True Tech World

Renault Duster the compact SUV-Review

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 11:10:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION:
Renault’s effort to make a mark in the growing Indian car market is aggressively visible now.It had products like Impulse,Fluence and Koleos in its category which did not bring significant sales to Renault.Last year it sold 1500 cars.With the aim to capture the mass market Renault has launched a unique product in its line called the Renault Duster which is the same European variant with subtle changes to meet the Indian requirements.Duster is Compact 5 seater SUV with loads of boot space and Renault has done its home work spot on by pricing it in the sweet spot of a premium hatch back and the sedan.We definitely believe Duster would change fortunes of Renault in India and also will re write the SUV story in India since the SUV segment has become a very hot competitive segment now.We look into the Renault Duster.

The Renault Duster features:

>It creates a new compact SUV segment.
>Unique design and styling with overall length of 4.3mtrs
>Multiple engine options 1.6L 104 bhp petrol,1.5L 85 bhp diesel and 1.5L110bhp diesel engine.
>Priced from 7Lakh Rs for the base petrol variant and 8 lakh Rs for the base diesel variant.
>The top end variant comes loaded with ABS,EBD ,airbags,rear seat AC vents,16”Alloy wheels,music >system with Bluetooth connectivity
>Segment best ride and handling.

DESIGN AND INTERIORS:First look at the Duster it impresses you with its overall look.The aggressive looks and design of a SUV is very much evident.The front has a large grill with the renault logo at the centre and with the use of chrome it looks rather smart.The head lamps are not large and fits well to grill ,it is not extended to the body.The front has a large bonnet for the engine bay and with smartly designed grill gives it the much needed masculine looks.
The rear has a simple botched looks with large Duster logo embedded in chrome and the small tail lamps which fits well to the body line giving it very different look.The rear wheel arches are prominently defined.Get inside the Duster you would feel the interior design is kept minimalistic with usage of multiple colurs,beige ,brown and grey.Chrome linings are used for the Ac vents,door handles.A wooden finish is also given to the door pocket.The dash has combination of beige and brown colour with the central console consisting of Ac controls and a music system which comes with aux,USB ,Bluetooth and 4 surround speakers.

The steering wheel has the audio and Bluetooth controls.The power window controls are provided at the doors.The driver seating position provides very good front visibility however it does not come with height adjustable seats.The seats come with leather covers in the top end variant and provides very good under thigh support.The overall space is good enough for 5 people to comfortably sit in.Overall the fit and finish and quality of the plastics used feels average.The top end variant comes with 2 airbags,ABS ,EBD and 16”alloy wheels.The ground clearance of 205mm is adequate and it is easy to get in and out of the car compared to SUVs like Scorpio and Xyslo where one has to climb up to get in.The boot space of 460 litres is huge and if you to for a trip with huge luggage fits the purpose.There are couple of bottle holders at the front.The rear AC vent is provided in the top end version

THE DRIVE:
The Duster comes with multiple engine options.It has 1.6L 104 bhp petrol engine, the famed 1.5L DC 85 bhp and 110 bhp diesel engine.Basically the same engine powers the logan,fluence and Sunny in different bhp configurations.The test drive vehicle we drove was of 110bhp diesel variant.The 85bhp diesel and the petrol variant are still not provided for test drive.The 1.5L 110bhp dci engine is one the best performer from the Renault stable.Push the accelerator you will notice hardly any sound on the inside,Renault has managed to keep the NVH level very low which is indeed good.The Duster is easily up on its heel quickly.The acceleration is mind blowing when you push the vehicle above 4000 rpm in the second and third gear the turbo kicks in and the vehicle just flews.

The wide 16’”inch tyre profile and the solid monocoque structure gives the duster its best ride and handling.The vehicle is stable in straight line high speed as well as in monuevering tight corners.The suspension set up easily absorbs the shocks of bumpier roads and you would not feel uncomfortable on bad roads.The power steering is light and gives right feedback.We can easily say the ride and handling is unmatched by any SUV player in the Indian market today.It just feels like a sedan to drive and Renault has done a commendable job here.With ARAI tested mileage of 19km/litre for 110 bhp version and 20.5km/litre for the 85 bhp version this is one of the best fuel efficient SUVs in the market today.Sure Renault will find buyers to this car since the price point of 8lakrs of the base diesel is spot on between a premium hatch back and a sedan

VERDICT:
Renault has the first mover advantage here since it represents altogether a new segment of compact SUV where there are no players.Ford will be launching its Ecosport compact SUV which is a year later.With very good pricing starting from 8lakh Rs for the base diesel variant Renault would definitely get buyers who look for a sedan.Already withing 1 week of launch it has got 7000 bookings and going by it Renault has given its first punch in the Indian market.With ambitious plans of launching a small car below 4.5 lakh and an entry level sedan Renault is making every effort to grab a pie of Indian car market.We would highly recommend the Duster for its robust design,good ride and handling,good engine options.

Price List:

By:Raghavendra Murthy

One Click Screen Sharing via Screenleap No install

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 17:57:00 +0000

Normally to share your screen with someone you need to install a application and the same application should be available with the second party also to be able to see your screen. Screenleap makes this job very simple as you can share your screen with various users just at a click of a button. No need of

signup or installing any application on your system. Thus sharing is easy and makes sharing available across platforms and devices at just a click. So no need to use the same application at both end and you can access the shared screen in any browser even on mobile devices.

Visit http://www.screenleap.com/ to share your screen.

You need to have java installed on your device to share your screen. You can either share entire screen or the portion selected using rectangle selection as shown in the image below. You have the option to pause and re-share the content.

Upon sharing the screen you will get a sharing link and an access code. Any one of these can be used to access the shared screen. Screenleap blog has confirmed that in the near future the option of screen sharing may be available inside Gmail itself thus it will make it easy by moving one more step forward.

