Larissa D’Sa | Travel | Influncex’20

Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?

Larissa: When I started posting content on social media, I was 19. Facebook was a much popular platform, and I’d just started posting on Instagram. I’d say a lot has changed in the blogging space, for the best. From posting photos of things you’re passionate about, to getting paid for doing what you love, it’s been a boon to the creative minds. 

Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?

Larissa:  Social media doesn’t belong to the weak-hearted. With all the fun and frolic, comes great responsibility. As rosy as it looks, creating content also involves days and weeks on planning. Most of us are usually multifaceted by conceptualising, directing, shooting, and editing our content in-house. That’s also the beauty of social media – it’s made me self-reliant, and I’ve learnt and picked different skills to be my own production house.

Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?

Larissa:  I don’t deal with it. I ignore as much as  I can, and simply block away. Although, sometimes it’s also important to call out haters and trollers, because I also feel it’s my responsibility to clear the trash out from the internet .

Ex: Social media trolling is seeing an upward rise. Do you think this only increases with the popularity of an Influencer? How does one tackle this situation?

Larissa:  Like I said, with all the fame, comes great responsibility. I personally feel it’s wise to be careful with your statements and words you use. For that, one needs to be aware of all that’s happening around us, and also be sensitive towards various causes.

Ex: What does success mean to you?

Larissa:  Completing my to-do list, and sleeping with the satisfaction of spending an ideal day – means success, at least to me. Success can be very subjective, so with that being said, I personally believe that successful days, one after the day, leads to a successful life. 

Ex: The first destination you want to travel to post-pandemic & why?

Larissa: I would love to travel abroad, but given the situation, I guess it would be wise to move around in India, and maybe I’m all set to do a trek in the mountains.

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Audi and Nunam transform old laptop batteries to mobile power banks!

Everyone is aware of the wonders-on-wheels that Audi launches. However, what we don’t know is that the company has been trying to give back to the environment! Yes, since 2009, the Audi Environmental Foundation has been supporting innovative projects that strengthen environmental protection. Recently, the foundation is known to support the non-profit start-up company ‘Nunam’. The 29-year old German-Indian founder found a unique way to prevent premature recycling of electronic waste and provide a cheap alternative of electricity to the ones in need.

Have you ever thought about what happens to your used, but waste-laptops; the ones that you sell for recycling purposes? Nunam is just another stop in the supply chain of electronic waste, except it’s a more sustainable one. The company buys discarded laptop batteries from scrap dealers in the Indian state of Karnataka and uses their battery cells for stationary energy storage systems. The results are another source of power that can be used to supply electricity to items that consume small amounts of power such as smartphones, fans, or lamps. These power banks further serve as a power source for small vendors, fruit and vegetable merchants at a market and in rural parts of the country. 

By doing so, the start-up is aiming to overcome various challenges with a single solution. First, it saves energy by ensuring that the batteries are fully utilized. Those batteries are not produced, they’re reused. This conserves raw materials and energy in the production phase. Additionally, reusing the material reduces the amount of scrap that would otherwise end up in residual waste, landfills, or recycling. The resulting power banks are charged with solar energy and not with coal-based electricity, thus fostering cleaner energy systems. At last, they’re providing access to clean energy to ones in need, with a 20% reduction in cost. 

Nunam co-founder Prodip Chatterjee says: “We are creating win-win situations: Old battery cells that would otherwise end up in residual waste are first reused and then disposed of properly. Scrap dealers earn money by reselling to us and Indian families and merchants benefit from affordable power banks. A five-year-old laptop can serve as a light source for Indian fruit and vegetable merchants at a market, can power a small fan, or can charge a mobile phone.”

