Archive for the ‘Window Stickers’ Category

Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “YourMPG” database revealed that diesel-powered vehicles have higher mpg figures than those displayed on new car Window Stickers. The detailed findings were incorporated in EPA’s “Final Technical Supporting Document,” which has the new fuel economy labeling rule.

The “YourMPG” data covers 221 diesel drivers quantifying their own fuel economy and giving out their real-world MPG to the Internet database. The data, compiled by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, are compared with the real-world data with the projected fuel economy calculations for new cars. EPA document says in part, “As can be seen, diesels appear to perform the best with respect to their label fuel economy, outperforming the label by 4.3 percent.”

The document also reveals that diesel was the only power source that offered an increase in real-world mpg. As a fact, gasoline-powered vehicles showed a decrease by between 1.4-1.7 percent. Also, hybrid vehicles decreased by more than 8 percent compared to their current fuel economy label.

“It’s long been known that diesel is the most fuel-efficient internal combustion engine ever produced, typically providing 20-40 percent greater fuel- efficiency than other technologies,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting diesel technology. “These reports from real diesel drivers across the country reaffirm diesel’s superior fuel efficiency, and will help consumers make future buying decisions when the next generation of clean diesel vehicles arrives over the next several model years.”

With the increasing price of gasoline, some auto enthusiasts prefer better fuel economy. However, their bother is performance that goes with fuel efficiency. This is the reason why some enthusiasts are shifting to diesel engines that have all that and more. Analysts in the industry say that diesel engines have better fuel economy and performance. It is also more reliable compared to gasoline engines.

Recently, automakers announced a number of vehicles powered by diesel. In addition, automakers assured consumers that they will be more diesel options in their upcoming lineups. A heightened diesel revolution is expected to start in 2008. Auto parts Volkswagen are now upgraded to complement the sought-after changes. Also, Jeep Liberty performance parts are advancing even more to cope up with the revolution.

At the recently held Los Angeles Auto Show, Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler made a joint venture to produce powerful diesel-powered vehicles for Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, VW and Audi brands under the Bluetec label. BMW, Cummins, Honda, GM and Nissan also announced their plans to produce light-duty clean diesels to the American market. These vehicles will be made available in early 2008.

Jenny Mclane
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/diesel-vehicles-better-in-realworld-fuel-efficiency-83063.html

Physical improvements you can do to make your home less attractive to burglars.

Burglars, thieves, and muggers are opportunists. They prowl about looking for things such as high bushes around doors, windows, or garages to hide behind; open doors or windows for easy access; an inviting open garage door; an accumulation of flyers & newspapers; little or no lighting around entryways and garages; empty big-ticket-item boxes on the curb; a darkened house indicating nobody home.

Have an inventory of your property along with photos or videotape. Store the pictures/video in a secure place away from the house such as a safety deposit box. Include a description of each item, purchase receipts, and any serial numbers (helpful for insurance/recovery identification). Contact your local police department. Many offer a free home security inspection. Mark your property with a code in an inconspicuous spot using indelible ink or an etcher (Some police departments loan etchers for personal use).

Don’t keep all your jewelry in one easy-to-find place.

Burglars and muggers hate light. Have all entrances to your home and garage well lit with fixtures out of reach from ground level. Install lights with motion sensors but be aware they may give false alarms. Use photocell controlled lighting. The lights come on at dusk and stay on until dawn and cost pennies per month. If you have an electrical or fuse box mounted outside, secure it with a strong lock.

Muggers and burglars don’t like to work in the open. If you have bushes or shrubs near any windows or doors, trim them down to clear the view from windows and trim them up 1-2 feet from the ground to eliminate potential hiding places. Trim shrubs around the garage doors.

Keep doors and windows locked at all times, even if you’re in the back yard.

Install a peep hole/wide angle viewer at a height convenient for everyone in the house.

Don’t rely on door handle locks. Experienced thieves can easily open these. Don’t rely on chain locks. They can be easily cut or pulled out. Install deadbolt locks in all outside doors. Make sure the lock has at least a 1” bolt or throw. If you already have a deadbolt, check the length of the kick plate screws. These screws should be at least 3” long to go into the frame. If there is a window next to or in the door, you should have a double cylinder deadbolt (requires a key from each side). That way, a burglar can’t break the window to gain access to the deadbolt lock. Keep the key nearby but accessible only to your family for emergency use. Patio sliding doors are particularly susceptible to break-ins. Use anti-slide bolts or a track bar to reduce track clearance.

For double hung windows, you can purchase locks & clamps that attach to the windows to restrict movement. An alternative is pinning. Drill a down-angled hole through both windows and insert an eyebolt or pin having a head. This is for emergency removal. Drill a second hole no more than 4 inches lower and the window may be opened for air circulation yet not allow access. Louvered windows allow easy access since the panes are easily removed. Replace them with a more secure window type. The most secure basement windows are made of glass block. Before changing basement windows, check fire codes and be aware of emergency exits. An exterior air conditioner should be securely mounted on the inside of the window frame. If possible, remove the air conditioner in cold weather.

