Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Purchasing Utilized Automobiles Online
With many choices concerning simple tips to acquisition nowadays, purchasing utilized vehicles nowadays is much more stressful than ever before. Regardless of whether you want to acquisition in a car dealership, online, or perhaps by way of a personal vendor using a list within a nearby report, there are lots of possibilities towards customer nowadays. For those who have a particular design in your mind, right down to the precise cut degree, cost, plus shade, online may be the best choice. Although it is a little difficult, it is possible to probably discover what you are interested in for a type of auto web sites.
Clearly, purchasing utilized vehicles online presents many dangers that you might not need to deal with when purchasing from the car dealership or perhaps from the personal vendor in the city. First, you need to concentrate your quest nearby. Even though this might limitation your choices, purchasing a car of any sort has become a funding, so you should ensure that you can get and find out that it in-person. There must be multiple automobiles available in a case of a couple of hours to drive. You dont want to danger investing in a car 1000 kilometers out in order to get it breakdown on your own trip house.
Its also wise to be aware of the car you may be buying inside and outside. Do so wherever you may be purchasing the car. Perform just as much researching as you possibly can towards car that you would like for before you decide to invest in giving more than anything. Be aware of coupons that appear also best that you stay real, simply because they will probably stay. When purchasing whatever utilized vehicles, you have to be certain it's completely examined before you purchase. Examine that it your self the greatest to. If you do not recognize something regarding vehicles, search for apparent items like damage upon furniture, and look to check out the way the car seems in your road test. You must get an unbiased document from the auto technician too. the technical issue does not essential equivalent "don't buy," however it must at the minimum bring about their automobile's cost.
In several ways, when buying utilized vehicles online, you ought to be using exact same safeguards that you'd bring anyplace. First and foremost, do not fork over anything unless you can see the vehicle your self. It needs to examined in advance, and simply be careful prior to giving more than all of your cash.
Clearly, purchasing utilized vehicles online presents many dangers that you might not need to deal with when purchasing from the car dealership or perhaps from the personal vendor in the city. First, you need to concentrate your quest nearby. Even though this might limitation your choices, purchasing a car of any sort has become a funding, so you should ensure that you can get and find out that it in-person. There must be multiple automobiles available in a case of a couple of hours to drive. You dont want to danger investing in a car 1000 kilometers out in order to get it breakdown on your own trip house.
Its also wise to be aware of the car you may be buying inside and outside. Do so wherever you may be purchasing the car. Perform just as much researching as you possibly can towards car that you would like for before you decide to invest in giving more than anything. Be aware of coupons that appear also best that you stay real, simply because they will probably stay. When purchasing whatever utilized vehicles, you have to be certain it's completely examined before you purchase. Examine that it your self the greatest to. If you do not recognize something regarding vehicles, search for apparent items like damage upon furniture, and look to check out the way the car seems in your road test. You must get an unbiased document from the auto technician too. the technical issue does not essential equivalent "don't buy," however it must at the minimum bring about their automobile's cost.
In several ways, when buying utilized vehicles online, you ought to be using exact same safeguards that you'd bring anyplace. First and foremost, do not fork over anything unless you can see the vehicle your self. It needs to examined in advance, and simply be careful prior to giving more than all of your cash.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
How To Shop For Used Auto Parts
Used car components are a good, pocket friendly alternative when your budget is limited. Additionally, it proves a worthwhile option if you're considering a replacement in the near future. While there is no harm in buying used auto parts, the question of concern is how to shop for them.
Given below are tips to buy used auto parts. Also learn the different places, online and local sources, where you can look for them.
Tip 1# Product specifications
Whether you opt for brand new or second-hand components, there are certain product specifications you have to take note of. This includes the vehicle make, model, the year of manufacture and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). An auto part that does not fit is no good. The Vehicle Identification Number is a very important requirement to find a best fit. We would also advise carrying the old part for comparison as you shop for the necessary items.
Tip 2# List the parts you need
Examine your vehicle to identify the specific part that needs replacement. If the part to be replaced is an electronic or mechanical one, such as an alternator, brake rotors or starters, we would advise against the use of second-hand components.
Tip 3# Head to the nearest junkyard sale
Junkyards are one of the most convenient sources for used auto parts. The local newspapers usually advertise the nearest junkyard sales. There are different ways to trade parts at a junkyard sale. Sellers exchange parts for money. The second method of dealing is exchange the defective component for an operational one. The dealers require you to maintain a deposit until you hand over the defective part. They repair and resell the defective part at a later date. At junkyard sales, you can procure substantial quality products at highly discounted prices. However, there are certain precautions you need to take when shopping at junkyard sales. Take care to ensure that the dealer does not pass inferior quality, poor condition auto parts.
