smartbuy issue dated 31 aug 2011
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Smartbuy issue dated 31 Aug 2011TRANSCRIPT
SmartbuyWednesday, August 31, 2011
G A D G E T S | A U T O | L U X U R Y www.blsmartbuy.com
Business Line
Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMGDriving Affalterbach’s new starPage 8
+ HTC Sensation reviewedLakmé Fashion Week round-up
One of the first smartphonesfrom the company to beshipped with its latestupgraded software, theXperia neo V will includeGoogle Talk with Video Chatand enhanced Facebookinside Xperia functionalities.The handset running on thelatest version of Gingerbreadwill also feature the world’sfirst 3D sweep panoramacamera. With the softwareupgrade you can turn thesmartphone into a mini-mobile PC by connectingUSB peripherals (mouse,keyboard or game controller)to Sony Ericsson LiveDockmultimedia station andconnect the smartphone to aTV via HDMI to get a bigscreen experience.To be announced
Switch to the newSony EricssonXperia neo V
2 August 31, 2011Smartbuy
WHAT’S HOT this week
Team SmartbuyEditorial
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This digital music system allows for easy navigation in your digital music library, access to over 13,000internet radio stations and a high quality listening experience coupled with intuitive graphical user
interface. The sound hub arranges all your media content conveniently and instantly by album, artist, track,or favourites. It can be used as a stand-alone audio system or in a multi-source/multi-room application.
$ 3,350
A stunning performer B&O BeoSound 5 Encore
The ultraportable ThinkPad X220 comes equipped with the second generation Intel Core i7processor. While video conferencing, you can choose between Private Chat mode that eliminates
background noise when one person is talking or Conference Call mode that picks up soundsfrom across a room when many participants are around a conference table. It also makes for a
faster boot time with its RapidBoot technology and Lenovo’s enhanced experience 2.0 forWindows 7. With the USB 3.0 port, you can transfer data up to ten times faster. The ThinkPad
X220 provides up to 23 hours of battery life with a slim external battery pack.Rs 71,920
Carry me around Lenovo ThinkPad X220
Cover photo: S. Muralidhar
Smartbuy
Playing it safe“Tis never too late” seems to be the credo that Sony Corp. isfollowing when it comes to their first-ever tablets. The little birdiesays that the two tablets (both running Android 3.0) which wereearlier announced by the company are going to hit the marketswith a worldwide launch very soon (read next month). Sony’scodenamed ‘S1’ tablet with its 9.4-inch display is optimised for richmedia entertainment. S1’s infrared technology lets it double up as auniversal remote control for a variety of AV devices starting withSony’s BRAVIA television. The 5.5-inch ‘S2’ flaunts a foldabledisplay and is designed to be an ideal device for mobilecommunication and entertainment. The dual-screen clamshell-typetab allows for functions such as playing games on one screen whileshowing control buttons on the other. The tablets will be equippedwith PlayStation Suite to makethe most of high quality firstgeneration PlayStation titles.
Tech websites are abuzz with rumours of Amazon Inc. launching adevice called the Kindle Scribe after Fusible reported that thecompany has registered the homonymous website domain name. Arecent price slash on the 3rd gen Kindle (now only $99) could be astrong hint that Amazon is ready to introduce something new. Like
the name suggests, the new e-book reader (ifit is one) could come with a
stylus that lets you takenotes or annotate allover the e-books in the
Kindle. But is that enoughto give it an edge over the
competition – Barnes &Nobles’ Nook Color and theKobo eReader Touch?Well, maybe if it comeswith an e-ink touchscreenor a colour one at that!And in the meantime, italso looks like it has aniPad-rival up its sleevewith recent reports ofhaving placed ordersfor lots of tabletcomputers!
Scribble on the Scribe?The Nokia 700 runs thelatest version of theSymbian OS, Belle. Thephone features aClearBlack AMOLEDdisplay with GorillaGlass and 5-meg camerawith LED flash and HDvideo. Symbian Bellefeatures a fresh homescreen, user interfaceand widgets and simplesoftware updates. Thephone also features NFC(near fieldcommunications), whichallows you to sharemedia by simply tappinganother NFC enabledphone.To be announced
La BellaNokia 700
The latest lappie in Dell’s Inspiron series runs secondgeneration Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and features a13.3-inch widescreen display and over six hours ofbattery life. It includes an HD webcam, up to 4GBmemory, 320GB hard disk, built in media card reader,USB 3.0 and SRS Premium sound. Rs 32,000
Inspiringly chicDell Inspiron 13z
3 August 31, 2011
Tech TattleYour weekly dose of gizmo gossip
4 August 31, 2011Smartbuy
SMARTPHONE review
Mahananda Bohidar
As little as five years ago, HTCwouldn’t have been the obviousanswer if one was asked to name acompany that was popular for its
smartphones. Thanks to a steady stream of in-creasingly efficient devices from the Taiwanesehandset manufacturer, this might no longer be thecase. HTC has, in recent times, introduced handsets thathave their distinctive USPs, such as the HTC Mozart forhigh fidelity listening and HTC Salsa and ChaCha forFacebook addicts. But the latest and the most potent of itscreations seems to be the HTC Sensation that hit Indianmarkets in June this year. Does it hit the ground running?
