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Exterior

The Captur design is quirky with the bold grille and diamond logo up front, but it still looks smart and like­able, and very urbane too. Up front we have a stylish chrome accented grille, flanked by LED headlamps with integrated daytime running lights and a primary set of C-shaped LED DRLs on the front bumper.

The SUV gets a faux silver skid plate as well along with some subtle lines on the bonnet that give the Captur an imposing stance. Over to the side, the roof swoops down to the back, making the car look shorter, while the dual tone body color adds to the sportiness of the vehicle. All this sits on a gorgeous looking set of 17-inch alloy wheels.

Interior

On the inside the Captur feels premium, the layout of the dash is funky with the usual feel-good factors such as automatic climate control, rear AC vents and a touch­screen infotainment. Sadly, there’s no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay on offer. On the safety front, the Captur gets dual airbags and ABS with EBD as standard. The top-spec Platine variant gets four airbags and safety tech such as Hill Assist and Traction Control. The rear bench gets a 60:40 split that takes the cargo volume up to 1,352 liters from an already adequate 392 liters when the seats unfolded.

Performance

Renault Captur comes with two engine choices, a 1.5-liter petrol mated to a 6-speed manual trans­mission that makes 105 BHp and 142 Nm of torque, and a 1.5-liter diesel engine mated to a 6-speed transmission capable of putting out 110 BHp and 240 Nm of torque. Both motors are fun to drive; they deliver adequate power for your city and highway use.

The handling is responsive and confident, and the car feels well weighted on the road. The suspen­sion does a great job of silencing the bumps and potholes without giving feedback in the cabin. The steering wheel is light without being too light and the tight turns come easy with only the slightest of body roll thanks to the weight distribution.

Verdict

The Captur brings modern design and styling to the table, and adds luxurious touches to the interior that gives it an advantage over its rivals. The drive is admirable in all types of roads and the list of features you get is on par with the segment, if not more.

The Captur competes against the Nissan Terrano, Honda BR-V, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, its own brother the Duster and the Hyundai Creta and by the looks of it we can say that it is going to give all its rivals a hard time.

When Microsoft released its spanking new portable music player Zune in 2006, it was playing a game of catch up with Apple. Following the trend of the portable music players introduced by Apple, Microsoft designed the Zune Player, a device that was not inherently a bad product. But it was a case of too little, too late, thus failed astronomically. Microsoft made the same mistake with the Win­dows Phone in 2010, coming up with a new Phone OS, but it was very basic compared to its competitors. Today, Windows Phone has been completely replaced by Windows 10 Mobile, which in turn is heavily criticized for being clunky, buggy and unfinished.

Considering the unpopularity of the operating system, the Windows Store has also suffered as a result. Many pop­ular apps like YouTube are missing from the Store and it generally has a very low app count compared to the Play Store or the App Store. Even though hardly anyone uses a Windows Phone today, there are still some great Apps on the Windows Store that you can easily try out on your Windows 10 PC.  

Open Live Writer

Price  Free  

 If you’re someone with an active blog and regularly post on your website, Open Live Writer is the app for you. The Windows Store App immediately connects with your blog on start-up and will also download your blog theme. The app then uses the theme in the workspace, making it feel like you’re work­ing on the blog itself. The app works with all major blogging services including WordPress, Tumblr and TypePad. Very similar to Blogger from the past, Open Live Writer has a clean, non-cluttered interface that also comes packed with loads of features that help you take con­trol of your blog. Open Live Writer is a must try for all bloggers out there.  

Adobe Photoshop Express

Price Free

Adobe Photoshop has turned into a necessity in today’s digital world. There have been countless instances when you need a quick photo edit or a simple design when you realize that you don’t have Photoshop installed on your computer. For such situations, Adobe offers a free, simple app on Windows Store that works as well as the full-version of Photoshop.

While designing might not be possible on this Universal Platform app, it offers great photo editing tools such as noise reduction, spot healing tools, and filters. Adobe Photo­shop Express is just the app you need for those quick photo edits.  

Microsoft To-Do

Price Free

There are plenty of To-Do List apps on all mobile markets to choose from, however, Microsoft’s To-Do List app deserves a recom­mendation purely based on its simplicity and great design. The app starts with a nice My Day tab that consolidates everything you need to work on for the day. It also has options for creating multiple lists while working on all devices for continuity. On a Windows 10 PC, it sends out helpful push notifications for your list items. The Microsoft To-Do is a joy to use solely because it is beautiful to navigate while also being clean and simple.  

