter (yes, at this stage, the search results are bad); Wikipedia was not built in one day.

I see it having mainly two types of users: the ones who search and the ones who influence the search results. Just like the Wikipedia model, the active community will be very protective of its inputs, which will lead to high quality search results.

As far as the social networking part of the site is concerned, I totally see its benefit if it is linked to search in some way, shape or form.

Most of the features are not launched/implemented yet, so it is definitely too early for the "web authorities" to judge. Sit back, relax and wait for it to grow to its full potential.

Hail to the Wikia team and for the great job they've done :)

Check out Wikia search, register and add me a as a friend!
(Look for Stephanie T.)

Note: read more about the launch here

Wikia

Buzz - Google acts on video copyrights

Google developed a new technology that allows media companies to automatically bar copyrighted clips from appearing on its video-sharing sites.

The system allows for the automated comparison of video files, furnished by the copyright holders, to those uploaded to YouTube.

Read the full article here.

Buzz - Gphone ready for xmas?!

Google rumors never die (and never get confirmed either - at least by the Googlers themselves) :)

According to Techland, "A UBS analyst has confirmed that Taiwanese handset manufacturer HTC will ship about 50,000 cell phones running on a mobile operating system made by the Mountain View, Calif.-based search giant by the end of this year."

I can't wait to see what the devices look like - and of course, I can't wait to put my hands on one :) - Santa now knows what to get me for xmas!

Read the full article here.

Buzz - Google VS Microsoft

This was kind of expected, let's see who wins (if anyone does) the final battle:

"Facebook has suddenly become the hottest property on the Internet, with Microsoft and Google slugging it out over the purchase of just a small stake in the social-networking site amid a much larger battle for dominance in online advertising.

In recent weeks, Microsoft approached Facebook with a proposal to invest $300 million to $500 million for a 5% stake in the startup firm, a move that could value all of Facebook at $10 billion or higher, people familiar with the matter tell The Wall Street Journal. But these people say that Google is also angling for a Facebook stake."

Read the full article here.

Google - Genius tie-up with BMW

It was only natural for car manufacturers to go down that route, but BMW wins the race, and by far!

So it's now official: "BMW is now the first auto manufacturer to offer Google local search straight from the in-dash nav system. You can look for Yellow Pages-type information like names and addresses of restaurants, hotels -- locate service stations, banks, supermarkets, cinemas and Apple genius bars -- and all of it right from your car."

It only works in Germany so far, but I'm pretty sure it will be a common feature in all cars really soon - Thumbs up, it's brilliant.

Read the full article here.

Buzz - Audi R8 launch in Dubai

We went to the launch event of the Audi R8 last wednesday which was held at Madinat Jumeirah. I have to say that I was very much impressed by the organization and the way the evening progressed (Thank you Tarek).

The R8 is a beauty of course.

But what was much more exciting for any hard-core Audi fan (like Ezz and myself), was the fact that they brought on stage the first race car ever made, the Le Mans car, and Michele Mouton's Audi Quattro!!!

While everybody gathered around the R8 after dinner, we were glued to the Quattro, taking picture after picture (bless the digital cameras).
Quite an adrenaline rush ;) !

Read more about Michele Mouton here.
Check out all the Audi pics here.

Buzz - HumanLocator

Human Locator is an interactive visual system developed by Freeset and designed expressly for advertising. Drawing on cutting edge computer visualization techniques to track full body movement in real time, it allows consumers to actively participate in and interact with advertising. At the same time the system provides advertisers with measurable viewer data."

I love it! I wish I could have one of these toys at home!

Check out all the funky possibilities here.

Buzz - HP & Gitex

It's that time of the year again where the marketing war of IT companies is declared... Gitex!

What we know for sure is that HP goes all the way every year to surprise the visitors and take over the city in some way, shape or form.

After hitting us with the orange campaign a year back and branding all the speed radars (which created quite a buzz and controversy), they are going red in 2007 (and hanging 3D 6x4meters PSG Hands holding the HP logo in key spots).

