Reviews

Introducing the Google Chrome OS

jon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:45:05 +0000

It’s been an exciting nine months since we launched the Google Chrome browser. Already, over 30 million people use it regularly. We designed Google Chrome for people who live on the web — searching for information, checking email, catching up on the news, shopping or just staying in touch with friends. However, the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. So today, we’re announcing a new project that’s a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome Operating System. It’s our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be.

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we’re already talking to partners about the project, and we’ll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.

Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year. The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. For application developers, the web is the platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.

Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android. Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks. Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems. While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google.

We hear a lot from our users and their message is clear — computers need to get better. People want to get to their email instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up. They want their computers to always run as fast as when they first bought them. They want their data to be accessible to them wherever they are and not have to worry about losing their computer or forgetting to back up files. Even more importantly, they don’t want to spend hours configuring their computers to work with every new piece of hardware, or have to worry about constant software updates. And any time our users have a better computing experience, Google benefits as well by having happier users who are more likely to spend time on the Internet.

We have a lot of work to do, and we’re definitely going to need a lot of help from the open source community to accomplish this vision. We’re excited for what’s to come and we hope you are too. Stay tuned for more updates in the fall and have a great summer.

Posted by Sundar Pichai, VP Product Management and Linus Upson, Engineering Director

Google Apps is out of beta (yes, really)

jon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:45:05 +0000

We’re often asked why so many Google applications seem to be perpetually in beta. For example, Gmail has worn the beta tag more than five years. We realize this situation puzzles some people, particularly those who subscribe to the traditional definition of “beta” software as not being yet ready for prime time.

Ever since we launched the Google Apps suite for businesses two years ago, it’s had a service level agreement, 24/7 support, and has met or exceeded all the other standards of non-beta software. More than 1.75 million companies around the world run their business on Google Apps, including Google. We’ve come to appreciate that the beta tag just doesn’t fit for large enterprises that aren’t keen to run their business on software that sounds like it’s still in the trial phase. So we’ve focused our efforts on reaching our high bar for taking products out of beta, and all the applications in the Apps suite have now met that mark.

Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Google Talk — both enterprise and consumer versions — are now out of beta. “Beta” will be removed from the product logos today, but we’ll continue to innovate and improve upon the applications whether or not there’s a small “beta” beneath the logo. Indeed, today we’re also announcing some other Google Apps features that we think will appeal to large enterprises: mail delegation, mail retention and ongoing enhancements to Apps reliability.

We have much more in store, and IT managers can read more about how to make the switch to Apps in our Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes resource centers. One more thing — for those who still like the look of “beta”, we’ve made it easy to re-enable the beta label for Gmail from the Labs tab under Settings.

Posted by Matthew Glotzbach, Director, Product Management, Google Enterprise

Site maintenance on Saturday, July 11

jon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:44:09 +0000

This Saturday, July 11th, our engineers will be performing routine maintenance. While you won’t be able to access your AdSense and Ad Manager accounts from 10am to approximately 2pm PDT, your ad serving and targeting won’t be affected. In addition, your clicks, impressions, and earnings will continue to be recorded as normal.

We’ve converted the maintenance start time for a few cities around the world:

London - 6pm Saturday
Cairo - 8pm Saturday
Agra - 10:30pm Saturday
Singapore - 1am Sunday
Brisbane - 3am Sunday

Posted by Arlene Lee - Inside AdSense Team

Office Space

jon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:42:54 +0000

Remember the movie Office Space? Man, that was a good one. I’ll never forget poor Milton and his “Streamline” stapler, or Lumbergh constantly nagging employees with memos and his drawn out voice, “Ummm, yeaaahhh….”

Ever wonder what would happen if you put a bunch of racers in some office space? Could they handle the pressures? Could they figure out the copier? What would they bring for lunch? You’ll find some of these answers by watching this cool little film.

