Ford Tractors: The Fordson Is The Farmer's Model T

Raised on a farm, Henry Ford had a personal interest in creating a tractor for small-scale farmers. His first tractor, built primarily from automobile parts in 1907, was referred to as an "automobile plow." This early experimental vehicle can be seen today at the Henry Ford museum.
With company shareholders skeptical about the prospects for a tractor, Ford had to set up a separate company -Henry Ford & Son-in order to get into the tractor business. His first model, dubbed the Fordson F, rolled off the assembly line in 1916. It had a four-cylinder engine, a three-speed transmission, and an affordable price of $750.
The Fordson tractor came along at the right time. When World War I broke out in 1914, tractors quickly became much more important. The war drained manpower from farms across the country, at the same time dramatically increasing the demand for food. An affordable, mass-produced tractor was just what Uncle Sam needed to keep agricultural production in high gear. Despite an unreliable engine and other limitations, the Fordson F quickly dominated the tractor market.
The Depression temporarily put an end to Ford's tractor production in the U.S., but growing demand in the Soviet Union prompted Ford to keep manufacturing tractors in a factory in Cork Ireland. Back in the U.S. Henry Ford made a "handshake" agreement to produce a version of the Ferguson-Brown tractor developed by fellow industrialist Harry Ferguson. This was the beginning of the Ford "N" series of tractors, starting with the Model 9N.
When materials became scarce during World War II, a modified version of the 9N was developed -dubbed the 2N-to conserve steel that was needed for tanks and ships. Mr. Ford died in 1947, leaving his grandson Henry Ford II in control of the Ford Motor Company. His passing lead to a bitter and swift end of the business deal struck between Henry Ford and Harry Ferguson.
Henry Ford II made clear his intentions seize control of the tractor market starting with the new Model 8N (an improved 9N/2N). This move quickly forced Ferguson from the company, but not without one of the longest and most expensive lawsuits in the nation's history. The results of the lawsuit forced Ford to change the hydraulic system and a few other items to avoid patent infringement on Ferguson's design. The Ford NAA, also called the Jubilee, rolled out in 1953 with these new features.

Ines Maric writes for SteinerTractor.com, and invites you to shop around and visit the site where you can buy tractor parts online.

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Tips for Taking Care of Your Vehicle's Windshield

Your windshield is crucial to the performance and safety of your vehicle. Keeping it in ideal condition will allow it to function properly. Routine inspections of the glass should be a part of your total car care. There are some simple things that vehicle owners can do to prevent windshield damage and maintain the integrity of the glass.
While the windshield was originally created to protect drivers from debris and wind while driving, it is one of the most important safety features on an automobile. In the event of an impact, your windshield prevents passengers from being ejected and more seriously hurt. It also provides support for the airbag system and will prevent the roof from caving in during a rollover. Keeping your windshield in good condition will ensure that you are receiving the full benefit of its safety features.
Repair all chips in the glass quickly. Stones, sand particles, and road debris can hit your windshield while driving and cause small chips or dings in the glass. While these fractures may hardly be noticeable, they can spread into large cracks fairly quickly. Changes in temperature or rough driving conditions can cause a small ding to grow into a crack that can impede your vision and compromise the safety of your vehicle. An auto glass professional can easily repair most small chips. Many times these repairs are covered by insurance and are free of charge to the consumer.
Park under a shelter whenever possible. Protecting your vehicle from falling debris and direct sunlight will prevent damage and extend the life of your windshield. Small cracks in the glass can quickly spread when there are considerable differences in temperature on either side of the windshield. Sudden storms can cause hail, tree limbs, or flying particles that may fracture or weaken the glass. Parking in a shaded and covered area is always the best choice.
Avoid slamming your car doors. When you slam the doors on your vehicle, it can cause the windshield to vibrate. These intense vibrations can cause small chips on your windshield to expand and spread, making it necessary to replace the glass.
Crack your windows when you park in the heat. Cracking your windows prevents the heat from building up in your vehicle on hot days. Too much heat can cause small chips to expand.
Make sure your wipers are working properly. Windshield wipers remove debris and precipitation from the glass allowing the driver to have a clear, unobstructed view of the road. It is important to check your blades regularly for cracks or damage. Replace them as needed to avoid scratches to your glass. Be sure to refill your washer fluid as well so that you will have it available should you need to clear bugs or road debris from your view when traveling.
Be careful when you clean. No harsh cleaners are necessary when removing dirt and grime from your windshield. Use a soft cotton cloth to apply a gentle product, like vinegar or alcohol to the glass. Avoid ammonia-based products as they may damage the window tint and the fumes can be dangerous if inhaled.
Remember to make routine window glass inspections part of your total car maintenance plan. Following these simple tips will help your windshield stay strong and prevent the need for glass replacement in the future.

