SmartbuyWednesday, August 18, 2010

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Smartphone pageantAnd the winner is...Page 2

We recently profiled a line-up of the best business phones in the market. In this issue, we take a closer look at a range of smartphones meant for both work and play,

to help you decide which one you should add to your kitty

So smart, even MENSAwould approve!

Cover photo: T3 India

3 August 18, 2010Smartbuy

The emailing executive’s weapon of choice, the Black-Berry Bold 9700 is the smartest BlackBerry to date.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the best RIM has to offer,with the most tech crammed into any in the BlackBerryrange, a quality feel and nicely tactile QWERTY keyboard.

The 9700 is a top-drawer messaging device. From thesimple email set up to integrated multiple IM clients –Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk et al – and thesingle, streamlined inbox, it’s a compulsive chatterer’sdream come true.

The QWERTY keyboard is excellent, perfect for email-ing on the hoof, while battery life is better than average,giving you about a day and a half of frequent emailing.

In addition to the headline features, you get a ratheraverage 3.2-meg camera with flash, fast HSDPA browsing– this also helps with email attachments and of course youalso get A-GPS with BlackBerry Maps and Wi-Fi.

Onboard memory is only 256MB, but there’s a microSDslot and the 9700 ships with a 2GB card.

The 9700 runs the well-rounded BlackBerry 5.0 OS,which integrates messaging, phone and app functions sowell that you won’t even know you’re multi-tasking.

The BlackBerry App World is under-stocked whencompared to Apple’s huge, ever-growing App Store, butthe apps here do at least favour usefulness over time

wasting.‘Gwabbit’, for instance, pulls out new contacts from

your inbox. With basic but functional music controls and a 2.4-inch

screen, albeit a fairly high-res one, the 9700 isn’t any kindof multimedia giant, but it does the job. There’s a properheadphone socket, too.

The Bold 9700 is not the best all-round smartphone andanyone looking for multimedia features should goelsewhere.

However, for those who absolutely have to be in touchat all times, this can’t be beaten.

That there’s a respectable set of secondary functions isjust a bonus, adding to the overall feel of quality andreliability that this phone effectively exudes.

LOVE - The Bold is a fantastic device for messaging, with agreat keyboard and rock-solid email reception and delivery

HATE - The OS isn’t as stable as some other smartphones,and the App World could do with a few more wares to sell

WE SAY - The best BlackBerry out there at the moment.When the BlackBerry OS 6.0 arrives, it’ll be even better

Go Bold!BlackBerry Bold 9700

The HTC HD Mini, a scaled down version of the HTCHD2, shows that WinMo can indeed be beautiful.

While the world is going gaga about Android, there is still asteadfast posse championing Windows Mobile. The HDMini is the best evidence they have in their favour, packingthe newest WinMo 6.5.3 OS into a slim, 11.7mm-thickchassis and improving its ease of use with HTC’s Senseoverlay, as found on the HTC Desire.

The HD Mini is a scaled down version of the hulkingHD2 with a not-significantly-worse spec and a much morepocket-friendly form factor.

It upgrades WinMo with multiple, widget-laden homescreens, improved menus and a 3.2-inch, 480x320 capac-itive display that means you can throw away the hatedstylus. The keys are touch-sensitive and cleverly placed toallow easy navigation. The screen is a little small at 3.2inches, but this capacitive touch screen is impressivelyresponsive.

No physical buttons for the camera means this five-megclicker isn’t as easy to operate as others. The 3.5mm jackfor headphones is hidden away on the bevelled edge of therear casing.

Messaging is also improved, with a very well imple-mented onscreen keyboard and quietly efficient integrat-ed email service. Browsing is excellent, with multi-touchsupported on both Opera and Internet Explorer. There’s

no Flash support, unlike on HTC’s more consumer-fo-cused Desire.

Media options are present if not exactly the best; thescreen is too small for marathon movie sessions and themusic player is basic compared to the iPhone, althoughyou can drag and drop media. The camera is perfectlyadequate. Microsoft’s app store is not, lets say, awash withcool new software. Instead, only a smattering of businessapps is on offer. Storage is 512MB, expandable via mi-croSD card. In terms of battery you’ll get a good two orthree days use out of the phone, even with push emailactive. The HD Mini is a great phone by Windows Mobilestandards. It looks swish, offers much improved touchscreen functionality, but keeps the WinMo foundationsthat many business users still crave. It does inevitably lagbehind the Desire and iPhone when it comes to moreenjoyable activities, however.

