Audi RS 3 Sportback

TECH SPEC
Make/model: Audi RS 3 Sportback.
Technical: Five-cylinder, 2480cc turbo-charged petrol
engine with seven-speed
S tronic direct shift
transmission and quattro permanent all wheel drive.
Performance:  0-62mph, 4.6 secs; top speed, 155mph
(governed).
Fuel: 31mpg (combined).
Emissions: 212 g/kmPrice: £39,930 OTR.

The launch of Audi’s latest model provided the opportunity to follow in the tyre-tracks of motoring history.

The company introduced the power-packed RS 3 Sportback in Austria, and a major part of our driving route was the mountainous  Turracher Hohe, a challenging alpine pass where Audi presented the first quattro prototype to their board of management in January 1978.

So we were sampling the latest all-wheel-drive model at the place of the famous system’s debut, and it soon became evident why this spot had been chosen to display those tremendous road-holding capabilities.

The new car, a high performance version of the A3 hatchback, in five-door form, has the look of poise, power and pace about it – all of which it gloriously delivers. The styling speaks of the car’s performance potential ... looking muscular yet svelte.

The front has a deeper apron that incorporates enlarged air intakes, an anthracite coloured single-frame grille with diamond patterned styling and xenon plus headlamps with LED daytime running lights. The side view is dominated by the flared, lightweight front wings (made of carbon-fibre reinforced polymer) covering 19in alloy wheels, prominent sill extensions, mirror casings in a matt aluminium look and a large roof spoiler. Two  elliptical exhaust tailpipes give an air of power to the rear.

The inside story is one of high quality, with sports seats upholstered in fine leather with silver contrasting stitching and inlays are finished in piano black or a new Aluminium Race look. There’s a flat-bottomed  RS steering wheel and an exclusive design for the instruments.

The premium quality cabin boasts an array of standard equipment that includes front seat heating, rear parking sensors, electronic climate control, posh sat nav with multi-media function and a sport button which varies throttle response and gives an even richer flavour to the exhaust sound. The car’s five-door configuration also combines practicality with its sporting nature.

Turn the key and the five-cylinder turbo-charged petrol engine delivers its superb exhaust note, a delicious soundtrack that voices the car’s power but never proves intrusive. And speaking of power, the RS 3 has 340 bhp. Performance? The figures speak for themselves ...

0-62 mph in 4.2 seconds and a governed top speed of 155mph.

And all that oomph is superbly packaged, for the car is well mannered around town, an absolutely effortless motorway mile-eater and, of course, has bags of performance on tap, while the quattro system excelled in the dramatic reaches of the Turracher Hohe, with its spiralling roads and hairpin bends.

The RS 3’s handling is taut, responsive and agile, with a firm – but never harsh – ride. The car lays down its power through a seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission that can be used in fully automatic mode, shifted with the gear selector or with steering wheel paddles.

Whichever way you choose, the changes are sweet and seamless and the quattro system’s permanent all-wheel-drive means traction in action, giving the car a truly confidence-inspiring feel. Mighty disc brakes ensure plenty of stopping power.

Technology abounds in the RS 3, from a regenerative system that recovers energy as the car decelerates, to strong, weight-saving vermicular graphite for the engine block – and much more.

This handsome hunk of a car was a treat to drive – one which will be enjoyed from next month’s delivery date by owners who have already snapped up the 500 RS 3s so far allocated to the UK.

Avan Ivan review

Avan Ivan Tamil Movie Cast and Crew:

• Starring: Vishal Krishna,Arya,Janani Iyer,Madhu Shalini,Ambika,Jayaprabha
• Director: Bala
• Producer: Kalpathi S Aghoram
• Banner: A G S Entertainmet
• Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Avan Ivan Tamil Movie Review :

Director Bala's latest film Avan Ivan has Arya, Vishal, Janani and Madhushalini in lead roles. The music is scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja, while Na Muthukumar has come up with the lyrics. Here's a look at the album:

Rasathi begins on an angsty note, as Haricharan picks up the vocal reigns, and there are faint strains of the classic Munpaniyaa -- but the song shifts direction soon. Thelyrics are standard, colloquial fare but again, the score takes precedence here. Theinstrumental score is fascinating. An appealing number.