The company takes care of the entire cycle of used battery system~ from procurement of used batteries to recollection from energy users and final recycling. They use real-time data, analytics, and cloud computing to help them track the whole process. Nunam has so far found that old laptop batteries have an average remaining capacity of approximately two thirds. It starts by testing the capacity and condition~ the ones with more than 60% residual capacity are assembled into new power banks, with approximately 1kWh; which eventually ends up charging smartphones or operating smaller household appliances for a day. These prototypes are connected to the Internet via SIM card and transmit data which ensures that the power banks are returned to Nunam again at the end of their service life. Nunam passes the ‘used-second-life’ batteries to a local battery recycling company. 

 “Technology is most environmentally friendly when it remains in use as long as possible. If we can do it for other purposes after their initial use, we can save energy and raw materials and reduce the amount of electronic waste. Effective cycles are an important lever for conserving resources,” said Rüdiger Recknagel, Managing Director of the Audi Environmental Foundation. The foundation therefore targets its support to projects for environmentally friendly use of technology under the “Greenovation” action area.

Government of India bans PUBG Mobile along with 118 other Chinese apps

In a bid to further restrict Chinese influence over India, the Indian government has banned 118 apps along with the popular massively online battle royale game, PUBG Mobile. This move has also been taken in light of the fresh tension over China’s provocation in Ladakh.

Some reports suggest that there are close to 33 million active PUBG players in India, along with 13 million daily users. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has banned the mobile game and other apps under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act on grounds that  “they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, the security of the state and public order.”

There are also many other popular games and apps on the list of banned apps. These include Cyber Hunter, Knives Out, LifeAfter, APUS launcher, Baidu, AppLock, and Alipay. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps. Likewise, there have been similar bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India. There has been a strong chorus in the public space to take strict action against apps that harm India’s sovereignty as well as the privacy of citizens.

BMW Motorrad opens pre-launch bookings for the new G 310 duo!

BMW Motorrad India will open pre-launch bookings for the new BMW G 310 R and BMW G 310 GS – the two largest selling premium motorcycles from the BMW Motorrad stable in India. Customers are getting a special opportunity to book the bikes from 1 September 2020 onwards, ahead of the official launch.

To book the bikes pre-launch, customers can visit any BMW Motorrad dealership or fill up an inquiry form online via the company’s official website. Deliveries will be done on a first come first serve basis.

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “BMW Motorrad India has built a very robust position among motorcycling enthusiasts in India. With the BMW G 310 bikes, thousands of riding enthusiasts have entered the premium world of BMW Motorrad to explore riding in a completely different way. These two bikes offer a true BMW experience at competitive costs. Refined, redefined, and reenergized, the BMW G 310 R and BMW G 310 GS are now back in new BS-VI compliant variants. With the pre-launch bookings, customers and riding enthusiasts have a chance to secure the purchase ahead of the launch and be the first in the world to ride these new bikes on the roads.” The BMW G 310 R and the BMW G 310 GS motorcycles have been driving the momentum for BMW Motorrad India with a share of over 85% in yearly sales.

The BMW G 310 R represents everything BMW Motorrad stands for: innovation, quality, and powerful product substance. Designed specifically for the world market, it takes the typical BMW premium aspiration to the segment under 500 cc. It embodies the pure essence of a BMW roadster and offers dynamic performance and comfort on any road.

The BMW G 310 GS takes this excitement a step further into the typical GS territory that stands for robust adventures on two wheels. The BMW G 310 GS is a genuine GS: a highly contemporary product with a level of versatility that is currently unrivaled in the segment. Nimble and agile in traffic, yet supremely robust over tough terrain, its agility opens up a whole new world of riding experience.

To enable customers to own BMW Motorrad motorcycles of their choice, BMW Financial Services India will offer customized and flexible financial solutions. Customers can also get their loans pre-approved before delivery takes place.

For complete peace of mind, all BMW Motorrad bikes come with a standard warranty for ‘three years, unlimited kilometres’, with an option to extend the warranty to the fourth and fifth year. Road-Side Assistance, a 24×7 365 days package further ensures prompt services in case of breakdown and towing situations.

Pre-launch bookings can be done through the BMW Motorrad authorized dealer network, present across important centers in India.

ŠKODA opens pre bookings for the new Rapid Automatic!

