Samsung Galaxy Premier officially announced

The Samsung Galaxy Premier is now official with Galaxy Nexus like specs but with improved internals and OS. Earlier, this was the purported Galaxy Nexus replacement as it was initially rumoured with bumped up specs while maintaining the same 4.65″ HD Super AMOLED display. It comes with an improved 8MP main camera with a front facing 1.9MP camera.
Naturally, this comes running with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and it carries the same Galaxy S III features such as S Beam, Pop-up Play, Smart Stay and S Voice. The Galaxy Premier comes in 8GB and 16GB capacity and if you need mode, thankfully it comes with a microSD slot which is absent in Galaxy Nexus. No word on the processor but based on earlier leaks, it should be running on a dual-core 1.5GHz processor.
Looks like Samsung is on a roll again in releasing more devices to flood the market. After introducing the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III, expect Samsung to have a model for every single price range.

2012 Nissan Almera Officially Launched In Malaysia, Priced From RM67K To RM80K

2012 Nissan Almera Malaysia, Priced RM67K To RM80K

The 2012 Nissan Almera has finally been launched at an official ceremony at One World Hotel. Much is known about the



locally-assembled Nissan B-segment sedan except for its finalised pricing, which has been announced as RM 66,800 for the 1.5 E manual, RM 69,800 for the 1.5 E, RM 76,800 for the 1.5 V, and RM 79,800 for the 1.5 VL. Malaysians interested in the Almera will be pleasantly surprised as these prices are lower than the RM70K to RM85K range announced when booking opened almost two months back.
The successor to the Latio, the Sentra and the Sunny, the Almera sits on Nissan's all-new V (V for Versatile) global platform that also underpins the March hatchback. The rest of the dynamic package is par for the segment, including an electric power steering, front MacPherson struts, a rear torsion beam, ventilated disc brakes up front, drum brakes at the back, and 185/65 R15 tyres.

2012 Honda CR-V ‘Limited’ Version in Malaysia

The 2012 third-generation Honda CR-V has been updated for the last time, before the arrival of the all-new, fourth-generation Honda CR-V sometime in 2013. Priced at RM 153,980 OTR with insurance, a RM 4K premium over the price tag that has remained unchanged since 2010, the Honda CR-V “Limited” can be visually differentiated by a new Modulo front grille and a tailgate spoiler. Colours on offer are Urban Titanium, Alabaster Silver, Polished Metal, Crystal Black and Taffeta White.
Inside, you get leather seats, a built-in 2-DIN head unit with a touch-screen navigator and a rear-view camera, illuminated side steps, and premium security solar film tint that prevents the windscreens from shattering in the event of an attempted break-in. Beyond the eyes are the same key equipment introduced on the mid-life facelifted model in 2010: VSA stability control and two side airbags with OPDS (Occupant Position Detective System).  

2012 Nissan Almera To Launch In Malaysia This November In Three Variants

The 2012 Nissan Almera has opened for booking from September 6, without any indication of the official prices so we are stuck with the previous indicated price range of between RM70K to RM85K. At least now we know that there will be three variants coming around the rumoured launch date in November: the base Almera E manual, the mid-range Almera V and the range-topping Almera VL.
Based on Nissan's all-new V (V for Versatile) global platform that is also used by the March hatchback, the Almera's main selling point appears to be its class-leading rear legroom of 636 mm, derived from the same 2600-mm wheelbase as its predecessor Latio sedan's, and the generous boot capacity of 490 litres. So large is the B-segment Almera that it has been classified as a mid-size sedan by the U.S. agency EPA.
We are not sure the claimed "upscale sedan presence" was in view, and the performance on paper appears lacklustre too, at just 102 HP at 6000 rpm and 139 Nm at 4000 rpm generated by the 1.5-litre HR15DE engine, which is mated to a newly-developed four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual gearbox. Perhaps the tradeoff lies in the impressive 14.9 km/litre fuel economy.

