Volkswagen UP - concept car in India

Volkswagen UP! New Car for India from Volkswagen had its debut at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany. Volkswagen UP! is expected to hit Indian roads by late next year. It’s expected that both variants both petrol & diesel, will be launched India simultaneously. The fact that the engine of the up runs in the rear has a decisive influence on its exterior design. That is because the up! Has no classic radiator grille. It forges links to the Beetle.

Major design characteristics includes the headlamps which take an inward and diagonal line, between them lies the horizontally arranged air vents, the Volkswagen logo (as one of the few details kept in chrome), the tailgate that extends far forward and the smooth bumper with a circumferential black stripe.

The tailgate was produced using a transparent material beneath which integrated the high layout of the taillights. Another new visible feature is the location of the VW logo in the tailgate is placed behind glass and gets illuminated when the light is on. About design of wheels, the wheels are flush with the sporty outboard wheel arches and side skirts. The radial design of the wheels and surfaces extending right up to the edge of the rim make the 18-inch wheels appear significantly larger than they actually are.

Volkswagen UP accounts for a large spacy interior. The Hatchback offers more space than any other car of similar length (3.45 meters) and width (1.63 meters).Except the driver’s seat, all other seats can be folded and removed providing large extra cargo space. Volkswagen UP also provides high level of seating comfort that Volkswagen always provides. Similar to a self-inflating air mattress, air can be sucked out of the seat surfaces via a valve. This means that the seats can be adjusted 1:1 to the body anatomies of the occupants who have just taken a seat.

The price details of the Volkswagen UP are targeted a low $7,500 price point. The car belongs to the B segment contains a 1200cc, 3 Cylinder petrol engine provides a max power of 72 Bhp.

Volkswagen opening their first plant in India in 2009, they have aggressive growth plans in that market. By 2012 they could be building as many as 240,000 cars a year there with the production version of the up making up a large share of those. In addition to the up! VW will also build the next generation Polo at the plant in Chakan. Although building the micro-cars in India for the local market would seem logical, there is also the possibility that they will export the cars from there to the US market.

Volkswagen UP! FeaturesBody Color BumpersTachometerAlloys WheelsDual Trip MeterAC with Climate ControlPower WindowsRemote Central LockingRemote BootRemote Fuel FillerRear WiperRear DefoggerMP3 CD Player Music SystemOptional Leather SeatsBoth Side Electric Door MirrorParking SensorsFog Lamp.

Volkswagen UP! Specification
Car name: UP!
Car Body Type: Hatchback
Segment: B Segment

Volkswagen UP! Engine Specification
Displacement: 1200cc, 3 Cylinder
Engine Type: Petrol
Maximum Power: 72 Bhp

Volkswagen UP! Dimension & Other Specs
Length: 3449 mm
Width: 1631 mm
Seating Capacity: 4
Brakes: Front Disk, Rear Drum
Gears: 5 Manual

Source: Google

Nokia Booklet 3G mini laptop

Nokia rocked the world this morning by introducing its spin on the laptop, called the Booklet 3G. If you're the rude sort (like us) you could call it a fancy netbook, what with its Atom processor and 10.1-inch display, but that screen is higher res than your average Eee, and it also sports integrated 3G wireless and a hot-swappable SIM card, so it's definitely trying to define its own niche. It looks to be running Windows 7, which isn't particularly netbooky, and also has integrated A-GPS with a copy of Ovi Maps, HDMI output, a rated 12 hour battery life, and the usual Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, all in a 2cm (.78 inch), 2.7lb aluminum body that's understated, sophisticated, and should make most Nokia fans very happy -- Nokia fans who are looking for a tiny laptop, anyway. There's a fancy promotional video after the break, and while we don't have any anticipated release date or price just yet, we'll be learning more at Nokia World 09 on September 2. We promise not to make too many Foleo references.

For more information we need to wait .....

Source: www.engadget .com

Napkin PC concept

Check out this very clever Napkin PC designed by Avery Holleman that is perfect for collaborating designers. Using e-ink and RF technology it allows designers to draw in colour and skip the very tedious stage of transferring the sketch into a digital format.
Avery has done a great job illustrating the design in a scenario based presentation, so much so that I’ll let the images do the talking.