There are many fine wireless or wired-in alarms and alarm systems on the market in a variety of price ranges. You could purchase a D-I-Y system or have a professional install one for you. Wireless systems run on batteries and will work during a power outage. Some wired in systems connect you to a central monitoring center through your phone line and have a monthly monitoring fee. Remember, an alarm system will only help you if you turn it on! If you are unable to invest in an alarm system, put alarm warning stickers on doors and windows.

Stay safe

James Hopkins
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-security-articles/uninviting-burglars-make-your-home-less-attractive-to-burglars-pt-1-125474.html

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released the results of the crash and rollover safety tests that they have conducted. The government agency awarded 24 vehicles for the 2007 model year with its highest safety rating of five stars. These 24 vehicles have performed well in both the front and side crash tests that were conducted by the agency. These tests are done in connection with the institution’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The program is aimed to help the public choose which cars are safe and capable of protecting people in the event of a crash.

Of the 24 vehicles that received the five-star rating from the agency, seven of them are four-door passenger vehicles. The remaining 17 vehicles are four-door sports utility vehicles. The Dodge Caliber, Ford Five Hundred, Kia Optima, Mercury Montego, Subaru Legacy, Saturn Aura, and the Toyota Camry are the first seven four-door passenger vehicles which have received the agency’s highest rating for front and side crash tests.

Aside from the aforementioned seven vehicles, the NHTSA also gave five star ratings to seventeen four-door SUVs. These are the Acura MDX, Acura RDX, Audi Q7, Dodge Nitro, Ford Freestyle, GMC Acadia, Honda CR-V, Honda Element, Hyundai Santa Fe, Infiniti FX35/45, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Kia Sorento, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-7, Saturn Outlook, Subaru Outback, and the Toyota Highlander.

All the abovementioned vehicles have shown that their safety features are adequate to protect passengers and the driver in the event of a front or side collision. Their safety can be compared to that of a vehicle equipped with EBC Redstuff brake pads whose stopping power is a great addition to a car’s safety features. The list of vehicles is not complete though since the government agency has only tested 63 of the 70 vehicles slated to be tested for the current model year. Only 79 percent of the vehicle scheduled to be available to the public this year has been accounted for and the rest are yet to be tested. The complete ratings for 2007 models are easily accessible to consumers who want to look into a vehicle’s safety ratings before buying one. The information can be viewed at www.safercar.gov where not only the current ratings are available but safety ratings for previous model years.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also performed rollover tests on the 63 vehicles that have already been tested for front and side crash safety. Of all the vehicles analyzed, only three vehicles got the highest rating of the agency for rollover resistance. Incidentally, none of the 24 vehicles which got five star ratings for front and side crash safety tests also got five stars in the rollover safety tests. The cars that performed satisfactorily in the rollover safety tests are the Mazda6 four-door, the Pontiac Solstice Convertible and another convertible, the Saturn Sky. These three vehicles have been engineered for maximum stability that is why they have the best rollover protection among all the vehicles for the 2007 model year.

The agency uses the star rating to give consumers an easily understood rating system. Their evaluation system gives a star for the lowest mark and five stars for the highest rating. This comes to play when comparing the safety of a vehicle against another vehicle. The agency will also implement the posting of the star ratings on the windows of vehicles. This use of Window Stickers will be made standard beginning September of this year. Said measure will be of great help for consumers since it will be easier for them to know the safety rating of car just by looking at it.

Anthony Fontanelle
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/nhtsa-reveals-safest-vehicles-for-2007-model-year-107073.html

Since I own my own business web site and have looked for many
ways to advertise cheap and for free, I have noticed how many
sites there are out there that will try to get you to either
join or buy advertising in one form or another. There are sites
out there that will promise you the moon if you either join
their “viral marketing” scheme or site that will cause your
email box to become inundated with email ads from others who
have fell for this.

But there are plenty of offline and online ways to get free or
cheap advertising without joining these things and risking a
backed up inbox or having your email address splattered all over
the net for any desperate advertiser to get hold of. And here
are a few.

Magnetic signs. How many times have you seen a car that
obviously belongs to a real estate agent or a plumber with his
or her ad on the side of it? This is a good and inexpensive way
to be a rolling billboard for your own web business, wherever
you go.

Flyers How many times have you visited a shopping center or mall
and came out to your car to find something on the windshield?
This is a good idea, but in some cities and parking lots it may
be illegal to do this, so check it out with the business and you
local city office first.

Free enterprise Many convenient stores, drug stores and grocery
stores, etc. have bulletin boards you can place flyers on. And
if not, some may even let you place a flyer ad in their window.
Just be sure and ask first.

Free online classifieds There are lots of free classified ad
sites on the web, some you have to sign up for, others you
don’t. Just write your ad and keep it on your computer then
simply join, copy and paste your ad every where you can find a
free classified site on the web.