Edaran Tan Chong Motor revealed some of the notable equipment on each of the variants: the Almera E will come with a single driver's airbag, 15" steel rims, remote keyless entry, and a trip computer; the Almera V adds a front passenger's airbag, alloy wheels, fog lamps, Fine Vision Meter with multi-information display (MID), and silver-cum-chrome trim inside; and the Almera VL further adds on Intelligent key, remote trunk release, push-start button ignition, automatic climate control with LCD display, and steering audio controls.
Safety features across the Almera range count ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, three 3-point rear seat belts and Isofix child seat mounts. Also available for all three variants is the three-year/100,000-km warranty and five exterior colours: Bronze Gold, Sapphire Black, Twilight Grey, Tungsten Silver and the sole solid Brilliant White.

Nissan Almera Tuned by Impul open for booking

Nissan Almera
Earlier today, Edaran Tan Chong Motor, via its Nissan Malaysia Facebook page, showed us a sketch of the Nissan Almera Tuned by Impul before releasing a rear shot of the actual car. Now it’s officially opened for booking, and we have the details of this sporty variant.
Besides the Impul aerokit (front grille RM800. side skirts, front and rear bumper extensions, boot spoiler RM3,000 inclduing paint and installation), the Almera gets an Impul “Super Shock” suspension system (RM2,800) which consists of tuned shock absorbers and coil springs. Ride height is lowered by a substantial 25 mm, with “increased lateral force support for more agile handling and distinct road contact”.
To go with the sports suspension, the Almera Impul gets 16-inch Impul HS-06 alloys (RM4,000), which are in silver and black with a matte finish. This is an inch up over the stock wheels, but customers can upsize to 17-inch Impul Aura SX-10 alloys (RM4,600).
The package is rounded off by the Impul Blast 2 exhaust muffler (RM1,800)

In addition to the Impul version, ETCM also announced a list of optional accessories that can be had on all Almera variants. Choose from LED wing mirror signal lights, stainless steel kicking plates with LEDs, door visor, trunk tray and sport pedals for A/T cars.
Also on the list are multimedia navigation (iPod, Bluetooth, DVD, USB, rear view camera), combination leather seats and door panels, 15-inch alloys finished in polished steel and window tinting. For the latter, choose from V-Kool Elite, Solar Gard Armorcoat and Solar Gard.
The Impul version is not much of a surprise as ETCM offers such a package on the Sylphy, Livina and old Latio, but that’s a long list of optional equipment. Combined with top-spec toys like Intelligent key with push start and climate control, a RM100k Almera would be quite a richly equipped one.

Kia Cadenza 2013

Kia Cadenza 2013

The Kia Cadenza (known as the K7 in Korea) will get a new look and some enhancements for the next model year – the wraps have come off the updated front-wheel drive luxury sedan at an event in Korea. It will be available in its home market from next month, and go on sale in different parts of the world during the first half of next year.
Inheriting some of the design elements from the flagship Quoris (K9 in Korea) and bringing it visually in line with the rest of the current range, the 2013 Cadenza’s bonnet, boot lid, front and rear lamps and bumpers are new, while side air vents now adorn the front wings.

Lexus LS from RM788k

We’re back from the Lexus Centre in Mutiara Damansara, where Lexus Malaysia has just launched the new Lexus LS limo. This latest LS made its world debut just over two months ago at the ‘Lexus Laws of Attraction’ exhibit in San Francisco, USA. It’s not all-new, but this is a thoroughly reworked LS with 3,000 new parts and a new outlook.
The LS is available here in four variants – the LS 460 (RM788,000), LS 460 F Sport (RM818,000), the long wheelbase LS 460L (RM878,000) and the top of the line LS 600h L (RM1,068,000). All prices are on-the-road without insurance.
The latest LS is easily recognised by its “spindle grille”, Lexus’ new trademark snout that we’ve already seen on the GS sedan and RX SUV. Besides giving the limo greater road presence, Lexus says the new face heralds a significant improvement in driving dynamics, responsiveness and handling.