LOVE : Plenty of features in a compact frame. The Senseoverlay masks Windows Mobile effectively

HATE : WinMo still sucks. Navigating menus is a real painonce HTC’s Sense overlay is stripped away

WE SAY : The best WinMo phone on the market, unless youhappen to prefer the elephantine HD2 (non-Mini)

Small says it allHTC HD Mini

reviewSMARTPHONE

4 August 18, 2010Smartbuy

With the Nokia N900, the Finnish company dumpsSymbian for this chunky, hugely powerful ‘pocket

computer’ that runs the Maemo OS. Nokia has broken themould with the N900 replacing the company’s usual Sym-bian OS with Maemo, which is a more advanced system.

The hardware is similarly powerful, with a pull-outQWERTY, a 600MHz ARM A8 processor, 1GB of RAM,32GB of storage and a touch screen that’s lushly highresolution, even if it is sadly only resistive rather thancapacitive.

As a result, it’s uncommonly wide and chunky, but it isexcellent for viewing video and browsing the web, andMaemo is easy to use, despite a sometimes unresponsivetouch screen – and this is one of the dwindling band ofphones that still comes with a stylus. Nokia has added alittle kickstand for hands-free video viewing.

Despite the open-source nature of the OS, the Maemoapplication portal is somewhat short of options, and whileFacebook is included, this phone isn’t geared for socialnetworking. However, multiple IM clients and VoIP forcheaper calls are on offer.

The web browser is the main attraction on the N900. Itseamlessly shifts between Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, of-fers full Flash compatibility and packs the new FirefoxMobile browser.

The only problem is that the power of it makes you missthe multi-touch slickness of the iPhone or Desire all themore.

The music player on the N900 is also great fun. Thereare widgets for easy access on the home screen and it’llsync tracks from your Windows 7 home PC too. Storage isimpressive, with 32GB on board and the option to add afurther 16GB through microSD, and internet radio is sup-ported out of the box. Slick wireless home networking isalso built in. Despite a low quoted talk time, in reality theN900 has the best performing battery on test, making thisphone an attractive option to anyone not put off by itsugliness and lack of slickness in other areas.

LOVE : The power of the N900 is in its processor, andbecause Maemo is open source, the web is awash with easyways to modify and upgrade it

HATE : Most people will find it too big, in our view. Theresistive touch screen can be frustratingly inaccurate attimes

WE SAY : The N900 is a powerful, versatile device, but over-sized, ugly and sorely lacking the multi-touch slickness ofthe Desire or iPhone

The desktop in your palmNokia N900

The HTC Desire is the pinnacle of Android achieve-ment thanks to HTC’s Sense interface. We’ve seen

1GHz Snapdragon-toting iPhone killers before, but theDesire is a cut above them all. It’s not that it offers Wi-Fi,A-GPS, HSDPA and a headphone jack, because they all do.

What makes the Desire special is that the mix of powerand functionality is teamed with HTC’s Sense interface tomake the whole experience silky smooth and, dare we sayit, iPhone-esque.

You can now pile up live-updating widgets and short-cuts on up to seven customisable home screens, all view-able as thumbnails with a press of the Home button.

For social networkers, Friendstream lets you view a listof friends’ Facebook, Twitter and Flickr feeds, as well asthe usual email and SMS.

The onscreen keyboard is the best in the business;almost magical in its ability to discern what you intendedto type.

The screen is massive at 3.7-inches, and with an800x480 resolution you get a lot of information in one go.

Watching video is also a classy experience as long asyou’re indoors – OLED really doesn’t love the sunshine.The web browsing is another high point. It matches theiPhone for multi-touch smoothness then betters it byadding Flash as standard.

Not every video plays as well as you’d like, but it’s greatfor seeing embedded video.

Multi-touch works great, with the sensitivity of thelarger display meaning pinch-to-zoom is arguably superi-or to the iPhone.

