Hyundai i10 is doing great after its debut in India, now Hyundai India is coming up with another small car called "Hyundai i20". Hyundai i10 targets A segment customer, all new Hyundai i20 will target B or B+ segment customers. Hyundai i20 has been developer under codename "PB" which will replace current Hyundai Getz globally but not in india. Hyundai i20 will positioned above Hyundai Getz.

With its fresh and head-turning styling, versatile interior, class-leading safety and engaging driver dynamics, the sparkling new Hyundai i20 took centre stage on the Hyundai stand at the 2008 Paris Auto Show. Building on the reputation for peerless reliability and exceptional cost-effectiveness established by its Hyundai Getz predecessor, i20 offers drivers more of everything - enhanced functionality from the intelligently configured cabin layout, higher levels of luxury, convenience and safety equipment, engaging handling from its all-new chassis and tuned suspension, and an extensive seven-strong line-up of punchy petrol and frugal turbo-diesels engines, with the choice of manual or automatic transmissions.
Designed and developed in Europe to meet the high expectations of European drivers, and benefiting from Hyundai's unlimited mileage three-year warranty, the Hyundai i20 arrives fully armed to succeed in Europe's ultra-competitive supermini sector. Initially available as a five-door model, a sportier three-door i20 version debuts in January 2009. Since Hyundai India is shifting its small car plant from Korea to India, Hyundai India will offer all new Hyundai i20 as a bonus to the Indian Customers.

Style and Design
Designed at Hyundai's European headquarters in Russelsheim, Germany, the chic new i20 follows in the stylish European footsteps of the acclaimed i10 and i30 models. Lower, longer and wider than the Getz it replaces, the five-door Hyundai i20 rides on an extended 2525mm wheelbase, enhancing both its athletic stance and spacious interior architecture. Featuring Hyundai's distinctive design motifs - a bold chrome-topped grille flanked by piercing teardrop headlamps at the front and striking stacked rear light clusters - the i20's modern lines are further strengthened by neat detailing, including colour-co-ordinated bumpers, sills and wing mirrors, integrated antenna, mechanical boot release, flush-mounted door handles and chunky standard-fit 16-inch 12-spoke alloy wheels. And new Hyundai i20 arrives with a palette of 10 new solid and metallic exterior hues - including fashionable Crystal White.



Interior
Luxury and versatility blend seamlessly in the new Hyundai i20's spacious and generously appointed cabin. With all four trim levels - Classic, Comfort, Style and Premium - featuring climate control, a powerful four-speaker radio, CD and MP3 audio system with integrated data display screen, a multi-function steering wheel, tyre pressure monitoring system, height-adjustable driver seat, keyless entry and electrically operated windows and side mirrors, i20's list of standard features puts it head and shoulders above the majority of its rivals.

Suspension, Ride Quality and NVH
In keeping with its dynamic styling, Hyundai i20 rides on an all-new platform that delivers an athletic and agile driving experience. With much of the car's ride and handling development work undertaken on European roads - hot weather testing was carried out in Spain, cold weather testing in Sweden and high-speed testing in Germany - Hyundai's ride and handling engineers have ensured i20's front MacPherson strut and rear torsion beam suspension delivers the taut and alert ride quality favoured by the European market. The new rack and pinion steering setup has also been tuned to deliver quick and accurate responses resulting in excellent urban agility. Extensive use of advanced noise reduction materials throughout the development process - particularly in the diesel-powered models - has resulted in exceptionally high levels of refinement, imbuing Hyundai i20 with a sophisticated and cosseting cabin ambience.

Powertrain
Hyundai's new i20 debuts with a range of seven petrol and diesel engines that have been extensively revised to deliver greater performance, enhanced economy and lower emissions than before. The Euro IV-compliant petrol line-up comprises the 78PS 1.2, 100PS 1.4 and 126PS 1.6 all available with five-speed manual transmissions, with the option of four-speed automatic gearboxes on the 1.4 and 1.6 models.

Posting a low CO₂rating of just 124g/km and returning just 5.2 l/100km on the combined cycle, the all-new 1.2 all-alloy engine delivers an excellent combination of performance and economy.

