Author: Ian

This blog is all about my personal love for all things Japan. From Sushi to import cars, to the strong history of honor, discipline and art. I have a lot of respect and fascination for the culture of Japan, ever since I was a child I dreamt of going there. I hope to travel there before too long and walk through the Akihabara district, also known as “electric city”. Known for its towering buildings covered in brightly lit neon signs and filled with the newest technology and drool worthy toys. Then onto the Tsukiji market for some of the best fresh fish you can find! If your feeling like sitting down then head over to one of the many popular Sushi bars in tokyo, don’t forget to offer your Sushi chef a drink if he/she is doing a good job.This is only a tiny glimpse of the many amazing attractions in Japan, from Cherry Blossoms to Castles, to the Todaiji Omizutori – Water and Fire festival in Nara and Yokohama Cosmo World. If your looking for something more peaceful and serene head over to Mount Koya, a center of Shingon Bhuddism which was introduced to Japan in 805. If that isn’t your style you can head to one of the many bath houses or massage parlors. Don’t forget to make a stop in Shikoku island, although it is one of the least visited islands it does hold some treasures. Matsuyama Castle, a beautiful coastline and some of the best noodles in Japan to name a few. Well, I could go on and on, im sure I could spend an obscene amount of money on my visit there..and I will!I plan on making regular posts and perhaps a section on Japan. See you all again! Sayonara!

The AppleSource team is gearing up for Apple’s big release of Leopard tomorrow! Time to backup all data and install a drool worthy fresh OSX.  I already thought Vista was a bit of a joke compared to the current OSX but with the 300+ additional features such as cover flow, the new spotlight, Ilife and Iwork as well as timemachine…well the list goes on. Check it out for yourself if you already haven’t. Switching over to mac is even more appealing than ever. Go Apple! Also, lets take a look at the current stock market and the vast difference in share value from Microsoft compared to Apple..I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us at the MacExpo. We look forward to making an appearance there this year, meeting lots of people, handing out merch and displaying our newest renditions of TimeNet Pro and Law as well as MOMD and maybe a sneak peek of some other ideas we’ve been throwing around. Maybe we’ll see some of you fellow Mac lovers and Applesource supporters out there!

I was recently conducting some research about the Nissan Skyline R34 and R33 models as I have been passionate about the Skyline for many years, and I was planning on purchasing a cheap 240sx and converting it with a front clip imported from Japan. I stumbled upon some incredible news! Nissan Motors is officially showing the new rendition of the Nissan GT-R 2009 Model in the Tokyo Motor Show!

The sports car that has created a cult following has been beloved as not only a creation of style and beauty but also speed and flexibility. Since 1989, modern GT-Rs have always featured a twin turbocharged engine and electronically controlled all-wheel drive and steering. The last generation Skyline GT-R, the R34, was the first production car ever to feature an onboard computer that gave real-time dynamic readouts on a full color screen. Not to mention that it was fast and nimble enough to run head-to-head with a Porsche 911 GT3.

The 2009 Skyline continues with the tradition of speed, technology and beauty and does everything to build on it, making a truly drool-worthy stallion. Now for some of the hard facts 😉

An updated version of Nissan’s Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All – Electronic Torque Split (ATTESA-ETS) system. At its peak, the R34 Nur Spec GT-R’s ATTESA-ETS Pro system could send 100 percent of the torque to the rear wheels in mere milliseconds, allowing up to a 50:50 front/rear split when required. The rear axle even had an active limited-slip differential that allowed for a bit of tail-out action. But that was 2002, expect the next generation GT-R to feature an updated ATTESA system that pushes state-of-the-art even further; probably with upgraded torque split flexibility, including the ability to send torque side-to-side as well.

The GT-R will weigh in at a porky 3800+ pounds (1740kg). That will probably make it the heaviest sports car you can buy. BUT, at that same time it has outpaced cars weighing nearly a thousand pounds less! Nissan has obviously packed a serious punch under the hood to push it around the corners of the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey.

Although Nissan hasn’t officially released the engine specs, here are a few things you can expect: 3.8 Liter 450HP AWD Twin turbo version of Nissan’s VQ-Series V6 Seven-speed, paddle-shifted gearbox. More to come as updates get released! Happy drooling! I can’t wait to save the $70k for this baby…lol

Welcome fellow Mac lovers and AppleSource enthusiasts! My name is Ian Darby, and I have been a close follower of AppleSource and all things Mac for many years now. Although I am currently confined to my PC I am now the proud owner of the most prestigious Apple product to date, the iPhone! And I am confident from this day forth I will be a Mac addict (no pun intended). I am sure I will long to sync my iPhone to one of the beautiful new iMacs…

I have recently relocated to Portland to become an integral partner in the development of AppleSource. I’m here to contribute any skills and experiences I can to this team and its goals to revolutionize and renovate our software to meet the demands and passions of our clients and supporters. We will continue to release groundbreaking applications. Smooth, friendly and efficient interfaces to make your work feel less like work: even fun and exciting. Get ready for a new season of exciting products and updates! I look forward to getting to know you all a little better, my clients, colleagues and friends.