Smartbuy 18/08/2010

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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

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Smartphone pageant And the winner is...

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So smart, even MENSA would approve!

We recently proďŹ led a line-up of the best business phones in the market. In this issue, we take a closer look at a range of smartphones meant for both work and play, to help you decide which one you should add to your kitty

Cover photo: T3 India

SMARTPHONE review

Go Bold!

BlackBerry Bold 9700

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he emailing executive’s weapon of choice, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the smartest BlackBerry to date.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the best RIM has to offer, with the most tech crammed into any in the BlackBerry range, a quality feel and nicely tactile QWERTY keyboard.

The 9700 is a top-drawer messaging device. From the simple email set up to integrated multiple IM clients – Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk et al – and the single, streamlined inbox, it’s a compulsive chatterer’s dream come true.

The QWERTY keyboard is excellent, perfect for emailing on the hoof, while battery life is better than average, giving you about a day and a half of frequent emailing.

In addition to the headline features, you get a rather average 3.2-meg camera with flash, fast HSDPA browsing – this also helps with email attachments and of course you also get A-GPS with BlackBerry Maps and Wi-Fi. Onboard memory is only 256MB, but there’s a microSD slot and the 9700 ships with a 2GB card.

The 9700 runs the well-rounded BlackBerry 5.0 OS, which integrates messaging, phone and app functions so well that you won’t even know you’re multi-tasking.

The BlackBerry App World is under-stocked when compared to Apple’s huge, ever-growing App Store, but the apps here do at least favour usefulness over time

wasting.

‘Gwabbit’, for instance, pulls out new contacts from your inbox.

With basic but functional music controls and a 2.4-inch screen, albeit a fairly high-res one, the 9700 isn’t any kind of multimedia giant, but it does the job. There’s a proper headphone socket, too.

The Bold 9700 is not the best all-round smartphone and anyone looking for multimedia features should go elsewhere.

However, for those who absolutely have to be in touch at all times, this can’t be beaten.

That there’s a respectable set of secondary functions is just a bonus, adding to the overall feel of quality and reliability that this phone effectively exudes.

LOVE - The Bold is a fantastic device for messaging, with a great keyboard and rock-solid email reception and delivery HATE - The OS isn’t as stable as some other smartphones, and the App World could do with a few more wares to sell WE SAY - The best BlackBerry out there at the moment.

When the BlackBerry OS 6.0 arrives, it’ll be even better

Small says it all HTC HD Mini

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he HTC HD Mini, a scaled down version of the HTC HD2, shows that WinMo can indeed be beautiful.

While the world is going gaga about Android, there is still a steadfast posse championing Windows Mobile. The HD Mini is the best evidence they have in their favour, packing the newest WinMo 6.5.3 OS into a slim, 11.7mm-thick chassis and improving its ease of use with HTC’s Sense overlay, as found on the HTC Desire.

The HD Mini is a scaled down version of the hulking HD2 with a not-significantly-worse spec and a much more pocket-friendly form factor.

It upgrades WinMo with multiple, widget-laden home screens, improved menus and a 3.2-inch, 480x320 capacitive display that means you can throw away the hated stylus. The keys are touch-sensitive and cleverly placed to allow easy navigation. The screen is a little small at 3.2 inches, but this capacitive touch screen is impressively responsive.

No physical buttons for the camera means this five-meg clicker isn’t as easy to operate as others. The 3.5mm jack for headphones is hidden away on the bevelled edge of the rear casing.

Messaging is also improved, with a very well implemented onscreen keyboard and quietly efficient integrated email service. Browsing is excellent, with multi-touch supported on both Opera and Internet Explorer. There’s

no Flash support, unlike on HTC’s more consumer-focused Desire.