Dia Dia Dole, rendered by Suchithra, reminds you of Om Sivoham from Naan Kadavul [ Images ]. Impressive beats follow, to the accompaniment of a melodious nadhaswaram. An enthusiastic number.

It's not obvious right away, but there's a Malayalam twang to Oru Malayoram, sung by Vijay Yesudas, Baby Priyanka (her voice is particularly fluid and melodious), Baby Srinisha and Baby Nithyashree. The first interlude, in fact, sounds a lot like the classic Mohanam varnam; a neat flute piece leads to the charanam. The lyrics are as soothing as the song itself. A gentle number.

There's an ominous feel as Mudhal Murai begins, dripping sorrow and desolation with every note. Vijay Prakash renders the sorrowful song, singing about death.

More ethnic beats, as the nayanam begins its folksy tune for Avanappathi, T L Maharajan and Sathyan take up the vocal reigns. And as in some of the numbers above, it's the rhythm that takes centre stage. And during the charanam, the tempo increases, making for an enthusiastic listen. The lyrics, particularly approaching the finale, are impressive: 'Picchaidhaan Eduthaalum, Perasanaalum Aanaalum, puzhuvukku Iraiyaavan verae Enna?' This one is a triumph of the instrumental score, again.

When it comes to Avan Ivan, it looks like Yuvan has voluntarily tried to move out of his comfort zone, given up on his template and experimented, particularly with theinstrumental arrangement and most times, it works. Go for it.

Rating: 3/5

REVIEW: Hyundai “Fluidic” Verna automatic vs Honda City automatic – the H battle

The launch of the new Hyundai “Fluidic” Verna automatic in India has set some big tones for other car manufacturers. While many have went back to their drawing room boards, there are many others who just cannot digest that Hyundai is taking away all their sales and stuff. It has got more to do with first the Etios taking up all the pie and now the Verna. However we feel that all this is just for show sakes and after the initial ownership reports and stuff of the Etios coming up, many people are now not inclined to buy this car. Whilst Hyundai may have recorded around 5000 bookings in the initial month for the new Verna, all the reviews and reports point that the Verna has very sloppy road manners. Nevertheless, the new Verna has one of the widest engine and transmission options in its class. Two petrol and two diesel motors available with both manual and automatic transmission is something which even some of the premium car manufacturers don’t offer. So it comes down to whether the new Verna challenges the erstwhile but still very much desirable Honda City automatic in India. There are also other cars like the Maruti SX4 with an automatic tranny and the Volkswagen Vento automatic, however those don’t sell as much as the City. Due to a cut in production and lack of diesel engine, the Vento has edged past the City which has held its dominion from the last 13 years in the C segment in India. We now pit the City automatic with the Verna automatic

Looks

The Hyundai “Fluidic” Verna automatic in India benefits from an all new look which however doesn’t detract far from the odd ball design that the earlier Verna carried. In front of the City, the new Verna looks plain ugly. The Vento would have atleast looked plain Jane but it never looked ugly. However while the City looks hewn from a single sheet metal, the Verna looks as if too many designers worked on its looks. The City’s arrow shot design is a far better thing than the Verna’s “Fluidic” design. The Verna is a chunkier piece of metal while theHonda City automatic in India looks comparatively slim and also longer. 15 inch wheels as against the 16 inch ones on the Verna also are a distinguishing factor. Moreover, the Verna has got fatter rubber than the City’s low resistance ones, configured for better fuel economy. At the rear, however, it’s the Verna which looks better than the City’s just too straight design characteristics. The Verna’s all LED tail lamps coupled with the extremely clear lens configuration make the City’s neat lines pale in comparison. Moreover, the Verna has got twin tail pipes to the City’s single one.

In the design field, overall, the Honda City imparts a big car feel from outside while the Verna looks like a small alien.

