Pay to Play: MyVegas Continues to Push Out Free Users
It seems like every time we hear people talking about MyVegas, it’s not because there’s good news. Devaluation of points, outright elimination of rewards, and added restrictions on those that remain are now regular occurrences. And, while a few vocal optimists continue to remind us that we can play for free, MyVegas isn’t making it easy.
The three-rewards per 30-day period limit has been the biggest obstacle that free users face when attempting to cash in their points. Many players are caught by surprise, as the limit isn’t well advertised. Even more hidden is the murky path to increasing one’s redemption limit. Making in-game chip purchases is known to bump the number to 4, 5, or even more, but MyVegas reps won’t clarify just how many purchases are required, or how much you need to spend, in order to get the desired result.
Yet even more secretive is the MyVegas host program. There’s been no official word explaining how it works, or what it takes to get in. Much like a casino host, a MyVegas host opens the door to opportunities typically out of reach for casual Vegas visitors. Online hosts can help plan trips, offer additional in-game perks like bonus chips, and work outside of the burdensome reward restrictions that otherwise limit reward use.
Obtaining a MyVegas host also appears to initiate a stronger link between your MyVegas and MLife accounts. A holiday offer that went out to players with hosts over the winter allowed them to turn MyVegas loyalty points into MLife Holiday Gift Shop points, which are directly redeemable for merchandise and free play at MGM resorts.
Qualifying for such a host is rumored to be an expensive privilege. Hard numbers aren’t available, but we’ve come to understand that several players who are assigned hosts have repeatedly spent hundreds of dollars on in-game chip purchases.
(VegasChatter.com)
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Sometimes, It Comes Down To Lucky Timing
How Subaru Got All-Wheel Drive
Today Subaru is known for having all-wheel drive and... uh... well, they’re known for having all-wheel drive. That’s for sure. But where did this all start? Well, it all goes back to a power company, some old Toyotas, and a few borrowed parts from Nissan.
It all started in 1970 when TEPCO (Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc), the power company for northeast Japan, needed to replace their fleet of clunky old Toyota Land Cruisers. TEPCO needed something that could trudge through winter snow, but they wanted something that drove like a car in the summer.
Hsu explains how Subaru came into the picture.
Today Subaru is known for having all-wheel drive and... uh... well, they’re known for having all-wheel drive. That’s for sure. But where did this all start? Well, it all goes back to a power company, some old Toyotas, and a few borrowed parts from Nissan.
It all started in 1970 when TEPCO (Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc), the power company for northeast Japan, needed to replace their fleet of clunky old Toyota Land Cruisers. TEPCO needed something that could trudge through winter snow, but they wanted something that drove like a car in the summer.
Hsu explains how Subaru came into the picture.
Fuji Heavy Industires was ahead of the curve in employing front-wheel-drive with the FF-1, while most Japanese cars of its era and size were still rear-wheel-drive. Because their engines (and even spare tires) were mounted over the drive wheels, they garnered a reputation for performing extraordinarily well in snow. A TEPCO manager walked in to a Subaru store one day asking if they would consider making the FF-1 wagon in AWD.
Subaru complied, modifying a handful of them to be fitted with propellor shafts and rear differentials. The diffs and rear axle, in fact, were taken from a Datsun 510 wagon as Nissan owned 20 percent of Subaru at the time (which is also why modern Impreza diffs work so well with RWD Nissans in the aftermarket world). The AWD wagons sat 20mm higher than the FF ones, and with the FF-1 already adopting boxer motors with spare tires sitting atop the engines, the template for all modern Subarus was born.(Jalopnik.com)
Here's Some More Reasons Why My Cars Continue To Have 3 Pedals
Engineering Explained: How Manual Transmissions Work And Why They're Better
Here’s everything you need to know about manual transmissions, how they work, and their many advantages
4. What are the advantages of a manual transmission?
2. Cost
Here’s everything you need to know about manual transmissions, how they work, and their many advantages
4. What are the advantages of a manual transmission?
2. Cost
- Less complexity and fewer materials leads to a lower cost. This is a win for the consumer who is savvy with both of his/her feet, as manual vehicles are often significantly cheaper to buy than their automatic counterparts.
- No Problem, if you don’t quite have the juice to start your motor with a manual transmission vehicle, you can start the engine simply by moving the vehicle (tell your passenger to push, you’re giving them a ride after all) and popping the clutch. This forces the engine to spin just like a starter motor does, and you can be on your way.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Why The Death Of The Manual Lamborghini Is All Our Fault
For everyone lamenting the death of the manual, these quotes from Lambo CEO Stephen Winkelmann should make it clear that it's nobody's fault but our own
At a recent event at Lamborghini’s headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, journalists were pestering chief engineer Maurizio Reggiani about the absence of a manual option on the new car. According to AutoGuide, Reggiani began to explain how fewer than five per cent of Gallardo owners ticked the manual ‘box option, when CEO Stephen Winkelmann jumped in.
Apparently, that five per cent statistic is out of date. In fact "close to zero per cent of Gallardos were ordered in manual," Winkelmann confirmed. In fact, orders for manual Gallardos became such a rare event, that when one did come in, engineers would contact the dealership to double check the form was correct.
(CarThrottle.com)
For everyone lamenting the death of the manual, these quotes from Lambo CEO Stephen Winkelmann should make it clear that it's nobody's fault but our own
At a recent event at Lamborghini’s headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, journalists were pestering chief engineer Maurizio Reggiani about the absence of a manual option on the new car. According to AutoGuide, Reggiani began to explain how fewer than five per cent of Gallardo owners ticked the manual ‘box option, when CEO Stephen Winkelmann jumped in.
Apparently, that five per cent statistic is out of date. In fact "close to zero per cent of Gallardos were ordered in manual," Winkelmann confirmed. In fact, orders for manual Gallardos became such a rare event, that when one did come in, engineers would contact the dealership to double check the form was correct.
(CarThrottle.com)
It's Surprising How They Stay Loyal To NA Motors
Lamborghini in no rush to turbocharge supercars
"Naturally aspirated engines are still the best engines which are on the market for super sports cars, in terms of acceleration, in terms of sound," said Lamborghini's chief executive during a roundtable discussion at the factory. "And unless there is [something] better, we are going to keep them."
"We are constantly looking for alternatives. We are constantly seeing what we can do to make them better," said Winkelmann. "And there will maybe a day when we are introducing turbos, when the turbos are equalizing or being better than naturally aspirated engines." That moment just hasn't come yet, in Lamborghini's estimation. This in sharp contrast to rivals like Ferrari and McLaren (to say nothing of its sister company Porsche) which are wholeheartedly embracing turbocharged engines, as well as hybrid propulsion.
(AutoBlog.com)
"Naturally aspirated engines are still the best engines which are on the market for super sports cars, in terms of acceleration, in terms of sound," said Lamborghini's chief executive during a roundtable discussion at the factory. "And unless there is [something] better, we are going to keep them."
"We are constantly looking for alternatives. We are constantly seeing what we can do to make them better," said Winkelmann. "And there will maybe a day when we are introducing turbos, when the turbos are equalizing or being better than naturally aspirated engines." That moment just hasn't come yet, in Lamborghini's estimation. This in sharp contrast to rivals like Ferrari and McLaren (to say nothing of its sister company Porsche) which are wholeheartedly embracing turbocharged engines, as well as hybrid propulsion.
(AutoBlog.com)
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