Geared up to meet the high European demand for diesel power, Hyundai i20 arrives with four Euro IV -compliant turbo diesel engines, fitted with CPF diesel particulate traps as standard for 1.6 (115ps & 128ps) diesel engine. The 1.4 comes in two specifications - 75PS and 90PS - while the flagship 1.6 is available in 115PS and 128PS trim. Economical and clean, the 115PS variant returns a class-leading CO₂figure of 115g/km and 4.3l/100km on the combined cycle. Both 1.4 models come with five-speed manual transmissions, while the flagship 1.6 is mated to a six-gear manual drivetrain.

Safety
Hyundai is synonymous with class-leading safety, and the new Hyundai i20 debuts with exceptionally high levels of active and passive safety equipment. Its outright agility and responsiveness play a key role in keeping the Hyundai i20 driver out of harm's way, but should the worst occur those on board are protected by the extensive use of high-tensile steel in the Hyundai's robust chassis, six airbags - front, side and curtain - fitted as standard, active headrests, front seatbelt pretensioners and latest generation ABS anti-lock brakes, ESP electronic stability control, EBD Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. This safety package is further enhanced by an advanced tyre pressure monitoring system, Isofix mounting points in the rear and seatbelt reminders for all five occupants, which means Hyundai i20 arrives on the market as one of the safest cars in its class. Hyundai is confident of a full five-star Euro NCAP adult occupant protection and child protection crash test result for the Hyundai i20.

Convenience
The Hyundai i20's five-seater interior may pamper, but it also majors on everyday practicalities with a 40:60 split flat-folding rear bench with a low lip for easy loading into the a roomy and regularly-shaped 295-litre rear loadbay, numerous intelligently positioned interior storage spaces including a large cooled passenger glovebox and two cupholders, and excellent all round visibility. These elements are complemented by the reach-and-rake adjustable steering wheel, complete with integrated audio controls and keyless central locking actuated by Hyundai i20's ergonomically designed folding keyfob.

Price:
The i20 model, which will come in many variants, is expected to be priced anywhere between Rs 5-6 lakh in India.

PS: I had been to Hyundai Motors India Limited's Chennai (Sri Perumbuddur) plant some years ago. You can checkout some raw in-plant videos here, here, here, here and here. See yourself the Hyundai Santro in making. Please do not expect the quality as the videos were shot with Nokia 6600. :-)

Courtesy: http://www.netcarshow.com/

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When people talk about laptops, everyone assumes that all laptops are wireless. Traveling with a laptop is easier today than it once was, the laptops have gotten smaller and lighter. The new mobile laptops make computing easy for many people. When purchasing a laptop, make sure a wireless connection is built in so you can reach the internet if you are in a wireless area. The laptop is replacing the big desktop computer; but the mobile computer needs to provide the ability to accept components for expandability. Many people today keep all of the information on their computer, so if the computer goes down many people will not have that data. In today's modern world the laptop or sometimes called notebook is a must have.

If you do not have a laptop computer yet, you should know that one of the most important aspects of having a laptop computer is having a great power supply. Every laptop computer needs to be equipped with some type of warranty; the laptop should have at least a one year manufacturer warranty. You may even be able to play movies on them with crystal clarity. Purchasing a laptop computer is not an easy job to do because there are so many important things that should be considered before purchasing.

The type of work you do can affect the screen size and type that is most suitable for you. If you are not worried about graphics a screen size of 12-14" is acceptable. If the work you are doing is graphically intensive than a 15-17" is better. Screen sizes range from 12 to 19 inches. A laptop computer with smaller screen is great option if you do not plan to use laptop too much.

Going from 512MB of RAM to 1GB or 2GB RAM will speed up your laptop. If your needs are somewhat mundane - email, spreadsheets, word processing, etc. 1 GB of RAM should be plenty, if you are on Windows Vista. RAM is to a computer what location is to real estate.

You also need to think about the hard drive in the laptop you are considering. The hard drive is also a very important specification to consider in buying a laptop. The speed of a hard drive is normally calculated in rotations per minute. A hard drive of about 120 GB or over is a good rule of thumb.