To access the shared content you need to enter the access URL in your browser or visit http://www.screenleap.com/ and enter the access code.

I found the web based application useful to share a presentation or some content with multi users but felt that this could be better if there are options to pass the control to other person and he is is able to edit and take control of your machine. Mobile browser based access make this web application great featured.

Better Explorer:- Windows 8 Style Explorer For Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 15:30:00 +0000

With windows 8 preview releases Microsoft has brought ribbon view (as available in office 2007or later and paint in Windows 7) as default Windows explorer view so the most of the common task for in the explorer are now available as a part of ribbon which is easy to use and control. The ribbon control is very useful as it displays several options using button controls. You can experience the Windows 8 type explorer bar in Windows 7. Better Explorer is a open source utility which is the replacement of regular Windows Explorer. This has got some extra features

than regular Windows explorer as tabbed navigation as shown in image below thus multiple folders explore are available under single explorer. Tab Minimize button is also available at the right top corner to minimize the ribbon control.

Most of the control in the explorer ribbon are self explanatory and few additional controls also available as Up button next to back forward button to go a level up in explorer path. The view tab in the ribbon is available for size control and view control of the explorer window content. There are options available in file menu to customize the app interface color and default folder launch path.

Multi-tabbed navigation and ribbon options make this application good and useful but there are still some improvements which if done will be good as Currently the better explorer is under the Beta Stage so there could be some bug fixes and app is still under testing but I have not encountered any bugs as it worked smoothly for me. Also the better explorer does not replaces the windows explorer so you need to run this application as a separate program.

System requirement for Better Explorer:-

You need to have Microsoft .NET framework 4.0 installed to make better explorer function for you. If you have not installed it you will be prompted to install while installing the application.

To Download Beta Explorer for your Windows 7 machine Click Here

To Download .Net Framework 4.0 Offline Installer Click Here

To visit the developer website Click Here

Samsung Galaxy SIII Launched in India-A Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 13:09:00 +0000

Samsung Galaxy S2 was a Super phone by samsung.It was a huge success in the market with customers swapping the Slim phone which then came with Andorid 2.3 OS,1.2Ghz Dual core processor and 1 GB RAM.Banking on its success Samsung has gone ahead and launched its next avatar "Samsung Galaxy SIII" which samsung terms Designed for humans and inspired by Nature.

Samsung has gone ahead to provide the best hardware by any manufacterer in market today.The Galaxy SIII comes with 4.8" HD Super AMOLED touch screeen with 720*1280 resolution.It has the latest Android 4.0 ICS OS.

The chipset consists of 1.4 Ghz quad core application processer a first in the smartphone.The rear has autofocus 8mp camera with LED flash.The main feature if this camera is it has zero shutter lag ,the phone shoots number of photos instantly and displays the best one.The 2100mAh battery is powerful to perform all the tasks on the phone and has very good stand by time.The Samsung SIII is packed withe numerous first features in any smartphone.Few of them are:

S Voice:Talk to the phone to accept or reject a call,to turn on music and even tell the camera to shoot.

Social Tag:It lets you tag photos in your album to socala media streams and once set just look at the picture to get their current status.

Direct call:Imagine your texting one of your friends and you want to make a call?simply lift the phone to your ear the SIII makes a call!!! smart feature indeed!!

Smart Stay:This is an innovative smart feature.The phone displays continues to stay automatically on until you are reading e book or browsing.The phones front camera look deep into your eyes and maintains the screen brightness for optimal experience.

Smart Alert:You are away from your phone for sometime and when you pick up the SIII shows you a alert and notification of all the missed calls and messages you received.

Share your photos,music and content through various pre loaded apps like S beam,All share Play and Buddy photo share.

The SIII design is minimalistic which is reflected in its smooth and non linear lines.With its gentle curves it is easier to grip and provides the user comfortable experience.Doing things simultaneously is easy and fun with the powerful quad core processer.With Pop up play watch a video on the large 4.8"screen and also view mails,send mails and text massages simultaneously.This phone is at its best for multitasking.The viewership experience is taken to the next level by the 4.8"HD Super AMOLED display.Viewing a HD video ,Photo Album or browsing the display provide you a very sharp and amazing experience.The Galaxy SIII ensure you never miss a best moment.With the Best Photo feature it automatically takes a burst of 20 photos and selects the best one for you !!!What is amazing is the camera has zero shutter lag!!.The Galaxy SIII comes in Marble white and Pebble Blue colour.

VERDICT:

With its miimalistic design and Hardware spec which is first of its kind Samsung has got the Galaxy SIII spot on and going by the 9 million Pre orders for it ,this phone is going to give serious run for its money for competitors lile Appple and HTC.What is remarkable is Samsung's quick turn around time in bringing multiple gadgets to market in short period of time.The phone is not cheap,it is retailing at 38,900Rs in India and only a handful of few customers will a lay a hand on it.Definately it is the hottest phone in the market today.

BY:Raghavendra Murthy

Photo Courtesy:www.samsung.com

Chevy Spark petrol/LPG version-The best Entry level small car

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 17:16:00 +0000

INTORDUCTION:
Remember the Daewoo Matiz ,at the peak of its sales in India Daewoo went bankrupt and the sales of Matiz was stopped.GM which took majority stake in Deawoo got the Matiz back in India in a new avatar called Chevy Spark completely revamping the design and making it a very good looking car.The spark is one of the car which gave GM India a very good sales number.GM also introduced the LPG version of the spark with a sequential injection system.We look into the Chevy spark ..

