Founded in 2000, MouthShut is India's first and largest User Generated Content Company. MouthShut has evolved into an online community where the world's most vocal and influential consumers come together to write and read reviews and compare hundreds of thousands products and services. MouthShut is also the only rare repository in the world which offers consumers the option of recording and posting video reviews.
MouthShut means many things to many segments of society.
Speak your mind and share your product experience
Enjoyed the movie you just saw? Found yourself glued to a book you read from cover to cover? Just can't resist talking about the latest gadget you bought? Share what you feel at MouthShut. You can also compare products on the basis of features, price, reviews and ratings. Liberate yourself from advertising jargons and make a choice that's unbiased and honest.
The belief is: Consumer is king.
The fact is: MouthShut provides the consumer his kingdom.
I personally feel it is a great website. We can write reviews on any thing possible. Just make a request that's it.
You can follow me on MouthShut link : my reviews
Any type of comments are most welcome
the website is : Mouthshut
--
trackback :
my blog
my profile
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tuesday : Site of the Week: Mouthshut
Monday, July 28, 2008
Seven Elements of A Timeless Brand
A fantastic article on Mint newspaper.
An article by Nabankar Gupta.
He is a founder and CEO of Nobby Brand Architects and Strategic Marketing Consultants.
read the article at :
Corpdepot
--
trackback :
home
my blog
my profile
Simple Productivity: 10 Ways to Do More by Focusing on the Essentials
Here are 10 simple ways to be more productive with less effort:
- Clear your head. It's impossible to gain perspective, and to know what is truly essential, if we are in the middle of an information stream. Take an hour, or half a day if possible, to shut off the information flow, and to get a larger view of your life and your job. The time you take off will be well worth it. Tell everyone that you are unavailable, shut off all communications, shut yourself in somewhere private, and take some time to think about what is important. What do you want? Where are you going? What will it take to get there? Another good way to clear your head, which is necessary for focus, is to write down everything that you need to do, all your tasks and projects and ideas. Dump the contents of your mind on paper, and then stop thinking about them for a little while.
- Focus on the essential tasks. Once you've gotten your head cleared, you need to figure out what tasks are most essential. Ask yourself this magic question: "What task can you do that will get you the most return on your time?" Figure out the project that will get you the most recognition, win you awards, or get you the most business. Something that will pay off big. Not something you'll forget about in a week, but something that others will remember you by. This is an essential task. Make a list of these types of tasks — they're your most important things to do this week.
- Eliminate the rest. Now look at your overall list. What's on there that's not essential? Can you just drop them from your schedule? Or delegate them to someone else? If not, put them on a "waiting list". Then, as you focus on your essential tasks, check back on this waiting list every now and then. Sometimes you'll realize that the less essential tasks weren't really necessary at all.
- Do essential tasks first. If you've got a list of things to do today, and one or two of them are truly essential, do those items first thing in the morning. Don't wait until later in the day, because they'll get pushed back as other urgent stuff comes up. Get them out of the way, and your productivity will truly soar.
- Eliminate distractions. You can put essential stuff on your list all year long, but if you are constantly interrupted by email notifications, IM, cell phones, your RSS reader, gadgets and widgets, social media, forums and the like, you'll never be productive. Turn these things off, disconnect yourself from the Internet if possible, clear your desk of all papers, clear your walls and surrounding areas, and allow yourself to truly focus.
- Use simple tools. Don't fidget with a bunch of gadgets or the latest and coolest applications. Find a simple notebook for writing things down, a simple to-do list (no frills) and the simplest application possible for doing your work. Then forget about the tools and think only of the task at hand. If you're too worried about the tools, you're not actually doing anything.
- Do one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is a waste of time. You can't get things done with a million things going on at once, pulling for your attention. Focus on the essential task in front of you, to the exclusion of all else, and you are much more likely to get it completed, in less time, with less effort.
- Find quiet. In addition to a quiet working environment, you need time every day that you can call your own, where you don't have to do work. This could be through reading, taking a bath, walking in nature, going swimming at the beach, going jogging, meditating. Not reading your feeds. Get away from the information overload and find that peace that will allow you to truly focus when you do work, and to review your day in your mind, and to get the perspective to see what is essential.
- Make the most of your work. It's one thing to write something great, or to create something fantastic. But it's entirely another thing to make that great thing explode, to get you attention, to earn the recognition you deserve — which will lead to more business or more opportunities. Once you've created the Next Great Thing, promote it, show it to others, find a way to have it carry you as far as it can take you. Don't just create something and move on to the next thing. Use your energy and talents to their fullest extent.
- Simplify some more. Once you've simplified down to the essential, and eliminated distractions, you should become productive. But distractions and the unnecessary have a way of creeping back in and accumulating. Every now and then, take a look at what you're doing, at the information coming into your life, at how you spend your time and the tools you use. Then simplify some more.
Leo Babauta blogs regularly about achieving goals and becoming productive through daily habits on Zen Habits. Read his articles on 10 Ways to Reduce Your Work Week, Zen To Done (ZTD), the Top 50 Productivity Blogs, doubling your productivity, keeping your inbox empty, becoming an early riser, and the Top 20 Motivation Hacks.
source : lifehack.org--
home
profile
rate @ http://cyborgsblog.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/cyborgpsycho
http://tagg.in/taggtivity.php?q=3065
Sunday, July 27, 2008
10 Reasons You Are Not A Successful Entrepreneur
For all Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs:
01. You don’t know how to manage money
02. You don’t have multiple game plans.
03. You don’t learn from your mistakes.
04. You aren’t agile enough.
05. You think you know everything.
06. You think you can do everything.
07. You don’t network with others.
08. You don’t love what you do
09. You don’t have a good work ethic
10. You aren’t aggressive enough
source : QuickSprout
--
trackback :
my blog
my profile
Friday, July 25, 2008
Hummer H3 (2006)
The Hummer H3 is a vehicle from General Motors' Hummer division, introduced in 2005. The H3 is the smallest of the three Hummer models, and though the H3 concept car was a pickup truck, the final vehicle is a conventional SUV. Its GMT345 platform is based on the GMT355 which underpins the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks. Built on a modified Colorado/Canyon pickup truck frame (with more crossmembers and more frame boxing), the H3 shares many major components with its siblings.
