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G A D G E T S
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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
A U T O |
L U X U R Y
Timeless classic The trench coat marches on Page 12
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Reviews: Bose Wireless Speaker Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray
Exclusive Hyundai Eon preview
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WHAT’S HOT this week
Team Smartbuy Editorial Archana Achal
They started it!
archana.a@thehindu.co.in
Ketaki Bhojnagarwala
Motorola FIRE XT
ketaki@thehindu.co.in
Mahananda Bohidar
The brand new smartphone from Motorola boasts a 3.5-inch, extra-bright touchscreen. The rear 5-megger comes with auto-focus and built-in flash. You can access the VGA-camera on the fascia for videoconferencing. Running on the latest version of Android, v2.3 Gingerbread, the handset also features the Moto Switch user interface that lets you users to switch between personal and workcentric modes whenever you want. Rs 13,890
mahananda@thehindu.co.in
S.Muralidhar muraliswami@thehindu.co.in
Design Bryan Gaughan aqua@thehindu.co.in
Balakrishnan designkbala@thehindu.co.in
Advertising Contact R.Diwakar ramdiwakar@thehindu.co.in
Web Advertising Contact N.Amarnath amarnath@thehindu.co.in
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Cover photo: Esprit
Hands off!
Nokia J
This luxury Bluetooth headset from Nokia has a smooth stainless steel finish and comes with its very own holster. The headset features DSP noise reduction, adaptive volume adjustment and automatic call handling. Battery life gives you three months of standby time and five hours of talk time. Rs 5,570
A Fine shot Fujifilm
FinePix T 200
This lightweight compact digicam is the latest in Fujifilm’s FinePix series. The T 200 has a 14-meg resolution and ISO up to 3,200, for great low-light shots. There are also a bunch of scene modes available including a motion panorama mode. The camera supports 720p HD recording in a 16:9 format. Available in gun metal and black colour options. Rs 10,999
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Vital gaming The successor to the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) might soon see the light of the day. With an OLED display and dual analog sticks, PS Vita will run on a quad-core ARM Cortex A9 processor. It will support music, videos and pictures while also featuring exclusive spaces like ‘Party’ where you can chat (voice and text) while playing games both online and offline. ‘Near’, a location-based service will let you find out what PS Vita users around your areas have been playing. And for those who are new to the PSP experience, the Welcome Park software will guide you through the Vita. While the company had earlier said that the release will only be sometime in 2012, it looks like Japan, a nation with endless numbers of hardcore gamers, might have a chance to get their hands on the device in December 2011. The handheld is slated to cost €249 for the Wi-Fi version and €299 for the 3G/ Wi-Fi version.
Media magnet
Lenovo IdeaCentre B320 The latest all-in-one PC from Lenovo features a 21.5-inch Full HD display with multi-touch technology. Powered by an Intel Core i3 processor, the B320 has 3GB DDR3 memory and a HDD with 500GB of storage space. Other features include 6 USB ports, a 5-in-1 card reader and HD webcam. The OneKey TV features turns the PC into a TV with the click of the button, without requiring the PC to be powered on. Rs 37,990
Small wonder
Google’s latest project
Asus O!Play Mini Plus
Following the success of social news readers like Flipboard (seen above) and Pulse, Google is reportedly working on its own social app called Propeller. Applications like Flipboard display news from social networks, publications and other websites of your choice and present them in magazine format. The apps are optimised for tablets and are designed to provide relevant content depending on the user’s reading habits. Flipboard was named iPad app of the year in 2010, and Google’s Propeller might see both Apple and Android versions, catering to a wider audience. Google has reportedly tried to buy Flipboard in the past, but the company refused to sell. Google’s prowess in delivering relevant news might give it a heads-up in this category though.
This set-top box provides access to Mediafly, Dailymotion, YouTube, Picasa, Flickr and thousands of internet TV and radio stations. The O!Play Mini Plus allows easy sharing of photos and videos on Facebook by simply pressing a button. Proprietary technologies like O!Direct and O!MediaShare enable users to stream media files from a variety of devices straight to an HDTV without complicated setups. Rs 7,949
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SMARTPHONE review
Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray It’s got the shine, but... Ketaki Bhojnagarwala ll the best Android smartphones today have at least one or a bunch of distinguishing features – dual-core processor, Super AMOLED display, 3D capability, etc. They also tend to be overpriced. With its latest Xperia smartphone, Sony Ericsson has dared to think out of the box. The Xperia Ray has none of the features mentioned above, but still manages to impress with its specs. And it’s aggressively priced in the Rs 20,000 price bracket – positioning itself midway between disappointing budgets and wallet-emptying powerhorses. Will this be a winning formula for Sony Ericsson?
