If you've been paying attention to the news, the Korean peninsula is facing the worst drought in 100 years. India's water shortage is so severe that some hospitals have canceled surgeries. Closer to home, much of the western United States is experiencing drought conditions.
Wasting water only makes the dire situation worse. An invisible and soundless toilet leak can leach away hundreds of gallons -- or even thousands, if you're this resident. So what can we do to help the situation?
The LeakAlertor, which made its debut in 2009, detects silent and invisible toilet leaks. It electronically monitors your toilet and notifies you visually and audibly when the flapper is leaking. It can't bring water to a parched region, but it can help conserve water that's already there before it literally gets flushed down the toilet.
How do you conserve water? Let us know in the comments.
10 July 2012
02 July 2012
Stink Bugs: Back in the News
For a while, stink bugs seemed to disappear. It was almost as if they took a
vacation. But they’re starting to crop
up in the news again, as farmers report bug sightings as far away as Idaho and
Oregon. And some folks are predicting a
fall season like 2010.
We know that stink bugs make their way out of homes in the
spring to feed, mate, lay eggs and die. The
new generation grows up and continues munching on crops before they make their
way indoors and take shelter from the cold.
Right now, the concern is for farmers and their crops. A
bigger stink population means more damage to fruits and vegetables. Stink bugs
insert their proboscis into the produce and suck the juices out, rendering it
unsellable. Oregon, home to many
orchards, is one of the newest areas to be threatened by stink bugs.
Farmers rely on increased pesticide use to combat the bug,
but stink bugs are quite resistant to conventional pest control protocols. Because of crop shortages and expensive
pesticides, prices go up, and you feel the pinch the next time you’re shopping
for apples and peaches.
Do you think the predictions will come true and we’ll have a
stinkpocalypse this year? Have you seen the price of produce go up in your area
due to stink bug damage? Let us know in the comments!
08 May 2012
Different Flavors
We’re excited to announce the newest “flavors” of nth Solutions!
The President’s Blog, written by Eric Canfield, will feature his thoughts from everything from business and innovation to Twinkies. Read all about it here.
The Engineers’ Whiteboard is a collaboration of several of nth’s engineers. The blog will feature their different takes on inventing and life. Check out Scott, A.J. and Jim’s wisdom here.
02 May 2012
The Third Patent In Six Years For nth Solutions
The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued nth Solutions' third patent - US 8166996 B2 - on Tuesday. The patent (one of two for a new product) was the result of several years of hard work by the engineering team. The talented team collectively holds more than 50 commercialized United States and international patents.
We're very excited for our intellectual property to be recognized. Please join us in celebrating this innovation milestone!
We're very excited for our intellectual property to be recognized. Please join us in celebrating this innovation milestone!
30 April 2012
Behind The Scenes at nth Solutions: The Sales Extraordinaire
(Blogger’s note: nth Solutions boasts a crop of resourceful, skilled personnel. Here’s a glimpse of one of our many talented staffers.)
His job might be a lot easier if nth Solutions sold products to the big box stores. But with his jovial demeanor, distinctive Philly accent and offbeat humor, he provides tailor-made solutions for the independent retailers he serves.
His name is Bob Klein, and he’s nth’s national sales manager. He’s been in sales pretty much since birth, at least that’s how he tells it.
“Remember insurance debits?” he says, referring to insurance where a premium may be collected on a weekly basis. “My father was in sales and he’d drive around each week collecting insurance debits.When I was a little kid I would ride with him and keep his books. My mother worked in sales at Penn Fruit.”
The Penn Fruit Company, a regional Philadelphia and Baltimore grocery chain, gave Bob his start.He worked as a grocery clerk starting at age 15.But he didn’t even attend his high school graduation – he was already on his way to Coast Guard basic training.
“I joined the Coast Guard because they weren’t going to Vietnam,” he says, wryly. “Guess where I ended up?”
Sure enough, the USCGC Morgenthau sailed to Vietnam in 1968, and Bob, a newly-minted cook, went with it.
“I cooked for the LORAN stations (navigation systems for ships and aircraft) and watched the C-130s do touch-and-gos as they dropped us supplies,” he says, excitedly fidgeting in his chair.“They’d shove out the skids of supplies out the back of the plane and by the time we were getting the stuff they’d be gone.”
After stints on the USCGC Eagle and USCGC Tamaroa, Bob got out of the Coast Guard in 1972 and went on to college, earning his degree in food marketing from St. Joseph’s University.
“My goal was to stay in (grocery) stores, but Penn Fruit went out of business,” he muses.
