magic world of dragons

Kamis, 24 Mei 2007

CCR Car

Koenigsegg CCR – World’s Fastest Car

CCR comes from the stables of Koenigsegg Automotive – Sweden a company founded in 1993 by Christian von Koenigsegg; specializing in producing high performance cars. Koenignsegg Automotive was initially based in Olofstrom but they later shifted their operations to Angelholm (a city in Scania, Sweden with a population of 21700 and the seat of Ängelholm Municipality, Skåne County).

CCR a quick Glance

Fluid is one word that comes to mind when we think of CCR, one glance at it and it becomes clear that this machine means business it built for only one purpose and thats Speed. The car is by no means small infact when seen from certain angles it seems a bit on the bulkier side but that in no way compromises its Aerodynamics which is proven by a very low drag coefficient of 0.30. . Despite its deceiving looks the CCR is surprisingly light; Both the body and chassis of a Koenigsegg are made of extremely lightweight carbon fibre composite, reinforced with Kevlar and aluminium honeycomb. Koenigsegg claims a dry weight of 1175kg which means when the car is loaded and fueled it might weigh somewhere around 1275 kg (kerb weight).

World’s Fastest Production Road Car

On February the 28^th 2005 a Koenigsegg CCR driven by the legendary supercar test-driver Loris Bicocchi broke the record for the fastest production road car in the world previously held by the mighty McLaren F1. The earlier record of 242 mph was set by the MacLaren F1 on the 9 km straight track at the VW Ehra facility in Wolfsburg, Germany in the year 1998. The record stood for 12 years before the CCR clocked 242.42 mph on the Nardò/Prototipo track, a circular track with a circumference of 12.5 km. thus making it the fastest production car in the world.

CCR Gyan !!!

The Koenigsegg badge was designed in 1993 by Jacob Låftman, based on the shield of the Koenigsegg family. The shield has been the family's coat of arms since the 12th century when a family member was knighted by the German-based Holy Roman Empire.

The CCR styled by Christian von Koenigsegg himself

Christian von Koenigsegg, was just 22 years old when he founded Koenigsegg Automotive in 1993

It took Koenigsegg Automotive 8 years to roll out their first supercar.

The first car produced by Koenigsegg Automotive - the CC8S was delivered to a client in March 2002.

Koenigsegg does not ship its cars to the U.S., because Koenigsegg's cars have not met the stringent U.S. safety and emissions standards.

The CCR is the only car with 806 horses on demand; which is nearly double the number of horses in Porsche's top-of-the-line 911 GT3, and also more powerful than Mercedes-Benz' super car, the SLR McLaren.

As a youngster, Christian von Koenigsegg was captivated by a cartoon series in which a repairman souped up his bicycle into an ultimate racing machine capable of competing with cars. This is said to be the inspiration to break the world speed reconrd.

The present Koenigsegg facility located in Angelholm in southern Sweden, was once home to a unit of the Swedish Air Force. The company builds its cars by hand in a hangar that used to house JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets.

To honour the Swedish Fighter Jet Squadron No. 1, (Johan röd) which had earlier occupied the current facility of Koenigsegg, the CCR is adorned with a symbol of a ghost, the symbol of the squadron.

CCR Technical Data

Performance

Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (0–62 mph) 3.2 seconds
Top speed: 395+ km/h (242+ mph)
Standing quartermile: 9 seconds, end speed 235 km/h (146 mph)
Braking distance: 31 m (100–0 km/h)
Lateral g-force: 1.3 g
Fuel consumption: Highway travel: 13 l/100 km
Combined: 17 l/100 km

Body

Two-door, two-seater with removable hardtop stowable under the front boot lid. The body is made of preimpregnated carbonfibre/kevlar and lightweight hard-foam sandwich reinforcements.

Dimensions

Ground clearance: 100 mm (3.9 inch)
Fuel capacity: 80 litres (17.6 gallons)
Luggage compartment: 120 litres (26.4 gallons)
Dry weight: 1180 kg

Aerodynamics

Cd. 0.297. Frontal area 1.825 m2. Completely flat underside of chassis. Venturi tunnels at the rear of chassis/body.