DESIGN AND INTERIORS:
First impression of the car,the design is contemporary and looks like cute small car.The front looks depicts a smiling face with large eye shaped headlamps,split bumper,lower mesh grill and fog lamps.
The rear has round shaped tail lamps with the chevy logo at the centre.Overall looks of the car is impressive we can say.Step inside you would find the instrument cluster at the center of the dashboard which houses a tachometer,speedometer and trip meter.One would get sometime to get used to centrally placed instrument cluster.The 2 AC vents ,AC controls and the music system are housed in the central console.The spark interiors is given huge boos from the earlier grey colour interiors with all beige colour treatment for the interiors.It gives plush feeling inside.The steering wheel is large for the small car and the material used is average quality plastic.The foot legroom and headroom is very good.The rear space sufficient for two adults.The dickey space is average.

THE DRIVE:
The spark comes with petrol and LPG options.The 1 L engine develops 63BHP power and 90NM torque @4200rpm.The engine is responsive,smooth and well refined.Its peppy performer in city conditions.The driveability ,ride and handling is at its best for this small car.Its a fun car to drive.The power steering response is good ,the soft suspension setup leads to bumpier ride in bad road conditions.The LPG option is good one since it lowers the cost of running in this high price era for petrol.The LPG has mileage rating of 13km per litre and petrol 18km per litre.

VERDICT
The Chevy spark with new spruced up beige interiors and with LPG option is one of the best entry level small cars in the market today.With the base version starting from 3.18 Lakh RS and top end LT version at 3.73lakh Rs for the petrol version.The LPG LS version is priced at 4.01 Lakh Rs and LT version at 4.03 Lakh Rs.I would say its the best car to opt for in comparison with Alto k10,Hyundai EON and Maruti Zen Estilo

BY:Raghavendra Murthy

One Click Switch between Multiple Login Accounts

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:26:00 +0000

Do you have multiple email account with the same service provider and you are tired of switching between the multiple accounts. Cookie Swap is the solution by which you can switch between multiple account with just one click. No need of logging in again and again. Cookie Swap is a Firefox add-on allows you to switch between multiple account. So if you are have multiple account with Gmail, Yahoo, Facebook cookie swap is for you using which you can open any of your account without any trouble.

To switch between multiple profiles using cookie swap just select the profile you want by clicking on the Cookie Swap icon in Firefox. You can manage your profiles also and add as many profile as you want from the manage profile window.

Limitation: This add-on is currently available only for Mozilla Firefox web browser only.
Download Cookie Swap add-on from
Here

Maruti Ertiga-LUV Review

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 17:01:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION:Maruti which has established itself as a niche player in the small car segment,providing customers with multiple options of small cars,Alto,Alto K10,Estilo,Wagon R,Omni,Eeco and 800.These cars constitute more than 60% of its monthly sales.But with increasing competition from players like Hyundai,Toyota,GM,Renault,and Ford it is becoming increasingly difficult for Maruti to hold its iron grip of 50% market share in India.To provide different offerings to the customers Maruti is focusing to enter other segments such as MUVs.Maruti Ertiga is on such effort to enter into the new segment bymaruti and looks like it will create a segment LUV of its own.We look into the Maruti Ertiga which is aimed at competing with Toyota Innova and Mahindra Xylo

DESIGN AND INTERIORS:Ertiga is a very smartly design car which is very good alternative if you are looking for a 7 seater which can be used for multiple purpose.Its a cheaper option to the Innnova and can be used as 5 seater with good luggage space.Use it as a 7 seater for a family outing.First look on Ertiga it however does not impresses with the overall design its simplistic and the front resembles with new generation of Swift and Maruti Ritz.The front has striking resemblance to the Ritz especially.The big headlamps gives it a prominent look with the large mesh grill and the side fog lamps.The bold wheel arches of the front and back wheels along with side body line gives it a fresh look.The rear design is kept minimalistic with a smart tail lamp design which extends to the side body.The side rear view mirror comes with an embedded side indicator light which is useful.Step inside the cabin you would feel inside a familiar territory .The dashboard design is similar to that of swift.The inside cabin is made of beige interiors ,light colour soft seats ,side pocket bottle holders on the doors.The head room is adequate.The second row has moveable seats which can be used to increase the leg space.The leg space and the head room at the third row is tight.

Large Headlamp

Side indicator in ORVM

The Vxi and VDi version comes with built in music system,AC,Power steering,all 4 power steering and AC vents for the second row passengers.The quality and fit and finish of the interiors does not make to the bill of a 8lakh Rs car but not that bad too.Overall the utilisation of space is done smartly and the car is compact as a 7 seater and definitely of lighter weight.The door pockets are designed to hold water bottles.The instrument cluster consists of tachometer,digital fuel gauge indicator and trip meter.The inside chrome door handles is nice touch up to the interiors.

Similar Interiors as Swift

THE DRIVE:The Ertiga comes with petrol and diesel engine options.The petrol engine is powered by the 1.4 L K14 VVT engine which develops 94bhp@6000rpm and 130Nm torque@4000rpm.The petrol engine is smoother and with variable valve timing is fuel efficient too.The ARAI tested mileage is 16.02km/Litre.
The Diesel is powered by the famed 1.3L DDiS engine which has 90bhp @4000rpm and develops 200@1750rpm.We drove the diesel engine the cars performance took us by surprise.This engine is tractable and above 1750 rpm due to the turbo spooling zooms ahead.The ride and handling is planted and at high speeds also the body rolling is controlled.The power steering is spot on and gives realistic feed back.The suspension set up easily absorbs the shocks of any road conditions.Overall we were impressed with the cars performance and the handling.Maruti has done a good job on it.

Unique Tail Lamp Design

Folded Third row seats liberates good boot space.

VERDICT:
Maruti has created a new LUV segment with the Ertiga and sure is going to get more buyers for it.It has already got 32000 bookings in a month of its launch!!!.With good pricing on the petrol and diesel models.The petrol model starts from 6.22Lakh Rs to 7.55lakh Rs for the top end version.The diesel starts from 7.55 lakh Rs to 8.72 Lakh Rs for the top end version.Maruti has got one more winner on hand!!!

