On a recent family camping trip, we decided to go “luxury”. So instead of packing tents, we hired a caravan. Almost belatedly I realised I’d need to get a towbar fitted to the jeep. (This was actually an accessory I’d wanted for ages, I just needed a good enough reason to convince my wife it was necessary)

So I made my way down to All Vehicle Accessories (AVA) in South Melbourne with the intention of getting a cheap towbar installed. On arrival I was thinking the less money I spent on the towbar, the more I’d have for the holiday. In discussing these ideas with the AVA professionals though, I quickly learned just how silly this attitude was.

Used tires create big problems for landfills. Because of the materials they are made out of, which are intended to be very durable, they do not decompose. They also take up a lot of space, but 75 percent of the space is ‘void space,’ or useless space. Tires tend to pop to the surface because they fill with methane gas, and this causes even more problems for the landfill company. Tires in landfills are such a menace that 38 states have passed legislation banning used tires from entering the landfills, and this creates quite a problem for people who need to get rid of them. If you have some tires that you need to dispose of, consider these options.

In this age of information and technology, everything around us is smarter. New digital and electronic components make our lives easier and safer at home, in the office and on the road.

Some gadgets and gizmos, like nose hair trimmers, could easily disappear without much fuss. There are many intelligent tools, on the other hand, that make our lives more convenient and safer on a daily basis.

In the vast world of “smart” technology, the automotive electronics market is king. Indispensable features such as anti-lock braking systems and electronic stability control are perfect examples of smart and safe automotive electronics.