I’ve just noticed the new “Add a Gadget” function on Blogger in Draft.
Well, it turned out it was more than just another new function… the whole “Add a Page Element” feature has been revamped into the more stylish (& better-looking) Add a Gadget. But rest assured, your Basic Page Elements features are still there - that's the first thing that comes up in the Basic Tab. However, there are quite a few new Gadgets as well - Blog List (feed of your blogroll), Slideshow, Subscription Links & Search Box.
Nevertheless, the most interesting thing about this new function is the availability of over 40,357 gadgets!!! Which means that you no longer need to search for widgets to add to your blog anymore – everything is here & it’s listed by categories (News, Tools, Technology, etc.).
& you can even add your own Gadgets as well…
Check it out now on Blogger in Draft. & actually, this should have been labelled widgets instead of Gadgets, because Gadgets are more synonymous with Windows Sidebar Gadgets. (& most of the gadgets seems to have been lifted off from iGoogle’s Gadgets database!)
With the BBC having snagged the F1 2009 Season broadcast rights, the inevitable question of who will present the show crops up… & obviously, if you are speaking of anything dealing by far with cars, then that’s Top Gear territory.
According to this report by TimesOnline, it's Richard Hammond (Hamster) that is hot favourite to become BBC’s F1 commentator. Actually, the BBC is looking to revamping the entire F1 show by giving it a new look… & why not with Team Top Gear.
Top Gear having more viewers than F1 should re-spark interest into the automotive sport, because Hamster won’t be doing the commentary alone… Jeremy Clarkson & James May won’t refrain from doing inside specials…
& they do indeed have quite a lot of racing “experience.”
A copsupercar - How hard can it be? How would you like to transform this…
Into this: Well, bet it on Top Gear to give a shot at building a copsupercar for the next season of Top Gear.
Sun columnist Jeremy Clarkson and the gang plan to build a super patrol car to help cops crack down on crime.
Explaining what Jezza, James May and Richard Hammond have in mind, a source said: “We looked at cops’ cars and they don’t feel equipped enough for the job.
“The Top Gear lads have got some ideas so we’re going to put them to the test in the new series.
“It won’t exactly be Robocop, but it will be better than PC Plod’s Pandas.” [via Autoblog]
Yes, actually it is… the start-up is lightning fast - less than 2 seconds. You’d think that it’s memory resident, but actually Safari is a very small app (3.28MB) & so is the installation (18MB).
The interface is basic, with the graphite Apple theme, just like iTunes. Safari has excellent CSS support, mainly due to its Webkit platform (also used by Nokia). All fonts rendered on Safari have extra font-smoothing, making it look rather blurred.
The progress bar is located on the address bar itself, with the Aqua animation. However, I was really surprised when Safari displayed links when I used it for the first time. Well, it turned out Safari imported my address history from Firefox… without my permission!
Safari has a built-in RSS Feed Reader that pops up when you click the blue RSS icon on the Address bar. The Reader itself isn’t that bad either, but I still prefer Google Reader.
Apple has included some OS X animations with the notification tab that slides out from upwards. & the download bar is very similar to the one found in Firefox.
The Verdict:
Oh yes, it does! In more common terms, while Firefox is the equivalent of Adobe Photoshop CS3 where you can loads of plugins & do loads of stuff… Safari is like Microsoft Paint - basic & stripped-down. Safari is indeed very fast, pages are loaded quicker than usual, but it’s really too prehistoric. You can’t use Add-Ons on it, it takes as much memory as Firefox (100MB+), there are no plugins, it crashes on YouTube & when you press Back, it reloads the previous page completely. Safari is just like the browser I’d expect to find on a mobile phone.
Even then Apple has decided to force it down on users who use Apple Software Update. Safari is enabled by default! Even Mozilla's CEO has labelled Safari as malware.
Safari is completely ill-suited for Windows users. It’s just another piece of bloatware from Apple… I wonder how Apple found it to be the World’s Best Browser… in MacLand maybe?
Nokia have officially revealed the black Nokia N82… with the slick layout of the new lineage of Nseries. Nokia is actually on the path to “Applelization” of its devices - revamping the models into a more trendy & minimalistic design.
The Nokia N82 Black is just a black edition of the previously released silver N82. So it is still the same medium-range Nseries device: - S60 3rd Edition OS 9.2 - HSDPA, 3G, EDGE & EGPRS - 2.4” QVGA TFT screen - 128MB RAM - MicroSD (2GB included) - Bluetooth 2.0 - WLAN 802.11b/g with UPnP - Micro USB 2.0 - 5MP Carl Zeiss Camera with Xenon flash - 30fps VGA MPEG4 recording - A-GPS - Stereo Speakers & FM Radio (3.5mm jack) - Nokia Battery (BP-6MT) 1050mAh
Remember the N82 was first leaked back in May 2007… Since then, nothing much has changed, it has the same small keypad (beware fat fingers), but its greatest strength is its Xenon flash… making it a perfect device for users looking for a great camera at a relatively low price. & yeah, the 1050mA battery is enough to power you up for up to 2 days on normal use (unlike the N96!)
Of all the horror movies I’ve come across this year, The Mist stands out… not only because it is a monster movie, but it’s also a great film!