A Unboxing
Opening the packaging of the Ray, I’m taken aback by its svelte form factor. After the humungous 4-inchers that have been landing on my review desk, it takes me a while to get used to the idea of handling this petite phone. Reluctantly powering up the Ray, I’m surprised at how quickly one can get familiar with it. And ‘surprised’ was generally my reaction the entire time I was testing the device. The screen was amazingly fluid – I was able to scroll through my home page on TweetDeck with smooth, liquid movements, and the phone is intelligent enough to distinguish between gestures. Contrary to my initial apprehensions, the 3.3-inch screen wasn’t detrimental to the user interface of the phone. Icons are about the same size as that on any Android, with the only difference being the number of icons that can fit on the screen. Widgets too look well spaced out; I particularly liked the Media shortcuts widget which has the music player on top, photos in the middle and a quick access bar to all your media at the bottom.
Getting vocal Plantronics M1100
The only time when I felt the limiting pinch of a small screen was when I played a few games downloaded from the Android Market, like Angry Birds Seasons. It’s just not optimised for a small screen, and the result was that the birds looked tiny and I couldn’t enjoy the graphics of the game as much as I would have liked to.
The Ray runs on Android v2.3 (Gingerbread), which is the most up-to-date software you could hope for on a smartphone at present. There are five customisable homescreens, to which you can add widgets and shortcuts. You can also group your favourite apps into folders, which is
great if you download frequently from the Android market. From the menu screen, you can arrange apps alphabetically, by most used, recently installed or in any order you wish – a really convenient option to get access to what you want easily. There’s also an easy delete option which highlights apps that have been downloaded from the Market. The phone supports push mail notifications, and I set up a Gmail account in a few easy steps. The email app also comes with a handy preview pane which you can pull down to reveal the entire email. Sony Ericsson’s Timescape widget is still around for all your social networking sites, texts and calls, but I much prefer using apps from the Android market instead. Speaking of which, Sony Ericsson has a dedicated Android Market channel, so when you open the Market, the portal replaces the My Apps tab on the homescreen. It’s pretty convenient because it lists original apps from Sony Ericsson, as well as those best tailored to phones from the company. The Ray is quite the media magnet, and is great for watching videos, listening to music or playing games. I watched a few episodes of ‘Wilfred’ in HD, and the details were sharp and the playback smooth. Despite Angry Birds being a bit of a let down in the gaming category, I must confess that I was addicted to Aporkalypse, which I played constantly up to level 19, which I’m still stuck on. Shutterbugs will love the camera on the Ray, which doesn’t have the usual bunch of scene modes but manages to capture great photos, even in low light. It has Face Detection and Smile detection, and you can tap to focus and shoot. I took a bunch of videos as well, and the camera records fast movement without freezing, and picks up sound really well too.
Ketaki Bhojnagarwala he latest Bluetooth headset to come out of Plantronics’ kitty is the Savor M1100. The headset has none of the colourful accents of the M100, which I reviewed a few months ago. Instead, it’s a more discreet, professional device. The V-shaped M100 has a gunmetal coloured plastic frame, with rubberised front and back panels. There’s a mini-USB charging port located on top, and the sides hold a slider power switch and a volume control button. Unfortunately, Plantronics hasn’t opted for a toggle switch to control volume,
and it’s a bit time consuming to go through power levels one by one. The front rubberised panel actually conceals two buttons, but these are well disguised so you can’t even make out they exist. The top of the panel holds the call button, while the bottom holds the voice recognition button. The USP of the headset is pretty much its voice command functionality. When you get an incoming call, the headset prompts you to say ‘Answer’ or ‘Ignore’. The M1100 was pretty moody when it came to recognising voice commands, and often I wound up shouting ‘answer!’ at my desk and noth-
Build quality The Ray’s construction lends itself to being one of those phones that’s more discreet than flashy. That said, it’s a really elegant handset, and one I wouldn’t hesitate to flaunt. I really liked the black unit that I got for review, although there are a few trendier colour options available like white, pink and gold. Thankfully, Sony Ericsson has not opted for the standard four-button bezel that’s common on so many Android phones. Instead, what you get are two touch buttons – return and options on either side, and a physical home button in the shape of an arc (which I think should have definitely been incorporated on the Arc!). I was quite miffed that the touch buttons weren’t backlit though, even though they’re intuitive enough to use. The back panel has a nice rubberised feel, and holds the 8.1-meg rear camera with LED flash. Other features are a front-facing camera, volume rocker switch, mini-USB port and 3.5mm headphone jack. Unlike the Arc, the Ray does not have a mini HDMI port, even though the camera can capture 720p HD videos.
User interface
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Performance The phone runs a 1GHz Scorpion processor, and despite not having the power of the dual-cores in the market, it never froze during the week that I used it. The Ray was also really quick to open up applications and multi-task. I ran a couple of benchmarking softwares to test the performance of the phone. On Linpack, I achieved an average score of about 38.5 MFLOPS, while the Arc averages out at about 35 MFLOPS. The Quadrant score was a bit more disappointing at 1639 really average considering the 2200+ scores many smartphones achieve. Battery life on the Ray was one of the best I’ve seen on an Android phone so far. With average usage, I maxed out the battery after 38 hours, far more than the power hungry Samsung Galaxies and LG Optimuses. On a day when I spent long hours gaming and a few hours making calls, the phone lasted me a little more than 26 hours. Call quality on the handset didn’t disappoint, and most of the time I didn’t even use maximum volume for calls.