The dashboard is a new design. All eyes will be drawn to a large 12.3-inch high-res split-screen LCD, said to be the largest in the industry. This screen is big enough to support simultaneous viewing of a large map display and other vehicle functions, which are now controlled via Lexus’ Remote Touch Interface. Operation is somewhat similar to a computer’s mouse.
Another new feature is the Climate Concierge, which utilises 13 infrared sensors strategically placed around the cabin to detect your body heat and adjust the air-con accordingly. Should it sense rising body temperature, Mr Concierge will cool you down via 20 individual air outlets throughout the cabin. Customers in colder regions will appreciate the heating.
Refinement is a Lexus specialty, and this has been further improved in the new LS. Advanced sound deadening materials are used in the wheel arch liners, around the floor and in the boot. Wind noise has been further cut by a change of insulation material for the roof trim, and the addition of aero fins to the door mirrors to reduce turbulence.

The new LS uses Shimamoku wood, or “striped wood”. Processing Shimamoku involves 67 manufacturing steps over the course of 38 days, so there’s plenty of craftmanship involved. The seats are of a new design that minimises pressure points, improves body support and reduces fatigue.
The car you see here is the LWB LS 460L model with a rear seat entertainment system (Blu Ray DVD, nine-inch screen), Mark Levinson 7.1 19-speaker ICE system and rear seat ottoman plus massager. These three items, and 19-inch rims, are the features that the ‘L’ has over the standard wheelbase LS 460.
The 460 variants carry over the marque’s 1UR-FSE 4.6 litre V8 with 380 hp and 493 Nm of torque. This 32-valve, Dual VVT-iE engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Linked to the drivetrain is the new Drive Mode Select that allows the driver to choose from Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+ modes, which also alters the Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) air suspension settings.

This is the first LS with an F Sport variant, and the sporty one adds on unique exterior parts (mesh grille, front/rear bumper, 19-inch wheels), six-piston Brembo brakes and an intake sound creator for a sportier engine note.
The interior gets F Sport leather, aluminium pedals, scuff plate and a F logo on the perforated leather steering. It looks great in the brochure, but unfortunately there wasn’t a live specimen at the launch.
The flagship LS 600h L is a hybrid model, as denoted by the ‘h’ in the name. Here, a 5.0 litre V8 combines with two motor generators for 438 hp. The 20-module, 240-cell battery pack is a nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) unit. In place of the eight-speed auto is a CVT gearbox, and unlike the petrol-only LS, the 600h L lays power to the ground via permanent AWD with a Torsen centre LSD.

Features unique to it are LED headlamps (not just DRLs and signal lamps, making it all LED exterior lighting), hybrid design 19-inch wheels and an Eco Drive meter. Everything else is per LS 460L.
A live gallery from the launch is after the jump. The interior pics aren’t great, no thanks to a dark room and a black cabin, so do click here for a huge gallery of nearly 100 official pics of the Lexus LS.

LG Optimus Vu at RM1,899

Just as teased earlier, the 5″ LG Optimus Vu phone-tablet is finally here in Malaysia. The device is priced outright at RM1,899, which is slightly more than the LG Optimus 4X HD. Powering the device is a quad-core Tegra 3 processor running at 1.5GHz mated with 1GB of RAM and a rather generous 32GB of storage. If you plan to expand storage, unfortunately there’s no microSD expansion slot available.
For the display, the Optimus Vu utilises a 5″ True HD IPS screen that pushes a XGA resolution of 1024×768. This gives it a pixel density of 256ppi (pixels per inch). There’s a 8MP camera at the back which is capable of shooting 1080p HD videos while the front comes with a 1.3MP camera. With stylus coming back as a trend, the Optimus Vu also lets you take notes with its dedicated Rubberdium pen.
Out of the box, it comes running with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich and it is juiced up with a 2,080mAh battery. The Optimus Vu comes in black and white colour options. Overall, the Optimus Vu is 90.4mm wide, 8.5mm thick and weighs 168 grams. As comparison, the new Galaxy Note II has a thickness of 9.4mm, width of 80.5mm and it weighs 180 grams.