The Mist is the cinematographic adaptation of the popular novel by Stephen King… the King of horror novels!
The film starts off with a mist that invades a town. & of course within the Mist… there are.... creatures…
The protagonists are trapped in a supermarket, faced with the dilemma of whether to venture out in the unknown Mist or wait for the “things” to get them…
& just like in a many other horror & doomsday movies, there are always characters that reveal the darkest face of humanity - people who can do anything in desperation (a very recurrent theme)… characterized here by a cynical Biblist intent on achieving expiation.
Even then The Mist ends in a very tragic way… unlike the cliff-hanger in the book.
Genre: Horror. Cast: Thomas Jane, Andre Braugher, Laurie Holden, Amin Joseph, Frances Sternhagen, Alexa Davalos, Sam Witwer, Jeff DeMunn, Brian Libby, Marcia Gay Harden, Toby Jones. Director: Frank Darabont. MPAA Rating: R for violence, terror and gore, and language. IMDB: 7.6/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 69% Metacritic: 58/100 Wiki:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mist_%28film%29
& btw, The Mist was the second movie released by aXXo after I Am Legend… when he made his return to The Scene.
What happens when you tell 3 buffoons (Alan Clarksmarsh, Jamesy Dimmock and Handy Hammond), who know nothing about gardening, to try their hand at remaking a garden? Yeah, you get Top Garden Ground Gear Force!
Garden Gear Tonight, Sport Relief will be bursting on to your TV with a whole evening of rictus grinning jollity designed to raise lots of lovely cash for charity.
And Top Gear will be doing its bit as our boys attempt to bring back popular garden makeover show Ground Force, all in the name of a worthy cause. You might remember Ground Force as the programme in which a bunch of blokes with regional accents pitched up at someone's house and covertly redesigned their shabby garden while they were out.
Well Jeremy, Richard and James decided it was high time it came back. After all, when it comes to gardening, how hard can it be?
As it turns out, slightly harder than you might imagine. Their location for this one-off special was the garden of a British sporting legend, and their self-nominated horticultural designer was one-time art school student Handy Hammond, who had come up with some lovely water colour plans to transform a featureless lawn into a restful haven in which a busy gold medallist could relax.
Unfortunately, Jeremy and James had rather different ideas about how the makeover should progress. Ones that mainly involved concrete, explosives, and a shed. Nonetheless, with our sports star out of the house and genuinely unaware of what was in store, the boys knuckled down to transform the garden in just one day.
The results were, erm, dramatic. Find out what happens when three perma-arguing car blokes try their hand at gardening on BBC2 at 10pm tonight.
It's worth it for the secret sports star's reaction alone.
Update: How hard can it be to make a cop car? For the next season of Top Gear, Jeremy & Co. have decided to make their own supercopcar or copsupercar? More here.
I wasn’t there at the concert, nor did I watch on TV because Atif’s show started at around 1.30 am (& I regret it). Nevertheless here are a few photos & videos of the 12th March 2008 All-Night Concert featuring Atif Aslam!
The Photos: Presenters Guillaume & Subashni (from Radioplus) & Mahen Gowressoo (Minister of Arts & Culture) in the background!
ATIF ASLAM - "My girlfriend should have brains” Atif Aslam a été le clou du concert organisé dans le cadre des célébrations du 40e anniversaire de l’indépendance. Charismatique, il ne faisait qu’un avec son public. Accessible, le jeune chanteur qui a fêté ses 25 ans chez nous le 12 mars, nous parle de sa carrière et de ses aspirations.
Troisième visite à l’île Maurice mais première scène… En effet, c’est ma troisième visite à Maurice mais c’est la première fois que je donne un concert. Les deux premières fois, j’étais venu pour le tournage de clips. J’aime vraiment Maurice pour l’hospitalité de ses habitants, leur chaleur et le fait que ma musique est appréciée ici. Mais je n’ai pas eu le temps de visiter le pays puisque je demeure toujours à l’hôtel.
Comment avez-vous vécu le fait de célébrer votre anniversaire loin de votre famille et de vos proches? C’est une expérience différente mais je ne suis jamais à la maison pour mes anniversaires. Je suis généralement à l’étranger. J’ai fêté un joyeux anniversaire en compagnie du public mauricien.
Votre morceau Doorie veut dire «distance» en français, de qui vouliez-vous garder vos distances ? (Sourire). Il ne faut pas prendre ce titre au pied de la lettre. Mais c’est une chanson qui me tient très à coeur.
Vous vivez aujourd’hui de la chanson mais qu’en est-il de votre première passion, le cricket… Quand j’ai voulu intégrer une équipe professionnelle de cricket, mes parents tenaient à ce que je me concentre sur mes études. Cela fait cinq ans que je chante en temps que professionnel mais j’aime toujours autant le cricket. Je pratique ce sport régulièrement.
Vous êtes aussi un chanteur play-back à Bollywood. Est-ce une étape essentielle pour se faire connaître en tant qu’artiste ? Si vous êtes un chanteur de rock, vous faites du rock et si vous êtes chanteur play-back, vous faites du play-back. Ce sont deux styles différents mais je trouve qu’on peut conjuguer les deux. On doit expérimenter les deux mondes.