The H3 is built at GM's Shreveport, Louisiana factory. Export versions will also be produced at the General Motors South Africa facility in Struandale, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
In the American market, the H3 is priced from $29,500 to just under $40,000. Sales have been strong, with the 33,140 sold in 2005 making up 58% of Hummer's total sales for the year. For the first two months of 2006, 8,071 H3s were sold, 74% of all Hummer sales.
Specifications
The H3 uses the 3.5 L (3464 cc) Atlas straight-5 engine.The same engine that is used in the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon pickup trucks. This 20-valve DOHC unit produces 220 hp (164 kW) at 5600 rpm and 225 ft·lbf (305 N·m) at 2800 rpm. It is available with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission that includes GM's Stabilitrak vehicle stability control. Its 111.9 in wheelbase is 1.1 in shorter than the GMT360 SUVs. It includes an electronically-controlled dual-speed transfer case and electronic locking differential.
Since it is rated at less than 8500 lb (GVWR), Hummer is required to provide official fuel economy ratings. It is rated at 16 mpg in the city cycle with both transmissions and 19 mpg with the automatic or 20 mpg with the manual on the highway. While the Hummer H2 will ford 20 inches of water, the H3 will handle 24 inches of water (it has been tested in depths up to 31 inches). The H3 is the only vehicle in its class to have a 2-speed transfer case standard.
Hummer H2 (2004)
The H2 is the second vehicle sold under the Hummer marque of General Motors. It is a large SUV (though smaller than the Hummer H1) with room for five passengers and substantial off-road ability. The rearmost part of the H2 SUV was modified to a pickup truck bed for the 2004 H2 SUT ("Sport Utility Truck").
Overview
The H2 is built under contract by AM General at a specially constructed plant in Mishawaka, Indiana, USA. Although it shares GM's GMT820 truck platform with the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, those vehicles differ in many ways and are constructed in three other GM plants. The H2's final frame assembly is made up of 3 sections: The front uses a modified GM 2500-Series utility frame, the mid-section is all new and is completely boxed, and the rear section uses a modifed GM 1500-Series frame which is upgraded for the 8000 pound (3629 kg) gross vehicle weight.
H2 sales were initially strong, but fell to 28,898 for 2004 and 23,213 for 2005.
The H2 was nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award for 2003.
Engine
2003–2005 6000 6.0 L (366 in³) V8
Capabilities
With its high ground clearance, large tires, protective underbody plates, and low gearing, the H2 is capable of climbing over a 20-inch-high (0.4 m) step-up wall. A massive truck frame and wide track offer stability against overturning compared to some of the more common light truck SUVs, although objective tests have not been performed by the government or other outside parties due to its specialised vehicle class.
Fuel economy
For typical travel on improved roads, users report fuel economy of between 10 and 14 miles per gallon, which converts to between 14 and 17 L/100 km. Worst case urban driving is said to be in the range of 8 to 14 U.S. mpg (21 to 25 L/100 km). Although General Motors does not provide official H2 fuel economy ratings, most reviews have observed high single to low double-digit mileage, similar to the numbers above.
It should be noted that other large vehicles also have poor fuel economy especially with optional larger engines including the Dodge Ram 1500 series pickup trucks equipped with either the 8.3L V10 (MSRP US$48,500) or the 4.7L V8 Flexible Fuel engine running E85 fuel (MSRP US$31,300). Both of these engines are rated at 9 U.S. mpg city and 11 U.S. mpg highway by the E.P.A. as one example.
Tax benefits
Under the United States income tax code, the cost of vehicles over 6,000 pounds (2722 kg) can be deducted from income. This deduction was enacted decades ago to assist self-employed people in purchasing a vehicle for business use. The weight minimum was intended to limit the deduction to commercial-type trucks. For many years, the deduction remained below the average cost of a new vehicle, since large trucks were relatively inexpensive. Since it is a reduction in taxable income, the actual value of this deduction averages 30% of the price of the vehicle in question.
The increasing popularity of these vehicles in the last decade, however, pushed their average price to nearly double the average passenger car cost. In response, the 2002 Tax Act increased this "Section 179 depreciation deduction" to US$75,000, and it rose again to US$102,000 for the 2004 tax year. This is more than three times the current average cost of a passenger car in the United States and covers a large number of luxury models, including the Hummer H2. In late 2004, the deduction was again reduced to US$25,000.
Criticism
The Hummer H2 is one of the most severely criticized civilian vehicles on the market today. Critics have expressed concern at the fuel economy which they cite as being among the most inefficient of vehicles. The Environmental Protection Agency does not test them for fuel economy because of their weight, they are thus categorised as light trucks and thus are not bound to fuel economy standards.
The Hummer H2 is criticised for contributing towards petroleum comsumption in the United States. In addition, they are criticized for obstructing the views of drivers behind them with their large vehicles. Criticism is also leveled at the H2 by safety advocates who have expressed concern that their size and height make them far deadlier to smaller vehicles as well as bicyclists, and pedestrians since the front of the Hummer H2 will likely strike the head and/or chest where injuries are far more life-threatening instead of the knees where regular cars are most likely to impact a pedestrian.
