Yamaha Launches Fazer With ‘Touring Spirit’

Yamaha has lauched another variant of the popular FZ 16 called the Fazer Touring Spirit in the Indian market.
Fazer essentially is the touring version of the FZ 16 with tweaks for long distance travelling. The front now comes with a color co-ordinated aerodynamic cowl to keep the wind blast at bay while the riding position has been tweaked for long hour, long distance travel and comes with special anti-skid seat skin. Twin 35W headlamps at do the lightening duties upfront to keep the vision clear and also bring it in line with global Yamaha Fazer DNA.
Dissapointingly though the engine remains the same 150cc Air-cooled SOHC 2 valver from the FZ 16 and goes against the touring nature of the bike for which extra power and torque would have been more than welcome. The engine delivers 14 ps of maximum power at 7500 rpm and a maximum torque of 14 nm @ 6000 rpm which is mated to a 5 speed gearbox and comes electric start as standard.
The new Yamaha Fazer comes in a total of four colors - Electric Blue, Lava Red, Flaming Orange and Midnight Black
Source:www.cubiccapacity.com

Yamaha's FZ No.3

Close on the heels of the stylish FZ-S, Yamaha is about to unleash yet another version based on the original blockbuster bike. Sporting a half-fairing and dual front headlamps, the new FZ will borrow cues from the litre-class Yamaha FZ-1. Power output from the refined 153cc motor is likely to remain unchanged at 14bhp as are all other vital specifications. Expected to hit the roads shortly, the new bike will be priced at a premium above the standard FZ-16. Yamaha is on the verge of launching upgrade kits for their sporty R15 and FZ16. The upgrades will be available as kits and can be retrofitted on existing motorcycles. The kits will be available post their laiunch in Yamaha showrooms soon.

Hogenakkal falls!!!

You get the feel of the river running nearby when you enter the sanctuary enclosing Hogenakal waterfall. Suddenly, there is plenty of vegetation and little habitation, the road keeps going down and down into the valley indicating the probability of finding a river. A 15 minute of quite drive into the forest leads you to a busy and noisy village(or call it a marketplace) or Hogenakkal.
The real action begins with the boatmen, even before you get to see the waterfall. You realize that you need a coracle to go there, and approach the boatmen expecting to pay may be a 20, 30 or 50 rupees. You would be in for a big surprised when they ask you for a 500! Heavy bargaining can bring it down considerably but they are pretty smart businessmen and they know you wont go back easily after coming this far!
This is another big waterfall on the Kaveri river after Shivanasamudra. Though not as high as the earlier one, it is equally magnificent, with the river falling into a narrow gorge in several bursts of water. There is no wide open space where you can stand and watch the fall; you need to hire a coracle and get right into the gorge to be able to see it. The boatmen can take you really close to the falling water, sometimes to make the water splash into you if you wish. River here is only a little wider than Mekedatu but much mellow, flows through a narrow channel surrounded by rocks on both sides which are carved into strange shapes by the river. Boatmen say water is probably a 100 feet deep here. The channel looks lovely and the rocks look as if they were carved by an artist!

Another attraction are local kids who can show you their diving skills, for a fee. They can dive for you from a height of around 30 feet into the water and climb straight up back on the rocks in no time, all for mere Rs.5 from the spectator. There is competition within them and you may be offered a discount! A little downstream to the river is a wide plane where day trippers and picnic crowd spend most of their time, but you don’t really find a good shelter anywhere there. Men can attempt a massage offered by the local masseur but is best avoided.

Hogenakal Information
Hogenakal is around 150km from Bangalore. You need to take Hosur road and drive through Hosur and Krishnagiri, turn left after Krishnagiri and reach Dharmapuri. Drive into Dharmapuri and ask for directions to the fall. Another 30km drive takes you to Hogenakal. Roads are pretty good till Dharmapuri and then will slow you down a bit. Expect a two and a half hour journey. No food or accommodation available at the location and it is good to pack your lunch before you start. Starting early from Bangalore helps, as it can get really sunny as the day goes.