Overview of Design:

The Napkin PC is innovative because of its multi-flexibility. It can have multiple users, multiple interfaces, and multiple configurations. It breaks the PC down to only the interface— a pen and a space— and then gives you a multitude of both so you can let your creativity run wild.

Scenarios of UseThere are two new usage scenarios delivered by the PC. First is the brainstorming workflow. Creativity that normally starts on paper and whiteboards goes instead directly into the PC without the user changing their behavior. This creativity is richer because of the innumerable software tools and resources available on every Napkin interface. It can also be shared, compiled, and compared instantly for a smooth, speedy workflow.

The second scenario is a replacement for printing. Instead of ever putting ink on paper, the interfaces themselves instantly become “prints” when power is removed. They would then be used just like a print, pinned up, handed around, reviewed, etc. When the print is no longer needed the interface is simply returned to the base station as a fresh Napkin.

Technical Aspects:

The key technologies are full color e-Paper, multi-touch input, Inductive power circuits, and high speed RF wireless connections. The e-Paper is key because of its low power consumption, thinness and flexibility, and ability to retain an image without power. Multi-touch is simply the future of intuitive input that makes the PC fun, fast, and easy to use.

The inductive power circuits are crucial because they allow wireless power transfer and make the interface Napkin simple and inexpensive enough to be used in large numbers. High speed RF continues to keep everything wireless and intuitively seamless.

Ecology:

The environmental sustainability of the PC is most innovative with the Napkin interface. It is the most numerous component and the one most likely to need replacing due to wear over a few years. Therefore it is beneficial to make it easy to recycle which is accomplished by powering it with an inductive circuit. This eliminates a hard-to-recycle internal battery.
The second, and likely more impactful, innovation is the use of the interface as an instant “print.” This eliminates the need for printers, paper, and ink, which are used in large amounts during the creative process.

Source: www.tuvie.com & Next-Gen PC Design

Dell ADAMO ... Thinner as MAC

              If the rumors are accurate, Dell will soon launch a new laptop to compete with ultra-thin models from Apple, Lenovo and others. So just how thin would this new “Adamo” laptop need to be to lure some of those premium buyers over to Dell? Here’s how the competition measures up:

Apple MacBook Air: 0.16 to 0.79 inches
Voodoo Envy 133: 0.70 inches
Lenovo ThinkPad X301: 0.73 inches
Toshiba Portege R500: 0.77 inches
Toshiba Portege R600: 0.79 inches
Sony VAIO Z series: 1.0 inches
Amazon Kindle: 0.70 inches

However, how Dell came up with the name "Adamo" remains a mystery. Adamo in Latin means to find love or pleasure, which points to Dell trying to invoke the lust factor for the product.The naming convention is interesting on another count.

 
Based on the competition, the Adamo will almost certainly measure 0.7 inches or less. But perhaps Dell will really try to shake things up with an aggressively tapered design like that of the MacBook Air. The problem with this approach is that while the MacBook Air doesn’t have an internal DVD drive, several of the Windows competitors do. So it will be interesting to see just how radical Dell is willing to get with this new model.

My guess is that Dell will give it a decent set of features (13.3-inch LED-backlit display, internal DVD) but skip the more esoteric stuff such as SSDs and instead come in at a lower price. 

Dell earlier leaked out accessories available on its Web site for Adamo Thirteen, which it later deleted. Dell listed a 45-watt AC adapter, which is similar to the 45-watt MagSafe power adapter used in the MacBook Air.

Dell also leaked a DVD+/-RW slot drive. Few ultraportable laptops build in an optical drive because of size constraints, with one exception being Fujitsu's LifeBook P8020 laptop.

The company also listed a "DC to DC auto/air adapter" accessory, an external hard drive and Displayport HDMI and VGA video dongles for the Adamo Thirteen.

No details, specs, or prices were given (except that its design includes anodized aluminum and glass .... it will be avilable in two colors silver & black), but don't expect this one to be on Walmart's shelves any time soon, despite rumors that it is supposed to be a price-friendly competitor for Apple's Air.

Dell website: http://www.adamobydell.com/choose-country.html

Dell Adamo Video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyVCV_8K3bs