Click here to see a list of TOP 10 ALL-PURPOSE LAPTOPS OF 2008

In addition to the processor, you will probably want to upgrade your system with memory, monitor, a graphics card or video card, and pointing device and keyboard. Finding cheap components is easy today due to the internet, many sites have popped up and made all of these components accessible. The important thing to remember when shopping for components is that you need to make sure they are compatible with your system.

Click here to see a list of TOP 10 ULTRA-PORTABLE LAPTOPS OF 2008

Laptop cases are an important computer accessory you should make sure you acquire. They have many sections that accommodate important office documents. Another important type of carrying case is the wheeled roller case. But, their safety and protection is equally important. A laptop case is specially made for carrying a laptop but a backpack is just a bottomless pit. Getting a quality bag is very important since you are carrying around an expensive piece of equipment. Your notebook is going to be at least 6 pounds, probably more. The portability of laptop computers is both a boon to busy business people. Your notebook should be sturdy and rugged. Expensive notebooks should be protected properly.


Thanks David.

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There are numerous mobile phones manufacturing companies such as Nokia, Sony Ericsson, HTC, Samsung, BlackBerry, Apple, i-mate and HP. Nokia is one of the leading mobile phone companies, which makes good mobile phones for every type of people like business class people, music lovers and normal mobile phone users. Sony Ericsson is also a great handset maker and its main motto is music focused mobile phones. Its world famous 'Walkman' series of mobile phones is perhaps, the primary example of this music-focused nature. Now, we talk about some handsets, which are coming soon. Mobile phones such as the Nokia N97, Nokia 6260 Slide, Samsung S9402 Ego, Samsung i770 Saga and Motorola VE66 are fantastic devices. First, we discuss the features of the Nokia N97 handset, which is a member of Nokia N-Series mobile phones.

The Nokia N97 is a sleek and a good looking mobile phone, which comes with many easy-to-use functions and futuristic technologies. It has a large 3.5 inches TFT touchscreen with a total colour support of 16 million colours and a screen resolution of 360 x 640 pixels. This high resolution display allows the users to watch video clips and play mobile phone games quite easily. The Nokia N97 comes with 32 GB of internal memory and its external memory can be expanded through a microSD (TransFlash) card up to 16 GB. The users can easily store numerous multimedia files such as audio songs, video clips and other 'heavy' personal data in its internal memory. It comes with a 5 MP camera with features of Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus and flash, which give you amazing and high quality still pictures. The phone also facilitates video recording option in VGA mode at 30 frames per second. Its superb quality media player supports many audio and video formats like MP3, WMA, WAV, e-AAC+, MPEG4, WMV and 3GP. Now, we discuss the features of another great handset, which is a member of the Nokia mobile phone family.

The Nokia 6260 is a sophisticated mobile phone, which comes with an easy-to-open slide opening mechanism. This is a 3G enabled mobile phone that allows you to making face-to-face video calls around the world without any breakage. The handset comes with 200 MB of internal memory and one can easily expand its external memory via microSD (TransFlash) memory card up to 8 GB. This stunning device supports many connectivity options such as GPRS, HSCSD, EDGE, 3G, WLAN Wi-Fi, microUSB v2.0 and Bluetooth v2.1. These connectivity features give you an amazing experience of wireless connectivity. It has a 5 MP camera with some great features like autofocus, flash and Carl Zeiss lens, which provide you superb quality still images as well as videos. The media player of the handset supports MP3, MP4, AAC, e-AAC+ and WMA formats. This mobile phone is available in 'Black' and 'Beige' colours. It also has a FM radio with RDS feature. The standard battery gives an approximate standby time of 400 hours and a talktime of up to 6 hours.

The Samsung i770 Saga is a one of the best widgets that are destined to become into 'coming soon mobile phones'. This is an elegant and an ultra-stylish mobile phone, which comes with a full QWERTY keyboard and high quality imaging features. It come with a great 2 MP camera, which gives you sharp and beautiful still pictures with an image resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels. The phone supports Pocket Office functionality, which allows the users to view office files such as Microsoft Word documents, Excel documents, PowerPoint documents and PDF viewable files.

