First Drive . 2011 Suzuki Swift

When the all-new Swift goes on sale around May this year, you can foresee the tough time Maruti is going to have explaining to customers that it is actually new. You need to stare long and hard to spot the differences in the next-generation Swift, which looks remarkably like the old one.

The new Swift may look more or less unchanged, but is in fact built on an all-new platform and every body panel is new. It’s grown considerably too and the new Swift is bigger than its predecessor in every dimension. Though the width and height have increased only marginally, length is up by 90mm and the wheelbase has been stretched too by a very useful 50mm.

The Swift looks very modern and fresh despite the familiarity of its shape. The new Swift looks even better with subtle tweaking of the design. The nose is characterised by the same swept-back lights but they are much larger and extend further back into the body. Again, the new grille is remarkably similar to the old car’s but subtly cuts into the leading edge of the bonnet.

The front intake is more prominent, the bumpers are a bit more sharply cut and the fog lamp surrounds are more contoured. Move to the side and the changes include bigger and more bulging wheel arches while the familiar blackened A-pillar contrasts nicely with the body. The rear tail-lamps stretch further along the length of the car and come with clear inset panels, which differentiates them from the all-red clusters of the original Swift.

The most noticeable change perhaps is in the tailgate, which has a distinctive overhang above the number plate. The boot’s higher loading lip adds to the car’s structural rigidity, increased significantly, and this is mainly due to the extensive use of high-tensile steel.

The new Swift sticks to the tried and tested format of MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam rear, but the design has been tweaked for better dynamics. Under the bonnet not much has changed, and the new Swift will come with the same 1.2 K-series petrol and 1.3 Fiat-sourced diesel motors as before. There are some small tweaks though. For example, the radiator’s cooling shroud is now made of plastic instead of steel and this has knocked 1.5kg of weight.

The benefits of the additional 50mm in the Swift’s wheelbase can be seen in the cabin. Rear seat space or a lack of it has always been one of the Swift’s weak points and this has now been addressed to some extent. Legroom has noticeably improved and a more generous seat squab offers much better under-thigh support. However, even with the increase in rear passenger room, the new Swift fails to feel as spacious as its competitors.

Headroom is still tight, the small glass area continuing to give a cooped-up feeling at the back. At 204-litres, boot space isn’t generous either.

The front seats are very generous and have a sportier design with more contours and strong side bolsters, but we prefer the flatter and softer design of the current Swift’s front buckets, which are among the comfiest around.

Suzuki hasn’t managed to lift cabin quality substantially with the new Swift. The plastics don’t feel greatly improved and the all-black insides, relieved only marginally with the use of silver plastic trim, continue to exude a gloomy ambience as before. However, with Indian customers showing a strong preference for beige interiors, we wouldn’t be surprised if Maruti offered a lighter, more cheerful interior trim for the Indian market.

The dashboard design is much tidier and sharper looking. The V-shaped centre console is a design theme that’s also present in the Kizashi and works well. The new instrument dials are superb with increments highlighted by red-lit, glass-like markers as on the Honda City. The dashboard is quite functional too, offering more storage space than before.

The all-new steering wheel feels nice and chunky as do the steering-mounted buttons which have a nice tactile feel. A lot of the switchgear is new and feels a lot better but some parts still get carried over like the power window cluster and some buttons on the lower dash. The gear lever as well is all too familiar and a carry-over from previous Suzukis.

The UK-spec Swift comes with a keyless stop-start system and we expect Maruti to offer this same feature in India to counter the Nissan Micra’s claim of being the only car in the class to come with this convenience. We wouldn’t be surprised if a USB input and Bluetooth connectivity are also added to the Swift’s roster of kit.

Fire-up the engine and it becomes immediately apparent that the Swift is a much better car to drive. It feels more grown up but without losing its innate entertaining character. The first impression is that it feels more refined than before, if not quicker. It’s a lot quieter, the body seems less creaky and the K-series shows no signs of harshness even when revved to its max.

That’s a good thing actually because low-end torque is pretty weak and you really need to cane this engine to perform. It works best after 4,000rpm and whizzes to its 6,200rpm redline without any fuss. This is one of the smoothest and most refined 1.2-litre units around and is sure to continue delighting enthusiasts. Performance is more than adequate and in fact, after the Honda Jazz, it’s the Swift that is the quickest hatchback in its class.

However, for everyday driving, the lack of grunt at low speeds will mean more frequent gear changing than you expect. That job is made less of a chore thanks to the sweet-shifting gearbox which is again a carry-over from the previous Swift.

The Swift’s grown-up feel comes largely from the substantially improved ride and handling. It feels much more planted and less fidgety than before, cruising at high speeds with a new-found air of confidence. It’s less prone to getting tossed around and soaks up bumps very impressively.

