Remote Control Jeep with Crash Recovery

Toy: Remote control Toy Jeep

Age: 4 yrs and up
Special feature: Crash and crash recovery simulation
Lots of Remote control toys are available in the market now. Kids generally lose interest in such toys after the initial 2 - 3 days of usage. The reason behind this is that there is no much innovation except the regular movements.

This Jeep is much more than a normal remote control car just by the addition of one feature.
The jeep is a good looker.

The jeep is a little bit on the heavy side. Move it using the remote and make it hit to a side wall.

OOOPS the jeep breaks apart, doors hang out, the back also jump out, along with the sound of a big crash. This event is exciting to watch.

See the crashed jeep.

Now just press the recover button of the remote. The jeep is back to its normal, along with the sound of a recovery.

The recovered jeep.

This one action makes the kids really interested in this toy. The joy of getting the crashed jeep back to its normal state is quite visible from the child's face.Even though it is just one additional feature, the kids never seem to get bored doing this.

Other pros

The toy is ruggedly built,

The vehicle's battery is rechargable.

The remote's battery is really long lasting.

Maruti Suzuki Swift - Diesel

The SWIFT as the name indicates is quite a swift mover and at the same time a very sedate fuel drinker.
The purchase price in the range of 5 to 6 lakhs made me think of why people buy this when we have an option of buying low end sedans in this price range.
But this vehicle offers much pleasure in driving with almost the same comfort of those sedans around, ofcourse with the exception of boot.
The pros and cons are as follows.

Pros

1. Superb power delivery. Those who like the effect of Aircraft take off is sure to like this vehicle too. Partly this feeling is due to the low torque in the lower RPMs and the sudden increase in torque when RPM rises above 1800 mark.
2. Superb mileage. In city 16 to 18 is guaranteed and in highways it is sure to return something in the range of 20Km/litre. (the max I got is 24 km/litre)
3. Suspension is very much suitable for Indian Roads. This car comfort levels is as good as the sedans in the same range
4. Pretty decent boot space when compared with other hatch backs
5. Looks - quite subjective, but surely this is one car whose looks grew upon us pretty faster than any other model.
6. High speed stability. The car seems to be very well stable even at high speeds. As the speed increases we have a feeling that the car is lowering further down. I travelled at a speed in the range of 140 - 150 in this car without knowing that I am doing such high speeds
7. Service - Maruti service need no special mention at all. There service network is tremendous and almost all dealers maintain a minimum level of quality
8. Service costs - Paid service cost are not exhorbitantly high. It is in the tune of 2k per service, provided there are not failures
9. Good chilling AC.
10. Very good noise insulation in the cabin.
11. A good candidate for external modification. Even though it is better not to tamper with the exterior, this is one car which the car modification enthusiasts really like, coz almost all the modifications seems to suite the car well.
12. A real value for money product in terms of mileage, comfort, cost of ownership.
13. No driver fatigue even after long driving session (max I did was 10hr in one go)

Cons

1. Back seat leg space is a concern.
   
2. Back seat head rest design is very poor. We are sure to get irritated if the travelling time is more
   
3. The cocoon design, which means the passengers are placed very low inside the cabin, means the visibility of the back seat passengers to the outside is very less. Some people may like this, but if the travel is through winding roads, then this will cause travel sickness
   
4. Braking is not enough for such a high power car capable of doing very high speeds.
   
5. The plastics are Prone to rattles. I have not experienced this so far, but some of my friends have this problem.
   
6. Very low torque in the lower rpm band sometimes makes it difficult to drive in the city, but once we are used to it, we will overcome this difficulty. This also has an impact while climbing up ghats, for new users this can cause a lot of difficulty, but it is a matter of getting used to it.


7. Not a Value for money product in terms of space it offers, both for passenger as well as for luggage.

It is a known fact that this is a best seller for Maruti.

Who would have thought that this will be a winner, when maruti launched this model which is priced way ahead of Indica which was ruling the market of diesel hatches.