ŠKODA AUTO India commenced the booking window for the much-awaited new RAPID automatic (AT) against a refundable fee of ₹ 25,000 across all its authorized dealership facilities in the country and on the ŠKODA AUTO India website. Having secured a priority status, this pre-booked ŠKODA RAPID AT will be delivered to customers from 18 September 2020.

Mr. Zac Hollis, Brand Director – ŠKODA AUTO India, said: “ŠKODA AUTO India recently introduced the new RAPID TSI range of products that now boasts state of the art 1.0 Turbocharged Stratified Injection engine offering the best of both worlds: exceptional power output and excellent fuel economy. An overwhelming response from brand loyalists and auto enthusiasts from across the nation has obligated the Czech marque to push the yardstick further and introduce the convenience of an AT transmission across the RAPID TSI range, at a very competitive price point.”

“The new RAPID AT will offer a compelling combination of the brand’s timeless design ideals, unmatched performance, superior build quality, exemplary ‘value for money’ proposition, and enhanced safety and security. It is deemed to be the best seller in its class, setting the benchmark for functionality, practicality, spaciousness, and convenience.”

At the heart of the new ŠKODA RAPID AT is an incredible new TSI mill. Displacing 999 cm3, the new three-cylinder 1.0 TSI petrol engine fosters an astounding 110 PS (81 kW) of power at 5000 – 5500 rpm and 175 Nm of torque at 1750 – 4000 rpm. The fuel efficiency too is exemplary. The new RAPID AT, with the six-speed automatic transmission, offers 16.24 kmpl under standard test conditions.

When compared with the outgoing 1.6 MPI engine, the new ŠKODA RAPID AT offers a 5% upsurge in power and a 14% rise in torque output. At the same time, the new RAPID offers a 9% increase in fuel efficiency against the previous motor. The new RAPID AT is calibrated for refinement, efficiency as well as performance, and perfectly fits the urbane lifestyle of the ŠKODA AUTO customers.

Audi rolls in the Goliath: The 2020 RS Q8

German luxury car manufacturer Audi has officially announced the launch of its sportiest Q, the all-new Audi RS Q8 in India. The Audi RS Q8 combines the power of an RS model with the elegance of a premium coupe and the ability of an SUV.

The turbocharged direct-injection V8 equipped in the RS Q8 produces a full-bodied and sporty V8 growl, and Audi’sDrive Select Dynamic Handling System lets the user personalize the driving manners. It also gets a mild-hybrid system (MHEV) with a 48-volt main onboard electrical system, which combines with the V8 to ensure maximum performance with high efficiency. The Audi RS Q8 also features cylinder on demand (COD) technology that turns off cylinders when lesser power needed to save fuel. The car uses a standard eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox that sends power to the permanent all-wheel drive Quattro system. The new Audi RS Q8 successfully combines outstanding sportiness and maximum everyday usability.

As standard, the Audi RS Q8 boasts all-wheel steering, RS roof spoiler, Audi’s Virtual cockpit, Quattro with self-locking differential, Sport Adaptive Air Suspension, and 2 RS modes for personalized drive settings. The Audi RS Q8 also comes standard with massive 58.42 cms (23”) 5 Y-Spoke Diamond Turned alloys. Air Quality Package with 4 Zone climate control is also standard.

As optional extras, the Audi RS Q8 offers a Black styling package with logos in black, panoramic sunroof, Head-up display, Matrix LED headlights, RS Sports Exhaust, a B&O Advanced Sound system with 3D sound and RS dynamic package plus which increases the top speed to 305 kph.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Balbir Singh Dhillon, Head of Audi India, said, “We are thrilled to bring the record setting Audi RS Q8 to India. It’s an all-in-one model that is at home in the rough as it is on the racetrack. The Audi RS Q8 is an agile beast and is a true high-performance sports model under its aggressive exterior. It’s massive twin-turbo V8 with 600hp and 800 Nm of torque propels the car to 100kph from standstill in under four seconds. We are confident that the Audi RS Q8 will have a magnetic pull for luxury sports cars aficionados.”