The best bit is that the Swift hasn’t lost its perky handling in its new avatar. The steering has been completely revamped with low-play joints in the steering-column shaft and a new variable-gear ratio design. However, Suzuki still hasn’t managed to get rid of the inconsistency in the steering feel, which is a big fly in the ointment.

According to company sources, Maruti plans to launch the all-new Swift in May this year, which is exactly six years after the launch of the first model. The new Swift addresses many of the flaws of the old model while still retaining its very desirable character. It’s bigger and better in every respect but we can’t help feeling that Suzuki could have made more of a jump in key areas like cabin quality and space.

There is little doubt though that it will remain the benchmark in this segment for others to follow and on the assumption that Maruti will price this all-important hatchback very competitively, the new Swift will begin life in the Indian market where the previous one left off. Right at the top.

Price Range (in lakhs)*
Ex-showroom Price	Rs 4.20 - 5.50 lakh (estimated)
ENGINE
Fuel	Petrol
Installation	Front, transverse
Compression ratio	11.0:1
Power	93bhp at 6000rpm
Torque	12.02kgm at 4800rpm
Transmission
Type	Manual
Gearbox	5-speed
Chassis & Body
Length	3850mm
Width	1695mm
Height	1510mm
Wheel Base	2430mm
Boot Volume	204-litres
Weight	1020kg
Suspension
Front	Independent MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar
Rear	Torsion beam, coil springs, anti-roll bar

மதுரை பெயரைக் கெடுக்கும் தமிழ்ப் படங்களால் பின்வாங்கும் ஐடி நிறுவனங்கள்!

