Carcam Portable Car Camcorder Demo

Video demo of the Carcam Portable Car Camcorder. Filmed on Metro Manila Skyway southbound.

Notes:
1. Video format for the car camera is .AVI using motion JPEG encoding, which is archaic by modern standards.
2. A Class 4 32GB micro SD card was used to film the video; hence the jittery quality.
3. The camera is not true HD, as the recording format is 1280 x 960 (not 1280 x 720 or 1920 x 1080) and there is no HDMI port.
4. Microphone was disabled in this recording, as it's rubbish. The music you hear is whatever YouTube has on their playlist.

Still shots photographed using a Canon PowerShot SX230 HS. Edited in 720p HD with Camtasia Studio 8.

Special thanks to:
Blade Auto Center

Video © 2013 Area Seven Productions

Picanto 1.2 EX Discontinued in PH

Bad News: According to Kia Motors Global City, the Picanto 1.2 EX has been discontinued in the Philippine market. This is due to slow sales in comparison to the 1.0 manual and automatic models. Picanto 1.2 EX models are a rare sight; I've only seen six (not including mine) on the road over the past year.

And so, as a tribute to the 1.2, here's my latest slideshow:

First Service

According to the warranty booklet, the Picanto should be serviced every 7,500 kms. On the other hand, Kia dealers recommend 7,500 kms or 4 months, whichever comes first. It's actually been 11 months since I picked up my Picanto; and with 6,323 kms on the odometer, I'm a bit overdue.

So I dropped by Kia Motors Global City to have the Picanto take its first Preventive Maintenance Service. The old oil and filter went out, and in came a new oil filter and three quarts of ZIC A+ 5W20 fully synthetic motor oil. All of this and a complimentary car wash totaled to Php 2,045.94.

Next service is at the 15,000 km mark or six months, whichever comes first.

Let There Be Light

One of the many nifty features of the Kia Picanto 1.2 EX is its automatic lighting system. When the headlights are set to "Auto", a sensor in the front center of the dashboard detects sunlight and automatically activates the headlights and taillights at night or inside a carpark. The system can also be used to activate the headlights when the car is remotely unlocked for easier location in a parking lot.

Complementing this feature are the Picanto's LED headlights and taillights. Each headlight has six small but powerful LED bulbs clustered below the main lamp. The taillights are designed to emit a hot neon effect.

Kia Picanto Southeast Asia

For all Kia Picanto owners in Southeast Asia, here's the Facebook fan page for you:

Kia Picanto Southeast Asia

The Scent of Squash

We all love the smell of a brand-new car, but inevitably, that wonderful scent disappears over time. This gives us the opportunity to choose the way we keep our cars fresh-smelling. After two months, it was time for me to pull out an air freshener for the Picanto. And just with my previous cars, I use Air Spencer.

I've been a fan of the squash scent for over a decade, and of all the different types of scents, Marine Squash (#059019) is my personal favorite. It's a very pleasant scent that's not overpowering - even with the vent fully open. The ceramic powder form provides zero leakage and the ability to be positioned anywhere in the cabin, as well as coverage that lasts over a month.

Also recommended are Clear Squash (#059024 - a bit on the powdery side) and Sazan Squash (#059028 - a little sweeter scent).

Air Spencer is available at Concorde and Blade branches for Php 299.75. Beware of the Php 100.00 knockoff "Aspen Air" cans at Blade, though.

Air Spencer

For those in the U.S., you can order your Air Spencer at Squash Air. Aside from the Marine Squash can, I highly recommend the compact CS-X3 model.

Rainy Day Pics

Here are some new pics I took on a rainy Sunday morning in Silang, Cavite. Enjoy!