AUDI A3 SEDAN INDIA TO BE LAUNCHED BY 2014

German automaker Audi could launch the A3 sedan in India by 2013-14, as revealed by Mr Peter Schwarzenbauer, the board member of Audi AG to a team of Indian journalists. The concept on which the production car is based was unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and is seen as the next big launch that could hot up this segment of the market. It is being speculated that Audi could price the A3 sedan as low as Rs 20 lakh making it the cheapest offering from the Audi stables in India.
Audi will be looking at a turbocharged diesel engine from the Volkswagen family for its A3 sedan in India while the rest of the car could be imported through CKD channels. Audi might rope-in an efficient diesel engine from its sister cars in India. This will be mainly to keep the costs as low a possible as BMW could also be coming with a saloon based on the 1- Series. In terms of dimensions, the A3 sedan is a tad bit smaller than the Volkswagen Jetta but will feature exquisite interior quality, fit and finish like all Audis. The Audi A3 would offer the best in class rear legroom thanks to its wheelbase of 2.63 meters.

Honda City cheaper by upto Rs 66,000

 Automobile manufacturing giant Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. has slashed the price of its bestselling model Honda City.

According to a press release, Honda City would now be sold at a price of Rs 7.49 lakh onwards (ex showroom Delhi).

The new price structure will be effective from June 14, 2011. The release said the price revision has been the result of successful cost reduction in the supply chain & manufacturing.

Blackberry to launch Playbook this month

After mobile phones, the competition is hotting up for “tablets” in India with BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion (RIM) all set to launch its PlayBook in the country later this month, to face the likes of Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab.

The Canadian firm will launch PlayBook in Indian markets and some other countries this month, sources said. According to the company’s website, the PlayBook is scheduled to be launched in 16 countries, including the UK, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Australia, UAE and India.

“The price is going to be competitive with the other products and in line with the global pricing as well,” they said.

The price in India could range between Rs 22,000 and Rs 32,000, depending upon its storage capacity, from 16 GB to 64 GB.

Globally, PlayBook is available at USD 499, USD 599 and USD 699 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions, respectively.

The BlackBerry tablet has received a mixed response from the markets where it has been launched. According to reports, unlike rival iPad, which sold like hot cakes on its launch in April last year, the PlayBook just sold 50,000 copies in the first week of its launch on April 19 in the US and Canada.

BlackBerry has over one million users in India and RIM would target them.

The PlayBook is a seven-inch tablet that runs on a new operating system built by QNX Software Systems - a RIM unit that makes software used to run everything from cars to nuclear reactors.

On a PlayBook, users can go online only using a Wi-Fi network or by synchronising the device to their BlackBerry smartphones.

According to analysts, sales in the tablet PC segment in India are expected to touch one million units over the next 12 months.

With 3G (high-speed internet services) being rolled out aggressively, the opportunity has only expanded, they said.

iPhone and iPad to get 200 new features

Apple's iOS 5 that powers iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch will have more than 200 new features and will come to devices by the end of September.

One of the most awaited features on the iOS was a new way to handle notifications. The new notifications window now employs the same drop down swipe gesture as seen on Android devices.

The Safari browser on the iPhone and iPad gets an overhaul too. It will get much needed tabbed browsing. It will also have better twitter integration and a new reader function.

To counter Blackberry's popular Blackberry messenger (BBM) service, Apple has also announced their own version of mobile messaging between iOS devices. Predictably called iMessage, users of all iOS devices will be able to chat and share files with each other using iMessage. Similar to the Blackberry messenger, they will be able to get delivery and read receipts. Users will be able to transfer contacts, photos and videos. Group messaging is also supported.

In another landmark change, the iOS devices will not need to be connected to the PC for updates and Syncs. Smaller operating system updates, called delta updates will also happen over-the-air (OTA) and will not need a PC. iTunes will also sync with iOS devices over Wi-Fi.

