James Bond getaway car gets a new lease on life

Tokyo: For a former James Bond car, it's a chance to live twice.

Japanese engineers put a new spin on an old classic car for a recent auto show, remodelling a Toyota 2000GT with solar panels and high-tech gadgets to make it 100 per cent electric and solar-powered.

Mahindra XUV500 bookings to reopen on Jan 25

Hyderabad: Leading SUV maker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (M&M) said it will open the second phase of bookings for XUV500 for 10 days from January 25.

The company has decided to undertake a draw in the next round of bookings in case the requests for the latest Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) from the M&M stable exceed 7,200.

India becomes polio-free, but threat remains

Howrah: India has completed one entire year without registering a single polio case in any part of the country. Bringing down the number from 2 lakh a year to zero is a commendable achievement and an example before other countries to follow. But there is hardly any room for complacency.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Ruksaar from Shahpara village in Howrah district is the last registered case of polio in India, and the credit goes to government health workers and the UNICEF. Her father Abdul Shah, who missed out on timely vaccination for Ruksaar, is now one of the strongest advocates of polio immunisation in his village.

First drive: 2012 Maruti Swift Dzire

Maruti revealed the new Swift Dzire at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. And the new car is a looker compared to the outgoing model which was rather frumpy.

A new front bumper with a wider smile, shorter boot (just 145mm longer than the Swift) and new tail lamps with chrome accent adding a little bling to the Dzire. Maruti claim that the car is all new from the A-pillar rearwards when compared to the new Swift that it is based on.

Bumper crop from new maize gene?

London: The discovery by British scientists of a new 'provisioning' gene in maize plants that regulates the transfer of nutrients from the plant to the seed could lead to increased crop yields and improve food security.

Scientists from Oxford University and the University of Warwick, in collaboration with the industry have identified the gene, called Meg1. They report their findings, which they believe could help to increase global food production, in this week's Current Biology.

Homeopaths say they can cure cancer

From 99 remedies 200 years ago to more than 5000 today, the homeopathy industry is growing at 30 per cent annually.

Science's 'most beautiful theories'

New York: From Darwinian evolution to the idea that personality is largely shaped by chance, the favorite theories of the world's most eminent thinkers are as eclectic as science itself.

Every January, John Brockman, the impresario and literary agent who presides over the online salon Edge.org, asks his circle of scientists, digerati and humanities scholars to tackle one question.

Maruti to launch new DZire next month

New Delhi: Four years after it launched the entry-level sedan Swift DZire, the country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India is bringing a shortened version of the car that will hit the market next month.

Although the model will qualify for the excise duty of 10 per cent enjoyed by small cars, the company said it is unlikely that the new version of DZire will be priced lesser than the existing one, which ranges between Rs 4.94 lakh and Rs 7.29 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Epilepsy gene 'discovered'

Washington: Scientists have discovered a gene which they claim is responsible for causing epileptic seizures in some babies. Benign familial infantile epilepsy (BFIE) is known as infantile seizures that run in families.

Seizures commence when a baby is about six months old and stop by the age of two years. But what causes the rare form of epilepsy in previously healthy infants has so far eluded researchers.

Overdrive: The show - stealers at Auto Expo

On this episode we bring you all the launches that took place at this year's Auto Expo.