Link exchanges I know many people already know about this, but
some newbies to the internet actually don’t, and I have visited
lots of new sites who aren’t doing this yet. So if you’re new to
the web and have a site, join a link exchange site and open a
links page and go to town trading links with other business web
sites! (This is also good for the search engines for link
popularity)

Business cards I know most already do this, but sometimes it
slips our minds to hand a card to the convenient store clerk or
the person behind the counter at the dry cleaners. Also put them
on the bulletin board in the break rooms of manufacturing
companies. You can also place them on counters (after asking) in
stores or businesses that may be pertinent to your business (for
example if you sell home decor or furniture, place them on the
counter of an insurance company or a real estate agency). But
don’t expect a clothing store to put them on their counter if
you sell jeans and shirts, that would be like asking the Coca
Cola company to put a Pepsi machine in their foyer (sacrilege!).

T-shirts Have a t-shirt printed up that has a small ad and web
address for your business on the back of it, because it will be
seen better than on the front. People are always looking at
others as they walk away or if they’re standing in line behind
you at a checkout counter or at the bank. You could even have
some printed up for friends and family. But make it a cool color
that will go with a good pair of jeans or shorts so people won’t
hate to put it on.

Pens I have heard (and seen) that lots of businesses have their
name printed on pens. Personally, I’m not real crazy about this,
because I myself hardly ever actually read the pen I’m writing
with. But that doesn’t mean nobody does. So I leave this one up
to you.

Bumper stickers Have a bumper sticker with a smart quip or
saying printed up and pass them around to your friends. The car
behind you or them at the stoplight will no doubt read it.
(Examples: STOP HONKING AND START SHOPPING AT
http://www.yoursite.com – or – IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE WAY I
DRIVE, THEN STAY AT HOME & SHOP! http://www.yoursite.com)

If you think about it long enough, you can come up with all
sorts of other ideas like this. Just make sure that if it
involves other businesses or their property, always ask! Because
the last thing you want is to be professionally embarrassed or
humiliated! Good luck

Rick. Young
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/scam-and-scheme-free-advertising-for-your-business-web-site-230.html

Among the strongest advertising tools a company can use to promote their products or services are large format printing materials. Exhibition graphics such as custom banners, posters or stickers, as well as floor graphics and window graphics are highly effective means of making a certain service or product popular, because they can have a strong visual impact and trigger the desired reaction with potential customers. Large format printing advertisements are made with the help of high quality large format printers, as specialists in exhibition graphics inform. The whole process involves thorough knowledge of both graphic design and digital printing, to ensure the computer images are accurately coordinated with the printed ones.

Reliable equipment is a must when it comes to large format printing products. High quality exhibition graphics require not only very competitive large format printers, but also high performance computers and proficient designers to operate them. Large format printing products involve setting up various resolutions modes and good knowledge of design programmes, to ensure maximum quality when it comes to colour balancing or adjusting sizes. Reliable equipment can ensure high quality and speed, but may not be enough when it comes to designing and processing images to result in advertising materials such as banners or posters. Only exhibition graphics specialists are recommended to deal with such products effectively.

Perhaps the most popular advertisements in large format printing are banners. These exhibition graphics are widely used in promotional campaigns, because they can have a strong visual impact. Companies usually choose to have custom banners made, with a design that should persist in the minds of potential customers. Used both indoors and outdoors, for product launches or openings, these large format printing advertisements are generally made of vinyl. Exhibition graphics providers take special care with double-sided banners, so that the message on one side does not show through to the other.

Similar large format printing products, occupying less space, are posters, which are also custom made, though standard sizes are often required for specific locations such as bus stops. With both types of exhibition graphics products, the designers must think of the effect, in the sense that the images or texts printed on the advertisement should trigger a reaction in the viewer on the spot. Large format printing advertisements usually draw attention through their size, but there are other means by which designers can make sure their products will have the desired result. Memory colours and special fonts are often used in exhibition graphics, their choice depending on the reaction you want future clients to have to your advertisement.

Widely used among large format printing advertisements are floor graphics and window graphics. Due to their strategic placement, these products of exhibition graphics are impossible to miss. Anybody passing by a shop window will notice the window graphics, especially if they have an attractive design and colouring. While walking inside a shop, customers will inevitably cast a glance at the floor graphics laid out and read the message. This type of large format printing advertisements is particularly favoured by retail shops, sports centres and shopping malls, though other types of businesses involving face-to-face interaction with customers often choose them as well.

Much like floor graphics and window graphics, stickers are also popular among exhibition graphics. With these adhesive labels, producers pay special attention to the used material also. According to the specific requirements of the customers, stickers can be either permanently adhesive or removable after a short while, depending on whether they are designed for and on time they will be used in promotional campaigns. Like most large format printing advertisements, stickers can get a company’s advertising message across effectively, because the impact they make is visual and it takes little time to leave a mark on potential customers.

All exhibition graphics are meant to catch the eye and make a strong impact on the viewer. By using them in any type of marketing campaign, a company can create a strong image for itself in the minds of the people who come across their advertisements. Therefore, large format printing products are not to be overlooked when you devise your marketing strategies. Exhibition graphics can prove invaluable when it comes to making your products or services popular on your targeted market. We are most certainly influenced by everything we see, so an effective design brought to life with the help of top quality equipment can work wonders when it comes to selling an image.

Amelie Mag
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/sell-your-image-through-exhibition-graphics-62278.html