Bruce DeDona is the owner of DeDona Tint and Sound, and co-owner of DeDona Auto Glass, providing the Piedmont with expert auto glass repair and replacement, as well as premier custom audio installations, window tinting, mobile video, security systems and much more

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The BMW 1 Series M Coupe: Bringing Back the Thrill of Driving

Driving down the autobahn one might see a sleek blur flash by. That blur, the 1 Series M Coupe, is the latest in the line of the high performance M series by BMW which is renowned for their track speed contained in a street-legal form. BMW enthusiasts will be delighted to hear this car is drawing comparisons to the extremely popular 1988 E30 M3, which is one of the more famous models that BMW has produced. Looking at this car from its flared fender to twin, dual tailpipes you see a car designed for racing and one with a history steeped in racing.
With all BMWs the quality starts with the engine, in this case a 3.0L inline six cylinder engine with BMW's TwinPower Turbo technology and direct fuel injection pushes out 335 horsepower with a torque of 332 ft-lbs over a broad rpm range of 1500-4500 rpms. When using the turbo boost function you can get an extra 37ft-lbs of temporary torque added onto that giving you even more power at your disposal. A 6-speed manual transmission that is known for its even, smooth, dual disk clutch, and short throws allows you to shift quickly to get up to speed. With a blazing 4.7 second 0-60mph time one certainly gets up to speed quickly. The car has an electronically limited max speed of 155mph allowing you to get up to any legal limit in the USA. Weighing in at a slim 3362 lbs, making it 342 lbs lighter than the M3 series, allows the car to have better handling and faster acceleration. The M Compound Disk brakes allow for rapid de-acceleration and boast quick stopping times. In addition to great brakes, BMW also offers M Variable Differential Locks which provides traction by detecting speed differences in the rear-wheel drive and kicking in to provide the best grip and handling possible.
This model also comes standard with BMW's innovative and revolutionary Dynamic Stability Control which kicks in with a loss of tire traction, but with a push of a button you can activate M Dynamic Mode which allows you to turn this off and get better cornering and tighter handling. With a track as wide as the M3 with a competition package and 51.7/48.3% weight distribution, the 1 Series M Coupe provides a stable base that allows for excellent cornering and razor sharp turning. The 1 Series M Coupe's aerodynamic design is built with large air inlets to cool its powerful engine, special air curtains that reduce wind turbulence around the wheels, and its rear spoiler reduces lift at high speeds to get maximum performance out of the design. Even with all of those high performance options, fuel economy is still not compromised as the engines provide a highly efficient, EPA estimated, 19/26mpg (city/highway). The combined features make the 1 Series M Coupe a thrill to drive as it provides the highest levels of performance for a car of this class.
Aside from being a high powered, racing machine the 1 Series M Coupe also provides a number of creature comforts and features to make your drives easier and more comfortable. The sport front seats provide standard manually adjustable thigh support and electronically powered side bolster support. Also provided is an automatic climate control system that along with the seat controls is saved with the user's settings and set to go once the car is started. The car also provides an on-board computer that provides travel range on remaining fuel, average/specific efficiency, external temperature (including freezing temperature warning), and instant velocity. Automatic rain sensing wipers also activate headlights and the side mirrors are heated to provide maximum visibility and safety while driving. In addition to the standard seatbelts and airbags, the 1 Series M Coupe also provides advanced safety options such as their Head Protection System in the front and rear, bumper system with compressible elements, crash sensors that unlock doors, and remove connectors of the alternator, fuel pump, and starter from the battery. All of that is coordinated by BMW's Advanced Safety System which integrates all these features to give you one of the safest rides on the road.
The BMW 1 Series M Coupe comes with all of the features above for $46,135 and has other options that you can add on. Some of those options include iPod and Bluetooth connections, heated seats, navigation system, and many others. Fully loaded with all options this car comes out to $54,360 making it fun, comfortable, and affordable ride.