He further added, “The recently launched Audi RS 7 and the Audi RS Q8 that debuts today are at the cutting edge of Audi Sport. This shows our commitment to offering the very best to our customers in India. We will add more exciting new models from the Audi global range to India this year and look forward to enhancing the celebrations of our customers during the festive season.”

The Audi RS Q8 has a base price of Rs 2.07 Crore (ex-showroom).

How To Buy Hyundai Cars Online?

If you’re sitting at home bummed about not getting that car you saved up for so dearly, don’t despair yet. Hyundai’s recently launched online buying platform ‘Click to Buy’ is meant to make car ownership during these difficult times – contact-less safe convenient and hassle free.

Also, all of Hyundai’s models are available for purchase through this platform. So now you’re just few steps away to get a brand new car at your doorstep. So what are you waiting for? Get your hands on the new wheels now!

Sonu Sood | Behind The Scenes I August 2020

Hello August!

What a better way to celebrate India’s 74th Independence along with Sonu Sood – Made in India Superhero, who will always be remembered for his big contribution to the great India’s Migrant Movement.

Catch him share his ideas behind this movement & more with our Editor-in-Chief, Ramesh Somani.

ArtofMotorcycling: Design a Royal Enfield!

Did you know the first-ever Royal Enfield was designed and produced in 1901 by Bob Walker Smith and Frenchman Julius Gotiet; in which the rear wheel was driven by a long rawhide belt? It had a 11/2 hp Minerva engine. Another one was launched at Stanley Cycle Show eight years later, in 1909~ the V-twin which had a 297cc Swiss-made Motosacoche engine. I can go on and on about the history of the legendary Royal Enfield and wouldn’t finish!

Every rider till date has had a fantasy of designing his/her own motorcycle; they never stop fascinating over the designs! For all the enthusiasts out there, Royal Enfield, the global leader in the mid-size motorcycle segment, has announced the commencement of its first-ever designing platform— ArtofMotorcycling to design their first own Motorcycle! The brand is basically giving artists, creators and motorcycling enthusiasts a chance to step into the world of designing motorcycles and unleash their imagination by expressing their love for motorcycles in front of the whole world. Throughout the year, Royal Enfield launches various campaigns to encourage the riding community and elevate the riding culture. In this journey, ArtofMotorcycling might look like any other campaign; but it’s not!

Mr. Puneet Sood, Head – Apparel Business, Royal Enfield said, “#ArtofMotorcycling’ is a unique creative platform that draws inspiration from the dreams and journeys of young creators and motorcycling enthusiasts giving them an opportunity to express their love for “the motorcycling way of life”. We, at Royal Enfield, are really excited about bringing this platform to life as it focuses on one’s imagination, experiences, passion for riding and the never-ending quest towards self-exploration and self-expression.

This annual competition will give creators/riders a platform to express their love for motorcycles and riding through creative illustrations. The winners of the competition would get an opportunity to be a part of the brand in its artistic journey. As an artist, you’re required to express yourself without any barriers, follow your passion for riding and motorcycles, and explore your imagination through keeping in mind your experiences. Design Vintage or modified, design what you want; but shut the stereotypes in your head and design an exceptional marvel for the sensational brand!

For participation, candidates can head over to the #ArtOfMotorcyling section on Royal Enfield’s website to register and download the toolkit. Participants can then create their own unique design and share it on Instagram, tagging @royalenfield and using #ArtOfMotorcycling #REApparel. The top five designs/illustrations of this challenge will get featured/printed on the official Royal Enfield merchandise, and the winners will get a sum of INR 30,000 each and one lucky winner will earn an opportunity to intern with Royal Enfield.

