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Apple has some useful apps on the iPhone and one of them was responsible for saving a young girl's life. 17-year-old Macy Smith was coming home late and her mother could not get through to her. The mother suspected that something was wrong and was able to track down her daughter using the 'Find My Friends' app. Ms Smith was trapped in a wrecked car at the bottom of an embankment and it would have been impossible to trace her if it weren't for Apple's app and the mother's quick thinking. © Apple The teenager later wrote on a Facebook post: “I hydroplaned at 4:00 pm and ran in between 2 trees down an embankment, flipped my car 3 times, and landed in my back seat with my arm pinned in between the car and the ground.” She could not reach for her iPhone and respond to her mother's calls. The mother then traced her daughter's location using the app and the family drove to the location of the accident. They found her trapped in the vehicle and were able to recover her. © Apple “The whole time I knew they were going to show up and I'm so thankful for my family and we're such a tight family that I knew that I wasn't going to be there the whole night without them looking for me,” Ms Smith told a local TV station. Find My Friends app is a very useful application that lets users share their location with friends and family. The feature needs to be activated manually however this incident just proved that it is a very useful feature that can end up saving your life. You can add the feature by adding your family members' iCloud accounts and share the location data when necessary. Ms Smith is now urging other teenagers to enable this feature on their iPhones. Source: CultofMac -
Woman Covering Her Rs 16 Lakh Car With Cow Dung To Keep It Cool Is The Ultimate Desi Jugaad
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
No matter how bizarre a hack is, as long as it works it's absolutely fine. At least that's what I have learned from people around me. And we Indians seem to have acquired the special talent of being a pro at 'jugaad'. Think of the most unimaginable hack possible and chances are that an Indian would have tried and tested that hack to his benefit already. Just like this hack of using cow dung to keep a car cool in the scorching heat. And when I say use it, I mean changing the car's colour to brown. FYI, the car in question is a Toyota Corolla Altis, the road price of which starts from Rs 16 lakh (approx) © Facebook In what can be rightly called the 'coolest' hack ever, a woman in Ahmedabad coated her entire car with cow dung, as the temperature shot up to 45 degrees. Thanks to Facebook user Rupesh Gauranga Das for sharing the pictures with us, and enlightening us with this ingenious hack. According to his post, the car owner is from Ahmedabad, but the car's number plate states that the car is from Maharashtra. South Bombay to be specific. Das wrote in his post, "Best use of cow dung I have ever seen. It's in Amdavad. To counter 45 degrees heat temperatures and protect car from getting hot, Mrs Sejal shah has plastered her car with cow dung. Getting cool." For those wondering how effective the trick is, cow dung is actually a kind of insulator that blocks the heat of the outer surface from getting into the inner surface. That's the reason a lot of people in rural areas coat the outer walls of their houses with cow dung, to keep their house cool. And here we thought parking our car under the shade of a tree will do the job. -
Given A Week To Live, Terminally Ill 5-YO Gets Lewis Hamilton's F1 Car In The Surprise Of His Life
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
Continuing his fine run this season, Lewis Hamilton clinched the first-place finish at the Circuit de Catalunya in the Spanish Grand Prix on 12th May. The Brit finished ahead of his Mercedes teammate Valterri Bottas and Max Verstappen who finished second and third respectively. While the top spots at the podium once again eluded Ferrari, Mercedes extended their record-breaking run to five-successive one-two finishes this season. Attempting to take a sixth world championship and third in a row, Hamilton's form is ominously strong and his 76th career victory was a befitting testimony to that. If his brilliant showing on the race track had everyone singing his praise, Hamilton's touching gesture for his special fan further won over fans. © Reuters Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton received a special video from Harry Shaw who has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. According to reports, the five-year-old boy was recently given just one week to live. The video shows Harry, wearing a Mercedes cap and lying next to a signed Hamilton picture in his London hospital bed, giving a message to the Brit driver: "Hello Lewis Hamilton. Good luck winning the race in Spain and thank you for all of the gifts. Lots of love from Harry and goodbye". View this post on Instagram Harry, you don't know how much this message means to me buddy. Thank you so much, you are my inspiration today Harry. I will try to make you proud. You are such a strong boy, I wish I was as strong as you, I wanted the world to see how strong you are and ask everyone to send their best wishes and prayers to you during this hard time. Sending you love Harry. God bless you. Your friend, Lewis #keepfighting #nevergiveup #wewinandwelosetogether A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on May 12, 2019 at 2:59am PDT Sharing the kid's video on his Instagram handle, Hamilton said: "Harry, you don't know how much this message means to me buddy. Thank you so much, you are my inspiration today Harry. I will try to make you proud. You are such a strong boy, I wish I was as strong as you, I wanted the world to see how strong you are and ask everyone to send their best wishes and prayers to you during this hard time. Sending you love Harry. God bless you. Your friend, Lewis". And, Hamilton did make Shaw proud by winning the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. Following his triumph, Hamilton also dedicated his victory to the youngster who inspired him to secure a podium finish. "I got a great message from this young kid called Harry and he just became my spirit angel," the Mercedes driver said after the race. © Reuters "When I woke up this morning, I was a bit lost and wondering how today was going to go. Then I saw that message and I was like, 'I see you, Harry, I've got you'. I was looking for inspiration and something to grab to, so I dedicate today's race to him. You try to go out there and do something for someone. It doesn't always turn out as well as it has but I hope he is watching. I will be sending him a message shortly after this, and we are going to try and do something special for him," he added. Well, Hamilton did reveal that he will try to do something special for Shaw, but no one would have possibly anticipated what was in store for the youngster. In a heartfelt gesture, Hamilton and Mercedes sent one of their Formula One (F1) cars to Shaw's home in Redhill. The lucky kid, cradled in his father James' arm, was then shown around Hamilton's F1 car by a Mercedes employee. .@LewisHamilton has brought the smile back to a boy fighting the final days of his young life. Hamilton dedicated his Grand Prix victory to Harry Shaw from Surrey. The Mercedes team hastily arranged for one of their cars to park outside Harry's home as @samholdertv reports pic.twitter.com/qdphRn3MP8 — ITV London (@itvlondon) May 13, 2019 Owing to his rare medical condition, Shaw was outdoors for the first time in three weeks. The youngster was also presented with Hamilton's winning trophy from the race in Barcelona and a pair of the world champion's racing gloves. Apart from that, there was also a personal video message of support recorded by Hamilton which was shown to Shaw. "I cannot describe how much it means to us all that Lewis won the race for Harry, and then dedicated it to Harry, too," his father James Shaw said. "At a tremendously difficult time in our lives, this has provided us with a big boost, and a big smile. Harry couldn't believe that Lewis Hamilton was talking about him, and had dedicated the race to him. He now thinks that Lewis is his absolute best friend, which, for a five-year-old boy, is amazing. Harry loves cars, and although he is frail, he was asking about the exhaust pipe," he added. © Twitter/@HarrysPledge5 Over the years, we've seen numerous sportspersons dominating their respective fields and earning laurels. But, far away from their titles, trophies and accolades, it's their conduct and demeanour away from sports - like the touching gesture of Hamilton for a young cancer-stricken boy - that truly makes a sportsperson great. -