BMW of Watertown is proud to serve the Watertown, Connecticut area. Carrying a full line of new and used BMW cars, BMW of Watertown offers the best selection when it comes to purchasing a vehicle. The knowledgeable service department at BMW of Watertown is prepared to assist with repairs and routine maintenance and the BMW Parts Department offers one-stop shopping on a full selection of BMW parts and accessories. Visit BMW of Watertown online at http://www.bmwofwatertown.com.

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Five Reasons to Service Your Vehicle at an Independent Auto Repair Shop

Routine maintenance is vital to the performance and longevity of your vehicle, but finding a trusted auto repair shop can be a challenge. Consumers typically look for a service center where a trained and professional staff offers maintenance and repair services at an affordable price. Many vehicle owners have discovered that local auto shops offer distinct advantages over the dealerships. Listed below are five reasons that consumers are choosing independent shops instead of the dealer for professional service and repairs for their import and domestic automobiles.
Price: Generally, independent shops tend to be less expensive than dealerships. Most local shops are housed in smaller, less impressive facilities than you will find at a typical dealership. This results in lower overhead costs for the independent business owner. As a result, they are able to charge more competitive prices to their customers.
Another reason that you may find affordable prices at your neighborhood shop is the fact that there is not a large staff of personnel to maintain each month. Lower expenses in salary costs equals lower prices for the consumer. Because of these competitive prices, your neighborhood shop is a great place to go for anything from routine oil changes to major repairs.
Customer Service: Most independent shops rely on word of mouth recommendations to generate new business. As a result, they tend to focus strongly on customer satisfaction. Their business depends on repeat customers and referrals so they tend to spend more time making sure their customers are completely satisfied. Some businesses even offer referral programs that award customers for sending their friends and loved ones to the shop.
Location: Repair shops are often more conveniently located than the dealers. There may be dozens of independent facilities on your way to the dealership. It may be more convenient to visit a shop close to your home or office, especially if you need to leave your vehicle for service. Often, these small shops will offer a complimentary shuttle service to their customers.
Personal Relationships: Due to the smaller size of local shops, there are typically fewer technicians for you to get to know. It is much easier to develop a personal relationship with three or four people as opposed to the large number of different people you may encounter at a dealership. You know when you walk in that you will see an employee that you recognize and perhaps have a personal relationship with. This type of personalized service can foster a sense of confidence between the consumer and mechanic. Simply having easier access to a technician at a local shop than those at a dealership means that the consumer can ask questions and get explanations more readily.
Flexibility: Independent facilities tend to hire technicians who are trained to service a wide range of vehicle makes and models. This makes the local shop ideal for families with different car models. Finding one place to service all of the vehicles in the home is more convenient than having to visit multiple dealers for routine maintenance.
It is important to remember that a dealership cannot void the warranty on your new or used vehicle simply because you do not use their facility for maintenance or repair. Consumers should not feel pressure to return to the dealership for routine check-ups simply because of a warranty.
Not all independent shops are the same so it is essential that you do some research to ensure you are working with a reputable business. Make sure the technicians are certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and ask about warranties they may offer on parts and labor.

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Windows Starts Up Slow - Stop Windows Loading Slowly and Fix It Quickly

If you find it takes a very long time for your computer to start up and it seems to stay on the windows startup screen forever and when it finally does load the desktop takes a long time to appear there are a few easy steps to take to prevent this. When your computer is new this does not happen at all. The reason for this problem is not related to the age of your computer or how fast it is.
The real reason your computer starts to slow down is the number of programs you have installed and how they start to use all the memory on your computer. Just removing them though is not enough and this is why you find your computer still starts up very slowly, even after you remove them.
How can you fix this problem.
#1 The easiest and most drastic way is to reinstall windows by formatting your hard drive. If you know what you are doing and do not mind losing all your programs and settings you can do this, but most people do not want to do this.
#2 Roll back windows to a point where it was not running slow. Doing this properly is the difference between having a faster computer with half the programs missing or with having a faster computer with all your programs installed.
To do this go to windows start, then accessories, then system tools and click on system restore. Once it opens make sure restore my computer to an earlier time is selected and click next and select a date from the calendar that appears just before the problem started.
Do not make the mistake many people make and go back months or even a year and restore windows to the earliest date you can find. What happens then is that you will lose documents, files and programs back to the date you restored your system. Work back progressively and if you find this does not resolve the problem go to the next step.
#3 Remove as many shortcuts and programs as possible from your windows desktop. Each and every shortcut and program on the desktop has to be loaded at startup by the windows registry and this can slow your PC right down. First of all remove all the programs you do not need and them remove as many shortcuts, folders and files as you can from your windows desktop.
If you still find windows starts up slow and loads the desktop slowly after this then go to the next step.
#4 If windows is still starting slow and all the folders and icons are taking a long time to load properly and you have carried out the steps above it is most likely to be registry related problems slowing your PC. Even after you remove programs, desktop shortcuts and file from your desktop entries are still left behind in the registry. If there are too many windows will go round in a loop looking for them long after they have been removed. To fix this download a system and registry scanner. This will removed all the orphaned or useless files on your computer and in the registry. Follow these steps here and stop windows starting up slowly.