Hummer H1 (2002) and Hummer H1 (2004)
The Hummer H1 is a civilian vehicle based on the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), popularly known as the Humvee, which was created by AM General.
History
Originally released in the civilian market in 1992, the Hummer H1 owes its birth to the popularity of photos from Operation Desert Storm and the enthusiastic campaign from actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who personally owns several variants of Hummer vehicles. GM announced that 2006 would be the last model year for the Hummer H1 with production winding down in June 2006, due to a new emission laws for Diesel engine vehicles which take effect in 2007. No version of the Hummer H1 ever produced would meet these new standards. AM General currently has orders for an excess of 50,000 new HMMWVs to be produced between 2006-2009 for the United States Military. AM General also will continue to produce the H1, just not the Alpha. These vehicles will be sold through Fleet sales. The next H1 will most-likely bear a refined version of the prior 6.5L Turbo Diesel engine, but that has not been confirmed. Selling the H1's through fleet sales will allow the AM General to not be subjected to the new emission rules and regulations. AM General has sufficient fleet orders to produce 600-800 units per year right now.
Specifications
The Hummer H1 has three common variants: a convertible-like soft top, a four-door hard top pickup truck and a Wagon body version. Other less known variants include a two-door pickup truck and a four-door slantback. At this time, the convertible/soft top and the station wagon versions are the only ones available in the mass market. The two door and four door pickup versions are only available in fleet livery.
Five engine types and three automatic transmission types can be found in Hummer H1s. The common engine/transmission combinations are:
* 6.2 L Detroit Diesel V8/GM TH400/3L80 3-speed
* 6.5 L Detroit Diesel V8/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
* 5.7 L Vortec 5700 gasoline V8 TBI/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
* 6.5 L turbo Detroit Diesel V8/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
* 6.6 L Duramax LLY turbo Diesel/Allison 1000 5-speed (model year 2006)
The Hummer H1 shares some common driveline parts with its HMMWV brethren. Items like brakes, differentials, frame and major body panels (hood, tailgate and quarter panels) are identical between the HMMWV and the Hummer H1. All Hummer H1s and HMMWVs come off the same first stage assembly line, and then are separated midway to either become a military HMMWV or a civilian H1.
Hummer H1s are unique in the way they handle off road. They are inherently very stable, thanks to their wide stance. They also can ford 30 inches (76 cm) of water, climb a 22-inch (56 cm) step, have a stock ground clearance of 16 inches (41 cm) (thanks to its design of tucking driveline components inside a channel, which subsequently intrudes into the cabin space of the vehicle), have approach/departure angles of 72/37.5 degrees and most H1s are equipped with Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS), which enables the driver to increase or decrease the tire air pressure at will.
Hummer H1s have many unusual features. They use inboard brakes. They have geared hubs, allowing the drivetrain's half shafts to be up high for greater clearance. The radiator is up high, sloping back over the engine. Rather than using simple runflat tires, aluminum or rubber inserts are an optional feature for runflat ability. A central tire inflation system is available as an option. Chemical warfare resistant paint is available only on the military version.
Price
Price is projected to be around US$129,399 for the open-top, and US$140,796 for the wagon.
Hummer H1 Alpha Concept (2001)
The Hummer H1 is a civilian vehicle based on the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), popularly known as the Humvee, which was created by AM General.
History
Originally released in the civilian market in 1992, the Hummer H1 owes its birth to the popularity of photos from Operation Desert Storm and the enthusiastic campaign from actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who personally owns several variants of Hummer vehicles. GM announced that 2006 would be the last model year for the Hummer H1 with production winding down in June 2006, due to a new emission laws for Diesel engine vehicles which take effect in 2007. No version of the Hummer H1 ever produced would meet these new standards. AM General currently has orders for an excess of 50,000 new HMMWVs to be produced between 2006-2009 for the United States Military. AM General also will continue to produce the H1, just not the Alpha. These vehicles will be sold through Fleet sales. The next H1 will most-likely bear a refined version of the prior 6.5L Turbo Diesel engine, but that has not been confirmed. Selling the H1's through fleet sales will allow the AM General to not be subjected to the new emission rules and regulations. AM General has sufficient fleet orders to produce 600-800 units per year right now.
Specifications
The Hummer H1 has three common variants: a convertible-like soft top, a four-door hard top pickup truck and a Wagon body version. Other less known variants include a two-door pickup truck and a four-door slantback. At this time, the convertible/soft top and the station wagon versions are the only ones available in the mass market. The two door and four door pickup versions are only available in fleet livery.
Five engine types and three automatic transmission types can be found in Hummer H1s. The common engine/transmission combinations are:
* 6.2 L Detroit Diesel V8/GM TH400/3L80 3-speed
* 6.5 L Detroit Diesel V8/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
* 5.7 L Vortec 5700 gasoline V8 TBI/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
* 6.5 L turbo Detroit Diesel V8/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
* 6.6 L Duramax LLY turbo Diesel/Allison 1000 5-speed (model year 2006)
The Hummer H1 shares some common driveline parts with its HMMWV brethren. Items like brakes, differentials, frame and major body panels (hood, tailgate and quarter panels) are identical between the HMMWV and the Hummer H1. All Hummer H1s and HMMWVs come off the same first stage assembly line, and then are separated midway to either become a military HMMWV or a civilian H1.
