Hello Welcome to the February edition of fleettorque, brought to you by Fleetcare. |
| Clean up for safety |
 We're always pleased to hear from fleettorque readers, especially when they have a nugget of useful information to share.
Harvey Drabsch, Grower Liaison Officer in the Eastern Riverland for Fosters Group Limited, got in touch to tell us - and you - about a windscreen cleaning product that he's found really does the job. It's called Meguiar's No Smear Glass Cleaner and is part of that company's range of vehicle cleaning and detailing products, many of which don't need water.
"My work requires a lot of travelling in vineyards, which presents a problem with insects and bugs that get splattered all over the windscreen," Harvey told us. "This makes it unsafe to drive, especially when heading into the sun. But I have found a product that cleans windscreens really well. Meguiar's No Smear Glass Cleaner is chlorine-free and comes in a bottle with either spray or squirt action. The best part is you don't need any water and by using a micro fibre cloth it doesn't streak. It only costs $12.50 plus $5 for the cloth, which can be washed and reused. That's pretty cheap for driver safety."
Our thanks - and a free vehicle first aid kit - to Harvey. To find out more about Meguiar's products, go to www.meguiars.com.au. And don't forget to contact us if you discover any useful products that might help other drivers on the road. |
| Travellers' tails |
 Pets are family members too, so when it comes to the annual holiday, it's not surprising that many people find themselves driving with a pet passenger. But how do you keep your faithful friend's tail wagging while you're on the road?
Here are a few tips: Familiarise your pet with the car. Teach them that car journeys can be fun - and the destination isn't always the vet - by taking them on short trips to the park or a friend's house. If they'll be travelling in a crate in the car, make sure your pet has time to get used to it inside the home as well as in the vehicle.
Think about your pet's well-being. If they suffer from motion sickness, don't feed them just before take off. If they are an anxious traveller, stock up on over-the-counter products that reduce pet stress. Make sure your car insurance covers medical care for your pet if your vehicle were to be involved in an accident and ensure that their ID tag is up-to-date.
To read more please click here... |
| Nissan Dualis |
 If you just can't make up your mind about whether to buy a small family car or a 4WD, then Nissan might have the answer. The new Dualis is really two cars in one - a sporty hatchback crossed with an SUV - and has a lightweight aluminium 2.0L petrol engine that makes it suitable for both town and country driving.
The new model has gone down so well in Europe, where it's known as the Qashqai, that since its launch in March last year it has attracted a good many first-time Nissan purchasers. In fact, 90% of buyers in Spain, 84% in Italy and 83% in the UK had never bought a Nissan before.
Nissan is hoping that the new model will have the same effect here, despite the name change - local market research found that Qashqai was too close to a Korean-sounding name. Added together, the small hatchback and compact 4WD sectors account for 40% of all car sales in the country, so it's not hard to see Nissan's reasoning. The Dualis costs from $28,990 and is available in two trim levels (ST and Ti). |
| iPhone ignites |
 Techno fans are in for a treat with the latest add-on for Apple's iPhone. The iconic gadget can now be fitted with an advanced long-range Bluetooth-enabled key fob which allows its owner to start their car while they're still in the house. What's more, it can send a signal to get the air-con running, unlock the doors, and wind down the windows too. It can even monitor the car's tyre pressure as well as oil and brake fluid levels, and all from up to 2km away.
Electronics firm Delphi is still developing the technology, but says it will be available soon and will also be compatible with a range of other smart phones, including the BlackBerry personal email device.
This isn't the only product to take advantage of the iPhone's futuristic functions though. Land Rover's LRX - the cross-coupé concept revealed at the Detroit Motor Show - has a docking station for the iPhone that allows music to be streamed to removable speakers for indoor or outdoor entertainment. |
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Green BMW BMW is reportedly considering launching an exclusively green brand to sell eco-friendly vehicles.
The company has already been working on its Efficient Dynamics programme and has developed various green technologies for its existing BMW, Rolls Royce and Mini ranges, but it's thought that a new BMW brand might be used to introduce vehicles with lower CO2 emissions than the current line-up to fit in with recently introduced European Union guidelines. |
Alarm bells
Mobile phone users who have difficulty sleeping should stop using their phones late at night, according to new research.
Boffins at Sweden's Karolinska Institute and Wayne State University in the US studied 35 men and 36 women aged between 18 and 45 and found that those who used their phones before going to bed didn't sleep as well as those who hung up early. They concluded that radiation from the handsets was to blame - causing insomnia, headaches and confusion and also reducing the time spent in deep sleep.
Although the study was funded by several mobile phone companies, its final recommendation to phone users was to use a landline for evening calls rather than reaching for the mobile. |
Hi-cal coffees
It turns out that the coffee you grab on the way to work may contain up to a fifth of your daily recommended intake of joules. The consumer group Which? tested a variety of coffee shop favourites and discovered that some of the more lavish mugs could be concealing nearly 1700 kilojoules.
Lashings of full-fat milk, cream and chocolate are the culprits, but there are healthier alternatives. A mocha coffee made with full-fat milk added up to 1600 kilojoules, while a skimmed milk cappuccino weighed in at only 125. If you don't want to bust your diet but can't start the day without caffeine though, the good news is that a short black contains virtually no calories at all. |
Wwwacky website
Can't think of an original gift for Valentine's Day? Then how about a personalised bottle of wine for your loved one? www.imageblue.com.au sends bottles of wine with your own message on the label all over Australia, but if you already have a good bottle in mind, they'll just send the label for you to add yourself. Design your own label with a photo and words of love, or choose from Image Blue's ready-made selection. Prices start at $9.90 a bottle. |
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