Chassis

Semi monocoque made of preimpregnated carbonfibre and with honeycomb reinforcements for added stiffness.

Front and rear suspension: Double wishbones, adjustable VPS custom racing shock absorbers, pushrod operated. Anti-roll bar. Electronically adjustable ride height.

Brakes

Front brakes: Ventilated discs Ø 362 mm, 32 mm wide. 6 piston light alloy calipers. Power assisted. Koenigsegg Advanced Control system.

Rear brakes: Ventilated discs Ø 362 mm, 32 mm wide. 6 piston light alloy calipers. Power assisted. Koenigsegg Advanced Control system.

Wheels

Koenigsegg magnesium alloy wheels with centre locking.
Front: 19” x 9.5”
Rear: 20” x 12.5”

Tyres

Michelin Pilot Sport 2. Unidirectional with asymmetric tread pattern.
Front: 255/35–19” (Y)
Rear: 335/30–20” (Y)

Steering

Rack and pinion power assisted steering. 2.7 turns lock to lock. Turning circle: 11 metres.

Engine

Type: V8 cast aluminium, 4 valves per cylinder, double overhead camshafts. Cam cover of carbonfibre.
Displacement: 4.700 cm3.
Compression: 8.6:1
Weight: 215 kg
Lubrication system: Dry sump with unique oil spray piston cooling. Oil cooler.
Oil: SAE 10W60 fully synthetic racing.
Oil tank capacity: 12 litres (2.64 gallons)
Induction system: Sequential, multipoint fuel injection. Dual Rotrex centrifugal compressors with 1.4 max boost pressure. Intercooler.
Fuel: 98 RON unleaded.
Ignition system: Direct coil on plug. Transistorised.
Power output: 806 bhp at 6.900 rpm.
Maximum torque: 920 Nm (678 ftlb) at 5.700 rpm.
Maximum rpm: 7.600 rpm.

Transmission

Specially developed 6-speed gearbox by Cima. Incorporated internal oil pump and oil cooler. Torque sensitive, limited slip differential.

Clutch: Dual Plate, organic or cintered Ø 215 mm (8.46 inch). Oil-cooled and electronically operated.

Equipment

In standard mode the car is very well equipped with many items that competitors have as options. Many customers, opt to further equip the car. Therefore a list of customer options is given which should fulfil every demand.

Standard equipment

Aluminium rear light casings
Detachable roof panel
Climate control
Electric rear view mirrors
Leather interior
Central locking
Electrical windows
Alarm with immobilizer
Toolkit
Driver side airbag
Power steering
Hydraulic ride height control
Servo assisted brakes
ABS
Traction control
Stereo with CD-player
Tyre pressure sensors
Car cover

Customer options

Custom Color Leather Interior
Custom Paint Color
Parking Sensors
GPS Navigation
Sequentially operated gearbox
Rearview Camera
Fitted Luggage

Images and Technical Specifications courtsey: koenigsegg.se - The official Koeigsegg Website

Koenigsegg Automotive AB 1994-2007. info@koenigsegg.se Tel: +46 431 45 44 60

Enjoy the Spirit of Performance.

Rabu, 23 Mei 2007

American Idol Winner

Jordin Sparks Wins American Idol

Image Courtesy: eastvalleytribune.com

Halleluiah!!! Sanjaya Malakar did not win the American Idol contest!!! The American Idol winner for this season is Jordin Sparks. Anyone who has been watching American Idol this season would say that the result was not all that surprising. This makes Jordin Sparks, at the age of 17, the youngest ever Anerican Idol Winner as well as the first teenager to win the competition.

Jordin Spark’s victory is not a flash in the pan as she had won the Arizona Idol competition of 2006 which gave her a guaranteed boost at the American Idol competition. She is bubbly, energetic and has tons of talent. Even during her lowest performances she was able to gather the support of Idol fans who never allowed her to be in the bottom 3 or 2 in the final 12. This made her the fourth winner after Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Taylor Hicks to have achieved that feat.