Our verdict Despite its rather average set of features, the Xperia Ray manages to impress because of quality. It runs Android Gingerbread, has a clear and responsive screen, great battery life, good camera and it is fast. To be honest, that ticks most of the boxes in my smartphone wishlist. Sony Ericsson’s aggressive pricing strategy could be the clinching factor in making the Ray a great option for any Android lover. Love: Overall good performance Hate: Small screen size could be a turn off for some users
Photo: R. Ravindran
Rs 20,000 ketaki@thehindu.co.in
ing would happen, except ten pairs of eyes staring at me like I was crazy. I mostly ended up using the call button to answer calls. The voice recognition button performs a couple of other functions too. If you press the button when you’re not on a call, you can dictate a number of commands to the headset. For instance: ‘Am I connected?’, ‘Check Battery’, ‘Redial’ and ‘Pairing’. The headset was pretty prompt to follow these commands, so I don’t know why it got confused when I tried answering calls. The M1100 comes with the signature Plantron-
ics silicone gel ear tips, which I’m pretty used to now, after reviewing a couple of their headsets. They come in three sizes, and were quite comfortable to wear for a few hours at a stretch. They also don’t block the ear like some in-ear gel tips, and don’t threaten to fall out either. You don’t require an over-ear support like some other headsets, although there is a detachable support provided in the box if you choose to wear it. Call quality on the headset was average, and I was able to hear callers quite clearly. I did feel that
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the volume could have been better, because it was difficult to have conversations in noisy environments. There are three embedded microphones in the headset, which relayed my voice clearly to the other side. Battery life is estimated at 4 hours with 7 days of standby time. The M1100 is a good buy only for those who like using voice commands. If you’d prefer being more discreet, you could opt for other Plantronics headsets like the Voyager Pro or Discovery 975 instead. Rs 4,790
SOUND bytes
There’s music in the air Mahananda Bohidar he guys at Bose know how to protect their secrets. From the time of short telecon when I had agreed to review the unnamed Bose product which was yet to see light of the day, until I actually received the package, I kept wondering what the mysterious product would be. Would it be a home theatre system from the Lifestyle series or a new path-breaking pair of earphones? Even when the delivery guy dropped off the parcel - that looked like a mini-version of those fake guitar cases in which the mafiosi hide guns – I still had no clue. The climax of ruthlessly ripping off the package was quite a revelation. It was the 47-year old company’s plunge into the world of wireless audio streaming. Sized almost like a chunky Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the latest from Bose carries the company’s DNA – the promise of big sound packed in a compact device.
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Plugged in Connecting the device to the power source, we decided to flag off the testing experience with an Apple iPod Touch. Linking the devices via Bluetooth took under a minute. All we had to do was press the Bluetooth button on top of the speaker panel for SoundLink Mobile to recognise the streaming device. Starting with ‘Give Me One Reason To Live’, we listened to Tracy Chapman’s soulful voice and Eric Clapton work magic on the guitar. We then switched to a peppy new-age number ‘Dum Diddly’ by Black Eyed Peas, pumping up the volume, much to the annoyance of the neighbours. There was no distortion in the sound quality even when the volume was high. We tried on more than a score of tracks that included songs by Foster The People, Pink Floyd, Florence + The Machine, Ray Charles and Dire Straits. While for the most part the detail in all the songs we played was captured, at times the overall quality of music seemed to be underwhelming.
We tried a host of devices with the Bose SoundLink Mobile speakers to check how easily they connected and how well they streamed music from various sources. So, the devices that took turns, apart from the iPod Touch, were: a tablet - Apple iPad 2 and a smartphone - Sony Xperia Ray. Both detected the Bose speakers without much delay and the quality of music streamed was as good as with the iPod Touch. With both the devices, we could let the music play in the background while being busy with Safari on the tablet or WhatsApp on the handset. One exception, however, is streaming videos or music from YouTube because that itself is an app which will stop running once you switch to another programme. Some basic handsets (Bluetooth-enabled) such as the Nokia C3 failed to connect with the speakers.