Sandisk unveils fastest 32GB SDHC card

With high-end DSLR cameras now shooting 20-megapixel images in rapid succession, few photographers would argue with the need for greater storage and data transfer speed. Sandisk is satisfying both with its latest SDHC card, which brings the 30MB/s transfer speeds seen in its SanDisk Extreme SDHC range last year to a 32GB model.
Transfer speed is important for DSLR photography because if a card cannot process data quickly enough when shooting at a rapid rate, the camera may pause and put you in danger of missing “the” shot. Fast, sustained write speed also benefit high-definition video recording found on a growing number of high-end DSLRs.
Fill ‘er up
The 32GB SanDisk Extreme SDHC card can store up to 160 minutes of full HD 1920x1080 pixels at 24Mb/s and 2500 RAW images. They are guaranteed to operate at extended temperatures ranging from minus 13 F (minus 25 C) to 185 F (85 C) and adhere to the SD Association’s new Class 10 specification, which exceeds requirement for today’s high definition (AVCHD) video recording.
The SanDisk Extreme SDHC 32GB cards will be shipping worldwide to major retailers in August. Also in August, the current 4, 8 and 16GB capacity SanDisk Extreme SDHC cards will be upgraded from Class 6 to Class 10.

Source:www.gizmag.com

Pop-up buttons the future of touchscreens?

“Eyes-free” mobile phone dialing may be a not-too-distant reality. Hot on the heels of Google recently announcing its experimental Android powered interface comes this prototype from Carnegie Mellon University featuring pop-out buttons on a touch-screen which allow you to tap away without keeping a close eye on the screen.
Graduate student Chris Harrison and Professor Scott Hudson have developed several prototype displays featuring tactile pop-out buttons for certain functions. Basically, the prototypes involve creating an air chamber by layering several specially cut pieces of clear acrylic, on top of which is draped a thin sheet of semi-transparent latex. This latex acts as a pliable, deformable projection surface. The air chamber, connected to a pump, is either negatively or positively pressurized to create small concave or convex pop-up buttons that copy the feel of actual physical buttons. (See gallery for diagram).
Underneath, a camera senses Infrared light being scattered by fingers touching the surface of the interface, while rear projection casts images onto the screens.
Although similar systems have been explored in the past, according to Harrison their displays are the first to be touch sensitive as well as combining pop-up buttons and the display of dynamic information. He goes on to say that although several other touch screen displays made of glass or rigid plastic are able to register pressure, what sets this model apart from others is that it offers tactile feedback.
As with previous “eyes-free” developments, the technology promises to be a useful application for those who don’t want to or can’t concentrate on a task on the screen. The researchers are currently looking at ways to shrink their current prototype, as they concede that “you can’t get a pump inside a cell phone”.
www.gizmag.com

Along comes a spider - UREWERK UR103T watch

URWERK hasn't done anything to damage its reputation for avant-garde timepieces with its latest addition to the UR103 range. The UR103T keeps time by means of four rotating satellites that sweep past the minute arc at the bottom of the face and a "control board" on the back includes a 43-hour power reserve indicator and a chronometer for accurate time-setting. Anyone who can guess what the "t" designates deserves a prize - it's not "titanium" or "timepiece", but "tarantula", a reference to the arachnid inspired aesthetics of the watch mechanism.
Each of the four satellites on the rotating cross mechanism make a complete revolution of the dial every four hours and each carries three numbers which also rotate.
The engineering challenge in creating the unique mechanism was to cope with the weight and minimizing friction of of the rotating satellites, each being more than 300 times heavier than a traditional hand. For this task, master watchmaker and co-founder of URWERK Felix Baumgartner chose precisely crafted aluminum for its strength and lightness. Bronze/beryllium and a light, non-magnetic and corrosion resistant material known as ARCAP 40 are also used in the construction of the mechanism.
UR103T technical specifications:
Case: Stainless steel treated with AlTiN (Aluminium, Titanium, Nitride)
Dimensions: 50mm x 36mm x 13.5mm (including lugs)
Movement: Calibre 3.03; manual winding; 21,600bph/3Hz
Power reserve 43 hours
Triple bridges in black ARCAP P40
Time Indication by hour satellites rotated by Geneva crosses
Control Board: Grade 5 titanium, power reserve indicator, 15-minute and seconds dials for precise time-setting, user adjustable fine-tuning screw

Source:www.gizmag.com

Yamaha Performance Kits For YZF R15 And FZ 16 Shortly!