BY;Raghavendra Murthy

Citroen Berlingo-Common European Van

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 16:19:00 +0000

INTORDUCTION:
Citroen Berlingo is a very common Multispace vehicle in Europe.The number of Berlingo’s on road its the testimony to its popularity.Boxy shape liberates good amount of cabin space inside with large headroom.The luggage space is what makes it carrier for all goods, fold the rear seats it provides 3000litres of luggage space to carry anything you wish.We look into the Citroen Berlingo what makes it so popular.

OVERVIEW:
A first look on the Citroen Berlingo it does not impress you with looks and design.Infact have to spend some amount of time to be ok with its look.Pure Boxy design!!! which is very practical in use as it provides the cabin and luggage space as no other vehicle.The front bumper has Citroens trademark two metal lines with upper V shape design at the center connecting to the large headlamps.The large grill is split with a body colour plate which gives the front along with the Fog lamps Berlingo’s unique looks.The rear side is a flat design with large vertical tail lamps and the Citroen Logo at the center.The interiors are put up well together ,the quality of plastics used is good.The interiors are vastly improved gives luxury impression in the newer versions of Berlingo.
Equipment:The list consists of AC ,power steering,Driver side and passenger side airbag ,antilock braking system and central door locking.
Engine Options:The berlingo is available in 1.6 L 95 bhp petrol ,1.l6L90bhp HDI diesel and 1.6L 110 bhp HDI diesel.The petrol version is smoother and quicker ,the ride and handling is planted.However at tight cornering you may feel it will topple over.

The 1.6l Hdi diesel is noisier and the 110 Bhp version performance is lot better than the 90bhp version.With a mileage rating of 58MPG the Berlingo is cheaper to run.Citroen has got the pricing spot on with prices varying from 12,000 euros to 16,000Euros.This snaps where taken by me in Europe.

BY:Raghavendra Murthy

Add Extra Controls to Windows Explorer Window

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Sat, 26 May 2012 19:02:00 +0000

In window explorer windows by default favorites, libraries and home folder are displayed along with Computer and network. It is possible to customize the explorer window by adding the folder of your choice to favorites. Just Drag and Drop the folder of your choice above the favorite icon and the folder will be mapped as your favorite place. Along with this you can also add Recycle bin and Control panel to your explorer window.

To add recycle bin and control panel to explorer view follow the steps below:-
Open the Folder Option from Control Panel or Explorer Window

To Open Folder Option from explorer window Hold Down Alt Key while focusing on explorer Window and click tools->Folder Option

Open Control panel and switch to icon view in Control Panel as shown in image below

Click on the Folder Option and in General Tab under the navigation tab check the available checkbox for show all Folders as shown in image below.

Now Click on the Apply and OK Button and you are Done. Go back to the explorer and you can see the newly added Control Panel and Recycle bin in windows Explorer as below.

Peugeot 407 Saloon in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:07:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION:
The Peugeot 407 saloon or sedan we term it was available from 2004.Peugeot's aim to dominate the upper medium segment of the market got a huge boost with 407 aesthetic design and good engine options in petrol and diesel variants.The 407 also host number of equipment list and offerings which is one of the best in the segment.We look into Peugeot 407..

OVERVIEW:
A first glance on the Peugeot 407 it impresses you with its aesthetic looks.The large petal shaped headlamp,with a long sloping nose like front design and a large mesh type grill makes the overall front looks quiet impressive.The rear design is kept minimalistic and the large bonnet fits well to the overall design and makes it great saloon.The interiors are roomy and its beautiful on the inside.The interiors are plush with usage three different colours combined with leather and chrome inserts.The legroom is adequate at the rear.It offers very good headroom in the inside.
Equipment:The 407 comes with 4 trims,S,SE,SV and Executive.The standard equipment's offered are climate control,trip computer,electric front windows,cruise control,driver and passenger airbag,ABS,ISOfix child seat anchor,remote locking and power steering.
Engine options:The 407 offers multiple engine choices in both petrol and diesel.The entry level petrol comes with a 1.8L engine with 125Bhp.The other two larger engines are 2.0L with 143 bhp and 2.2 L offering 163 bhp.Both these units give a good performance but not economical.The top petrol variant comes with 3.0V6 engine with automatic gearbox.

The Diesel options are particularly very good and economical too.The 1.6L Hdi diesel offers 110bhp with and excellent economy of 55mpg.The 2.0L HDi diesel is the pick of the lot with 140 bhp and the 2.2 L engine with 170bhp which was improvised and refined.The 407 ride and handling is excellent and has a very light steering.It soaks up the harshest lumps on the road thanks to a very good suspension set up.The price range starts from 15.500 Euros to the top variant costing 30,000 euros.The 407 makes a very practical and sensible choice in the upper mid segment.

By:Raghavendra Murthy

Peugeot 3008:The crossover Hatchback in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:56:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION:
The Peugeot 3008 is crossover between a hatchback, an MPV and an SUV.This makes a good family car with large interior space and boot space.It comes with two petrol and two diesel engine options and loaded with good equipment list too.We look into the Peugeot 3008.