A common SenseFeatures of HTC’s proprietary Sense UI, which was firstintegrated into HTC smartphones more than a year ago,are carried over to HTC Sensation. The ‘pinch-to-Leap’gesture that displays a matrix of all home screens has beenretained from the original Sense, as is tapping twice on theHome button, for the same function.
The new active lockscreen, however, makes for a super-convenient interface that let me check my missed callalerts and read messages at a glance while still in thelocked mode. A sleek, virtual ring at the bottom of thescreen which I drag to unlock the handset doubles up as a
It’s an ‘appy day!Let’s face it! It’s as much about which internet radio appwe can listen to, which HD game we can obsess over andwhich funny noises the phone can make, as it is about theprocessor or the camera of a smartphone you’d want tobuy. It is good news then that you have the option ofdownloading apps from not one but two providers here –Android Market and HTC Hub – both of which are con-gregated in HTC Likes.
The handset comes with the expected bunch of inbuiltapps. The Calendar lets you plan the day by the hour whileshowing you the expected weather for the day. TheWeather app has captivating animations with thunder andlightning striking your screen as you unlock it on a rainyday or the sunrays peeping out brightly when it’s a clearsky up above. Full marks to HTC for making these appszesty and interesting. With the Sensation, HTC had debut-ed ‘Watch’, its proprietary video service, which had ahandful of teasers of newly launched and upcoming mo-vies. It is originally meant to offer the choice of renting orbuying videos and watching them on up to five differentHTC devices. ‘Peep’ remains the handset’s Twitter linkand ‘Plurk’, another social networking cum micro-blog-ging site.
You also have a dedicated app to convert your handsetinto a Wi-Fi hotspot that saves you the trouble of tweaking
quick launcher for a couple of apps.Drag any of the apps while in the locked mode –
the default bunch of Phone, Mail, Camera and Messages –on to the ring and you are taken straight to the app. Mightyconvenient, added the fact that these four options arecustomisable too!
The option of seven home screens gives you ample realestate to arrange your favourite apps, widgets, calendars,contacts and social feeds. You can prefix templates or‘Scenes’ like Social, which displays your latest FB or Twit-ter feed on the home screen or ‘Work’ that displays stockpositions or your agenda for the day.
With a quick swipe, the interface spins around all thehome screens in a smooth, impressive animation.
The Sensation has a little palette-paintbrush icon on theright bottom that takes us directly to personalisation op-tions and boy, the options to customise are aplenty! Thehandset gives me the freedom to create folders and groupmy apps with ease. A long press on the title bar lets yourename it accordingly.
Aiming to stirup the ranks:
HTC SensationPhotos: R. Ravindran
With its distinctivedesign, souped up
Sense interface anda whopper of a
clicker, thissmartphone could
easily carve a nichefor itself.
5 August 31, 2011Smartbuy
the setting in the menu. Voice Search still remains astrange mix of being surprisingly efficient and at times, asintuitive as a rotting log of wood.
Cheese, please!It’s not too often that I have second thoughts about thebudget digicam I bought last year. It gives me decentresults, keeps noise low and colours bright and never failsto act out when I try to capture something in low-light orin motion. The 8-megger on the HTC Sensation, however,almost convinced me that it would be worthwhile to justget a smartphone like itself which takes great pictures –and great, here, would be an understatement. The clickernot only takes crisp stills indoors but also gives prettystunning results. When we were on the move and goingcrazy with the virtual shutter, the 8-meg camera un-failingly gave us shots with unbelievably minimal blur.The Camcorder on the handset too captures videos in1080p resolution, with full stereo sound, at up to 30 framesper second; giving you smooth video that is better than alot of other phones we’ve tried.
Doting on the designIt’s only a handful of companies in the game that havemade themselves recognisable by their distinctive design,for example, Apple with its sleek aluminium unibodyconstruction and Sony Ericsson with its pristine white
plastic in theXperia models. HTC isone of the few to have made it to thisclique. With a stylish unibody aluminium chassisrunning around the handset, the HTC Sensation carriesthe definitive trait of a HTC. The volume rocker buttonbarely protrudes from the side. The 8-megger with its dualLED flash nestles in the partly rubberised back panel, nextto the speaker grilles. The back panel curves to envelop abit of the fascia too.
With the first qHD (Quarter HD screen), the HTCSensation puts the sizeable 4.3-inch screen to good use. Itmakes for a clear display even outdoors under brightsunlight and the ambient light sensors work quite effi-ciently.
Despite the 1520mAh battery, the Sensation guzzles upmost of its power in a day – what with FriendStream,Weather apps, Gmail updating automatically and a coupleof minutes spent every hour trying to hit the pigs! But hereagain, you have lots of ways to tweak your power settingsand conserve some juice. At the heart of the HTC Sensa-tion beats a 1.2-GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragonprocessor, which prevented freezes quite efficiently. Butwhile playing certain games, the handset unfortunatelyheated up in about 5-10 minutes.
Pitting it against the best
With snazzy smartphones like the SamsungGalaxy S II (not withstanding the Apple ban)
impressing the living daylights out of gadget en-thusiasts, does the HTC Sensation stand a chance?