A new keyboard optimized for thumb typing will also be available to iPad users.

For frequent camera users, one of the problems with the iPhone was that you needed too many steps to start-up the camera before you could take pictures. Now a camera shortcut is available right on the lock screen of the phone. The users will now be able to go straight into the camera without unlocking the phone and click photos using volume buttons.

Apart from all these features newer multi-touch gestures will be added and a new image-editing app will be added.

Unfortunately for users the iOS 5 update will be available only by the end of September this year.

HTC Wildfire S hits Indian Markets

Powered by the Android operating system and HTC Sense, the handset enhances the communication experience through Facebook as well as voice and text messaging. Adorned by a 3.2 inch, HVGA display screen, the Wildfire S can be snapped up in two mind-boggling shades namely dark grey and silver white.
“The HTC Wildfire S is a stylish looking smartphone, offering fantastic value-for-money and great features, and we are delighted to launch it in India,” commented Faisal Siddiqui, Country Manager, HTC India. “The HTC Wildfire has been among our best selling devices in India. Hence, we are extremely excited and positive that the HTC Wildfire S will garner a tremendous response from Indian mobile phone users”.
Users can effortlessly personalize their homescreen with popular apps, widgets and content. They can capture memorable moments using the integrated 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus. In addition, users can immerse themselves in an extensive range of applications through the Android Market.
The HTC Wildfire S smartphone will make users shell out Rs. 14,700.

Darkest Lunar Eclipse Of The Century On June 15

The darkest total lunar eclipse of this century, which will be visible throughout India, will occur June 15, an official of the Nehru Centre said here Friday.
 On the night of June 15, the sun, earth and moon will come in a straight line and the earth’s shadow will eclipse the full moon passing through it.
 As the moon slips into the earth’s ‘umbra’ (dark shadow), it will slowly assume a coppery red colour, making it a not to be missed spectacle.
 The lunar eclipse will start at 23:53 p.m. and end at 03:32 a.m. on June 16, and will be visible all over India, the Middle East, southern Europe and northern Africa.
 This will be the darkest lunar eclipse over the Indian skies this century. The previous darkest lunar eclipse took place four decades back, on Aug 6, 1971.
 The year’s second and final lunar eclipse will occur Dec 10, but it will be visible only in Eurasia, Australia and north-western parts of North America.
 Weather conditions permitting, since monsoon is just starting on the sub-continent, the Nehru Centre and other scientific organisations shall make special arrangement to enable people view the total lunar eclipse.

Cell Phone use "possibly carcinogenic"- says WHO

A working group of 31 scientists from 14 countries meeting at the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC.L said a review of all the available scientific evidence suggested cell phone use should be classified as "possibly carcinogenic."

The classification, which puts mobile phone use in the same broad IARC cancer risk category as lead, chloroform and coffee, could spur the United Nations health body to look again at its guidelines on mobile phones, the scientists said.

But more lengthy and detailed research is needed before a more definitive answer on any link can be given.

The WHO had previously said there was no established evidence for a link between cell phone use and cancer.

"After reviewing essentially all the evidence that is relevant ... the working group classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans," Jonathan Samet, chair of the IARC group, said in a telebriefing.

The WHO's position has been keenly awaited by mobile phone companies and by campaign groups who have raised concerns about whether cell phones might be harmful to health.

Industry groups immediately sought to play down the decision, stressing the "possibly carcinogenic" category also includes substances such as pickled vegetables and coffee.

"This IARC classification does not mean that cell phones cause cancer," said John Walls, vice president of public affairs for the United States-based wireless association CTIA.

He noted the IARC working group did not conduct any new research, but reviewed published studies, and said other regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have stated that "the weight of scientific evidence has not linked cell phones with any health problems."

John Cooke, executive director of the British-based Mobile Operators Association, said IARC had only found the possibility of a hazard.

"Whether or not this represents a risk requires further scientific investigation," he said in a statement.