Où en êtes-vous au niveau de votre carrière? Je fais ce que j’aime : la musique. Je jouerais peut-être dans un film si j’ai un bon script.
Qu’est-ce qu’un bon script pour vous? Un script avec une écriture intelligente, un sens de direction entre autres qualités.
Pensez-vous à des réalisateurs en particulier pour votre premier saut au cinéma? Non, je ne vise personne en particulier.
Et quel serait le rôle le mieux adapté pour vous? Un tueur en série sûrement mais pas du tout un amoureux. Ou alors j’aimerais endosser le rôle d’un musicien, prolifique ou accompli.
Votre dernier album sorti en janvier 2008 s’intitule Mere Kahani, quelles en sont vos chansons préférées? La chanson Chor Gayai par exemple mais Doorie demeure l’une de mes chansons préférées.
D’où puisez-vous l’inspiration? De la nature.
Vos groupes préférés… Coldplay, U2, Foo Fighters… J’ai aussi un énorme respect pour A.R Rahman.
Avez-vous une petite amie? Non, je suis à la recherche d’une.
Quel doit être son profil? She must be versatile, beautiful and should have brains. But brains is the priority.
Atif Aslam - Roi de Coeur - from Le Matinal [scanned] Atif Aslam on News On Sunday (14-20 March 2008):
On the 12th of March 1968 at 12.00 am at the Champ de Mars, the Union Jack was hoisted down to be replaced by the four-coloured Mauritian flag - red, blue, yellow & green. Red symbolises the struggle for Independence, Blue reflects colour of the Indian Ocean, Yellow for the bright future of Mauritius & Green represents the lush vegetation of our country.
Mauritius was hence declared to be an independent nation & the Prime Ministership was handed down by Sir John Shaw Rennie to the Father of the Nation, Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam.
At that time, the British Empire was crumbling down & its satellite states all over the world were demanding independence. In such a difficult climate, the nation was deeply divided over the issue of Independence. Ethnic tensions were blatant. Minorities & oligarchs feared that the Hindu majority will usurp power after Independence & will throw everyone out (like in Zimbabwe). The August 1967 elections were decisive - the Independence Party (Labour, IFB & CAM) won 54% of the vote & Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam could continue on the path towards independence. & would you believe it that 44% of the people had voted against independence in the decisive August 1967 elections! Even then, independence came at the price of the excision of the Chagos Archipelagos.
When Mauritius got its independence, future Nobel laureates Prof. Mead & V.S. Naipaul unequivocally declared that Mauritius was a disaster in making. Four decades later, we are now one of the most developed nations of Africa & a role model for economic success.
It required enormous courage to implement the necessary reforms that brought Mauritius to this stage today. But, Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam was a true visionary - free education, free healthcare, road infrastructure & the textile industry are some of his major achievements. We are a democratic country, among the least corrupt & the most developed in Africa & our multi-ethnic society lives in harmony. If we weren’t an independent country today, you wouldn’t be here reading this. I just can’t imagine in what state the country would have been…
However, we are once again facing the same problems that plagued our country in the pre-Independence era - crime, corruption, unemployment & poverty. The sugar & textile industry are no longer viable. Global food shortage & rising oil prices are threatening the population with double-digit inflation. Another economic “miracle” is a necessity. Can we realize it? I believe in the future. I believe in our nation. Yes, we can!
On the 12th March, at the highly symbolic Champ De Mars, will be celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Independence of Mauritius.
The official programme: - Atif Aslam (Pakistan) LIVE in Mauritius -> More here! - Neeraj Shridhar - Bombay Vikings (India) - Baster (Reunion) - Belly Dance Group (Egypt) - Booby Kray (England) - Modern Dance Group (Madagascar) - Pop Music, Dance and Acrobat Group (China) - The After Beat (France) - Ziskakan (Reunion) - Bihar Cultural Group (India)
Local “stars:” - Art Academy - Bhojpuri Baja Baje Boys - China Cultural Centre - Edouard Doyal (Rodrigues) - Grup Latanier - Idriss Lallmahomed - Laurent Sournois - Michel Legris/Linzy Bacbotte/Jean Claude Gaspard - Nalini Dance Group - OSB Crew - Ti Zenfan Illois - Zenfan L’Ocean Agalega
The event will start at 17.00 & will conclude with a spectacular firework display (sponsored by the Republic of China). Of all the stars that will be present, Atif Aslam & Neeraj Shridhar are the two most popular. Here are a few tracks to expect from them…
Atif Aslam
Aadat Atif Aslam’s first music video. Original version featured in movie Kalyug.
Tere Bin from movie Bas Ek Pal. An immensely popular song that was awarded Best Song of 2006 in Mauritius! Music video was filmed at Le Caudan Waterfront.
Doorie Atif Aslam’s first single from his album Doorie. Yet another chartbuster, which was again filmed in Mauritius - a colonial “Maison Creole” & the Port Louis Theatre.
Hum Kis Galli The second single from the album Doorie.
Ehsaas Third single from album Doorie & Atif Aslam confirms his affinity with Mauritius. The music video features Mauritius coastlines, a church & the rocky outcrop at Macondé.
Meri Kahani The recently released single from album Meri Kahani.
Pehli Nazar Mein Awesome track from the movie Race. The song is currently at top spots on charts.