DanBro

Antilock Braking System (ABS) for Indian Motorcycles

jon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:42:54 +0000

The German firm of Robert Bosch GmbH had been developing anti-lock braking technology since the 1930s, but the first production cars using Bosch’s electronic system became available in 1978. The early era did not have the kind of a technology and sophistication that we have right now. But for its time, the system was superior. But if we were to compare the earlier systems with today’s ones it would seem a bit OLD SCHOOL.

ABS in India

Right now, in Indian motorcycles we still don’t have the system. But in cars, yes we have it, but, at a cost, As we now know, ABS stands for Antilock Braking System. This is a device which avoids locking of wheels equipped with hydraulic brakes.

When Bajaj introduced disc brake system, they had a lot of troubles with the design which I guess was due to lack of knowledge. But Royal Enfield was the first to introduce disc brakes in India. They introduced this system in vehicle called Fury. Fury was launched by Royal Enfield Motors. The original company who made this awesome motorcycle was Zundapp. When they launched this powerful moto in India, it came with disc system. The disc system was from BREMBO Germany. One of the biggest companies specializing in disc brakes.

Fury had a very good and bad reputation in India. It was very good in speed but very bad in braking due to its Disc Brake system. At the, time the disc brake system was very much unknown to all our Indian friends. So it was much harder to use. People whoever bought FURY had many accidents due to the brakes. Why did this happen? Well the answer is simple: misunderstanding the brakes. Using the front or rear brake depends on the vehicle speed. It has to be in some ratio which we learn by our experience and judgement. Due to wrong usage, Fury owners had problems. But after this long span of time, this system began to be introduced on Indian motorcycles but without an ABS.

Types of ABS

ABS comes with two different types. One is mechanical and another is ECU based. If I am not mistaken, the first motorcycle with an ECU controlled ABS in India and for Indian roads is CBR1000 by Honda.

The mechanical system works on pressure but continuously varies it according to the pressure applied by the rider on the brake lever. An ECU controlled ABS works in a smarter way because it is based on sensors and a processor which work together to vary braking force based on numerous information for the bikes systems such as throttle position, vehicle speed, angle of lean etc. It is bit complicated to understand.

Installing Mechanical ABS For Your Bike

But let’s talk about mechanical ABS. Its a good news to all moto lovers in India that an Indian based company actually manufactures Mechanical ABS systems themselves.

The system was introduced by company called EATA Plast Fabrics. And they currently manufacture Mechanical ABS for Indian motorcycles. When I saw the article related to ABS in “Bike India” magazine I was very curious to understand it. But since no one has ever got an ABS system in India which can be fitted to any of our Indian made motorcycles. I bought the system online and tested it on a ThunderBird Twin Spark and a Bajaj Avenger.

The result was amazing. I could instantly feel the change between both the brakes, I meant, without and with ABS. The bike can stop without skidding under hard braking. The system works 2-3 times per second. When rider presses the brake lever it applies variable pressure to the brake pads hence making sure that the brakes maintain maximum pressure while keeping wheel lock aside on any surface.

But it depends on vehicle speed. If the speed or load of the motorcycle is high then the system works faster. That means the system is activated 2-3 times every second the brakes are applied. This system is relies on some mechanical spares. The unit is quite small and can fit onto any motorcycle without any alterations or changes. You can roll back to original if you don’t want it.

The only catch is that Bajaj vehicles need different spares for ABS, but for other motorcycles all the spares are same. Bajaj has got a different threading style. So EATA Plast Fabrics provides spares for that too. You can order ABS online through www.SafeRideABS.com or can order from me also.

The price tag is very reasonable which is M.R.P.1250/- without shipment charges. The price tag on site is included courier charges. Rest of the information you can get is from their website. This system is not suitable for foreign motorcycles. Get it as fast as possible and fix it from your skilled and professional mechanic.

Friends, remember one thing this system is not an entertainment plug in. It is A Guaranteed Hardcore Safety Device, In effect, you can brake on any surface, be it water, mud or gravel, with full force at any speed without having the fear of locking the wheels and crashing.