When you also consider HTC has thrown in push email,an overhauled music player and Google’s new Maps Navi-gation turn-by-turn Satnav, this is the best all-roundsmartphone in this test.

The only drawbacks are a battery that demands nightlycharging and Google Market which, though improving,still lags well behind Apple’s App Store for both qualityand quantity of apps.

LOVE - The large and responsive OLED touch screen is greatfor video and the web browser is as fast and intuitive asanything on the market

HATE - Battery life is a little suspect and the Bluetoothconnection can be patchy at times. OLED suffers in sunlight

WE SAY - The HTC Desire out-specs and out-performs allother phones, and looks attractive whilst doing so. It’s overto Apple et al to rise to its challenge.

An object of desireHTC Desire

5 August 18, 2010Smartbuy

The Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB was the undisputed mobileheavyweight champion of the world (until recently) is

still competitive despite its relative age. The 3GS has been surpassed by the iPhone 4, but it’s no

ageing dinosaur. The iPhone 3GS still offers enviable us-ability and a form factor that oozes class and quality.

The interface is incredibly simple, with shortcuts andapps spread over an unlimited supply of home screens.

The seamless working of multi-touch still impressestoo, letting you pinch to zoom and scroll through webpages with nonchalant ease – unless they happen to beFlash-based web pages, of course.

At 3.2 inches the 480x320 screen seems relatively smalland low-res next to the Desire and Wave’s offerings, butit’s perfectly adequate for viewing movies and photos.

It’s also fantastic for gaming with an accurate accele-rometer and plenty of affordable titles from the App Store,such as Real Racing HD.

The Apple App Store is still the best in the business,offering a vast choice of games, utilities and social net-working tools.

It’s not open source like Android, but with an app countof 2,00,000 and rising, iPhone users are spoilt for choice.

The music player is, as you’d expect of Apple, top-

drawer. Scroll through tracks, artists and albums and cre-ate your own playlists on iTunes.

There’s 16GB to store your tunes in. The supplied earbuds are famously rubbish, but a 3.5mm socket means youcan swap them.

The 3.2-megapixel camera takes adequate snaps, yet thelack of a flash limits its uses and you’ll have to charge thebattery every night.

The iPhone 4 boasts a five-megapixel camera with 720pvideo capture, along with improved battery life: temptingindeed.

If you can resist the lure of the new, however, youshould be able to snap up this still highly desirable phone.

LOVE : Superlative multi-touch interface. Huge variety ofapps

HATE : No Flash. A smaller screen than its main rivals. Theforthcoming iPhone 4 trumps it in pretty much every area

WE SAY : The iPhone 3GS’s killer OS, multi-touch interfaceand superior app selection keeps it competitive despite itsrelative age. Still well worth a look

Forbidden is tastierApple iPhone 3GS 16GB

Samsung’s open source Bada OS takes its first bow onthe Samsung Wave. The success of Google’s Android

operating system hasn’t gone unnoticed by Samsung, butrather than hiring Google’s roamin’ OS, it’s created itsown: Bada. The Samsung Wave is its first showcase.

The phone looks exquisite, with an aluminium body lessthan 11mm thick, a 3.3-inch “Super AMOLED” screenthat’s pin sharp, bright and copes better outdoors thanother OLEDs to date, although it’s still not great in sun-light. Bada is simple to use and versatile, with a total of tenhome screens to customise and a central menu for access-ing everything else. The only drawback is that you can onlyplace widgets on the home screens, not app shortcuts.

General functionality is classic Samsung: icons leaddirectly to menu screens and the whole thing reacts rap-idly to the touch.

The battery lasts for a day and a half. As a media player,it’s as good as anything this side of the iPhone. Musicsounds engaging, with SRS virtual surround sound if youlike that kind of thing. Video looks disarmingly sharp onthe OLED screen.

Add a five-megapixel camera with 720p HD video re-cording and the ability to stream footage wirelessly to your

Samsung TV, and you have a fun package. However, while the Wave is an impressive start, Bada is

not yet the finished article, being noticeably less sophisti-cated than Android or iPhone.

The app store is also under-populated in comparison torivals. The internet browser is also far from perfect. Notonly is there no Flash, but it struggles to re-size textmaking pages difficult to read. The keyboard is passableand generally accurate, but predictive text is so poor thatit’s better to turn it off altogether.

The Wave is a solid first outing for Bada. It pales incomparison to its rivals here, but it’s still good enough tobe worth considering if you’re more interested in music,photos and video than web browsing.

LOVE - The AMOLED screen, video quality and musicplayback are all first rate. A great looking, compact handset

HATE - Few apps. Apps not accessible from home screens

WE SAY - A good first attempt for the Bada OS, but it’s notyet capable of competing with the iPhone or the Androidcrowd

Wave to the newSamsung Wave

6 August 18, 2010Smartbuy

STACKING ‘EM UP

T3 India

Camino’s open-source browser gives a similarly fluid OS Xexperience to Safari, but has more user-made add-onsthan Apple’s official browser.www.caminobrowser.org

Upping the Mac experienceCamino

7 August 18, 2010Smartbuy

BROWSER bulletin

Tired of the same ol’ Mozilla and IE? Give internet browsing a fun twist with this selection of six specialist alternatives

Surfin’ in style

This Mac OS Chrome clone’s USP is that it lets you signinto multiple accounts from the same website – Gmail forexample – in multiple tabs.www.stainlessapp.com

Mailing friendlyStainless

A swift, Linux-based browser, Netsurf boasts a pop-upand ad blocker but not much else. This is all aboutstripped-down, lightning-fast simplicity.www.netsurf-browser.org

Speed of lightningNetsurf

Flock’s clever sidebar lets you drag and drop pictures,articles and links into feeds for Facebook, Twitter, Flickrand the rest.www.flock.com

Social butterfliesFlock

Another open-source project, this ambitious browser is aone-stop-shop web portal, HTML editor and straight-forward email client all in one.www.seamonkey-project.org

Multi-tasking galoreSeaMonkey

The abiding joy of this very competent browser is that itlets you change or move every menu, tool bar and icon toyour heart’s content.www.maxthon.com

Content customisingMaxthon

T3 India

AUTO focus

Jason H Harper

You don’t want to be the guy who crashes some-one else’s $550,000 supercar.

That’s obvious, but never more so than whenyou watch a half-million-dollar car getting

towed from the racetrack into a garage where the frown-ing owners stand.

I wasn’t that guy, thank heaven. It was the dude rightafter me who lost control of the bright-orange GumpertApollo, helicoptering off the track and into a tire wall,cratering the nose.

Then there was the fellow just before me. He spun it butdidn’t hit anything.

I drove about six laps in the violently powerful, Ger-man- made supercar, treating it like a pit viper with irrita-ble bowel syndrome. Very, very delicately.

As mechanics pulled off the mangled front fascia, itseemed like a lesson: When dreaming of supercars, becareful what you dream.

The little-known Gumpert has DNA similar to that ofthe Pagani Zonda, Koenigsegg CCX and SSC UltimateAero. All are strangely named, oddly designed supercars,with doors that open in weird ways and extraordinaryprice tags for cars that haven’t been around for all thatlong.

My one drive of the $600,000-plus Aero, which is madeby Shelby SuperCars of West Richland, Washington, end-ed with the scissor doors up by the side of a Las Vegas road,as my companion and I waited for help after the enginemysteriously died. (We suffered the pointing and laughterof passersby.) I may be critical of the price of the $400,000Lexus LFA I tested, but I do know where to get it serviced.

Only 50 builtA former Audi employee named Roland Gumpert started

Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH in 2002, withheadquarters in Altenburg, Germany. According to theU.S. distributor, about 50 have been built.

The Apollo uses an Audi V-8 with twin turbochargers,and the three models - Base, Speed and Race - havebetween 650 and 800 horsepower. The cost is (cough)$550,000 to $800,000. For what is basically a civilian racecar, I’m unaware of a race series in which you mightactually compete.

Who is a typical owner then? A bit unclear. After all,there are only two in the U.S., including the unsold proto-type I drove.

Because the Apollo hasn’t been fitted with air bags orcrash-tested in the U.S., it’s sold as a ‘roller’, meaning thedrive train and body are shipped separately and assembledstateside. Registration laws vary by state, but you mayhave to register it as a kit car.