Robert Downey Jr Gifting Chris Evans A Rs 2 Crore 'Captain America' Car Defines BFF Goals
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
Who is a BFF? The one who's grown up taking all our crap, negating all the bad stuff around us, making life awesome and keeping secrets like no one else could, right? Yes, but in the adult and the rich world of Hollywood, BFF goals are all of these and besides staying through each other's thick and thin, our favourite Hollywood stars also shower their best friends with some insane gifts. For instance, Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans are not just 'Avengers' colleagues but very thick bros in real life as well. View this post on Instagram Robert Downey Jr & Chris Evans ( my edit ) #stony #rdj #robertdowneyjr #stevetony #downevans #chrisevans #vine #stonyvine #stevextony #tonystark #tonyxsteve #chrisevansxrobertdowneyjr #chrisxrobert #robertxchris #marvel #marvelunivers #marvelvine #ship #downeyjrxevans #evansxdowneyjr #rdjxce #superhusbands #steverogers #steverogersxtonystark #stonyedit #stonyamv #marvelamv A post shared by Haikyuu and more (@hq8more) on Jul 7, 2016 at 12:32am PDT So the Iron Man, who is pretty much indulgent in real life as his Tony Stark avatar is, gifted his brother Chris Evans a customised, ' Captain America' themed car. The car is a vintage 1976 Chevrolet Camaro and costs over $275k which is roughly around 2 crores in INR if you convert it! View this post on Instagram Downey designed, Speedkore built and Evans driven. Get the story of Chris Evan's car on YouTube before you see it on CNBC this Thursday! Huge thanks to @robertdowneyjr @speedkore01 and Chris Evans! #ChrisEvans #RestoMod #JayLenosGarage A post shared by Jay Leno's Garage (@jaylenosgarage) on Aug 27, 2018 at 10:26am PDT Chris Evans gave a peek of this beauty when he was on ' Jay Leno's Garage'. Pretty slick huh? Well, such perks come easy when your BFF is none other than Tony Stark himself. Get ready to witness the madness of the 'Avengers' journey next weekend, because the wait is just getting crazier. -
Four years after its original announcement, Aston Martin's first all-electric car is finally here. The company's Rapide sedan called the “Rapide E” made its debut at the Shangai Auto Show yesterday. Aston Martin didn't announce a price for the car, but it said only 155 Rapide E cars will ever be made. However, do you know what are we most excited about? To see Agent 007 drive the new all-electric car in the next Bond movie. For those of you who don't know, Aston Martin cars and James Bond movies have a huge history. Aston Martin's relationship with the 007 franchise began in 1964 when Sean Connery drove a DB5 sports car in Goldfinger. Well, if the reports are something to go by, the upcoming 25th James Bond (https://www.mensxp.com/special-features/james-bond-lifestyle/7551-10-best-james-bond-outfits.html) movie will see our 007 agent drive the new Rapide E. Of course, there's a lot of swift action sequences in the movie, and we think it's about time to put our agent in a zero-emission vehicle. © Aston Martin The new Rapide E is a powerful machine. It's powered by an 800-volt, 65kWh battery, which Aston Martin says will be able to travel over 200 miles on a single charge. The car has a twin motor fitted on the rear axle, which can generate 450kW and can get the car up to a top speed of 155 miles per hour. Also, the new Aston Martin Rapide E can go from 0 to 60 miles in under four seconds. The car is packed with a lot of other gizmos like a 10-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, an 8-inch display mounted atop the centre of the dashboard, and more. The new Rapide E was said to hit the road in 2018, but there's no official word on its availability yet.
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This 'Superhero' Powerlifter Saved The Life Of A Man Trapped Under A Car
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
Ryan Belcher is a 29-year old Powerlifter who weighs 350 pounds from Michigan. He can squat an impressive 950 pounds and deadlift 800 pounds. View this post on Instagram Nothing impressive. Bent over rows with the Texas Sqaut bar!! Stiff af 415x8 Top set 435x8 A post shared by Ryan Belcher (@iam1him) on Mar 25, 2019 at 4:48pm PDT It was a normal day for Ryan at the gym when he heard a loud crash outside. He rushed out to see that a car had toppled and had pinned a man underneath, who was screaming for help. He saw that four other men were unsuccessfully attempting to move the vehicle and he thought to himself that there was never going to be a better time than that moment where he could use his strength to save a life. The Jeep vehicle weighed 2 tonnes and Ryan knew that he could move it enough to rescue the man. He jumped right in and moved the vehicle enough to remove the victim from underneath. The injured man was rushed to the hospital and was admitted with internal bleeding. The nurses said that had Ryan been not present there at that moment, the man would have not lived. Reacting to the whole scenario, Ryan gave a statement to the local news saying, "I knew if I could swing the vehicle in a certain direction I could free him from that pole. So I just stuck my arms in and I just, I don't know, I just grabbed it and lifted up and started pushing." View this post on Instagram 765, 865, fail at 900 @skinnyfattnstrong A post shared by Ryan Belcher (@iam1him) on Feb 13, 2019 at 2:27pm PST Ryan has been hailed as a superhero by the local news and community and rightly so. Author bio: Pratik Thakkar is the co-founder and director of GetSetGo Fitness, an online fitness company and the founder of Mars Nutrition, a nutrition supplement company. Both his companies are geared towards providing you with the right information and products without any false or fake claims. You can reach out to him at pratik@getsetgo.fitness and follow him on Instagram. -