OVERVIEW:
The Peugeot 3008 looks aren’t striking .It gives a different aspect as it has little bit of hatchback, SUV and MUV style quotient to it. The front has a large mesh shape front grill with side fog lamps. The headlamps and the fog lamp design in the grill side gives it a unique look from the front.Combined with the split bonnet and the famous Peugeot logo the front design is unique indeed.The back has the split tailgate and the seating arrangements are flexible so that you can use it for multipurpose use.Open the upper and lower portion of the tailgate and use the lower portion as picnic bench which is useful!!.The interior of 3008 surprisingly feels like a sports car.
Equipment:The car come with three trim levels-Active,sports and Exclusive.The standard equipment available are 17inch alloy wheels,electric front power windows,air conditioning,ESP,remote locking,driver and passenger airbags.
Engine options:In petrol the 1.6 Litre VTi petrol 120 bhp and the 1.6L THP with 150 bhp.
The VTi petrol mileage ratings is 40mpg and sprints to 100kmph in 11 seconds and has 5 speed manual gear box.The 6 speed manual gear box is available in the THP and diesel versions.
The diesel comes with 1.6L HDi 110 bhp and the 2L HDi diesel with 150 Bhp.The 2L Hdi is has impressive pulling power and best for long distance highway driving.

The ride handling is composed and driveability is very much like a Hatchback.The 1.6L THP and 2.0HDi models comes with dynamic roll controls which is useful in tight cornering manoeuvres or high speed cruising.The all round visibility of the car is very good.The leg space at the rear is just adequate and due to the tall build the head room is very good.The price ranges from 17,000 Euros to 29 ,000 euros.The 3008 is a very good MPV option available in the European Market.The car photos were taken by me in Europe.

BY:Raghavendra Murthy

Peugeot 308 SW,The Big European Hatchback

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:43:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION:
Peugeot 308 is one of the big cars or station wagons available in Europe with a 7 seater capacity which makes it a unique offering in its category.With as many as 3 petrol engine and 3 diesel engine options it offers a wide variety of ranges to choose from.The 308 best suits for large families and one who frequently travel places.We look into the Peugeot 308 features and offerings.

OVERVIEW:
The Peugeot 308SW is one of a kind offering from Peugeot which makes it stand apart as it comes with second row of seats at the back making it a 7 seater which is offered by only a few manufacturers.It makes great family car.The range comprises of Access,Active ,Allure and SR trims.The car comes with standard features such as adjustable steering column,climate control,leather upholstery,Allow wheels,Sunroof electric,Driver,passenger and side airbags,alarm,anti lock braking system,central door locking,power steering,Seat - ISOFIX Anchorage Point and Traction control system.
Engine options:
The 308 comes with 3 petrol engine options 14 litre,95bhp,1.6 litre ,120 bhp and 1.6litre THP(turbocharged) with 140 bhp.
The the 3 diesel options are 1.6litre,HDi (High pressure direct inject)90bhp and 110bhp,2 litre,HDi 160bhp.The petrol 1.6L puts a good performance and the 1.4L petrol is sluggish for a car of this size.For the driving enthusiast its the 2.0: HDi diesel which packs a punch with 160bhp and a massive 340 nm torque @2000 rpm which is the best variant to go for.
The interior of the 308 is vastly improved from its previous version 307.It has now a more upmarket feel with a nice dashboard design and good quality of plastics used.

The tall body liberates generous head room inside and the access to the inside cabin is easy with the wider doors.The legroom is good at the front and the second row seats.However the third row is strictly for kids.For practical purpose the third row seats can folded completely which liberates 600litres of boot space.For long drives and 5 people on-board this option is very useful.The prices ranges from 15,000 Euros to 22,000 euros makes it good buying option.

By :Raghavendra Murthy

Re-Open Closed Program and Folders

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:18:00 +0000

You have a nice feature in modern web browsers available as add-on or inbuilt in browser to reopen the closed tab. This gives you the benefit that it saves your time and you need not to remember the address of previous page which you closed accidently. Undo Close does the same thing with your PC by remembering the recently closed folder and programs so you don’t have to remember the deep nested path of your folder if you closed it by mistake from this small portable application you can always go back and reopen the closed item.

Undo Close is a small portable application for your windows pc which will keep track of recently closed application and folders. When the application is running you can see a small icon in system tray as you can see in the image below.

There is a default shortcuts defined to
Open recently Closed Folder (Control+Shift+F) and to
Open recently Closed Application (Control+Shift+A)

however you can set your customized shortcuts to do both the activity in application.

I will recommend to keep this application in startup of your windows system which you can do by just checking the checkbox as you can see in the image above. You can also see in the snap above that how the application is listing the recent items. To get this setting page of undo close application just double click the small application icon in system tray.

To define your customized shortcuts just select the shortcut window and press the keys which you want to use as your shortcut then click apply. Now remember the key combination and use it whenever you want to reopen the recent things.

However as per the developer this application consumes a max of 35 MB of system memory which I feel is quiet big amount for such small task but still no need to worry if your system have enough of RAM. The application is portable and supports 32 and 64 bit system.

To download the Undo Close for your system.
Click Here

If you like the post share it. It will just take your half minute.

By: Gyanendra

Peugeot 107-The Small European City Hatchback Car

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:17:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION:

The Peugeot 107 is a cute little European car which is a very practical option in cities for its ease of use and parking.Similar car in competition is Citroen C1 and Toyota Avgo.The 107 attracted me with its cute design aesthetics and its practicality of use.We take a look into the 107.

OVERVIEW:
The Peugeot 107 is defined by its unique characteristics of small dimensions of 3.4m length ,typical styling continued from the Peugeot series.The front looks is defined by the large eye shaped headlamp with lion icon in centre.The large bumper grill and the side fog lamps adds to good looks from the front.The back vertical tail lamps and the all glass back door gives the rear its distinctive looks.Though the car looks smaller but it impresses with the interior space at the front.The rear will be a cramped zone for the adults.The interior design is minimalistic and the quality of the plastics used is average.The cabin is reasonably practical, with excellent storage and a simple dashboard layout.
The 998 cc engine develops 67 bhp power and a decent 70 nm torque @3600 rpm.The mileage rating of 60MPG and carbon emission rating of 98gm/km is one of best in its class.This car is strictly for city use and occasional highway drive.The 3 cylinder engine is peppy to drive although you need to push it hard to give a spirited performance.The 0 to 100km/hr time is 14seconds.The standard features of the car include adjustable steering column,AC,Air bag for driver and passenger,Antilock brakes,power steering,central locking and Seat - ISOFIX Anchorage Point(international standard for attachment points for child safety seats in passenger cars)

The boot space is small,the car comes with 3 door and 5door options.The 107 comes in 9 variants and the price starts form 7300 euros to 9500 euros.At this price there are other options like the Toyota Avgo and the sharper looking Citroen C1.But for Peugeot fan this car makes good buy.This photos were taken by me in Europe.