Hummer H1s are unique in the way they handle off road. They are inherently very stable, thanks to their wide stance. They also can ford 30 inches (76 cm) of water, climb a 22-inch (56 cm) step, have a stock ground clearance of 16 inches (41 cm) (thanks to its design of tucking driveline components inside a channel, which subsequently intrudes into the cabin space of the vehicle), have approach/departure angles of 72/37.5 degrees and most H1s are equipped with Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS), which enables the driver to increase or decrease the tire air pressure at will.
Hummer H1s have many unusual features. They use inboard brakes. They have geared hubs, allowing the drivetrain's half shafts to be up high for greater clearance. The radiator is up high, sloping back over the engine. Rather than using simple runflat tires, aluminum or rubber inserts are an optional feature for runflat ability. A central tire inflation system is available as an option. Chemical warfare resistant paint is available only on the military version.
Price
Price is projected to be around US$129,399 for the open-top, and US$140,796 for the wagon.
Hummer Humvee Military Vehicle (2003)
The M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Humvee) is a highly durable military motor vehicle. It has largely supplanted the role formerly served by the Jeep and other light trucks with the United States military, and is also used by a number of other countries and organizations.
Features
There are at least 17 variants of the HMMWV in service with the United States armed forces. HMMWV serve as cargo/troop carriers, automatic weapons platforms, ambulances (four litter patients or eight ambulatory patients), M220 TOW missile carriers, M119 howitzer prime movers, M-1097 Avenger Pedestal Mounted Stinger platforms, MRQ-12 direct air support vehicles, S250 shelter carriers among many others. It is capable of fording 2.5 ft (76 cm) normally, or 5 ft (1.5 m) with the deep-water fording kit installed.
Optional equipment includes a winch (maximum load capacity 6000 lb. (2700 kg)), and supplemental armor. The M1025 and M1043/M1044 armament carriers provide mounting and firing capabilities for the MK19 grenade launcher, the M2 machine gun, the M240G machine gun and M249 SAW. The newly introduced M1114 "up-armored" HMMWV also features a similar weapons mount. Recently, there is also a new type of the HMMWV introduced featuring a CROWS (crew served optical weapons station), which lets the machine gunner operate from inside the vehicle.
History
In the 1970s, the United States Army concluded that the militarized civilian trucks in use no longer satisfied their requirements. In 1977, Lamborghini developed the Cheetah model to attempt to meet Army contract specifications. In 1979, the Army drafted final specifications for a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or HMMWV. In July of that year, AM General began preliminary design work, and less than a year later, the first prototype, the M998, was in testing.
In June 1981, the Army awarded AM General a contract for development of several more prototype vehicles to be delivered to the U.S. government for another series of tests, and the company was later awarded the initial production contract for 55,000 HMMWVs to be delivered in 1985. HMMWVs first saw combat in Operation Just Cause, the US invasion of Panama in 1989.
They have become the backbone of U.S. forces around the world. Over 10,000 were used during Operation Iraqi Freedom by U.S. forces as well as some other countries during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
One US Humvee was captured by the Yugoslav Army during the Kosovo war and is currently on display in front of the Military Museum building on Kalemegdan Fortress Park, Belgrade, Serbia.
In Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Humvee has proved vulnerable to IED. As of early 2006, total losses were at 250 Humvees. One Humvee was destroyed in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict killing the three IDF soldiers inside and led up to the two captured IDF soldiers, it was hit by a Hezbollah rocket propelled grenade
Usage in Iraq and political implications
The HMMWV has proven very vulnerable to light infantry weapons as far back as the Somalia intervention; in its defense, it was never designed to offer such protection. With the rise of asymmetric warfare and low-intensity conflicts, the HMMWV has found itself thrust into urban combat roles it was not originally intended for. Although the large variety of HMMWV types is a testament to the vehicle's adaptability to changing mission conditions, it was never designed to be an armored personnel carrier (APC).
As it is not an armored vehicle, HMMWVs are very vulnerable to rocket propelled grenades and offer the troops within little protection from small arms fire. Although there are several armor kits available for the vehicle which afford it greater protection from small-arms fire, these were not provided in great numbers to American forces in Iraq prior to the invasion. As a result of this, American soldiers and Marines often improvise extra armor layers with scrap materials (also known as "hillbilly armor") to improve the safety of the HMMWV. While "hardening" or "up-armoring" their vehicles with sandbags, metal, and plywood does make the vehicles arguably safer, it also slows them down. It has also been argued that hardening simply creates more shrapnel when attacked with an RPG or improvised explosive device. This extra hardening further hampered the ability of the M998 and M1025 due to the addition of excess weight which overloaded the suspension and drivetrain components of these HMMWVs. Performance issues due to the high center of gravity and extra weight of up-armoring kits increase the risk of sway and rollover. Unlike similar-size civilian cargo and tow trucks, which typically have dual rear wheels to reduce sway, the HMMWV has single rear wheels. The independent rear suspension coupled with the body design may preclude "dually" fitment which is the standard for solid-axle trucks of that weight range.
In response to the perceived vulnerability of HMMWVs operating in Iraq, the U.S. Department of Defense contracted AM General to make the M1114 Uparmored HMMWV. The M1114 has been in limited production since 1996 and had seen limited use in the Balkans before deployment to the Middle East. This design has a larger, more powerful engine with a turbocharger, air conditioning and a strengthened suspension and boasts a fully armored passenger area protected by hardened steel and bullet-proof glass. With the increase in direct attacks and guerilla warfare in Iraq AM General has diverted the majority of its manufacturing power to producing these vehicles.