மதுரை என்றாலே வன்முறை நிறைந்த நகரம் என்று நினைக்கும் அளவிற்கு தமிழ் திரைப்படங்களில் கோவில் நகரம் கொலை நகரமாகக் காட்டப்படுகிறது. இதனால் பல்வேறு தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப நிறுவனங்களும் மதுரைக்கு வர அஞ்சுவதாக தெரிய வந்துள்ளது. மதுரை என்றாலே மல்லிகைப்பூவும், மீனாட்சி அம்மனும் தான் நினைவுக்கு வரும். விருந்தோம்பலில் மிரள வைப்பவர்கள் மதுரைக்காரர்கள் என்பதும் அனைவரும் அறிந்ததே. அறிமுகம் இல்லாதவர்களாக இருந்தாலும் கேட்காமலேயே உதவிக்கு வருபவர்கள் மதுரையைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள். பாசத்துக்குக் கட்டுப்பட்டவர்கள் என்று மதுரையைப் பற்றி நிறைய பாசிட்டிவ் விஷயங்கள் இருந்தாலும் தமிழ் சினிமாக்காரர்களுக்கு மட்டும் நெகட்டிவ் விஷயங்கள் மட்டுமே கண்ணுக்குத் தெரிகிறது. நல்ல விஷயங்களை விட கெட்ட விஷயங்களை வைத்துப் படம் எடுத்து கல்லாக் கட்டி பிழைத்து வரும் தமிழ் சினிமாக்கார்களின் செயலால் இன்று மதுரை நகரம் மிகப் பெரிய அவலத்தையும், பொருளாதார பின்னடவையும் சந்திக்க நேர்ந்துள்ளது என்றால் நம்ப முடியவில்லை இல்லையா. ஆனால் உண்மையை அறிந்தால் மிகப் பெரிய அதிர்ச்சியாக இருக்கும். முன்பு மதுரையை வைத்து நிறையப் படங்கள் வந்துள்ளன.அந்தப் படங்களில் மதுரை மண்ணின் பாசம், நேசம், உயிர்ப்பு, தமிழ்ப் பண்பாடு ஆகியவற்றையே பிரதானமாக காட்டுவார்கள். குறிப்பாக அந்தக் காலத்து சிவாஜி கணேசன் படங்கள், பின்னர் வந்த எஸ்.எஸ்.ஆர். படங்கள், பிற்காலத்தில் வந்த ராமராஜன் படங்களில் இதை அதிகம் காணலாம். ஆனால் தற்போது வெளிவரும் தமிழ் படங்களில் மதுரையில் ஏதோ கொலையை தொழில் போல செய்வதாக காட்டுகிறார்கள். காலையில் எழுந்துதம் பல்லை விளக்கி விட்டு, பத்து பேரைக் கொலை செய்து பின்னர்தான் டீ சாப்பிடுவார்கள் என்பது போலவும், மத்தியானத்திற்கு மண்டையை வெட்டி கறி சமைத்து சாப்பிடுவார்கள் என்பது போலவும், சாயந்திரம் நாலு பேரை சாய்த்து விட்டுத்தான், ராத்திரிக்குத் தூங்கப் போவார்கள் என்பது போலவும் காட்டுகிறார்கள். மதுரை என்றாலே ரத்த பூமி என்பது போலவும், அங்கு மனிதர்களே கிடையாது என்பது போலவும், மதுரையி்ல் தினசரி தவறாமல் கொலை செய்வது போலவும் காட்டி மதுரையின் மாண்பை சீர்குலைத்து, சீரழித்து வருகிறார்கள் தமிழ் சினிமாக்காரர்கள். குறிப்பாக சுப்பிரமணிய புரம் படம் வந்த பிறகுதான் மதுரை என்றாலே கொலை நகரம் என்ற அவப்பெயரை மக்கள் மத்தியிலும், சர்வதேச அளவிலும் திணித்து விட்டனர் தமிழ் சினிமாக்காரர்கள். மதுரை சம்பவம், ஆடுகளம் ஆகிய படங்களும் மதுரையில் எடுக்கப்பட்டவை. அனைத்திலும் வன்முறை தான் பிரதானம். இது சாதாரண சினிமாதானே என்று விட்டு விட முடியவில்லை. காரணம், மதுரையின் பொருளாதாரத்தையே பாதிப்பதாக அமைந்துள்ளன இந்த சினிமாப் படங்கள் என்ற உண்மை இப்போது தெரிய வந்துள்ளது. இப்படிப்பட்ட கேடு கெட்ட திரைப்படங்களைப் பார்த்து, தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப நிறுவனங்கள் மதுரையில் கிளை அமைக்க அஞ்சும் அளவுக்கு நிலைமை கை மீறிப் போயுள்ளது. இந்தியாவின் பெருநகரங்கள் தவிர்த்து 2ம் நிலை நகரங்களில் கிளை அமைக்கலாம் என நினைக்கும் பெரிய பெரிய தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப நிறுவனங்கள் கடைசியாகத்தான் மதுரையைப் பற்றி சிந்திக்கிறார்களாம். காரணம், திரைப்படங்களில் காட்டப்படும் பொய்யான மதுரையை நினைத்து அஞ்சுவதால். இதில் விந்தை என்னவென்றால் சென்னை, பெங்களூர் மற்றும் ஹைதராபாத்தில் உள்ள ஐ.டி நிறுவனங்களில் பணிபுரிபவர்களில் 25 சதவீதம் பேர் மதுரையைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள்தான். கடந்த ஆண்டு நடந்த பல்துறை வல்லுநர்கள் கூட்டத்தில் தான் இந்த கருத்து வெளியிடப்பட்டது. மதுரையில் இலந்தைக்குளத்தில் கடந்த திமுக ஆட்சியின்போது ஐடி பூங்கா அமைக்கப்பட்டது. அதில் இதுவரை இதுவரை 3 நிறுவனங்கள் மட்டும் தான் தங்கள் கிளைகளை அமைத்துள்ளன என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது. அதேபோல வடபழஞ்சியில் அமைக்கப்படுவதாக கூறப்பட்ட ஐடி பூங்கா இன்னும் ஆரம்பிக்கப்படவே இல்லை. தமிழ் சினிமாக்களில் மதுரையைப் பற்றி அவதூறாக, அசிங்கமாக, கோரமாக சித்தரிப்பதை தடுத்து நிறுத்த வேண்டியது அவசியம் என்ற கருத்து தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப நிறுவனங்களில் பணி புரியும் மதுரையைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள் மத்தியில் எழுந்துள்ளது. தமிழக அரசு இந்த விஷயத்தை சற்று சீரியஸாக கவனித்தால் மட்டுமே மதுரைக்கு மோட்சம் கிடைக்கும்

If history had Facebook updates

CM warns Sun Pictures

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday sounded tough against Sun Pictures and its Chairman and Managing Director Kalanithi Maran, when journalists asked whether her government would take action against the media group.

Replying to a query on actions being taken on Kalanithi Maran and his companies in the light of complaints being filed, she said, "Whatever complaints have been received, whatever evidence has come to light, will be acted upon with all seriousness."

Meanwhile, Sun Pictures Chief Financial Officer Unnikrishnan on Thursday appeared before the probe officers and submitted the money transactions of Sun Pictures for the last five years period. He had been issued summons on Wednesday.

Last Sunday, Chief Operating Officer of Sun Pictures W Hansraj Saxena was arrested for cheating a film distributor TS Selvaraj of Salem to the tune of Rs 82.53 lakh. Selvaraj claimed in his complaint that Saxena and few others intimidated him.

Facebook Keyboard Shortcut Keys!!!!

Using keyboard shortcuts not only help you to increase your productivity and accomplish more tasks, but also more efficient. Moreover, it makes you look like a pro, right? In Windows, it is too common to find people using keyboard shortcut keys. For any Windows user, they should know the basic combination keys like Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V.
But have you seen people using keyboard shortcuts in Facebook? Guess what, Facebook has it’s own set of built-in keyboard shortcuts.