Tech talk The Bose SoundLink Mobile speakers combine four low-profile neodymium transducers for clear high and mid-frequencies. These are coupled with dual-opposing passive radiators designed with a patented waffle-shaped surround for deep, low notes and minimum vibration at high levels. The system is designed in a way that the six most recently used Bluetooth devices are automatically stored in its memory. This does away with the need for you to pair recently connected devices all over
again, which is a big plus. Packed neatly into the small unit is also a rechargeable lithium-ion battery array, which Bose says provides power for more than three hours of audio playback at high volume, and for more than eight hours at normal volume. Another feature that Bose SoundLink Mobile speaker wins brownie points for is its potential for portability. The device is even small enough to fit in your satchel bag and is light enough to be carried around town. Now the party doesn’t have to be where speakers are!
the
We say With this device, Bose Corp. pits itself against contemporary biggies like Bowers & Wilkins, Harman Kardon and Klipsch. And with the SoundLink Mobile, Bose seems to have, somewhere, struck the right chord with its combination of power, price and portability. Love: Compact, captures detail and handles high volume without distortion Hate: Sound quality, especially richness, is limited by its form and size Rs 19,013 (Standard Model) Rs 23,513 (LX Model) mahananda@thehindu.co.in
GAME review
Polish your Katanas and get ready for some juicy action on the Kinect version of this super-popular game. very year, Xbox Live plays host to the Summer of Arcade, where every week for a month, one of the most promising new downloadable game releases is featured. In the past, we’ve been treated to masterpieces such as Shadow Complex, Braid and Limbo. So it seemed strange that this year’s Summer of Arcade features Fruit Ninja Kinect, a console motion-controlled remake of Halfbrick’s smartphone app. While this isn’t just a straight port upscaled for the Xbox 360 - there is a fair amount of additional content you won’t find on the smartphone versions - this is essentially the same, thoroughly basic concept you may have already experienced on your touch-enabled device (There are also plenty of free knock-offs available on the Android Market under different names, like Fruit Slice). For those new to Fruit Ninja, the game essentially involves you slicing fruit. Fruits of all shapes and sizes are tossed up from the bottom of the screen, and you have to slice all of them before gravity takes over and sends them plummeting back down. Slicing multiple fruits in a single swipe nets you higher points, and to make things interesting, the game throws up bombs from time to time in amongst the fruit, which you must avoid.
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Big screen adaptation What feels instantly accessible and intuitive on a touchscreen, will take some getting used to on Kinect, which basically has you slicing in thin air. While you’re quite literally touching the fruit you slice on a touchscreen, there is a clear disconnect with the Kinect version, because there’s no feedback whatsoever, so you’re never
100 per cent sure that you’re swiping your hands exactly where you need to. The game does project a silhouette of yourself in the background, but that really doesn’t help a lot. It’s all well and good when all you have on screen is a bunch of fruit, at which you can just slice away wildly, but it’s when a bomb gets thrown up into the mix that things get tricky. Slicing fruit, while still avoiding the bomb requires precision, and sadly, that level of precision is just not present here. It’s not the Kinect at fault here; were the game available for Wii or PlayStation Move, we’d face the same problems there. It’s just the sort of game that requires a level of feedback to the player that motion controls just don’t provide. In that sense, this is very much a game best played on a touchscreen device. But that’s not to say that Fruit Ninja Kinect isn’t fun. It’s immensely enjoyable, particularly when played in short bursts with friends. It’s also a great example of how the responsiveness and accuracy of the Kinect sensor has come along since the launch. You still won’t see oneto-one accuracy, but it’s responsive enough not to make you feel removed from the experience, like some of the launch titles did. Then again, this game doesn’t use full-body tracking like many of the other Kinect games do. The game only tracks from the waist up, which is also great news for those with limited open space.
Player modes There are plenty of single-player as well as co-op and competitive two-player modes available. From frantic timed events to challenging elimination challenges to simple, mindless freeplay modes, there’s plenty to do whether you’re playing by yourself or with friends. But again,
it’s pretty much the same basic concept across the board, so this is a game best enjoyed in short bursts or you’ll get bored fast. One aspect of the competitive multi-player challenges we didn’t like is that the game artificially makes sure that both players finish close on points. So if one player gets a big lead, the game will reduce the amount of fruit that’s thrown up for him/her so the opponent can catch up. I get that this is a casual party game, but the game is fun enough on its own without having to resort to such cheap (and obvious) tricks to make things exciting.
Our verdict Fruit Ninja Kinect is quite a workout and it is way more responsive and accurate than I would ever have imagined, but at the end of the day, this is pretty much the same game you’ve probably already played on your iOS or Android device. What goes against the game the most, however, is the price. At 800 Microsoft Points (approximately Rs 450), the Kinect version costs ten times more than the $0.99 app available on the App Store. If you can justify that premium for the living room Fruit Ninja experience, go for it. I most certainly can’t. Love: Responsive, plenty of content, fun with friends Hate: Expensive, not as precise as the touchscreen version Price: 800 MS Points (approx Rs 450) Rating: 3/5 Publisher: Microsoft Developer: Halfbrick Studios Platform: Xbox 360 (Kinect mandatory)
CHIP
AUTO focus
With the HA, will Hyund S.Muralidhar here is always a hysterical amount of interest that a new, affordable small car generates. Remember the Tata Nano? The next small car that will whip up similar passions will be the Eon. This new small car from Hyundai is also likely to generate disproportionate interest amongst buyers, because there hasn’t been a modern, new offering in this segment in a long time. But, there will be differences too. For one, the new Eon will not be an ultra-low-cost car, like the Nano was meant to be. What the Eon is essentially going to be is a stylish, small hatch, and honestly its compact size may not be all that evident from the digital rendering that you see above. Also, unlike the Tata Nano, which now seems like an idea that was too early for its time, the new Hyundai Eon will be just in time to give buyers in the A-segment some much needed relief in terms of choice. The Eon will be pitted squarely against the Maruti Alto, the Chevy Spark and possibly even prove in-house competition for the Hyundai Santro Xing.
