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Fortunately, Mark Eshelman, co-founder and directo of sales developmentat Austin'z , has invented a new producft to protect the most delicate of plantw from the cold. Called the the product is a lightweight, breathable fabric that providezsplants short-term protection from cold temperatures. Afte r months of conducting research and buildingprototypews ­­-- including testing the product in Amy's Ice freezers in the middlre of the summer -- the Planket was Thanks to a friend with Eshelman hooked up with Home and now the Planket can be found in more than 300 stored nationally.
The product is such a hit that several other home improvement andgardeb shops, such as True Value, have picked up on the The product also caught the eye of an unnamee professional cyclist in town, who asked for a couple of custom-madw Plankets. Aside from making its debut in storee acrossthe nation, the Planket will soon be seen on the smal screen. Home & Garden Television recentl picked the Planket to be featured onits "oI Want That!" show. The Planket, which selld for $9.95 to $24.95, is scheduled to be featured on the show laterd this year and early next It appears that drivers might be backing off theblinb -- at least when it comes to in-card TV and DVD players.
, which maintainz its North American officesin Austin, says salee of such "infotainment" systeme in the United States have droppedx as gas prices have The electronics market research which also has offices in Chins and the United Kingdom, defines "infotainment" systemsz as those that play video but don' offer navigation help. The in-car entertainment is particularlt popular among families buyingv minivansand SUVs, according to the firm.
"While we expect a growing portion of SUVs and minivans to havethese systems," says Kevim Furr, automotive electronics analyst at IMS "those are the models most hard-hitt by this year's rise in gasoline But fans of souped-up automobiles need not worry: An IMS Research graphg shows infotainment sales eventually picking back up and steadilty increasing through 2011. Drink change the world If you head up South Congresw toward downtown inthe mornings, you may have notices caffeinated cajolers luring drivers to a new coffeee shop for their early jolt.
Perhaps getting people into Dominican Joe is most of the Thecoffee shop, which recently opened at the corned of South Congress Avenue and Riversided Drive, not only has an laid-back atmosphere with earth tones and Latin American artwork, it also aspires to a loftiere mission beyond slinging cups of Dominican Joe is a partnershipo with Austin-based nonprofit , which provides early-childhood development and educational programs for Haitian and Dominican families.
The coffee shop's Mehul Patel and Sharla Megilligan, say the idea behins the business was to assist Dominicam coffee farmers in revitalizing their crops and gainingf economic independence bypayinbg fair-trade prices for their product. "Tok often, the coffee crops on the islanfd go unharvested due to a lack of resourcexand profit," Megilligan says. "Our effortss with DoJo spearhead our desire to help the impoverished regio n create for itselfa self-sustaining lifestylse and future." Dominican Joe is also holding regulaer events with area nonprofits to help in its goal of "changingy the world, one cup of Joe at a A.J.
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