Do not hesitate to buy. The installation guide is packaged along with the unit, if you have any doubts feel free to contact me or you can contact the concerned company directly.

- Chinmay Dangre
corepower@rediff.com

In this video you can understand the bottom line difference between two motorcycles with and without ABS each. Courtesy of Honda.

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

Yamaha Fazer Official Video

jon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:42:54 +0000

Yamaha has released an official video for its brand new bike, the Yamaha Fazer. This video is also available in the official website. The video is owned by Yamaha. We have published it here for your viewing pleasure.

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

Poll: Shall We Have a Community Forum?

jon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:42:54 +0000

Dear Readers, I hope you have been enjoying the posts that are being published on our blog lately. The blog’s traffic has increased and many users are linking back to the posts on bikeadvice from other blogs and forum.

However I noticed that people have a lot of questions and there is a lengthy discussion going on in the comments section of each post. The discussions can be made more effective by a community forum. If some of you can remember, we did have a forum a few months back, but the software was not efficient and I had to remove it for a lot of reasons including spam.

If I ever install a forum again, it would be a vBulletin forum. The software costs $180 and the investment would be out of my pocket, not from the profits made in bikeadvice right now. So I really need your opinion about the forum. Cast your vote and let us make a decision.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Just note that if we have a free forum, there would be a lot of people adding bad comments and controversial topics. If the voting is high for the first option, I would have to go with it. But you have to maintain the quality of the forum. If you make a lot of posts and add value to the community, I will give you moderator status which would allow you to edit or delete posts which are not good.

Deepak

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

Yamaha Fazer Launched In India Today

jon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:42:54 +0000

The Fazer, gets its DNA from the global Fazer series known for their sports touring, awesome looks. It has a “Look-at-me” appeal with the triple macho design concept giving it a concentrated form with excellent ergonomics. It has the beautifully contoured color – coordinated aerodynamic cowling to keep the wind blast at bay. With its comfortable riding position and seat the rider can enjoy a week end getaway or head off on a touring holiday.

Just like FZ16 and FZ-S, Fazer carries the Monocross suspension to ensure agile running performance and handling. The placement of this model’s ‘MidShip Muffler’ toward the center of the machine gives it a good concentration of mass, exhaust efficiency and handling. Fazer has the “140/60-17” size rear radial tyre with a 60% aspect ratio contributes to better grip and handling stability. The Fazer will be available in four color Electric Blue, Midnight Black, Lava Red and Flaming Orange.

Notable Changes in Fazer Compared to FZ 16:

Wind tunnel developed aerodynamic cowl and visor protect you from wind blasts on the highway. Enhance stability and riding comfort over long distances.
Riding posture designed to prevent fatigue and make long journeys more comfortable.
New design mirrors not only look trendy, but also add to safety with a better rear view.
New stylish graphics
Sporty twin headlight adopted design & styling like Yamaha DNA to give more clear vision at night.
Carbon pattern adopted to enhance the sporty image and the seat dynamics to ensure comfortable long touring.

Specifications:

Engine type: Air-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve
Displacement: 153.0cm3
Maximum power: 14PS / 7500 rpm
Maximum torque: 14 Nm / 6000 rpm
Starting system: Electric start
Fuel tank capacity: 12 litres
Transmission type: Return type 5-speed
Brake type(front/rear): Hydraulic single disc / drum
Headlight: 12V35W/35W+35W
Overall Length × Width × Height: 1,975mm × 770mm × 1,045mm
Seat height: 790mm
Wheelbase: 1,335mm
Minimum ground clearance: 160mm
Dry weight/Kerb weight: 130 kg / 141 kg

Source: Yamaha Motor India

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

Say ‘Hi’ To Our New Writer – Arun

jon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:42:54 +0000

Arun Thampi, a 21 year old B.com student from Kerala, has joined as a writer for BikeAdvice. He hails from ‘Gods own country’, Kerala. Having spent a major part of his life in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he is no stranger to international bikes. Now, though, he resides in Kerala itself waiting to pursue further education.