Private trackThe prototype has been brought out by its U.S. distrib-utors, Evolution Motorsports, of Tempe, Arizona, to betest-driven by prospective buyers and automotive press atMonticello Motor Club, a private membership racetrackin the Catskills. (The driver who damaged it was a ‘pro-spective’.)

“We expect to sell five a year to enthusiasts like the guyshere at Monticello,” Evolution owner Todd Zuccone toldme. “There’s interest from a Miami client who’ll drive it tonightclubs, but the car’s really meant for the track.”

Drive it to a nightclub? I don’t think so. The gullwingdoors are cool, but when you open one you’ll find no actualseats. Just a bench and padding attached to the back of theprotective cockpit. Squeezing in requires three yoga posesand the removal of the steering wheel. No joke.

Creature comforts are scant. The windows roll down

and the steering column moves. There’s even a backupcamera, which is handy as there’s no back window.

‘Drive gently’“This is like driving a Daytona prototype race car,” warnsMonticello track director and pro Grand-Am driver SamSchultz, sentenced to ride shotgun. “Drive gently.”

While unfamiliar with the sequential shifter, a trans-mission found only on race cars, I sensed the Apollo’soverall stability. Nearly as wide as a Hummer H2 andequipped with 19-inch tyres, it’s like riding on a squaremile of rubber. Lots of grip.

The engine is positioned behind the driver, so balance isideal - as long as you don’t engage the full power of theturbos while cornering. A good rule of thumb is to makesure the wheels are straight as the whoosh of power kicksin.

Monticello is a technical racetrack with a long backstraightaway where I’ve gone more than 150 mph in othersports cars. Later in the day, pro driver Schultz will takethe Apollo to an indicated 202 mph.

I’m not Schultz though, so I follow his directive andbaby the Apollo - easy on the gas and cautious with thesteering.

Even so, I reach dizzying speeds on the straight. Powercomes on like a jet engine, hard and limitless. The steeringis incredibly tight; I barely move my hands to turn. Thevery stiff brakes need a good firm push to haul us backdown.

The accidentAs I pit off the track, I think I’ll be able to get back out thereand push harder in the afternoon.

Then the accident happens and we all stand around asthe Evolution crew inspects the damage. The engine isokay and over the next couple of hours they put the noseback together.

Meanwhile, others want their chance and the line growslong. My day is over. Perhaps it’s for the best. Sometimessupercar dreams can go seriously wrong.

(The author writes about autos for Muse, the arts and leisuresection of Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

‘Knock-out’ session with the Gumpert Apollo

The Gumpert Apollo at a GlanceEngine: Twin-turbo V-8 with 650 horsepow-er and 630 pound- feet of torque Transmission: Sequential six-speedSpeed: 0 to 60 mph in an estimated 3 secondsGas mileage per gallon: Estimated 14 mpgcombinedPrice as tested: $550,000Best feature: Drives like a race carWorst feature: Drives like a race carTarget buyer: An actual race-car driver

Photos: Bloomberg

10 August 18, 2010Smartbuy

AUTO news

Team Smartbuy

The fact that only a handful of cities in Indiacurrently have supply of CNG (compressednatural gas) for automotive use is an obviousdeterrent for car buyers who are looking to

buy vehicles factory-fitted with a CNG kit. Most buyers of such cars in cities, where CNG

stations currently vend this environmentally-friendlygas, are doing it either for meeting some mandatoryregulation or to leverage the low cost of operating thevehicle. Yet, the beneficial impact on the environmentand the city’s ambient air quality can be good enoughreason to extend the availability of this gas.

With more gas reserves being discovered withinthe country and with the supply infrastructure im-proving, more cities will get access to this alternatefuel.

New modelsIn the meanwhile, foreseeing the potential, MarutiSuzuki, the country’s largest passenger car maker hasextended the dual-fuel technology in its cars to in-clude more models in its range. The models includethe SX4, Eeco, WagonR, Estilo and Alto. They arebeing launched in Delhi, NCR (national capital re-gion), Mumbai and Gujarat.