Media options are present if not exactly the best; the screen is too small for marathon movie sessions and the music player is basic compared to the iPhone, although you can drag and drop media. The camera is perfectly adequate. Microsoft’s app store is not, lets say, awash with cool new software. Instead, only a smattering of business apps is on offer. Storage is 512MB, expandable via microSD card. In terms of battery you’ll get a good two or three days use out of the phone, even with push email active. The HD Mini is a great phone by Windows Mobile standards. It looks swish, offers much improved touch screen functionality, but keeps the WinMo foundations that many business users still crave. It does inevitably lag behind the Desire and iPhone when it comes to more enjoyable activities, however.

LOVE : Plenty of features in a compact frame. The Sense overlay masks Windows Mobile effectively HATE : WinMo still sucks. Navigating menus is a real pain once HTC’s Sense overlay is stripped away WE SAY : The best WinMo phone on the market, unless you happen to prefer the elephantine HD2 (non-Mini)

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The desktop in your palm Nokia N900

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ith the Nokia N900, the Finnish company dumps Symbian for this chunky, hugely powerful ‘pocket computer’ that runs the Maemo OS. Nokia has broken the mould with the N900 replacing the company’s usual Symbian OS with Maemo, which is a more advanced system.

The hardware is similarly powerful, with a pull-out QWERTY, a 600MHz ARM A8 processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a touch screen that’s lushly high resolution, even if it is sadly only resistive rather than capacitive.

As a result, it’s uncommonly wide and chunky, but it is excellent for viewing video and browsing the web, and Maemo is easy to use, despite a sometimes unresponsive touch screen – and this is one of the dwindling band of phones that still comes with a stylus. Nokia has added a little kickstand for hands-free video viewing.

Despite the open-source nature of the OS, the Maemo application portal is somewhat short of options, and while Facebook is included, this phone isn’t geared for social networking. However, multiple IM clients and VoIP for cheaper calls are on offer.

The web browser is the main attraction on the N900. It seamlessly shifts between Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, offers full Flash compatibility and packs the new Firefox Mobile browser.

The only problem is that the power of it makes you miss the multi-touch slickness of the iPhone or Desire all the more.

The music player on the N900 is also great fun. There are widgets for easy access on the home screen and it’ll sync tracks from your Windows 7 home PC too. Storage is impressive, with 32GB on board and the option to add a further 16GB through microSD, and internet radio is supported out of the box. Slick wireless home networking is also built in. Despite a low quoted talk time, in reality the N900 has the best performing battery on test, making this phone an attractive option to anyone not put off by its ugliness and lack of slickness in other areas.

LOVE : The power of the N900 is in its processor, and because Maemo is open source, the web is awash with easy ways to modify and upgrade it HATE : Most people will find it too big, in our view. The resistive touch screen can be frustratingly inaccurate at times WE SAY : The N900 is a powerful, versatile device, but oversized, ugly and sorely lacking the multi-touch slickness of the Desire or iPhone

An object of desire HTC Desire

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he HTC Desire is the pinnacle of Android achievement thanks to HTC’s Sense interface. We’ve seen 1GHz Snapdragon-toting iPhone killers before, but the Desire is a cut above them all. It’s not that it offers Wi-Fi, A-GPS, HSDPA and a headphone jack, because they all do.

What makes the Desire special is that the mix of power and functionality is teamed with HTC’s Sense interface to make the whole experience silky smooth and, dare we say it, iPhone-esque.

You can now pile up live-updating widgets and shortcuts on up to seven customisable home screens, all viewable as thumbnails with a press of the Home button.

For social networkers, Friendstream lets you view a list of friends’ Facebook, Twitter and Flickr feeds, as well as the usual email and SMS. The onscreen keyboard is the best in the business; almost magical in its ability to discern what you intended to type.

The screen is massive at 3.7-inches, and with an 800x480 resolution you get a lot of information in one go.

Watching video is also a classy experience as long as you’re indoors – OLED really doesn’t love the sunshine.

The web browsing is another high point. It matches the iPhone for multi-touch smoothness then betters it by adding Flash as standard.

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Not every video plays as well as you’d like, but it’s great for seeing embedded video.