You chose a used car , checked history, documents. It's time to go for a visit. Please note that the seller offers a preliminary price tag. Often he is ready to reduce the amount, and you - you can and even need to bargain. But without arguments - no way. Cars with mileage need to carefully inspect and ask questions about the technical condition. The attentive will get a prize - a discount of 5-15 thousand rubles or more. Do you want to become its owner? Then let's go. CONTENT Inspect the body If you see small chips and scratches on the car body, this does not mean that its technical condition leaves much to be desired. A used car will not retain its factory appearance - stones, sand, dirt, dust constantly fly on the road. Or another car will strike in the parking lot, you will not notice the curb yourself and you will bury the bumper. Roughness is normal. It doesn’t matter if you are looking at the Solaris or the “seven” of BMW. But ideally smooth surfaces, on the contrary, should be alerted. There are more serious problems. Look for signs of welding on the body - perhaps the car was made from two of the same. When hit, the car risks just falling apart. “If you went to inspect at a private trader, in the market, in the company like CarZaamin.com - be prepared for anything. There is always a chance that you will be "fooled". One time I had a funny situation when I looked at a used car. The guy was selling Renault Logan, made of two. " Check paintwork “The thickness gauge will add details to the machine inspection. It will be easy to check the thickness of paintwork yourself if you find out how many microns the device should display on the screen. Find the numbers in advance on the Internet. For example, the thickness of the Ford Focus 3 varnish will fluctuate around 100-150 microns, while the Mercedes or the old Land Rover should have a thicker varnish - approximately 200-250 microns. The paint on the car 10-20 years ago put denser. Today, this procedure replaces the tension on the body of the protective film and coating. Check. Car paint coating But not always the thickness gauge saves from dishonest sellers - in car services they paint used cars specifically for the device. Also contact insurance companies and make minor repairs on the hull insurance. Therefore, when meeting with the seller, wear glasses if you see badly. Carefully consider cars from different angles. Not every car repair shop will pick up the paint exactly in the color of the car. Another way to measure lacquer thickness is a regular magnet. Wrap it in a rag and drive on the body. Where there is no attraction at all - probably a thick layer of putty. ” Determine whether the machine is broken Alexander Gudov, owner and head of the auto shop “ IskraRS ”: Alexander Gudov, owner and head of a car repair shop "There are 10 clear signs of participation in the accident and the curvature of the geometry of the body: Different color paintwork under the seals on the shade on the body; There is no paint on the hood bolts, door hinges, fuel tank flap; The gaps on the body parts are not symmetrical; Differs marking, year of manufacture of glass; Closed with effort hood, trunk, doors; Sprayed moldings painted in body color; Do not join body stampings, lines; Cracked windshield with no visible center; Differ headlights, one - muddy; There are no small scratches, dents, chips on the front bumper. Also read: How to check whether a broken car or not Track tire wear. If you see that tires are worn unevenly - perhaps the body curve. Check in a car repair shop - mechanics will help you figure it out with the help of special devices, stands. Determine the actual mileage “Odometer reading is the last thing worth believing. Try to determine the mileage on the condition of the cabin. Count. In the year a private car "reels" 10-20 thousand kilometers. Five years - 100 thousand. Check. To the mileage of 100 thousand kilometers on the brake discs will remain the edge of a maximum of 2-3 mm. If you see that the wheels are new - it means that the car “ran” more than a hundred. Learn. If the pedals are worn down to metal or, on the contrary, completely new, the car’s mileage has exceeded 300 thousand kilometers. Inspect. By 5 years of use or 150-200 thousand kilometers on the steering wheel appear rubbing. You can determine how and where used cars. You see the position of "9 o'clock" - the owner often traveled long distances, "9" and "15 hours" - in the city. If the scuffs around the rim - the owner probably tax it. Explore. Upholstery driver's seat of fabric begins to fall into disrepair after 100-120 thousand kilometers, of leather - after 190-200 thousand. The armrest and lateral support on the left are strongly erased, if the car is left-hand drive. In the case of the right-hand drive car - on the contrary even if you buying from auction. " Conduct a test drive The car passed a visual check - proceed to the test drive. It is important to evaluate: brake system, suspension; engine start and idle; the presence of suspicious noises and knocks in the suspension, engine; steering wheel position, machine handling; the operation of electric windows, radio, instrument panel, air conditioning, "stove"; jerking during gear changes. The seller may not let the wheel, but you do not need it. Get in the car together, ask him to accelerate, slow down, turn, turn around and drive through a speed bump or other road bumps. Such a test drive will show the technical condition of the suspension brakes. Watch out Watch out for the owner from the front passenger seat. If he turns the steering wheel and uses the PPC without effort - the car is fine.
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Tesla Has Unveiled The Model Y And It's Intended To Be The Perfect Crossover Car
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
After weeks of teasers, Tesla has finally shown the public its new Model Y crossover vehicle at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, California. The vehicle is based on the core design of the Model 3 sedan, but with a larger body, and a third row, for seating for up to 7 people. It's technically a crossover that has a tall body sitting on a basic car platform. Elon Musk had previously confirmed that Tesla's baby SUV will share up to 75 percent of its components with the recently-launched Model 3 saloon, including the platform. © Tesla “It has the functionality of an SUV, but it will ride like a sports car,” Musk said. “So this thing will be really tight on corners,” Tesla says it has a drag coefficient of 0.23, making it more streamlined than a Toyota Prius. This, in turn, helps in increasing efficiency. Musk devoted only five minutes of his 34-minute presentation to the new SUV. He spent the rest of the time recounting Tesla's rise and recent history. © Twitter / @sokane1 Most of the Model Y's interior is lifted from Model 3. Features include a minimalist dashboard devoid of physical buttons, a panoramic glass roof, a wireless smartphone charger, and an enormous 15-inch centre-mounted infotainment screen. The popular "Falcon Wing" doors of the Model X have been skipped though, our guess is to keep costs low. The base Model Y ("Standard Range") starts at US$ 39,000 (Rs 26,95,000), accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, and can travel 230 miles (370 km) on a single charge. It will be the last version available, starting deliveries in spring 2021. © Tesla The Long Range model starts at US$ 47,000 (Rs 32,48,000) and can go up to 300 miles (482 km) on a single charge. The Dual Motor AWD variant will cost US$ 51,000 (Rs 35,24,000) and travel 280 miles (450 km). Lastly, the Performance option starts at US$ 60,000 (Rs 41,46,000) and can go from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds with a range of 280 miles (450 km). Delivery of the three shall start from the fall of 2020. © Tesla Customers increasingly want taller vehicles that are easier to get in and out of and offer flexible storage. The Model Y gets a panoramic sunroof, 66 cubic feet of storage space and a third row for seating up to seven passengers. Musk also expects the car to get a 5-star crash rating and high safety marks, making it the safest mid-sized SUV till date. According to Tesla, the Model Y is compatible with the company's current Supercharger network of more than 12,000 Superchargers in 36 countries, as well as our new V3 Superchargers which can charge at rates up to 1,000 miles per hour. -