Unlike Indica this became popular for the private users even though they had to shell a few lakhs more.

Laptop for toddlers

Product - Laptop
Age group - 8 months and up
Positives - Attractive color, rugged, battery life, educational value

Laptops - kids are used to see this with their parents and wish to play with them. What if we can gift them a laptop for their very own use.
Their are many kids laptops available in the market now. This laptop is suitable for those toddlers who don't even have 1 year life experience to their credit.
This one is really rugged, for it can withstand some minimal falls, the color is quite attractive, the shapes of animals, combined with the lighting is sure to make a kid interested in this piece.
This is the laptop.


It can be opened like this, a la laptop kind of lid.

The scroll mouse has all the actions of its real counter part.
A press on this bring this to life. There is a sort of a game in which a light starts to roll around the different images on the screen. The kid has to press the button which contains the image where the light stops.
If the answer is correct, then applause will be heard along with sound corresponding to the image (train, boat, bus etc)


On one side of the main keyboard there are shapes of animals/birds and on other side musical instruments. Pressing these will initate the sounds corresponding to these shapes.

All these will keep the kid intriuged with this. You can even see that the kid soon identifies the sound which he likes the most and he can been seen pressing that too often than the others.
The wide range of options in this simple toy is surely a good educational toy for the kids. Another thing which is really commendable is the really long battery life. This automatically switches off if there is no activity for 5 minutes. There is no special button for switching on. Pressing any of the key after opening the flip open lid will bring it to life.

There is another laptop which is for ages 3 and up, review of which will follow suite.

Battling Tops - An exciting battle of TOPS

Kids are likely to spend more time with toys which keeps their interest sustained.
One of the ways to keep the interest sustained is by having a game,which involves some physical activity. If the game contains something which is akin to fight then it is sure to make it even more interesting.
One such interesting toy is the "BATTLING TOPS". As the name implies this is a game which contains tops which are battling each other for supremacy.This is similar to the bay blades but contains a battle field and the tops does not weigh as much as a bay blade.
The packing contains a round podium. Four players can play this simulatenously. See the contents here

The tops have to be tied using a string. On starting the players have to pull the strings harder from the launch area.
Then the fun begins. See two tops spinning hard.The tops will try to hit each other out of the game. See the attack here, One is about to fall.

The blue one is dead, the yellow is the winner here.
The slight slope of the podium towards the centre makes the tops come to the center. It is real fun and exiting to watch the collision of tops since after each hit they move towards the edge and again come back for attack. This attack is very interesting to watch and it is sure to catch the interest of the elders. The last top which stands tall will be the winner. Sometimes if the speed of top is very high, it may even hit other tops out of the podium.

The tops will keep on spinning for atleast 2 to 3 minutes making it quiet interesting to watch.

The winding of the string to the top takes some time. This time adds to the excitement and other discussions regarding the previous battle and ensures that the interest of the game is sustained.

Chempaka Kindergarten

Kindergarten: The place where our children are first exposed to the school life which is supposed to have a major influence in the character building of children.

The meaning of the German word "kindergarten" is Children's garden. So ideally a kindergarten should be a Children's Garden. Gone are the days when we have to send our children to the schools which is nearby and which is really affordable.
Now there are n number of options and the rise in percapita income means almost all schools are within the reach of middle class families. The situation in Thiruvananthapuram (capital city of Kerala) is no different.
Me too was engulfed in the search for a school where my child has to be send. My conditions were similar to that of any parents around

1. The school should not create any kind of fear to the kid
2. The kid should feel at home when at school
3. The kid should be enthusiastic to go to school everyday
4. There should not be any heavy load on the kid.
5. There should be ample scope of recreation at school
   

My search ended at Chempaka Kindergarten. This group has a chain of kindergarten schools in Trivandrum. Their main campus is near Sreekariyam. My kid was admitted to the Kesavadasapuram campus situated in the Kesavadasapuram - Ulloor route.