BY:Raghavendra Murthy

Hatch Back Cars in Europe:Peugeot 207

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:49:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION:I had been to Europe for a month tour.My passion on cars grew more seeing the wide range of Hatchbacks,Sedans and SUV there by manufacturers like ,Peugeot,Citroen,VW,Nissan,Renault,Ford,Toyota,Alfa Romeo,Seat,Mazda,Volvo,BMW,Audi and Fiat.Here i am giving a brief update on popular hatchback cars across Europe with distinctive styling and features.We look into the Peugeot 207 hatchback which is one of the popular cars in Europe.

OVERVIEW:
The Peugeot 207 instantly get you into its admiration with its strikingly signature Peugeot design available in 3 door and 5 door version and also with engine options and trims in 1.6L diesel ,1.6L VTi petrol and the 1.4L petrol options.There are 42 variants of this model!!! In Europe these cars are called the Super mini segment.The front has a distinctive large petal shape headlamps and the front bonnet has been split on the upper side with the large Lion icon of Peugeot at the centre.The Large chrome grill and side fog lamps enhances the visual appeal of the car.The rear design is minimalistic but fits well to the overall looks of the car.The 207 powered with HDi turbocharged 1.6 litre diesel engine generating 112 BHp and massive 270 nm torque@1750 is pick of the lot.It makes 0-100km/h in 11 secs!!!The top of the line variant comes with features like Cruise control,automatic climate control.The equipment like Air bag for driver and passenger,Anti lock braking systems,central door locking and power steering.

Interior quality and ergonomics are at its best.The superior seats, best driving position,plus top notch quality of the dashboard plastics is a good value proposition. It's far from flawless as some interior colour schemes are too dark.Adults will find the rear headroom and legroom cramped while the windows are small. The 270-litre boot is decent enough and trails the best in the class.With price ranging from 10000Euro to 16 thousand euros its one of the good cars to own.

By:Raghavendra Murthy

Control Adaptive Brightness in Windows 8

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Have you installed Windows 8 on your machine? Windows 8 have Adaptive brightness enabled by default which will adjust the monitor brightness automatically based on power input and external environment. For my machine I found my display keep fluctuating its brightness and contrast so I was irritated with the fluctuation. To overcome this auto brightness adjustment I disabled this service. Follow the below steps to override the auto brightness adjustment setting in windows 8.

Disable Adaptive Brightness in Windows 8

Open the Control Panel and go to Power Options
Edit the selected Power Plan setting and Click on the Change advanced power setting

In Advance Power Options window select the power Plan to adjust
Expand the Display Setting and set the Enable adaptive brightness to off.

Adjust the brightness to level you want

on your windows 8 system press (WIN+I) (remember CAPITAL I) you get the below sceen

Adjust the brightness by clicking the brightness icon as shown above is adjusted to 50.

Manage Multiple Gmail Account: use Pokki Gmail Desktop

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:08:00 +0000

While Gmail is the most popular email application in the world. You can make it as a part of your desktop like other apps and web browser. While there are multiple Desktop client application available for Gmail as I have detailed about a Gmail desktop client GeeMail in my earlier post. The Pokki Gmail Desktop client which is another very good desktop Client as it has a easy and nicely designed interface to manage your Gmail.

You can access your Gmail account right from your desktop and whenever want to switch to web version its just a click away. Nice animated smooth navigation gives a great look to the application which is superb and I am sure you will love it more than your regular Gmail.

Application Pros:-

    Quick (Fast) and easy access to Gmail right from your Desktop
    View unread mail count on your taskbar
    A good application to manage multiple Gmail account (One click to switch)
    Easy and friendly interface

Fast switch to webmail either click on the link or Gmail icon

Application Cons:-

No support for Drag Drop and auto contact fill-up as of now

No support for some of Gmail Lab features and labels are not attached to independent mail

To Download this application for free Click Here

If you love it let others know it.

Windows 8 Transformation/UX Pack 4.0 for Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:27:00 +0000

Windows 8 UX Pack (8UXP) will theme your Windows 7 desktop with Windows 8 User Experience. So without installing the new OS Windows 8 you can have a feel of new OS. This app will give a distinctive look of Windows 8 to your Windows 7 desktop. Select the windows theme and other option and the app will get installed. However I won’t say this app as great as even after install also there are very few changes you will

notice as improved reflecting Windows 8 on your Windows 7 machine. But still if you love the change you can try this application. The app has Windows 8 inspired themes and application to resemble Windows 8 to some extent without any system file modification by you. This will also customize the boot screen of your Windows 7 PC to Windows 8 consumer preview version. similar patch for XP machines is also there which is named as Windows

To Download Windows 8 UX pack for Windows 7 users

Click Here

Windows XP users can also get the similar effect but not with UX theme program. They have to download Windows 8 Transformation pack.

To Download Windows 8 Transformation pack for other Windows users

Click Here

Few of the screen shots from Windows 8 Transformation pack

Get Free Antivirus from Facebook with 1/2 Year Subscription

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Facebook the most popular Social Networking now a days. It has more than 900 Million active users. Facebook along with Market Place is providing the popular antivirus for free to all Facebook users for 6 months with licensed subscription. Facebook and Market Place wants every PC to be safe and secure. All the antivirus provided are one of the rated antivirus services. Limitation is you can use only one of the 5 available antivirus with one account.

