BLOGGER-STATION

Paypal button for blogger blogs

2008-06-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

Paypal is the website meant for online money transactions...Bloggers admins can integrate paypal donation buttons on blog in order to recieve donations from their readers ( in case the readers want to donate ). Well here is the code which you can copy and paste in to your blog to incorporate the paypal donation button

In the above code replace xxxxxx with your paypal E-mail id ( You have to create an account on paypal )

Pinging services to update blog content

2008-06-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

As a blogger you must have registered for a couple of services to handle your feeds e.g feedburner .

FEEDBURNER helps in making feeds of your content which can be sent to your readers each time you update .

But however in some cases it takes a little time before the feed is published ( and there are services other than feedburner on which you must have registered you blog ). So , each time you add a new post to your blog... its better to ping these services so that they take notice of the updated content or layout or any new addition for that matter and update their own content likewise. With these pingshots to the services you can make sure that they update your new content in their records.

You can activate the feedburner pinging service by clicking the pingshot button ( shown in the above image )

Except feedburner, there are a lot of other pinging sites from where you can ping a lot of blog areas ( e.g blogcatalog ) at the time you update your blog content . I have listed the major ones here :

1. http://autopinger.com/

2. http://pingoat.com/

3. http://pingomatic.com/

4. http://www.feedping.com/

5. http://pinger.blogflux.com/

You can go on to these sites and tick the checkbox for the sites you wanna ping for your updated content and a notification will be sent to them to update their data correspondingly.

Blog traffic managers / hits counters

2008-06-18T08:39:00.001-07:00

As I had written before about the way of tracing the amount of page loads , and the amount of unique viewers who have come to you webpage is to install a sitemeter ( in case you dont have google adsense on to your blog / site).

There are various sites which provide you with sitemeters that can help trace about the unique visits , page loads and a lot of other things which can be more than suffcient for a blogger to understand the traffic activity on his blog.

Here are some major websites that provide hits counters for you webpage :-

1. http://www.easycounter.com/

2. http://www.histats.com/

3. http://www.freestatscounter.com/

4. http://www.activemeter.com/

5. http://www.onestatfree.com/

6. http://www.sitemeter.com/

7. http://www.tinycounter.com/

All of the above websites provide fairly good website counters though my personal favourite is HISTATS where you can find a lot of options ( even animated counters ).

Just register on one of these sites , get the code ....Paste it in the HTML of your blog....DONE !!!!

Still got problems with installation - mail me at kinglife50@gmail.com

Viewers review widget for bloggers

2008-06-18T08:25:00.001-07:00

During my experience as a bloggers i have come across bloggers who are interested to put up a REVIEW WIDGET on to their blogs so that they can get user feedback in case the viewers do not leave comments.

Well , here is one such VIEWERS REVIEW WIDGET that i am putting on here so that you can download the code and place it on to your blog.

GET THIS WIDGET

You can visit http://www.rateitall.com/itemWidgetWizard.aspx?itemID=987014

and select your own widget style , background colors and various other options......ENJOY !!

Eight days review for PS 3

2008-06-17T02:28:00.000-07:00

Originally known only for its breathtaking demo of an exploding gas station shown in video form at E3 2005(and later, a demo of a car being shot up in a different CES 2006 presentation) , this game eventually was revealed as Eight Days, a crime epic from SCE Studios London. Set in the desert of Arizona, the game features eight days in the bad times of the criminal element. The game features open environments that you can run in, with fully-modeled buildings that you can exploit when the action gets too heavy on the streets and outskirts.

Despite the splash of its debut trailer at E3 2006, Eight Days was never shown to public again, and despite anticipation for the title, the game was put on indefinite hold in June of 2008.

Content Source : http://ps3.ign.com/

Increasing traffic with SEO

2008-06-17T02:20:00.000-07:00

One of the most common ( important too ) ways to build traffic on your site/blog is to get higher search engine ranking , so when your site results come out in the search results... You can be assured of some traffic coming on to your page.

I already included a tutorial on traffic exchane to help you increase that traffic count.

Apart from traffic exchange SEO if one of the best methods to generate traffic till your site/blog is popular enough that it gets URL traffic ( i.e people directly type the URL in the address bar)

So i would suggest you read all my SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION tutorials.

Google adsense search box

2008-06-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

I included this tutorial for bloggers who are more inclined towards earnings from search results while simultaneously helping their readers to search the web as well.

Here is how you get a google adsense search box :-

1. Login to you asense account ( You have to be a adsense user !! ).

2. Click the 'adsense setup' tab right next to the 'reports' tab.

3. Choose the second option - Adsense for search

4. Now just keep following the instructions of choosing you colour and some other customization and at the end you will get the option to generate the code.

5. Once you generate the code ... Copy / Paste it into you blogs (blogger) HTML/Javascript page element and ...........DONE!!!

If you still dont get the search box or have problems with its height/width parametres then you can just edit the HTML yourself and in case you dont how........ ask me at kinglife50@gmail.com

Google search box for your blog

2008-06-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

Bloggers have shown keen interest in having a search box on their blog so that there readers can search anything at the same page and which may help to promote their traffic ( thats what they suppose !!!! ).

So , I have decided to include this tutorial to integrate a google search box in to your blog . If one is familier with HTML then it is pretty easy to make your own search box . However , most percentage of bloggers are not programmers so here is the HTML code that you can directly put into your blog : -

Replace YOURSITE with the address of your blog and paste the code in the HTML of the blog .
Save the template.....DONE !!!!

This is what we call the 'CUSTOM GOOGLE SEARCH BOX' . In this you can add more sites to be searched for your readers ( I assume you know how to do that...If you dont ..MAIL ME!! )

However , if you want the Google adsense search box which can generate earnings on the basis of search made by your viewers , then read my tutorial ... GOOGLE ADSENSE SEARCH BOX

PAGERANK CHECKER for your blog/site

2008-06-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

To check your pagerank on the google index go to http://www.prchecker.info/check_page_rank.php

To check your page rank you have to first submit your site/blog to Google index . In case you have a blog then you can directly go to http://blogsearch.google.com/ping

More SEO help very soon...

Search engine optimization for bloggers

2008-06-16T04:45:00.000-07:00

All of the bloggers/ site administraters do need to get a better seach engine ranking to increase their traffic...Well here is a tutorial that i suppose will help you to optimize your site/blog according to the search engine requirements.

First of all you need to check wether your site/blog has been indexed by google crawlers...

GOOGLE

# Google indexed pages

Enter your blog/site URL after the word site: to view the indexed pages in Google.

# Google backlinks

Enter URL after the word link: for details of the backlinks to your site.

MSN

# Msn indexed pages

Enter URL after the word site: to view the indexed pages in MSN.

Enter your site's URL to see the Inlinks or backlinks of your site.

ALEXA RANKINGS

Alexa is a website which basically monitors the traffic graph of many top sites on the net . You can view the traffic graph of your site by entering your URL below and clicking the the 'Alexa' button.

Calculating your blog/site traffic

2008-06-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Some bloggers do not feel the immediate need to register for google adsense ....and therefore there is no actual method for them to know the amount of page loads of their site per day except placing a counter which records page loads or clicks on links that point to your site.

One such traffic tracing method is to get a STATCOUNTER for your site.

You can register at WWW.STATCOUNTER.COM and get a counter to trace your site page loads.

Here i have included a script to place a statcounter on your site/blog. You can paste it in your HTML code and if you like it , then you can register and get your own code .

The code above is for you to test the counter on your site and if you anytime feel the need to get your own then just register on the site and generate your own counter code.(You can choose your own background colour).

In case the above code doesnt work then i suggest getting you own by registering at http://www.statcounter.com/ and pasting it in your site .

Apart from a live counter you can also add a STATCOUNTER button like :

Increase traffic on your site or blog

2008-06-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

I had mentioned about the "SEARCH TERM SUGGESTION TOOL" in the last update.
You can use this tool to calculate keyword density of your site/blog.

KEYWORDS - The words which are used on search engines to search for content (maybe the content that your site includes ) ...
So in order to boost your search engine ranking you can search for keywords used on search engines for content related to te content on your site/blog .

One such "SEARCH TERM SUGGESTION TOOL" is located at http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/search.html

This is a free tool and can be used by anyone. However , there are paid keyword tools as well which do a much deep evaluation and give you results which can most probably help you boost your site traffic through search engine results.

One of such tool is WORDTRACKER (www.wordtracker.com) . You can register on daily or weekly basis to track the keywords used in search engine queries and optimize your site on the basis of the results . (Its not too costly )

For more FREE optimization tips contact me at kinglife50@gmail.com

Increase traffic on your site or blog

2008-06-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

SEO tools can play an important role in the search engine ranking of your blog/site . However , i cannot comment on softwares sold on the net that claim to make thousands of links of your site on the net , but there are free tools that can give you some hints on optimizing for higher traffic .

One of them is the KEYWORD DENSITY CHECKER... and this basically calculates KEI(keyword effectiveness index)

You can use this tool to search 'how many time a particular keyword appears in your page' .

Here i have included the 'keyword density checker' for your help -

Some of you who are unfamilier with search engine optimization might be wondering about , how the keyword densite check helps you in promoting you traffic .

Well , in order to make full use of the keyword density you need something called a "SEARCH TERM SUGGESTION TOOL" - Tutorial coming soon......

SEO tools

2008-06-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

You can use these free web tools and resources to promote your website and gain more visitors to your web page.

1. Keyword density checker
2. Google development tools
3. Link popularity tool
4. Meta tag generator
5. Dead & Broken link check tool

For more such SEO tools that can further help promote your site traffic.....check out

http://www.webseo.com.au/tools.html

Traffic exchange

2008-06-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

TRAFFIC EXCHANGE is considered one of the best ways to generate traffic for your site apart from search engine rankings ( and paid links ) .

Adland Pro is no doubt one of the biggest Traffic Exchanges on the internet. Boasting 44,000 members adland Pro offers its members a number of unique forms of traffic generating system. You can purchase for as little as $14 a month an upgarded account where you can network, email and promote to your hearts content.

USER COMMENTS - I am having better than expected results from Adland Pro and based on my latest figures, I will be upgrading soon..

Add META tags to your blog

2008-06-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION(SEO) is one of the most common requirements or basically the needs of the people who work online on websites or blogs . SEO forms an important part of the site development process as it helps in providing better pageranks on search engines like google , yahoo , MSN ...which means more TRAFFIC !!!!

SEO is not an alien concept . Its just basic changes in HTML combined with good site linkages , keywords and some more stuff , which if done properly can give your site a good ranking in no time ( Ofcourse the content has to be good ).

One of the most common ( a little old too ) method is adding <meta> tags in between the <head></head> tags of your document.

Those with little or no knowledge of HTML need not worry as i will give you complete step by step instructions.

# META tags for description

Locate the tag in the HTML of your website...it should be close to the top ( search for it by pressing ctrl+f ). Once you find it then add the following line of code after <head> and before the </head> tag .

<meta name="description" content="Information about your site or blog" />

In the content section place information about your site/blog in about 200 characters...

This will definately help google and other search engines in finding out about the matter on the site and what is the site actually about .

# META tags for keywords

Locate tag as described above and then addt the followind lines of code :

<meta name="keywords" content="keywords related to the content of your site" />

Here in the content section ... write keywords separated by commas( , ) that you think best describes the content of your website and the ones you think people would use while searhing in the various search engines (one keyword should not be more than two words) .

If you encounter any troubles then drop me a mail at kinglife50@gmail.com .

Add your blog to facebook

2008-06-13T00:57:00.000-07:00

Bloggers are always in search of new ways to promote their blog..and so adding your blog to a social networking site which recieves a lot of traffic every day is not that bad an idea after all.

So i figured out how to add your blog to facebook..which may help in promoting your blog.

To add your blog to facebook...

Firstly create a Facebook account if you do not have one . After registering with a valid email address you can join the networks you are interested in to connect with people of similar interests. You can customize your profile to be private or public .

# Put the blog in your profile

To add the blog to you profile go to http://apps.facebook.com/flogblog/home.php . Add your blog feed URL here and specify how much blog posts you want to display in your profile .
Save the settings and......... DONE!!

Now each time anybody views your profile they will be able to see your blog posts...

# Blog link in your profile

New applications are developed everyday. In order to promote your blog and search for new applications by typing in the word 'blog' in the search box above the 'Applications' link in the sidebar. Select the application you want and then click 'Add Application' to set the settings and add it to your profile. There are applications which can even add a screenshot of your blog.

For any further reference drop me a mail at kinglife50@gmail.com

Recent viewers widget for your blog

2008-06-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

Lot of new bloggers are fascinated by the idea of having a widget that shows the recent viewers of their blog and want to get it for their own blog as well...

Well its the one of the easiest things to get for your blog..Here is how you do it -

There are two sites providing recent viewers widget to add on to your blog :

1. http://www.mybloglog.com/
2. http://www.blogcatalog.com/

Just go to one of the above links and register an account there...Thats it !!!
Now just look around to find the widgets section on the page and get the code for the recent viewers widget.

Copy/Paste the code in your blog page and you will have it running immediately...

If you are confused in choosing one out of the two , then i suggest reading this - www.ianfernando.com/2007/blog-catalog-vs-mybloglog-review/

Amazon ads for your blog

2008-06-10T06:16:00.001-07:00

Many bloggers are interested in placing amazon ads on their blog...and while overviewing the content i concluded that there is actually there is harly any help for bloggers on 'how to get amazon.com ads on your blog' ..

So i decided to make a tutorial for it ......Here is how you can do it....

1. Go to https://affiliate-program.amazon.com

2. Register an account if you are a new visitor or SIGN in ...if you have an account already.

3. Now just log in with your new account and choose the categories of products you want to display an AD for....and then obtain the HTML code for it (will be given by amazon only )

4. Thats almost it....now just add it to your blog and your ads are up and running....

Gran Turismo 5 Review

2008-06-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

Polyphony Digital has long been the king of simulation racing. Its Gran Turismo franchise broke onto the scene a decade ago on the original PlayStation and revolutionized what a videogame racing title could be. The second game pushed the envelope, while the third and fourth hit the PlayStation 2 and pushed the genre to unparalleled heights. Some 47 million shipped copies later, Gran Turismo is making its first official "full" release on the PlayStation 3 with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.

Much like GT4 Prologue, the game serves as something of a taster for the full Gran Turismo 5 experience, which is still a year or so out. Some folks are calling it a demo, which I don't think is entirely correct. While it's true that the amount of content pales in comparison to what we'll see with the full GT5 release, Prologue still includes roughly 70 cars and a half-dozen tracks, a couple of which feature alternative routes that drastically change their layout, bumping the number of "unique" courses closer to 10, and that's not counting reverse routes.

Content-wise, this means you're getting more cars than some competing racers out there (such as Need for Speed ProStreet), though the track count is certainly less. So what it comes down to is whether or not you love the Gran Turismo racing experience. If do you, Prologue is a no-brainer of a purchase and you won't be able to put the controller down.
One thing that you won't find in GT5 Prologue is license tests. Rather than having to complete a series of tests to earn the right to race, you can jump right into the C class events. Completing all of those unlocks the B class, which leads to the A and then S classes. Each class contains 10 events which can be played in any order and range from standard races to a time trial to having to run from last place to first in a single race.
The progression is pretty good, and I dig the way things are laid out quite a bit. It's easy to tell if your currently selected ride can compete as a flag next to each race will be grayed out if you can't enter. However, the amount of cash that you earn from each race doesn't scale as well as I'd like, so in order to complete every race in the game you'll have to do some serious grinding for cash in order to simply be able to afford the cars you need. The bare-minimum ride selection will cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5 million credits, while the biggest payoff you'll get for any race is around 30k credits. Considering that most of the races pay far less than this, you're looking at a whole lot of repeat laps in order to fill your stable with only the required rides, much less the ones that you just want to own. And if you want to buy the Ferrari F2007 formula car for 2 million credits, well, you'll be driving for a while.

Fortunately though, the driving mechanics far more than pay off and make running the same races time and time again a pleasure for the most part. Polyphony has once again absolutely nailed how each and every car feels (and sounds), giving each vehicle a character and voice of its own. Cars will understeer or oversteer exactly as their real-world counterparts would and drive very, very predictably. You can almost always predict what your ride is going to do in any instance simply because everything works exactly as you'd expect it to. This may sound weird, but once you get behind the wheel of any of the game's cars, you'll know what I mean.
While the previous games, and especially Gran Turismo 4, felt great, they're nothing compared to GT5 Prologue. Each car has its own, very distinct feel. In other games, upgrading to a more powerful vehicle may simply give you a higher top speed, better acceleration or tighter cornering, but Gran Turismo gives you much more than that. You actually get a sense of how the weight is distributed simply from driving a car, with Polyphony pulling off some sort of magic trick as cars actually feel like they have weight to them. Not just mass, but correct and region-specific weight. It's something that's hard to describe with words, but, again, once you've taken a few laps in a Ferrari F430, you'll know what I mean.
Though the track count is limited to a total of six selections, all of the courses are great fun. Even the Daytona Speedway, which is just an oval in its basic setup, becomes interesting to drive when you switch to its largely road-based alternative setup. The cream of the crop in terms of visuals is definitely London, which shows off Prologue's impeccable lighting model. And it's certainly no slouch of a raceway, either.

One of the complaints heard about previous games in the series is the AI. Cars would not really know your whereabouts and crash into you without care. In Prologue, this has been fixed quite a bit, and though it's still not perfect, the AI is much more fun to race against this time out. It'll make mistakes, sometimes running off the track a bit, and different cars will take sections of the track differently. In other words, your opponents won't look like a series of rollercoaster cars moving in sync. As well, the AI does know where you are and generally tries to avoid hitting you or, in some cases, getting hit. It's definitely a major improvement over past releases.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue has most everything we've loved about the GT franchise in the past, though with some notable improvements and additions while simultaneously on a smaller scale. The AI is much improved, the online, while basic, works really well, and the series (or really any other racing game in existence) has never been more realistic nor arguably fun to drive (with Burnout being its only "fun" competition).
Prologue is not necessarily a game for someone who wasn't quite into Gran Turismo in the past and is thinking of giving it another go (that'll be the full GT5 release next year), but it's definitely a worthy pickup for fans of the franchise.

Google ads between your blog posts

2008-06-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

Some bloggers feel a need to add Google ads in between their blog posts ... maybe to increase the amount of ads click or maybe its just more appealing to them.

So here i have discovered this hack to add Google ads between your posts. You can even add elements other than ads in the same manner...

First of all you need to get the adsense code from Google which i believe you already have . So here is how you can carry out this hack : -

1. Go to dashboard->layout->EDIT HTML

2. Tick on expand widget templates

3. Locate this line of code

4. The <data:post.body/> line that you see in the above code is what contains the content of your post.

5. Now copy the code that you have got from google and paste it just below the <data:post.body/> line before the </p> tag.

6. Save the template........DONE !!!!!

In the same manner you can also add lot of other elements between blog posts......ENJOY !!

Add language translations to your blog

2008-06-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

If your blog is targeted to a broader horizon of viewers , then it sometimes becomes essential to provide a language translation option which can in turn help promoting your blog traffic too ......

The most popular Web-based language translation tools are offered by Google, AltaVista Babelfish and WorldLingo. Using these services, web audiences who speak English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Greek, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Japanese, Korean or Russian will be able to translate websites into their own native language.

There are two methods to let your visitors translate your website in a different language :

1. All these services provide a translation box. To translate a webpage, you can simply go to one of these and type in the URL of the website you want to translate, choose the source and target language, and click the Translate button. (World Lingo, Google Translate, BabelFish Translate)

2.You can also integrate the translation form in the website itself so that the users doesnt have to visit any external page for translation. Your web visitors will be able to translate foreign language content into their native language by simply clicking the country flag icon. (Notice the top right corner of this page to see the various country flag icons).

Make a HTML/javascript element and simply cut and paste the following code into it :

# Alta Vista Babel Fish :

Babel Fish Translate is available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. Just add the following single line of JavaScript code :

#Google Translate :

Available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (Simplified). Remember to replace the value of variable "w" with the URL of your website. The translated pages can even be bookmarked.

#World Lingo URL Translator

World Lingo is a beneficial service since Google indexes the static URLs translated by World Lingo. Thus,your website can be found on Google even if the search is for non-english terms. World Lingo supports English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Greek, Chinese , Japanese, Korean and Russian.

wl_url=<$BlogItemPermalinkUrl$> in the URL will need to change if your blog is hosted on another service like Typepad or Wordpress.

Submitting your blog to Blog directories

2008-06-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

In order to promote your page loads and increase the amount of traffic to your blog ....its becomes almost essential to have your blog listed in the top blog directories which in turn helps its search rankings...

Here i have listed some of the major blog directories where you can submit your blog :

1. Blog top sites
2. Top blog lists
3. Blog rankers
4. Blogger now
5. Blog explosion
6. Blog village
7. Get blogs
8. Bloghop
9. Globe of blogs
10. Top blog area
11. Blog tree
12. Blogarama

For a more exhautive list you can visit http://www.blog-connection.com/submit-blogs.htm

Adding sitemap of your blog to google

2008-06-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Sitemaps are important in order to help promote your site rankings in google search....as it helps the google automated crawler to crawl your webpage in a more effecient way and almost ensures that none of your pages are missed out.

In terms of websites one has to generate sitemaps using various sitemap building tools available ..such as GSITEMAP(click to download).

However this is not the case with a blog. To add a sitemap aof your blog all you have to do is :

1. Go to http://www.google.com/webmasters/

2. Create an account if you not a member of log in if you already have an account.

3. Once you log in you will see the sitemaps option in the leftmost column.

4. Click it and in there you will find a "ADD A SITEMAP" button (look carefully !!! its not too big )..

NOW THE IMPORTANT PART :

Bloggers blogs already have a list of URL's listed in the feeds page....so all you have to do is write atom.xml or rss.xml depending upon the feeds that you are using in the URL box. (blogger is defaulted to atom feeds i guess !! )

5. Done..!!!

your sitemap will be verified within a max time of 3 to 4 hours i guess...you can submit sitemaps at regular intervals so that none of your latest pages are missed by the google spiders. If you still encounter difficulties then drop me a mail .... i will reply ASAP ..

Adding drop down bookmark button to your blog

2008-06-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

I have noticed very long tutorials on blogs as well as websites on "how to add a bookmark button to your blog".

Well according to me you dont need to read all that stuff...(which actually doesnt matter)...All you need to do is :

1. Go to http://www.addthis.com/

2. Create an account and then log in with that account.

3. After you log in you will see the option to add the "Drop down bookmark button to your blog".

4. Click it and it will automatically add the widget on to your blog...

5. There is no 5 th step.......its DONE !!!

Adding third column to blog template

2008-06-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

The most common problem of the bloggers is the empty space around their template or the less amount of columns to add widgets . Many bloggers do not like the empty white space on either sides and wish to add a third column (maybe so that it looks more appealing).......Many bloggers report that 6% to 9% of their viewers are on 800 x 600 monitors. They would hence like to add a third column to their template.

NOTE : In case you already have a third column in you template but just wanna increase the width to fit the page , the read my earlier hack "Changing width of your blog template".

Now here is how you can add a third column to your blog template :

1. Define new columns

The size and placing of the new columns will have to be declared in the CSS first. The new sidebar is defined by

#righthandsidebar-wrapper
{
width:35%;
float:right;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar floatin IE */
overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */
}
#righthandsidebar
{
margin:0;
padding-top: 100px; /* reduced from 170px of leftsidebar */
}

Notice that the right han sidebar wrapper has been floated right. Now we need to create one big column to include both the post and the left sidebar columns. After creating it we will give it a float left property. So it will float left and contain the left sidebar floating left within it and the posts column floating right within it. For this add this code and we will call it 'columns'.

#columns
{
width:64%;
float:left;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar floatin IE */
overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IEsidebar float */
}

Since the right sidebar wrapper is 35% we have sized this at 64%. Save Template.

2. Now we just have to implement the columns in the body for their corresponding CSS between the <head> </head> tags of the template

Scroll down till you come to this line :

<div id="'main-wrapper'">

and add the following code just above this line.

<div id="'rightsidebar-wrapper'">
<div id="rightsidebar">
</div></div>
<div id="columns">

Notice that the right hand sidebar wrapper along with its sidebar has been added before the main wrapper and the columns division has been opened but not closed. To close it add this code

</div>

just before the footer wrapper code starts here :

<div id="'footer-wrapper'">

Thus the columns includes both the main wrapper which is floated right inside it and the left sidebar which is floated left. It is closed before the footer wrapper so as not to include it.

3. Save the Template.

4. Now we are almost there.....You have added the third column....Now we only have to add the WIDGETS to the new column or it would remain empty.

To add it widgets or Page Elements to it add these lines :

<b:section class="'sidebar'" id="'righthandsidebar'" preferred="'yes'">
</b:section>

at the position marked by xxxxxxxxxxxxxx below :

<div id="'righthandsidebar'">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</div>

5.Save the template.......ITS DONE !!!!

I except you guys to very well know about adding widgets in the column you created....for any help drop me an e-mail at kinglife50@gmail.com

Crysis review

2008-06-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

It was hard not to be completely impressed when the first images and videos of Crysis appeared about 18 months ago. Scenes of lush jungles and towering alien war machines looked light-years beyond what seemed possible. Of course, the two questions that revolved around Crysis since its announcement were whether it would deliver on those visuals and whether it would deliver a game worthy of those fancy graphics. It turns out that the answer to both those questions is a resounding yes, as Germany's Crytek has proven that its 2004 hit Far Cry was no fluke. In fact, it was just the beginning from this studio. With its sophomore effort, Crytek has managed to deliver an incredibly advanced and exciting first-person shooter that practically rewrites the rules for the entire genre.

Crysis is an alien invasion game set in the year 2020. An archeological team on a remote Pacific island is captured by an invasion force of North Koreans, and your US Special Forces team is dispatched to investigate and rescue the scientists. Clad in high-tech nanosuits capable of boosting your strength, speed, and armor, as well as cloaking you temporarily to the enemy, you're parachuted into a tropical paradise that's crawling with intelligent enemies and something else that's tearing both the North Koreans and US forces to shreds.
Like Far Cry, the first half of Crysis is essentially a "sandbox" game where you're put in the middle of incredibly large levels and tasked with an objective. How you get the job done is pretty much entirely up to you, which is part of the brilliance of the game's design. For instance, the environments are big enough to give you a wide range of latitude. Do you have to get to a certain point on the map? You can take a meandering route that avoids patrols and go stealthy, or try the up-front approach and try to blast your way through, with the danger of enemy reinforcements showing up. Need to infiltrate a North Korean-held village? You can try the front gate, or maybe explore and find a quieter way in.

Couple these huge environments with the powers of the nanosuit, and you have a ton more options. You can play like the eponymous character from the movie Predator and use your cloaking abilities to stalk North Korean patrols, picking them off one by one and watching the survivors react in confusion. That could be via a silenced rifle, or simply coming up from behind a guard and grabbing him by the throat and hurling him off a cliff, or through the roof of a building, or against a tree, or whatever catches your fancy. Enhanced speed and strength give you an amazing amount of mobility, so you can vault atop buildings and come down behind someone, or run up against a North Korean vehicle next to a cliff and push it over the side. In a heartbeat you can switch between different roles, from stealthy assassin to seemingly unstoppable death dealer. It's a game that makes you feel like a superhero, though not an invincible one, because you simply can't run roughshod over the enemy. Crysis rewards smart, fast thinking.

It helps that the game features a high degree of advanced physics and destructibility in a highly dynamic world. Getting caught in a firefight in the jungle is a cinematic treat, thanks to the way the bullets will chop down trees, while branches sway from impacts. This isn't just a visual effect, either, as falling timber can kill if it lands on someone. There's all sorts of emergent behavior like that throughout the game, events that spring up completely unintended or unforeseen. In one instance, the flaming wreckage of a chopper landed on a hut, crushing it and killing all those inside.
Meanwhile, the gunplay and ballistics modeling make this shooter feel as if you're handling real weapons. Trying to hit a target at long engagement ranges is challenging thanks to weapon recoil and other factors. The North Koreans are encased in body armor, so they take some time to gun down, unless you aim for the head, which usually puts them on the ground. At your disposal is a variety of firearms, like shotguns and assault rifles. One of the neat aspects of the game is that you can fix up your weapons on the fly, adding scopes, silencers, and grenade launchers, provided you've found them. There are trade-offs for each add-on. Silencers let you take down guys quietly, though they reduce bullet damage, meaning you've got to make every shot count. Or flashlights mounted on your weapons might help you out in dark levels, but will give you away.

Crysis gives you all of these toys and ratchets the action higher and higher the deeper you get into it. The first level of the game introduces you to the sandbox combat and the nanosuit. From then on, the battles become larger and more intense as the action escalates. You'll storm North Korean-held villages and bases; encounter their counter to your nanosuit; take part in a chaotic assault on a North Korean harbor; and from there the game accelerates. Next is a wild tank battle in a tropical mountain valley, with helicopters and jet fighters roaring overhead. There's a sheer rush as your tank plows through vegetation and knocks down trees as missiles and tank fire erupt all around you. Meanwhile, the vehicle explosions are convincing, right down to the way ammunition cooks off and sends spirals of smoke outward. It's visual poetry of destruction. You're not confined to your tank the entire time, either. You can jump out at any time and use your suit powers and rifle to take on enemy infantry. When they're dead, pick up their dropped rocket launchers and engage vehicles in a cat-and-mouse-style game.

Content source : http://www.gamespot.com

Resident Evil 5 review

2008-06-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

The forthcoming entry to the acclaimed Resident Evil series looks to take the franchise in a whole new direction. It's been said that the game will feature Gears of War style gameplay. Resident Evil 5 takes place in a Black Hawk Down-style African village where heat and shade factor are into the strategy of the game. Not much else is known about the games plot as most details come from interpretations of the official trailers.

source : http://www.gamespot.com/

Africa safari for PS 3 review

2008-06-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

A trailer for Sony's Afrika was released today on the Japanese PlayStation Store. It looks, I'm surprised to say, pretty amazing (I'm due for a break from all this killing, you see). You play the role of a photojournalist, running around the grasslands trying to take PERFECT, HORROR and EROTIC shots of animals doing their stuff , and from the looks of the trailer, you'll be making use of things like RC cars and jeeps in order to get into a good position. Also looks like there's a mini encyclopaedia in there on Africa as well. Those without Japanese PSN accounts can check the trailer at The Able Gamer,

New Afrika Trailer [The Able Gamer]

Recover deleted blog

2008-06-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

To recover a deleted blog along with posts and comments you should provide information about your deleted blog by filling up a form located at :
http://help.blogger.com/bin/request.py?contact_type=deletedblog
Blogger needs to identify that you are the owner of the blog before restoring it to you. You cannot request a URL deleted by someone else.

If you still cannot recover your blog then drop me an e-mail to review your situation..

changing width of your blog template

2008-06-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that some bloggers who are have NO or very little knowledge about HTML , CSS ,XML have problemss in customizing their template acording to their own needs...
Well i cant give you a complete HTML tutorial here but i have seen that one of the most common needs most of the bloggers is to increase the width of their blog page so that it occupies more of the page (maybe to attract more traffic)...

So i am gonna give this tutorial about "How TO Increase the width of your blog template" :-

1. Login to your Dashboard and click on Layout under the name of your blog.
2. Click on Edit Html tab next to Page Elements tab. This opens the Edit Template page.

NOTE : Make sure to back up your template before making any changes. The template back up button is provided on the EDIT TEMPLATE PAGE . Download and save it for safety purposes..

Then scroll down in the HTML code box till you reach ....

/* Outer-Wrapper----------------------------------------------- */
#outer-wrapper {
width: 1025px;
margin:0 auto;
padding:10px;
text-align:left;
font: $bodyfont;
}

#main-wrapper {width: 530px;
margin-left: 20px;
float: left;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */}

#sidebar-wrapper {
width: 250px;
float: right;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
}

#newsidebar-wrapper {width: 170px;
float: left;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
}

The Outer wrapper contains the main wrapper and the two sidebar wrappers. Their dimensions are described by the width parameter. Their positions are described by the float parameter. Notice that the outer wrapper does not have a float parameter. This is because its position in the center of the page is described by the "margin 0 auto" parameter. To change the width of any of the main or sidebar column change their width parameters only. Then change the width of the outer wrapper by the same amount because it has to expand to include the new width.

NOTE : Preview the template after making changes and back up the template in case you dont like it.

When you change the width then you will also have to change the HEADER width in order to prevent the sidebars from going under the posts and not coming up to take its normal position.
To change the width of the HEADER scroll down in Edit Template text box till you come to :

/* Header-----------------------------------------------*/
#header-wrapper {
width:750px;
margin:0 auto 10px;
border:0px solid $bordercolor;
}
then change 750 to whatever width you want it to be.

IF YOUR TEMPLATES DOES NOT HAVE THE OUTER WRAPPER AS A DIVISON : Then go to Edit Html under Template tab and usually the first division after 'Body' and the a links will usually correspond to the outer wrapper.

If you still dont manage to get it right ... then drop me a mail at kinglife50@gmail.com .

Changing order of the blog posts

2008-06-05T03:06:00.000-07:00

To change the order of your posts in Beta Blogger..............remember that posts are ordered according to "LATEST POSTED FIRST ON PAGE" rule. Hence the newest posts are first with earlier posts lower down in the order. The first post you made when you created the blog is the last on the page. Your blog consists of a Main Page and Post Pages. The Main Page contains the number of posts you have set in Settings---->Formatting---->Show __ Posts on Main Page. The rest of the posts are shown as links in the Blog Archive widget in the sidebar. The posts on the Main Page also have their links in the Blog Archive widget. Each Post Page contains only one post.

To change this order login to Dashboard. Click on Posts link after 'Manage:' under name of your blog. You will see a list of all your posts with links to Edit, View or Delete them. Click on Edit link of the post you want to change the date of. The Posts Editor opens with its two modes : Edit HTML and Compose.

The bottom frame of the Posts Editor contains a link 'Post Options'. Click on it to expand the frame as shown in above image. In the expanded frame you can change the Posts Date and time.

-->If you want this post to be the first post always in this blog then set the date to any time as far in the future as it will allow it to be set. This is because once that day arrives and you post more posts this post will start migrating downwards like the rest. Till then it will remain a "sticky" post at the top of your blog.

How to list previous post by title

2008-06-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

To list All Previous Posts by Title...............you will use your blog's RSS feed to put content into your sidebar. How to do this has already been described in the post : Add Content with RSS Feeds in a general way. This is a special case in which you can use this method to display the title of all your previous posts in the sidebar.

STEP 1. The feed for your beta blog is of the format :http://yourblogname.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/full

where instead of 'yourblogname' type in the name of your blog. The feed for your old Blogger blog is :http://yourblogname.blogspot.com/rss.xml orhttp://yourblogname.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Step 2. You will have to convert this feed into Javascript code which you can then insert into your webpage so that it displays on your site. There are many RSS-to-Javascript convertors online which you can search out usinf Google. One of these convertors is located at : http://itde.vccs.edu/rss2js/build.php

Copy and Paste the above link into your browser and press Enter. Copy and paste the link for your blog feed obtained in Step 1 into the "Enter the web address of the RSS Feed" under 'Build your feed'. In Select the options set 'Number of Items to display' as 0 - This will display all posts. In 'Show item descriptions? How much?' set it as 0 to show no descriptions. Set 'Show item posting date?' as No and click Preview to see whether your titles are coming through. If it displays correctly then click 'Generate Javascript'. The program generates Javascript code along with a noscript code for those browsers without Javascript. Copy the code...

Step 3. Go to Layout in your blog after logging in to Dashboard. The Page Elements page opens. Click on 'Add Page Element' in the sidebar section. A new popup window opens where choose HTML/Javascript option and paste the code obtained in Step 2 above in the Content box.

Click Save Changes.

Refresh cache.

View Blog.

You can see an example of this in my right sidebar at the top.To do this in Classic Blogger just paste the Javascript code in your template in the sidebar section.

If you encounter any troubles with this method then feel free to e-mail me at kinglife50@gmail.com.

Adding content with RSS feeds

2008-06-05T02:46:00.000-07:00

On blogs there is default atom feeds embedded by blogger...Howeever you can add content with RSS feeds also.

To Add Content to your blog with RSS feeds........Find the RSS Feed Icon. On many sites it is shown as "RSS" or "About Feeds". The icons are shown alongside.

Right click any one of these and Copy the Link . Now you have to convert the feed into Javascript code. There are many such convertors online which you can find simply by searching Google. One such convertor is located at http://itde.vccs.edu/rss2js/build.php .

Go there and paste your feed url into the text box under 'Enter the web address of the RSS Feed'. Choose among the various options for the feed. Whether you want the title to be displayed etc... Then click 'Preview' to see if the feed is being generated. If the feed url is correct it will show items and content from the web page where you took the feed url from. If you are satisfied click 'Generate Javascript'. Javascript code is generated along with non javascript code which displays the feed on browsers without Javascript. Go back to your beta blog. Login to the Dashboard and click on Layouts under the name of your blog you want to add the feed to. The Page Elements page opens. Click on Add Page Element in the sidebar and choose HTML/Javascript in the popup window which opens. Paste the Javascript code in the content box and Save Changes. You can also add this to a Page Element in the Main Column of postings but then your feed will appear on all your posts. If you add it in the sidebar it will only appear once on the page.

NOTE:

1) Before taking content from other websites be sure to reAd their Terms of Use for feeds.

2)You can fill your webpage with feeds but the Adsense bots are not able to read the content generated by them, so it is ineffective with Adsense.

3) You can use the Feed widget already present in the choices in the popup window which opens when you click on 'Add Page Element' in Page Elements page. However it will deliver only a maximum of five posts and titles whereas you can configure the feed in the above process to deliver all the posts.You can also add a feed of your blog to your sidebar so that it shows all the posts titles. The URL of your beta blog's feed is :

http://yourblogname.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/full

Instead of 'yourblogname' type the name of your blog.
You can also add RECENT COMMENTS to the sidebar by using comment feeds URL which arehttp://yourblogname.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/TYPEInstead of 'yourblogname' type the name of your blog. Instead of TYPE use summary or full.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Review

2008-06-04T02:17:00.001-07:00

For almost every summer blockbuster movie there’s a video game tie-in that ultimately does not measure up to the greatness of the blockbuster in question. We’ve seen it before in countless Batman movies and we’ve seen in with before with Disney’s The Chronicles of Narnia. The movie-to-video-game transition rarely produces a game that is richly original and makes good use of the license. Sadly, in the case of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for the PlayStation 3, this is not the case. Still, while it’s not a completely original game, there is still some fun to be had in the world C.S. Lewis created and Disney creatively recreated.

Prince Caspian, chronologically speaking, it is the fourth book and the second film featuring the Pevensie kids. The story finds, Lucy, Susan, Edmond and Peter returning to Narnia after a year’s absence only to find that 1,300 years have passed in Narnia time. As the red dwarf Trumpkin says, “Narnia is a more savage place than you remember it.” This is true seeing as humans known as Telmarines have wiped out most of the magical creatures of Old Narnia and the heir to the throne - a young man named Prince Caspian - is double-crossed by his evil uncle. It is up to the Pevensie siblings to help Prince Caspian reclaim his throne from King Miraz to bring peace to the land once again.
The beauty of Prince Caspian is that the game attempts to bring to light the events leading up to movie by showcasing the major battle that had the good creatures of Narnia tuck tail and hide in the woods. The game even includes a few clips of footage not seen in the movie such as young Prince’s tutor telling Caspian about the legend of the old queens and kings of the land. It then brings the events of the movie into light with footage from the movie as well as re-enacting the fierce and ultra cool battles of the film. In other words, this game set out to be the complete Prince Caspian experience that pays homage to the book and theatrical sequel.
Still, as I mentioned above, the game rarely brings much originality to the table and Traveler’s Tales (having done justice to Star Wars via LEGOs) simply makes the game a button-masher with very little variety. Well, there are a few things that do keep this game from being a truly boring mess. Worst yet, on the PS3, there’s some slow down that shows up occasionally during the more massive battles in the game. This is really too bad seeing as the game allows you to assume the role of 20 different characters which include Narnians as well as the Pevensie kids.
The game’s levels are quite lengthy and you will be tasked with multiple objectives you must complete as well as do a little collecting on the side. You are given four different characters you can control and you can switch between them on the fly via the Triangle button. In the opening level you can control a dwarf, fawn, centaur or a Minotaur but later in the game you can control familiar characters like the Pevensie quartet or Prince Caspian and his companions. Each character, of course, has his or her own unique ability and skill. Susan, for example, has a bow while Peter is a master swordsman. Some characters are even used to solve puzzles. For example, dwarfs and the swashbuckling mouse Reepicheep can fit throughout small spaces the bigger characters can’t pass.

While it’s great that each of the 20 characters play differently, this does not keep the action as well as the mission objectives from becoming too repetitive. Some mission objectives you’ll have to complete more than once and a few other objectives are similar from earlier ones issued in the beginning of the level. How many times must we clear a courtyard before we can move on to other objectives? Some objectives are very clear while others are somewhat vague. Early in the game I was instructed to destroy catapults brought in by the enemy. It didn’t say I had to jump on a giant’s back to complete such a task until a bit later.
The game’s biggest problem has to be the slowdown that becomes evident during the much bigger battles in the game. While it was great to see so many Telmarines and Narnian warriors on screen at once, the dip in the framerate is inexcusable seeing as the PS3 is more than capable of displaying many characters on screen at once without sacrificing a steady framerate. Secondly, collecting keys that unlock chests (that ultimately unlock concept art and video clips) can become a bit tedious. Even the game’s two-player co-op mode is a lesson in frustration thanks to the limited screen space you and a friend share.
All is not bad in the world of Narnia, though, because there are moments in the game that manages to be fun. Attempting to reclaim a castle leads to one of the game’s best moments and even the final battle is epic to the point that sections of it will give you quite a workout. Younger gamers will appreciate the fact that the game’s puzzles are actually quite simplistic. Most of the puzzles simply have you switching levers or placing a necessary object in its corresponding area.
On the graphics front, Prince Caspian could have looked a lot better. This is not a hideous game, by any means, but the PS3 could do a lot better than this. At least, the character models look good in action and you’ll instantly recognize many of the familiar characters like the Pevensie bunch and Prince Caspian himself. There are clips from the movie (as well as some that aren’t) and the video looks wonderfully crisp and clear like a Blu-Ray DVD.

As far as the game’s sound is concerned, the battles don’t sound as good as they should considering the amount of things that are happen on screen at once. There are some limited voice clips in the beginning but you’ll hear more from the main cast of characters as they go about their mission. What steals the show is the marvelous soundtrack that plays throughout the game. The score is not only epic but it adds a lot of tension to each battle and cut scene.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for the PlayStation 3 had all the makings of a great game but, sadly enough, fails to do anything original with the licensed. In short, Prince Caspian is simple a button-mashing hack-and-slash action game that - at times - can be fun in places. Still, this is the type of game fans of the movie or book will simply pick up and play and forget about as soon as the end credits roll. I recommend this one simply as a rental is you’re in need of a Narnia fix but other than that you are better off just buying the book or going back to the movie theater to see it again.

REVIEW DETAILS

Gameplay: 6.2
Liberating the same tower once again or holding the enemy away from the courtyard for the second time is not a good way of keeping the action fresh. You can switch between characters on the fly but this is purely just hack-and-slash gameplay with only a few interesting gameplay elements.
Graphics: 6.0
On the PS3, the visuals don’t push the hardware but at least it’s not entirely bad either. The character models look Ok and seeing dozens of Telmarine soldiers on screen at once is awesome. Even the movie clips are crisp. I just wish more attention was placed on the backgrounds and the special effects like fire.
Sound: 6.0
The game’s music is not only downright gorgeous but it is also the highlight of the game’s sound. The few voice clips you hear are decent enough but why doesn’t a massive battle sound like a - well - a massive battle?
Difficulty:
MediumIt’s the massive battles that should have you worried because every other battle isn’t very threatening. There are occasionally vague objectives to complete even though many of the puzzles are extremely easy to solve.
Concept: 6.5
With 20 different characters to play, there is some variety to the action but this is spoiled by level objectives that repeat themselves again and again. Switching between characters is a good idea but can we have better rewards during battle or for opening treasure chests?
Multiplayer: 5.5
There’s no online multiplayer in sight but there’s a two-player co-op mode. Sadly, co-op runs with a number of hiccups and sharing the same screen has its major disadvantages plus there’s very little for another player to do.
Overall: 6.2
Far from being a complete disaster, Prince Caspian for the PS3 has some good moments but they are overshadowed by repetitive gameplay and a poor presentation. Fans of the movie and book will like playing in the land of Narnia but much unlike the two mediums this game makes the story a forgettable experience.

Content source : http://ps3.gamezone.com

Ninja Gaiden II Review

2008-06-04T02:02:00.000-07:00

Polluted by the bloodbath. Corrupted by your actions. Consumed with saving your nation but seduced by enemy annihilation. If it’s sharp, you’ll make it a weapon. If it’s got a pointed edge, you’ll drive it through the nearest attacker. There is no mercy for the merciless, and no forgiveness for those who insist on fighting till death.
It’s all so graphic, gruesome and perfectly orchestrated that you’d think you were experiencing a new creation from David Jaffe or Ed Boon. But it is not Mortal Kombat, God of War, or a vehicular combat game with clowns gone bad. This beast has another kind of DNA running through its body, that of Team NINJA. Its offspring is the long-awaited sequel to the Xbox groundbreaker, Ninja Gaiden.

If you’ve been eyeing Ninja Gaiden II since the day it was announced, then you’re well aware of the visual changes: the game is gorgeous (who was stunned by this? Anyone?) and is overflowing with blood. The latter seemed like an odd choice. Why make the game gory and create a Sin City or Kill Bill effect, when Ninja Gaiden has traditionally been more serious?
But the screens are misleading. In motion – and most notably, on a TV just a couple feet from your face – the blood is not only realistic, but it is not at all cheesy or out of place. It is actually a very constructive (and destructive!) addition to the series, since you are now able to make your enemies (ranging from human-sized ninja freaks to mammoth monsters) feel the kind of pain you want to inflict. When donning Ryu’s new claws – three foot-long blades that clamp onto each hand – players are able to stab through chests, slice off arms, rip through inches of flesh, and finish by cutting off an enemy’s head.

Monsters and Monstrosities

While Ninja Gaiden II’s appearance is instantly different, the gameplay changes are not as apparent. Building on the stellar mechanics of the first game, Team NINJA has pumped up the speed, widened the size of each environment, increased the number of on-screen opponents, and multiplied the size of those opponents.
The weapon lineup has also changed, providing new weapons and/or upgrades (plus a stellar list of combos for each type) to test out in nearly every stage. Fans of the DS edition will be glad to see that the magic system has been carried over, albeit with less importance on solving puzzles and more emphasis on making devils (ahem – monsters) cry.
There is a story involved, and though some gamers may be engaged by its above-average voice acting, high-quality presentation and TV-style camerawork, the beauty is in the beast. Or rather, it’s in the slicing and dicing of that beast, as well his siblings and lifelong friends.
Swords are painful and unforgiving. The Dragon Sword is Ryu’s default weapon; in the beginning, Shurikens are his only other option. When he unleashes a Dragon Sword combo on a 10-foot poison-breathing monster, flesh is torn like a knife slicing through butter. It glides through easily, twisting and flipping with Ryu’s every precise and realistic move, giving the player a bit of courage and the sense of unyielding power. Ryu is twice as deadly when wielding the Dragon’s Claw and Tiger’s Fang, two Japanese swords that were once used by a master.

If only visual, Ninja Gaiden would be a cool movie. But everything Ryu does is controlled by the player. There is a simple charge move (one per weapon) where, once performed, Ryu executes a vicious, unblockable combo automatically. But that is the only one of its kind, and it is impossible to use during most end-of-stage boss battles. The rest of the combos – of which there are many – are performed solely by the player. They’re easy to pick up and master, two elements that should always be requirements (and likely were by the developers’ standards). You couldn’t base a fighting game off this engine since the two attacks buttons, while excellent in this game, would become repetitive in a one-on-one arena. But with hordes of enemies and new monster types frequently introduced, you won’t be bored. You’ll be overjoyed.
You may also be, on occasion, very frustrated. To this day, no action game seems tougher to me than the original Ninja Gaiden titles (the first one for NES and the first one for Xbox). But aside from the boss battles, which can be enormously difficult (especially if you’re low on health items), Ninja Gaiden II didn’t seem as difficult. It’s still a wonderfully challenging game, but this time around I only lose hairs and break windows while fighting bosses.
Newcomers may disagree. Those players should expect to be overwhelmed. Ninja Gaiden II is a game where you must be on guard every second. Death is sneaky; just when you think you’ve got the upper hand, a monster will throw in a combo and reduce your life meter to nothing.
In the grand scheme of things, these are all positive elements. But there are a few tidbits of tenacity, most of which would have been expected on the original Xbox but not on Xbox 360.
As with every game these days, the camera is controllable and moves smooth most of the time. When it doesn’t, however, you could end up with an awkward perspective. If standing near walls, buildings or walking through a tunnel, the camera might even get locked until the current battle is over. Given Team NINJA’s heritage, I would have expected them to iron out this issue.
Players come to Ninja Gaiden for the action; they don’t come for map-and-compass-free exploration. But like the first game, that’s just what you get. I’m not looking for arrows to point me in the right direction (that’d be a lame). However, a simple, Resident Evil-style map would have been the perfect way to remind players of where they are, where they’ve been, and where they need to go. Ninja Gaiden II is mostly linear, so you won’t need a map most of the time. But when navigating the sewers, I walked in circles for 20 minutes before realizing that the small, unmarked opening at the top of one corner was where I needed to go.

Aside from the aforementioned changes, most players will be convinced that this is another Ninja Gaiden born from the first game’s concept. That’s not a bad thing, at least not in this case. This series had room to grow within the current spectrum, as proven by the tweaks and additions made here. Enhancements, jaw-dropping battles and a near-seamless combat system are a part of Ninja Gaiden II. But if you were blown away by the Xbox original, you may only be very impressed with the sequel.

Gameplay: 8.8

Hardcore battles, relentless boss fights, and a breathtaking combo and weapon system that rivals Devil May Cry 4, Ninja Gaiden II is every bit the brutal and action-packed sequel players were expecting.
Graphics: 8.7

Stunning. Ninja Gaiden is almost as fun to watch as it is to play. Whether unleashing attacks or being eaten by a monster, this game looks amazing.
Sound: 5.0

Disappointing. The voice work isn’t bad but the music is low-key, repetitive, and fails to inspire the kind of emotion you crave from a game of this caliber.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard

Warning: Do not play near windows.
Concept: 7.9

Ninja Gaiden II is a stellar sequel that plays off the original game’s success. It’s improved in many areas…but where’s the innovation?
Overall: 8.8One of the must-play action games of the year.

Content source : http://xbox360.gamezone.com

Grand Theft Auto IV Review

2008-06-04T01:45:00.000-07:00

When Grand Theft Auto III came out, the game changed the way gamers and game designers looked at games. Pushing the envelope with each sequel, Rockstar’s smash hit was received with adoration from fans and complete disgust from parents and a certain Presidential hopeful. Whatever you might think of the series, though, Grand Theft Auto IV was destined to be big. It’s big, all right, but it’s also one of the best games you’ll play on your PlayStation 3.

You assume the role of Nico Bellic who arrives in Liberty City fresh off a boat and hoping to make a name for himself in America. Nico lives with the ghost of the Bosnian conflict but this is what makes him tough-as-nails and ready for action. He also finds that his cousin Roman isn’t exactly living in luxury so he takes it upon himself to make big money the illegal way. Unafraid of stepping on a few toes as well as doing a number of odd jobs that will put his life in danger, Nico is a likeable fellow who - despite his violent nature - is actually sensitive and trying hard to erase the horrors of the war. It’s a deep story with enough layers that the main characters are just as big as life.
Anyone who has played a GTA game knows that the main story contains a number of missions offered by various different characters and this game is no different. You’ll be running a few jobs for Nico’s cousin Roman as well as friends of his like the Jamaican drug dealer Little Jacob and Roman’s mean-spirited boss, Vlad, just to name a few. Unlike past games, though, running missions for certain characters will place them on your cell phone’s contact list. Friends will offer items and their specialty when needed but you can always call them to just hang out.

Girlfriends, a feature introduced in San Andreas, are back and just like a friend a girlfriend will offer her specialty to you. If you need health, just call up your girlfriend who just so happens to be a nurse. If you need your wanted level to drop, just give your lawyer girlfriend a call. Of course, they’ll also be calling you and many of them are fussy about little things such as the car you drive to pick them up on a date or the clothes you wear. You can take a friend or a girlfriend out to a restaurant or just shoot some pool, toss some darts around or go bowling. There are also nightclubs that offer entertainment like a hilarious magic show or watch some real stand-up performers live on stage. You can also just go out drinking or hit a strip club.

It’s these little things that make Liberty City a far more immersive place than it was in Grand Theft Auto III. There are Internet cafes in the city where you can surf the web for news as well as enter a dating site to find a girlfriend. The city looks a lot closer to New York City with its parks, somewhat familiar landmarks and colorful neighborhoods that make up the city. Once again, you can jack a ride whether you like to cruise in a sports car, motorcycle, speedboat or even a helicopter. This time around, though, carjacking isn’t as easy as just shoving the car owner off the vehicle. Some of them actually put up a fight and some others would hang on for dear life as you speed away. Most parked cars are locked so Nico smashes the window to get to the car. Worst yet, some cars have alarms you must tab the shoulder buttons to disable it.

There is also a bigger police presence in this game than in past GTA games. In other games in the series, you can fire a shot and if there’s no cop around you can get away with it. In this city, fire off a shot and the authorities will send a squad car over to investigate. Of course, you will often find yourself in a high-speed pursuit with the local law but instead of chasing you relentlessly, you can actually outdrive them to the point that they’ll stop chasing you. It’s a far more realistic approach than in past games.

Thankfully, Rockstar hasn’t really toned the game down and it certainly never lets go of that witty sense of humor that is scattered throughout your stay in Liberty City. Like in Max Payne, you can watch television shows that poke fun at society (“Republicans in Space” being my personal favorite) and the game’s dialogue is funny and smart. The game is still quite violent and even more so thanks to NaturalMotion’s Euphoria engine that makes for some interesting car and character physics. Bodies crumple naturally now and it’s quite possible to crush a person to death with your car.
The game’s controls on the PlayStation 3 are just perfect. Nico’s aiming borrows its style from GTA imitator Saint’s Row for more precise shots. Nico can also take cover Gears of War-style and perform blind fire shots when things get too heavy during combat. The PS3 version also takes advantage of the SIXAXIS controls that make motorcycle-driving feel like your driving a motorcycle and boating move far more effectively. Also unlike the Xbox 360 version, however, the PS3 version requires a 10-minute installation process that keeps the game running a tad more smoothly than the Xbox 360 game. I say a tad because there are hardly any load screens. Both versions suffer a few glitches (why do characters still think they can walk through walls?) and pop-ups.

Graphically speaking, the game looks quite exquisite on the PlayStation 3 and the character models look fantastic. Liberty City is alive with various pedestrians so you don’t often see the same people all the time and the skyline at night is a sight to behold. Different parts of the city have their own distinct look and even the people change in the neighborhood. As I mentioned, there are a few glitches here and there such as pop-up and sometimes Nico’s hand will go right through objects. Still, these are minor annoyances that really pale in comparison to the solid visual effects and incredible detail.
The sound is also a major attraction and not just because of the amazing licensed soundtrack and celebrity DJs (like actor Juliette Lewis and music artist Iggy Pop). The city is alive with sounds and conversations between pedestrians. The main cast of characters is voiced wonderfully as well and you just have to love the music that ranges from reggae (Bob Marley), to classic rock (Heart) to international funk (Fela Kuti). Even the television and radio commercials are hysterical as are the comedic acts and stage shows.
Grand Theft Auto IV for the PlayStation 3 is one of those rare games that push the console to its very limits to bring gamers a living world that is simply irresistible. Rockstar has gone to great lengths to improve the series with each iteration but this GTA game is, by far, the best one yet. It’s not often that we give a game this high a rating but with all the things the game has to offer you, too, will find that this is the type of game that’s way too hard to put down once you pick up the controller.

Gameplay: 10

The game is a deeply engaging crime drama that effectively blends humor and violence well so following Nico on his quest for the “American Dream” makes this an instant classic. There’s a lot to see and do in this game so the replay value is high. The PS3 version of the game features SIXAXIS controls for boating and motorcycle driving.

Graphics: 9.8

Visually, the game looks amazing on the PlayStation 3 and Liberty City is alive with lights and people of all shapes and sizes. The character animations are more realistic this time around but there are a few glitches that pop up from time to time.

Sound: 10

With humorous dialogue spoken by an excellent voice cast, detailed sound effects that make you feel like you’re in a busy city and a wonderful licensed soundtrack, the game has the best sound experience. Play this one loud and play it proud.

Difficulty: Medium

Like all Grand Theft Auto games, some missions are a piece a cake while others require you to play through them repeatedly until you complete the mission successfully. The trickiest missions are usually pursuit missions … those car chases are fun and frustrating.

Concept: 10

Liberty City is back and there’s a lot more to see and do in this city that never sleeps. There are dozens of things to do in the city aside from following the game’s main story mode and the playing field feels more real now with little touches like Internet dating, hanging out with friends or fly a helicopter over the city at night. Oh, and let’s not forget the awesome multiplayer mode.

Multiplayer: 9.8

While there are a few framerate issues that pop up on the PS3 version of the game, the online multiplayer portion is a dream come true. Up to 16 players can basically run wild in the open environment and there are some fun game modes that will have gamers coming for more for a long time to come.

Overall: 10

Brilliant and absolutely mind-blowing, Grand Theft Auto IV is not only the best game in the series but also a true achievement in game design. This is one of those games that lives up to its own hype in just about every way while giving gamers a genuinely amusing and fun game.

Content source : http://ps3.gamezone.com/gzreviews

Speed Racer

2008-06-04T01:10:00.000-07:00

Whatever your opinion of the new Speed Racer movie is , you can admit that it makes lots of noise and many bright flashes that are reminiscent of a video game, which made the transition to the video-game medium a smooth one. And, for all the pandering and goings-on of how movie tie-in video games are always stinkers, we have a rare title here that manages to capture the frenetic pacing of an otherwise silly movie (with cool visuals) and the flashy excitement of racing a car in physics-defying situations.
Like other racing games for the Wii, Speed Racer has you looking from a fixed third-person perspective that has you rocketing around a series of really, really (really!) fast moving and incredibly dangerous tracks. Loops, corkscrews, ramps and speed boosts are par for the course as you race one of the many vehicles featured in the movie through a series of tournaments and part of a larger points system. Racing through these courses takes more than skill behind the wheel; the game has incorporated an ally system where you can assist and be assisted by other drivers for the greater good. Allies will run interference and engage in the aptly titled "car-fu" a series of attacks and jumps designed to attack and defend other cars.

What the game does here is sucessfully removes any of the silliness and otherwise "stupid" aspects of and focuses solely on the action. I don't think there is any question that the game has flash and style, the graphics do a fine job of capturing the look and feel of the movie. Bright colors, 300+ mph racing, lighting effects and some serious course design all surprised me when I first started playing because, quite frankly, I did not have high hopes for this title. As you move up through the racing standings and the courses become larger and more treacherous, you understand that the game has come to play for real. Additionally once four speed boosts (you collect them on the tracks) are activated simultaneously, the screen becomes lit up in a mixture of lights and hyperspace graphics straight out of Star Wars

The soundtrack has a certain beat to it that fits the game nicely but could be ramped up a tad. Sound effects and character voices complement the in-game noises of cars smashing and engines humming. The only thing missing is the high octane "Speed Racer" theme that I can't recall ever hearing. Regardless, the game sounds pretty darn good and I couldn't help but think that the Wii needs to figure out a way to get a digital-out cable so we can start hearing these games in 5.1 surround sound. Up until now, I was Ok with it on all other Wii games (except Zelda) and now I really think the game system needs to be outfitted with surround capabilities.

Interestingly enough, the game seems to find itself in a different place with all the high-octane action racing, I think that the game handles the A.I. issues both well and not so well. Sadly, there is an auto catch-up function that makes all races closer then they should be. Often times, you may smack the first place racer and put him into the wall in a spin and then hit several boosts concurrently only to finish the game .092 seconds faster than that same racer. In that sense, you wish real-world physics would occur and you whup all racers massively, but as soon as you think that the game is suffering, you find yourself in a neck-and-neck situation where you take the lead in the last 20 feet of the race and only doing so by cunning driving and some luck. The game is funny that way.

Gameplay: 7.5
Pretty well dialed in, jerking the controller around makes the car hop and ram; it's pretty slick the way everything works together.
Graphics: 7.3
Flashy lights, no slowdown, somewhat tricky A.I.; the game does a good job of being a sharp-looking game.
Sound: 7.0
Good sound effects, ample music, easy to listen to, but where's my surround?
Difficulty: Medium
This is a title that is clearly aimed at younger gamers but you older gamers will probably get some fun out of it. Will provide some challenge.
Concept: 7.0
A game based on a movie based on a 30+ year-old anime, and it's pretty good.
Multiplayer: 6.5
Two player split-screen provides some VS action for you and a friend but this game really needed to be played online.
Overall: 7.2
I was pleasantly surprised and then challenged at how well a game based on a movie was playing; good controls and level design make this a good find.

Content source : http://wii.gamezone.com/gzreviews

Using classic blogger template in new blogger

2008-06-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

I have encountered situations where a blogger loves a template and would like to use it on his/her blog . But the only problem is that an error occurs when they try to save changes...
Your template could not be parsed as it is not well-formed. Please make sure all XML elements are closed properly. XML error message: The element type "head" must be terminated by the matching end-tag "".

If you got the same problem, please read Using Classic Blogger template in New Blogger :-

1.Login to New Blogger with your Google account.
2.On your Dashboard choose blog you want to edit, Click on Layout, you'll go direct to Template tab where blog you want to Edit.
3.Choose the Template tab of your blog then click on Edit HTML.
4.Next scroll down to the end of your page and choose Revert to Classic Template.
5.Copy all the code of the template you wish and paste it into your blog.
6.Click on SAVE TEMPLATE and... Thats it!

SWIFT DESIRE

2008-06-03T03:51:00.001-07:00

MARUTI SUZUKI SWIFT DZIRE!!!!

The New sedan car which is going to replace MARUTI ESTEEM.MARUTI SWIFT DZIRE will be the lowest priced diesel car in sedan segment and after the launch it will surely rule the DIESEL car market in india.
It took nearly two years and Rs.30 crores to develop this sedan version of MARUTI SWIFT hatchback.Its really the marvel of japanese technology for indian roads.MARUTI SWIFT DZIRE will hit the markets on MARCH 29th.

MARUTI SUZUKI SWIFT DZIRE will be available in both petrol and diesel variants.It comes up with 4 cylinder 1.3 litre multijet engine.The overall interior space will be 400 liters more than that of MARUTI SWIFT hatchback.It has security features like ABS and twin Airbags.
MARUTI SWIFT DZIRE is priced below MARUTI SX4 and the petrol variant is interestingly priced between 4.75 and 5 lakhs which is equal to the current pirce of High end MARUTI SWIFT hatchback.The diesel version is priced at 5.5 lakh tag which is the lowest of any sedan diesel cars in india.According to sources mileage will be around 14 per liter on highways and 11 per liter in city.

PRICE :

SWIFT DZiRE Petrol Variant:
Swift DZiRE LXi -4.49 Lakhs
Swift DZiRE VXi -4.97 Lakhs
Swift DZiRE ZXi -5.9 Lakhs

SWIFT DZiRE Diesel Variant:
Swift DZiRE LDi -5.39 Lakhs
Swift DZirRE VDi -5.85 Lakhs
Swift DZiRE ZDI -6.79 Lakhs

content source : http://hubpages.com

Honda City ZX VTec

2008-06-03T03:40:00.000-07:00

Honda City ZX VTec

Finally, its here. Honda has decided to grace Indian roads with the elusive Vtec on the city. A motor that was lost to the old version of the city, has now been reintroduced in the City ZX. There is a marked difference though, the fact that the new city is completely different when compared to its cousin. There aren't too many parallels one can draw between the two cars. The old city had turned into a legend; it was a much needed taste of power to the masses; the masses of course endorsed it with both hands. The old city though was scrapped in favor of the new city, with the IDSi engine, which although sent the sales figures out the roof, didn't really impress the fans of the old city. The power and the response of the old city was sacrificed in favor of pleasing the state exchequer. All seemed lost, we thought that such a car would never ever grace Indian roads again, never. Then came the city VTEc, which was essentially the iDSI engine that was fitted with the Vtec head. 100 Honda horses, the return of the king.

DESIGN

The styling of the City ZX vtec doesn't differ at all from the Idsi model. On the outside, save for the addition of the new rear fog lamp, both the cars are exactly the same. The insides to get some treatment to show the fact that this is the most expensive City you can buy. The changes include chrome buttons for the HVAC vents, chrome replacing the wooden inserts in and around the dashboard and a 2 din MP3 and cassette player. The most distinguishing feature though is that small badge below the rear right tail light and it says Vtec. The relationship between the c-pillar and the boot of the city was rather odd in the outgoing model and seemed to make the city look rather different, this has been worked on and now the lines flow a lot smoother. A new look bumper and tail lights make the rear end of the car look far more desirable. Thanks to the new bumper, boot space which was always very good is further increased (from 490 to 500liters). I think thats big enough for an extended trip away from the citys' playground.

FOR MORE CAR REVIEWS VISIT http://autonagar.com/cars-reviews

Maruti Suzuki SX4

2008-06-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

OVERVIEW

The Maruti Suzuki SX4 is an A3 premium segment sedan that blends style, comfort, performance, and safety. Launch of the Maruti SX4 coincides with the phasing-out of the Maruti Baleno, which was launched in 1999 and could not see great success. The SX4 is the second international offering from the house of Maruti, the first being the Swift. India is the first country to see the launch of the SX4, which proves India’s worth as one of the hottest car-markets in the world. The SX4 is being touted as the tallest, widest, and broadest sedan in its class. It is available in two variants, the Vxi and the Zxi. The SX4 boasts of various features which are available only in cars that cost about a lakh more as compared to it. That is why the SX4 is expected to give a tough competition to the Chevrolet Aveo, Ford Fiesta, Honda City, and Hyundai Verna. Both, the Vxi and the Zxi variants are available in a host of Metallic colours such as Silky Silver, Clear Beige, Midnight Black, Sunlight Copper, Pearl Arctic White, Supreme Red, and Azure Grey.

BUILD & STYLING

Influenced by the latest European design trends, the SX4 boasts of a trapezium form, with wide treads and large wheels. Measuring 4,490 mm in length and 1,735 mm in width, the SX4 looks imposing. Arched fenders further add to its athletic and muscular stance. Its front fascia is dominated by a sporty boat-shaped grille and a headlamp cluster touching the bonnet. At the rear, the SX4 has got a large tail gate and rear bumper that improves its expediency.Both the variants come with body-coloured bumpers, rear fog lamps, electrically adjustable outside mirrors, and a glass antenna. Some exterior features limited to the Zxi include front fog lamps and alloy wheels. With a wheelbase measuring 2,500 mm and a high roof-line, the SX4 offers roomy and comfortable interiors. It can seat up to five people and comes standard with fabric seats and power windows in the front and the rear. However, the Zxi is also available with the option of complete leather interiors that offers optimum comfort. Some interior features common to both the variants are a heater, centre room lamp, twin map lights, remote operated fuel-tank lid, remote-operated trunk lid, rear seat centre armrest, adjustable head rests in the front and rear, and a rear defogger.The Vxi comes with a manual air-conditioner while a single-zone auto air-conditioner maintains temperature in the Zxi. The Zxi is also equipped with a driver’s seat height adjuster, a feature absent from the Vxi. For safety of the driver and passengers, the Vxi as well as the Zxi feature seat-belts, child-lock rear doors, side impact protection beams, an intelligent Computerised Anti-Theft System (iCATS), and front door-lock canceller. iCATS is an engine immobiliser, which when fitted into an automobile prevents its engine from running unless the correct key is present.However some safety features restricted to the Zxi are a driver's airbag, passenger airbag, 3-point Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) front seatbelt pre-tensioners and force limiter, keyless entry, ABS, and Emergency Brake-force Distribution (EBD).

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE

The SX4 Vxi and Zxi variants derive power from a contemporary and economical 1.6-litre M-Series petrol engine that delivers a generous 102 bhp of power @ 5,500 rpm and 145 Nm of torque @ 4,200 rpm.The Vxi as well as the Zxi are maneuvered by a highly responsive electronic power steering and are mated to a smooth shifting 5-speed manual transmission. Both the variants ride on independent gas-filled McPherson strut suspension with anti-roll bar in the front and semi-independent torsion beam suspension with gas-filled shock absorbers in the rear. These types of suspensions help the car sail over the uneven Indian roads offering the occupants of the SX4 with a silky ride. Ventilated disc brakes in the front and drum brakes in the rear provide sharp stopping power to the SX4 and minimize its stopping distance. The Zxi comes with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) that makes your command of the car safe on highways.A ground clearance of 180 mm and 190 mm endows the SX4 Vxi and Zxi respectively to be driven on all kinds of roads without the worry of its floor being damaged. With a turning radius of 5.3 metres, the SX4 can be driven, turned, or swerved in narrow lanes without any hitch. The Vxi stands on 195/65 R15 tubeless tyres while the Zxi is propped on 205/60 R16 tubeless tyres. Fuel tank of both the variants can hold a maximum of 50 litres.

2008 Honda Accord

2008-06-03T03:13:00.000-07:00

OVERVIEW

Take one look at the 8th generation Honda Accord and notice that it clearly stands out as royalty. Honda has re-worked on every aspect of the car from exterior styling to the interiors to the chassis and engine. The new Accord has no resemblance to its 7th generation predecessor.
The car is more agile and flexible along curves than ever before. The front fascia is now more muscular and cabin has been enhanced for more legroom. The new Accord also packs more safety features than before. It is the largest Accord ever made and almost reaches the Mercedes-Benz E-class in proportion. The wheelbase is longer by 3 inches and the width and height have been increased by nearly an inch.
The Honda Accord has always been a leader in the D+ car segment in India. The new 8th generation Accord is pitted against the likes of Skoda Superb, BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class.

The engine on all the three variants available variants (2.4, 2.4 Elegance and 2.4 Inspire) is the same - 178 bhp 2.4-litre i-VTEC Inline-4. A choice of either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic is offered. Honda has dropped the 3.0-litre V6 engine that was available on the previous model of Accord. The new engine generates 30 bhp more power. The new E10 engine is capable of running on a combination of 10% ethanol and 90% petrol to give enhanced fuel economy. The fuel efficiency on the new Accord has increased by 8 percent.
The chassis of the car has been made 20 percent stiffer and this makes driving in a straight line very easy. Like the successful Honda Civic, the Accord too now comes with Formula One inspired paddle shifters. All variants get a tilt/telescopic steering wheel and the top end 2.4 Inspire variant comes with a premium 4-spoke leather steering wheel with an aluminium colour panel and a leather gear shift knob.
When it comes to driving, the car is very agile and responds quickly to inputs. The refined nature of the powerful engine makes the ride very enjoyable. The new Accord also accelerates much quicker than its predecessor and gear shifts are smooth and effortless.
The Honda Accord has an aggressive front fascia. The 6-sided mesh grille with chrome slats gives a luxury feel. The body construction is rigid and strong. The fenders carry fog lamps on the front and rear. The car rides on large 16-inch alloy wheels.
On the interior, the dashboard has been revamped. The dual tone finish is very appealing. The plastic used is of good quality and the upholstery is smooth and gives a rich feel. On the whole, the cabin is very classy.
Cabin space is enhanced and occupants get more leg room, shoulder room and thigh support. The driver's seat gets 8-way power adjustment with lumbar support. Rear seats have independent air vents and air conditioning. The rear seats also get their own audio control knobs.
For entertainment, the car comes with a 6-disc CD changer and MP3 player, a USB connector and 6 speakers. The car also comes loaded with convenience features like power retractable door mirrors, headlight height adjuster, noise and vibration reduction carpet and foldable rear seats.
Some of the safety features on the car include dual front i-SRS airbags, side curtain airbags, anti-lock braking with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution technology, high mounted LED brake lights, G-force Control technology (G-Con), engine immobilizer, and security alarm. The top-end Accord Inspire variant adds parking assist system.

Fuel Economy : 10/14 km/l (city/highway)
Available Engines : 2.4L i-VTEC In-line 4, 178 bhp
Available Transmissions : 5-speed Manual Transmission (MT) 5-speed Automatic Transmission (AT)

FOR :
1.Strong build & elegant styling.
2.Enhanced safety features.
3.F1-inspired paddle shifters.

AGAINST :
Too many buttons on the dashboard can be confusing.

Bugatti Veyron

2008-06-03T02:49:00.000-07:00

This is the fastest, most powerful and most expensive production car in history. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 will do 253mph, has an 8 litre 16-cylinder engine producing in excess of 1000bhp, and a price of £810,000.
Let’s think about that for a moment: 253mph is faster than a Formula One racing car or Concorde at the point of take-off. The Veyron’s power unit, open to the air behind the driver, is four times the size of the engine in your regular family saloon and, boosted by four turbochargers, 10 times as powerful. And the price is 50 times that of the average car.
Of course it doesn’t make sense. Nobody needs a Bugatti Veyron. But that doesn’t diminish its status as an ultimate in technology. It is a billionaire’s prized possession, the automotive equivalent of one of those hideously expensive Swiss watches. And it will be the stuff of dreams, the bedroom poster for a generation of young boys. Everyone wants to know what it can do. Last week I was one of the fortunate few to find out first hand. I drove the Veyron on motorways and mountain roads in Sicily and experienced it on the Enna-Pergusa racetrack. I reached no more than three-quarters of its top speed but that’s okay; my American colleague Csaba Csere of Car and Driver magazine had verified its 253mph maximum at the VW test track in northern Germany.

Within the limits of normal if lightly populated roads and sympathetic local police this is still a car that transcends previous experience; there has never been a 1000bhp production model. Yet it has none of the temperament of supercars that are derived from racing machines. Climb in, press the starter button, engage D on the gear selector lever and off you go. Neither accelerator nor brake is fierce, the steering is accurate but requires no great effort. The engine dawdles if you want to, docile and undemanding, yet when a clear road opens ahead it is ready for acceleration that is beyond normal comprehension. The Veyron can reach 62mph from a standstill in 2.5sec and 122mph in 7.3sec. When 0-60mph in 7sec is the mark of a quick car, this one is out of the world as we know it — all two tons of it.

When you press the accelerator to the floor — and you had better be prepared for the rocket-like response — the needle on a dial to the left of the instrument panel flicks round to 1001. It’s a power indicator and it has absolutely no use except to give the driver a sense of awe. It should be called a “boast gauge”. The 240mph McLaren F1, the previous speed champion among road cars, is much lighter but was designed in the 1990s with a different philosophy that deleted all non-essential features, including many of the safety systems that VW made obligatory in the Veyron. The F1 is an expert’s car. The Ferrari Enzo, Porsche Carrera GT and other recent pretenders to the supercar throne are essentially racing cars adapted for road use. The Bugatti Veyron is not intended for racing but holds a trump card compared with these: its seven-speed DSG transmission. It works brilliantly and contributes to the Bugatti’s ease of progress and level of driving refinement.
So, the best car in the world? It depends on your attitude. For all its phenomenal range of capability this is not a car for the shopping run (do billionaires go shopping?) or even a weekend away. Its boot can carry just a briefcase, the engine is always noisy, visibility anywhere but directly forward is restricted, it is more than 6ft wide and parking is a nightmare. Oh, and there are no roads where you can do 250mph. You could also argue that a car that costs so much should be perfect. To do so would be churlish. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is a magnificent achievement.

VITAL STATISTICS

Model : Bugatti Veyron 16.4
Engine type : 7993cc, 16 cylinders in a W
Power/Torque : 1001bhp @ 6000rpm / 922 lb ft @ 2200rpm
Transmission : Seven-speed DSG, manual and automatic
Fuel/CO2 : 11.7mpg (combined) / 574g/km
Performance : 0-62mph: 2.5sec / Top speed: 253mph
Price : £810,345
Verdict : Blows away all the other supercars
Rating : Five stars

OPPOSITION
Model : Ferrari Enzo (was £418,000; no longer available)
For : Pure race technology made street legal
Against : No creature comforts, brutal F1 gearshift
Model : Porsche Carrera GT £321,093
For : A remarkably civilised roadgoing racer
Against : Tricky clutch and 603bhp is not enough

Ferrari 599 GTB

2008-06-03T02:21:00.000-07:00

Ferrari is a brand synonymous with Italian elegance, finesse, power, and supercar performance. With a promise to continue the family heritage, a new two-door coupe, the V12-powered Ferrari 599 GTB, fills the void created by the departure of the 575M Maranello, a magnificent supercar last produced for the 2004 model year. And for its official pictorial debut the car is, of course, red.
The Ferrari name symbolizes the best in automotive design and outstanding performance, though the time has come where even relative commoners like the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and Dodge Viper can better the Italians in a run to 60 mph. With its 620-horsepower V12, the 2007 599 GTB matches or beats its equal and lesser competitors in regards to performance, yet does so with the beauty and exclusivity only available with a Ferrari.

Under the 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB’s hood is a 6.0-liter V12 generating 620 horsepower at 7,600 rpm and 448 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,600 rpm. With that massive twelve-cylinder engine tucked inside, the 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB can reportedly make a run to 62 mph in only 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 205 mph. At those speeds, drivers will likely appreciate the four-wheel disc brakes, with 353-mm rotors up front and 328-mm rotors out back.
For clutch pedal aficionados, the 599 GTB can be equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. Others, however, may enjoy the F1-SuperFast automatic that executes shifts in mere milliseconds. Other technological advances include what engineers call a magnetorheological fluid suspension system. Think of it as a shock absorber filled with metal bits floating in a liquid, stiffened or softened by “an electronically controlled magnetic field” depending on road conditions. Ferrari’s system is kind of like GM’s magnetic ride control suspension in the Corvette. There’s also something called F1-Trac, which is Ferrari lingo for an impressive handling package. In short, F1-Trac works with a standard stability control system and suspension software to determine how much traction the 599 GTB has and will have, and subsequently adjusts engine output accordingly. Sadly, F1-Trac cannot measure driver intelligence, too.
Anyone who has wondered what big bolsters look like needs to check out the 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB. Swathed in soft premium leather with carbon-fiber backing, the 599 GTB’s buckets feature substantial bolsters on the seat bottom and back, and integrated headrests with cutouts trimmed in carbon fiber.
Tucked neatly into the center console are simple controls for the dual-zone climate control system, which sits directly below the audio system, while the gauge cluster, including a 10,000-rpm tachometer, is within the driver’s direct line of sight. In front of that is the steering wheel with what’s called the manettino, a term that refers to a master switch on the 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB’s steering wheel. Within finger’s reach are controls for the F1-Trac suspension system, the F1-SuperFast transmission (if equipped), and the magnetized suspension.

With few exceptions, Ferrari has a long history of creating beautiful and exhilarating automobiles. The 2007 599 GTB suggests that the company’s winning streak will continue on unabated, as this fine coupe, with unmistakable Ferrari styling and performance from a V12 engine derived from the legendary Enzo, finds its way into the hands of anxious owners later this year.

2008 Audi TT Review

2008-06-03T01:17:00.000-07:00

INTRODUCTION

Audi has redesigned the TT for the 2008 model year. Audi's goal in the redesign was to make a bigger sports car with better handling characteristics. We think they succeeded. The new car is wider and longer than last year's model for more comfort yet it feels light and tossable.
The 2008 Audi TT will appeal to true sports car enthusiasts and weekend cruisers alike. Handling is crisp and steering is direct. With the standard 17-inch tires, the ride is quite compliant for a sports car, but it can be busy and bumpy with the available 18s and 19s. The interior is top-notch Audi. Tight panel gaps and soft-touch materials abound. The new, bigger TT is more accommodating to larger drivers than most of the other sports cars in this class. Both engine choices offer brisk performance, and the 2.0T is easy on gas.
The new Audi TT comes in a range of body styles, with engine and transmission options, and available all-wheel drive. You can choose anything from an affordable, high-mileage hatchback with plenty of cargo capacity to a more-powerful, high-end two-seat roadster with unique interior appointments. Watch your options, though, because pricing can run high. No matter what TT you choose, you'll be sure to have fun behind the wheel.

The TT is once again offered as a two-seat roadster or 2+2 coupe. Each is available with front-wheel drive or quattro all-wheel drive. Both body styles are 5.4 inches longer and 3.1 inches wider than the previous TT, which was last offered in 2006. The wheelbase has grown as well, up 1.8 inches to 97.2, but the weight is down more than 150 pounds, thanks to the extensive use of aluminum. V6 and turbocharged four-cylinder engines return, but the four-cylinder is a 2.0-liter instead of a 1.8.
Both the coupe and roadster are offered as front-wheel-drive 2.0T and all-wheel-drive 3.2 quattro models. The 2.0T models have a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 200 horsepower between 5100 and 6000 rpm and 207 pound-feet of torque from 1800 rpm to 5000 rpm. The 3.2 quattros use a 3.2-liter V6 that produces 250 horsepower at 6300 rpm and 236 pound-feet of torque from 2500 to 3000 rpm.
The 2.0T has EPA fuel economy ratings of 22 mpg city and 29 highway for the roadster and 23/31 for the coupe. EPA ratings for the 3.2 quattros are 17/24 for roadsters and 18/24 for coupes. Audi recommends premium fuel for both engines.

The Audi 2.0T is available only with Audi's S-tronic direct shift gearbox (DSG), which is a clutchless manual transmission that can be operated as an automatic or as a manual via the gearshift or steering wheel paddles. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on 3.2 quattros, and the S tronic is a $1400 option.
2.0T models come standard with 225/50R17 all-season run-flat or summer performance tires, alloy wheels, limited-slip differential, leather/alcantara upholstery, automatic climate control, tilt-telescope leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise control, six-way manually adjustable front seats, center console, aluminum interior trim, heated power mirrors, power windows, power locks, remote keyless entry, AM/FM/CD player, digital clock, trip computer, variable intermittent wipers, rear defogger, theft deterrent system, rear spoiler, and fog lights. Coupes add a split-folding rear seat and roadsters get a manual convertible top with a heated glass rear window.
3.2 quattros come with all-wheel drive, 245/45R17 all-season run-flat or summer performance tires, heated 10-way power adjustable front seats, AM/FM radio with six-disc CD changer, steering wheel audio controls, auto-dimming rearview mirror, compass, HomeLink universal garage door opener, rain-sensing wipers, and automatic headlights. On 3.2 quattro roadsters, the convertible top is power operated.

A Premium package for 2.0T models ($2150 coupe, $3050 roadster) adds heated 10-way power adjustable front seats, steering wheel shift paddles, AM/FM radio with six-disc CD changer, auto-dimming rearview mirror, compass, HomeLink Universal garage door opener, rain-sensing wipers, and for roadsters, a power top.
An additional Enhanced Interior package ($1100 coupe, $1250 convertible) delivers Nappa leather-covered seats, a leather-covered interior instrument pod, underseat cargo bins, and, in roadsters, a trunk passthrough with ski sack. Roadsters can also be ordered with Baseball-Optic leather upholstery for $1000.
Audi's Magnetic Ride Suspension, which has base and sport-oriented shock settings, is a $1400 option. An available S line package ($3000) includes 255/35R19 summer performance tires, special interior trim, and more aggressive front and rear styling.
Other stand-alone options include a power top ($900), a navigation system with iPod interface ($1950), 245/40R18 all-season run-flat or summer performance tires ($800), Bluetooth cell-phone connectivity ($450), heated seats ($450), Bose premium audio with Sirius satellite radio ($1000), and bi-xenon adaptive headlights ($800). The iPod interface is available separately for $250, and the satellite radio costs $350 by itself.
Safety equipment includes front airbags, seat-mounted front side airbags that protect the head and thorax, front knee airbags, ABS with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist, traction control, antiskid control, active head restraints, and a tire-pressure monitor. Roadsters have rollover bars mounted behind the seats, and coupes have LATCH-style rear seat child seat anchors. Rear obstacle detection is a $350 option.
The standard warranty is four years or 50,000 miles with no-charge first scheduled maintenance.
Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system is front-drive biased. Under normal conditions, only about eight percent of the power goes to the rear wheels, but in extreme conditions up to 100 percent of the power can be sent to the rear. Quattro is a great choice for snow and rain.
In normal cruising, the cabin is quiet for a sports car. Tire noise can become pronounced on rough surfaces, but wind noise is well-checked. Both engines emit a sporty exhaust note. The 2.0T lets out a forceful hum, and the 3.2 has a lower, more gravelly, growl.

SPECIFICATIONS

Model Tested MSRP : Audi TT 2.0T roadster ($36,800)
Standard Equipment : leather/alcantara upholstery, six-way manually adjustable front seats, automatic climate control, tilt-telescope leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, cruise control, center console, aluminum interior trim, heated power mirrors, power windows, power locks, remote keyless entry, AM/FM/CD, digital clock, trip computer, variable intermittent wipers, rear defogger, theft deterrent system, rear spoiler, fog lights, 225/50R17 tires, alloy wheels, limited-slip differential
Destination Charge : 720
Options as Tested (MSRP) : Premium package ($3050) includes heated 10-way power adjustable front seats, steering wheel shift paddles, AM/FM radio with six-disc CD changer, auto-dimming rearview mirror, compass, HomeLink Universal garage door opener, rain-sensing wipers, power convertible top; Enhanced Interior package ($1250) with Nappa leather upholstery, underseat storage bins, trunk pass-through with ski sack, interior and cargo nets
Price as Tested : 41820
Layout : front-wheel drive
Horse Power : 200 @ 5100-6000
Torque : 207 @ 1800-5000
Fuel Economy : 21/29
Wheelbase : 97.2
Length/Width/Height : 164.5/72.5/53.5
Turning Radius : 36.0
Seating Capacity : 2
Front Head/Hip/Leg room : 37.7/NA/41.1
Trunk Volume : 9.1
Front Suspension : MacPherson struts with three-point lower control arms, aluminum subframe, tubular antiroll bar
Rear Suspension : four-link with separate coil springs and shock arrangement, tubular antiroll bar
Curb Weight : 3130
Stock Tires : P225/50R17
Brakes Front/Rear : disc/disc with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist
Fuel Capacity : 14.5

2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000

2008-06-03T01:11:00.000-07:00

INTRODUCTION

To the team of Suzuki engineers responsible for the GSX-R1000, Own The Racetrack is not just a slogan,it is a way of life.
It's a life dedicated to making the most successful open-class motorcycle in the history of production-basedracing even better.

The key is the motorcycle's ability to do precisely what the rider wants, when the riderwants, how the rider wants. Accelerate, brake, corner, repeat. Make it easier for the rider, and the resultswill show.
Once again Suzuki has raised the level of open class sportbike performance. The 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000,it's the reason why Suzuki riders Own The Racetrack. Once again Suzuki has raised the level of open class sportbike performance. The 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000,it's the reason why Suzuki riders Own The Racetrack.
The basic architecture of the compact 999cc liquid-cooled GSX-R1000 engine is well known, a model ofrace-winning design: Bore and stroke of 73.4mm x 59.0mm, forged aluminum-alloy pistons with shortskirts and cut away sides, chrome-moly steel shotpeened connecting rods, hollow dual overhead cams,and lightweight titanium valves. Add to that a close-ratio six-speed transmission with staggeredtransmission shafts, an adjustable back-torque limiting clutch and a gear driven secondary balancershaft for reduced vibration.
A new more compact Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve fuel injection system is in place for 2007 with 12 smallerholes instead of four for improved fuel atomization and because the injectors are more compact and emita finer spray, the secondary injectors can be positioned at a steeper 30 degree angle aimed directly at theintake ports for improved throttle response. Intake and exhaust ports are re-shaped and eight percent largerand exhaust valves are 2mm larger (26mm vs 24mm) to work with more aggressive camshafts and Iridiumspark plugs are used for optimum combustion and longer life. Also a new Idle Speed Control (ISC) systemimproves cold starting and stabilizes engine idle under various conditions and larger ventilation holesbetween cylinders reduces pumping losses.

The Suzuki Advanced Exhaust System (SAES) features equal length head pipes feeding a collector, a shortmid-pipe and a unique under engine chamber that leads to two short aluminum and titanium mufflerson each side. This system nearly doubles exhaust internal volume while lowering the center of gravity,centralizes the mass and improving aerodynamics. A proven Suzuki Exhaust Tuning (SET) valve finds ahome on the mid pipe and the combination of the Suzuki PAIR system, a catalyzer and a oxygen sensorequipped closed loop engine management system work in conjunction to reduce emissions and improve engine efficiency.

A new larger radiator features a trapezoidal shape typically seen on works race bikes with nearly a tenpercent increase in cooling capacity. The oil cooler is re-shaped with a third more cooling capacity andthe oil pump is larger for increased flow.
Controlling the new 2007 GSX-R100 is a new engine management system with massive computing powerwith four times the capacity of the previous models. The new ECM controls not only the fuel injection andexhaust systems but also make it possible for the rider to select from three performance settings to matchriding conditions, using a three way switch mounted on the right handlebar.

Engine mapping will vary foreach setting and each map was developed using experience gained building racebike maps for rainy, mixedand dry conditions. Switching from map to map will be instantaneous making it possible for the rider to usedifferent maps for different sections of the racetrack. A new self adjusting hydraulic clutch system uses aradial master cylinder and minimizes the change in clutch feel over the course of long races.
Taking lessons learned from the racetrack, the 2007 GSX-R1000 utilizes an all-new frame built to improvemass centralization by moving the rider toward the center of the wheelbase with a shorter fuel tank andmoving the seat forward. The new frame is engineered to deliver the optimum rigidity balance for precisehandling even at full lean. Constructed from five main aluminum alloy-castings the new frame uses lessparts and less welding for improved accuracy and reduced weight. A new lighter and more rigid aluminumalloyswingarm finds a home under a two piece subframe and features a new rear shock mounting systemwith a link that pivots on the swingarm itself for improved traction and reduced side loads.Taking lessons learned from the latest GSX-R600 and GSX-R750, the new GSX-R1000 also features threepositionadjustable footpegs for maximum rider control and maneuverability.
New high and low-speed compression damping adjustability is built into both front forks and the rear shockalong with adjustable rebound and preload adjustments for maximum rider control. The outer tubes of thefront forks are now larger in diameter below the lower triple clamp to improve rigidity while the DLC coatedfork tubes remain at 43mm. Fork offset has been changed from 30mm to 28mm, increasing trail from96mm to 98mm. Front wheel travel has also been increased from 120mm to 125mm.

The '07 GSX-R1000 also benefits from new front brake rotors and brake carriers. Each 310mm disc isattached to the carrier using 12 floating mounts instead of 8 for improved heat transfer away from the disc.The disc is also slightly thinner, measuring 5.0mm vs 5.5mm for reduced weight. The rear brake is a220mm rear disc working with a single piston caliper now mounted above the swingarm, to reduce theeffect of rear suspension movement caused by braking.
Handling will also benefit from the use of an all-new electronically controlled steering damper. A solenoidvalve operated by the engine management system controls a tapered needle, increasing or reducing oil flowfor increased or reduced damping force.
Extensive wind tunnel testing led to new and improved bodywork for the 2007 GSX-R1000, with anaggressive style and an overall reduced frontal area for amazing aerodynamic performance. A slightly tallerwindscreen also makes it easier for the rider to tuck in on the racetrack. New vertically stacked headlightsalso debut on the new GSX-R1000. The multi-reflector headlight has a new simpler shape and uses a 55wH7 halogen bulb positioned over a 70mm projector high beam.
Because everything else is new on the '07 GSX-R1000, the instrument cluster is new as well. The newinstruments include a step motor controlled analog tachometer, digital LCD speedometer, dual LCD tripmeters,an LCD clock, coolant temp/fuel injection readout, gear position indicator and a programmable LEDengine rpm indicator light. A new LCD engine mode indicator displays which performance setting has beenselected by the rider.
The new 2007 GSX-R1000 has been developed with lessons learned over more than 20 years of productionracing domination.

It is more than just a motorcycle. It is the most powerful and most efficient GSX-R ever built. The new 2007Suzuki GSX-R1000, Own The Racetrack.

2007 Suzuki Hayabusa 1300

2008-06-03T00:38:00.000-07:00

SPECIFICATIONS

Model Number: GSX1300RK7
Type: Sportbike
Warranty: 12 month unlimited mileage limited warranty.
Suggested Retail: $11149
SEP: 550
Engine: 1299cc, 4-stroke, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve, TSCC
Bore & Stroke: 81.0 x 63.0mm
Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
Fuel System: Keihin/Denso Fuel Injection
Lubrication: Wet sump
Ignition: Digital/Transistorized
Starter: Electric
Transmission: 6-speed, constant mesh
Final Drive: #530 chain
Overall Length: 2140mm (84.3 in.)
Overall Width: 740mm (29.1 in.)
Overall Height: 1155mm (45.5 in.)
Seat Height: 805mm (31.7 in.)
Ground Clearance: 120mm (4.7 in.)
Wheelbase: 1485mm (58.5 in.)
Dry Weight: 217kg (478 lbs.) 218kg (480 lbs.) CA. model
Suspension Front: Inverted telescopic, coil spring, fully adjustable spring preload, 14-way adjustable rebound damping and 13-way adjustable compression damping
Suspension Rear: Link-type, gas/oil damped, fully adjustable spring preload, 22-way adjustable compression & rebound damping
Brakes Rear: Single hydraulic discTires Front: 120/70-ZR-17Tires Rear: 190/50-ZR-17
Fuel Tank Capacity: Link-type, gas/oil damped, fully adjustable spring preload, 22-way adjustable compression & rebound damping
Color: Black, Red, Blue

2007 Honda CBR1000RR

2008-06-03T00:34:00.001-07:00

FEATURES & BENEFITS

New for 2007
Black-painted swingarm adds aggressive new look.
Exciting new colors Black/Metallic Gray and Light Silver Metallic join Red/Black.

UNIQUE FEATURES

Liquid-cooled 998cc inline four-cylinder engine.
Aluminum frame patterned after the RC211V(R) MotoGP machine.
Honda Electronic Steering Damper (HESD) for optimum steering effort and stability.
Cassette-type close-ratio six-speed transmission.
Centrally located fuel tank increases mass centralization and allows more compact frame design.
Radial-mounted front brakes.
Center-up exhaust system.
Unit Pro-Link(TM) rear suspension and swingarm design inspired by RC211V.
Line-beam headlight features three-piece reflector design.
Dual Stage Fuel Injection (DSFI) system features two injectors per cylinder.
Aggressive styling based on the championship-winning RC211V MotoGP machine.

ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN

Liquid-cooled DOHC 16-valve 998cc four-stroke inline four-cylinder engine features bore-and-stroke dimensions of 75mm x 56.5mm.
Sixteen-valve cylinder head features 29mm intake and 24mm exhaust valves with a 12.2:1 compression ratio for efficient combustion and high horsepower.
Intake valve features double-spring design for optimum performance at high rpm.
Direct shim-under-bucket valve actuation system ensures high-rpm durability and allows 16,000-mile valve maintenance intervals.
Lightweight nutless connecting rods.
Iridium-tip spark plugs improve fuel combustion and performance.
DSFI system features two injectors per cylinder--one upper and one lower--controlled by an electronic control unit (ECU) that senses rpm and throttle opening. Lower injector enhances rideability while upper injector improves top-end horsepower. At lower rpm only the lower injector is working. At higher rpm, both injectors are activated. The system uses 44mm throttle bodies.
Denso injectors with lightweight valving for faster reaction time and 12 holes per injector improve atomization of fuel mixture for optimum combustion efficiency and power.
Auto-enriching system is integrated into programmed fuel injection (PGM-FI) module, eliminating the need for a manual choke.
Forged aluminum pistons with moly surface treatment for reduced friction.
Aluminum composite cylinder sleeves are high-pressure-formed from sintered aluminum powder impregnated with ceramic and graphite. The lightweight composite sleeves provide better wear resistance and superior heat dissipation compared to conventional sleeves.
ECU provides two digital 3-D fuel-injection maps for each cylinder and two digital 3-D ignition maps for cylinder pairs, creating ideal fuel mixture and spark advance settings for superb rideability.
Ram-air system allows high volume of cool air to the 8.35-liter airbox for linear power delivery and incredible engine performance.
Stainless steel four-into-two-into-one center-up exhaust with twin outlets and titanium core increases lean angle and reduces wind drag.
Liquid-cooled aluminum oil cooler is lightweight and efficient.
Magnesium ACG cover for lighter weight.
Maintenance-free automatic cam-chain tensioner.
Starter gears located on the right side to produce narrow engine and increased lean angle.
Eight-plate clutch is compact and tough, featuring durable friction plate material.
Cassette-type, close-ratio six-speed transmission is easily accessible for rapid gear ratio changes and maintenance at the race track.
Durable #530 O-ring-sealed drive chain.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

High-capacity 350-watt AC generator.
High-tech instrument display features tachometer, LCD readouts for speedometer, coolant temperature, odometer, two tripmeters and a clock. A low-fuel LED light and shift-indicator light is located in the tachometer.
Line-beam headlight features three-piece reflector design utilizing two H7 bulbs for optimum light distribution and unique compact design.
LED taillights for improved appearance.
Plastic tank shell cover protects tank and airbox.
One-piece fan assembly increases cooling efficiency.
Convenient ignition switch/fork lock for added security.
Folding aerodynamic mirrors.
Handlebar switches and controls use internationally approved ISO graphic symbols.
Convenient push-to-cancel turn-signal switch.
Maintenance-free battery.
Transferable one-year, unlimited-mileage limited warranty; extended coverage available with a Honda Protection Plan.
Purchase of a new, previously unregistered Honda unit by an individual retail user in the United States qualifies the owner for a one-year complimentary membership in the Honda Rider's Club of America(R) (HRCA(R)). Benefits include roadside assistance, online access to the Honda Common Service Manual, six issues of the bimonthly Honda Red Rider(TM) magazine, travel discounts, trip routing and MSF reimbursement, plus access to the HRCA Web site (www.hrca.honda.com). For details on the HRCA, dealers should call (310) 783-3958, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time.

2007 Honda CBR600RR

2008-06-03T00:10:00.000-07:00

FEATURES & BENEFITS

New for 2007

Class-leading power-to-weight ratio for outstanding acceleration and handling.
Smaller, lighter, more compact inline four-cylinder engine.
Improved midrange performance and enhanced peak power.
Significant weight reduction in engine and chassis.
Repositioned transmission shafts within crankcase allow for shorter engine.
New lightweight, forged-aluminum pistons incorporate special shot peening for added toughness.
Lightweight magnesium head cover.
New, single exhaust valve-springs.
Smaller, lighter neodium magnet ACG.
New transmission gear ratios.
Smaller, lighter clutch.
New front-brake vertical-piston master-cylinder system.
Lighter weight stainless steel four-into-one exhaust features new inline-exhaust valve to control exhaust pressure for maximum performance.
New intake-air control valve (IACV) minimizes torque reaction and smoothes response to small throttle changes through gradual reductions of air and fuel intake when the throttle is opened and closed.
New non-resonance knock sensor maintains optimum spark advance while constantly monitoring combustion performance during mid- to high-speed operation.
New nose-mounted ram-air induction directs fresh, cool air to a higher-volume airbox.
New smaller and lighter Honda Electronic Steering Damper (HESD).
Newly designed Fine Die-Cast (FDC) frame uses four large castings for lighter weight.
Improved mass centralization.
Redesigned radiator with compact dimensions improves cooling capacity.
All-new bodywork enhances handling and performance.
Handlebars raised 10mm for improved rider comfort.
Center of gravity revised for more neutral response and easier side-to-side flickability.
New, compact instrument design.
Exciting new colors--Pearl White/Silver and Ultra Blue Metallic/Silver--join Red/Black and Black as color options.

UNIQUE FEATURES

Unit Pro-Link(TM) rear suspension and swingarm design inspired by RC211V(R).
Dual Stage Fuel Injection (DSFI) system features two injectors per cylinder.
High-revving engine redlines at 15,000 rpm.
MotoGP-style RC211V center-up exhaust system.
Radial-mount front brake calipers combined with radial actuated master cylinder.
41mm Honda Multi-Action System (HMAS) inverted front fork.
Centrally located fuel tank increases mass centralization and allows more compact frame design.
Line beam headlights feature three-piece reflector design.

ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN

Liquid-cooled DOHC 16-valve 599cc four-stroke inline four-cylinder engine features oversquare bore and stroke of 67mm x 42.5mm.
Intake port surface treatment revised for improved efficiency.
Oil jet relocated beneath piston for additional friction reduction and cooling.
Iridium-tip spark plugs improve fuel combustion and performance.
DSFI system features 40mm throttle bodies and two injectors per cylinder--one upper and one lower--controlled by an electronic control system (ECU) that senses rpm and throttle opening. Lower injector enhances rideability while upper injector improves top-end horsepower.
Denso 12 hole injectors deliver finely atomized fuel mixture for optimum combustion efficiency and power.
Auto enrichment system is integrated into programmed fuel injection (PGM-FI) module, eliminating the need for a manual choke.
Two-stage ram-air system provides high volume of cool air to the airbox for linear power delivery and incredible engine performance.
Cylinder head features angled valve insets to improve airflow.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

Industry-leading ergonomic design features maximum rider comfort for minimum fatigue in all riding conditions.
Centrally mounted 4.8-gallon fuel tank is positioned low in the frame, increasing mass centralization and allowing a more compact design.
Plastic tank shell cover protects tank and airbox.
Line-beam headlights feature three-piece reflector design utilizing two H7 bulbs for optimum light distribution and a unique compact design.
New instrumentation is very compact and features LCD panel with tachometer, odometer, twin tripmeters speedometer, fuel gauge and clock.
Attractive, hollow-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels feature race-spec 3.5 x 17.0-inch front and 5.5 x 17.0-inch rear dimensions.
One-piece fan assembly for maximum cooling efficiency.
Maintenance-free battery.
Optional seat cowl.
Compact rear cowl storage compartment for U-type locking devices (lock not included) under the passenger seat.
Pivoting, aerodynamic mirrors.
Integrated ignition-switch/fork lock for added security.
Convenient push-to-cancel turn-signal switch.
Transferable one-year, unlimited mileage limited warranty; extended coverage available with a Honda Protection Plan.
Purchase of a new, previously unregistered Honda unit by an individual retail user in the United States qualifies the owner for a one-year complimentary membership in the Honda Rider's Club of America.
Cylinder head features two springs per intake valve and one spring per exhaust valve for optimum high-rpm valve operation and durability.
Direct shim-under-bucket valve actuation ensures high-rpm performance and durability with 16,000-mile maintenance intervals.
Lighter pistons and lighter, nutless connecting rods contribute to quicker acceleration.
Double-pivot tensioner for cam-chain durability.
Right-side starter gears allow increased lean angle.
Smooth-shifting close-ratio six-speed transmission with new gear ratios is closely matched to the engine's powerband.

Add you tube downloader to your blog

2008-06-02T01:14:00.000-07:00

To get the you tube downloader on your blog --

1.Go to layout on your dashboard

2.Add a new page element and select HTML/javascript..

3.Copy/paste the following code in the content box and save it.

<script src="http://downloadutube.googlepages.com/ytdwid.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<a href="http://technojuice.blogspot.com/2007/11/download-youtube-video-widget-blogger.html"><img border="0" alt="Download youtube Video" width="5" src="http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa309/technojuiceblog/blank.gif" height="5" />
</a>

4.Thats it .. Done !!!

Adding google adsense to your blog

2008-06-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice video explaining how to add google adSense to your blog :-

If you are still having troubles ... then write to me at kinglife50@gmail.com or leave a comment and i will get back to you soon ..!!!!

Integrating feedburner in your blog

2008-06-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

Would you like to integrate feedburner in your blog and don`t know how, well here is a video tutorial that might help you.

If you still have trouble using feedburner in your blog ...then write to me on my email address or leave a comment ...i will be glad to help you.

Blogger removing navbar

2008-06-01T06:24:00.001-07:00

To hide the Blogger NavBar:

1.Log in to blogger

2. On your Dashboard, select Layout. This will take you to the Template tab. Click Edit HTML . Under the

Edit Template section you will see you blog's HTML.
- Paste the CSS definition in the top of the template code:

<b:skin><![CDATA[/*-----------------------------------------------Blogger Template StyleName: Rounders

Designer:

Douglas Bowman

URL: <a

href="http://www.stopdesign.com/">www.stopdesign.com</a>

Date: 27 Feb

2004

Updated by: Blogger Team-----------------------------------------------

*/

#navbar-iframe { display: none !important;}

/* Variable definitions ====================

<variable name="mainTextColor" description="Text Color"

type="color" default="#333" value="#333333"> ...Remove the code to show it again.

3.Save the template..

And you will never see the navbar again !!!

Display digg button in your blog post

2008-06-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

This post is for my fellow friends who asking for digg button display in their post. Digg button will show up on every single post you have in your blog.
1.Go to your blog template> Edit HTML> expand the widgets> and check for this line:

<data:post.body/>

2.Replace with this code:

 <div style="'float:right;"> <script type="'text/javascript'">digg_url = ' <data:post.url/>'; </script> <script src="'http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js'" type="'text/javascript'/"> </div><data:post.body/>

3.Click on Save Template. Done!

Always show commens under posts

2008-06-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that sometimes people are more willing to display comments under indivisual posts (something like you tube)...rather than the scrolling comments form under posts which doesnt appeal to all the bloggers...... Well , it is absolutely possible !!!
Here is how to do it -
1.Locate the following code in your HTML template and remove the first and last line

<b:if cond="'data:blog.pageType">
<b:include data="'post'" name="'comments'/">
</b:if>

2.To be safe, you can simply comment out the code rather than removing them:


<b:include data="'post'" name="'comments'/">


3.Save the template . Done !!

Blogger - inline comments hack

2008-06-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

Inline comments on blogger with i-frames. Not the greatest of hacks, but pretty good, I must say. Now, "you can customize your blogger template to show comments form on the same page like wordpress "

Here is how to add it on your blog. ( Save your template in case things don't work as expected and you want to revert back )

i) On blogger layout menu, choose 'Edit template HTML' and select 'Expand Widget Templates'

ii) Find and replace

<b:include data='post' name='comments'/> with
<b:include name='inlineComment'/>

iii) Paste the following code-fragment where all the "includable" sections are located.

<b:includable id='inlineComment'>
<iframe expr:src='data:post.addCommentUrl' frameborder='0' height='700' scrolling='auto' style='background:white;margin-top:-10px;margin-bottom:10px' width='100%' longdesc='http://blogger-station.blogspot.com/2008/06/blogger-inline-comments-hack.html' title='blogger inline comment (blogger-station.blogspot.com)' />
</b:includable>

If you are unsure, paste it just before

<b:includable id='post' var='post'>

iv) Save template and change the following blogger settings for comments:
Show comments in a popup window --> yes
The popup style comments structure is ideal for inlining the comments with the blogger post.

Show word verification for comments --> no
Word/ visual verification doesn't seem to work on IE ( the image doesn't show up in my browser IE7 ), however, disabling this option can increase comment spams on your blog by automated systems.

That's it !! you are ready to go....

There's still much left to be desired....

The comments are best visible on a white background. (can't do much about it, since the comment page has its own styling)
The comments form will appear only on individual URLs/ posts. (by design, I have set it to appear on pagetype=='item', and hence it won't appear on home page, archives and posts-by-labels; comments will still appear on a popup window for these pages)

I Wish someone could fiddle with javascript to destroy the 'close this window' span element located on top-right of the comments form ( though it is dysfunctional ). I might as well dabble in CSS to overlap the span with some element at a later date.

If you think you like the hack even with the shortcomings, leave me a feedack comment.

Three Column Templates For Bloggers

2008-06-01T04:04:00.000-07:00

I have managed to locate some eazy 3 column templates for the readers......that can also be downloaded.otherswise i hav also provided the links incase you need some other perticular choice of template.....a few of these are designed by Amanda.

Amanda of BloggerBuster.com has created a number of New Blogger templates. However, please note that the templates uses many images hosted by Amanda, and when you download her templates, included also will be the images. This is like implying that you should upload those images to the web yourself, get the URL's and substitute them in the relevant parts of the templates. This may be because she don't want you to increase the bandwidth load from her site. In any case, it is probably wise for you to upload the images yourself as then these images will be controlled by you and not Amanda. If Amanda remove the images from the web or her site goes offline, the images in your blog will disappear.

Amanda's templates have some features very much different from the other templates including a Lable (category or tag) List in the form of a Label Cloud, animated or fixed gif images, widgets to add a mp3 music player plus a mp3 music file, search box, etc.

However, I have noticed that after downloading her templates, some don't include the images (Blues) and some have some missing images. However, this is no problem as I will show you how to get the images, upload them to the web, get the URL's and substitute these with the the relevant URL's in the template. If you want to depend on Amanda, you can skip all those explanation, just download, backup your current template PLUS the Page Elements, upload her template and just forget about the rest. However, she has indicated that she prefer you to host your own files and images. If you want control over the images yourself and you don't know how, then you will have to read my instructions on how to get the missing images, upload the neccessary images and files plus get their URL's.

3 Column Templates Download -

2008-05-31T14:46:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

For more template downloads visit - http://www.blogcrowds.com/resources/blogger_template.php

How to get comments form under blog posts ??

2008-05-31T14:20:00.000-07:00

We know that in blogger.com / blogspot.com readers must click on the new page or new popup window just to leave a comment on

our articles. that sometime just make them (well at least to me) too lazy to leave a comment, even they want to.
It’s true that blogger/blogspot is not like wordpress. In wordpress..... we can just leave a comment on the post page. so, why

can’t we have the same too on blogger/blogspot ?
we can actually !!!
here are the step.....

Please backup your template first before changing anything -

1. Go to your dashboard --> control panel --> edit html.

2. click the Expand Widget Templates

3. locate the following HTML code written below.

<b:includable id="comments" var="post"><div

class="comments" id="comments"><a name="comments"></a><b:if cond="data:post.allowComments"><h4><b:if

cond="data:post.numComments == 1">1

<data:commentlabel></data:commentlabel>:<b:else></b:else><data:post.numcomments></data:post.numco

mments> <data:commentlabelplural></data:commentlabelplural>:</b:if></h4><dl id="comments-

block"><b:loop var="comment" values="data:post.comments"><dt class="comment-author" id="'"><a

name="'"></a><b:if cond="data:comment.authorUrl"><a href="data:comment.authorUrl"

rel="nofollow"><data:comment.author></data:comment.author></a><b:else></b:else><data:comment.a

uthor></data:comment.author></b:if><data:commentpostedbymsg></data:commentpostedbymsg></dt><dd

class="comment-body"><b:if cond="data:comment.isDeleted"><span class="deleted-

comment"><data:comment.body></data:comment.body></span><b:else></b:else><p><data:comment

.body></data:comment.body></p></b:if></dd><dd class="comment-footer"><span class="comment-

timestamp"><a title="comment permalink"

href="http://www.blogger.com/"><data:comment.timestamp></data:comment.timestamp></a><b:include

name="commentDeleteIcon" data="comment"></b:include></span></dd></b:loop></dl><p

class="comment-footer"><a onclick="data:post.addCommentOnclick"

href="data:post.addCommentUrl"><data:postcommentmsg></data:postcommentmsg></a></p></b:if><div

id="backlinks-container"><div id="'data:widget.instanceId"><b:if cond="data:post.showBacklinks"><b:include

name="backlinks" data="post"></b:include></b:if></div></div></div></b:includable>

4. Replace all code above with this new html code below

Get The COde Here

[Note: sometime, somehow, if you copy that code, the single quote ‘ character will change to this symbol `i really have no idea

how could that happen. but if it so, please change it back to single character again ‘ to make it work.]
Update:in the code above, you’ll see this line :
http://lifewg.googlepages.com/html-code-leave-comment.gif

You can change that image with your own image if you want to.

5. copy all this html code below on top of your it’s usually second last line of your html code.

<script languange="javascript">function showcomment(a,b){var bloggerstationdotcom =

document.getElementById(a);bloggerstationdotcom.style.display = 'none';bloggerstationdotcom = document.getElementById

(b);bloggerstationdotcom.style.display = 'block';}</script><script languange="'javascript'">function showcomment(a,b){var

bloggerstationdotcom = document.getElementById(a);bloggerstationdotcom.style.display = 'none';bloggerstationdotcom =

document.getElementById(b);bloggerstationdotcom.style.display = 'block';}</script>

6. Find this code below:

<span class="'post-comment-link'"><b:if cond="'data:blog.pageType"><b:if

cond="'data:post.allowComments'"><a class="'comment-link'" href="'data:post.addCommentUrl'"

onclick="'data:post.addCommentOnclick'"><b:if cond="'data:post.numComments">1

<data:top.commentlabel/><b:else/><data:post.numcomments/>

<data:top.commentlabelplural/></b:if></a></b:if></b:if></span>

7. Change or replace with this code below:

<span class='post-comment-link'><b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "item"'><b:if

cond='data:post.allowComments'><a class='comment-link' expr:href='data:post.url + "#comments"' ><b:if

cond='data:post.numComments == 1'>1 <data:top.commentLabel/><b:else/><data:post.numComments/>

<data:top.commentLabelPlural/></b:if></a></b:if></b:if></span>

8. and then click on the “Save Template” button.

9. Look at your blog now, it should now has a commenting system under each post.

Popup Window will let you have all submitted comments placed on top of the comment form, so it’s good rather then have those

placed on the left side of the comment form, so your readers have to scroll it to right first if they want to leave a comment.
But you can try both of them to see the differences ...

Remove Pencil and Screwdriver and Spanner(Wrench) quick editing icons permanently

2008-05-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

permanently get rid of quick editing icons !!
We have received numerous complaints of bloggers seeing those "irritating" quick editing icons - the pencil

quick edit icon for the posts, and the screwdriver and wrench (spanner)

quick editing icon for the Page Elements (widgets). Personally they don't irritate me at all.

To me, these are really useful features, especially if you put a lot of HTML/Javascript Page Elements and you don't type a title for the Page Element (which is the norm). In the LAYOUT, they will all read "HTML/Javascript" and there is no way for you to tell which HTML/Javascript is for what unless you click on EDIT to look at what is inside. On the other hand, if you are logged in and you go the the blog, you will know exactly which Page Element you want to edit/delete and all you have to do is to click the icon and you will be editing/deleting the Page Element you want to edit/delete.

Further, they are only visible to me when I am logged into Blogger. No one else will see it. I have written about it before at How to get rid of the irritating "pencil" and "screwdriver and wrench (spanner)" quick edit icons (click BACK button to get back to this page). This however don't seem to satisfy some bloggers, especially those who have private blogs and can view their blogs only when they are logged in.

OK, if getting rid permanently of those very useful quick edit icons is what you want, here is how you can do it:

Permanently get rid of quick editing Pencil icon for postsSign into Blogger (Dashboard), click SETTINGS for the relevant blog and you will be in the SETTINGS > BASIC sub-tab by default. Just a bit down from the top of the page, you will see "Show Quick Editing on your Blog?". Click the down arrow and select "No" At the bottom, click "Save Settings". (Warning: There is a button "Delete this blog" very near that "Save Settings" button, and it is not uncommon to hear of bloggers who accidentally deleted their blog this way). Once you have done that, you will never see the quick editing Pencil icon again.

Permanently get rid of quick edit screwdriver and wrench (spanner) icons for Page Elements (widgets)Sign into Blogger (Dashboard). Click LAYOUT for the relevant blog. Click TEMPLATE tab, followed by EDIT HTML sub-tab. Before you do any editing of the template, backup the template PLUS the Page Elements. See Backup and edit New Blogger template PLUS backup Page Elements. Once you are done with that, you will still be in the template editor window. Tick the "Expand widget templates" box and wait for the template to fully expand. Then look for this line of code:

<b:include name="'quickedit'/">

If you face difficulties finding that line of code, press ctrl+F and you will see a "Find" followed by a box for you to type or copy-paste what you want to find. Type or copy-paste the above line of code into the box and click "Next". The scroll bar will scroll down to the line and the line will be highlighted. Use your mouse to highlight that line of code again and press the DELETE key. Preview, and if you don't get any error message, click "Save Template". You will never see the "irritating" (to me, useful") screwdriver and wrench icons again.