In December 2004, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld came under criticism from U.S. soldiers and their families for not providing better equipped HMMWV. Rumsfeld pointed out that, prior to the war, armor kits were produced only in small numbers per year. As the role of American forces in Iraq changed from fighting the Iraqi Army to suppressing the guerrilla insurgency, armor kits were being manufactured as fast as additional production facilities could be brought online. Armor aggravates the severe inherent performance limitations of a light truck with independent suspension, but it does offer improved protection. Other countries experienced in urban war such as Russia and Israel rely on tracked armored personnel carriers, but the wheeled HMMWV fits current anti-track sentiment among Army senior leadership as exemplified by the Stryker and other wheeled systems.
Weaknesses
As an unarmoured vehicle it is vulnerable to about any weapon capable of hitting it. As a primary threat, RPG's can penetrate and thus completely annihilate an HMMWV. As a secondary threat, AK47-fire reportedly sometimes makes it to the inside, and is still capable of wounding passengers. This is mostly when the 7.62 mm bullets are fired from a short distance, and is also depending where exactly the vehicle is struck. Besides fire from foot-soldiers, it is also very vulnerable to road side bombs (IEDs and land mines), as proven in Iraq. The armor on most up-armored humvees holds up well against lateral (from the side) blasts when the blast is distributed in all different directions, but runs a greater risk of a mobility or catastrophic kill when struck by a blast from beneath. Also the person mounting the machine gun on the top of the vehicle is extremely vunerable to enemy fire.
Replacement
The US government is seeking a replacement for the AM General truck, and the U.S. Army's Tank and Automotive Command is currently refereeing a prototype competition. Navistar International and Lockheed Martin are participating, while AM General has not been selected. The Navistar entry is based on their International CXT line, and this truck has already been prototyped to replace the HMMWV for non-military use by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and Border Patrol.
The Marine Corps is also looking into replacements for the HMMWV. The Office of Naval Research is funding Georgia Tech's ULTRA AP, a combat concept vehicle based on the F350 chassis, but with a radical "blast bucket" passenger compartment, and Ultra 3T, a project with more advanced (but unproven) technologies.
Humvee replicas
Due to the popularity of the Humvee, there have been kits produced for building a humvee-replica yourself. The kits do not allow you to build a humvee from scratch (kitcar), they do allow you to rebuild a sedan to a humvee-lookalike, alternatively one can also just buy a preconstructed (or turnkey) wombat. Various kits probably exist, but the most famous is the "Wombat" (-or previous HummBug). The former vehicle can be purchased for $18,000.00, considerably cheaper than the actual Humvee ($56,400.00), or Hummer.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Tuesday : site of the week : Scirus.com
Scirus.com is the most comprehensive science-specific search engine on the Internet. Driven by the latest search engine technology, Scirus.com searches over 450 million science-specific Web pages, enabling you to quickly:
•Scirus.com Pinpoints scientific, scholarly, technical and medical data on the Web.
•Scirus.com Finds the latest reports, peer-reviewed articles, patents, pre prints and journals that other search engines miss.
•Scirus.com Offers unique functionalities designed for scientists and researchers.
Scirus.com has proved so successful at locating science-specific results on the Web that the Search Engine Watch Awards voted Scirus.com 'Best Specialty Search Engine' in 2001 and 2002 and 'Best Directory or Search Engine Website' WebAward from Web Marketing Association in 2004, 2005 and 2006. More...
Why Use Scirus.com?
Search engines are all different in the Web sites they cover, and the way they classify these Web sites. Scirus.com, the search engine for science, focuses only on Web pages containing scientific content.
Searching more than 450 million science-related pages, Scirus.com helps you quickly locate scientific information on the Web:
•Scirus.com Filters out non-scientific sites. For example, if you search on REM, Google finds the rock group - Scirus.com finds information on sleep, among other things
•Scirus.com Finds peer-reviewed articles such as PDF and PostScript files, which are often invisible to other search engines.
•Scirus.com Searches the most comprehensive combination of web information, preprint servers, digital archives, repositories and patent and journal databases. Scirus.com goes deeper than the first two levels of a Web site, thereby revealing much more relevant information.
Pinpointing Scientific Information
Scirus.com has a wide range of special features to help you pinpoint the scientific information you need. With Scirus.com, you can:
•Scirus.com Selects to search in a range of subject areas including health, life, physical and social sciences.
•Scirus.com Narrows your search to a particular author, journal or article.
•Scirus.com Restricts your results to a specified date range.
•Scirus.com Finds scientific conferences, abstracts and patents.
•Scirus.com Refines, customize and save your searches.
the site : SCIRUS
Ferrari 575M Maranello (2002)
The key elements of the new 575M Maranello can be neatly summed up in the model name. In fact, the engine is described by the new numerical code, 575, as this is an abbreviated indication of its capacity, increased from 5500 to 5750 cc, resulting in an increase in both power and torque. The letter M, an abbreviation of "modified," underlines the fact that changes have been wrought to all areas of the model's performance. Key amongst these, apart from the engine is the introduction of an F1 type gearbox, first time on a 12 cylinder Ferrari road car.
Styling
When it came to looking at the style of the vehicle, the thinking behind it is to retain the balance and sober looks, which invested it with the status of an instant classic, fitting in perfectly with Ferrari's return to a front engine high performance car. Modifications were limited to those required to deal with the technical changes: different shape and size for the air intakes in the new front end of the car, with refinement of the aerodynamic and fluid-dynamic efficiency and a new treatment for the front spoiler. Finally, the light clusters have been redesigned to produce a new aesthetic, with colour-coded headlamp bodies and grey surround, combined with xenon technology for the dipped beam, with headlamp washers. The wheels are also a new design. On the aerodynamic front, the final iteration brings improved airflow around the wheels and there are small elements which reduce drag, while every detail of the floor has been designed to generate downforce while reducing drag.
