The Sim City series has long been synonymous with the PC—now you can micromanage your own city on the go with Sim City Deluxe. (If only there was a way to shrink your fingers.) If you’ve played one of the many Sim City games before, you know what to expect. If this is your first […]
Colin Chisholm
Posted inNews + Opinion
The biofuel question
Back in 2004, Metro Transit was touting its use of biodiesel as making a new era of sustainability for the city of Halifax. The fuel was made up of 20 percent fish oil and 80 percent diesel. “Moving to biodiesel has allowed HRM to replace 1,550,000 litres of non-renewable diesel fuel with a source that […]
Posted inArts + Music
Ridge Racer 3D
The launch of new hardware often brings with it some compelling software as developers try to capture a new audience, but there are also some awful cash grabs, which are meant to exploit consumers. Once again, Ridge Racer finds itself in the latter category. Ridge Racer 3D is an arcade racer with a multitude of fictional […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Eco-friendly commuting in the HRM
Every day thousands of Haligonians take their cars to work, all by themselves. The cars they drive can usually seat at least three others comfortably. Yet this lonely form of commuting remains the standard way to get from point A to point B. This inefficient form of transportation comes at a high cost for many […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Electric avenue
When it launches later this year, the Nissan Leaf will be the first automobile in Nova Scotia to not require an internal combustion engine. Even fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles—the Toyota Prius and GM’s Chevrolet Volt—require at least some gasoline to run. The Leaf, however, is completely electric. From the motor, to the air conditioning and the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Recycling your clunker
If you’re still driving in a vehicle that was made in 1995 or earlier, guess what? It’s probably issuing 19 times more emissions than a vehicle made after 2004. Yep, that old Tercel that works “just fine” is actually one of the worst polluters on the road. Probably time to recycle it. It’s important to […]
Posted inArts + Music
Dragon Age 2
Dragon Age 2 promised to fix all of the bugs and issues with the first game while maintaining its top of the line storytelling and imaginative world. What we ended up getting was excellent gameplay with sub-par level design and a lack of imagination. The combat is satisfying and less complex than before with forgiving […]
Posted inArts + Music
Mad Men: Season 4
If the first three seasons of Mad Men were a wild party, then the fourth is the hangover. The show maintains its well-established polish as it follows Don Draper’s (Jon Hamm) personal and professional life, now more intertwined than ever. The decadence and fedoras remain, but darker undertones reverberate with endless drinking, smoking and hiding from his […]
Posted inArts + Music
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Super Street Fighter IV has been around for awhile, but it’s never been seen quite like this. At its core it is a side-view action-fighting game very similar to the console versions, but this time there’s a 3D effect giving the game a sense of depth. Backgrounds truly look further away than the characters, which […]
Posted inBest of Halifax
Best Rehearsal Space
Sadly, this is a farewell tribute. The Rock Garden is now no longer with us despite a legion of musicians who had come to love the space for serious jam sessions. In it’s heyday, bands would pay $15 per hour to utilize the studio—add an extra fiver if you played Keep On Rockin In The […]
Posted inLifestyle
Get paid to save energy
Whether building a new home, buying an older one or just renovating your current abode, performing an energy audit is one way to get ideas on how to lower your overall energy consumption and reduce your power bill. And investing in renovations to make your home more energy efficient off the top means you’ll use […]
Posted inLifestyle
The ABCs of mortgages
A mortgage is, basically, a loan for the use of purchasing property. Think of it like you would with payments for a car, or any other item that requires financing rather than outright purchasing. The majority of people who buy their first homes have to get a mortgage in order to get them, as very […]