Multi-touch works great, with the sensitivity of the larger display meaning pinch-to-zoom is arguably superior to the iPhone.

When you also consider HTC has thrown in push email, an overhauled music player and Google’s new Maps Navigation turn-by-turn Satnav, this is the best all-round smartphone in this test.

The only drawbacks are a battery that demands nightly charging and Google Market which, though improving, still lags well behind Apple’s App Store for both quality and quantity of apps.

LOVE - The large and responsive OLED touch screen is great for video and the web browser is as fast and intuitive as anything on the market HATE - Battery life is a little suspect and the Bluetooth connection can be patchy at times. OLED suffers in sunlight WE SAY - The HTC Desire out-specs and out-performs all other phones, and looks attractive whilst doing so. It’s over to Apple et al to rise to its challenge.

Forbidden is tastier Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB

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he Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB was the undisputed mobile heavyweight champion of the world (until recently) is still competitive despite its relative age.

The 3GS has been surpassed by the iPhone 4, but it’s no ageing dinosaur. The iPhone 3GS still offers enviable usability and a form factor that oozes class and quality.

The interface is incredibly simple, with shortcuts and apps spread over an unlimited supply of home screens.

The seamless working of multi-touch still impresses too, letting you pinch to zoom and scroll through web pages with nonchalant ease – unless they happen to be Flash-based web pages, of course.

At 3.2 inches the 480x320 screen seems relatively small and low-res next to the Desire and Wave’s offerings, but it’s perfectly adequate for viewing movies and photos.

It’s also fantastic for gaming with an accurate accelerometer and plenty of affordable titles from the App Store, such as Real Racing HD. The Apple App Store is still the best in the business, offering a vast choice of games, utilities and social networking tools.

It’s not open source like Android, but with an app count of 2,00,000 and rising, iPhone users are spoilt for choice.

The music player is, as you’d expect of Apple, top-

drawer. Scroll through tracks, artists and albums and create your own playlists on iTunes.

There’s 16GB to store your tunes in. The supplied ear buds are famously rubbish, but a 3.5mm socket means you can swap them.

The 3.2-megapixel camera takes adequate snaps, yet the lack of a flash limits its uses and you’ll have to charge the battery every night.

The iPhone 4 boasts a five-megapixel camera with 720p video capture, along with improved battery life: tempting indeed.

If you can resist the lure of the new, however, you should be able to snap up this still highly desirable phone.

LOVE : Superlative multi-touch interface. Huge variety of apps HATE : No Flash. A smaller screen than its main rivals. The forthcoming iPhone 4 trumps it in pretty much every area WE SAY : The iPhone 3GS’s killer OS, multi-touch interface and superior app selection keeps it competitive despite its relative age. Still well worth a look

Wave to the new Samsung Wave

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amsung’s open source Bada OS takes its first bow on the Samsung Wave. The success of Google’s Android operating system hasn’t gone unnoticed by Samsung, but rather than hiring Google’s roamin’ OS, it’s created its own: Bada. The Samsung Wave is its first showcase.

The phone looks exquisite, with an aluminium body less than 11mm thick, a 3.3-inch “Super AMOLED” screen that’s pin sharp, bright and copes better outdoors than other OLEDs to date, although it’s still not great in sunlight. Bada is simple to use and versatile, with a total of ten home screens to customise and a central menu for accessing everything else. The only drawback is that you can only place widgets on the home screens, not app shortcuts.

General functionality is classic Samsung: icons lead directly to menu screens and the whole thing reacts rapidly to the touch.

The battery lasts for a day and a half. As a media player, it’s as good as anything this side of the iPhone. Music sounds engaging, with SRS virtual surround sound if you like that kind of thing. Video looks disarmingly sharp on the OLED screen.

Add a five-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording and the ability to stream footage wirelessly to your

Samsung TV, and you have a fun package.

However, while the Wave is an impressive start, Bada is not yet the finished article, being noticeably less sophisticated than Android or iPhone.