Now you can ‘kit’ your Yamaha for that day at the track. Yamaha India will soon launch a range of exclusive racing kit parts for its customers who wants to eek out that extra bit of power from their bikes.

The kit is designed and built by Yamaha Engineering Corporation and specialist firm Daytona in Japan exclusively for racing purposes in a closed circuit only.
The kit consists of race ECU, full exhaust system, high lift Cams, special alloy sprockets, adjustable back steps and braking enhancements like big diameter petal disc brakes, master cylinder and stainless steel hose. The kits will be available to customers by September this year.
Mr. Sanjay Tripathi, Division Head Product Planning & Brand Management, India Yamaha Motor said
“Racing kit parts are developed using valuable experience gained from Moto GP & World Superbike racing and Yamaha wants to provide its customers in India with the same thrill and feeling of racing instinct. Also with the launch of these kit parts we want to encourage safe racing culture in India.”

Source:www.cubiccapacity.com

Hyundai i20 CRDi Coming Soon!

Hyundai will launch the CRDi diesel version of the hot selling i20 hatchback in India very soon.
While the market was already abuzz with runours of a July first week launch, this spy pic from geeash@team-bhp.com of an i20 with temporary registration plates confirms that the launch is very near.
The i20 CRDi will come with a 1.4 Litre CRDi engine which comes in two states of tune 75 bhp and 90 bhp. Its still not clear which version will Hyundai launch in India but the rumours say its the more powerful 90 bhp unit which can only be a good news for the prospective buyers.
Source: team-bhp.com
The new supermini from Hyundai has been received well in the Indian market. The recent launch of the Honda Jazz with a price tag of Rs 7.33 Lakhs has only helped others in the segment.
The new i20 CRDi is expected to cost Rs 70,000 to Rs 100,000 over and above the similarly specced petrol variant.
Keep coming for more.

Spied: New Hero Honda Karizma!

The competition is the two wheeler segment is intense these days. With Bajaj upping the ante with the new Pulsar 220 DTSi which not only is faster but considerably cheaper, upgraded Pulsar 180 and 150 and TVS’s new Apache RTR 180, Hero Honda is feeling the heat in the premium motorcycle segment.
Auto Bild July edition has published a spy pic of what is believed to be the test mule of the new Hero Honda Karizma which should be out in the market soon. Thanks ‘Rahul’ for the tip!
Jump over for more details and ‘whats new’ on the Karizma!
The changes this time arent just restricted to some new stickers and colored springs. According to the article the new Karizma sports all new front fairing, new side and tail pieces and a ‘hunk’ like rear mudguard. Additionally it also gets a disc brake at the rear, gas charged rear shock absorbers and possibly Fuel Injection with increased power and torque.
The stance remains the same as the old Karizma which is still considered to be the best touring bike in India with smooth, refined and relaxed Honda engine at the helm.
Keep watching this space for more.

Source:www.cubiccapacity.com

Revamped Pulsar 220 On The Cards?

The grapevine on the web suggests that Bajaj is all set to launch the revamped Pulsar 220 on 23rd June which is just a week away.The news looks perfectly believable given the revamped Pulsar 150, 180 and 200 have already been launched under Bajaj’s yearly updates for the Pulsar range.What makes the news even more interesting for the biker in us to stand up and take notice is the the talk of an all new DTS-Fi (DTSi?) engine. Well to be very frank, an all new engine is highly improbable, what Bajaj may have done is throughly revamped the 220 cc engine for refinement and more power.The new Bajaj Pulsar 220 cc is reported to the fastest Indian bike ever built with a top speed of 140 kmph and is said to cost considerably lesser than its predecessor at approximately Rs 73,000 Ex-Showroom, massive difference of around 12k’s when compared to the current Pulsar 220’s price.Better, faster bike at a lesser price…. how you may say? I think we have the answer to it. There were news of Bajaj testing and developing the carburetted version of the 220cc engine. Sources also said that the carb version of the engine is more powerful and faster. Now if this is to be believed, the new bike can certainly be priced at Rs. 73,000 given that rationalization of parts and economies of scale would work in P220 favour since it shares some of its parts with the 180 now! We also have to keep in mind the money Bajaj would save by not giving Fuel Injection system to the bike!Speculative… but we dont have to wait for too long! Keep coming back for more!
courtesy:www.cubiccapacity.com

Ferrari F450, the F430 Replacement Undisguised!