What happens in Internet every 60 seconds

From the early growth of the WWW in 1992-1995, early web-commerce in 1996-1998, Dot-Com boom and bust in 1999-2001 and maturity of internet business model in 2002 to the present day, not to mention the new era of social networking, one wonders what else will happen to the World Wide Web. Already, once cruel and invincible dictators were overthrown in peoples’ uprising, started in the Middle East and now spreading its tentacles to the Putin’s Russia.
The WWW’s growth is so rapidly that you can actually measure what is happening in seconds. If the fact that more than a billion new pages are added to it every day doesn’t raise your eyebrows, consider what is happening to the WWW every minute or 60 seconds:

- more than 13,000 iPhone applications are downloaded
- more than 600 new videos are added into YouTube
- more than 6,600 new photos uploaded on flickr
- more than 695,000 facebook status updates
- more than 694,445 search queries performed using Google
- a staggering 168 million emails are sent
- more than 320 new twitter accounts are created and 98,000 new tweets
- more than 1,500 blog posts are added
- about 710 Intel-based computers are sold
- about 925 iPhone 4 and 81 iPad sold
- about $75,000 in revenue is added into Google’s coffers.
- about 11 million conversations on instant messengers
- 1,100 acres of land farmed in FarmVille
- about 2 million internet users watched porn online
- and the list goes on … click on picture to enlarge

Now, do you understand why Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG, stock) is so freaking scare of Facebook’s growth, not to mention why Facebook was toying with the ideas of creating its own search engine and smart-phone?

Geneva Motor Show 2012

The 82nd Geneva Motor Show 2012 saw scores of cool and awesome cars from some of Europe’s biggest car makers such as BMW, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Bentley and of course Lamborghini. Besides expensive and beautiful cars there were tons of hot girls screaming to be photographed in this neutral territory of Switzerland. From tens of thousands of dollars a piece, these awesome machines go up to 7-figure bracket.
In the C-segment premium models, you’ve Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3, Mercedes A-Class and Volvo V40. That Mercedes A-Class looks tempting but the sexy Swedish Volvo V40 should have no problem boosting sales. And I bet Honda has started copying the new stylish V40′s tail lights to its coming CRV’s facelift. The glaring difference can be seen in the emerging Korean brands, Kia and Hyundai, with their introduction of second-generation (beautiful design) cee’d and i30 models in the C-segment, thanks to absence from Japanese makers.

The surprise in the SUV category was of course the introduction of Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque convertible concept, a bold move by the company in its attempt to capture the first premium convertible SUV, if it goes into production. The major attraction was obviously the supercars with over 300-horsepower starting with Porsche Boxter S onwards. Actually in this supercars segment, Porsche Boxter S and BMW M6 Couple were quite boring. Even the luxurious and expensive Bentley EXP 9F Luxury SUV and Rolls Royce Phantom Series II were overshadowed by four supercars.
Aston Martin V12 Zagato, Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and Lamborghini Aventador J were perhaps the coolest of them all. With limited production of only 150-units, the 510-horsepower Zagato with top speed of 305 km/h was hatched from automaker Aston Martin and Italian design house Zagato. Each Zagato requires 2,000 man-hours to be made mainly because body panels such as the hood, doors and “double-bubble” roof are hand-formed from aluminum while front and rear fenders are crafted from carbon fiber.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past month, the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta is the fastest and most powerful road car ever launched by the team in Maranello. With 740-horsepower from the 6.3-litre V12, this car has acceleration of 0-100 km/h in a claimed 3.1 seconds (and 0-200 km/h in 8.5 seconds), a top speed of 340 km/h (211 mph) and 30 per cent better fuel economy than its 599 predecessor. That’s 1 second faster than the mind-blowing Ferrari 599 GTO and 2 seconds faster than Enzo.
Wanna dry your hair faster than the most powerful hair-dryer? The answer is definitely Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, the supercar that gets the same engine as Veyron Super Sport’s 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W-16 engine good for 1,184 horsepower (*gulp*). That’s a freaking 1,200-horsepower, and with top speed of 408 km/h (254 mph) and acceleration of 0-100 km/h  in 2.6 seconds, this beast basically vanished into thin air before PM Najib Razak can finish saying “1-Malaysia” (*grin*).

On the top spot is obviously Lamborghini Aventador J, a version that comes with the same 700-horsepower, 6.5-liter V-12 used in the Aventador coupe. This 700-horsepower machine may have 40-horsepower less than Ferrari F12 Berlinetta but it can hit 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds compared to F12′s 3.1 seconds. Lamborghini said the only ONE unit to be made is already sold but who’s complaining considering that this car comes without roof or windscreen. So basically the buyer of this $2.8 million machine will have to wear motorcycle helmet if he intends to hit the 300 km/h (186 mph) speed limit without getting his head blown off.
Now, before we enjoy photos of hot girls and chicks at the Geneva Motor Show 2012, let’s take a look at some of the hottest cars.