These dual-fuel models now feature the company’sflagship CNG engine technology called ‘intelligentGas-Port injection’ and have been priced about Rs45,000 to Rs 55,000 higher than their comparablepetrol engine only counterparts.

According to Maruti, the i-GPI or Intelligent GasPort Injection bi-fuel technology offers an intelligentdrive, since it ensures more power vis-à-vis retro-fitted CNG vehicles and offers a peppier ride, which isat par with that of a regular petrol-fuelled engine, allthe time achieving high fuel efficiency.

As has been the case in the past too, the factoryfitted CNG vehicles score higher on safety and relia-bility vis-à-vis the aftermarket retro-fit kit options.

A company release said that Maruti Suzuki’s CNGvehicles pass through all the quality checks, processesand systems similar to a regular car manufactured atMSIL’s plants.

The TechMaruti Suzuki R&D team has integrated the advancedIntelligent Gas Port Injection technology with theCompany’s range of engines and products to bring thebenefits to buyers in newer car segments.

Compared to alternative aftermarket options, thei-GPI technology incorporates Dual ECU (Engine

Control Unit) technology. This highly reliable system delivers accurate

amounts of gas to the engine thus ensuring improvedand consistent performance under various drivingconditions.

With CNG being a cheaper fuel, the running costsof these dual-fuel vehicles can be almost 60 per centlower than the conventional fossil fuel alone options.

The i-GPI technology uses separate injectors foreach cylinder. Based on feedback from and inputsfrom the ECU, a metered amount of CNG is injectedto the engine through the gas ports.

The quantity of CNG required for different drivingconditions is controlled by the dedicated ECU, lead-ing to more efficient fuel usage.

Similar to the usual pre-launch evaluation, each ofthe cars with i-GPI CNG technology has been exten-sively tested for around two lakh kilometers in variedterrains.

In addition, over 3,000 hours of bench tests havevalidated the design and performance to bring thiscombination of performance and reliability for thecustomers.

As the CNG technology is factory fitted the custom-ers will enjoy the full warranty benefits includingextended warranty.

Maruti Suzuki launches new CNG models

11 August 18, 2010Smartbuy

MELANGE luxury redefined

Unconventional Passion, isMeera Mahadevia’s way ofteaming jewelled bags withcouture attires, with brass,

copper, wood carvings,marble inlays, silver

engravings, semi-preciousstones, antique frames and

woven fabrics doing thehonours. Available at select

boutiques.Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000

Blingy bags

Supple and durableostrich print leather

takes the form of thesepolka dotted handbags,portfolio and overnight

bags, strolleys and smallaccessories from DaMilano. Available in

whites, navy blues, pinks,reds, tans, burgundy and

burnt orange at theirexclusive stores and

other large format stores.Rs 5,995 to Rs 9,995

Ostrich mantra

Nike’s out with itsLunar Glide +2 forwomen that gets a

thumbs up for its‘dynamic support,

supportive carrier,Lunarlon cushioning

system’ and otherfeatures. Available in

Nike stores.Rs 6,500

Gliding through

And a big one at that, with theirBig Pony collection offragrances. With the four scentsevoking: Sport, Seduction,Adventure and Style, in itsselective notes, the Ralph Laurenbottles are iconic to the brightlycoloured Polo Player shirts withnumbers. Available at leadinglifestyle stores.Rs 4,100 (125 ml)

Ralph rides onpony

Sailor’s new limited edition‘Sumer’ is a tribute to thelanguage of one of theoldest civilisations in SouthMesopotamia. Crafted insterling silver with a goldnib, the pen features anengraving of Ur-Nammu, aruler and the law code ofHammurabi, an ancientBabylonian king. Availableon request at select WilliamPenn storesRs 75,000

Penning history lessons

Valentino is out with its newrange of business shoes for menthat boast double PU cushionpadding, refined air system soleand high density foam paddingfor a comfy fit. Pick one foryourself at multi-brand outletsacross India.Rs 1,699 to Rs 2,499

Means business

12 August 18, 2010Smartbuy

PRECIOUS furniture

Bring home the blingThe solid silver sofa sets, traditionally carved, with plush red cushions or heavy

gold leaf work tables are no longer the only way to bring in a precious jewel into your homedécor. Tasteful accents, studded hints and subtle sparkles, the new trend is

understated bling, says TEAM SMARTBUY

Pietro Lovato creates one masterpiece after the other. Hislatest is even more blingy, but not over the top. An officechair that is plated with 24k gold in parts, armrestsmounted with 222 brilliant cut diamonds of 740 carats,

oval cut emeralds… all this upholstered in ‘niloticus crocodile’leather! His Viva Luxury jewel chair is the pinnacle of jewelledfurniture but for those who are smitten by the idea of adding aprecious sparkle to their furniture there are plenty of moreaffordable options to choose from.