What I liked about this school

1. The pleasing entry: The lady who greets the child daily at the gate always bear a smile and greet the child everymorning all through the year with the same enthusiasm as the
   first day. Holds the child and leads the child to the way of his/her class as smoothly as she can and all the time making the child talk about things at home. This one act gives a sense of belief in the parent that his child is in safe hands.



2. More smiles: The teachers also greet the child with a pleasing smile. The child likes his/her class teacher and is really excited when talking about his/her teacher.
   This made us feel that the teacher has been successful in gaining the respect of the child. The child does not have any fear for the teacher, means that the teacher might not be resorting to aggressive methods for ensuring discipline.


3. The child was eager to go to school. Surprisingly my kid did not even cry from Day 1. Normally his behaviour is such that he will cry even for the simplest of the things. This means that the activities done at school was something which the child was eagerly looking forward to.


4. No books for the children. The children was not given any books at all. What ever books they have, are kept at school. This removes the burden of children to carry loads of luggage to class even from kindergarten level


5. Parents should not teach at home. The children is being guided in a particular way at school and he is being taught the very basic elements of education.
   The school seems to believe the fact that if children is also being taught at home then he may get confused with lot of things, coz never can a parent teach exactly the same way as a trained teacher can.


6. Learn things practically: On a particular day the kid has to wear one particular coloured dress depicting a vegetable or flower. It seems that such days are celebrated as that vegetable/flower day and lots of activities related to that vegetable/flower was being carried out. This creates a lasting impression on the child about that vegetable/flower.



7. No examination for kids. This is a matter of great relief. Otherwise the fear for exams will be generated in kids from this very young age itself. Here there are exams, but the parents will not be informed of the same. The teacher evaluates the child during the class time itself and makes notes about each of the kid.


8. Each kid has a record which is updated by the teacher. The data contained in this record will be shared with parents towards the end of each term. The good thing is that the record contains information about the overall development of the kid and not about his academics alone. Some features are whether the kid is able to manage his belongings, how neatly he eats food, whether he sings along with teacher at class, whether he is an active participant in the activities of the class etc. Some of the points are quite interesting since even the parents might not have noticed. They can correct deficiencies pointed out even at home


9. Eliminating stage fright: Each and every kid will have a stage performance during annual day. Kids are on stage even before they know what is stage fear.


10. Strong Foundation: The foundation laid at this kindergarten is a strong base for the student for the challenges ahead.

All the above facts makes this a "Children's Garden"

Disclaimer: This review was reported based on my child's experience at Chempaka Kindergarten - Kesavadasapuram and is solely my view about this school. He studied there during the academic year 2007 -08. The coaching at this school was the major reason for him to pass the admission test to one of the best schools in trivandrum and that too with zero preparation at home for the admission interview.

Royal Enfield Machismo 350cc

ENFIELD BULLET - A dream for a clan of individuals who find travelling on two wheels is much more than just reaching from point A to point B. I belonged to this clan.

Owning and maintaining a bullet is fun. Yes pains are there... but with No pains No Gains

Like every other prospective bullet owner me too had the problem of chosing between Standard, electra, thunderbird and machismo.

My reasons for chosing Royal Enfield Machismo are

1. I’m used to left side gear shift. hence standard ruled out


2. Thunderbird has got good looks. But in my eyes only the view from front was great.. In all other views any other bullet will outclass this so called cruiser, but not a complete cruiser. The bulletish look was missing. If your height is less than 5ft 6in then this is an option coz the seating is too low and both legs could be firmly put on ground, which is a must for a heavy machine like bullet.


3. So the contest in my mind was between electra and machismo... for electra the pros were bulletish thump due to cast iron engine, cons were it looks like any other 100cc bikes maybbe due to its fancy colors.... for machismo pros were the looks (no other bullet can match its retro look), the aluminium engine eventhough it lacks thump is more reliable and efficient than cast iron... I wanted to have a reliable one, coz I am not the kind of technical expert of these machines and rely heavily on mechanics advise. The cons were lack of thump.