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Fluidic design I got to test drive a pre-production version of the new Eon at Hyundai R&D facility in Namyang in Korea, a sprawling campus located a couple of hours away from the capital, Seoul. The first aspect of the Eon, which was internally code-named the ‘HA’, that strikes you is its design. Sophis-
ticated, futuristic and obediently following Hyundai’s new signature ‘fluidic’ design philosophy, the Eon could quickly shove the rest in the segment down the charts with its good looks. The new Hyundai trademark hexagonal design bonnet grille and bug-eyed headlamps give the new Eon cheery looks at the front. Peeled-back headlamps with large reflectors give the car a strong character and are meant to be both appealing and practical in Indian conditions. A clamshell bonnet and a fairly large airdam in the front bumper contribute to overall aggressive design of the Eon’s front. At the side, the typical strong character line and the deep-cut, curvy shoulder line add to the perception of length for this small car and the over prominent wheel arches are meant to give the Eon a more squat and sturdy appearance. Very similar to the i10 and the i20, the shoulder line rises sharply towards the end of the rear door and then merges into the tail-lamp. Large, sedan-like door mirrors should also provide good rear visibility, though they may also be more prone to dings and nicks. At the rear, the tail-lamps have been set high in keeping with Hyundai’s tall-boy design philosophy that has been adopted for the Eon too. It seems like the Eon has been built using the Santro’s platform, but after some modifications. The tear-drop shaped tail-lamps have clear and elegant combination. The compact hatch door conceals a 215-litre boot, with a low loading height. The Eon’s wheelbase at 2,380mm is identical to the
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Santro Xing’s and the former’s overall length is only about 70mm lesser at 3,495mm. The Eon will actually be about 25mm wider than the Santro Xing at 1,550mm, though it would be shorter at 1,500mm. But the Eon will be taller and wider than the Maruti Alto. With the platform eminently capable of offering such abilities, in the Eon, the attempt has been to leverage the most space in the car within the limitations of the dimensions. Wheels pushed to the extremes, the Eon manages to offer about 1,010mm of leg space at the front and about 835mm of legroom at the rear. With the choice of a light grey and light cream dual colour theme for the interior, and the fairly large glass house, the Eon’s interior also manages to be well-lit and airy. . The Eon’s doors feel a bit light and don’t close with a healthy thump, but that is to be expected from a car in this segment. But, to improve the ease of entry and exit into the car, Hyundai engineers have managed to get both the front and rear doors to open out almost to right angles to the body. The most striking aspect of the Eon’s cabin is the strong adoption of symmetry in design and layout. The two-tone theme for the centre stack and the dashboard finish extends to the door trim with two different types of panel finishes. A number of interior elements and design seem to reflect the ‘Fluidic’ design character that Hyundai is becoming synonymous for. Some of the design strokes, for example, the centre
dai have the last laugh? stack and control buttons, seem to border on overkill, but still manage to pull through to offer a unique cabin design overall. Interesting parts are the ‘deity space’ at the top of the dashboard and the bottle storage slots, for which apparently Hyundai engineers carried as many as 30 water bottles from India to test and design the spaces. The instrument cluster is also fairly unique for this segment. A point to remember here is that the picture of the cabin taken with this article is a digital reproduction of the original prototype and hence some of the elements may change when the Eon is launched finally.
cylinder, SOHC unit that has been tuned to provide a combination of peppy performance and frugal habits. Generating a peak power of 56PS at 5,500 rpm and a peak torque of 7.65 KgM at 4,000 rpm, the Eon’s engine manages to beat the current benchmark – Alto – convincingly. The Alto’s 800cc engine manages 47 PS of peak power at 6,200 rpm and a peak torque of 6.3 KgM at 3,000 rpm. For a 3-cylinder unit, the Eon’s engine manages to be fairly refined under steady acceleration and gets a bit gruffy and audible only at high revs. I felt minor levels of vibration at the steering wheel and door panels. It is a fairly rev-happy engine and there are a number of tech bits
Performance To save costs and to keep the price competitive, some parts from the Santro and i10 have been carried over into the Eon. Hyundai has also decided to offer a variant with a driver’s airbag and a front passenger airbag will also be available, though that might be offered later. The pre-production Eon that I test drove came with 155 / 70 R13 tyres shod on 13-inch rims, but apparently other trim levels might be offered with 145 / 80 R12 tyres with 12-inch rims. Though it need not always be the measure of its segment and the competition that the car will target, in the case of the Eon, its size and the new 800cc engine that it will sport position it bang-on with the competition in the ‘A’ and entry ‘B’ segment cars. The new engine is a 814cc, 3-
HYUNDAI EON: TECH SPECS Overall Length Overall Width Overall Height Wheel Base Engine Type Displacement Power Torque Boot space Kerb Weight
: : : : : : : : : :
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3,495 mm 1,550 mm 1,500 mm 2,380 mm 3-cylinder SOHC 814 cc 56 ps/ 5,500 rpm 7.65 KgM/ 4,000 rpm 215 litres 715 kgs / 795 kgs
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in it to keep weight low and improve performance. Components like a plastic intake manifold, roller rockers arms, low friction coated piston and rings, and a plastic head cover have been chosen for improving the engine’s efficiency. Compared to the Alto’s claimed 19.73 kmpl, Hyundai engineers claim that the Eon’s engine will be capable of delivering a fuel efficiency of 21.1 kmpl. The engine is paired to the same gearbox from the Santro Xing. Gear shifts are quick, but the shift quality was a bit rubbery. Ratios seemed to have been set largely for urban driving conditions, but I would have liked a bit more of low-end torque in each gear slot. Again, I would like to mention that the model I test drove was a pre-production unit.