We don’t mean just diamonds, but other semi-precious ones like agate, malachite, mother-of-pearl, onyx and others that add value to even an ordinary piece of wood. While the use of some ofthem as kitchen tops and back lighting is popular, its use in furniture is gaining ground too. Livingroom cabinets with agate knobs, side stools with onyx legs or tops are great options for just theperfect touch of preciousness. International designer Jay Strongwater creates some enchantinglittle tables with semi precious stones and enamel work, while Indian store Viya Homes teamsmetal with malachite, mother-of-pearl, lapis lazuli and abalone to craft interesting stools andtables. While contemporary designs are in, traditional Indian patterns are sought after too, wherepeacock motifs with mother-of-pearl inlay work take the form of a beautiful dining table.

Stone maze

Nothing says ‘dazzle’ better than crystal. Well, that’s what furnituredesigners hope to prove as they add crystal accents in pieces of woodand upholstery. One can opt for plush sofas or statement chairs withlarge pieces of crystal for a large living space, like some Swarovksistudded ones available in Living in Style. But in keeping with thesubtle theme, coffee tables and seaters with crystal accents are a neatpick. Living in Style has centre tables with similar crystal hints.

Crystal elements

Swarovski crystals studdedupholstery: Living in Style

Brass/ silver base teamedwith semiprecious materials

as table top and greenmalachite overlay for metal

stools: Viya Homes

If silver still reigns number one in your list but you want to steer clear of the traditionallycarved ones, then contemporary furniture with sterling silver accents is ideal to deck upyour homes with. Tables with cabriole legs in silver, silver handles and knobs for chests,stands for cabinets, accents for sofa sets… the choice is yours. House of Raro and LaSorogeeka have elegant designs worth a peek.

Classy silver

- Use a soft damp cloth to wipethe furniture regularly and re-frain from using acidic deter-gents as they can reactnegatively to the preciousstones or metals- Special cleaning and polishingtools are available for crystalembellishments, check with thedesigner or store before usingthem- Many reputed stores recom-mend special maintenance kitsfor exclusive furniture pieces.It’s best to invest in them tokeep damages at bay

Caring for thebejewelled

EVOK Mega HomeStore has launched its range of solidwood furniture made from supreme Sheesham or rose-wood. The collection includes tables, entertainment units,cabinets, dining and bedroom sets in olive, natural, ‘medi-um brown’, lime and honey colours available at selectEVOK retail stores, New Delhi.Rs 4,995 to Rs 80,000

Solid cheez hai!

Adding a fun look to an otherwise ‘proper’ library,PortsideCafe’s new library sofa set is made fromveneered slats with linen cushions and has interestingstorage space to line up your favourite books. Who saysyou need a book shelf to show off your collection?Available at PortsideCafe, New Delhi.Price on request

For the bookworm

Whether with his famous Chris-X leg design chairs, theSilk Cut collection of plush upholstery pieces, uniquehigh-back seaters in the Canopy range or handcraftedheadboard from Bird’s Nest, Christopher Guy sure knowshow to win hearts with a piece of wood. Available atInternational Furniture Brands, New Delhi.Price on request

This Guy’s greatPremium Interiors

Teak wood unit with silver foil workand crystals: La Sorogeeka

Table with silver accents : House of Raro

TASTER’S choice

Ryan Flinn

Spending an afternoon in a Sono-ma Valley vineyard sipping froma heavenly $450 bottle of Verite2007 La Joie is hard to beat.

Shelling out a tenth of that for somethingjust as memorable is even better.