Neeraj Shridhar - Bombay Vikings
Woh Chali Neeraj Shridhar is most famously known as the lead singer in the Indian pop group Bombay Vikings. The group kick-started their career with the remix of Woh Chali.
Jambola 2nd single from debut album Woh Chali
Angel Eyes The third single propelled Bombay Vikings as one of the most successful pop groups.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa Neeraj Shridhar has recently switched to the film industry & has given his voice for numerous tracks like Bhagam Bhag, Heyy Babyy, Ishq Ka Kalma & of course, the very popular Bhool Bhulaiyaa title track.
The show promises to be absolutely awe-inspiring! Don’t miss it!
Given Up is a Faint-styled live video, although it’s accompanied by special effects & flashbacks. The video has been recorded at live performances at Manchester & Nottingham. More on Wiki. Download the HQ flv here - 22MB, 720x480. That’s the best one available until the proper release of the video.
At the Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini have officially unveiled the next Gallardo, the LP560-4 which boasts a newer engine & new body mods.
The new 5.2L V10 direct-injection engine is modified from the Audi RS6 Avant. It has an output of 552hp (560PS), an increase of 40PS against the old Gallardo, the weight is 20kg less & 0-100km/h is at a staggering 3.7s. 0-200km/h in 11.8s & top speed is 325km/h. The new engine is also more eco-friendly by reducing CO2 emissions by 18%.
There’s not much difference between the old Gallardo & Gallardo Superleggera (yellow one above) & the LP560-4, but the new Gallardo has most importantly inherited the advancements of the super-exclusive Reventón… including the ultra-aggressive “hawk” front. There are new diffusers, the interior has been revamped & the absolutely exquisite design makes it a big contender… better than even the Murciélago.
No comments about the wheel rims… (left me speechless!)
Yeah, critics will say that the Nissan GT-R & Porsche 911s are faster & much cheaper than the Gallardo, but the Gallardo is in a totally different league. How can you compare a rock & a diamond?
The Official Press Release
The Style – Powerful elegance A Lamborghini is and always will be a highly efficient athlete. Its extreme sensuality is based upon precision, performance and on spontaneous action. A Lamborghini’s elegance is that of stark, purist strength. This DNA of the Lamborghini brand is being continuously developed by the Centro Stile in every new car. Thus the Gallardo LP560-4 displays the precise lines and clean surface edges in its distinctly minimalist design. Ornaments or embellishments of any form are alien to it.
Evolution of form systematically follows the demands of function: the newly designed front of the LP 560-4 squats deeply to the ground which contributes to its aerodynamic efficiency. The enlarged and clearly accentuated cooling intakes meet the demands of augmented engine power thus increasing the air circulation vital to a vehicle as powerful as this. The spoiler, positioned low between the air intakes, improves aerodynamic equilibrium at high speeds.
Characteristic LED – Daytime running light The new headlights have a characteristic ‘daytime’ running light integrated beneath the Bi-Xenon lamps: 15 diodes (LED) have been positioned in a Y structure. The same motif appears again in the rear tail-lights. The stop and brake lights have been inspired by the Miura Concept, the Murciélago LP640 and the Reventón and display the Y form three times over.
The completely redesigned rear gives the definition “powerful elegance” a new meaning: rear lights, air cooling vents, bumper and diffuser are arranged in precise positions on the car’s exterior, which make the LP560-4 appear extremely wide and bonded to the road surface. In addition, the streamlined covers left and right of the engine hood accentuate the powerful shoulders and lengthened, stretched lines of the new Gallardo.
Clearly improved aerodynamics The rear diffuser has been newly designed, is more efficient with respect to its predecessor and, together with the smooth underbody, contributes to the excellent steering stability even at extremely high speeds. In sum, the aerodynamic efficiency with regard to output compared to that of its predecessor has been increased by 31 %. The Gallardo LP560-4 takes fast curves even more supremely.
The designers in Sant’Agata Bolognese have excelled themselves with the clear-cut, pure, stark lines of the Gallardo LP 560-4. They also have demonstrated distinct attention to detail; the elaborate aluminium cap for petrol and motor oil are testimony to this, as is the rear camera which has been integrated in a small fin in the independent rear spoiler as well as the finely-crafted grille in the exhaust pipes.
The body Weight is undesirable in a sports car and a lightweight model encourages the dynamics of such a vehicle. Aluminium is much lighter than sheet steel and this is why the Gallardo LP560-4 is produced with a body in a much lighter but nevertheless more stiff structure: the two-seater car measures 4.34 metres in length, 1.90 metres in width and a mere 1.16 metres in height. It weighs in dry at 1410 kilograms – which is, effectively, 20 kilograms less than that of the previous Gallardo.
The construction of the Gallardo LP560-4 utilises what is known as a ‘spaceframe construction method’. Integrally moulded node elements and extruded parts create its frame, and sheet metal plates made out of aluminium have been neatly and securely integrated to form the body. The body is not only extremely light but also torsionally stiff and displays the highest safety characteristics. Thus the basis for the extraordinary handling characteristics of the LP560-4 is formed.