This stunning device comes with a large 2.5 inches TFT touchscreen, which provides a screen resolution of 320 x 320 pixels with total colour support of 65K colours. It has a microSD (TransFlash) memory card slot for increasing its external memory up to 16 GB. This device is available in three vibrant colours, which are 'Black', 'Red' and 'Blue'.

If you are planing to purchase a high-tech mobile phone, you can easily choose any one of these handsets from the mobile phone market.

With republishing permission from: Samuel Herrick
http://www.mobilejazz.co.uk

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Web18's latest venture, in.com launched a first-of-its-kind service called 'FUTURE MAIL' - an innovative add on feature on its efficient email service. In an attempt to offer that extra edge to stay ahead of others and appear proactive, Future Mail ensures that you shine – whether professionally or personally! Instances of forgotten birthdays, anniversaries or any crucial dates will soon be a thing of the past. Timing being everything, in.com users can schedule important mails to be sent anytime in the future whether it be in 5 minutes or even 5 years!

This innovative application is sure to provide users with a unique emailing experience. With adequate storage space, one can store up years of 'Happy Birthday' or 'Anniversary' emails. Future Mail will boost user popularity amongst relatives, friends and business associates alike by assisting you in sending proactive reminders about events, sales or the like



All that's required is a IN.com id, with which one receives 10 GB of storage for emails, files & photos, which can be shared with one's IN.com network.The Future Mail option is displayed prominently on the left hand corner of the inbox. Once the button is hit, one can compose the vital mail and schedule it for the perfect date and time on which it's to be sent. Hereon, leave it up to Future Mail to take complete control of your well timed communication.

Commenting on the initiative, Rishi Khiani, COO, Web18, says, "At IN.com we try to provide our users the best web experience and Future Mail is another step towards this. The Web18 group, believes that India has the potential to offer the finest in web technology, conceptualized right here on our shores. With applications such as these, we aim to continue to make our mark on the global scenario. And with Future Mail, IN.com users can stay ahead in their individual communities at work and play".

According to ComScore Report September 2008, In.com has been ranked No.2 among Indian Portals. Alexa as of October 31st, 2008, ranks In.com 5th amongst the top India based sites. Registrations have crossed the 2 million mark as of 31st Oct. In.com's tremendous success has propelled Web18 among the top Indian Internet groups and positioned Network 18 (Web18) group as No.2 by ComScore, September, 2008.

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A day after Finance Minister’s Price Cut prescription, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. announced the launch of their new car, Maruti Suzuki Alto A-Star. Built on a brand new platform, the A-star is an excellent city car with best in class turning radius, power, flat torque (minimum gearshifts) and performance.

The A-star was launched in New Delhi today by R.C. Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. The A-star has been designed keeping in mind aspirations of the urban economy-conscious customers, who seek best-in-class fuel efficiency, lower emission, and high quality and high performance alongwith style. It also takes the engine technology in India to the next level. A-star is the most relevant car that addresses the needs of today's customers be it India or any other part of the world, says company in a press release.



Positioned in the premium A2 segment and targeted towards urban young professionals, the stylish, sporty and youthful A-star delivers a fantastic driving experience with futuristic looks.

A Brand New Engine and Transmission
Powered by the new, state-of-the-art, light weight, 998 cc K10B petrol engine, A-star is the best in class fuel-efficient car with a mileage of 19.59 kilometers per litre, as tested by ARAI, Pune, country's premier automotive research agency.
The new-generation three-cylinder, light-weight aluminum K10B engine is a major initiative undertaken by the company towards offering latest technology to its customers. Maruti Suzuki engineers have put together a host of innovative technologies to enhance performance, minimise friction and provide high acceleration. The engine offers power of 67ps @ 6200 rpm and torque of 90nm @ 3500 rpm.

