The Unlawyer

The 2010 Honda Accord sedan arrived in Philippine showrooms last month, not with a change in how this premium vehicle looks like from the outside but on the inside with the installation of black leather seats, a feature found in the 3.5-liter version of this car.

In a recent statement, Honda Cars Philippines said:

“The 2010 Honda Accord’s interior is delicately crafted with only the finest materials to draw out an air of opulence that matches its bold and sophisticated exterior. The Accord’s plush black leather seats provide comforting luxury that is also easy to maintain. Controls for audio and air conditioning system are also improved for better functionality and ease of use.”

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One of the perks of running a camera store is that I get to test drive new models from time to time. As a consequence I recently got a brief opportunity to try the all-new Samsung NX10 digital camera, which its Korean manufacturer says is 100 percent Samsung,

Introduced at this year’s Consumer Electronic Show, the 14.6 megapixel Samsung NX10 looks just like a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera. It can even use interchangeable lenses like a DSLR, but it isn’t like a DSLR because it doesn’t use an optical viewfinder. Instead, it uses a 921,000-dot electronic viewfinder to do the job. Thus, the deletion of the mechanical mirror and pentaprism makes for a smaller and slimmer digicam that, for all intents and purposes, is a DSLR through and through.

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In all the time I have been dealing in cameras, I have never seen such an intense interest in digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras in this country, so much so that these things are flying out of camera stores, and that even 14-year olds want them because, well, they look cool.

I’m absolutely flabbergasted.

Anyway, camera manufacturers have been rushing to bring the latest DSLR models out to and Canon, no laggard he, introduced its new EOS 550D to a bunch of dealers earlier this month.

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The 2010 Philippine beauty pageant season kicked off last Thursday with the formal introduction of this year’s 24 Binibining Pilipinas candidates to the press at the grounds of the Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

In leopard-print two-piece swimsuits, no less.

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Corrupt cops. Gaping potholes. Carnappers. Reckless drivers. Ever-changing U-turn slots. Incomprehensible road signs. These are but some of the many hazards Philippine motorists have to contend with every time they drive their cars on Philippine roads.

Add road rage to this list.

“Such behavior might include rude gestures, verbal insults, deliberately driving in an unsafe or threatening manner, or making threats. Road rage can lead to altercations, assaults, and collisions which result in injuries and even deaths.”

In this most recent incident, and probably the most bizarre recorded of late, a man was arrested after driving the wrong way on the northbound lane of the Ortigas flyover of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), apparently in a rage after being frustrated by the heavy traffic on the way to his Camp Crame destination. He managed to turn his vehicle around against the flow of traffic, and in the process collided with 22 vehicles and injured an undetermined number of people. He refused to stop even as responding lawmen ordered him to do so. He was finally arrested and, if you take a look at the 0:44 mark on the ABS-CBN video I embedded of this case, got a sound drubbing – kinuyog in Tagalog – for his pains.

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Well, it looks like Toyota finally bit the bullet and, in a widely anticipated move, recalled its flagship vehicle, the 2010-model year Prius, in Japan, the United States, and other major markets due to problems in this hybrid car’s anti-lock braking system:

“Starting Feb. 10, Toyota said it will recall 223,068 hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles in Japan, including its latest Prius model and three others–the Sai, the Lexus HS250h and the Prius plug-in hybrid.

“That marks Toyota’s first recall in recent months in Japan, and adds to the existing headache of recalling over 8 million vehicles in the U.S., Europe, China and elsewhere to fix problems related to gas pedals and floor mats in a range of models. Toyota said last week those recalls could cost it as much as $2 billion.

“Meanwhile, Toyota will conduct a voluntary safety recall in the U.S. for about 133,000 2010 model-year Prius cars and 14,500 Lexus Division 2010 HS 250h cars to update software in the ABS. The system helps prevent wheels from locking and the vehicle from skidding.

“And while cars in China won’t be affected, Toyota Motor Europe said it will recall 52,903 third-generation Toyota Prius autos in Europe for the same reason.”

It is unknown if the 2010 Toyota Prius sold in the Philippines is also covered by the recall, or how many have been sold by the manufacturer. Singapore’s Toyota agent, however, started the ball rolling in southeast Asia by announcing a recall of these vehicles today, so I suppose other Toyota dealers in the region will soon follow suit.

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