Image Courtesy: meevee.com

Her Co-Finalist was Blake Lewis, a beat boxer, whose entry into the finals itself was a surprise to many including yours truly. We felt that Melinda Doolittle was the most talented of the lot. But what may have stood against her was the fact that she may not have been the most marketable of the top 3 finalists. Most of the demographic of American Idol consists of younger audiences and as Simon said, they might have identified more with other younger contestants like Jordin Sparks or Blake Lewis. But one thing is for sure, we have not heard the last of Melinda Doolittle. True and exceptional talent like hers cannot be kept submerged for too long.

Image Courtesy: timesunion.com

Any discussion about this year’s American Idol will not be complete without a mention about Sanjaya Malakar. He has already been a topic of discussion on this blog itself and so we will not go too much into it here. But it has to be said that he was a phenomenon throughout this season. It made him an instant celebrity and appeared even on a talk show hosted by Jay Leno. Whatever the reasons for his “success” may be, there is no denying the fact that in certain ways he maybe even more famous than the eventual American Idol Winner Jordin Sparks!!!

The other notable contestant was LaKisha Jones. She along with Melinda and Jordin should have been the ideal Top 3 in our opinion. Then again she might have been a tad inconsistent to deserver a place in the Top 3 but she was certainly better than Blake in our opinion. Again maybe her age didn’t help her much either. However she too is one to watch out for in the future.

Coming back to the Finale it was a star studded event with performances from the likes of Gwen Stefani, Tony Bennett, Bette Midler and Green Day, with many more celebrities in attendance. It was also fun to see many of the finalist back and performing group songs. There were some interesting moments with American Idol bringing back the Golden Idols awards. There were performances from previous American Idol Winners like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks too.

Image Courtesy: allgoodseats.com

Overall it was a fun night and the better of the two finalists actually won. Even though there are some conspiracy theorists going around saying that Jordin Sparks won the competition because she was once a Coca Cola rising star in 2002 (Coca Cola is also a major sponsor of the competition), it can’t be argued that she won the American Idol without being talented. You can get into the competition but what helps you stay there are the audience’s votes, and they wouldn’t have voted for her if she was not able to connect with them. Jordin Spraks is young, energetic, talented and marketable. Here’s wishing a bright future to this year’s American Idol Winner.

Read our other American Idol Posts:

American Idol

Sanjaya Malakar

Selasa, 22 Mei 2007

Google Hot Trends

Google Hot Trends a new feature launched today from none other than Google labs.

Of course from the stable of Google labs means the product is still in its beta version. But our review found this the coolest tool ever released.

Google Trends helps you compare upto five different topics to see how often those topics are searched on Google over time. It also shows how frequently the topics have appeared in Google news stories and the geographic locations from which the searches originated.

What makes it different ?

Unlike the google adwords keyword search volume tool or the YPN’s overture search volume tool which just shows the volume of searches conducted. Google Trends actually compares the historical search volumes for the different keywords with their present volume and displays the ones which fluctuate the most.

For eg. If we do a most popular keyword search else where we’ll most probably get the generic words like travel, whether, etc as the top search words but on Google Trends highlights searches that have suddenly gained popularity and displays those searches that are deviating the most from their historic traffic pattern..

So when all other tools shows more or less the same results for the top keyword search Google Trends actually shows what’s hot on internet in almost real-time. Best part of the story is that the results are updated several times a day to show the most relevant data so you could actually see the charts and graphs tilting and swaying and jumping and dancing all day long as users from around the world surf the net.

Cool Features

Google Trends Page lets you restrict your results to a particular time frame or region by selecting the desired parameters from the drop down boxes under the search volume graph. . To view the results for a particular sub-region (e.g. state/province) within a region, use the drop-down boxes or click on the link for a particular Country or sub-region on the Google Trends results page to restrict your results to that sub-region.

How does it affect the Blogosphere

Google trends could be a very useful tool for blogger who generate content on current hot topics. Moreover its one more way to get new visitors to your site via google blog search results which is also displayed in google trends.