Yes, I say! It might not have the brawn to match up to theRAM of the Galaxy S II (768 MB vs 1GB) and has dis-appointing low storage memory for a modern-day smart-phone (1GB compared to 16/32 GB in the Galaxy S II). Butit definitely competes neck-to-neck since it is packed withthe 1GHz dual-core processor, dual LED flash, and stereosound recording coupled with the improved Sense UIwhich might appeal to some more than the TouchWiz 4.0.The higher qHD resolution on the Sensation tries to makeup for what it loses in comparison to the Super AMOLED+display on the S II – one of the most brilliant displaysadorning a smartphone. The HTC Sensation weighs in atad bit more than the Galaxy S II but outdoes the latterwith its sleek aluminium design.
Love: High-res screen, excellent camera, good build qual-ity, slick Sense interfaceHate: Average battery life, tends to heat upRs 32,700
Tech SpecsSize:126.1mm x 65.4mm x 11.3mm4.96" x 2.57" x 0.44"
Weight: 148 grams with battery
Display: 4.3-inch touch screen
CPU: 1.2 GHz, dual core
Internal phone storage: 1GB
RAM: 768MB
Platform: Android with HTC Sense
Camera: 8-meg, dual LED flash with1080p HD video recording
Front camera: VGA fixed focuscolor camera
Sensors: Gyro sensor, G-Sensor,Digital compass, Proximity sensor,Ambient light sensor
Connectors: 3.5mm stereo audiojack, micro-USB 2.0, (5-pin) portwith mobile high-definition videolink (MHL) for USB or HDMIconnection
Tethering: USB and Wi-Fi tethering
Battery type: 1520mAh Lithium-ion battery
Talk time: WCDMA-Up to 420minutes, GSM-Up to 500 minutes
6 August 31, 2011Smartbuy
TABLET review
Ketaki Bhojnagarwala
Ilike 7-inch tablets. They’re eas-ier to carry around, the perfectsize for a good keyboard layoutand can do everything that a 10-
inch tablet can. Successful 7-inchershave included the original SamsungGalaxy Tab, BlackBerry Playbook,HTC Flyer and the Acer Iconia A100.So when Creative announced that itsZiiO tablets would include both 10-inch and 7-inch variants, I was curiousto see what the budget 7-inch tabletcould do.
Getting a feelRelationships are all about compro-mise, but that’s not what you expectfrom a gadget. Unfortunately, a lot ofthe time I felt like I was accomodating
the ZiiO. It runs Android 2.2, butthere’s no access to the Android mar-ket. There’s a front facing VGA camerafor video chats, but no rear camera.There’s a micro HDMI slot but can’tplayback videos in HD. It’s got a 7-inchscreen but it’s resistive.
On the bright side, I did spend a longtime testing this device, and I wasn’tfrustrated by the end of it, like I waswith certain other budget droids.
First up, I liked the white finish onthe ZiiO. It did feel a bit plasticky tohold, but the edges slope away fromthe screen, which give it a nice angularlook. It features four touch sensitiveAndroid buttons on the bottom of thebezel, as well as a micro USB port,3.5mm headphone jack and 5 voltcharging slot and micro SD card slot.
User interfaceThe ZiiO’s user interface ispretty much like any otherAndroid tablet. The homescreens feature the standardnotification bar, and dock atthe bottom. Although thehome screens are custom-isable with shortcuts andwidgets, you can only havea maximum of three.
Creative has its own setof custom apps for func-tions, such as ZiiExplorer,ZiiMusic, ZiiVideo, Zii-Photo and ZiiStore. TheZiiStore does feature abunch of Android apps,including Angry Birdsand a Kindle app, but thechoice is minimal. Zi-iExplorer is also prettyconvenient, showing upa list of all the media onthe tablet. It also lets youeasily create, rename and
rearrange folders, so youcan organise all your stuff.
What I liked was the fact that unlikestandard Android tabs, the ZiiO sup-ports a wide range of media files, in-clude .avi video files, so you don’t haveto download a third party video playerto watch vids. I watched almost anentire season of the Office on the ZiiO,and although I didn’t face any prob-lems with stagger between frames, the480x800 screen made the videos looka bit washed out. At least the ZiiOsaves your video progress, so you canstart where you left off the next timeyou use the tablet.
The screen was definitely more re-sponsive than usual resistive touchscreens, but it still wasn’t anywhere upto par with what we’ve seen on Appleand Samsung’s creations so far. The
ZiiO ships with a slender stylus, butoddly there’s no slot in the tablet itselffor it, so every time I needed it, I had tofish around in my bag for a bit. Eventhough the stylus makes navigating thescreen much easier, the four Androidbuttons on the bezel fail to respond toit, requiring more than a hard jab towork.
I had no issues with the browser,which allows multiple tabs and book-marks. The screen doesn’t supportpinch to zoom, but you can double tapto zoom in. There’s also the native An-droid email app to let you set up anyemail account.