I fitted the RE windsheild after getting the vehicle. The ride quality on a bullet is unmatched. The stability which it offers is great. The feeling which the rider gets while riding this machine can be best understood by just riding this machine. I am not going to tell in detail about the rides and its quality becoz it is known to all.

But for all this great feeling and riding pleasure there is something to be given back.. It is not a fill it, shut it and ride it kind of a bike. This machine is bound to have problems. But by careful observation, some technical knowledge upgrades and ensuring regular service can solve all these.

Some tips are given below, based on my experience.

When it comes to technical stuff I am still a novice.

1. Running in the bull is extremely critical. The power and pick up offered by this mean machine tempts the owner to ride it faster and faster from day one.. If u do this then it is gone.. Keep your fingers crossed and be ready to have a rough time with ur machine. Running in means not only to ride below a certain speed, but each gear has a maximum speed and minimum speed clearly specified in owners manual. Adhere to that and most of the problems are prevented.


2. Regular servcing is MANDATORY. Especially oil change. Once in every 3500 - 4000 km oil needs to be changed. for machismo oil level should be checked only when the engine is hot. Try to adhere to a single mechanic who is an expert. Then history of ur bull problems will be known to him. If not u should keep track of all the problems. Coz solution of similar problems in different bulls can be different.


3. Oil leaks are bound to happen. Don’t panic. Take your bull for atleast 2 or 3 long rides during the warranty periods itself. Before each ride and immediately after each ride visit the mechanic. Immediately after, means, you have to drive straight to the mechanic after the drive. When the engine is hot, tighening some screws may solve this problem.


4. Oil leaks from the right sidebox during long journeys also happens.. But it is not a problem at all. It can happen if the oil level is more than what is required. Also what is coming out is only excess oil. While replacing oil, tell your mechanic to ensure that only right amount of oil is poured. Don’t finish of the entire bottle. By careful study after 2 to 3 oil changes u will also be able to judge how much is sufficient.


5. Don’t run ur machine with loose chains. If chains are loose, the sprockets will become worn out. If chain tightness is maintained, the chain sprocket will last for 17k to 20k kilometers.


6. Try to hear the sounds produced by ur machine when it is new or just after service when it is in normal condition. Once u r familiar with this sound, atleast once in a week just try to hear this without your helmets on, to identify whether any abnormal sound is coming. There can be a hiss hiss sound of air leaking out, the chains can produce a sound if it is loose.. Spend atelast 30mins of dedicated time with your bull per week for this..


7. Never overtight the clutch screw near the clutch lever for tightening the clutch. If overtighted the clutch cable will break. If the cable is breaking frequently, during replacing check whether the cable is bent or rubbing against some metal in the clutch box. If yes do something to ensure that this rubbing is not happening viz rubber sleeve, grinding the metal to avoid touching etc


8. If windscreen is fitted, ensure that all the nuts and bolts that comes with the packing are used. The standard nuts provided are lock nuts. If other local nuts are used, cracks will soon appear. After fitting and doing some riding check whether there is any sort of scratches near the nuts. Monitor for about 100 to 1000 kms. If scratches are appearing it is symptom of wrong fitting. If continued in this mode cracks will soon appear. Take action to change nuts or put some rubber washer. I did this with good effect. If lock nuts are available in the standard package write to RE people. They will immediately help. This happened to me.


9. If lack of thump is a problem, fit a free flow exhaust. Then ur machismo will sound like thump....


10. The machismo comes with a short handle. this short handle combined with low position riders seat may not be of best match to all. If you r feeling pain in your elbow (right hand) then it be most probable due to this handle. Replace this handle with the high rise and wider handles (electra handle/ LB 500 handle/ RD 350). When handle is replaced ensure that the vibration dampeners fitted at the end of the handle is fixed. To know the effect of vibration dampener, ride ur machine with and without this, watch ur rear view mirror. U will not be able to c anything in the rear view mirror due to the vibration of the handle, if there is no vibration dampener on a bigger handle.