Ever since its launch, the Hyun­dai i20 has been one of the most sought after hatchbacks. The i20 has established itself as a consistent performer in its class and is a threat to all its rivals. This latest facelift seeks to carry on that consistency. We are here to see if this facelift does the job. Read on to find out.

Exterior

As all facelifts tend to go, you won’t see a complete design change on the outside. However, you will notice minor tweaks that are made for the better. The refreshed hatch­back gets a new front grille and bumper. The headlamps are the same and still feature DRLs and pro­jector headlamps. At the back, the tail lamps sport a new LED pattern and the bumper is also redesigned. The license plate placement has also been moved further up to the boot lid. The profile of the hatchback remains unchanged but it does get the new five-spoke design pattern of the alloy wheels that are sleeker than in the outgoing model.

Interior

Just like the previous model, the interior of the i20 feels premium the moment you hear that strong thud while closing the door. Everything feels solidly put-together and the quality of bits and fit and finish is excellent. The dashboard design and color scheme is carried over from the predecessor, and the feature additions include a 17.7cm touch­screen infotainment system and revised air-con controls. Storage areas are nicely laid out across the cabin, with large bottle holders and charging points for mobile phones. The boot is adequate and you can increase it with foldable rear seats if you are carrying more luggage.

Performance

Powering the i20 is the same 1.2 liter petrol engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission that puts out 82 bhp and 115 Nm of torque. The engine is eager to drive and the response time is quicker, resulting in easy and smooth drives both in the city and in the highways. The rear suspension is a tad stiffer now and the car doesn’t tend to bounce as much over speed bumps. The ride is also marginally better at both low and high speeds. Handling-wise, the steering, too, has been recalibrated and has a bit more feel and weight. Overall, the i20 has improved on the driving experience compared to the outgoing model.

Verdict

The Hyundai Elite i20 is easily one of the best hatchbacks in the country today. It looks sleek and smart. The interior has always been class-leading and feature-rich and the performance is more than enough for all sorts of daily driving. Apart from that, there’s Hyundai’s amazing after sales service and the great value it retains during resale. Also, with a price of NRs 3,556,000, the Hyundai Elite i20 is affordable too, which makes this hatchback a great buy.

As a secondary device primarily focused on con­tent consumption, growth in the tablet market has been labored for the past few years. We’ve heard of some new tablets here and there but nothing jaw-dropping like the advancements we’ve seen in the smartphone market. Also owing to the extended life of the tablet, normal consumers rarely find the need to upgrade to a new tablet when their old one is working just fine. Lack of wear and tear that a smaller smartphone would go through means tablets usually stay pristine in their cases and backpacks. Investing in a tablet is a good idea for these reasons, and you’ll constantly have access to a big screen Android device while you are also assured of its safety. Here are some tablets you should consider.

Microsoft Surface Pro

Price

Rs 195,000

With a price tag this high, you might expect a lot from this device. And the Surface Pro delivers with performance on par with a full-fledged laptop. It even comes with fully functional Windows 10 and a nice detachable keyboard. Companies have tried and failed, countless times, in their attempts to create a good hybrid tablet-laptop. Microsoft has finally hit the jackpot with the Surface Pro.

Apple has continuously dominated the tablet scene with its blazing fast in-house processors and its A10X mobile chip. The Surface Pro equipped with the Core i7 laptop processor beats the A10X out of the water in terms of performance. With a massive 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD Storage, the Surface Pro is nothing to scoff at, even by laptop standards. With the added benefit of unclipping the keyboard for a portable tablet experience, fully supported by the fast and reliable Windows 10 operating system, the Surface Pro is a device with paramount power in a portable tablet package.

Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro

Price

Rs 56,000

If the massive price tag of the former product scares you, don’t worry, there are plenty of good, cheaper options as well. The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro, for example, is a device that fully embraces the content consumption device label. Although it comes with its own niggles of heavy weight and laggy user-interface, it is great for media consumption with its clear audio and a sharp 10.1-inch screen.

Pushing the envelope further, the tablet comes with a built-in projector that projects a massive 70-inch image onto a wall. The device is also ergonomic, with a nice groove that nests inside the curve of your palm, while a sturdy stand will support your device for the projector or when you’re watching something. The Yoga Tab 3 Pro is innovative and while it brings new features to the table, it still suffers from a few growing pains.