PerformanceThe ZiiO runs on a ZiiLABS ZMS-08chip, which means no 3G and slowerWi-Fi. Although the tablet features anauto-orientation, there’s just theslightest hint of a lag there. I also foundlags when I pressed the unlock button,opened or closed an app, or scrolledthrough documents and videos.
Battery life was quite decent, and Imaxed out the ZiiO’s juices with 5hours of back to back video playback.
Our verdictDespite a string of limitations, the ZiiOis a handy tablet to carry around, ifyou’re looking for just the basic func-tions. It’s also a much better optionthan most of the other budget Androidtablets in the market. However, ifyou’re looking for a tablet that’s a per-former, there are plenty of other op-tions to choose from.
Love: Supports a variety of file formats,lightweight
Hate: No Android market, resistivescreenRs 17,999
Creative ZiiO:Living withcompromises
Photo: R. Ravindran
7 August 31, 2011Smartbuy
GAME review
Infamous was one of those games that of-fered a superior superhero experience eventhough its protagonist was no Superman orBatman. You were Cole McGrath, a courier
who just happened to be saddled with a highly vola-tile device that not only levelled his city, but be-stowed upon him awesome electric powers. He couldthen use those powers for good by being EmpireCity’s saviour, or be reckless without any regard forothers’ safety. Infamous 2 expands upon that formu-la with a new setting and a plethora of new powers.Its core gameplay hasn’t changed a lot, but that stilldoes not stop Infamous 2 from becoming one of themost entertaining games in recent times.
The taleCole is now on his way to New Marais. He’s upagainst a fifty foot behemoth called The Beast andunless he expands upon his powers exponentially,there’s no way he can take it down. Cole is joined byhis best friend Zeke and a cast of interesting charac-ters. The game does a fine job of recapping theevents from the first game so even newcomers cancatch on fast. Voice acting was surprisingly good andI really dug the chemistry between Cole and hiscompadres.
New Marais is loosely based on New Orleans anddeveloper Sucker Punch has done a neat job ofcapturing the city’s vibe. Certain parts of the city willbe in utter ruins after floods, while the flourishingareas will be soaked in neon lights and festivities. Theentire city is your playground, but initially, you’ll beconfined to just one part of the city. After the half-way mark, you’ll be required to help out the floodedparts of the city and it’s here that the game getsintense. Since Cole has a gazillion volts of electricity
coursing through his veins, he must avoid water likethe plague, and in an area that’s pretty much sub-merged under-water, you can imagine how trickythat could get.
Thankfully, navigation isn’t a problem as Cole iswell versed in the art of free running. While Cole ismore than capable of climbing any structure, hisclimbing animation lacks the fluidity you’ve beenspoilt with by the Assassins Creed series. He can alsogrind on electric cables all over the city. These pow-ers were present in the first game as well, but werepresented to Cole after a while. Here, the gamestarts you off with these essential abilities, makingtravel a breeze right off the bat.
Knock ‘em downCombat is pretty much the same as its predecessorwith the additional melee of attacks. You can takedown enemies that get too close in stylish waysthanks to Cole’s very own lightning rod. Your powersare variants of real world weaponry, so you’ll be ableto fire off electric bolts (like a pistol), launch electricrockets, toss electric ‘nades, etc. The game has ahuge selection of powers, some of which are lockedto your choices.
Like the first game, Karma plays a major role inInfamous 2. Your choices will not only dictate yourappearance, but will also determine which powersyou unlock. Be the nice guy, and you’ll inherit powersthat don’t have much of a collateral damage, but beevil and you’ll receive destructive powers that killcivilians and bad guys alike. Your moral choices willalso be reflected in either good or evil side quests. Ireally like the way developer Sucker Punch has in-tegrated side quests into your upgrade system, un-
locking new powers after an X number of sidequests. This way, you actually feel like you’re beingrewarded for breaking away from the plot and ithelps that these side quests aren’t just cheap clonesof the main story missions.
As Cole upgrades his powers, he’ll become a realsuperhero with a wicked streak towards the end ofthe game, but this does not make him invincible.Sure, he can regenerate health from any electricdevice, but that still doesn’t make him impervious tobullets.
Boss fights are truly impressive in scope and theygive some of the ones present in God of War III a runfor their money. My only issue was that I ended upfighting a few of them multiple times, which got a bitrepetitive. But these are minor issues in the grandscheme of things. Infamous 2 is a huge game full ofcontent that warrants multiple play-throughsthanks to its Karma system. It looks gorgeous, playswell and will appeal to anyone looking for a solidaction adventure.
Rating - 4.5 / 5
Rs 2,499
Love: Solid gameplay, insane amount of powers tochose from, intense boss fights, gorgeous openworld
Hate: If you didn’t like the first game, this onewon’t change your mind, platforming looks a bitclunky, boss fights can get a bit repetitive
Publisher: SonyDeveloper: Sucker PunchPlatform: PS3
CHIP
8 August 31, 2011Smartbuy
AUTO focus
S. Muralidhar
Nestled in the midst of rolling wheat fields thatstretch to the horizon and apple and pear or-chards on either side of the highway leading upto it, Affalterbach’s significance can be a bit lost
on the first time visitor.This nondescript, quiet town, a couple of hours drive
from Stuttgart in Germany is the hometown of Mercedes-AMG – the high-performance luxury car subsidiary ofMercedes-Benz. AMGs are typically the beefed up per-formance versions of Mercedes-Benz production models.Of course, Mercedes-AMG also adds its own touch of classto the design and interiors to make them look like luxurysuper-performance AMGs.