Engine
The 12 cylinder engine in the 575M Maranello, maintains the 65 degree V angle, four overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, the light alloy block, heads and oil tank and the dry sump lubrication system, with two scavenge pumps and one sender pump, separate reservoir and individual radiators. The objectives fixed for the new V12 engine in the 575M Maranello were to increase both the power curve as well as the torque. It now has a maximum power output of 515 CV (379 Kw) at 7250 rpm and maximum torque of 60 Kgm at 5250 rpm (588.6 Nm,) with an increase in mid-range torque of 1.5 Kgm between 1000 and 4000 rpm, when compared to the previous engine fitted to the 550 Maranello. These increases in performance across the board have been achieved through a variety of modifications applied to the 12 cylinder. In particular these are an increase in capacity, a higher compression ratio, new fluid dynamics for the intakes and more general changes aimed at improving the efficiency and the management system of the power unit.
F1 transmission and gearbox
The optimum weight distribution, with a 50-50 split between the axles, with the driver on-board, has been achieved thanks to a transaxle design which features a combined rear mounted gearbox and differential unit with conical torque and autolocking differential in the same unit. The transmission on the new 575M Maranello is also fitted with the electro-hydraulic "F1" control unit mounted at the rear of the car, in order to minimise response time and to ensure a favourable operating temperature. The F1 gearchange on the 575M Maranello has been refined in order to produce maximum efficiency from the use of the manual levers mounted on the back of the steering wheel, as this gives the best response for sports driving. The driver has two main ways of changing gear manually via the console-mounted controls: a more sporty change (Sport) or one aimed at a more relaxed driving style. Both are linked to an analogue control of the suspension damping. The principal benefits of the F1 change on the 575M Maranello are a quicker gear change coupled with the control of the damping when gears are selected. Along with the manual F1 change, which Ferrari has produced as the primary use of the electro-actuated transmission, there are two further options which can be selected: automatic and low grip.
Chassis and a new adaptive ride set-up
As for the chassis, one of the factors which has the biggest impact on the car's road-holding is the new adaptive set-up, based on a system of independently controlled damping at all four corners of the car. The system selects the ideal ride height for any condition, with two choices: Sport, which is selected for a more sporty ride, improving traction: Comfort, which gives a more comfortable ride, absorbing road bumps. The braking has also been modified to cope with the increased performance of the vehicle, especially in terms of avoiding fade and improving response under braking. Changes have centred on improving cooling for the brakes with new pad material (Ferodo HP1000;) reduction in brake pedal effort and an increase in the level of assistance from the servo system, and the ABS/ASR system has been uprated from 5.0 to 5.3. As with the rest of the Ferrari range, the electronic traction control can be set between normal and Sport. The unsprung weight has been optimised in the following way: the ABS/ASR sensors are integrated into the wheel bearings and the weight of the tyres and rims has been reduced. These changes have seen the weight of the complete front wheel come down by 1.8 kg and that of the rear by 1.2 kg. The tyres have also evolved and now produce less rolling noise, are longer lasting and perform better in aquaplaning situations. Furthermore, a new tyre, available as an option, has now been produced in a 19 inch size, which is suitable for more extreme performance with improved lateral and longitudinal grip. The 575M Maranello is also fitted with tyre pressure sensors, which mean that tyre pressures can be checked while the car is on the move.
Interior and personalised options
The interior of the 575M Maranello has been extensively revised, in order to make it more sporty and functional. In keeping with the car's increased performance, the aim has been to improve the efficiency of how the driver controls the car. All the dials have been grouped together in one single pod ahead of the driver, with the rev counter in the centre. The seats are new, with six electronic adjustments and driver position memory. The dashboard and centre tunnel have also been redesigned. Also new are the steering wheel, the door trims and the style of the interior components. The 575M Maranello can also be specified to the customer's requirements by Carrozzeria Scaglietti, which allows customers to chose their own styling, equipment and alter the functionality of the vehicle to suit their personal taste, with racing and track options, exterior changes and colours, the treatment of the interior and choice of materials and equipment.
Technical specifications
Dimensions and weight
Overall length 179.13 in.
Overall width 76.18 in.
Height 50.27 in.
Wheelbase 98.43 in.
Front track 64.25 in.
Rear track 62.44 in.
Kerb weight 3,815 lbs
Fuel capacity 23 gallons (27,7 US gal)
Tyres
Front 255/40 ZR 18
Rear 295/35 ZR 18
Brakes
Front 13 x 1.3 in.
Rear 12.2 x 1.1 in.
Engine
Bore/stroke 89x77 mm 3.46x2.95 in.
Unit displacement 479 cm3 27.8 cu. in.
Total displacement 5,748 cm3 334 cu. in.
Compression ratio 11:1
Maximum power 379 kW (515 bhp) @7,250 rpm
Maximum torque 588,6 Nm (60kgm) @5,250 rpm
Performance
Max. speed 202 mph
Manual gearbox
0-100 Km/h /0-62 mph 4.25 s
0-400 m 12.3 s
0-1000 m 22 s
F1 gearbox
0-100 Km/h /0-62 mph: 4,2"
0-400 m: 12,25"
0-1000 m: 21,9"
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
post on lampbundle
chk it out:
Open source Agile Lifestyle
lampbundle is my blog on the subject LAMP and more.
trackback :
cyborgsblog
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Startup Saturday Mumbai - July 2008 - Allwin Agnel, Founder, Pagalguy.com
He is coming to Mumbai, S.P. Jain college for the Startup Saturday meet.