Driving Comfort
With a turning radius of 4.5 meters and a ground clearance of 170 mm, the A-star is suitable for all Indian conditions, including congested areas and potholed roads. The A-star boasts of a unique all-round gas damped suspension, making rides much more comfortable, and also reducing wear and tear resulting in a low maintenance cost.
The A-star has a front suspension frame for excellent handling. Front and rear suspensions have been fine-tuned for enhanced riding comfort with perfect handling on Indian road conditions. Ultra high-grade steel used in coil springs provides high rigidity and agility for passenger comfort.

Safety
Some important safety features on the A-star include:
- Crushable structure energy dispersing frame and a high rigidity body combined with lightness
- Airbags and ABS

The A-star's body reflects the Total Effective Control Technology (TECT) concept in the form of crushable structures that absorb impact energy and then disperse impact energy away from occupants in the event of a collision.

Aesthetics: A class apart
One of the most striking features that capture attention is the highly contoured rear bumper, which brings in the cool quotient to the premium A2 segment car.
A-star car is available in three variants: LXi, VXi and the top-end fully loaded ZXi. An array of nine vibrant colours.

Price:
Ex-Showroom, New Delhi.
A-star Lxi Rs. 3,46,775
A-star Vxi Rs. 3,74,775
A-star Zxi Rs. 4,11,775

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I was reading the latest issue of Fortune and found an interesting article about how RIM (Research in Motion) is fighting back the likes of Apple and Google.
The fortune report says that, ‘The challenge comes at a crucial time for RIM. Its stock is down more than 64% from a 52-week high of $148 a share, similar to the performance of rivals Nokia and Apple. And while fiscal 2008 revenues and profits doubled, to $6 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively, growth is slowing slightly. In the most recent quarter, ended in August, revenues increased 88% compared with a year earlier, and profits jumped 72%.’



With this on one hand and global economy slumping on other hand, RIM launched three new models viz. Pearl flip, Bold and Storm. (Read full article here)
The report also had a graphic (which I slightly changed, click on above image to enlarge) showing the Top 4 PDAs. The Fortune rates Nokia E71 the Best Pick among Blackberry Bold, HTC Google Android G1 and Apple iPhone.
I have Nokia E71. Which one do you have? Please share your experiences.

Watch this space for more information about Google Android G1’s launch in India.

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India gets its first Personal Video Recording (PVR) by virtue of Tata Sky +, a new offering by leading DTH provider Tata Sky, a joint venture between Tata Group (80% stake) and STAR TV (20% stake). The company got the best of PVR technology from Sky (popularly known as Sky + in the West and termed as the mother of all PVRs).

The launch was appropriate for the time as India witnessed two major DTH launches, Big TV by R-ADAG and Airtel Digital TV by Bharti-Airtel. Tata Sky is using their new Brand Ambassador, Aamir Khan to endorse the new product and hoping to add at least 6 million new customers (and retain the existing base of 2 million customers) by 2012.

You might have seen the TV commercial of Tata Sky +, which speaks well about the features of Tata Sky + that includes:

1.Pause Live TV
2.Rewind Live TV
3.Record TV shows for upto 45 hrs (160 GB of storage) and play it when you want

Read this to know more about Sky +



Tata Sky + Cost:

For New Customers:

Rs 8,999 for the hardware (Digicomp) +
Rs 1,000 installation & activation charges +
Rs 50 per month Tata Sky + usage fees + (Lifetime waiver for limited period)
Cost of the channel package (Starting from Rs. 99 onwards)

For Existing Customers:

Existing subscribers will have to subscribe to any of the annual packs (Annual Base pack, Annual super saver pack or Mega pack – good retention strategy!). These packs will cost you anywhere from Rs. 2600 to Rs. 5000 + any additional pack charges (e.g. Sports Gold or Lifestyle).
Rs. 4,999 for Digicomp (if subscribed to Mega pack) or Rs. 5,999 (if subscribed to any other annual pack) +
Rs 50 per month Tata Sky + usage fees + (Lifetime waiver for limited period)
No installation charges for existing subscribers. Please remember, you need to return your old digicomp and remote to the company. There is a need to additional wiring too.
Eligibility: You should have purchased and activated Tata Sky on or before 31 August 2008
Tata Sky is available to residents of following cities:
Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai or Pune

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