Tip 4# Swap Meets
Vehicle owners can also give swap meets a try. Vendors at swap meets specialize in auto parts for specific makes and models. At swap meets you can guarantee you will get quality products. The other advantage of shopping here is greater price negotiation.
Tip 5# Online Websites
The online market for used auto parts is growing rapidly. Websites team up with vendors of second-hand parts. They list multiple products of the same model giving you a greater selection to choose from. It also enables a better price comparison. The internet is a good source to find components for vintage vehicles. The only drawback of purchasing auto parts online is they cannot be physically examined. Beware of duplicate products manufactured at local markets. They may be dirt cheap but are neither reliable nor durable.
Tip 6# Ask for a return policy
This becomes a necessity especially when you shop online. You may unconsciously order a wrong product or a wrong fit. Therefore, before placing the order, inquire if the dealer will exchange it for you should such a situation arise.
Given below are tips to buy used auto parts. Also learn the different places, online and local sources, where you can look for them.
Tip 1# Product specifications
Whether you opt for brand new or second-hand components, there are certain product specifications you have to take note of. This includes the vehicle make, model, the year of manufacture and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). An auto part that does not fit is no good. The Vehicle Identification Number is a very important requirement to find a best fit. We would also advise carrying the old part for comparison as you shop for the necessary items.
Tip 2# List the parts you need
Examine your vehicle to identify the specific part that needs replacement. If the part to be replaced is an electronic or mechanical one, such as an alternator, brake rotors or starters, we would advise against the use of second-hand components.
Tip 3# Head to the nearest junkyard sale
Junkyards are one of the most convenient sources for used auto parts. The local newspapers usually advertise the nearest junkyard sales. There are different ways to trade parts at a junkyard sale. Sellers exchange parts for money. The second method of dealing is exchange the defective component for an operational one. The dealers require you to maintain a deposit until you hand over the defective part. They repair and resell the defective part at a later date. At junkyard sales, you can procure substantial quality products at highly discounted prices. However, there are certain precautions you need to take when shopping at junkyard sales. Take care to ensure that the dealer does not pass inferior quality, poor condition auto parts.
Tip 4# Swap Meets
Vehicle owners can also give swap meets a try. Vendors at swap meets specialize in auto parts for specific makes and models. At swap meets you can guarantee you will get quality products. The other advantage of shopping here is greater price negotiation.
Tip 5# Online Websites
The online market for used auto parts is growing rapidly. Websites team up with vendors of second-hand parts. They list multiple products of the same model giving you a greater selection to choose from. It also enables a better price comparison. The internet is a good source to find components for vintage vehicles. The only drawback of purchasing auto parts online is they cannot be physically examined. Beware of duplicate products manufactured at local markets. They may be dirt cheap but are neither reliable nor durable.
Tip 6# Ask for a return policy
This becomes a necessity especially when you shop online. You may unconsciously order a wrong product or a wrong fit. Therefore, before placing the order, inquire if the dealer will exchange it for you should such a situation arise.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Distracted driving — the stats are alarming
This stat drives home the need for dramatically better head-unit integration of services that drivers would otherwise use their phones to access. This isn't anything new to QNX. We've been working with our partners to provide all the necessary elements to enable this integration through technologies such as HTML5, Qt, iPod out, MirrorLink, and Bluetooth. All these technologies can help create systems that minimize driver distraction but they represent only part of the solution. Pushing buttons on your head unit, combined with smart HMI design, does help, but it's not a panacea.
To truly help drivers keep their eyes on the road we have to minimize the time they spend looking at the infotainment display. Multi-modal HMIs built from the ground up with the assumption that high-quality speech recognition and text-to-speech are available will drastically change the way drivers interact with their infotainment systems. For instance, such HMIs could read your texts and emails aloud to you; they could even let you dictate responses at the appropriate time. But really, the possibilities are endless. And on the topic of talking to your car, we're constantly working with our partners to enrich the speech capabilities of the QNX CAR Platform. But more on that in an upcoming post.
By the way, I wasn't really using my smartphone while I was driving. That's illegal here. Not to mention incredibly dumb.
Monday, September 16, 2013
How to Maximize Efficiency When Hauling Loads
Hauling heavy loads to and from destinations relies heavily on good logistical management. Being able to maximize efficiency - improving profits and cutting out unnecessary expenses - is key to the success of haulage firms around the world. These tips ought to help you do just that:
Keep track of all revenues and expenses
An up-to-date accounting log that reflects all money flowing into and out of your business is one of the most important things for your haulage business. An accurate log allows you not just to spot areas of your firm that bleed money but also allows you to make an educated guess as to how much money you can expect to earn (or lose) over a 12-month period. This will allow you to determine if it will be a good idea to finance more trucks to handle additional heavy haulage loads or whether you will need to minimize spending to better weather fluctuations in the market. All the efficiency tricks out there won't matter if you are not even aware of how money moves in your business.