Ajay Devgn Trolled His Own Movie On The 'Koffee With Karan' Couch & Won An Audi Sports Car
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
The sixth season of 'Koffee With Karan' is hands down the best and the most controversial season of all time. And we're sure no one understands the controversy aspect better than Hardik Pandya, who is till date being trolled and bashed for his comments on the show. But, this season of 'Koffee With Karan' is not just about gossip, controversy, or gift hamper. It was also about an Audi A5 which most of us were reminded about recently, after the winner was announced. FYI, the best 'Answer Of The Season' (AOTS) was supposed to get the car. © Star World *Drumrolls* We have a winner for the Audi A5 Sportback, guys! To be honest, it's the most unexpected name. While most of us were hoping for Ranveer, Deepika, Alia, Katrina or the 'Baahubali' gang to win it, KJo's special panel of judges reportedly announced Ajay Devgn as the winner. However, his victory is not the concern here. What matters is that Ajay Devgn won a car, actually an Audi car, for trolling his own movie he starred in way back in 2005. Remember 'Kaal'? Yes, the same movie, starring Ajay Devgn, Lara Dutta, Esha Deol, John Abraham and Vivek Oberoi, which is known more for its songs than the storyline. © Star World In the show, Karan asked Ajay about one superstition he is guilty of believing. Ajay said, "I had this superstition that all your films with 'K' work, till we did Kaal." That film bombed miserably at the box office. The panel of judges included Kirron Kher, Malaika Arora, Mallika Dua and Vir Das. It's surprising how Malaika chose Ajay Devgn's response over Arjun Kapoor's. Maybe, because she was in the song 'Kaal Dhamaal'. © Instagram Reportedly, Ajay was handed over the keys on Thursday. -
There's A Car That Can Walk On Four Legs And Is Built For Humanitarian Purposes
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
CES is all about gadgets and everything electronics, and slowly over the last few years, electric cars have made it to the expo as well. Yesterday, Nissan announced its new EV -- The Leaf. It can run for more than 360 km on a single charge and goes up against the Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Kona, and Kia Niro. Electric Vehicles are becoming mainstream (not yet in India!), and Hyundai wants to take this a step further. Hyundai Elevate is the company's “walking car” concept that's not actually meant to take you over a traffic jam. It would deploy robotic legs to basically walk over rough terrain. It looks like a perfect combination of Boston Dynamics and Tesla. © Hyundai The car is the first Ultimate Mobility Vehicle, intended to blend technology found in robots and electric cars, allowing it to traverse terrain that even the most capable off-road vehicles are unable to navigate. Hyundai claims that vehicles based on the concept could one day be used to save lives in response to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, forest fires or floods. "When a tsunami or earthquake hits, current rescue vehicles can only deliver first responders to the edge of the debris field," said John Suh, Hyundai vice president. © Hyundai The company explained that these vehicles are the "last mile" support group that can tread into uneven terrain where conventional vehicles cannot. They also added the vehicle has both mammalian and reptilian walking gaits and hence can climb a 5 feet wall or gap. The platform is modular, so the body can be swapped out as needs are. Hyundai Elevate's robotic legs can enable it to walk at 3 miles per hour aside from being able to climb a 1.5-meter wall and even jump a 5 feet gap. Another use case explained by the company was, the car can walk up to a front door or a few steps of the porch and make accessibility easier for the differently abled. Mr Suh also suggested that wheelchair users could be collected via the vehicles, which could "walk" up to the front door of a building with step-only access. As of now, there is no full-scale prototype and we've only seen computer generated videos of a not-to-scale model performing its featured leg stretches. Given how difficult it is to coordinate the four-leg movement, the materialization of these concepts is far away. -
The Apple Watch Saved Yet Another Life & This Time Of A Woman In A Car Submerged Underwater
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
There have been numerous instances in the past where the Apple Watch saved lives, thanks to features on board that facilitates emergency services. There have been instances where users were warned of an impending heart attack, indicating heart diseases due to abnormal heart rates and even car crashes. You can read all previous cases of Apple Watch's capability to save lives here. © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla Now according to a report from Spectrum Bay News 9, another incident resulted in the Apple Watch saving its user's life. However, this time a woman was saved due to a car crash that flipped several times before it landed in a ditch filled with mud and water. © YouTube (for representation purposes only) During the crash, Amanda Antonio, 20, had lost her phone but managed to locate it using a feature on the Apple Watch that pings the smartphone. She then called 911 and according to the transcript this is what she said “Hi, I've been in a car accident. My car is flipped and I can't see anything and there's water getting in the car. I can't get out. The water level was apparently rising at a fast pace and had reached Antonio's chin level. © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla The feature on the Apple Watch lets users ping their paired iPhone that makes a sound to let the user know where it is. It's a nifty feature that not only lets you find your iPhone, but apparently can also end up saving lives. To know more about Apple's latest smartwatch, you can read our review here. Source: Spectrum Bay News 9 -
MS Dhoni Pulls Over His Car And Fulfils The Wish Of A Young Fan With A Priceless Handshake
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
Arguably one of the most iconic sportspersons in the country, Mahendra Singh Dhoni continues to enjoy the limelight like no other in Indian cricket. The Jharkhand cricketer enthralled us with his finishing abilities with the willow. Then, his impeccable leadership skills allowed Team India to scale new heights. And, now, despite renouncing his captaincy, Dhoni still remains one of the vital cogs for the Indian team. Such has been Dhoni's exploits over the years that the Indian cricket fans just can't seem to get enough of the 'Captain Cool'. If his cricketing skills weren't enough, Dhoni's antics off the field, too, have been a great hit with the fans. His recent pictures from a TV promo where he was seen playing kabaddi was all over social media, once again highlighting how popular this old warhorse is in the country. RT msdfansofficial: Man with Golden Heart. Just look at the way, he is adoring his little fan. msdhoni SaakshiSRawat#MSDhoni #Dhoni #mahiway pic.twitter.com/WpByIlp0hi — DASAð©ð© (@dasa_____) November 13, 2018 If Dhoni's kabaddi skills enthralled fans, his touching gesture for a young fan proved that this man has a golden heart. In yet another viral video, the 37-year-old was seen pulling over his car and chatting with a young kid at length before shaking his hand. The former Indian skipper is just one run short of becoming the fifth Indian and 13th overall to enter the 10,000-run club in ODI cricket. But, in 2018, the right-hander has scored just 252 runs in 12 innings at a below-par average of just over 25 alongside a strike-rate of 68.10. © Reuters His dismal form with the willow was also the reason why he was axed from the T20I series against West Indies and Australia. Ever since the debut of cricket's shortest format in 2006, India have played a total of 107 T20Is and Dhoni has been part of 93 of those games. For those who may have forgotten, Dhoni was the man who led India to its first World T20 title in 2007. So even if he is not seen playing against Australia in the upcoming T20I series, Dhoni's legacy in Indian cricket is undoubtedly second to none. -