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Auto Scaling Strategies for Windows Azure, Amazon's EC2 and Other Cloud Platforms

The strategies discussed in this article can be applied to any cloud platform that has an ability to dynamically provision compute resources, even though I rely on examples from AzureWatch auto scaling and monitoring service for Windows Azure
The topic of auto scaling is an extremely important one when it comes to architecting cloud-based systems. The major premise of cloud computing is its utility based approach to on-demand provisioning and de-provisioning of resources while paying only for what has been consumed. It only makes sense to give the matter of dynamic provisioning and auto scaling a great deal of thought when designing your system to live in the cloud. Implementing a cloud-based application without auto scaling is like installing an air-conditioner without a thermostat: one either needs to constantly monitor and manually adjust the needed temperature or pray that outside temperature never changes.
Many cloud platforms such as Amazon's EC2 or Windows Azure do not automatically adjust compute power dedicated to applications running on their platforms. Instead, they rely upon various tools and services to provide dynamic auto scaling. For applications running in Amazon cloud, auto-scaling is offered by Amazon itself via a service CloudWatch as well as third party vendors such as RightScale. Windows Azure does not have its own auto scaling engine but third party vendors such as AzureWatch can provide auto scaling and monitoring.
Before deciding on when to scale up and down, it is important to understand when and why changes in demand occur. In general, demand on your application can vary due to planned or unplanned events. Thus it is important to initially divide your scaling strategies into these two broad categories: Predictable and Unpredictable demand.
The goal of this article is to describe scaling strategies that gracefully handle unplanned and planned spikes in demand. I'll use AzureWatch to demonstrate specific examples of how these strategies can be implemented in Windows Azure environment. Important note: even though this article will mostly talk about scale up techniques, do not forget to think about matching scale down techniques. In some cases, it may help to think about building an auto scaling strategy in a way similar to building a thermostat.
Unpredictable demand
Conceptualizing use-cases of rarely occurring unplanned spikes in demand is rather straight forward. Demand on your app may suddenly increase due to a number of various causes, such as:

• an article about your website was published on a popular website (the Slashdot effect)
• CEO of your company just ordered a number of complex reports before a big meeting with shareholders
• your marketing department just ran a successful ad campaign and forgot to tell you about the possible influx of new users
• a large overseas customer signed up overnight and started consuming a lot of resources