I started to write a small review with some useful info for prospective buyers or owners who complain about bull problems.. But I think became a rather big review, just the same way as I do my rides. Starts with some 100kms in mind, but end up doing some 500kms... with urge for more and more rides... :)...

I do not claim that what ever I have said is correct. These are the conclusions which I arrived based on my experience. Plz correct me if I am wrong in any of the judgements.

So all in all it is a nice machine to own...

Give due care to the machine and it will take care of the rest :).....

Hope this review is useful for all those looking out for a bull :)

Hyundai Santro Xing

I am going back 5 years in my memory lane to jott down why I landed in Xing. I was comfortable with my first and dearest Maruti 800 which I called the golden chariot.To explain in simple terms why I chose Santro is - I felt prey to the aggressive marketing of the local dealer and the decision was taken in 1 day and a new car was in my home the second day. Normally hasty decisions can go wrong, but to my luck this one was not to be.

The Hyundai dealer offered me a very good price almost near to the purhcase price of my Maruthi 800. This made me think seriously about buying this. Based on my one ride in a Santro of one of my friends, I was impressed with the silent cabin and jerk free ride.

Quickly browsed the net and found out that Wagon R is the nearest competitior. I called up the dealer and asked for a quote and test drive. He told me to come in the evening. But before I could do that I talked to my better half, who immediately told that, if it is wagon R , she will

better live without a car. She was completely against the boxy look. I tried to explain that feature wise Wagon R is more better. She was so adamant. In her eyes Santro was looking good. Deep inside my mind I also shared the same feeling. That is it, deal fixed and my red Santro was at my home next day.

Initial Driving Experiences.

WOW, why didn’t I take this decision long back. It is a tall car, engine is powerful, AC is quite chilling, boot space is great. Typical thoughts of a guy who just matured from a maruti 800.

Long term experience

Soon I began travelling a lot and I could identify the following pros and cons

Pros

1. 
   
   Very less maintenance - service interval 6 months, Each service cost around 1.5k to 2k. No maintenance other than this. the first major service (cost wise) is the 30K service which costs 4k - 5k.


2. 
   
   Good sitting posture - I took a liking for this posture so much that I started to hate dreaming of buying a sedan.


3. 
   
   Peppy engine (itz more peppier than Wagon R even though both share the same specs)


4. 
   
   Very small turning radius. Big rear view mirror is a boon.


5. 
   
   Very good city driving manners


6. 
   
   Excellent braking (still remember two sudden brakes from around 70ks to 0ks).


7. 
   
   Good chilling AC.


8. 
   
   Quality of interiors.

Cons

1. 
   
   As the family grew, space constraints grew up


2. 
   
   Lack of utility spaces like bottle holders began to be felt during picnics lasting for more than one day.


3. 
   
   Big A piller causes a blind spot in the right front area, as a result of which driver can miss motorbikes coming from that direction


4. 
   
   Eventhough the engine is peppy, when we get into highways we feel like we are exerting the motor too much.


5. 
   
   Even though the specification says this as a 5 seater, for long distance travel this is comfortable if there are only 4 persons


6. 
   
   I am scratching my head to find more cons - that means there are not much

Fuel efficiency: 13 to 16 km/litre

Summary

This has now become a choice for families as their first car, because of the rise in per capita stuff as is rightly shown in the Hyundai Ad

If you are looking for- an entry level model- which will not give you any trouble and- which offers decent comfort and- decent spacethis is the one to go for.

Donno how useful this review will be coz now there are lot of other options available in the 3 to 4 lakh range and the people may not opt for Santro because its looks has not changed much for the past 4 to 5 years. Still thought of posting coz my xing deservs to have a positive review :)