Integrated Pedestrian Protection system The body of the car also demonstrates extremely high levels of ‘passive security’. The Gallardo LP560-4 fulfils the not yet obligatory European directives regarding the protection of pedestrians. Furthermore, the geometry of the entire front of the car has been optimised with the addition of a special combination of materials behind the front bumper which serve to absorb any impact energy.
The Interior – Luxurious individuality Despite its low exterior height, the Gallardo LP560-4 welcomes its passengers with a spacious interior. The sports seats are covered with either fine leather or Alcantara® (upon request) and provide secure adherence and support. The position of the seats is very low, typical for sportscars. There is space behind the seats for luggage which complements the 110 litre front trunk.
The wide middle console is one of the elements which characterizes the impression of sporty dynamism in the interior. It accommodates the standard Lamborghini multimedia system as well as the air conditioning which can be regulated on both the driver’s and passenger’s sides. Between both of these elements lies a newly designed module consisting of classically elegant flip switches. Seven round instruments in the cockpit with a new graphic provide the driver with essential engine data and a multifunctional display between the speedometer and revolution counter provides the driver with important information.
Workmanship of the highest quality The Miura and the other models of the 60s were already characterized by the excellent quality of workmanship which lay far and above the general standards of that time. Lamborghini has continued this tradition and even today delivers automobiles of the highest standards. The Gallardo LP560-4 indulges with the highest quality, aesthetically pleasing materials. With regard to the leather interior, an array of different colours and stitching (also in contrasting colours) are available. As an optional, Lamborghini can deliver the Gallardo LP560-4 with a further choice of leather and Alcantara® interiors as well as Carbon Fibre Packages. Here, elements such as the air-conditioning surrounds, the control panel, the handbrake handle and the gear-stick surrounds are available in carbon fibre.
Furthermore, the individualisation program, Ad Personam, enables the customer to create any combination of colour and trim, thus creating a highly personalised vehicle. After all, the new Lamborghini should perfectly reflect the owner’s lifestyle.
The Engine – Extreme power in every situation The engine of the Gallardo LP560-4 is a completely new development. All that remains of the original V10 is the number of cylinders which, in this performance category, create a perfect and unique synthesis of torque, force of movement, sporty nimbleness, compact size and low weight.
The engine has a 5204cm3 volumetric displacement which, with 8.000 rpm creates the extreme 560PS (412kW). This results in the excellent performance per litre of 107.6PS/lt. At maximum torque output, the engine yields 540Nm at 6500 rpm. The ample torque curve guarantees outstanding thrust from every engine speed. With an acceleration of 3.7 seconds from 0-100 km/h and a maximum speed of 325km/h, the Gallardo LP560-4 shoots into the orbit of the most extreme and powerful sports cars.
Despite the clearly improved driving performance of this super sports car, Sant’Agata’s engineers were nevertheless able to achieve a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2emissions by 18 per cent. Measured by engine power and performance, the Gallardo LP560-4 e-gear’s average fuel consumption of 13.7 litres per 100 kilometres, is extremely low.
Perfect weight distribution, class-leading dynamics The engine in this new model lies lengthways in front of the rear axle – hence the model description Longitudinale Posteriore. The concept of the mid-rear engine is unbeatable in sports car production, with the centre of gravity being displaced next to the vertical axis, thus creating the car’s exceptional dynamics. Furthermore, it creates the basis for the Gallardo LP560-4’s perfect weight distribution with 43 per cent on the front axle and 57 per cent on the rear. In combination with the permanent four-wheel drive transmission, superior driving stability and road adherence are guaranteed in all situations.
Reduced weight for inspirational torque The crank case of the new ten cylinder of Lamborghini Gallardo is produced with an aluminium alloy. Separate cylinder liners are not necessary with this technology: instead, the liners, due to their exposure to the hard silicone crystals during the production phase, are bored directly out of the material. The connecting rods are made out of wrought steel and the pistons are produced from an aluminium alloy. The consequent reduction in weight, inertia and in friction losses contributes to the car’s inspirational torque.
The engine is unusually wide for a V10, with a cylinder angle of 90 degrees. A definite advantage of this construction is the low centre of gravity. The reduction of the gravity centre height comes also from the dry sump layout of the lubrication system which also guarantees the reliability of the oil supply even during lateral acceleration and on the race-track.
Direct fuel injection improves efficient combustion The new V10 uses the direct fuel-injection system “Iniezione Diretta Stratificata” as an innovative way to optimize performance results in part-load conditions. Here, the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber through the laterally positioned injector. Combined with the use of a ‘tumble flap’ in the intake manifold runners, this solution guarantees an optimized distribution of the gasoline in the combustion chamber (higher gasoline density around the spark plug, leaner mixture close to piston and cylinder liners) and delivers the basis for a highly efficient combustion system even with stoichiometric mean mixture composition. The direct injection boosts the extremely efficient ‘full load’ performance of the V10, reduces its knock sensitivity and thus enables the very high compression ratio of 12.5:1. The cylinder heads have been optimised to deliver a very quick gas exchange and the variable valve control system on all four camshafts improves the charge efficiency across the entire engine speed range.
Transmission – Superior control four-wheel drive Such extreme power must be brought onto the streets with extreme reliability. The driver of a Gallardo LP560-4 can thus rely on the four-wheel drive Viscous Traction (VT) system, with the ‘4’ in the model name a reminder of this. Lamborghini already introduced this system with the Diablo VT in 1993 – and for good reason: four actuated wheels achieve more grip than two and permit acceleration earlier in the curve exit.