The culmination of the years of association with motor-sports, design improvement and performance enhance-ment resulted in Mercedes-AMG developing andproducing the SLS AMG from scratch. We have reviewedthe SLS AMG and some of the other AMG models too inpast issues and these can be accessed in the archivessection of the magazine’s website.
Even as Mercedes-AMG is testing and is poised toofficially launch the SLS AMG Roadster next month at theFrankfurt Motor Show, I got to drive the latest from itsstables – the CLS 63 AMG.
DesignThe CLS Class from Mercedes-Benz, when launched in2004, pioneered the concept of a four-door coupe sedan.With sinuous lines and a beautifully curved coupe-likeroof, the CLS appealed to buyers and the competition
alike. The second generation CLS was launched early this
year. Though it shares the same concept and some of thedesign lines of the first-gen, it has shed its curvy, metro-sexual image and become more macho. The design hasbecome tauter, more aggressive and now represents analluring combination of squared-off edges and swoopingcurves.
The CLS 63 AMG takes on the design of the new second-gen model and reinterprets it with typical AMG flair.Incidentally, Mercedes-AMG officials have chosen to re-tain the ‘63’ in the moniker despite the fact that the engineof choice is now the 5.5-litre V8 Biturbo and not the earlier6.3-litre naturally aspirated unit.
The front view of the new CLS 63 AMG is dominated bythe brand’s characteristic radiator grille. Its three-dimen-sional shape and the oversized three-pointed star logomake it look very much like the SLS AMG.
The AMG front apron also makes a powerful designstatement thanks to the drawn-out side air intakes withblack grilles – flanked by LED daytime driving lights – andcentral air intake with black-painted cross strut. Anotherhighlight of the front view is the pair of LED high-per-formance headlamps.
The CLS 63 AMG’s side view is an interesting interplaybetween lines and areas, the lateral ‘dropping line’ andalso the wide-set wheel arches add lot of dynamism andlength to the profile of the car. The rear wheel arch, whichthe designer alludes to the taut haunch of a wild animal, isa particularly neat touch. More dynamism is offered by thetitanium grey-painted high-sheen AMG light-alloy
wheels, which feature a new triple-spoke design.At the rear the AMG apron with black diffuser insert
also incorporates the dual twin chrome tailpipes of theAMG sports exhaust system as well as the rear fog lamp.The new design, almost eye-shaped, wide wraparoundbicolour tail-lamps featuring LED technology and thewide metal insert make for special visual highlights at therear. The integrated AMG spoiler lip on the boot lid helpsto reduce lift at the rear axle by around 26 per cent, furtherenhancing handling at high speeds.
InteriorsThe interior of the new CLS 63 AMG is classy and luxuri-ous, and clearly several notches above the stuff we haveseen in previous models. Extremely well appointed andinvolving very premium materials, the CLS AMG’s cabinhas exclusivity written all over. The CLS brand’s typicalsweeping, symmetrical dashboard layout has beenbrought into the new CLS 63 AMG too. You can choosebetween black piano-lacquered trim and polished carbon-fibre elements for the cabin. My test drive car came withshiny carbon-fibre and matt aluminium all over the dashand door panels.
The new AMG Performance steering wheel, in the CLS63 AMG, features a three-spoke design, has aluminiumshift paddles located within easy access, and flattenedupper and lower sections giving it a very sporty look andfeel. The wheel also has specially shaped grip areas cov-ered in perforated leather
The other feature of the CLS 63 AMG’s cabin that I likedwas the quality of the seats. Wrapped in perforated, soft
The best super-luxury 4-door coupe?
9 August 31, 2011Smartbuy
nappa leather with a cross-stitch sports design, the seatsare very comfortable even on long drives. Choose thedynamic mode and the side bolsters of the driver and frontpassenger seats automatically fold inward on the left orthe right (depending on the tight turn being taken) tosupport you.
A special addition on the dash is the high-quality ana-logue clock featuring an ‘IWC Ingenieur’ design locatedbetween the centre air vents.
PerformanceThe CLS 63 AMG has held its niche in the segment’sperformance rankings with the earlier naturally aspirated6.3-litre engine. But the previous engine would have burnta hole in your pocket. The new V8, the 5.5-litre Biturboengine on the other hand, burns rubber better, is lighter onyour wallet and also attempts to get friendlier with thegreens.
The new 5,461cc Biturbo engine manages to generateabout 11 bhp more power and 11 per cent more torque thanthe previous engine and it is also said to be about 32 percent more fuel efficient. So how does it work?
Aiding the new V8 engine, two turbos compress thecharge air to about 2.3 times the normal density and thenthe oversized intercooler cools the compressed and heat-ed air to reduce its temperature and volume. Together, theturbos and the intercooler combine to force into the 5.5-litre engine’s combustion chamber, twice as much air massas a naturally aspirated engine.
