With the launch of hundreds of vehicles from various segments, the global automotive industry witnessed the launch of four new cars- Buick Avenir 2018, Lincoln Continental, Mercedes S Class, and Audi A8. The following article compares all the four vehicles on the basis of its price, technical specifications etc. Read on to find out what sets them apart.
Audi A8- The five-seater luxury sedan is ranked among one of the best super luxury cars around the globe. Audi A8 is popular for its sumptuous interiors and supercar-like performance. The new version comes in three trim levels S8 plus 4.0 TFSI, 3.0 TFSI, and 4.0 TFSI Sport with an average MSRP of $80000 to $120000. The Audi A8 is an AWD (All Wheel Drive) throttling a horsepower of 333 to 605. Its fuel efficiency in the city ranges from 14-19 MPG (miles per gallon) whereas, on a highway, it is 24-29 MPG, which is decent from a luxury sedan’s point of view.
Mercedes S Class– The German automobile giant is known to capitalize the automobile industry with its line of vehicles. The new Mercedes S Class is a recent addition to their arsenal of luxury sedans. Like Audi A8, Mercedes S Class also offers three trim levels: S 560 4MATIC Sedan, S 560 4MATIC Coupe, and S 560 Cabriolet. The difference lies in the engine specifications and pricing. While Audi offered two different engines for its trims, S Class decided to stick to a single engine type for all its trims offering a horsepower of 190 to 450 kW. The only difference between trims’ specs is in their mileage, and drivetrain technology; while Coupe and Sedan are both All Wheel Drive, Cabriolet gets its torque only to its rear wheels. The Mercedes S Class is a four-five-seater which means you might have to cramp up to fit a fifth person. It offers a mileage of 13-19 MPG in city and 21-28 MPG on the highway which is marginally less than its counterpart A8. The S Class has an MSRP range of $130,000 to $170,000.
Lincoln Continental- The all-American Lincoln Continental is a luxury sedan that offers the best luxury features for its price. It has a total of 8 trim levels which is more than both of its previous counterparts combined. Lincoln Continental offers two types of engines and has FWD (Front Wheel Drive) and AWD technology. It offers a mileage of 16-18 MPG in the city and 24-27 MPG on the highway. However, the five-seater luxury sedan falls short of the horsepower as it offers only 305-400 of the same. This makes Lincoln a budget-friendly, entry-level sedan as it is priced between $40,000 to $70,000.
Buick Avenir- The seven-seater comes in three main trims: Regal Avenir, Lacrosse Avenir, and Enclave Avenir. Like all the previous two of its competitors, the Buick Avenir has two engine-types and FWD and AWD drivetrain technology. It lacks power as it churns out not more 310 kW horsepower. However, the peppy midsize SUV offers a competitive mileage of 17-19 MPG in the city and 25-28 MPG on the highway which is appreciable for an SUV. So, if you are running on a tight budget and still wish to buy an SUV, then Buick Avenir could be your best bet. When compared with 2018 Lincoln Continental, Mercedes S Class, and Audi A8, the midsize SUV offers quite a decent deal against its specifications.
There are many different types of cells in the human body. One of the most important are the stem cells. These cells have the ability to morph into any other type of cell whenever required. They cells can be harvested from two sources a person’s bone marrow and a baby’s umbilical cord. While harvesting it form the bone marrow can be painful, harvesting stem cells form the umbilical cord does not harm the mother or the baby in any way. If the child happens to suffer from blood disorders or immune system disorders, these stem cells can be used to treat the child. LifeCell is India’s largest stem cell bank with over 12 years of experience in dealing with umbilical stem cells.
Apart from being easy to harvest, there are many reasons why umbilical stem cells are preferred over bone marrow stem cells. Firstly to use stem cells to treat a patient, it must match a number of parameters. In the case of bone marrow stem cells, all six parameters need to be a match while in the case of umbilical stem cells, only 4 parameters need to match. Harvesting the umbilical cord also allows you to preserve the cord tissue, which is not possible in the case of bone marrow harvesting.
What happens with the stem cells at LifeCell?
Once the blood from the umbilical cord is collected, it is sent for testing to a lab. Here it is registered, tested for infections and checked for sterility and cell count viability. The stem cells are then separated from the cord blood and the cord tissue samples. The stem cells and the cord tissue are frozen at a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius so as to be preserved until needed. LifeCell is the only stem cell bank that gives you the opportunity of dual site storage facilities. What this means is that the stem cells harvested are stored in two different places so as to protect it from being destroyed by an unforeseen disaster.