The protagonist in the transmission is the central viscous-coupling which requires no electronic control. In this special Lamborghini configuration, the driving torque is distributed between front and rear – generally with a 30:70 front to rear ratio and, within milliseconds, adapts to even the slightest variations in road conditions. A mechanical differential on the rear axle provides up to 45% limited slip and an electronic differential lock at the front complete the four-wheel drive system.
Superior traction and handling Not only does the maximum traction take advantage of the permanent four-wheel drive system, but also the car’s clearly superior handling. Each wheel can only transfer a certain amount of torque to the road. As the propulsion power is distributed onto all four wheels through the viscous traction system, more potential for directional control remains – and reserves in every situation distinguish a perfectly made sports car.
Despite all the engine thrust, changing gears in the Gallardo LP560-4 is one of the most exciting experiences of driving this vehicle. It is still the customer’s personal preference as to whether he wishes to change gears manually through the exact ‘gate’ guides of the six-speed gearbox via the short gear stick, or whether he prefers to let his fingertips control the e.gear’s paddle-shift system located behind the steering wheel: the latter solution becoming the preference of the majority of Lamborghini customers.
Gear change time reduced by 40 per cent The automated e-gear transmission has been completely redesigned and improved in all aspects. The complete system has not only been reduced in weight, but the time employed to change gears has also been reduced by 40 per cent in “CORSA” mode. The driver may choose between five different driving and changing programs: in addition to the ‘normal’ mode, the Gallardo LP560-4 offers a SPORT programm with its even more rapid gear changing times and increased number of revolutions.
The CORSA program directs the engine to optimum acceleration. It permits a greater slip angle and also allows – with maximum safety – the full dynamism of the LP560-4 to be enjoyed even on a race-track. The ‘Thrust Mode’ ensures maximum acceleration from neutral while the angle of the throttle valve and the clutch are here optimally adjusted to one another. Finally the Automatic mode: here the engine changes gear in total independence and permits a particularly comfortable mode of driving.
The Suspension – High-tech parts with Lamborghini know-how Even the Gallardo LP560-4’s predecessor was one of the world’s best super sports cars with regard to handling, precision and driving stability. However, the latest model provides an even more intense driving experience: the new suspension improves the car’s handling, its driving comfort and its directional stability at high speeds.
The Gallardo LP560-4’s space frame is uncompromisingly high tech. Its technical production was conceived from motor sport technologies. The double wishbones made out of aluminium with newly designed kinematics, while the springs and shock absorbers are tightly adjusted for grip.
The rear axle now has an additional track rod which further improves the excellent control of this super sports vehicle. Newly developed elements are the rubber-metal bearings – authentic high-tech parts – which clearly improve the special Lamborghini driving dynamics with well-chosen material combinations and cleverly defined assembly.
Extreme road adherence The steering rack works with relatively little assisted steering support, thus bonding the driver closely to the road. This in turn provides him with an intense experience of power and impulse. The steering has its own cooling system for the power steering fluid.
Precise, breathtakingly fast, whilst stable and free from surprises, the Gallardo LP560-4’s dynamics assures a sensuous experience. The LP560-4’s tyres (format 235/35 ZR 19 front and 295/30 ZR 19 rear) appear to bond with the asphalt. Specially developed Pirelli P-Zero series tyres are fitted: these have a particularly low roll resistance which also maintains tyre wear at a minimum without, of course, any reduction in their performance quality. At a speed of over 120 km/h an independently extended rear spoiler increases the downforce on the rear axle It acts in association with the specially formed underbody which directs the airstream under the car.
Optional Carbon Ceramic Brake system The new braking system acts with brute force. At the front, eight ‘Brembo specialist’ cylinder callipers grasp the 365 mm diameter brake discs. At the rear, four cylinder callipers act on the 356 mm brake discs. In addition, the new disc ventilation system improves the stability in extreme situations. Optionally, discs made out of Carbon Ceramic are offered. At the front the CCB (Carbon Ceramic Brakes) discs measure 380mm in diameter and at the rear 356mm. They deliver much improved performance at a reduced weight. In total, the CCB braking system is lighter in weight that, at the wheel, improves driving dynamics and comfort.
The interior and trim With the Gallardo LP560-4 Lamborghini provides its customers with a generous and sporty standard equipment package. Direct from the production line, a customer will find included in his vehicle passenger and lateral air-bags; a two-zone air-conditioning system with sun regulation; The Lamborghini Multimedia System including an USB connector; and sports seats with an electronically operated backrest. In addition to this, the interior trim includes fine leather and Bi-Xenon headlights with LED daytime running light. The car is supplied with new Apollo wheels as standard.
A large variety of options increases the interior comfort of the vehicle, including a navigation system and a module for TV reception, a hands-free Bluetooth® phone set, an anti-theft device and a rearview camera. A further option is the lifting system control of the front of the vehicle which, at the touch of a button, is raised to enable driving over obstacles. The new polished cross wheel rims ‘Cordelia’ or the black Y-rims ‘Callisto’ complete the options range. Finally, the engine hood made from glass creates a showcase for the heart of the Gallardo LP560-4..