Predictions Hyundai’s spectacular growth in the small car segment started with the Santro and has been bolstered by the i10 and the i20. The Eon will be a strong addition to the line up. The launch of the car is expected during the second week of October this year. Hyundai officials say that the Santro Xing will continue to co-exist alongside the new Eon. But, with the inevitability of the Eon’s price being very close, if not overlapping with the Santro, some repositioning may become inevitable. muraliswami@thehindu.co.in
AUTO news
Honda’s new highlights
H
onda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. has released new versions of two of its existing products, the Aviator and CBF stunner. The New Aviator comes in two colour options - Berry Purple and Sunbeam White, in addition to the three existing colours of Monsoon Grey Metallic, Rebel Red Metallic and Pearl Igneous Black. The Aviator’s existing 102cc, 4-stroke, air-cooled OHC engine generates 7bhp of power. It also offers extra mileage of 15 per cent. The scooter has a snazzy metallic look with stylishly-placed halogen headlamps and a body-coloured grab rail. The safety measures
on the scooter are parts made of a combination of metal and high impact resistant ABS in the body as well as the Honda patented puncture-resistant tuff-up tube. The innovative, 12-inch, lightweight alloy wheels are the first of their kind in the Indian scooter industry. The Standard and Deluxe variants of the New Aviator are priced at Rs 45,300 and Rs 50,400 respectively. The CBF Stunner has been given a new, more sporty and aggressive look. In addition to the existing colours of Sports Red and Pearl Sorts Yellow, the bike now comes in Black and Candy Palm Green with the logo and black,
white and grey stripes adorning the cowl. The new CBF Stunner ups its compatibility with speed with a 11bhp engine with five gears, offering superior initial acceleration and greater pickup while overtaking. The safety of the rider is taken care of with tubeless tyres and a 240mm, hydraulic front-disc brake. The sporty edge in design is provided by a stylish halfchain case, linear rear design, integrated front body cowl and sporty muffler cover. The CBF Stunner will be available in a Self-Disc-Alloy version at the same price of Rs 54,509.
Merc’s latest addition: New CLS 350 BE M
ercedes-Benz India has unveiled the all New CLS 350 BE. With a bold design, elegant silhouette and opulent material and equipment, the world’s first fourdoor coupe also features Merc’s BlueEFFICIENCY tech. Its body looks graceful with its sleek lines and shapely contours. The muscular rear end with its wide shoulder line gives the coupe its athletic edge. This is combined with a shoulder line that develops from the heavily contoured wheel arches and wide LED tail lights drawn well into the sides and sweeping around the rear end. The CLS 350 BE is the first vehicle from Mercedes-Benz to have frameless, all-aluminium doors. These are made from deep-drawn aluminium panels with extruded sections, and in comparison with conventional steel doors, are some 24 kilograms lighter. The classy ride is equipped with a V6 Petrol 3,498 cc engine producing 306 hp of power at 6500 rpm and 370 Nm of torque at 3500 - 5250 rpm. The robust engine coupled with 7GTRONIC automatic transmission (7 Speed Automatic Transmission), offers a high level of responsiveness wherein the car can reach 0-100kph in 6.1 seconds, with a top speed of 250 km per hour. The New CLS 350 is priced at Rs 67.67 lakh (Ex-showroom, Mumbai).