Another trick is direct fuel injection, which is via piezoinjectors operating at upto 200 bar. Other technologieslike variable camshafts and the engine’s light weight con-struction contribute to the high torque of 800 Nm (with
the optional AMG performance package). Peak torque isstill a huge 700 Nm even without the performance pack-age. Peak power available from about 5,250 rpm is asumptuous 525 bhp. With the AMG performance package,that gets bumped up to a brain-shifting 557 bhp, 0 to 100kmph comes in a mere 4.4 seconds.
Crank the engine, let the exhaust burble a bit, shift intodrive, ease on the throttle and then the power on tap isexciting. Reining in all that raspy, eager power and chan-neling them to the axles is the new AMG Speedshift MCT7-speed sports transmission.
With this gearbox, the conventional torque converterhas been replaced by a compact wet start off clutch whichresponds more immediately to driver demands. There isalmost no loss of power during transits. The transition isalso very smooth. The newly developed transmission con-trol supplies all the necessary information to reduce re-sponse time and it modifies engine and gearshiftcharacteristics and even automatically double clutcheswhen down-shifting. Together, with the awesome newexhaust note of the CLS 63 AMG, the powertrain’s per-formance will make you think that you can corner and pulloff as well as Schumi, while sitting in the comforts of asuper luxury sedan
But, the transmission and the new Start-Stop system inthis AMG also makes sure that the car delivers respectablefuel efficiency. The AMG start-stop function which workslike any other similar system is on standby when the CLS63 is being driven in controlled efficiency (C) mode only.In the sports (S) and manual (M) modes the start-stopfunction is off and the engine and transmission take on aclearly more aggressive character.
Extremely agileI personally felt that the new CLS 63 AMG is a newbenchmark in performance and agility in the four-doorcoupe class. The steering is super precise and perfectlyweighted and the wheel sits just right in your hands evenin the most intense situations. The suspension is anotherhighlight. The AMG Ride Control sports suspension packssteel struts in the front and air suspension struts at therear.
There is automatic level control which is further im-proved with the help of an electronically controlled damp-ing system. This automatically adjusts dampingcharacteristics depending on the driving conditions andreduces body roll, striking a good mix of comfort andagility.
The burbling, enthralling exhaust note of the CLS 63AMG must have woken up the quiet neighbourhoodaround the almost Atelier-like AMG plant in Affalterbach.And the thought that crossed my mind was that if this carcan be priced at about Rs 1.4 crore, it can be more affor-dable than similar spec four-door coupes from Porsche,Maserati and Aston Martin.
Photos: S. Muralidhar
11 August 31, 2011Smartbuy
MELANGE luxury redefined
Linc Pen and Plastics launches the CruiserPen, a classic ball point pen studded withSwarovski crystals and crafted in sterlingsilver. The German ink makes writing abreeze. Available at all Office Linc outlets.Rs 11,000
Cruising along
Stay cool with VintageMother of Pearl eyewearby John Galliano. Thepieces have mother ofpearl frames in interesting,oversized shapes to add avintage twist to modernstyle. Available at selectstores in Mumbai and NewDelhi.Rs 20,550 (in pic)
Vintage value
Travel in style withSamsonite’s new range ofluggage, the FloralisCollection, which comesin three sizes. The floralprint, available as blackflowers on white andvice-versa adds a splash offun to your travel gear.Available at its stores.Rs 7,990 to Rs 10,750
FlowerPower
The new range of leather bags launched by Holii are sure to grab yourattention with embossed Indian motifs, bright colours and brocade
additions. Pick one up to complete your look for an evening out.Available at its stores in Mumbai and New Delhi.
Rs 1,395 onwards
Leather-iffic!
Keep your skin moisturised and protected with The Body Shop’sBody Butter Duo. Available in macadamia, vanilla, floral açai andsweet pea options and enriched with shea butter and Brazil nut
oils, each container has one formulation for normal skin andanother for dry skin. Available at its stores.
Rs 845
Double duty
FASHION fever
One season goes by, the othercomes. We don’t indulge in war-drobe makeovers, but someunique style, eclectic design or
edgy silhouette immediately grabs youreye. And you can’t resist but give them theprime location, rather hanger, in your walkin closet! The recently concluded LakméFashion Week had many such winners inthe form of panelled lehengas, kitschydresses, dapper jackets, hardware attack,grey overtones, rich embroidery and more.Here are the highlights.
Utterly IndianNo fashion week goes by without celebrat-ing traditional Indian fabrics, drapes anddesigns. And this season saw quite a fewdesigners showcasing interesting versions,though the silhouettes were no different.Anita Dongre’s Rajasthan inspired bridalcollection was a bandhini lover’s delight.The traditional tie-and-dye ensembleswere embellished with gota patti work, ba-dla and metallic patterns. Manish Malho-tra’s Grand Finale sequence saw histrademark styles, but the panelled and lay-ered lehengas and avant-garde gowns withsilver and resham embroidery in lively huesgot all the applause. But what bowled usover were Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s NorthWest Frontier Province styles that saw pa-tialas and kurtas with eye-catching Kash-mir thread work, muted silver zardosi craft
Festive fervour. Bridalblushes. Techno trends.