I recently sampled some of California’smost sought-after and priciest cult wines.Among the highlights were a 2006 Cardi-nale Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon($250) and the La Joie, both of which re-ceived perfect scores from Wine Enthusi-ast magazine and uber-critic RobertParker. All were delicious and unafforda-ble to the average wine drinker.

To find bottles that could stand in fortheir pricier counterparts, I asked somme-liers, vintners and fellow connoisseurs forrecommendations. The wines had to belimited production, made with grapesfrom the same farms that cult producersuse, or have a famous winemaker attachedto the project. Plus, cost as close to $50 aspossible.

Petra Polakovicova, Wine Director atSan Francisco’s Epic Roasthouse, offeredme several excellent choices. She firstpoured me a 2007 Fisticuffs Napa Caber-net ($25), made by highly regarded wine-maker Jeff Smith, who’s better known forhis Hourglass label ($125).

Fisticuffs sells for $65 at the restaurant,and less than half of that in shops.

“It’s very well balanced, velvety on thepalate and doesn’t overpower you,” Pola-kovicova said.

Coffee flavourAnother wine she recommended was the2006 B Cellars Oakville Cabernet Sauvig-non ($45) from Kirk Venge. This bottlepresented ripe raspberries, sharp tannins,

nice acidity and a roasted coffeeflavour on the finish. A biggerpour was a 2005 Bridesmaid Pro-prietary Red ($45), which dis-played black fruit, smokinessand a tight structure withample tannins.

“These are nice,lower pricedwines, and peoplereally buy them,”Polakovicovaadded.

Smith said Na-pa vintners havegenerally ig-nored lower-priced qualitywines. For in-stance, CabernetSauvignons cost-ing less than $30is a “wide-open”category.

After identify-ing several morebottles that metmy criteria, I per-suaded a friend toorganise a dinnerof game meats toshowcase thesewines. The three-course meal was aperfect setting forthe big, lush, fruitywines I was seek-ing.

Blueberry pieFor a first course ofrabbit ragu, wetried Sol Rouge’s

2006 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon($50), whose grapes come fromthe same farms that supply cultwines at triple the price. The

Sauvignon displayed flavoursof blueberry pie, new

leather and darkchocolate.

Another starfrom the firstcourse wasNewton Vine-yards 2006 Un-filteredCabernet Sau-vignon ($60).During an initialtasting, this bot-tle didn’t imme-diately stand outamong its ‘lush-er’, more tanniccompetitors.When pairedwith food, how-ever, the wineshines. Many atthe table said itswonderful acidi-ty and earthinessprovided a greatmatch for thedish. The 2006Hoopes OakvilleCabernet Sauvig-non ($65) re-ceived a “yum”from one taster,and others notedits dense red fruit,ripe plums anddusty flavoursmellowed as the

night wore on. For a second course of duck a l’orange,

we tasted the Hall Napa Valley 2006 Kath-ryn Hall ($75), a wine that received 96 of100 points from Wine Spectator magazine.It showed a tightly wound core of red andblack fruit, with cocoa notes on the finish.Nicely balanced and complex, it also comesfrom the first California winery to receivethe industry’s top environmental rating.

Screaming EagleThe Jones Family Vineyards 2006 The Sis-ters Napa cab ($60) blend also impressedthe party with its bright tannins, milkchocolate notes, dried blackberries andhint of beef jerky on the finish. The winewas made by the grand dame of Napa wine-making, Heidi Peterson Barrett, who usedto make the cult cab Screaming Eagle.

For a final course of grill-fired bison,sliced and served atop asparagus, wepoured a Mirror 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon($75) from winemaker Rob Lawson. Thewine’s muscular tannins stood up to thebeef, while flavours of blackberries andraspberries finished out the bottle. Lawsonalso made another selection we pairedwith the last course, the Ghost Block 2006Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($50).This wine was a dense mixture of blackfruits and sea salt, with a strong tannicbackbone.

Here’s the best part: Most of these winesare available with a little searching and areready to drink now, unlike their more ex-pensive competition. Some wines men-tioned in the story can only be purchasedthrough the wineries. Others can bebought at online sites.

(The author is a reporter for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

Cult wines’lesser

brothers: Deliciousand for a

song Photos: Bloomberg

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