Ferrari F430 has a huge reputation. Its regarded as one of the best car to come out of the factory gates at Maranello even though its an entry levelo model.We all know that Ferrari is working on the F430 replacement for long now and here is undisguised pic of the replacement which may be called the F450. The pic come to you courtesy Autoexpress Magazine which spied the car as it was being loaded onto the back of a truck in Italy.If you thought F430 was good looking, have a look at F450 which is even better. The new F450 is more rounded more agressive with a pair of huge sweeping side air vents which have been enlarged to cool the improved engine and the brakes. In a bid to better compete with its rivlas like the Porsche 911, Lamborghini Gallardo, the F450 will also get a bigger 4.5 Litre engine (and hence the name) which will atleast put around 500 bhp a result of the modified internals and even more revv range.The new F450 will also come with an all new gearbox in the form of 7-Speed double clutch unit from the Ferrari California. The gearbox will be suitably updated to meet the demeanour of a mid-engine Ferrari sports car and will offer lightening fast shifts.The Ferrari F450 might even get the KERS system from the Ferrari F1 program which will convert the kinetic energy saved from braking into usable power.Ferrari F450 is expected to debut at the Franfurt motor show this year with sales starting from the year 2010.
courtesy:www.cubiccapacity.com

Led TV

Consumer durables major Samsung India launched a series of energy-efficient LED technology-based televisions in the Indian market, priced between Rs 1.25 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh.LED TV use low electricity, contain no mercury and are made of environment-friendly products. It is based on a new technology, which uses LED (light emitting diodes) in the panels as against LCD TVs, which uses normal liquid crystal display technology.The company also introduced a range of LCD TVs and Plasma TVs, priced in the range of Rs 17,000-1.7 lakh and Rs 59,000-1.35 lakh, respectively."We are proud to be contributing to and leading this turning point in TV evolution globally and in India by simultaneously introducing Samsung LED TVs in different markets all over the world," Samsung President and CEO (South-West Asia) Jung Soo Shin said in New Delhi."We are expecting our LED TV volumes to be 10 per cent of our flat panel TV volumes this year," Samsung India Deputy Managing Director R Zutshi said. The company is targeting to sell six lakh units of flat panel TVs in India during 2009.Apart from launching three series of LED TVs in the Indian market, Samsung India also introduced five series of LCD TVs and two series of plasma TVs here. Besides Samsung, firms such as LG, Panasonic and TCL, are also gearing up to introduce LED TVs in the domestic market.Consumer durables major Samsung India launched a series of energy-efficient LED technology-based televisions in the Indian market, priced between Rs 1.25 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh.LED TV use low electricity, contain no mercury and are made of environment-friendly products. It is based on a new technology, which uses LED (light emitting diodes) in the panels as against LCD TVs, which uses normal liquid crystal display technology.The company also introduced a range of LCD TVs and Plasma TVs, priced in the range of Rs 17,000-1.7 lakh and Rs 59,000-1.35 lakh, respectively."We are proud to be contributing to and leading this turning point in TV evolution globally and in India by simultaneously introducing Samsung LED TVs in different markets all over the world," Samsung President and CEO (South-West Asia) Jung Soo Shin said in New Delhi."We are expecting our LED TV volumes to be 10 per cent of our flat panel TV volumes this year," Samsung India Deputy Managing Director R Zutshi said. The company is targeting to sell six lakh units of flat panel TVs in India during 2009.Apart from launching three series of LED TVs in the Indian market, Samsung India also introduced five series of LCD TVs and two series of plasma TVs here. Besides Samsung, firms such as LG, Panasonic and TCL, are also gearing up to introduce LED TVs in the domestic market.
Heard on news channel that Sony is coming up with ist own version of led tv 1/3rd thickness of samsungs' called Sony LED Bravia KDL-55XBR8 already available outside India.
courtesy:www.gizmag.com