Ravishing resort. TheWinter Festive 2011 edition
of Lakmé Fashion Weekwas an interesting stylepuzzle to put together.
What goes into yourwardrobe and what goesout? TEAM SMARTBUY
lets you in on the buzz
Fashion’s 7-day
extravaganza
Kallol Datta Swapnil ShindeJJ Valaya
Nachiket Barve
that were beautifully paired withSunderbans floral print. JJ Valaya, NeetaLulla and Rohit Bal had some winningpieces too.
Future watchThen of course, come a slew of styles thatare diametrically opposite. The funky chic.The techno streak. A whole futuristic ap-peal that lets you bring in some roboticstyles into your wardrobe. Abstract styleswith interesting use of hardware like riv-ets, circuit parts and wheels was Deux A’shighlight. Babita Malkani’s ‘Metal Mor-phosis’ collection too saw nuts, bolts,screws and metal sheets battling rampspace. Swapnil Shinde’s ‘Speed of Sound’also made an impression with its clever useof plaits and folds in acrylic, PVC andleather to resemble sound waves frommodern communication devices.
Quirk it up!Whacky and kitschy pieces are favouritesamong those who love to experiment withunusual fashion quirks. And we are nottalking bubble gum colours and loud pat-terns. Two designers who stood out duringthis LFW are Kallol Datta and Little Shil-pa. While Kallol’s Paper Planes drapeswere the most talked about, Little Shilpastuck to her creative side by encasing mod-els in crate like rectangles with the imageof blue sky and white frothy clouds. Herheadgears were fun with pleated ikat fab-rics and feathers doing the honours.
Design takeaways:
• Rich velvet embroidery panels inlehengas and sarees for women andsherwanis for men
• Traditional metallic patterns intraditional Indian wear; subtle, not overthe top
• Jackets of all kinds. Knee length,sculpted, power shoulders, bolero… invaried fabrics. This is the best time to owna classy one. Pair it with trousers, sarees,kurtas, dresses; let your imagine run wild!
• Grey is in. It was splashed across ethnicensembles and chic casuals in single andjewelled tones. It worked well as colourblocks and gave ombre drape dresses aclassy touch.
• Skinny is out, volume is in. Voluminousgowns, lehengas and kurtas with differentfabric layers dominated the ramp
• Fun accessories are a real asset. Blingyhairbands, geeky or coloured eyewear,whacky headgear can spice up your outfit.
• The wider the better. Harem andpalazzo pants were seen across manycollections.
What we loved
• JJ Valaya’s popular Alika jacket. Itlooks great when teamed with sarees
• Appliqué work that adorned RohitBal’s collection
• The long sleeved embellished blackblouses in Sabyasachi’s collection
Rohit BalManish Malhotra
Sabyasachi
14 August 31, 2011Smartbuy
TASTER’S choice
Alan Tardi
Brilliant ideas sometimes arise out of pure neces-sity. Consider Piero Lugano, 63, the sun-tannedartist-turned-wine-merchant who opened ashop called Bisson in the town of Chiavari on the
Italian Riviera in 1978.Not content merely to sell wine, he soon began making
it. Ten years ago he decided to try producing sparklingwine from indigenous varieties grown in vineyards over-looking the Golfo Paradiso on the Mediterranean.
But he immediately encountered a problem: There wassimply no space in his already cramped shop and winery tocarry out the aging required to make a bottle-fermentedsparkling wine in the classic method of Champagne. Then,as he recalled recently, “a light bulb went on in my head: Ithought, why not put the wine under the sea?”
This might seem logical to someone like Lugano whohas long struggled to reconcile his twin passions for vineand sea. To most everyone else, the idea of making wineunderwater might seem a bit unusual.
But Lugano makes an interesting argument: “It’s betterthan even the best underground cellar, especially for spar-kling wine. The temperature is perfect, there’s no light, thewater prevents even the slightest bit of air from getting in,and the constant counterpressure keeps the bubbles bub-bly. Moreover, the underwater currents act like a crib,gently rocking the bottles and keeping the lees movingthrough the wine.” (The lees refer to yeast particles.)
It’s quite a creative solution to a space problem. ButItaly is infamous for its labyrinthine bureaucracy. And theplace he wanted to put the wine happened to be in thetightly controlled waters of a national marine preserve,the Area Marina Protetta di Portofino. So the odds wouldseem overwhelmingly against such a project.
Undaunted, Lugano ran the idea by a friend-with-a-friend at the agriculture ministry in Rome. Much to hissurprise, his friend called back a week later; not only was itpossible, the ministry thought it was a very cool idea. Thenext and most crucial step was to approach the localauthorities.
In the winter of 2008, Lugano pitched his idea to agroup at the Area Marina Protetta di Portofino that in-cluded the director, Giorgio Fanciulli, and a number ofscientific advisers from the University of Genoa. “My firstreaction,” Fanciulli said recently, was ̀No way! Our job is toprevent people from putting things in these waters, nothelp them.’
“But when we discussed it in private, the young scien-tists were very excited. It would have zero impact on thefragile ecosystem and demonstrate our philosophy of apositive synergy between man and nature. We alsothought it might promote our park and raise awareness ofthe need to protect our marine resources. I wasconvinced.”