The objective of Startup Saturday is to provide a forum for entrepreneurs to discuss, present, network and learn from peers, prospective customers, adopters and investors.
Startup Saturdays are a great way for entrepreneurs to meet with a closed door audience who can help with feedback, introductions and advice. Held every Second Saturday of every month, Startup Saturdays are attended by KickStart's advisory board comprised of eminent entrepreneurs, technologists, product marketers and managers. You need to get in touch with KickStart well in advance to present at a Startup Saturday event so that your objectives and pain points are understood well in advance to get in the best people who can help you in your situation.
Schedule
- Date: July 12, 2008, Saturday
- Time: 3-6 pm
- Venue: 1st Floor,S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Munshi Nagar, Dadabhai Road, Andheri(W) Mumbai - 400058. Map, SMS address to phone
- 3-4 pm: Demo by Abhay Shete, 42 - An Information Engine
- 4-5 pm: Talk by Allwin Agnel, Founder, Pagalguy on Marketing opportunities in an online Indian community
- 5-6 pm: Networking and snacks
http://startupsaturday.in/index.php?title=Mumbai
--
rate @ http://cyborgsblog.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/cyborgpsycho
http://tagg.in/taggtivity.php?q=3065
101 Most Beautiful Car Wallpapers
Toyota Land Cruiser V8 (2008)
The new Land Cruiser V8, Toyota's top of the range model, is to make soon its debut on the European market. This eighth generation retains all the world-beating off-road capability of its predecessors but adds more refinement, comfort and superior driving quality.
Land Cruiser chief engineer, Sadayoshi Koyari, explains the development theme of this new generation as follow: "For more than 50 years now three key words have been the basis of each generation of Land Cruiser: strength, durability and reliability. Therefore, rather than opting for revolutionary change, we decided to carry on the sense of trust in the Land Cruiser as the basic concept. With the latest generation we had to recognise the loyalty of Land Cruiser customers by providing a vehicle that will not betray their trust."
Built on a completely redesigned platform with a body-on-frame design, the length of the new model has been increased to 4950mm while the wheelbase has been kept to 2850 mm. The height varies between 1865mm and 1910mm depending on the suspension featured on the model, the width of the model is reaching 1970mm.
The new Land Cruiser will be available with a brand new 4.5 D-4D V8 diesel engine, combined with a new 6 speed automatic transmission, which develops an impressive 650 Nm from 1600 to 2800 rpm and 286 hp at 3600 rpm. This diesel engine has a fuel consumption of 10,2 L/100km, a 4% improvement versus the outgoing 4.2 TD L6 engine, based on the European combined cycle.
The model will be also available with an improved 4.7 VVT-i V8 petrol engine, combined with a 5 speed automatic transmission, which develops 445 Nm at 3400 rpm and 288 hp at 5400 rpm. This petrol engine has a fuel consumption of 14.4 L/100km, a 12% improvement, based on the European combined cycle. Both engines are fully compliant with Euro IV emissions regulations.
Advanced new technologies to make new Land Cruiser V8 a genuine, go-anywhere off-road vehicle include:
* The world first Crawl Control system, available in combination with the petrol engine, which automatically controls the engine and the brakes to maintain a very low speed, avoiding spinning and locking. The driver only needs to steer the vehicle when driving in extreme off-road situations.
* The world first 4-Wheel Active Height Control and Adaptive Variable Suspension (4W AHC & AVS), which links all four wheels' suspension system for the first time and also provides a new spring rate control system.
* The European first Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS), which actively operates the front and rear stabiliser bars based on a pair of hydraulic control cylinders.
* A newly developed centre Torsen® Limited Slip Differential (LSD).
The new model will feature a wide range of advanced safety features like the newly developed Multi Terrain Anti-lock Brake System, the Vehicle Stability Control, the Electronic Brake-force Distribution and 14 Airbags.
The new Land Cruiser V8 will be unveiled in Europe at the St-Petersburg Motor Show (Russia) on October 24th. Sales of the model are starting today in Japan while the European sales start will be as of December 2007.
Monday, July 07, 2008
'Amul(INDIA), now a billion dollar Co-Operative enterprise'
INDIA- Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) popularly known for its products brand name Amul has become India's first billion dollar co-operative unit after touching the record annual turnover of Rs. 5,255.41 crores (52.554 bn rupees).
read more | digg story
Sunday, July 06, 2008
forum for entrepreneurs in line of BarCamp
Well this is the firs time I am attending the forum, lets see how it turns out to be.
Will update it after attending the meet or during the meet too.
It is held every second Saturday of every month. It is held by kickstart.in
Every city has its own chapter.
For mumbai chapter : http://startupsaturday.in/index.php?title=Main_Page
KickStart is a not-for-profit initiative aimed at promoting entrepreneurship. Driven by the popularity and success of Barcamps and Mobile Mondays in Bangalore where some of the founding members of KickStart have been involved with, KickStart has been set up to assist entrepreneurs and encourage entrepreneurship in corporates and universities. Come, be a part of KickStart.
I assume it is on the lines of BarCamp
For demonstrators, launching at HeadStart is an opportunity not to just interface with investors but to stand shoulder to shoulder with leading enterprise and entrepreneurial innovators |
Saturday, July 05, 2008
newsWire services
News wire services provide first hand and real time news. Normally these are subscribed by corporates or equity houses.
Reuteres and Bloomberg may be given as an example for News wire companies.
In India CRISIL had a news wire company which was acquired by Network 18 group.