The possibilities and different combinations available in the Individualisation Program Ad Personam are almost inexhaustible. Behind this program stands the philosophy that a super sports car of this nature should, after all, reflect the personality of its owner by enabling him to completely indulge his expectations and wishes. As a consequence, extreme exclusivity is the trademark of Lamborghini’s individualisation program. “Think the Impossible” states the motto. Ad Personam offers a host of options in order that a customer may give the car an imprint of his own style with respect to the interior trim and exterior. A new highlight in the program are the following three exclusive matt colours: Nero Nemesis (matt black), Bianco Canopus (matt white), Marrone Apus (matt brown). The new matt colours underline the clearly defined and purist precision of the Lamborghini design.
Technical data
Frame & Body - Frame: Structural aluminium spaceframe, based on aluminium extruded parts welded to aluminium casted joint elements. - Body: Aluminium with thermoplastic ″hang on″ parts - Rear Spoiler: Electronically controlled - Mirrors: External mirror with electrical closing system - Suspension: Double wishbones front and rear suspension system, antiroll bar anti-dive and anti-squat - ESP 8.0: Full ESP System with ABS, ASR and ABD
Airbags - Front: Front Dual Stage driver and passenger airbags, side Head-thorax airbags
Brakes - Steel brakes: Power vacuum, aluminium alloy callipers: 8 cylinder front callipers and 4 cylinder rear callipers; Ventilated discs (front-rear) ø 365 x 34mm front –ø 356 x 32 mm rear - CCB brakes: Power vacuum, aluminium alloy callipers: 6 cylinder front callipers and 4 cylinder rear callipers; Ventilated discs (front-rear) ø 380 x 38mm front –ø 356 x 32 mm rear
Engine - Type: 10 cylinders V90°, DOHC 4 valves, common-pin crankshaft - Displacement: 5204 cc - Compression ratio: 12.5:1 - Maximum power: 412 kW (560PS) at 8000 rpm - Maximum torque: 540 Nm 6500 rpm - Engine management system: Bosch MED 9 - Cooling system: Engine and Gearbox radiator - Cooling system oil: Oil to Water cooler - Cooling system water: Two water radiators - Emission control system: Catalytic converters with lambda sensors - Lubrication system: Dry sump
Drivetrain - Type of transmission: Permanent 4-wheel drive with viscous traction system - Gearbox: 6 Speed + reverse, an optional robotized sequential e-gear system with actuation by paddles on the steering column - Clutch: Double plate ø 215 mm - Rear Differential: 45% limited slip - Front Differential: Slip limitation by ABD function
Performance - Top speed: 325 km/h - Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 3.7 sec. - Acceleration (0-200 km/h): 11.8 sec.
Dimensions - Wheelbase: 2560 mm - Overall length: 4345 mm - Overall width: 1900 mm - Overall height: 1165 mm - Track (front– rear): 1632 mm – 1597 mm - Kerb Weight: 1500 - Weight distribution (front-rear): Front 43% - rear 57%
The Red Devil The Audi R8 V12 TDI (previously revealed here) painted in a special brilliant red has been rechristened the Audi R8 Le Mans for the Geneva Auto Show.
Just as a reminder, the 500hp R8 V12 TDI DIESEL-powered supercar has 0-100km/h in 4.2s & a top speed of 300km/h. & it’s eco-friendly as well - Euro-6 compliant.
Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès If you thought the Gallardo was expensive… try this $2 million car… an exclusive Bugatti Veyron with Hermès interior design & a unique body artwork.
But it still doesn’t beat the Pur Sang!
Koenigsegg Edition CCXR The Koe...whatever EDITION CCXR is a special edition of the ethanol-powered CCXR in its native carbon bodywork.
The Edition CCXR can crank up to 1081hp in its E85 fuel!!!! (but can’t still beat a Bugatti’s top speed coz it would fly off!)
Voyage at the centre of Heaven The most advanced automobile factory in the world - the Lamborghini factory in the village of Sant'Agata Bolognese.
The Holy Grail of all Lamborghini aficionados - a place every engineer dreams of… where each car is hand-made.
& would you believe it that Lamborghini was once a tractor manufacturer…
You’ve borrowed or rented a DVD, but you don’t want to a make a full-size copy of it. The best solution would be to compress it to progressive lossy formats like DivX or Xvid. But there’s no need to buy any commercial software to do that since the same can be done with free software. In this guide, I’ll demonstrate the easiest ways you can rip a DVD. The test movie I’m using here is A Night at the Museum.
Before going through this guide, let me remind you that while ripping DVDs is really easy, re-encoding & compressing them is no feat for low-end computers. Encoding times may range from a few hours to days… so beware if you have a slow PC. I got these figures from this guide: AMD Athlon XP 2600+ with 512MB DDR RAM & PATA HD - 13 hours Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz 1 MB L2 cache with 1GB DDR2 667MHz Dual Channel RAM & SATA-I HD - 7 Hours Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 OC 3.6 GHz with 4GB DDR2 700MHz Dual Channel RAM & SATA-II HD - 45mins
DVD Shrink If you don’t want to go through the relatively complex method of ripping to DivX & instead you just want to compress the DVD by removing some of the unnecessary features from the DVD, then DVD Shrink is your friend.