Keep vehicle cargo as low as possible
Wind drag can be a significant petrol-eater, especially for large lorries carrying tons and tons. Stacking cargo too high increases this drag, which means that your vehicles will eat up more petrol as they make their rounds. The costs may not be dramatic at first glance but will definitely add up over time, which is why few hauliers regularly carry tall and wide loads that stick out of the vehicle frame. Only stack cargo up high when you have no other choice, but otherwise try to keep it as low as possible.
Plan low-traffic routes
This provides two distinct benefits. One, your transport vehicles will get to their destinations faster and two, you reduce the amount of time they spend idling in traffic. Lorries that drop off faster will allow you to plan out more haulage return cargo, which in turn will increase overall profits. Reducing idle time in traffic is also a major fuel saver as well. It takes a lot less energy to keep an already moving heavy truck going forward but a lot more to get it started once it stops dead in the middle of the road. This is also why it is more effective to instruct your drivers to maintain a measured driving pace instead of aggressively accelerating all the time.
Keep track of all revenues and expenses
An up-to-date accounting log that reflects all money flowing into and out of your business is one of the most important things for your haulage business. An accurate log allows you not just to spot areas of your firm that bleed money but also allows you to make an educated guess as to how much money you can expect to earn (or lose) over a 12-month period. This will allow you to determine if it will be a good idea to finance more trucks to handle additional heavy haulage loads or whether you will need to minimize spending to better weather fluctuations in the market. All the efficiency tricks out there won't matter if you are not even aware of how money moves in your business.
Keep vehicle cargo as low as possible
Wind drag can be a significant petrol-eater, especially for large lorries carrying tons and tons. Stacking cargo too high increases this drag, which means that your vehicles will eat up more petrol as they make their rounds. The costs may not be dramatic at first glance but will definitely add up over time, which is why few hauliers regularly carry tall and wide loads that stick out of the vehicle frame. Only stack cargo up high when you have no other choice, but otherwise try to keep it as low as possible.
Plan low-traffic routes
This provides two distinct benefits. One, your transport vehicles will get to their destinations faster and two, you reduce the amount of time they spend idling in traffic. Lorries that drop off faster will allow you to plan out more haulage return cargo, which in turn will increase overall profits. Reducing idle time in traffic is also a major fuel saver as well. It takes a lot less energy to keep an already moving heavy truck going forward but a lot more to get it started once it stops dead in the middle of the road. This is also why it is more effective to instruct your drivers to maintain a measured driving pace instead of aggressively accelerating all the time.
Seminar: managing the growing amount of software in cars
To help automakers and tier one suppliers manage their software deployments more efficiently, Red Bend is hosting a seminar Friday September 27 at the Westin Southfield Detroit. Speakers will include representatives from Strategy Analytics, Texas Instruments, and Vector, not to mention our own Andy Gryc. You can register on the Red Bend website.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
New Mercedes-Benz Concept S-Class Coupé sports QNX-powered infotainment system
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| Paul Leroux |
Did you ever lay your eyes on something and say, “Now, that is what I want for Christmas”? Well, I just said it — in response to a set of wheels. But holy turbochargers, what wheels! Not to mention everything else.
If you’re wondering what fueled this sudden rush of automotive desire, here’s a glimpse:
And here’s a bird’s-eye view:
And here’s a peak at the oh-so-gorgeous interior:
All images copyright Daimler AG
Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off this car, the new Concept S-Class Coupé, earlier this week. And just a few minutes ago, QNX and Mercedes revealed that the car’s infotainment system is based on the QNX CAR Platform.
This isn’t the first time QNX and Mercedes-Benz have worked together. Besides providing the OS for various Mercedes infotainment systems, the QNX automotive team has worked with Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America since the early 2000s, providing the group with advanced technologies for the specification and prototyping of next-generation vehicle electronics. The infotainment system in the Concept S-Class Coupé is the latest — and arguably coolest — product of this long collaboration.
The Concept S-Class Coupé also packs a serious power plant: a 449 hp Biturbo V8 with peak torque of 516 lb-ft. And it offers driver-assistance technologies that are, quite literally, forward looking. Here is a sampling of what's inside:
- Two 12.3-inch displays
- Touchscreen showing four world clocks
- Stereo camera offering 3D view of the area in front of the car
- "6DVision" to detect the position and movement of objects in front of the car
- Variety of assistance systems to monitor surrounding traffic
I’m only touching the surface here. For more details on the car, visit the Mercedes-Benz website. And before you go, check out the press release that QNX issued this morning.
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