It was named Newswire18
newswire18 - tenfore is the technology backbone provider
On the same lines, I think, is Quote.com. Quote.com is a IDC group company. It can be also termed as a news wire company.
Quote.com - esignal(IDC group) is a technology backbone provider.
How about an Open Sourced office?
Open source software has a lot of options for the business world, alongside the home user bandwagon. Apart from the other generic features, Open Source softwares at times have a greater degree of customization as compared to their proprietary counterparts.
read more | digg story
Ford Mustang Warriors In Pink (2009)
Ford Motor Company, which has dedicated more than $95 million in cash and in-kind contributions for breast cancer education and research for 14 years, announces today that it is doubling its contribution to Susan G. Komen for the Cure each time it sells a 'Warriors in Pink' package for the 2009 Ford Mustang.
"Thanks to the tremendous response from our dealers and customers to the 2008 'Warriors in Pink' Mustang, we knew we needed to continue offering the package, and we're happy to be able to increase our support for the Cure at the same time," said Connie Fontaine, Ford Experiential Marketing manager.
Produced in a limited edition of 1,000 units, the Mustang with Warriors in Pink package was designed exclusively in support of Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure. New upgrades for the 2009 package are featured on the Ford display at the New York International Auto Show.
Available on the Mustang V-6 Premium Coupe and Convertible models, the Warriors in Pink package includes a unique grille and will add a pink ribbon and pony fender badge, pink Mustang rocker tape striping, charcoal leather seats with pink stitching, aluminum-spoke steering wheel with pink stitching and charcoal floormats with pink ribbon and contrast stitching.
Coupes also can be ordered with the all-new glass roof option. Three body colors will be available: Black, Brilliant Silver and Performance White.
Ford Warriors in Pink
Launched in 2006, the Ford Warriors in Pink campaign recognizes the strength and courage it takes to deal with the everyday challenges of fighting breast cancer.
Ford's goal in 2008 is to donate more than $1 million for the Cure through these sales of the special Mustangs, Warriors in Pink apparel and other fundraising efforts.
The Warriors in Pink apparel collection for men and women feature important symbols signifying the message of hope, strength and unity in the commitment to the fight against breast cancer. All apparel is available on www.fordcares.com, and 100 percent of net proceeds are donated to Komen for the Cure.
The limited-edition 2009 Ford Mustang with Warriors in Pink will be available through Ford dealers this summer.
Mustang is one of the greatest automotive sales success stories of all time. Nearly one out of every two sports cars sold in America is a Mustang, and the Mustang is also America's best-selling convertible.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Once Pop Star - Britney Spears
top 35 pop star Britney Spears Moments of 2007
This started out as the ‘Top 5 Britney Spears Moments of 2007′ and then became the ‘Top 15′, ‘Top 20′, ‘Top 25′ and finally the ‘Top 35 Britney Spears Moments of 2007′. Brit should have known it was going to be a crazy year when she started it off by collapsing at a New Year’s Eve party. Then she quickly went on to check into rehab, shave her head, check back in and out of rehab, before attempting rehab a third time. The rest of her 2007 was just as rocky.
Here is a Look at ‘Britney Spears Top 35 Moments of 2007′
1 - Britney Goes from Bald Eagle to Bald Head: Britney Spears' biggest story of the year was when Britney Spears shockingly shaved her head bald after returning to Cali from a one day attempt at rehab in Aruba.
2 - Britney Spears Hits Rock Bottom : These photos of Britney Spears showed Britney Spears was partying too hard and that it was all catching up with her and making her age prematurely.
3 - Britney Collapses at New Year’s Eve Party: Britney Spears got the year off to a banging start when Britney Spears collapsed and passed out at a New Year’s Eve party in Las Vegas.
4 - Britney Spears Enters, Leaves Rehab in Same Day : Britney Spears mysteriously was in rehab for one day before checking out before midnight in Aruba the day before shaving her head bald.
5 - Britney Ditches Rehab Again : Britney Spears second shot at rehab didn’t go any better as Spears quickly checked herself out again.
6 - Britney Spears VMA Performance (video) : One of the worst performances by a professional entertainer on such a large platform. Britney Spears was overweight, out of sync and rhythm, as this performance become one of Britney Spears's most laughable moments ever
7 - Britney Spears Claims to be the Anti-Christ - Britney Spears being Britney Spears as she claimed she was in fact the anti-Christ.
8 - Britney to Pay K-Fed $20,000 for Life: Britney Spears' bad year didn’t mean K-Fed didn’t cash in as he was awarded $20,000 a month in support from Britney Spears for himself and their boys.
9 - Britney Spears Loses Custody of Her Kids: Only people in the project lose their kids right? I don’t think anyone could have predicted Britney Spears losing custody of her two boys to K-Fed of all people but she did.
10 - Britney Spears Booked for Hit and Run : Britney Spears ran her car into a parked car and didn’t report it. This was quickly dropped once Britney Spears agreed to pay for the damages.
more on next post, source : bumpshack
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
A Lot Of Great Books…Too Little Time To Read
Guys! isn’t this a situation most of us are suffering. We always want to know whats inside business books, but can’t afford or dont have time to read it. Then at times we feel its CLICHE, everyone may give us the same GAS and we tend to leave it.
Just imagine if we can get a brief summary(of say 5-6 pages) of these books, then we would probably read all of them and then select the best one for complete reading. Probably our library may be having many of these books.
So here is a site which will give you summaries of one of the best selling business books. It is a pay site, but they provide free subscription for a month. Where in, they will send us summaries, for no cost, for a duration of a month.
I think even subscribing for a month would suffice our needs. Here is the site
Presenting Site of the Week