He wrote his first article when he was just 14, for the Saudi National newspaper, “The Saudi Gazette”. He currently owns a 2007 TVS Apache 150 which has been ridden about 35,000kms. His dad’s first bike was an Enfield Bullet 350 which he (dad) eventually sold in order to go abroad. His family currently owns a building, used as a showroom by TVS motors which Arun visits once in a while to service his bike and check out new models. He has plans to upgrade to the newly launched Apache 180 sooner or later.

Growing up, he was more of a fan of cars for a lot of reasons, but his passion for cycling as a hobby soon turned out to be a sort of a relation. As soon as he got his hands on a bike, he decided that it was the way forward.

He loved writing in many ways for the freedom it offers to express himself and to show the world about the amazing things it holds within. His contributions towards Bikeadvice include the Honda Goldwing article and the article on Valentino Rossi which were both relatively well received. Stay tuned as there are plenty more bombshells on its way to be dropped by this dude.

Deepak
Founder, BikeAdvice.in

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

High and Low Profile Tyres for Two Wheelers

jon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:42:54 +0000

Tyres and Wheel Rims have always been a point of discussion when we look at any motorcycle. We often hear about low and high profile tyres many times when we speak to both car and bike enthusiasts. But we can get confused when we’re at the tire Shoppe looking for a good low profile tire that would suit our machine. I know even I used to get confused. Hence we would require a little attention to understand the word “LOW PROFILE”.

So, A tyre has got some dimensions for example height, width, thickness etc. In order to fit Low profiles tires on a bike, we must first understand the fact that tyres depend on wheel rims. I mean to say both the tire and the rims must be compatible with each other. Confusing?…Well yes it can be, but a tyre dealer would take advantage of your confusion and sell tires which he would claim to be low profile but in reality would be high profile ones.

In simple language, A low profile tyre means tyres which are short in height. We could find such tyres at most tyre shops but we could to forget to check whether our motorcycle has got suitable rims for low profile tyres or not. For example FZ, P200 has got rims which are suitable for low profile tyres. I have seen people running low profile tyres on an R15 rear wheel, It was amazing how they managed to fix it on the rear rim which was designed for use with high profile tyres. That very fact can be explained by understanding that a Tyre is made up of a flexible material which is mainly RUBBER. That means it can stretch or can be pressed. Lets check the figure or the drawing. The drawing which I am showing is just for understanding and reference purposes.

Fig no.1 Shows us rims from the R15 and FZ

Fig no. 2 Explains the width and height of the tyre from the R15 and FZ.

The R15 rim has got a smaller width than an FZ rim. Now consider fitting an FZ tyre on R15 rim. Think…

Check fig no.3 now consider fitting of a FZ tyre on R15 rim. What will happen? It will fit but lets see the height and width of a FZ tyre on R15 rim….Remember The FZ has got a low profile tyre.(I know R15 tyre will not fit on FZ rim…anyways) So as you can see the change. The Tyre can be fitted on R15 Rim but the design of the rim would make such a tire look like high profile ones. What you had on the FZ would change into High Profile. The tyre becomes high in height and low on width. So the meaning of a LOW PROFILE TYRE has been lost.

This change in profile happened due to the RIM. When the rim is broader, you can go for low profile tyres which are suitable for the rim. But if the rim is small in width then the tyre should be in that ratio only. So a ratio between rim width and tyre height is one of the important criteria.

A change in tyre other than manufacturer’s recommendation would also bring with it various other changes such as ride height and performance. We also need to remember that as the ride height increases, the tendency for the pillion to be hurled forward increases when the front disc brakes are applied. Therefore we can’t ignore gravity, inertia and the load of the bike. The handling of the bike would also change according to the tire which in severe cases would result in accidents.

Aesthetics are not the only principles of a motorcycle, there are lots of other crucial factors to be aware of. Do not mess with the geometry of the bike without having done prior research on its outcomes. Small changes can often make huge differences. Always Ride Safely…And Enjoy Life.

- Chinmay Dangre

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog