Notable Consumables and Books

BOOKS

Capital Lines

Delhi On The Road (HarperCollins, Rs. 299), by Supriya Sahai is difficult to categorise. Not quite guide book or history, it does introduce and provide context; not a graphic novel, it nevertheless does tell many, many stories; its social commentary is subtle, unpreachy. Its pages are black-and-white line drawings of Delhi sights, some familiar, even to the stranger, some unknown to even long-time residents. And laced through it all is a palpable affection for that noisy, bustling urban sprawl.

Good Wok

Like Chicken Manchurian? You won’t like The Mainland China Cookbook (Random House, Rs. 499). But if you’re truly curious about genuine Chinese cuisine, and want to get it right in your own kitchen, try this book, by Anjan Chatterjee, the man behind the eponymous restaurant chain. Aside from the many simple recipes, he provides short notes on history and ingredients, and — yay! — a list of suppliers in major Indian cities where you can buy genuine ingredients or reasonable substitutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPORT
A you-powered BMW

The BMW M Bike’s anthracite-coloured frame comes with disc brakes, Shimano SLX gear system, Manitou Match suspension fork, leather saddle with red inlay, and matching wheels and handlebars. It certainly won’t be cheap, but at least it will be less expensive than anything else with the ‘M’ logo.
Price to be announced, bmw.com

STYLE
Caviar on the road

This exquisitely designed four-person Rolls-Royce Bespoke picnic set is finished in polished aluminium, veneer and leather. From the Rolls-Royce Bespoke design and engineering team.
Price on request,
rolls-roycemotorcars.com

CONSUMABLES
Twice the Fun

This device looks like a miniature notebook computer until you open it. Which is when you see the Libretto W100’s pair of 7-inch screens. These can be rotated, so you can hold it vertically, to use it like a book, or horizontally, like a regular notebook. Keyboard? Trackpad? Naah. The screens are multitouch, and you can choose between various virtual keyboards, and, heck, the entire screen is a trackpad. At 819 g, the W100 is easily the lightest, full-fledged computer that can be carried in your satchel. A 64 GB solid state hard drive secures your data; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 give you connectivity, and there’s even a webcam so you can videochat. Other specifications include a 1.2 GHz Pentium processor, 2 GB RAM and dual 1024x600 LED-backlit displays. Windows 7 is offered in both 32- and 64-bit flavours. There’s a USB port for connecting an optionally bundled Tata Photon Plus module, and an SD card slot for loading your camera pictures.
Rs. 79,990,

toshiba-india.com


SLIDE TO SLIDE

 

The motion-sensing tech for the Wii wasn’t invented by Nintendo. It was leased from Movea, which now brings that tech to the workplace (through its offshoot, Gyration) in the Air Mouse Elite. Lift it off the desk, squeeze the trigger and it becomes a motion controller. The bundled MotionTools software suite allows you to programme each of the four buttons, coupling button presses with gestures. Gesturing back and forth whips you through PowerPoint slides; more complex options include zooming and air-drawing directly onto slides. It runs about two weeks between recharges. Be aware that you’ll have to install software on any computer you want to use it on.
Rs. 6,500,

gyration.com/gb


Lap dance

The Lapdesk N700 kills two birds with one stone. First, it props your laptop in a position where you can comfortably use it. Second, it comes with two built-in high definition speakers with neodymium drivers. The base is padded for comfort and it also has a fan for venting out heat. Isn’t that cool?
Rs. 4,495, logitech.co.in

Lilliputian

 

 

The RUF2 PSG USB flash drive from Buffalo simply vanishes the moment you plug it in. It transfers files 20 percent faster thanks to Turbo tech, and supports AES encryption for data security. It’s so small, you can plug it in and leave it there. Just don’t lose it!
Rs. 1,600 (8 GB), buffalo-asia.com