Make sure you select the best suited antivirus for yourself as there is only one choice for one account.So once downloaded you cant download the other with the same account.

below are the free antivirus available from Facebook

1:-
McAfee Internet Security (Download a 6-month subscription of McAfee Internet Security to protect your PC)

2:-
Microsoft Security Essentials (Seriously great antivirus protection that’s seriously free)

3:-
Norton Antivirus (#1 Ranked Protection* that won’t slow you down. Download Norton Antivirus today for your PC or Mac!)

4:- Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition (Learn more about this award-winning, free and painless antivirus)

5:- Trend Micro Internet security for PCs and Macs (Strong, fast and easy-to-use security - Trend Micro provides you with essential online protection for free.)

To download and try the facebook antivirus for you visit

this link

View and Navigate in Web Maps offline: Use GMapCatcher

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Mon, 07 May 2012 02:25:00 +0000

Is your internet fast enough for easy map loading and navigation. There are map providers as Yahoo, CloudMaps, OpenStreetMaps which works good if your connection speed is good enough. You always need a working internet connection to navigate through the Maps. GMAPSCatcher is a program which allows you to download and view the maps from various providers offline. So that you can still view the maps when you are not having internet connectivity also. The application is available for free and supports

various service providers as Yahoo, CloudMaps, OpenStreetMaps, Google Maps etc. Look at the image below to see the list of providers supported by the application.

You can also download the maps for an area specified by providing the Lat Long along with the range depth and levels of details (LOD) (Min Max Zoom levels here) to the program and save it on your local machine.

How to find Lat Long information of a place:-

On Google Maps navigate to the place of your choice and at the selected place right click and choose “What’s Here?” from the options. After doing this the page gets refreshed and the search bar will be filled with two comma (,) separated value where the left Val is lat and right is long information. copy and use these values.

This application i found very useful as I need not to wait for Maps to load on my web browser and also I am able to access different MAP services (even I was not aware of few of them) and use them offline.

OS Platforms:-

The application is available for various platforms Linux, Mac OS X and all Windows Platform

GMAPS Catcher Download:-

You can download the GMAPS Catcher from Here

By:- Gyani

Encrypt and Protect your Data on PC and Cloud

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Sat, 05 May 2012 00:01:00 +0000

In the recent past a number of cloud storage providers came to existence as Google Drive, SkyDrive, ADrive etc. Since the world is moving towards cloud storage the future of storage system and files are shared and kept on the cloud servers where you don't have any control on the on the privacy of the file stored. However there are various free compression and encryption tools are available for data security of the files. But still the use of all the tools is not handy enough as you need to decrypt the data on your local machine before

using it and all this is tiresome and lengthy process.

What is Cloudfogger and what it does:-

Cloudfogger is a program which when installed will create a Cloudfogger Drive (usually X:) on your machine which looks similar to OS drive (C:/) by properties, and makes the procedure of file encryption and decryption very handy and fast. You can encrypt and decrypt the file from the context menu and the file icon and association will change. All the files you encrypt on c: will be available in unencrypted form in (X:/).

You can also make sure the file is shared only to those you have authorized as even they will get a mail notification for the file shared with a temporary password to access the file. You can see in the image below the options to Fogg (Encrypt) the file and once you done it the file icon will change to Cloudfogger.

You can always lock your account so that decryption of file is not possible until you want it as you need to login to the application again to have access to it.

Icon for the File encrypted with cloud fogger

Context Menu cloud fogger options (Left)

HOW Cloudfogger secures files on the cloud:-

If you share only the fogged files over the cloud you have the control on who is accessing the file. Thus your privacy and security is still maintained.

Pros:-
Fast encryption and Decryption of the file
Easy access to Fogg and Unfogg features
Good to use as application is available for multiple platforms (Android, Windows, etc)
Cons:-
You need to have a account with Cloudfogger to use the program and services
Currently the app and features are free but no promise to keep the same always free

Password protect and hide Folders in PC: Wise Folder Hide

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:10:00 +0000

Is your PC is shared among multiple users? Do you want to keep your personal files and folders hidden and access controlled even if someone uses your personal computer? I recommend you to use Wise Folder Hider. This is a FREE program to hide your files and folders and protect them using password. You need to run the program and unlock the file or folder to make it visible again. Apart from hiding individual files and folders you can also hide your USB Drive also to restrict access to it.This program interface is easy and safe for use even with multiple accounts

Features of the Program:-
Ability to hide files/folders/USB (Removable Drives)
Support for Multi Account
Support for Drag and Drop
Double password protection
Access Program features in context Menu

OS Supported covers:-

Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows 8

Steps to use the programs:-

Download the program from the official page Wise Folder Hider or click Here for direct download
Install and RUN the program provide a password for your protection
Select files or folders from the button or Drag Drop them on the program.
Hide or unhide the items added to the Program.
!!!!!!!!!!!Done!!!!!!!!!!!
Share it if you Liked it. Thanks in Advance

By:- Gyani

Check Your Hard Drive for Errors using Sea Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:04:00 +0000

Do you suspect the performance of your Hard Disk Drive. Do you know that 80% of HDD does not have a good health after about a year of usage. Now you can check the health of your HDD and even fix the HDD errors to increase the performance and life of your Hard Drive. Seagate provides two Hard drive testing program which is named as SeaTools available in DOS and Windows version. The program will scan and check HDD for any type of access error or bad sector error. The DOS version of the program is even more powerful but its a bit difficult

to use but able to fix the HDD error’s. Dos version of the program is basically a iso (CD IMAGE) file which you have to burn on a Optical Media. Now boot your PC using the optical media as boot device and perform the Test on HDD. With the windows version of program you can check your HDD for errors. It may not be able to correct the actual HDD problem but will inform the real status of HDD.