The app store is also under-populated in comparison to rivals. The internet browser is also far from perfect. Not only is there no Flash, but it struggles to re-size text making pages difficult to read. The keyboard is passable and generally accurate, but predictive text is so poor that it’s better to turn it off altogether.

The Wave is a solid first outing for Bada. It pales in comparison to its rivals here, but it’s still good enough to be worth considering if you’re more interested in music, photos and video than web browsing.

LOVE - The AMOLED screen, video quality and music playback are all first rate. A great looking, compact handset HATE - Few apps. Apps not accessible from home screens WE SAY - A good first attempt for the Bada OS, but it’s not yet capable of competing with the iPhone or the Android crowd

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STACKING ‘EM UP

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BROWSER bulletin

Surfin’ in style Tired of the same ol’ Mozilla and IE? Give internet browsing a fun twist with this selection of six specialist alternatives

Content customising

Speed of lightning

Upping the Mac experience

Maxthon

Netsurf

Camino

The abiding joy of this very competent browser is that it lets you change or move every menu, tool bar and icon to your heart’s content. www.maxthon.com

A swift, Linux-based browser, Netsurf boasts a pop-up and ad blocker but not much else. This is all about stripped-down, lightning-fast simplicity. www.netsurf-browser.org

Camino’s open-source browser gives a similarly fluid OS X experience to Safari, but has more user-made add-ons than Apple’s official browser. www.caminobrowser.org

Multi-tasking galore

Mailing friendly

Social butterflies

SeaMonkey

Stainless

Flock

Another open-source project, this ambitious browser is a one-stop-shop web portal, HTML editor and straightforward email client all in one. www.seamonkey-project.org

This Mac OS Chrome clone’s USP is that it lets you sign into multiple accounts from the same website – Gmail for example – in multiple tabs. www.stainlessapp.com

Flock’s clever sidebar lets you drag and drop pictures, articles and links into feeds for Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and the rest. www.flock.com

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AUTO focus

‘Knock-out’ session with the Gumpert Apollo Jason H Harper ou don’t want to be the guy who crashes someone else’s $550,000 supercar.

That’s obvious, but never more so than when you watch a half-million-dollar car getting towed from the racetrack into a garage where the frowning owners stand.

I wasn’t that guy, thank heaven. It was the dude right after me who lost control of the bright-orange Gumpert Apollo, helicoptering off the track and into a tire wall, cratering the nose.

Then there was the fellow just before me. He spun it but didn’t hit anything.

I drove about six laps in the violently powerful, German- made supercar, treating it like a pit viper with irritable bowel syndrome. Very, very delicately.

As mechanics pulled off the mangled front fascia, it seemed like a lesson: When dreaming of supercars, be careful what you dream.

The little-known Gumpert has DNA similar to that of the Pagani Zonda, Koenigsegg CCX and SSC Ultimate Aero. All are strangely named, oddly designed supercars, with doors that open in weird ways and extraordinary price tags for cars that haven’t been around for all that long.

My one drive of the $600,000-plus Aero, which is made

by Shelby SuperCars of West Richland, Washington, ended with the scissor doors up by the side of a Las Vegas road, as my companion and I waited for help after the engine mysteriously died. (We suffered the pointing and laughter of passersby.) I may be critical of the price of the $400,000 Lexus LFA I tested, but I do know where to get it serviced.

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Only 50 built A former Audi employee named Roland Gumpert started

Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH in 2002, with headquarters in Altenburg, Germany. According to the U.S. distributor, about 50 have been built.

The Apollo uses an Audi V-8 with twin turbochargers, and the three models - Base, Speed and Race - have between 650 and 800 horsepower. The cost is (cough) $550,000 to $800,000. For what is basically a civilian race car, I’m unaware of a race series in which you might actually compete.

Who is a typical owner then? A bit unclear. After all, there are only two in the U.S., including the unsold prototype I drove.