If you are a hardcore Facebook user that spends hours on Facebook, you might want to check out the keyboard shortcuts. It helps you to navigate around Facebook with ease and saves you time in the process.
Here is the list of key combinations which you could try in Facebook by using Google Chrome

• Alt+1 : Return to Home
• Alt+2 : To view the Wall tab
• Alt+3 : To pull down the Friends Requests list
• Alt+4 : To retrieve the Messages list
• Alt+5 : To call out the Notification list
• Alt+6 : Account setting page
• Alt+7 : Account privacy configuration.
• Alt+8 : Facebook fans group page
• Alt+9 : Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities
• Alt+0 : Facebook Help Center
• Alt+m : Create new message
• Alt+? : Cursor in the Search Box

Shocking News About Ctrl+C

Please be very careful when u press Ctrl + C

Here is some useful information for all.

Ctrl+C may be the most important work we do
everyday. But it's not a very safe thing to do. Read on to know why.

It is true, text you last copied for pasting (copy & paste) can be stolen when you visit websites uing a combination of JavaScript and ASP (or PHP, or CGI) to write your possible sensitive data to a database on another server. Hopefully you haven't copied any credit card number recently before surfing!

Code:
The Clipboard hack is done by the following Source Code:

Code:



Do not keep sensitive data (like passwords,credit
card numbers,PIN etc.) in the clipboard while surfing the web. It is extremely easy to extract
the text stored in the clipboard to steal your
sensitive information.

See a suggestion from an expert:

You can stop hacking of clipboard content by doing:

Go to internet options of explorer ->
tools menu ->
Internet option -> Security Custom level

In settings - Select disable under allow past
operations via
script.

One Click Shutdown......

To create a shortcut for Shutting Down your PC on your desktop you need to follow simple steps.
1. Right Click on Desktop.
2. Select New
3. Select Shortcut
4. After clicking Shortcuts a dialog box will open ask location of the shortcut Type there " shutdown " (without quotes)
5. Then Click OK and you are done.
Now double click the shortcut we have created and it will shutdown your PC.

Phones that you cannot even imagine

Facebook to launch ''something awesome'' next week: Zuckerberg

On Friday 1 July 2011, 10:45 AM

From Yoshita Singh Boston, Jul 1 (PTI) Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has a surprise up his sleeve for the over 500 million users of his social networking site with the billionaire CEO today saying his company is planning to "launch something awesome" next week. Zuckerberg, speaking at his company''s office in Seattle, did not divulge any further details apart from saying that the company planned to "launch something awesome" next week. However, it is being speculated that the new feature to be launched could be in the mobile or tablet space. A report in the Los Angeles Times said there are various mobile products in development at Facebook, including the release of a long-awaited Facebook app for Apple''s iPad and a specialised app for photo-sharing on the iPhone. "We are working on a number of exciting things that we have not yet announced, but stay tuned for next week," the report quoted Facebook director of engineering Andrew Bosworth as saying. The project has been developed at the 40-person Seattle office, which is Facebook''s only major engineering hub outside of its Palo Alto, California headquarters. In the past, the Seattle office has played a key role in Facebook''s mobile efforts, the report said. Facebook''s Seattle office has made a mark on the company''s mobile efforts, playing a central role in the development of Facebook''s unified mobile site, unveiled in March, it added.

IPL gets unofficial window, India to play 90 Tests in 8 years.!

A day after the BCCI announced dates for Indian Premier League next season, the ICC today virtually left an unofficial window for the cash-rich Twenty20 event, making it possible for players from most nations to participate in it.

The ICC on the third day of its annual conference here left gaps in the FTP for most nations during April and May for the eight-year period from 2012-20.

The FTP, which was approved by the ICC Executive Board today on the recommendations of Chief Executives' Committee, contains an official two-week window in September for the Champions League Twenty20 each year and leaves space for an unofficial IPL window in April and May.

All the earlier four editions of the IPL were held in April-May and the fifth edition next year is scheduled from April 4 to May 27.

Under the new FTP calender, India are scheduled to host Pakistan for a Test series in 2013, the first time after 2007.

But, beyond that, particulars of other series between the two countries were vague with neither the host nation nor the number of games were specified.

They would also play 90 Tests and 166 ODIs within the eight-year span.

India also play fewer Test matches than England and Australia in the eight-year period though the world champions would be the busiest team in ODIs.

The FTP has a clear division among the Test playing countries with England, Australia and India scheduled to play the most Tests, followed by Sri Lanka and South Africa.

England will play 99 matches over the next eight years,
Australia 92.
Sri Lanka and South Africa will play 76 and 74 Tests respectively.

They are followed by the West Indies and New Zealand with 66 Tests each and
Pakistan with 65 followed by
Bangladesh (42) and
Zimbabwe (41).

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