Your designs will be viewed and selected by the greatest motorcycle enthusiasts, storytellers and experienced designers in the world of motorcycles. The jury members include Gary Inman, a London-based motorcycling enthusiast who covers personal riding stories and editor and co-founder of the self-published motorcycling magazine ‘Sideburn’; Nandita Abraham, the CEO of Pearl Academy and the woman who put the institute on the world map for fashion and design education; Toria Jaymes, a designer and illustrator, the founder of Stay-Outside Studio as well as the Art Director for Gary Inman’s ‘Sideburn’ magazine; and Max Paternoster, a renowned moto-artist based in London, with experience varying from designing h helmets and motorcycle body paintwork, to creating art inspired by famous motorcycling adventures. 

While designing, don’t resist yourself. This is your chance to pursue the perfect design, celebrate your passion for motorcycles, and approach the hidden artist inside yourself. Remember, your love for Royal Enfield is a love that’ll never die! 

Fancy electric vehicles? Check out ŠKODA’s latest entry!

Who said electric cars aren’t fun to drive? Well, Czech car manufacturer is all set with it’s brand new ENYAQ iV to bust that myth, if anybody considers as such. The world premiere of the first all-electric SUV ŠKODA ENYAQ iV takes place in Prague on 1 September 2020. With an all-new exterior design, the enterprise is ready to set new benchmarks in the industry. 

ŠKODA ENYAQ iV is the first ŠKODA based on the Volkswagen Group’s modular electrification toolkit (MEB), featuring sculptural lines, clear surfaces and crystalline elements that draw inspiration from Bohemian crystal art. The Czech brand’s exterior design head, Karl Neuhold, claims ENYAQ iV features proportions that “differ from previous SUV models,” and that the car’s shorter front end and longer roofline creates a very dynamic look and transforms it into a “proverbial space shuttle.” The ENYAQ iV is 4648 mm long and 1877 wide, slightly smaller than the standard ŠKODA KODIAQ. However, with a height of 1618 mm, it is expected to have dynamic qualities and spacious interiors. Also, the large wheels and ground clearance give it the powerful presence of an SUV. 

“The ENYAQ iV embodies all ŠKODA’s virtues and strengths in one vehicle and is an important step towards a sustainable future for the company. It combines spaciousness, versatility and clever ideas and incorporates surprising, smart features. It is suitable for families, people with active lifestyles and long-distance driving, making it the perfect companion for every day”, says Karl Neuhold. 

Just like the exteriors, the interior is also designed in the most progressive and dynamic manner. It gives a fleeting impression of a spacious living room. Along with this, ŠKODA, for the first time in a mass-produced car, is using sustainable materials like leather tanned with olive extract. It has a 585-liter luggage compartment and thanks to the MEB, the traction battery is fitted into the vehicle’s floors. 

The highlight is the ŠKODA grille, different for all the electric vehicles launched by ŠKODA~ a proof of the brand! You can’t miss the full-LED matrix headlights and daytime running lights either! 

This electric-wonder is available in various design versions: rear-wheel and all-wheel drive, with three different battery capacities and five performance versions. The ŠKODA ENYAQ iV 50 will be available with a battery capacity of 55kWh, a 109 kW electric motor mounted on the rear axle delivering a range of up to 340 km/charge.  Another one will be the ŠKODA ENYAQ iV 60 with a 132 kW electric motor and a 62 kWh battery. This version will have a range of up to 390 kilometers.

However, if long-road-trips are your forte, you might need the ŠKODA ENYAQ iV 80 with the biggest range available of 500 kilometers. This trim has an 82 kWh battery capacity and a 150 kW electric motor. Along with these, the two four-wheel-drive versions will also have the highest-capacity battery and a second electric motor at the front in addition to the one on the rear axle.

With a top speed of 180 km/h, the ŠKODA ENYAQ iV 80X will deliver 195 kW of power, while the downright sporty RS will deliver 225 kW. Both four-wheel-drive versions will have a maximum range of 460 kilometers. Charging capacity will be up to 125 kW, which means that you can charge your SUV in just 40 minutes! The company is expected to reveal the price range as its launch date approaches.

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