The Rock Shares A Heartfelt Video For The Family Of A Fan Who Was Killed In A Car Accident
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
Last week in an unfortunate accident, a mother and her young daughter lost their lives. It was a fiery, wrong-way car crash in San Diego that claimed the lives of three people - 43-year-old Aileen Pizarro, her 12-year-old daughter Aryana Pizarro, and the culprit, 18-year-old Trevor Heitmann, a popular YouTube personality known as 'McSkillet'. It was a horrifying car accident, and no one can even imagine what the family must be going through right now. It's a truly tragic incident and the family would do anything to do something special for them as a tribute. Turns out Aileen was a huge fan of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and it would be more than special if he knew about the accident and say a few kind words, it would make a big difference for the family. To help do this, her son took to Twitter to reach out to him, asking him for just a video saying even just her name and requested everyone to make it happen by spreading the message till it reaches him. My beautiful mom who passed away loved @TheRock so so SO much. I'm trying to get him to do even a video saying her name for the funeral. If you could retweet the crap outta this for him to see it that'd mean the world. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/ypr4ZJzMxw — angelo pizarro (@mikkeltweets) August 25, 2018 This was an incredible gesture and people came together to help him out and his family as much as they could. This is the beautiful thing about the internet. He thanked everyone for the support. Thanks to everyone who's retweeted and liked. My mom and sister both passed away on Thursday in a horrific car crash and even if Mr. Johnson can't be reached the outpouring of love means the world â¤ï¸ thank you all so much again pic.twitter.com/YTQtzM3UEk — angelo pizarro (@mikkeltweets) August 26, 2018 Soon, the power of the internet made it possible and The Rock being the genuinely nice person he is, sent Angelo a special video for his family. WE DID IT! OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG pic.twitter.com/gD0dIwhJQz — angelo pizarro (@mikkeltweets) August 27, 2018 Moreover, he sent it to him as a private message, he just wanted to do a nice thing, not gain any goodwill points or anything. But, Angelo was so thankful, he shared the video himself. @TheRock THANK YOU SO MUCH SIR. I hope everyone knows how amazing you are. I can't stop smiling knowing she's smiling so much. Just, thank you. And again thank you to every single person who viewed my post (now over a million). pic.twitter.com/tQisyRGgVT — angelo pizarro (@mikkeltweets) August 27, 2018 “I can't stop smiling knowing she's smiling so much.” Even I can't stop smiling now, tbh. So humble. Least I could do. Story is heartbreaking. Stay strong. https://t.co/zLWhML7mJs — Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) August 27, 2018 A lot of the people appreciated him for this incredible gesture. The People's Champ. https://t.co/YX4xWfyxr2 — è¼æ¯ (@Cannibal_Crabsz) August 27, 2018 Omg I'm actually tearing up right now ðð© I love him so much, I'm so happy he did this for you guys â¤ï¸ https://t.co/kNjESKVb6h — Kristy (@KILLAKRISTYx) August 27, 2018 Thank you so much for this. I can only imagine what it means to their family. Such a heartbreaking tragedy. ♥ï¸ — Tabitha Lipkin (@TabithaLipkin) August 27, 2018 -
From Making His Fans Happy To Dancing Atop A Car, Ranveer Singh Is The Rockstar B-Town Never Had
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
Ranveer Singh is the perfect example of a star, who is taking Bollywood over with his insane acting skills, crazy energy, and amazing vibe. Every day is an adventure for this man and we love the eccentric yet powerful aura he radiates. From dancing like crazy to being the star of every party, Ranveer Singh is the soul of every event or function he goes too. Remember the fun dance-off between him and Ranbir Kapoor. That was nothing short of epic. The best part about this man is that he is always true to himself, and is not afraid to show who he really is to the world. This man is a machine that never gets tired. Wherever he goes, he emanates an aura that you just can't ignore at any cost. So, doing what he does the best, the man once again stole the show when he was heading out for an event. From clicking selfies with his crazy fans, to climbing atop a car and suddenly breaking into an impromptu dance for a few moments, he stole the show once again like a true rockstar. . @ranveersingh Uff this handsome man â¤ï¸ . #RanveerSingh #JACKJONESx10 A post shared by Ranveer Singh â (@ranveersinghperfect) on Aug 8, 2018 at 7:47pm PDT . @ranveersingh at Jack and Jones Store ð . #RanveerSingh #JACKJONESx10 A post shared by Ranveer Singh â (@ranveersinghperfect) on Aug 8, 2018 at 7:40pm PDT He is one of the best things that has happened to Bollywood till date, and we bet there is no one who can deny that. #ranveersingh snapped at bandra for #jackjonesx10 today ððð . . . بابا #راÙÙÙر_سÙÙغ اÙÙÙÙ Ù٠اÙÙÙت ÙاÙØªØªØ§Ø ÙØÙ ððð . ÙÙÙÙ ÙعÙÙÙÙÙÙ Ø´ÙÙثثر ÙØبÙÙÙÙب Øتت٠عÙد اÙاعÙا٠ÙاÙصØاÙÙ!! â¨ðð اسÙعÙÙا اÙÙصÙرÙÙ Ø´ÙÙÙÙ ÙصارخÙÙ ÙÙادÙÙÙ ( سÙÙÙباااا) ð¯ عشا٠ÙÙÙÙ٠اÙجااا٠ðð ÙÙاØظ٠ð« (اÙÙÙ Ùابس٠Ùظارات ÙتصÙر Ùعا٠تÙØ«ÙÙÙ) ðð . باختصار / دخÙÙÙÙ Ùخ٠+ Ø´ÙÙÙ ÙجÙÙ + ÙÙس٠ØÙÙÙ Ùع اÙÙعجبÙÙ + اÙضØÙÙ Ø·ÙÙÙ٠اÙاÙÙÙت ÙاÙارÙت ÙجÙÙ + طاÙت٠اÙÙÙ ÙÙت اÙÙÙا٠ð¥ðð . . . . #bollywood #بÙÙÙÙÙد A post shared by تØب بÙÙÙÙÙدð®ð³ !Ø ÙÙÙÙ ðð»ð (@koffee_with_bolly) on Aug 8, 2018 at 8:29am PDT The crazy love for baba! King Of Hearts ⤠- #Repost @viralbhayani (@get_repost) ã»ã»ã» #ranveersingh thank you for being so warm and nice. Though I do not take my own pictures he took a picture of himself with me ðð. -#jackjonesx10 #dontholdback @jackjonesindia @viralbhayani A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersinghplanet) on Aug 8, 2018 at 3:23am PDT #ranveersingh snapped at bandra for #jackjonesx10 today ððð . . . بابا #راÙÙÙر_سÙÙغ اÙÙÙÙ Ù٠اÙÙÙت ÙاÙØªØªØ§Ø ÙØÙ ððð . ÙÙÙÙ ÙعÙÙÙÙÙÙ Ø´ÙÙثثر ÙØبÙÙÙÙب Øتت٠عÙد اÙاعÙا٠ÙاÙصØاÙÙ!! â¨ðð اسÙعÙÙا اÙÙصÙرÙÙ Ø´ÙÙÙÙ ÙصارخÙÙ ÙÙادÙÙÙ ( سÙÙÙباااا) ð¯ عشا٠ÙÙÙÙ٠اÙجااا٠ðð ÙÙاØظ٠ð« (اÙÙÙ Ùابس٠Ùظارات ÙتصÙر Ùعا٠تÙØ«ÙÙÙ) ðð . باختصار / دخÙÙÙÙ Ùخ٠+ Ø´ÙÙÙ ÙجÙÙ + ÙÙس٠ØÙÙÙ Ùع اÙÙعجبÙÙ + اÙضØÙÙ Ø·ÙÙÙ٠اÙاÙÙÙت ÙاÙارÙت ÙجÙÙ + طاÙت٠اÙÙÙ ÙÙت اÙÙÙا٠ð¥ðð . . . . #bollywood #بÙÙÙÙÙد A post shared by تØب بÙÙÙÙÙدð®ð³ !Ø ÙÙÙÙ ðð»ð (@koffee_with_bolly) on Aug 8, 2018 at 8:29am PDT His crazy act did make everyone say 'wah baba' and we can't help but say the same! Keep being the treasure that you are Ranveer! -
From Devotees To Turning Outright Goons, Kanwariyas Destroy A Woman's Car In Delhi
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