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September 21, 2011
MELANGE luxury redefined
Gorgeous gold Cellular care
Gucci launches two limited edition evening bags for India this season. While one golden clutch carries tassel and bamboo details, the other has a Swarovski-encrusted double G ornament. Both these “India exclusive” beauties are made with Guccisima leather. Available at its boutiques in Mumbai and New Delhi. Price on request
L’Oréal Professionnel launches its range of hair care, the Absolut Repair Cellular to repair and protect hair from the centre of the fibre. Enriched with lactic acid, these products restore shine and vitality to your hair from within. Available at its salons. Rs 475 onwards
Perfectly put together Look effortlessly fashionable with Mont Blanc’s latest range of eyewear, the Mosaic Art Collection, brought to you by Eternity Lifestyles. The Cathedral enamel details and subtle curved shape add a touch of casual chic to your outfit. Available at select lifestyles stores. Rs 24,200
French fleur Feel refreshed with the Green tea with Jasmine collection from L’Occitane. The jasmine flower has been sourced from Grasse on the French Riviera. Combined with green tea, it produces a light and fresh perfume. Available at its stores and select lifestyle outlets. Rs 2,995 (100ml)
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A natural fit Feel all the benefits of running barefoot with RealFlex, Reebok’s new range of shoes for men, women and children. There are 76 sensors on the bottom of the shoe that help maintain flexibility and balance. Available at select Reebok stores. Rs 3,999 onwards
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September 21, 2011
FASHION focus It’s that time of year again to get the trench coat out of the barracks and into your fall wardrobe. More than a century-old in style, the trench coat is making a comeback…and how! ARCHANA ACHAL guides you through the history and style of this garment which will take your autumn outfit from ho-hum to oh-so wonderful.
Burberry
Time for A
s the season changes from sunny to chilly, our wardrobes change too. Out go the flowery dresses, casual linens and cotton shorts making way for woollens, ankle boots and tough denims. But you need not let all the heavy material bog down your fashion sense. Pick up a trench coat to throw over your outfit as this versatile coat will keep out the weather even as it helps you stay stylish!
Through the ages The trench coat has a long history in the fashion world, starting in the late nineteenth-century and continuing up to this year’s fall fashion lines. It has moved from being a raincoat for soldiers to a trendy staple for all wardrobes. Around the 1880s, Thomas Burberry, a
dressmaker from England produced and patented a water-resistant and tough fabric which he called gabardine. Gabardine was initially made out of worsted wool. The fabric was porous despite its tight weave and therefore breathable. He then used the material to create the tielocken, an overcoat that would cover most of the person who wore it, making it highly useful for military men who braved inclement weather. The tielocken is the predecessor to the trench coat as we know it. Thomas Burberry then added a few details to the tielocken, like the shoulder straps and metal D-rings to create the trench coat. The use of gabardine also made the trench coat much more comfortable than the rubberised raincoats available during those times.
This style was picked up by the British army in the 1900s as an optional garment for the infantry. Worn by the men as they fought in the trenches in World War I, the coat proved both necessary and efficient at protecting them during adverse weather conditions. After the war, the trench coat continued to be seen on the streets of England and soon became a fashion staple. Given its military beginnings, it is no wonder that the trench coat now has an army of loyalists.
Style factor Today, trench coats or trenches as they are called, are made out of a wide array of materials including leather, poplin and other cotton or polyester blends. The timeless style of the trench coat has been a topic of fascination and much dis-
Long Coat Lowdown The trench coat is one among the many styles of long coats available. Here are two others: The Greatcoat More military in style than the trench coat, the great coat was the outerwear of choice for armies during the early twentieth century. It is popular in cold regions where the cape, belowthe-knee length and deep pockets keep the wearer covered and warm. The Duster This full-length long coat is worn by horseback riders of the Wild West and soon made it onto the catwalk and into closets everywhere. Dusters have a long rear slit and a hood or cape. They are made from oilcloth or canvas for protection from rain. Debates continue about whether the Matrix coat is a trench or a duster! Versace
a Trench cussion for the fashion-conscious. What constitutes a trench coat? Is it the length, sleeves or embellishments that separate a trench from all other long coats? The answer is all of the above. A traditional trench coat is knee-length or just a few inches above the knee. It is usually double-breasted with six buttons or more, has wide lapels and shoulder straps. It might have a buttoned yoke over the shoulders and D-rings on the belt. Fulllength, raglan sleeves with cuffs are considered the most comfortable for movement and providing warmth. The coat has a woollen lining which is often removable to make it versatile.
Modern and fabulous The biggest trend in trench coat style at present is the woman’s trench coat. No
French Connection UK
longer considered a man’s garment alone, trench coats in bright colours and varying lengths have caught the eyes of women worldwide. Gone are the days of dark brown, beige and black trench coats. Fashion labels today brighten up their fall collections with coats in neon red, yellow or green. The straight cut is sometimes given a miss for a fun flared, ruffled or pleated style. Plain Jane trenches can be swapped for coats with checked patterns or bold animal prints. The belt is sometimes skipped to give the coat a mod look. Even the world of goth fashion has embraced the trench coat, although goth trenches are almost necessarily black and made out of leather. Trench coat dresses with half-sleeves or no sleeves at all are a sassy way to twist the trend!