Interiors

As for the interiors, the only common thing between both the cars is the steering wheel. Mind you, by this we mean only the look of it and not the exact feel or how the steering wheels behave. Like the switchgear used in its bikes, most of the controls on the steering wheel are concentrated to its left while for the Hyundai, they are evenly distributed. The meter dials for instance, on the ones on the Verna have a white backlight for them and for the City, they emit a red glow. The City’s ones have an ancient feel to them while the Verna’s ones have a nice soft ambience to them. As far as the dashboard contours go, this is no contest since the Verna wins it hands down. The City gets the aluminium fascia which looks like an after market fitment with its archaic AC controls and stuff. The new Verna in the meanwhile gets a solid build quality with a use of very good materials. Infact the materials would easily eclipse the ones used on the Civic. The Honda City’s ug bear has been a music system which recognizes only USB sticks and there is no provision for even a proper CD player. The Verna gets a 6 CD changer system with AUX and USB input to it. The silver garnish treatment by the City on the door pads looks down right cheap. However the buttons and rest of the mechanicals operate with a solid feel. As for the Verna, as discussed before, the door pads have a quality feel attached to them. Now coming onto the seating comfort, in this matter, the Honda City is the more comfortable of the two. Be it the front seat or rear seat comfort. The Verna simply cannot match its comfort factor. The City has ample of leg room, head room and also under thigh support which shows why it has been the best seller for these many years. Boot space is nearly the same however the City has much more usable space than the Verna’s which is marred by suspension intrusions.

Handling and ride quality

The Hyundai “Fluidic” Verna automatic in India has got the softer suspension of the two here. Needless to say, it has a superb ride quality going on for it. Come what may in its way, the Verna delivers a sort of air cushion like comfort. However, this very same ride quality becomes its Achilles heel while the put through a corner. The Verna feels very nervous while negotiating a corner. Infact on the highway, it seems to be floating all around. But what Hyundai have done is a commendable job and that is of keeping the NVH like a super luxury car. Rev the engine or even break it, there is no engine noise permeating inside the cabin. The Honda on the other hand is a raucous performer. It does let you know that there is something which is going to happen. It would either be the acceleration or the unlinear way in which power is built. The Honda City automatic in India has got the harder suspension setup of the two and this means that ride quality over undulating surfaces is not that good but it in this car, you can move quickly over undulating surfaces, of which the Verna has to go a bit slow. Nearing its redline, the Honda’s engine becomes coarse and loses its refinement. But then the handling is spoilt only by the weedy tyres that the City comes shod with. The steering wheel has a much more connected feel than the vague one on the Verna. Both the cars come with an electric steering wheel which is far more efficient than hydraulic units.

Engine, performance and fuel efficiency

The Verna comes with a choice of two engines, one petrol and one diesel and both are available with auto transmission. While the Honda City only has a petrol engine with a 5 speed auto option with paddle shifts behind the steering wheel. The Verna only gets a dated 4 speed auto transmission. The 1.6 liter petrol motor in the Verna automatic makes 122 Bhp of power while the torque figure is rated at 155 Nm. In comparison, the Honda City automatic makes 115 Bhp of power and 149 Nm of torque. The Verna’s torque converter may be an old unit however the engine more than makes up for the deficit with it posting 0.4 seconds quicker time for the 0-100 run than the Honda City. But the City claws back its 5 speed automatic advantage by posting higher top speed than the Verna. The Verna’s box is a dim witted thing which has a mind of its own while the City’s auto box obeys the driver’s commands. Hyundai have kitted the Verna with an all wheel disc brake configuration and this ensures that stops are nearly 15 meters before than what the City can manage. Both the cars get ABS and ESP as an added advantage. For the safety features, the Hyundai beats the Honda squarely by throwing in 6 air bags as compared with the Honda’s 2.

In the critical fuel efficiency stakes, the Honda is once again beaten by the Hyundai’s far more efficient unit. The overall figure that the City automatic returned was 12.4 kmpl whereas the Hyundai turned in 12.9 kmpl.

The City once again is beaten squarely in its own game by the Hyundai by returning better fuel efficiency and also with more safety features.