Every year in the month of August, with the monsoon showers, comes a very unwelcomed lot of people, called the Kanwars. What should actually be a peaceful journey of Lord Shiva's devotees, Kanwar Yatra has morphed into an ugly showcase of absolute hooliganism. Disrupting traffic, illegally playing loud music and drug abuse are the usual highlights of this yearly Hindu pilgrimage. This year, though, along with the expected spectacles of menace, a group of Kanwars terrorized the city by completely destroying a car. To top this off, they eventually turned over the car on its head. According to sources, the fiasco started after the car brushed past one of the Kanwariyas who was walking in the middle of the road. The driver, believed to be a woman, luckily fled the rage-filled attack. Here's the video of the incident. It took place in Moti Nagar (New Delhi) during rush hours on Tuesday, the 7th of August. The Problem Despite having provided almost every possible amenity—partitioned walkway on the roads, halting points and even police barricading—things get out of hand every year, resulting in widespread public dismay. With the way the Kanwar cavalries move, it's not tough to guess that something unruly can happen at any given moment. Most of them are either drunk or are high on marijuana and completely violate the traffic decorum. Even in the video above, two on-scene police officers simply turn a blind eye and refuse to intervene. Why does a common tax-payer trying to reach his workplace has to deal with all this social filth? Why do the police not act? What is the problem here? The Dangerous Blend Of Religion And Patriotism In Kanwar Yatras © YouTube Another glaring thing that has very recently showed face in Kanwar Yatras is the idea of pseudo-patriotism. It's not uncommon to see these yatris carrying the Indian flag and yelling 'bharat mata ki jai' while running red lights and putting other commuters' life at risk. While carrying the flag is nothing wrong but does being patriotic give you the liberty to become a social menace? Can the slogan 'bharat mata ki jai' make you pull off violent acts of crime? Does patriotism guarantee you a license to hooliganism? We guess not, but these Kanwar Yatris surely think so. -
The World's Most Expensive Car Costs Rs 120 Cr & It's Not A Bugatti Or A Rolls-Royce
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
What's the first thing you expect to see when you turn on the news in the morning? Something political? Something controversial? Something related to Bollywood? Well, not today! Today, the news will be of a different kind. It's about a car. Not just any car, a hypercar. And when it's about a hypercar, you know we're going to cover it. It's tax season and while all of us are rushing to file our returns, we can't help but notice how little money we have to our names. We certainly can't afford a Rs 120 crore hypercar. But, if you're one of those billionaires who don't care about things like a low bank balance and want to buy a new car, the sky is the limit. Unless, that is, you want to buy the most expensive car in the world. There aren't going to be too many of those going around, are there? © Motor 1-Pagani So, we come to the Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta Special. A car we didn't even know existed till just now. Why? Because Pagani didn't bother advertising it. They just released it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and went silent. After all, when you've only made 3 of them and you're keeping one for yourself and have presold the other two, you don't need much advertising, do you? © Motor 1-Pagani The Pagani design has been around for more than 25 years but they haven't really changed much of the design. In fact, if we go back to 1992 and look at the first ever Pagani (Zonda C12) there aren't many notable differences in the design. Yeah, it's been upgraded to incorporate new technologies but the overall look is pretty much the same. See for yourself: © Pagani Who messes with such beauty? Not even God. The Zonda HP Barchetta is a car we'd love to get behind the wheels of. With 789hp, a top speed of 338 kmph and an engine that sounds like the love child of Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, who wouldn't? -
Rolls-Royce Wants To Use Robotic Insects To Fix Airplane & Car Engines
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
Rolls-Royce, which is popular for its ultra-premium cars, is also famous for its jet engines. In fact, its engines power huge aircrafts like the 777 and 787. Fixing an engine can be a tedious task, especially when it needs to be opened up. Not only is the process time consuming, but also expensive. Hence, Rolls-Royce has come up with a new idea to fix hard-to-reach places: the use of snake and insect-inspired robotics. © Rolls-Royce Rolls Royce wants to make a new SWARM robot– a tiny, beetle-like robot with four legs that can crawl inside airplane engines to inspect and repair them. This is part of the company's Intelligent Engine vision, that has teamed up with the University of Nottingham and Harvard University. The SWARM robots will be placed in their starting locations using FLARE—a pair of 'snake' robots that are flexible enough to travel through an engine. Rolls-Royce says the robots act like an endoscope, slithering their way through the critical vehicle part to perform maintenance without causing any further damage. © Rolls-Royce The roaches would be around 15mm tall and weigh in at a few ounces. Onboard would be a camera, 3D scanning optics, and other specialized tools for maintenance tasks. "They could go off scuttling around reaching all different parts of the combustion chamber. If we did it conventionally it would take us five hours; with these little robots, who knows, it might take five minutes." Rolls-Royce technology specialist James Cell said. © Reuters When a jet engine needs to be inspected, it has to be demounted from the wing. The process is time-consuming and every minute the aircraft cannot fly, is a burden for airlines. The aim is to repair engines within hours instead of days. The company is also working on a bore-blending robot that can be remotely operated for complicated maintenance tasks. This way, specialists do not need to actually visit the engine and the local team can simply activate the robot. Specialists can then remotely inspect and repair the engine. The robots are still in the development stage but have given us a fair amount of idea where the industry is headed. Robotics is the next-generation frontier and it is amazing to see how nature is inspiring the same. -
A Guy's Uber Driver Took Him For The Ride Of His Life But He Wasn't Even In The Car
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
When you usually book an Uber, it's because you need to go somewhere, right? Wrong. Sometimes it's not about you, alright? It's about the guy who's supposed to pick and drop you, sometimes the Uber driver is also going through some shit and has to drive around to deal with it, at your expense of course. Okay, it's not sometimes, it's a one-off situation where a guy realized in the most hilarious way that his Uber driver wasn't showing up for him and he had just gone off on a long drive alone. Well, that does sound annoying and expensive, but hey you get a hell of a Twitter thread out of it and social media is the only thing that matters, right? So, who cares. It all started with Twitter user Preshit Deorukhkar tweeting to Uber about his situation – the driver is a no-show, but the trip has already started. @UberINSupport Hi, your 1-trip driver has started the trip without arriving at the location. His phone isn't reachable. What do I do? pic.twitter.com/L6tRT95gmI — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 Then, with no other choice, he just followed the driver's route on his app. Now he is just aimlessly roaming around on the Link