I got a few errors while verifying my PC HDD for errors you can see in the image above. I will recommend this to try by everyone. If your HDD is failing frequently you can verify and fix the error at the beginning itself.

Download Sea Tools for windows from Here

Download Sea Tools for DOS from Here

!!!!Share it if you Liked it. Thanks in Advance!!!!

Google Drive launched with 5GB of free Storage

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Tue, 01 May 2012 05:02:00 +0000

Finally Google has unwrapped its awaited cloud storage Google Drive. It comes with a 5GB of free storage to keep your file synchronized and safe. You need to have a Google account to use the services offered by Google Drive. Basically what was Google Docs earlier is now Google Drive with some more added features. So while opening Google drive first time you may find some of your stuffs already available there. You may also be familiar with the interface as some Google docs features still remains the same in Drive as well.

For example the creation of new document is still under the Red Button. Searching and sorting of file remains the same. Preview of the files with Google docs remains same.

The changes you could see is the Left navigation pane with new view called My Drive from there you need to organize all your files now. You can also find a Grid view button for your files. You can also share the photos stored in Drive directly to Google+. Apart from these features there are application client also available for all the OS and Devices except for Linux. You can use chrome browser to easily access and upload folders to your Google Drive.

In windows when the client application installed it will make a folder Google Drive in your home folder similar to Sky Drive and Drop Box as you can see in the image below.

The file size limit with Google drive claimed to be 10GB but as a free user the limit need to be explored. While uploading the files to Google Drive you will be asked to set your preferences to convert the uploaded docs and files to Google Docs format.

To use Google Drive you need to sign in to drive.Google.com with your Google account.

You can also access Google Drive from Google NAVBAR as you can see in the image below.

There are options to upgrade your storage in Google drive with nominal charges on monthly basis the charges for upgrade are as follows

25 GB for Drive and Picasa for $2.49/Month

100 GB for Drive and Picasa for $4.99/Month

200 GB for Drive and Picasa for $9.99/Month

400 GB for Drive and Picasa for $19.99/Month

and so on.... up to 16TB with for $799.99/Month

!!!!Share it if you Liked it. Thanks in Advance!!!!

Classic Start Menu for Windows 8: Metro UI Customization

noreply@blogger.com (Raghu & Gyani) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:16:00 +0000

What users of Windows 8 Consumer preview is really missing is the classic start menu. However in my previous post Start menu for Windows 8: Metro UI Customization I have covered a software called Start 8 which actually brings a Desktop Mode of Metro interface as a part of Start Menu.
While other Windows 8 customization I have already covered but I was still missing the Classic Start Menu in the consumer preview of Windows 8.

I Googled for such stuff I came across a software which will bring the feature of both classic Start Menu and Windows 8 Metro UI as well just at the difference of SHIFT key and is highly customizable in terms of themes available. This programs brings features of legacy windows to the new Windows system like Start menu, Explorer, customizable toolbar etc.

Check below the sample of Start menu I have found after using the classic shell program on my Windows 8 Consumer preview system.

Apart from the start Menu it will also add a Classic explorer bar to the explorer window. There are a number of customization available for Navigation Pane, Title Bar, Tool Bar item which can be accessed using settings.

To Download Classic Shell for Windows 8 system

Click Here

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Chevy Spark petrol/LPG version-The best Entry level small car

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Add Extra Controls to Windows Explorer Window

Peugeot 407 Saloon in Europe

Peugeot 3008:The crossover Hatchback in Europe

Peugeot 308 SW,The Big European Hatchback

Re-Open Closed Program and Folders

Peugeot 107-The Small European City Hatchback Car

Hatch Back Cars in Europe:Peugeot 207

Control Adaptive Brightness in Windows 8

Disable Adaptive Brightness in Windows 8

Adjust the brightness to level you want

Manage Multiple Gmail Account: use Pokki Gmail Desktop

Application Pros:-

Quick (Fast) and easy access to Gmail right from your Desktop View unread mail count on your taskbar A good application to manage multiple Gmail account (One click to switch) Easy and friendly interface

Fast switch to webmail either click on the link or Gmail icon

Application Cons:-

No support for Drag Drop and auto contact fill-up as of now

No support for some of Gmail Lab features and labels are not attached to independent mail

Windows 8 Transformation/UX Pack 4.0 for Windows 7

To Download Windows 8 UX pack for Windows 7 users

Click Here

To Download Windows 8 Transformation pack for other Windows users

Click Here

Get Free Antivirus from Facebook with 1/2 Year Subscription

McAfee Internet Security (Download a 6-month subscription of McAfee Internet Security to protect your PC)

Microsoft Security Essentials (Seriously great antivirus protection that’s seriously free)

Norton Antivirus (#1 Ranked Protection* that won’t slow you down. Download Norton Antivirus today for your PC or Mac!)

To download and try the facebook antivirus for you visit

this link

View and Navigate in Web Maps offline: Use GMapCatcher

How to find Lat Long information of a place:-

OS Platforms:-

GMAPS Catcher Download:-

Encrypt and Protect your Data on PC and Cloud

What is Cloudfogger and what it does:-

HOW Cloudfogger secures files on the cloud:-

Password protect and hide Folders in PC: Wise Folder Hide

Check Your Hard Drive for Errors using Sea Tools

Google Drive launched with 5GB of free Storage

Classic Start Menu for Windows 8: Metro UI Customization

Quick (Fast) and easy access to Gmail right from your Desktop
View unread mail count on your taskbar
A good application to manage multiple Gmail account (One click to switch)
Easy and friendly interface