SMART NISSAN!

Nissan to launch smartwatch for drivers

Nissan will become the first car manufacturer to create a smartwatch designed specifically for drivers.

The "Nismo Concept Watch", intended for drivers of Nissan Nismo cars, will be the first smartwatch to connect drivers to their cars, the company claims.

The watch allows the driver to monitor the efficiency of their vehicle, with average speed and fuel consumption readings, and access vehicle telematics and performance data while on the track.

It will also capture biometric data via a heart rate monitor, connect to the car's on-board computer system using a smartphone app and receive tailored messages from Nissan.

“Wearable technology is fast becoming the next big thing and we want to take advantage of this innovative technology to make our Nismo Brand more accessible," said Gareth Dunsmore, marketing communications general manager at Nissan in Europe

"On track, Nissan uses the latest biometric training technologies to improve the performance of our Nissan Nismo Athletes and it is this technology we want to bring to our fans to enhance their driving experience and Nismo ownership.”

The Nismo Watch, which was unveiled ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show, will be available in three colours - black, white and the flagship black and red. The user interface can be controlled by two buttons and is secured onto the driver’s wrist via a snap-fit mechanism.

The smartwatch will use a lithium battery and will be charged by micro-USB, with a battery life of over seven days under normal usage conditions. It can also track and rate the user’s social performance across Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Earlier this year, Nissan launched the Nismo Lab, a mobile laboratory that features the latest, advanced biometric training tools such as brainwave technology and JukeRide – a cutting-edge performance analysis tool, that captures live biometric and telematics data from the race cars and Nissan Nismo Athletes during races.

Nismo’s brief is to take these "digital age" technologies and make them available to athletes from other disciplines and to Nissan owners through future wearable tech.

ARTICLE : RBI !

Messiah on Mint Street: Why expectations from RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan are so high

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Sometime towards late May and early June last year, the government was vetting the names of a few economists to take over from India's chief economic adviser Kaushik Basu who was leaving after completing his term.

Pranab Mukherjee who was finance minister then had been sounded out on some potential candidates and early stage informal discussions in the finance ministry centered on the merits of some of these economists. For sure, Raghuram Rajan, a top-drawer economic and academic mind featured in those talks, but a standout name at that time was that of Subir Gokarn, then a deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Within weeks, in a twist of fate, the script changed. Mukherjee, now widely blamed for fiscal mismanagement during his tenure in the ministry between 2009 and 2012, was nominated by the Congress as a presidential candidate and then elected as president in July. Within weeks of his departure, the government moved swiftly to bring on board Rajan as chief economic adviser when prime minister Manmohan Singh had oversight of the finance ministry for over a month before his cabinet colleague P Chidambaram returned to his old job.

In the process, the government smoothened the path for the entry of a distinguished academic and economist into the realm of Indian public policymaking. Rajan who comes with formidable qualifications for the job has been greeted with a gushing welcome by the Indian media according to the condescending foreign press which, for its part, was slow on the uptake when the new central bank governor announced a raft of measures, hours after taking over.

It is rare that central bank chiefs open their innings by taking recourse to Open Mouth Operations — as different from the conventional Open Market Operations. But calculated bets like boosting reserves through NRI deposits — a throwback to an option abandoned two decades ago — did their bit to lift sentiment in financial markets. The elation may also have to do with the new governor's credibility and approach at a time when fellow policymakers in Delhi have been shown up for their poor marksmanship.

Harley Davidson plans to manufacture a low cost 500 cc  bike in India

After several denials, Harley Davidson has finally admitted that it is planning to introduce a 500 cc bike, which will be locally developed in India. Much to the delight of bike enthusiasts in the country, the local manufacturing of these bikes could make it easier to own a low cost Harley. According to industry sources, the upcoming bike will be manufactured by the American company at its plant in Bawal, Haryana. In this unit, the iconic bike manufacturer assembles Completely Knocked Down (CKD) units of its motorcycles that are offered in the Indian auto market. Besides the mother plant at Milwaukee, the Indian facility happens to be other major plant of the company from which it manufacturers motorcycles meant for different markets.

As reported, the new 500 cc bike that the company is working on shall be locally manufactured in India after which it will be exported to other international markets. Even the Chief Operating Officer of Harley Davidson, Matthew Levatich confirmed that the bike will be produced in India and further sold in markets spread across the different parts of the globe. He said “Nimble, light weight, has a low seat height and supple throttle and braking. I’ve ridden it – it looks great, sounds great, it’s a Harley, and it’s priced right.” He further told that the company will not compromise on the quality of the vehicle and the traditional American made feel that one senses in a Harley Davidson will be retained.