Umbilical stem cells can be harvested for only upto 10 minutes after the baby’s birth. Some of the reasons you should consider harvesting your baby’s umbilical stem cells are:
The availability of Indian donors for stem cells is particularly low and there is already a very long waiting list for these cells.
If stem cell treatment is required, a person’s own stem cells are the first line of treatment.
Umbilical cord stem cells can be used to treat a number of conditions ranging from diabetes to autism and cerebral palsy.
It can cost upto 20 lakhs to buy stem cells from a stem cell bank.
Hence, though it may seem like a major investment, it is well worth saving your baby’s umbilical stem cells with LifeCell.
Building a PC can be daunting but fun if you know what to look for. If it’s your first time building your very own PC, you can get started by shopping for the right parts. Also, teaming up a friend who is well versed in making custom builds can help.
Whether you’ve always dreamed of building your own PC or just want to have fun tinkering with parts, we’re here to help you. Although we won’t go into the specific details, we will be scratching the surface enough to get you started. Here’s how you build your PC.
Shop For The Right Parts
The CPU is the brain of the PC while the motherboard is the torso of the tower unit. Do some thorough research in this regard. ATX and microATX motherboards are the industry standard. Your motherboard also comes with PCI slots and will hold the GPU unit. The GPU unit is the graphics card unit and if you’re a gamer, you better pick one with a good memory. Good GPUs offer optimal performance and can handle higher frame rates. Choose a CPU that will best suit your needs. Keep in mind the programs you will run on your PC and the speed required for them.
Your RAM is dependant on the type of motherboard you buy, so make sure that they are compatible. For more than 4GB of ram, you will need a 64-bit operating system.
The next step of the process is assembling the parts you’ve shopped for. This is the part where your tech whiz friend can come in handy. Let him or her help you build your PC. Alternatively, you can watch YouTube videos or read books on assembling the parts once you’ve bought the right ones for yourself.
When shopping for hardware, consider the function of the PC. Are you looking for a high-end gaming build or a basic all purpose PC? Depending on the answer to this question, your hunt for the right hardware specs will be narrowed down and make the building process much easier. If it’s your first time, stick with a low budget and start small. Make mistakes, see where you are going wrong, and learn from them.
Installing The Software And Setting Up The Tower
Now comes the juicy part. Installing the OS. There are various operating systems to choose from but for beginners we recommend Windows. If you’re a developer looking to get his code whetted, go for the Linux distribution packages. They offer extensive customization and let you tweak the code. The best part about Linux is that it’s an open source software. You can alter the code and tune it up to make your very own operating system.
Make sure the software integrates with the hardware and everything installs smoothly. For the hardrive, get a solid state drive with sufficient memory storage since those are most suitable for running an OS, and the apps built into them.
Once you’re done installing the OS, connecting the peripherals and assembling your build, turn on the power button and your PC should boot up. Congratulations, now you’ve built your very own PC!
Gold has always been known as “the barometer of fear.” When people are uncertain about the economy, they turn to gold and bid the daily gold price up. It is common to all that inflation and deflation are the two major factors affecting the gold prices; however, there are other fundamental as well as psychological factors that also move the daily gold price to a great extent.
Read on to know some of the factors that affect the daily gold price value.
Monetary policy
The monetary policy is exclusively controlled by the Federal Reserve, and in fact, has the greatest influence on the gold price. The opportunity cost is a crucial factor because of which interest rates influence gold prices. Opportunity loss is when you give up a near-guaranteed gain in an investment for a greater gain in another. This leads to the loss of money, which makes gold an attractive opportunity for investments.
Economic data
The monetary decisions by the Federal Reserve are based on economic data like job reports, wage data, manufacturing data, and GDP growth, which can, in turn, affect the daily gold price. Since the country’s economy is quite robust, low employment rate, job growth, and manufacturing expansion are some factors that push gold prices lower.
Demand and supply
Demand and supply are two significant factors that can influence the daily gold prices. An increase in demand for gold will increase its price and vice versa. Moreover, a low supply of gold will lead to a hike in gold prices and vice versa.
Inflation
The rising price of goods, which is also termed as inflation can impact the daily gold price. The higher the rate of inflation, the higher will be the gold price, whereas the lower the rate of inflation, the lower will be the gold price.
Currency movements
The price of gold is dominated by dollar, and therefore, the movement of the US dollar is another strong factor influencing the daily gold price. The price of gold increases when the US dollar rate falls. This is due to the rise in the currency rates all over the world.