Audi A3

- Price: $30,000
- Colours: 13 paint colours available
- Engine: 1.4 TFSI (122 hp/200 Nm), 1.8 TFSI (180 hp/250 Nm) and a 2.0 TDI (150 hp/320 Nm)
- Top Speed: 1.4 TFSI – 203 km/h; 1.8 TFSI – 232 km/h; 2.0 TDI – 216 km/h
- Performance: 1.4 TFSI (0-100 km/h  in 9.3 seconds); 1.8 TFSI (0-100 km/h  in 7.2 seconds); 2.0 TDI (0-100 km/h  in 8.6 seconds)
- Competes with: BMW 1-Series and the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes A Class

- Price: Yet to be released
- Production: Some time next year (2013)
- Engine: 115-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder; 156-hp and 211-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder
- Competes with: Audi A3 and BMW 1-series

Range Rover Evoque Cabrio Concept car

- Price: $55,000
- Engine: 2.0-liter Si4 turbocharged / 240-horsepower
- Production: late 2013 / early 2014

Porsche Boxter S

- Price: $70,000
- Engine: 3.4-liter flat-six (3,436 cc) / 315-horsepower
- Performance: 0-100 km/h  in 4.8 seconds
- Top Speed: 276 km/h (172 mph)
- Competes with: BMW Z4, new Mercedes SLK, Lotus Elise

BMW M6 Coupe

- Price: $148,388
- Production: late Summer 2012
- Engine: 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 / 560-horsepower
- Performance: 0-100 km/h  in 4.2 seconds
- Top Speed: 250 km/h (155 mph)
- Competes with: Mercedes CL63 AMG, Audi R8, Jaguar XKR, Nissan G-TR

Bentley EXP 9F Luxury SUV

- Price: $250,000
- Production: late 2014 (or may not build at all)
- Engine: 6.0 litre/600-horsepower twin-turbocharged W12
- Performance: 0-100 km/h  within 4-5 seconds
- Top Speed: above 257 km/h (160 mph)
- Competes with: Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

Rolls Royce Phantom Series II

- Price: $400,000
- Engine: 6.75-liter/435-horsepower V12 engine
- Performance: 0-100 km/h  in 5.7 seconds
- Top Speed: 250 km/h (155 mph)
- Competes with: Bentley Continental GT

Aston Martin V12 Zagato

- Price: $519,400 (£330,000)
- Production: Q3 2012 – first deliveries Q4 2012
- Production Quantity: limited to 150 cars max (handmade from aluminum and carbon fiber)
- Colours: Scintilla Silver, Alloro Green, Alba Blue and Diavolo Red
- Engine: 6.0 litre V12 / 510-horsepower
- Performance: 0-100 km/h  in 4.2 seconds
- Top Speed: 305 km/h (190 mph)
- Competes with: Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Lamborghini Aventador, Porsche 911 GTS3 RS 4.0

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

- Price: Yet to be released
- Engine: 65-degree V12 engine (6,262 cc) / 740 horsepower
- Performance: 0-100 km/h  in 3.1 seconds (0-200 km/h in 8.5 seconds)
- Top Speed: 340 km/h (211 mph)
- Competes with: new Lamborghini Aventador J

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse

- Price: $2,247,398
- Engine: 7.9-litre, W-16-cylinder / 1,184-horsepower
- Performance: 0-100 km/h  in 2.6 seconds (0-201 km/h in 7.1 seconds)
- Top Speed: 408 km/h (254 mph)
- Competes with: Proton Saga (*grin, just kidding*)

Lamborghini Aventador J

- Price: $2,800,000
- Production Quantity: will build and sell only ONE unit
- Engine: based on Aventador LP 700-4 / 6.5 litre-12 cylinder / 700 horsepower
- Performance: 0-100 km/h  in 2.9 seconds
- Top Speed: 300 km/h (186 mph)
- Competes with: Ariel Atom V8 500

And now for the sexy and hot girls …