Men’s trench coats continue to be the must have addition to winter wardrobes. Floor-length trenches add a touch of oldschool military charm while shorter coats complement the prep-school style perfectly. Men can wear the coats casually unbuttoned for a night out or buttoned up for a corporate look. Teamed with the right shoes or boots, the trench can be dressedup or tuned-down, depending on the occasion. The trench coat is a sure-fire way to add class and stylistic appeal to your wardrobe. It flatters most body shapes and can be twisted and tweaked to suit one’s personality. With most brands holding on tight to this trend, one will be spoiled for choice in the trench department. archana.a@thehindu.co.in
GOURMET encounters
An old favourite gets a new twist Michael Swamy t was an evening to remember where great wine was paired with excellent food to create an amazing gastronomical experience. Started in 2004, STAX, the restaurant at the Hyatt Regency in Mumbai originally specialised in serving seafood. It has since slowly evolved into a fine dine Italian restaurant. Through the years, the restaurant has seen three expat chefs at its helm. The newest chef to take charge is Chef Luca who graduated from the Instituto Alberghiero F.Martini in Montecatini, Italy. Since the age of ten, Luca had developed a passion for cooking by watching his grandfather cook and by accompanying him for all the food festivals around Italy. After having apprenticed at some of the finest restaurants in Italy, he is now based in Pune. Currently, he is in Mumbai to promote STAX’s latest Italian food festival and the new menu. Chef Luca has been in India for 15 months and is promising a change, introducing an array of new delights, while retaining some of the old favourites.
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An open kitchen The advantage of the open kitchen at STAX is that you can see your food being prepared. Many customers like to sit at the counter running parallel to it to gain the full experience of being a part of a bustling kitchen. The Roma tomatoes on display seem to be in sync with the colours on the plate, making the meal almost magical. As the open wood fire oven is in the coffee shop area, one may not get served a typical pizza in the restaurant, but one can get a glimpse of what is on offer. Instead, I experience something new by tasting the freshly made pasta which is the common element or rather accompaniment to Italian food. The rates at the restaurant are reasonable, averaging between Rs 500 to 1,500 per dish and the new Toscano based dishes are different from the Italian fare available.
Panmolle (panzanella) Tomato, cucumber and onion salad with traditional bread and wine vinaigrette Ingredients:
• 500 g several-days-old Tuscan white bread, sliced • At least 6 leaves basil, shredded • 3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and sliced • 1 small, sweet red onion, sliced and rings separated • Half a cucumber, sliced • Minced parsley • 60ml vinegar (white wine or red wine vinegar optional)
• 3 or more tablespoons good olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste Preparation: Acidulate the water with the vinegar and soak the bread in it for 20 minutes at least (if you plan ahead, you could even leave it overnight). Squeeze the bread to remove moisture - it should be damp – and crumble it into a salad bowl. Mix in the remaining ingredients and season to taste. Let the panzanella stand for ten minutes to give the bread time to absorb some flavour, and serve.
An Italian feast To begin any meal one needs to try out the ciabatta bread. The warm, slightly crusty ciabatta is a speciality of the house. Eaten with a dip made of tomato paste, vinegar, olive oil and pine nuts, it makes the most basic of foods a
delight. Two traditional soups are highlighted on the menu, a tomato soup and a seafood Cacciucco among other delights like artichoke hearts cooked with cherry tomatoes and lemon. The beautifully arranged Panmolle, where diced tomatoes and onions are encased in a cucumber shell and dressed with a traditional bread and olive oil vinaigrette makes for a nice accompaniment to the main course. The meat dishes with pork and lamb seem inviting and the main herb used is rosemary whose aroma permeates the kitchen area. Light and flavoursome from the use of fresh herbs, the meals are plated beautifully and one needs to take a moment to appreciate the visual design as one reaches for one’s cutlery. Dishes of freshly made pasta like Pici alla senese which is pasta cooked in butter and anchovies, gnocchi made with fresh ricotta cheese and my eternal favourite, the tagliatelle which is a flat pasta served with roasted zucchini and mint tantalise the palate. Having stuck to a Chardonnay wine the entire meal, I cannot help but finish it with dolci, the Italian term for dessert or sweet. While the traditional tiramisu, which is to kill for and looks like it will stay on the menu for eons, is available, other delights like frozen vanilla and chocolate pound cake with a hint of raspberry coulis make for an interesting combination.
Wine and dine The restaurant boasts of a well stocked wine table which is very visible as one enters the single-tiered dining area. Wine has always brought about a union of sorts with food and the Italians definitely know how to take this union to new heights. Several well known Italian brands feature on the menu. The ambience of STAX is large and inviting. The use of chrome and mirrors give it a totally romantic and warm feel at night. The candles in their red holders, tastefully done napkins and fine crockery and cutlery take the dining experience to a level above the ordinary. The restaurant is open for dinner only. So step in and take in the experience. What: A new menu featuring Italian cuisine Where: STAX, The Hyatt Regency Mumbai How much: Rs 3,000 approximately for a meal for two (The author is a Cordon Bleu chef and food stylist)
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September 21, 2011
STAX, Hyatt Regency