When you insert your DVD, DVD Shrink scans it & presents you with the various components of the movie.
It’s quite unbelievable how much space those various soundtracks can take. By selecting only the essentials like English 2-Channel Audio, you can save up to 1GB! But DVD Shrink has yet another ace up its sleeve - you can compress the video! DVD Shrink allows you to adjust the compression rate via a quality ratio. The minimum ratio is 59.8%, which means you are guaranteed to get an excellent quality. Using the minimum ratio, I’ve been able to reduce my 4.3GB DVD to a mere 1.5GB! The compressed video will be saved in the same structure as your DVD in VOB format, so you can directly use it to burn several compressed DVDs on a single DVD. What’s more, DVD Shrink removes the DVD protection & makes it region-free! However, this compression can take anywhere between 2 hours to 6 hours…
DVD Ripping You’ve got a powerful PC & you’ve always wondered how DiAMOND, VOMiT, mVs, FLAiTE or aXXo have made their DVD Rips. Now you can do it yourself. The first step in ripping a DVD is… to rip it! For that we need DVD Decrypter.
DVD Decrypter allows you to remove the protection of a DVD & save it in an AutoGK-friendly format. DVD Decrypter automatically selects the longest video, but if you want other parts of the movie like the bonuses, check the rest of the Chapters. The mode to be used here is IFO. If your DVD is badly scratched you may want to “Ignore Read Errors” in the Advanced Settings.
If you enable Stream Processing, you’ll be able to select which language tracks you want to rip. Select only the ones you want as the rest will take unnecessary space.
That’s it. Hit Decrypt & the job will be done in 10 to 15 mins. (My Night at the Museum DVD was a pirated copy without any protection… so it was really quick, nothing to decrypt!)
AutoGK This is the BIG THING! Prepare yourself or rather your processor for some serious endurance encoding. Auto Gordian Knot is the “noob” version of the more powerful DivX program Gordian Knot. While Gordian Knot software is nothing short than a real Gordian Knot for most users, AutoGK simplifies everything. For the input directory, browse to the directory where you saved the DVD ripped by DVD Decrypter. Did you know you can use two audio tracks in a DivX movie? I’m selecting English & French soundtracks here. For the subs as well, you can even use several subtitles.
In the Advanced Settings, there’s nothing really “advanced.” You will want to keep everything on Auto & maybe 128kbps VBR for the Audio. The codec is DivX (you’ll need to download the free codec here first). The output format is avi. & do check use External Subtitles! Otherwise the subtitles will be hard-coded in the movie & you won’t be able to use multi-subtitles.
If your movie is bigger than 2h, you’ll want to go for the 2CD Rip - 1400MB, but if it’s less, go for 700MB! Since Night at the Museum is only 1h 50min, the 700MB Rip is enough. Add the Job & press Start!
My configuration: Intel Pentium 4 3.06 GHz HT 1.2 GB DDR RAM at 133Mhz & IDE Hard Disk Time taken: 4 hours 31 min running at 100% CPU usage! As I’ve already told you, this will take time unless you have a very powerful PC.
The Result: Filesize: 824MB Resolution: 720 x 400 BitRate: 618kbps Frame rate: 23.976 fps
Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be a “700MB” Rip… mainly for 2 reasons. First is the movie length, which at 1h 50min was way too long to fit in a such a file size & the second reason is that I had selected the 5.1 Audio Channels sources, which unfortunately took much more space than expected. But the positive thing is that output quality & resolution is really excellent. The less-than-700MB target could have been achieved if I had only selected 2-Channel Audio & set the target size to around 620 to 650MB. & yes, do preview the video to determine the exact final size.
Subtitling Most media players (except from VLC) require DirectVobSub to display the subtitles. But I’m sure that if you have been downloading Scene released DVD rips, then it’s must have been quite painstaking to find the correct subtitle for the correct file size. You can always use Subtitle Workshop to sync, join & edit subtitles to fit in with your rip. But unfortunately, it doesn’t allow you to rip subtitles directly from a DVD. Why would you need to rip subtitles when AutoGK already does it? The main reason is the size & quality of the subtitles. AutoGK directly extracts subtitles in their native .sub format, meaning it’s not real text & its file size is between 5 to 20MB. But with a text-only srt subtitle, the file is less than 100kb & the display quality is much better.
The solution to subtitle ripping lies is DirectVobSub itself. When installing the add-on on your PC, you get the option to install SubMux & SubResync. It’s SubResync that I’ll use here to extract the subs.
As I’ve already mentioned before, the subtitles are stored as vector images for easy resizing… so you would need an OCR reader to identify all the characters.
But unfortunately, for SubResync to recognise all characters you have to manually identify each letter, Capital, italic, number, etc. which is quite painstaking & not devoid of errors…
But the end result is a 75kb srt file that boasts impressive text subtitles! Remember that the srt should have the same filename as the movie & should be placed in the same directory. Download DirectVobSub here VobSub Guide: http://www.divx-digest.com/software/vobsub.html
A University of Mauritius student (Mechatronics) and blogger with a passion for tech, software, gadgets, music, cars, movies and stuff related to Mauritius.