I'm not sure about the rationale behind the stunt, but it looks cool :)

Ezz, we want pictures of the stand!
Boud, any insights on Cisco?? ;)

Buzz - iPod Touch

The new baby's out, and needless to say.... It's sexy!
- I can't wait for it to get here (we'll soon end up having an iPod museum at home).

It is obviously a "cousin" of the iPhone, with its slick look and amazing features.

Some of the candy you'll get:
. Multi-touch interface
. 3.5-inch widescreen display
. Wi-Fi web browsing
. iTunes Wi-Fi downloads

Take a guided tour here, and watch Mr Jobs' keynote address here.
It will be available in 8GB and 16GB, and will be priced at $299 and $399 respectively.

Google - Flight simulator!

After hitting us with the "sky" addition, Google strikes again with a flight simulator!!

This feature is embedded in Google Earth, and I was having issues finding anything about it (no official releases of any sort)...

...Until I logged on this blog, which gives a pretty good overview/tutorial on how to hop on a plane (Command+Option+A for OS X, Ctrl+Alt+A for PCs) and explore :)

1..2...3... GO!

Web - Shopisodes

The E-commerce times reports on an growing collection of interactive videos called Shopisodes, that allow consumers to shop for items directly from a clip of their favorite show.
As the clip is playing, visitors can select and purchase the products that appear in the video.

It's a brilliant concept and definitely takes e-commerce to the next level.

Read the full article here and learn more about Shopisodes here.

And have a look at SeenOn.com, the latest e-commerce craze.

Google - gPhone?

Is Google releasing the gPhone or not?!!

According to Ars Technica, "a recent report by CrunchGear states that its own sources at mobile handset provider HTC have tipped the site off to multiple gPhone handsets getting prepped for launch in the first quarter of 2008, and that the handsets will be coming out of Taiwan. There will supposedly be over 20 different handsets to choose from—some with GPS—and they will carry special versions of Google Maps, Google Calendar, Gmail, and VoIP-enabled Google Talk."

On a software front, Google is rumored to be developing its own operating system for the gPhone.

I find this very exciting and I can't wait to see the devices.

Google - 411 now has maps

Do you remember the 411 business (and the mega depression I went through because of my Voogle lost cause?? - No?! No hard feelings, I wouldn't expect anyone to remember anyway - haha)... Well, it's back.

Memory booster:
"Google 411 is a free telephone service that lets you search for businesses by voice and get connected to those businesses for free."

Google announced on their blog that the service now offers a new feature: "Just say ‘map it’, and you’ll get a text message with the details of your search plus a link to a map of your results right on your mobile phone.”

I find it quite brilliant.
I just wish they would give me a call so I could tell them how to push things further.
I still don't understand why the mobile services are not linked to the web services.

I would like to have the same info sent to my Google account as well (if I have an account then my phone number is listed in my profile and the system recognizes it), just so I can store it and organize it for future reference. People have a tendency to delete sms messags in their inboxes after a while.

Hmm... Whatever. I know.

Google - Grand central

Google just acquired Grand Central, "a web-based voice communications platform that helps you manage all your phones and phone numbers through one simple interface".

The service lets people use a single number for all their phones.

"GrandCentral users can also create a single mailbox, accessible over the Internet, for all their phone messages, Google said on its Web site.

Exciting!!

Click here for more details

Buzz - Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968)

Thanks to Google, I learnt today that it was on April 12 1961 that Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space in Vostok 3KA-2.

According to Wikipedia, Gagarin famously whistled during his flight the tune "The Motherland Hears, The Motherland Knows". He became an instant celebrity, and toured widely around the world to promote the Soviet achievement.

Web - Webby awards nominees

Webby Nominees are officially listed, and the winners will be announced on May 1, 2007. I haven't had the chance to go through all the entries yet, but what I saw so far was quite good.

http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=11

Buzz - AI launches a mobile phone service

Cellular news reports that Amnesty International USA has launched its own branded cell-phone service, Amnesty Wireless, that makes every call a call for human rights.

"Any time subscribers make a phone call, 10% of their charges will automatically go to Amnesty International, without costing them anything extra. And Amnesty Wireless members who want to do even more can find in each month's bill Citizen Action alerts, informing them of urgent human-rights issues that need their support."

http://www.workingassetswireless.com/amnesty