road. pic.twitter.com/ZcsY5pcQK6 — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 Well, at least he has 5 stars. @UberINSupport Also, how is "P" an acceptable driver name by your standards? pic.twitter.com/ku8N3Ts7tT — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 Ooh what is he dumping? Is it a murder mystery now? Pickup was in Malad West. Driver has now reached the edge of north Mumbai. I'm assuming he has to dump something in the khaadi. pic.twitter.com/pG3QmAo6lg — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 I really don't know these places, but that doesn't seem right. Umm... Did he just take the Gorai jetty to the other side? pic.twitter.com/eeIdoSBVLw — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 Yeah, with all the murder and dumping the body. Looks like he is going to medicate. Must've been a tiring day so far. ð pic.twitter.com/6dO8ziyqd6 — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 Me thinks you're right. Or he is dumping a dead body sealed in the car deep in the mangroves, me thinks. pic.twitter.com/SBokjKaLkK — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 You can just hope now. Job done. He's on his way back to the city. Hopefully. pic.twitter.com/jJuoHByVoT — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 What did I say about the long drive? Let him deal with his feelings, driving is very therapeutic. He is taking the longer, less scenic route back the city now. pic.twitter.com/uW1RogD6gL — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 And, the plot thickens. Whoops! Change of plans, he is turning back and heading to nowhere pic.twitter.com/LXtN3NFJdR — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 Forgive me, father for I have sinned – didn't pick my passenger, and then probably went and killed someone and dumped their body. "P" has now stopped at Vailankani church. I hope he's going to confess his sins. pic.twitter.com/sEY546CzB9 — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 He's covering all the bases. P has whizzed past this now. pic.twitter.com/SNO3liL0A4 — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 We? I love the enthusiasm. I guess we are headed back to the mangroves now. pic.twitter.com/ni3QnxBYkA — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 Who wants to go on a treasure hunt? There's got to be some major stash buried here, right? Gold? Drugs? Arms and ammunition? pic.twitter.com/wkjUmYUgCE — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 Is he turning himself in? He's stopped here for some reason. What role are the cops playing in this story ð¤ pic.twitter.com/pgNdG5vXVn — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 Nope, false alarm. He's on the highway now, towards the city. pic.twitter.com/YrnwlZXCet — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 That's too bad, I was way too invested in this and I really need to know what P was actually up to. Oh crap! Looks like he's on to me. Trip cancelled. pic.twitter.com/7cEtYyOoEi — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 I would say it was worth it for such a suspenseful and entertaining Twitter thread, but no, that's still a lot of money. Ahahahahahahaha! Rs. 857.43 for this ridiculous @Uber trip. pic.twitter.com/qlzc4hrbKD — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 Uber, explain yourself. Here's Uber's response about the case. Driver goes for a joyride, tries to dupe the rider, wastes rider's time, and all he gets is a “note” on his profile All I got was this response from their internal support system. Note the lack of “sorry” or “apologies” in the response ð pic.twitter.com/EcUxOTOgsM — Preshit Deorukhkar (@preshit) July 19, 2018 It started out great but I was still waiting for a dramatic ending and not just a cancellation and refund but oh well, what a ride this thread was, pun intended. -
Aston Martin Showed Off Its Autonomous Flying Electric Car Concept & We're Drooling Already
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
With many companies already flirting with the idea of developing self-driving/ self-flying cars, Aston Martin is the latest luxury car maker who has expressed interest in the concept. The company unveiled its plans to create a personal autonomous flying vehicle and bestowed the name “Volante Vision Concept.” © Aston Martin The concept car's design will probably get debuted at the Farnborough Air Show later this month and we can't wait to see it in real life. Much like other flying cars/vehicles, the Volante Vision will take off and land vertically. It will have a hybrid-electric powertrain and will be outfitted with multiple propellers. It will have a have a horizontal turbo-pop at the back and two pairs of propellers at the front so that the vehicle can tilt and rotate. © Aston Martin Aston Martin, as a company, is known for its supercars and luxury, and we can expect the company to incorporate some of those luxurious features into the Volante Vision. The flying vehicle will have autonomous navigation and every information will be displayed onto the glass cockpit. The Volante Vision will be crafted to serve the company's existing clientele, that is in search of a flying car with a luxurious touch. © Aston Martin The company is working with partners on the concept car with aviation experts, including Rolls-Royce. It seems like as each day passes, more and more companies are exploring and showing interest in the air taxi market. We can only know more about Volante Vision once Aston Martin makes more information available after its debut later this month. Source: Digital Trends -
Student Walks 32 Km Overnight To Reach Work On Time, Company's CEO Gifts Him A Car As Reward
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
I read somewhere that determination takes you places, excuses don't and I guess it's absolutely right. The world is primarily divided into two parts – one, that is great in getting things done and the other, that is brilliant in coming up with excuses. While most of us proudly move to the latter part of the world, there are some who stick with the former and turn out to be an inspiration for everyone. © Pexels If this wasn't true, then we wouldn't be talking about Walter Carr right now, whose dedication towards his work has left us speechless and has filled our hearts with respect for him. His efforts might mean nothing to some people, but what he did is not something everyone can do. In fact, if we find ever find ourselves in Walter's situation, most of us will probably not do what he did. © Twitter Walter recently joined a company that assists people in moving into their houses. On his first day at work, he was supposed to help his clients Jenny Lamey and her husband Chris, who stayed nearly 20 miles away from his house (FYI that's 32 km). Jenny lives in Homewood and Walter lives in Pelham, Alabama. But, a night before his first day at work, Walter's car broke down and he didn't know how he was going to get to work. But, Walter did not lose hope. He started walking around midnight and walked 32 km to reach the house on time on his first day at work. Moved by Walter's dedication, Jenny took to social media to share this inspiring story. This deserves 1000 retweets! Read this amazing story about Walter, a new bellhop in Birmingham. Major shoutout to the @PelhamPoliceAL officer who lended a helping hand. pic.twitter.com/eLgbAxg4uv — Bellhops (@BellhopsMoving) 15 July 2018 She wrote, “Walter said that he was supposed to help us with our move today. The officer proceeded to tell us that the previous evening, Walter's car broke down and he didn't know how he was going to get to work. So he left Homewood at MIDNIGHT and started WALKING to Pelham on 280. He WALKED ALL NIGHT.” The cops picked him up in the morning and took him to get breakfast and after knowing his story, brought him to Jenny's house. The couple asked if he wanted to take some rest, but he declined the offer and started working. Reportedly, when the company's CEO heard this news about his new employee, he was extremely proud of him and drove to Walter and gifted him a 2014 Ford Escape as a reward. We guess, hard work does pay off and the reward sure is great. Source: Inquirer -