Resource Links

Google Trends - The Google Trends Page - Google Trends
Google Hot Trends - The Google Hot Trends Page - Google Hot Trends
Learn more about Hot Trends from Google – About Google Hot Trends
Google Trends Discussion Group on Google Groups - Google Trends discussion group.
Copyright complaints - http://www.google.com/dmca.html.
Google trends help center - Help Center
comments and questions - trends-support@google.com

Advice from google

Google Trends aims to provide insights into broad search patterns. Several approximations are used when computing your results. Please keep this in mind when using it.

Google Trends is free for your use, but, before you use it, please check out our Terms of Use. If you do choose to use this info, please make sure to appropriately attribute it to Google.

Charlie Chaplin

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin image courtsey: tjeremyt.com

Charlie Chaplin (Charles Spencer Chaplin)

As a boy and a man

Charlie Chaplin image courtsey: wikipedia.org

Charlie Chaplin’s life was a story stranger than fiction, his childhood was miserable due to abject poverty which forced him to stay in orphanages managed by greedy and cruel managements.

Mildred Harris image courtsey: wikipedia.org

His youth and middle age times were perturbed by so many ladies absurd courtships all ended either in unsolvable problems or long litigations.

Knighthood

Charles Spences Chaplin was named in the New Year's Honours List in 1975 and, on March 4, was knighted at the age of 85 as a Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II.

As an old man

Charlie Chaplin had every thing he wished, money fame and all. But he spoiled his life by getting engaged in uncalled for comments on political matters which spoiled his entire image and peace of mind. His innocent remarks on subject he did not know made him so unpopular in both US and UK (Chaplin had citizenship in both nations later he moved to Switzerland due to these skirmishes). After death he definitely deserved peace but that was not the case.

No peace in the hands of death!

His dead body laid to rest at the Corsier-Sur-Vevey cemetery at Geneva was stolen by some mechanics of Polish and Bulgarian origin. They were demanding ransom from his family members. Only after eleven long weeks the culprits could be captured and the body recovered from near Geneva Lake. Now the body rests in Vevey cemetery about six feet depth covered by hard concrete to give the body some peace!

His boyhood

Charles Spencer Chaplin popularly known as Charlie Chaplin was born in April 16, 1889 in East Street Walworth London. There was not much to speak about his early childhood except these facts that his father (Mr. Charles Chaplin Sr.) was a chronic alcoholic, mother (Mrs. Lily Harvey Chaplin- a professional singer in a third rated theater had occasional bouts of insanity) and the family was in utter poverty. Chaplin had to spend his boyhood in poor homes and orphanages where he was tortured and insulted to such extreme levels that until death Chaplin had to live with the scars of the agonies he received as a little boy.

A debutant par excellent!

At the age of five he took to acting when his mother a singer in a cheap theater broke down while performing and had to withdraw suffering cruel insults from soldiers and rowdies who were the main spectators of that ‘absurd theater’. His mother while singing an Irish March song lost her voice inviting wrath and insult from the viewers. Just to escape the mob-violence the manager of the theater (who has found little Charlie performing before his mother’s friends) led Charlie by hand to the stage to perform whatever the little boy knew. The rest is history!

What he has to say

Charlie Chaplin as Hitler image courtsey: cinetecadelfriuli.org

In his autobiography he writes “It was owing to mother’s illness that at the age five I made my first appearance on the stage. Mother was playing at a grubby inferior theatre catering mostly to soldiers. They were a rowdy lot and wanted little excuse to ridicule.

I remember standing in the wings when mother’s voice cracked and went into a whisper. The audience began to laugh make catcalls. Mother was obliged to walk off the stage.

The stage manager, who had seen me perform before Mother’s friends said something about letting me go on in her place. And in the turmoil I remember him leading me by the hand and, after a few explanatory words to the audience, leaving me on the stage alone. And before a glare of footlights and faces in smoke, I started to sing a well known song”.

What a debut

When his show was half through the soldiers began to cheer and shower on to the stage, he continues that he requested their permission to stop singing for a while and collect the cash, which was immediately accepted with cheers and wild applause! The show ended only when his mother came to the stage and took the performer home.