Verdict

The Honda City has had a good run for over 13 years in India however its reign has now come to an end first when the Vento overtook it in the sales figures and now when the Hyundai Verna has come in. The Verna’s looks may definitely be subjective however its exhaustive features list and wide range of engine options with both automatic and manual transmission options ensure that it comes out at the top of the hill. This is considering that the City is still the priciest car in its class by a fair margin. The Hyundai “Fluidic” Verna automatic price in India is Rs 9.95 lakhs while the Honda City automatic price in India is Rs 10.33 lakhs. All these prices are ex-show room, Mumbai ones. Our pick for the day is the Hyundai Verna automatic.

Simbu is loyal to his fan base

Silambarasan the young super star of kollywood Industry has always

been loyal to his fans.sTr online social network fan`s list have been crosed the two lackh followers.Silambarasan Simbu Fans page ,got a record number of fans signed in a short spam of time.



On Rumours about him meeting Salman khan at the recent CCL and the reports said that hte Bollywood star had agreed to visit his OSTHI the remeke of of BlockBuster Daabang to give him few tips. But young super star has said "It`s a news to me ! I have not met him or spoken to him yet"

Lunar eclipse 2011 Images

Century's longest and darkest lunar eclipse

The moon's bright white glow turned crimson brick red when it delved into the dark centre of the earth's shadow during the century's longest and darkest lunar eclipse on Wednesday night.

The awesome spectacle was visible all over the country, including the national capital.

The full moon appeared much dimmer than usual, but sunlight passing through the earth's atmosphere gave the lunar surface a deep reddish hue.

This was the century's longest and darkest total lunar eclipse as the moon immersed deeply inside the umbral (darker) shadow of the earth, Nehru Planetarium Director N. Rathnasree told PTI.

The total phase lasted 100 minutes. The last eclipse to exceed this duration was in July 2000.

The next such eclipse will only take place in 2141.

The penumbral lunar eclipse began at 22:54:34 IST and will end at 04:30:45 IST (on Thursday), she said.

The total lunar eclipse began at 00:52:30 IST and will end at 02:32:42 IST, while the partial eclipse began at 23:52:56 IST and end at 03:32:15 IST.

As the earth came in between the sun and the moon, its shadow first began sweeping across the moon, blocking out much of its bright light and as the shadow descended gently, the moon's face turned red.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth, in the course of its orbit around the sun, comes between the moon and sun in such a way that the moon is hidden in the shadow cast by the earth.

This can occur only when the sun, earth, and the moon are aligned in a straight line, C.B. Devgun from the Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE) said.

Lookout integrates 'safe browsing' on Android

Socially engineered threats remain a major security concern on mobile devices, so to help protect its users Lookout Mobile Security (download) has added "safe browsing" to its premium version today at no extra cost. Safe browsing checks links you tap before they load in your device's Web browser to make sure they don't lead to phishing scams or malware.
Safe browsing is not quite widely available yet on mobile devices, even though it potentially can threaten mobile device users as easily as it does people using laptops and desktops. In an interview last week at CNET's San Francisco office, Lookout's Chief Technology Officer Kevin Mahaffey discussed what he thinks are the next big mobile security problems. "The two things we saw coming were drive-by downloads and exploits on Web sites. Since almost all web browsing on mobile is done with Webkit, Webkit exploits will affect almost everybody," he said. Webkit is the underlying rendering engine that powers the default mobile browser on iOS, most of the mobile browsers including the default on Android, as well as Google Chrome and Apple Safari on the desktop.
Lookout's Safe Browsing shows up as a new option on its main screen. Tapping it only reveals a brief description about the feature because it's designed to be baked right into the main interface, said Anbu Anbalagapandian, a senior software engineer at Lookout. "As Steve Jobs says, it just works," she added.
When you click on a link from within any app, Lookout will detect your browser opening and then check where the link is going to before the page loads. If the Web site is safe, Lookout will show a message stating as much in the notifications window. You won't see it unless you pull down the notifications window immediately after tapping a link.
If a malicious link is detected, Safe Browsing asks you if you'd like to Block the site or Proceed Anyway. In brief testing, Lookout's Safe Browsing successfully blocked the browser from loading five known malicious sites.
To get the update, either install the app and upgrade to the premium version, or update your current installation of Lookout. It is also available during the app's trial period. While adding the feature to Lookout isn't going to change the face of mobile security, safe browsing is absolutely a smart feature to include in any mobile security app.