Tata To Stop Production Of Nano & Here's Why The Cheapest Car In The World Couldn't Survive
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
Tata Nano was an ambitious project kickstarted by the Chairman of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata. Ten years back when it was launched, everyone's eyes were on the "cheapest car" in the world and how it brings about a change for the Indian middle-class. Fast forward today, the dream is up in smokes as Tata Motors has decided to end the production of the Nano due to poor sales. While India is a developing market and automobile sales have been increasing steadily, the Nano just couldn't find a customer base for itself. The company produced only one unit in the month of June compared to 275 units produced in the same period last year. In comparison, passenger vehicles have seen a jump of 38 percent in sales. © Reuters In fact, Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest automobile maker posted a growth of 40 percent. To top that, India still hasn't picked up on electric vehicles and consumers are actually opting for smaller cars that are easier to drive in densely populated urban areas. So, why did the Nano fail? I've spoken to a lot of marketing experts as well as automobile aficionado's and the major point of failure has been Nano's marketing. The company wanted to make a point, that the base variant should cost only Rs. 1 lakh, excluding taxes, which was never practically achieved. The base variant, in turn, was nothing but a metal box with an engine. © BCCL Purchasing a car is everyone's dream, and when you are open to spending on a four-wheeler, you'd want it to have at least some basic comfort features. These were missing from the base variant of the Nano, and if you wanted them, the cost escalated quickly to nearly at least Rs. 3 lakhs. Now, it must be noted that Tata's marketing of the vehicles was always around it being the cheapest car in the market. The "cheapest" tag didn't actually go well with the buyers, who are under societal judgment and pressure of having a status when purchasing a four-wheeler. The company tried multiple new ways of marketing it, giving new colours, improved interiors and fuel efficiency, but all this faded in front of the "cheapest" tag. © TATA In the last few years, Tata did realize what's wrong with their marketing efforts and tried to shift the campaigns. It tried to woo the young buyers by giving the car a more youthful aura and marketing it as an urban traveler that can easily seep through traffic. But, irreparable damage was done long back. The people's perception about the car wasn't going to change. In comparison, the competing cars like Alto 800, Eon, and the Kwid have been posting amazing sales results. These cars, even though small and in the same price bracket, are actually perceived to be just a "car" and not the "cheapest car". © MotorBeam Secondly, the Nano was plagued with electrical issues at the beginning that saw cars catching fire. The Nano's engine is located in the back, similar to where Indan rickshaws have an engine. Even the exhaust note has often been compared to that of a rickshaw. All these minor factors also hampered its sales and made the buyers keep their distance. There is no doubt the Nano indeed is a revolutionary product. India has long been known for cutting costs and focusing more on the utility than the looks or other superficial factors. There are lakhs of families out there who own a car, just because of Tata's efforts. These users do not regret their decision of opting the Nano. But unfortunately, the dream car remained a dream for the company. Source: Bloomberg -
Warner Bros plans $100 million cable car to Hollywood sign
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
Hollywood sign. Photo: ReutersWarner Bros. has announced plans for a $100 million cable car to take tourists from its studio lot to the iconic Hollywood sign, an area increasingly choked by tourist traffic.The company, one of Tinseltown's "Big Six"... -
An ex-Apple engineer on Monday was charged with stealing secrets from a hush-hush self-driving car technology project days before he quit to go to a Chinese startup. Phto: file SAN FRANCISCO: An ex-Apple engineer on Monday was charged with...
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Ex-Apple Employee Caught Stealing Autonomous Car Secrets, Had Planned To Sell It To The Chinese
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
A hardware engineer, who until recently worked at Apple, was arrested at the San Jose International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Beijing. Xiaolang Zhang has been charged with stealing trade secrets from Apple surrounding Project Titan. © Twitter Project Titan is Apple's secret project, where the Cupertino giant is currently working on autonomous car technology. Zhang was a hardware engineer for the project and is now facing charges of Theft of Trade Secrets, with penalties of upto 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment and three years of supervised release. According to the filing, Zhang was designing and testing circuit boards to analyse data from various sensors on the self-driving car. This granted Zhang access to the database that contained trade secrets and other intellectual property. In April, Zhang left Apple and was visiting his family in China. He informed the company that after he returns, he would be leaving the company and would continue to live in Guangzhou. He also informed his supervisors at the meeting that he would be joining Chinese electric car startup XMotors. © Twitter After Zhang turned in his company-issued devices, Apple noticed unusual download activity which led them to believe that he may have obtained sensitive data from Project Titan. Security Cameras and badge swipes also placed him in company labs during his alleged paternity leave. He later admitted being in the Apple's hardware labs and stealing two circuit boards and a Linux server. Moments B4 flight to Beijing, ex-#Apple worker Xiaolang Zhang nabbed by @FBISanFrancisco at @FlySJC for stealing autonomous-vehicle trade secrets while on paternity leave, per @USAO_NDCA. Zhang told agents he intended to work for @xmotorsglobal & air-dropped data to wife's laptop pic.twitter.com/TRKC3lZmzu — Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) July 10, 2018 All evidence was submitted to the FBO after Apple discovered that at least 60% of the downloaded data on his wife's computer, had trade secrets. The report says that the FBO describes the information as “largely technical in nature, including engineering schematics, technical reference manuals, and technical reports.” Apple released a statement and explained that it is working with authorities to make sure Zhang is held responsible for his misdoings. “Apple takes confidentiality and the protection of our intellectual property very seriously,” company spokesman Tom Neumayr said in an email. “We're working with authorities on this matter and will do everything possible to make sure this individual and any other individuals involved are held accountable for their actions.”
