United States
A cyberattack on a major logistics provider underscores that third-party cyber risk is an operational problem, not just a compliance exercise.
As the legend goes, the Greek philosopher Archimedes discovered the principle of water displacement while getting into his bathtub. He proceeded to run naked through the streets of Syracuse shouting “Eureka!” Which of course sounds pretty crazy until you realize that “Eureka!” is actually Ancient Greek for "My bathwater is too hot!”
"The auto- oxidation of rubber has been known for a long time, and for a long time, too, it has been known that it plays an important part in spontaneous deterioration or aging, and it has been the object of numerous studies of much interest."
It seems like every tire on the market lately is touting their new "silica-enhanced compound." Wait, what? Is there sand in my tires? What is it about silica that makes it so seemingly magical that every maker out there has some kind of proprietary silica blend in their rubber?
When we're working with our engineers, they say, "You're asking for everything!" and we say, "Well, yeah. That's what the customer seems to want."
Ask 100 people about the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R, and you'll get 96 blank looks. 3 people will ask if it's a new cell phone. Only 1 person will nod confidently, because that person is a snow tire geek.
Updated December 15, 2014. Let's be clear: I don't necessarily think that the Michelin X-Ice Xi3 tires were forged of eldritch enchantments in the bowels of a fiery mountain. I'm pretty sure that the furry little things in Michelin's snow tire commercial are beavers rather than Hobbits.
Irregular tire wear is a frustrating little gremlin that can steal your tires' performance and tread life if you let it. The problem is that irregular wear comes in so many different flavors. The causes of strange tire wear can range from air pressure to improper balance, from misalignment to bent wheels.
When it comes down to it, there's really nothing, not even a new coat of paint, that can change and customize the way a car looks and feels than a new set of rims. But how do you go about finding the right wheels for you?
Discussing the quality of a rim can be a difficult business, as different rims are built for different purposes, whether for performance, for looks or for overall toughness. As a repair specialist, I spend the most time thinking about toughness; i.e. resistance to bending and other forms of damage.
A lot of customers think that wheel installation is so easy that a monkey could do it, to which I like to respond by scratching my armpits and jumping up on the counter. Seriously though, wheel installation is never quite as easy as it looks, particularly since doing it wrong carries some serious risks for the customer.
Let's all face it, nobody gets into the tire business for the cheering crowds or the recognition and deep respect of our fellow man. If you did, I'd like a sample of what you've been smoking, please. No, we're all in the tire business to make money, but unfortunately that's been getting a bit harder to do lately.
Tire performance categories can be enormously confusing. This can be very important information, because you're going to want a tire that fits your car and driving style. If you don't know the differences, it can be very easy to upsell you into a higher performance, more expensive tire when what you really wanted was something with a smooth ride that will get you to the store and back, or vice versa.
One of the most common modifications your customers make to their cars is to replace the wheels. It's easy to see why - there is really no faster, more effective way to customize a car's look or feel than by changing the wheels.
I spent many years managing a wheel repair shop where our primary business was straightening wheels that had been bent. Many of our customers came to us by way of other tire dealers, where their tire techs had identified an issue and referred the customer to us for repair.