The little boy sung, interacted with the audience, danced and imitated every thing he had seen (even his mothers last and tragic performance which occurred minutes back while singing her masterpiece – the Irish March Song – along with the final cracking of her sound in the stage!) was not spared.

These innocent gimmicks received big applause; audience threw money on to the stage as a mark of appreciation. They were delighted by the performance of this debutant young artist. That incident marked the meteoric rise of a star (as well as the eclipse of one -his mother who had never performed on stage after that day).

Tramp

Rise of Charlie Chaplin as a big body in the film-world was quick and tremendous. He remained as the master entertainer all through his career that lasted more than six decades. The bitter memories of his early life haunted all through his life and the in- genuineness of Chaplin helped him to give shape to many of the characters; ‘The Tramp’ (1914) was a typical case.

A signature so universal.

Chaplin image courtsey: scoop.diamondgalleries.com

Chaplin in his over-sized pants that was tied with a string, a jacket too small along with a derby hat were not enough, The enormous pair of shoes that could stick to the feet only if the left pair worn on right foot! The short trimmed moustache that could wriggle easily and the big bamboo stick (for walking stick) all became part and parcel of a great character which filled the heart with pathos while entertained them.

A lovable prankster.

The Kid poster courtsey: allposters.com

Most often a weak, helpless and unfortunate, at times funny and master in playing tricks, maverick and prankster (who flattens even www wrestlers by his super tricks!) inviting applause only macho heroes could get, his characters always stole the hearts of spectators worldwide and remains as commercial success even now at a time when his masterpiece ‘The Tramp’ is almost ready at its golden jubilee fast approaching.

Hangover.

The Tramp was followed by many super hits, money and fame came in search of Chaplin whose psyche still was trapped in the bitter child hood period (he never could escape from that trap). Chaplin always shuddered at the thought that he may be a poor man again and those bitter days may be back.

A story of a vagabond.

Chaplin image courtsey: moma.org

In ‘The Tramp’ Charlie is a vagabond who got a chance save a girl from the clutches of a band of robbers, Charlie as a reward was brought to her home and given a servant’s job by her father who was a well to do farmer. When those robbers came to loot the girls’ house Charlie could trounce them, but was injured at the leg and was lucky enough to be nursed by the beautiful girl.

As the flower of romance was just to bloom in his arid mind; see what fate had in store! Bad luck arrives in the form the sweet heart of that girl! ‘A tramp is a tramp and always a tramp’. He packs up his cotton-baggage and goes on his vagabonding way. We see him in the fade out scene and set to pursue his life as a vagabond. It was the innate fear which haunted him since he was a child.

The end!

In December 25th 1977 Charlie Chaplin passed away before completing his last project named ‘Freak’ while asleep. He has given birth to numerous creations in his long career which spanned 65 years most of them masterpieces and they are still box office hits as time could not diminish their impact. Spectators; whether young or old, rich or poor; love the Charlie Chaplin stuff, that is its-magic. ‘The tramp’ is about to celebrate its centenary soon, it is hoped that it will remain in the hearts of movie buffs all through the world for centuries to come.

Great Chaplin films.

The Tramp (1914)
Shoulder arms (1918)
The kid (1921)
A Woman of Paris (1923)
Gold rush (1925)
The circus (1928)
City lights (1931)
Modern times (1936)
The great dictator (1940)
Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
Limelight (1952).

Alfred Hitchcock: North by Northwest

The Granddad of James Bond

Image Courtesy: leninimport.com

This is one of the most entertaining movies of all time. The highlight of the movie is its screenplay which is charming, witty, fun and at the same time as Hitchcock-ian in its thrills as any other. Alfred Hitchcock weaves a story of an ‘everyman’ caught in a bizarre and extraordinary situation and his adventures thereof. It is a cinegoer’s delight as it provides pure entertainment and does not have any pretense about its substance.