His first sales job out of school was selling kosher meats.But it’s his 15 years with Johnson Wax that cemented his sales skills: he won top salesperson of the year for the United States twice and once was a runner-up for top sales manager worldwide.Beside Johnson Wax, he’s worked for 7 Up Corporate, Wells Lamont, Hercon Laboratories and Aptiv.But at nth he’s called the Bug Man for his years selling Raid pesticides.
“I never missed a Raid objective in 15 years,” he says proudly.
And he loves to tell wacky stories from his many sales calls.
“One time I walked into a store and the employees made me put on a pair of rubber boots before I could see the store buyer.I ended up pitching him while he was slaughtering cows!” he says, chortling. “The buyer told me that he bought from me because I stood there and didn’t throw up!”
With that kind of persistence, it’s easy to see why Bob is an important part of the nth Solutions team.
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| Bob climbs the rigging on the USCGC Eagle. |
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| Bob's Big Jump - "swim call" in Bermuda off of the Eagle. |
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| USCGC Morgenthau in New York. Note the construction of the Twin Towers in the background. |
23 April 2012
Stinkin' Up the News - Monday Edition
Here are a few news bits about stink bugs, gathered from various news sources.
Stink bugs are clearly Packers fans – and they’ve hitched a ride to Wisconsin:
Stink bugs’ southern cousins are scaring folks south of the border:
Got a hot tip about stink bugs? Let us know in the comments or interact with us on Twitter.
20 April 2012
12 April 2012
Stinkin' Up The News - Thursday Edition
Here are a few news tidbits about the shield-shaped invaders, gathered from various sources.
Students go buggy at the school play:
An Ashburn, Va., resident speaks out against cutting programs that include stink bug education:
The brown marmorated stink bug’s pest partner in crime, the kudzu bug, terrorizes Georgia:
11 April 2012
Stinkin’ Up The News – Wednesday Edition
Here are a few news bits about the shield-shaped invaders, gathered from various news sources.
The warm weather is bringing out the critters:
For another take on the weather, record heat means beaucoup bugs:
Spring is really bugging New Yorkers:
Stink bugs are on the march to the Deep South:
And they’re rearing their ugly heads in Maryland:
09 April 2012
Allentown and The Great Hitchhiker
When we talk about stink bugs, we often speak of them as an invasive species. Outside, they decimate whatever agriculture they can nibble on, causing millions in crop damage and drawing the ire of farmers. Inside, they make themselves a nuisance to homeowners with their haphazard, clumsy flight and noxious odor. Yes, it’s easy to feel invaded. But stink bugs may view themselves more like biological tourists – they must have really liked the song “Allentown” by Billy Joel, because they felt they needed to stow away aboard a cargo container from Asia in the late 1990’s and see this mystical Pennsylvania town for themselves. Watch the stink bugs’ American adventure unfold in our newest video: The Great Hitchhiker.
All joking aside, stink bugs have spread quickly to 36 states in the last few years. They’ve taken a shine to the warmer climates, and are rapidly expanding throughout the southeastern United States. It’s there that farmers grow tons of tasty snacks that are perfect for stink bugs – soybeans, for one. Stink bugs will also be happy to take up residence in the Midwest’s Corn Belt, since corn is a choice morsel for stink bugs.
04 April 2012
Stink Bugs and Billy Joel
What's the connection between stink bugs and Billy Joel? Watch our newest video to find out!
28 March 2012
Tesla vs. Edison: An nth Solutions Cage Match
nth Solutions combines a whole lot of research and innovation, a dash of logistics and a smidgen mad scientist. But with eyes firmly fixed on the future, we tip our hat to the past. And two names provide constant fuel for debate: Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.
For a quick introduction to the two pioneers, please see these articles. But who would win in a cage match? We polled some of the staff, and here are their responses:
Scott: What? It’s a toss-up.
Bob A.: You’ve got two opposite geniuses. On a physical level, Edison was kind of a wiry guy, and Tesla… well, a lot of people don’t know about him as much. I’d be glad to meet either one of them.
Ernie: Tesla, because Edison had to hire him.
Laura: Tesla. In a heartbeat. Because he’s better looking, and looks like a boxer. (She had to take a minute to look at the two pictures and decide.)
Eric: For business, Edison. Technology? Tesla. Tesla was a flat-out genius. And when it comes to integrity, Tesla. In terms of business and self-promotion? Edison.
A.J.: My uneducated decision would be that the fight would be unbelievably pathetic because neither of them are actually trained fighters – unless weapons are permitted in the fight, in which case I think Tesla would win with some sort of weapon that emitted a deadly amount of voltage.
Which inventor do you think would win in a cage match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.
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