Because the Apollo hasn’t been fitted with air bags or crash-tested in the U.S., it’s sold as a ‘roller’, meaning the drive train and body are shipped separately and assembled stateside. Registration laws vary by state, but you may have to register it as a kit car.

Private track The prototype has been brought out by its U.S. distributors, Evolution Motorsports, of Tempe, Arizona, to be test-driven by prospective buyers and automotive press at Monticello Motor Club, a private membership racetrack in the Catskills. (The driver who damaged it was a ‘prospective’.)

“We expect to sell five a year to enthusiasts like the guys here at Monticello,” Evolution owner Todd Zuccone told me. “There’s interest from a Miami client who’ll drive it to nightclubs, but the car’s really meant for the track.”

Drive it to a nightclub? I don’t think so. The gullwing doors are cool, but when you open one you’ll find no actual seats. Just a bench and padding attached to the back of the protective cockpit. Squeezing in requires three yoga poses and the removal of the steering wheel. No joke.

Creature comforts are scant. The windows roll down

and the steering column moves. There’s even a backup camera, which is handy as there’s no back window.

‘Drive gently’ “This is like driving a Daytona prototype race car,” warns Monticello track director and pro Grand-Am driver Sam Schultz, sentenced to ride shotgun. “Drive gently.”

While unfamiliar with the sequential shifter, a transmission found only on race cars, I sensed the Apollo’s overall stability. Nearly as wide as a Hummer H2 and equipped with 19-inch tyres, it’s like riding on a square mile of rubber. Lots of grip.

The engine is positioned behind the driver, so balance is ideal - as long as you don’t engage the full power of the turbos while cornering. A good rule of thumb is to make sure the wheels are straight as the whoosh of power kicks in.

Monticello is a technical racetrack with a long back straightaway where I’ve gone more than 150 mph in other sports cars. Later in the day, pro driver Schultz will take the Apollo to an indicated 202 mph.

I’m not Schultz though, so I follow his directive and baby the Apollo - easy on the gas and cautious with the steering.

Even so, I reach dizzying speeds on the straight. Power comes on like a jet engine, hard and limitless. The steering is incredibly tight; I barely move my hands to turn. The very stiff brakes need a good firm push to haul us back down.

The accident As I pit off the track, I think I’ll be able to get back out there and push harder in the afternoon.

Then the accident happens and we all stand around as the Evolution crew inspects the damage. The engine is okay and over the next couple of hours they put the nose back together.

Meanwhile, others want their chance and the line grows long. My day is over. Perhaps it’s for the best. Sometimes supercar dreams can go seriously wrong.

(The author writes about autos for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

The Gumpert Apollo at a Glance Engine: Twin-turbo V-8 with 650 horsepower and 630 pound- feet of torque Transmission: Sequential six-speed Speed: 0 to 60 mph in an estimated 3 seconds Gas mileage per gallon: Estimated 14 mpg combined Price as tested: $550,000 Best feature: Drives like a race car Worst feature: Drives like a race car Target buyer: An actual race-car driver

Photos: Bloomberg

AUTO news

Maruti Suzuki launches new CNG models Team Smartbuy he fact that only a handful of cities in India currently have supply of CNG (compressed natural gas) for automotive use is an obvious deterrent for car buyers who are looking to buy vehicles factory-fitted with a CNG kit.

Most buyers of such cars in cities, where CNG stations currently vend this environmentally-friendly gas, are doing it either for meeting some mandatory regulation or to leverage the low cost of operating the vehicle. Yet, the beneficial impact on the environment and the city’s ambient air quality can be good enough reason to extend the availability of this gas.

With more gas reserves being discovered within the country and with the supply infrastructure improving, more cities will get access to this alternate fuel.

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These dual-fuel models now feature the company’s flagship CNG engine technology called ‘intelligent Gas-Port injection’ and have been priced about Rs 45,000 to Rs 55,000 higher than their comparable petrol engine only counterparts.