The plot is about a Madison Avenue advertising executive, Roger Thornhill, who is mistaken for a secret agent called George Kaplan. He is seized by two thugs at a hotel and taken to their boss Lester Townsend. There he is interrogated by Townsend, who is agitated that Roger is steadfast in his denial of being George Kaplan. He therefore orders that Roger be disposed off and to make it look like an accident. Roger is therefore forcefully given a large quantity of bourbon and is put in a stolen car, intending to stage a fatal accident.

However Roger escapes when he is caught by the police and taken into custody for drunken driving. When the next day he brings the police and his mother to the house of Townsend he is surprised to find that the entire setting of the house has been changed from what it was the previous night. Furthermore no one believes his side of the story when a lady of the house reveals that Townsend is in fact a UN diplomat.

Image Courtesy: gonemovies.com

In an effort to prove his innocence Roger visits George Kaplan’s hotel room only to find that the actual George Kaplan is much shorter in height than him. He also finds a picture of Townsend there. In the meanwhile we are shown a meeting of some secret agents where it is revealed to us that George Kaplan is a non-existent spy whom the intelligence agency has created to divert the attention of the enemy.

When Roger reaches the UN he finds out that the man he so far took to be Townsend is someone else. The real Townsend is about to reveal the true identity of Roger’s real abductor when one of the men who earlier tried to kill Roger murders Townsend by throwing a knife. Townsend falls over onto Roger’s arms and Roger inadvertently picks up the knife from Townsend’s body. Everybody thinks that Roger had murdered Townsend and from then on he leads the life of a fugitive.

Image Courtesy: typepad.com

While on the run from the law Roger decides to follow Kaplan’s itinerary and go to Chicago. He therefore sneaks into a train to Chicago as there is massive manhunt on for his alleged murder of Townsend. While aboard the train he meets a beautiful young blonde named Eve Kendall, who overtly flirts with him and also goes out of her way to help him escape from the law. Who is this lady and what are her true intentions? Who are the people that are after Roger? Will Roger be able to get out of this mess in one piece? All this forms the rest of the story.

As we have said earlier the highlight of this movie is its screenplay. It is witty, charming and exciting all at the same time. It is a movie that has everything in it; witty dialogues, romance, thrills, action, espionage, mistaken identity and much more. But still the story is not without its share of holes. Most importantly we never find out why the goons actually mistake Roger to be a fictional George Kaplan. The flimsiest of reasons shown in the movie is how the villain’s henchmen see Roger summon a hotel attendant, who is paging Kaplan, and then promptly kidnaps him assuming that he is Kaplan. Also nobody sees the actual killer throwing the knife at the real Townsend even though the deed is done in a fairly crowded lounge at the UN.

Image Courtesy: wikipedia.org

Despite the holes, the movie works because it concentrates on one thing only: that to provide the audience its share of fun and not dwell too much on the details. So much so that what exactly is contained in the McGuffin, a microfilm hidden in a statue, is never revealed even though everybody seems to be after it. But the real star of the movie is Cary Grant. He goes through the role with the ease of a seasoned professional. He is able to carry off some of the dialogues and its cockiness which any other actor would have found hard pressed to do.

Hitchcock’s direction is also exemplary in the movie. His usage of various techniques and methods is assured and as always is able to capture the full attention of his audience. Two sequences in particular are so well done that they have achieved iconic status in the realms of movie history. One is the scene where Cary Grant is being chased by a crop duster in the middle of nowhere. The other is the climatic Mount Rushmore chase scene where the protagonists try to escape the villains by climbing around the faces of the former presidents.

Image Courtesy: typepad.com

Don’t go and watch this movie if you are expecting to take some profound meaning from it, because there aren’t any. Don’t go and watch this movie if you like picking through the complexities of a plot, because there aren’t many. Watch it if you want to have a whale of a time and be captivated by some amazing shots, not to mention Cary Grant.

Minggu, 20 Mei 2007

Chartwell

Chartwell - Winston Churchill’s Home

Chartwell House image courtsey: places-to-go.org.uk

Name of the manor. ...Chartwell.

Purchased on...............1922.

Bought by...................Sir Winston Churchill.

Land area....................32 Hectares.

Price............................Rs.95,000.