The scientists did research to ensure no environmentalimpact and determine the ideal site to place the wine. OnMay 20, 2009, 6,500 bottles of wine from the 2008 vintageof Bianchetta and Vermentino grapes, made without add-ing sugar in the traditional method known as pas dose,were put in noncorrosive stainless-steel cages and low-ered about 200 feet below the sea at a spot called Cala degliInglesi. That the project had come this far was an amazingaccomplishment, but would it be successful? “It was a bigrisk,” Lugano said. “No one had done this before, so wereally didn’t know what would happen.”
When they went to retrieve the wine 13 months later,they found the bottles intact but transformed. Far fromhaving a negative impact on the underwater environment,
it was the sea that had had an impact on the bottles.“When we began to lift the cages,” Lugano said, “all
kinds of sea creatures came rushing out. Some remained.”The bottles were covered with algae, seaweed and barna-cles, all of it carefully cleaned, dried and preserved on thebottle in a plastic sheath. (Some even had oysters, shrimpand starfish attached to them, which were tossed back.)
More important, when the first bottle of the wine(christened Abissi, meaning depths in Italian) was openedfor a celebratory toast, Lugano was, as he put it, “quitepleased.”
It’s easy to see why. When first poured, the bubblescome rushing up to the surface of the glass like sea foam athigh tide, but then quickly relax into a fine perlage. Thecolour is pale golden-yellow with greenish reflections,while the aroma suggests caramelised lemon peel anddried flower petals with hints of baked apple and allspice.On the palate it is surprisingly soft, leading into ripe,almost sweet, white peach followed by bracing acidity anda dry mineral finish.
This winter, the second edition of Abissi, made from the2009 vintage and brought up from the sea on July 2, 2011,will be available in the U.S. for the first time throughBisson’s importer, Neil Rosenthal.
Though bottle-fermented in the classic manner, Abissishould not be compared to Champagne. This is a typicalLigurian wine – lean, crisply acidic, minerally, almost salty– made of local varieties from vineyards conditioned bytheir proximity to the sea.
In fact, the earth where the vines grow was once underthe sea. That this wine undergoes its crucial maturationunder water brings the process full circle, giving the con-cept of terroir an even deeper, aqueous dimension.
New York Times News Service
Dive in for your bubblyPhoto: Bloomberg
15 August 31, 2011Smartbuy
EVENT meter
Taj Khazana, the in-house lifestyle bou-tique chain of Taj Hotels, Resorts and
Palaces, has a new location to add to itsquintessentially hand-made treasuretrove. The boutique at the Taj Coroman-del, Chennai has undergone a makeoverand the result is one quirky yet traditionalstore. The design is an effortless blend ofvintage and contemporary aesthetics, withcatchy green accents and a stately woodendoor with intricate design-work reminis-cent of South Indian temples.
The boutique showcases beautiful,handmade Indian products along withsome chic designer-wear. The focus of TajKhazana has always been the promotion oflocal artisans and their work. As a result,one can find lovely, raw silk saris in eye-catching colours and pleasing bed linensitting pretty beside gold and silver jew-ellery made with traditional, South Indianworkmanship. Special touches of tradi-
tional Chennai life are present in the jutepouches filled with coffee and idli powder,along with hand-woven, chequered plasticbaskets reminiscent of those grandmoth-ers carried to the markets.
Even the walls have been wallpaperedwith printed, black and white photographsof the city from years gone by. Also hard tomiss is the large, bright green cycle-rick-shaw at one corner. It has been revampedto serve as a table holding miniature paint-ings, bejewelled clutches and mother ofpearl candle holders. The fun factor con-tinues with French macaroon-shapedmeasuring tapes and jewellery made ofleather and enamel. Cufflinks, silk ties andcontemporary clothing for men are alsoavailable.
The cynosure of the store is however, awall of dried coconuts enclosed in a greenmetal frame that captures the city’s feelwith a twist.
Revamped khazana!
In a first for the Swiss luxury watchbrand, Vacheron Constantin held an
exhibition titled “Treasures of VacheronConstantin: A legacy of watchmakingsince 1755” at the National Museum ofSingapore, showcasing pieces illustratingit amazing history. The event was herald-ed by a gala opening, attended by dignitar-
ments belonging to Francois Constantinand Jean-Marc Vacheron, workbenchesand work tools essential to the trade werealso on display. There were artisans, en-gravers, gem-setters and watchmakers atthe event who interacted with the guestsand let them in on some of their treasuredartistic know-how.
present age. The focus was on the detailedcraftsmanship and intricate mechanism bywhich the watches have evolved.
The centrepiece of the exhibition wasthe pocket watch created by Les Bergers ofArcadia in 1923 which embodied all thetechnical mastery and aesthetic beauty ofthe world of watchmaking. Archival docu-
ies of state and company heads. The exhibition was placed over 600
metres of floor space and seemed just rightfor the 180 pieces displayed. Guests weretaken through a fascinating journey aboutthe art of Swiss watchmaking and Vache-ron Constantin’s legacy. The journey be-gan in the 18th century and ended in the
Travel through time