According to Maruti, the i-GPI or Intelligent Gas Port Injection bi-fuel technology offers an intelligent drive, since it ensures more power vis-à-vis retrofitted CNG vehicles and offers a peppier ride, which is at par with that of a regular petrol-fuelled engine, all the time achieving high fuel efficiency.

As has been the case in the past too, the factory fitted CNG vehicles score higher on safety and reliability vis-à-vis the aftermarket retro-fit kit options.

A company release said that Maruti Suzuki’s CNG vehicles pass through all the quality checks, processes and systems similar to a regular car manufactured at MSIL’s plants.

New models In the meanwhile, foreseeing the potential, Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest passenger car maker has extended the dual-fuel technology in its cars to include more models in its range. The models include the SX4, Eeco, WagonR, Estilo and Alto. They are being launched in Delhi, NCR (national capital region), Mumbai and Gujarat.

The Tech Maruti Suzuki R&D team has integrated the advanced Intelligent Gas Port Injection technology with the Company’s range of engines and products to bring the benefits to buyers in newer car segments.

Compared to alternative aftermarket options, the i-GPI technology incorporates Dual ECU (Engine

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Control Unit) technology.

This highly reliable system delivers accurate amounts of gas to the engine thus ensuring improved and consistent performance under various driving conditions.

With CNG being a cheaper fuel, the running costs of these dual-fuel vehicles can be almost 60 per cent lower than the conventional fossil fuel alone options.

The i-GPI technology uses separate injectors for each cylinder. Based on feedback from and inputs from the ECU, a metered amount of CNG is injected to the engine through the gas ports.

The quantity of CNG required for different driving conditions is controlled by the dedicated ECU, leading to more efficient fuel usage.

Similar to the usual pre-launch evaluation, each of the cars with i-GPI CNG technology has been extensively tested for around two lakh kilometers in varied terrains.

In addition, over 3,000 hours of bench tests have validated the design and performance to bring this combination of performance and reliability for the customers.

As the CNG technology is factory fitted the customers will enjoy the full warranty benefits including extended warranty.

MELANGE luxury redefined

Ralph rides on pony And a big one at that, with their Big Pony collection of fragrances. With the four scents evoking: Sport, Seduction, Adventure and Style, in its selective notes, the Ralph Lauren bottles are iconic to the brightly coloured Polo Player shirts with numbers. Available at leading lifestyle stores.

Rs 4,100 (125 ml)

Ostrich mantra Supple and durable ostrich print leather takes the form of these polka dotted handbags, portfolio and overnight bags, strolleys and small accessories from Da Milano. Available in whites, navy blues, pinks, reds, tans, burgundy and burnt orange at their exclusive stores and other large format stores.

Rs 5,995 to Rs 9,995

Means business Valentino is out with its new range of business shoes for men that boast double PU cushion padding, refined air system sole and high density foam padding for a comfy fit. Pick one for yourself at multi-brand outlets across India.

Rs 1,699 to Rs 2,499

Gliding through Nike’s out with its Lunar Glide +2 for women that gets a thumbs up for its ‘dynamic support, supportive carrier, Lunarlon cushioning system’ and other features. Available in Nike stores.

Rs 6,500

Penning history Sailor’s new limited edition lessons ‘Sumer’ is a tribute to the

Blingy bags

language of one of the oldest civilisations in South Mesopotamia. Crafted in sterling silver with a gold nib, the pen features an engraving of Ur-Nammu, a ruler and the law code of Hammurabi, an ancient Babylonian king. Available on request at select William Penn stores Rs 75,000

Unconventional Passion, is Meera Mahadevia’s way of teaming jewelled bags with couture attires, with brass, copper, wood carvings, marble inlays, silver engravings, semi-precious stones, antique frames and woven fabrics doing the honours. Available at select boutiques.

Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000

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PRECIOUS furniture

Bring home the bling The solid silver sofa sets, traditionally carved, with plush red cushions or heavy gold leaf work tables are no longer the only way to bring in a precious jewel into your home décor. Tasteful accents, studded hints and subtle sparkles, the new trend is understated bling, says TEAM SMARTBUY ietro Lovato creates one masterpiece after the other. His latest is even more blingy, but not over the top. An office chair that is plated with 24k gold in parts, armrests mounted with 222 brilliant cut diamonds of 740 carats, oval cut emeralds… all this upholstered in ‘niloticus crocodile’ leather! His Viva Luxury jewel chair is the pinnacle of jewelled furniture but for those who are smitten by the idea of adding a precious sparkle to their furniture there are plenty of more affordable options to choose from.

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Crystal elements Nothing says ‘dazzle’ better than crystal. Well, that’s what furniture designers hope to prove as they add crystal accents in pieces of wood and upholstery. One can opt for plush sofas or statement chairs with large pieces of crystal for a large living space, like some Swarovksi studded ones available in Living in Style. But in keeping with the subtle theme, coffee tables and seaters with crystal accents are a neat pick. Living in Style has centre tables with similar crystal hints.

Swarovski crystals studded upholstery: Living in Style

Brass/ silver base teamed with semiprecious materials as table top and green malachite overlay for metal stools: Viya Homes

Stone maze We don’t mean just diamonds, but other semi-precious ones like agate, malachite, mother-ofpearl, onyx and others that add value to even an ordinary piece of wood. While the use of some of them as kitchen tops and back lighting is popular, its use in furniture is gaining ground too. Living room cabinets with agate knobs, side stools with onyx legs or tops are great options for just the perfect touch of preciousness. International designer Jay Strongwater creates some enchanting little tables with semi precious stones and enamel work, while Indian store Viya Homes teams metal with malachite, mother-of-pearl, lapis lazuli and abalone to craft interesting stools and tables. While contemporary designs are in, traditional Indian patterns are sought after too, where peacock motifs with mother-of-pearl inlay work take the form of a beautiful dining table.

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Classy silver If silver still reigns number one in your list but you want to steer clear of the traditionally carved ones, then contemporary furniture with sterling silver accents is ideal to deck up your homes with. Tables with cabriole legs in silver, silver handles and knobs for chests, stands for cabinets, accents for sofa sets… the choice is yours. House of Raro and La Sorogeeka have elegant designs worth a peek.

Caring for the bejewelled

Table with silver accents : House of Raro

- Use a soft damp cloth to wipe the furniture regularly and refrain from using acidic detergents as they can react negatively to the precious stones or metals - Special cleaning and polishing tools are available for crystal embellishments, check with the designer or store before using them - Many reputed stores recommend special maintenance kits for exclusive furniture pieces.

It’s best to invest in them to keep damages at bay Teak wood unit with silver foil work and crystals: La Sorogeeka

Premium Interiors This Guy’s great

Solid cheez hai!

Whether with his famous Chris-X leg design chairs, the Silk Cut collection of plush upholstery pieces, unique high-back seaters in the Canopy range or handcrafted headboard from Bird’s Nest, Christopher Guy sure knows how to win hearts with a piece of wood. Available at International Furniture Brands, New Delhi.

Price on request

EVOK Mega HomeStore has launched its range of solid wood furniture made from supreme Sheesham or rosewood. The collection includes tables, entertainment units, cabinets, dining and bedroom sets in olive, natural, ‘medium brown’, lime and honey colours available at select EVOK retail stores, New Delhi.

Rs 4,995 to Rs 80,000

For the bookworm Adding a fun look to an otherwise ‘proper’ library, PortsideCafe’s new library sofa set is made from veneered slats with linen cushions and has interesting storage space to line up your favourite books. Who says you need a book shelf to show off your collection?

Available at PortsideCafe, New Delhi.

Price on request

TASTER’S choice

Cult wines’ lesser brothers: Delicious and for a song Ryan Flinn pending an afternoon in a Sonoma Valley vineyard sipping from a heavenly $450 bottle of Verite 2007 La Joie is hard to beat.