Whatever the case may be, having an insurance policy that deals with such unplanned spikes in demand is not just smart. It may help save your reputation and reputation of your company. However, gracefully handling unplanned spikes in demand can be difficult. This is because you are reacting to events that have already happened. There are two recommended ways of handling unplanned spikes:
Strategy 1: React to unpredictable demand
When utilization metrics are indicating high load, simply react by scaling up. Such utilization metrics can usually include CPU utilization, amount of requests per second, number of concurrent users, amounts of bytes transferred, or amount of memory used by your application. In AzureWatch you can configure scaling rules that aggregate such metrics over some amount of time and across all servers in the application role and then issue a scale up command when some set of averaged metrics is above a certain threshold. In cases when multiple metrics indicate change in demand, it may also be a good idea to find a "common scaling unit", that would unify all relevant metrics together into one number.
Strategy 2: React to rate of change in unpredictable demand
Since scale-up and scale-down events take some time to execute, it may be better to interrogate the rate of increase or decrease of demand and start scaling ahead of time: when moving averages indicate acceleration or deceleration of demand. As an example, in AzureWatch's rule-based scaling engine, such event can be represented by a rule that interrogates Average CPU utilization over a short period of time in contrast to CPU utilization over a longer period of time
Also, it is important to keep in mind that scaling events with this approach may trigger at times when it is not really needed: high rate of increase will not always manifest itself in the actual demand that justifies scaling up. However, in many instances it may be worth it to be on the safe side rather than on the cheap side.
Predictable demand
While reacting to changes in demand may be a decent insurance policy for websites with potential for unpredictable bursts in traffic, actually knowing when demand is going to be needed before it is really needed is the best way to handle auto scaling. There are two very different ways to predict an increase or decrease in load on your application. One way follows a pattern of demand based on historical performance and is usually schedule-based, while another is based on some sort of a "processing queue".
Strategy 3: Predictable demand based on time of day
There are frequently situations when load on the application is known ahead of time. Perhaps it is between 7am and 7pm when a line-of-business (LOB) application is accessed by employees of a company, or perhaps it is during lunch and dinner times for an application that processes restaurant orders. Whichever it may be, the more you know at what times during the day the demand will spike, the better off your scaling strategy will be. AzureWatch handles this by allowing to specify scheduling aspects into execution of scaling rules.
Strategy 4: Predictable demand based on amount of work left to do
While schedule-based demand predictions are great if they exist, not all applications have consistent times of day when demand changes. If your application utilizes some sort of a job-scheduling approach where the load on the application can be determined by the amount of jobs waiting to be processed, setting up scaling rules based on such metric may work best. Benefits of asynchronous or batch job execution where heavy-duty processing is off-loaded to back-end servers can not only provide responsiveness and scalability to your application but also the amount of waiting-to-be-processed job can serve as an important leading metric in the ability to scale with better precision. In Windows Azure, the preferred supported job-scheduling mechanism is via Queues based on Azure Storage. AzureWatch provides an ability to create scaling rules based on the amount of messages waiting to be processed in such a queue. For those not using Azure Queues, AzureWatch can also read custom metrics through a special XML-based interface.
Combining strategies
In the real world, implementing a combination of more than one of the above scaling strategies may be prudent. Application administrators likely have some known patterns for their applications's behaviour that would define predictable bursting scenarios, but having an insurance policy that would handle unplanned bursts of demand may be important as well. Understanding your demand and aligning scaling rules to work together is key to successful auto scaling implementation.

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iPhone App Development

iPhone app development is a huge growth industry that has taken off in a massive way over the last year or so. This is something that has literally exploded since the development of the iPhone itself and there are countless success stories. One recent on is that of 'Angry Birds' an app that found immense success over barely any time at all and will have earned most likely millions in the process. Angry Birds is now practically a universally recognised name and it's something that could go a lot further if marketed correctly.
The fantastic thing about iPhone app development is that it's so simple and easy to make and it's brought about a second coming for indie games and applications publishers similar to the days of the Amstrad and Spectrum. Now you don't need a huge company in order to handle all the areas of development, you don't need a large amount of investment to publish and mass produce the games, and you have an audience ready and waiting. All you do need is some basic programming language that can be learned in not much time, and a great idea that you think will capture the imagination of the public.
In order to get your app working you will need to pay for it to be accepted onto the Apple iTunes store, and you will need to make sure that Apple green light your appearance there. This means it has to be a certain standard and it also means certain things are off limits - you mustn't breach any copyright law for instance or undermine the current Apple software in any way.
This is the only challenge that faces developers however, and otherwise the market is as free as the web itself meaning that you only need a few hundred dollars to begin development. From there the apps can make money in several ways. One way that apps make a profit is through Google AdSense which works the same way as it works on websites. Here advertisers pay a set price per click meaning that if someone touches their advert and gets redirected to the advertiser's website, they then pay the publisher who printed the app. Adverts can be implemented in many ways in apps either during the app or at the front and back ends.
Likewise apps can also earn revenue in a more traditional way - by being sold at a profit. Here you simply set the price for your app and the money will be transferred each time someone makes a purchase. Of course this way you generate fewer buyers as people don't want to part with their cash, but at the same time you are now guaranteed that people using your app will translate as money. Finally sometimes an app will be a promotion in itself to build interest in another product, film or production.
There are many models for successfully monetising an app and how you do this is up to you. Do you offer two versions - a powered down 'lite' version that's free and a priced version with more features? Do you place ads on one or both versions? And do you add a price tag right away or wait until you have a captive audience?
Of course iphone app development is a very fast growing industry at the moment. We have recently had an application made from this iphone app development melbourne business.

 

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