The pricing of Harley Davidson 500 cc motorcycle is expected to lie between Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 4 lakh. It is said that this aggressive pricing strategy adopted by Harley Davidson is to lure potential buyers that are willing to buy a premium motorcycle other than Royal Enfield. On the engine front, this new 500 cc bike is expected to retain the V-Twin engine layout as provided in most of the Harley Davidson motorcycles. This upcoming model of Harley Davidson is all likely to get 40 bhp of power while generating 45 Nm of torque.

According to Industry experts, the manufacturing of new 500 cc motorcycle in India will give the company numerous advantages like reducing on the cost of its bikes. It must be noted that this type of strategy was also adopted by Austria based KTM through Bajaj's contract manufacturing. Industry experts are betting on the expected unveiling of this low cost bike from Harley Davidson at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo as the event provides a great platform for auto makers to showcase their products. But according to Levatich, the bike might not feature in the country by 2014.

Sony SmartWatch vs. Samsung Galaxy Gear!

Sony SmartWatch vs. Samsung Galaxy Gear: The first big battle in the wearable tech war Sony's latest wearable tech creation, the SmartWatch 2 (SW2) is attractively styled, water-resistant, and sports plenty of apps and watch faces. The Samsung Galaxy Gear is a strong contender too, running a specially tweaked version of Android powered by an 800MHz processor, and flaunting a big color OLED screen. Heck, it even has a mic and speaker plus a camera. But just how useful are these watches really, and how do they stack up against each other? Read on as we break down Samsung's and Sony's tempting wearable tech entries. Design Sony SmartWatch 2 If you're familiar with Sony's first foray into the smartwatch space, you won't be too shocked by the SmartWatch 2's look and feel. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sony's initial gadget was one of the sexiest-looking smart timepieces I ever laid my hands on. It was small, light, and attractively styled. It also used a flexible silicone wristband that was pliable enough to feel extremely comfortable, yet springy enough to grip wrists tightly. At the moment Sony hasn't announced different color options for the SW2, but if history is any indicator, you can expect the watch to ship with multiple wrist strap options just like its predecessor. Sony has taken the same approach here, using a similar silicone strap and premium aluminum body. Measuring a mere 1.65 inches tall by 1.61 inches wide and 0.35 inch thick, the SW2 is also extremely svelte. Tipping the scales at just 0.8 ounce, Sony's device extremely light as well. Samsung Galaxy Gear Compared with the SmartWatch 2, the Galaxy Gear is physically more imposing -- at least on paper. Measuring 1.45 inches tall by 2.2 inches wide and 0.44 inch thick, there's no arguing that the Gear is larger. Additionally at 2.6 ounces, Samsung's watch is a lot heavier than the SW2. Surprisingly though, when I got the chance to strap the Galaxy Gear to my wrist I found it felt much lighter than expected. Also, evenu though the Gear's rubbery strap isn't as pliable as Sony's previous smartwatch band, it is comfortable to wear. The watch is crafted with luxurious silver metallic flair so will hopefully draw the right sort of attention when noticed. At the outset Samsung said it plans to offer the Gear in myriad band colors; six, to be exact. These include jet black, mocha gray, wild orange, oatmeal beige, rose gold, and lime green. Advantage: Sony SmartWatch 2 Display Sony SmartWatch 2 One trade-off with the SW2's smaller size is its display. While it technically measures 1.6 inches across, the SmartWatch 2's screen isn't quite as expansive as the Galaxy Gear's 1.63-inch viewer. It also packs fewer pixels than Sammy's gadget; 220x176 pixels as opposed to 320x320 pixels. Sony, however, worked to address its first smartwatch's major failing, namely that its OLED screen was practically impossible to read under strong sunlight outdoors. Indeed, the SW2 is equipped with a transflective LCD designed not to become washed out in daylight. Samsung Galaxy Gear In terms of sheer size and pixel count, the Gear trumps the Sony SmartWatch 2. Its bigger 1.63-inch OLED screen serves up a sharper resolution (320x320 pixels). When I saw the Gear in person, the watch's display also produced images and text with vivid colors and high contrast. The Gear's screen also was extremely bright -- so much so that it gave my point-and- shoot camera trouble capturing its image. Of course, I didn't get a chance to observe the device outside under the blazing sun so we can only take Samsung's word that it's bright enough for pleasing outdoor use. OLED screens typically don't offer as many lumens as their LCD counterparts, transflective or otherwise. Advantage: Samsung Galaxy Gear Features and UI Sony SmartWatch 2 Speaking of basic capabilities and user interface, the second incarnation of Sony's smartwatch doesn't depart much from the original. You get the same touch-screen UI, sliding widgets for viewing weather, Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, and other phone alerts that the first Sony timepiece sported. Also important is that the SmartWatch 2 is compatible with many Android handsets, not just Sony phones.