Yamaha’s latest FX Cruiser SHO layered in platinum and crimson-red-metallic is an elite offering. Driven by a 1.8-liter supercharged engine and weighing 25% less than earlier models, it offers a memorable ride. Credit goes to the usage of the nanotechnology while developing its skeleton. But one wonders about the USP of its integrated cruise-control feature. That, in recital with its 19.8-gallon cooler and self-draining brew holders, just begs for casual Corona-fueled contests.

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Raising eyebrows is obvious when Pianos seem to go digital. A Yamaha grand measuring 5 feet, 3 inches long is available in longer versions as well as there are models costing up to $150,000. The Disklavier Mark IV is the world’s first piano with an integrated Internet connection. On lines of preceding cohorts of Yamaha’s self-playing pianos, the Mark IV is the latest entrant offering a luminous, elegant, splendid presence in your living room. The only signal by which one can capture about something going bizarre is the power and Ethernet cords niggling out from beneath and a 2-inch-tall control panel peeking out from underneath the lower-left skirt of the device.

I am sure by now you must have witnessed digital player pianos in a hotel lobby or mall, singing holiday tunes all by themselves with keys and pedals frantically going up and down. Some important specks: History reveals that the established owners of these Disklavier pianos bought numerous floppy disks or CDs with recorded recitals by renowned pianists. Each album is priced at $30-$35 and a new twist is added via its feature of Internet connectivity. It lets you subscribe to live piano “radio stations.” At a mere drop of $20 a month ($200 a year), you can jingle into conduits like Classical, Broadway or Rock.

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