Shelling out a tenth of that for something just as memorable is even better.

I recently sampled some of California’s most sought-after and priciest cult wines.

Among the highlights were a 2006 Cardinale Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($250) and the La Joie, both of which received perfect scores from Wine Enthusiast magazine and uber-critic Robert Parker. All were delicious and unaffordable to the average wine drinker.

To find bottles that could stand in for their pricier counterparts, I asked sommeliers, vintners and fellow connoisseurs for recommendations. The wines had to be limited production, made with grapes from the same farms that cult producers use, or have a famous winemaker attached to the project. Plus, cost as close to $50 as possible.

Petra Polakovicova, Wine Director at San Francisco’s Epic Roasthouse, offered me several excellent choices. She first poured me a 2007 Fisticuffs Napa Cabernet ($25), made by highly regarded winemaker Jeff Smith, who’s better known for his Hourglass label ($125).

Fisticuffs sells for $65 at the restaurant, and less than half of that in shops.

“It’s very well balanced, velvety on the palate and doesn’t overpower you,” Polakovicova said.

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Photos: Bloomberg

nice acidity and a roasted coffee flavour on the finish. A bigger pour was a 2005 Bridesmaid Proprietary Red ($45), which displayed black fruit, smokiness and a tight structure with ample tannins.

“These are nice, lower priced wines, and people really buy them,” Polakovicova added.

Smith said Napa vintners have generally ignored lowerpriced quality wines. For instance, Cabernet Sauvignons costing less than $30 is a “wide-open” category.

After identifying several more bottles that met my criteria, I persuaded a friend to organise a dinner of game meats to showcase these wines. The threecourse meal was a perfect setting for the big, lush, fruity wines I was seeking.

Coffee flavour Another wine she recommended was the 2006 B Cellars Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon ($45) from Kirk Venge. This bottle presented ripe raspberries, sharp tannins,

Blueberry pie For a first course of rabbit ragu, we tried Sol Rouge’s

2006 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ($50), whose grapes come from the same farms that supply cult wines at triple the price. The Sauvignon displayed flavours of blueberry pie, new leather and dark chocolate.

Another star from the first course was Newton Vineyards 2006 Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon ($60).

During an initial tasting, this bottle didn’t immediately stand out among its ‘lusher’, more tannic competitors.

When paired with food, however, the wine shines. Many at the table said its wonderful acidity and earthiness provided a great match for the dish. The 2006 Hoopes Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon ($65) received a “yum” from one taster, and others noted its dense red fruit, ripe plums and dusty flavours mellowed as the

night wore on.

For a second course of duck a l’orange, we tasted the Hall Napa Valley 2006 Kathryn Hall ($75), a wine that received 96 of 100 points from Wine Spectator magazine.

It showed a tightly wound core of red and black fruit, with cocoa notes on the finish.

Nicely balanced and complex, it also comes from the first California winery to receive the industry’s top environmental rating.

Screaming Eagle The Jones Family Vineyards 2006 The Sisters Napa cab ($60) blend also impressed the party with its bright tannins, milk chocolate notes, dried blackberries and hint of beef jerky on the finish. The wine was made by the grand dame of Napa winemaking, Heidi Peterson Barrett, who used to make the cult cab Screaming Eagle.

For a final course of grill-fired bison, sliced and served atop asparagus, we poured a Mirror 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($75) from winemaker Rob Lawson. The wine’s muscular tannins stood up to the beef, while flavours of blackberries and raspberries finished out the bottle. Lawson also made another selection we paired with the last course, the Ghost Block 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($50).

This wine was a dense mixture of black fruits and sea salt, with a strong tannic backbone.

Here’s the best part: Most of these wines are available with a little searching and are ready to drink now, unlike their more expensive competition. Some wines mentioned in the story can only be purchased through the wineries. Others can be bought at online sites.

(The author is a reporter for Bloomberg News.

The opinions expressed are his own.)

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August 18, 2010