Dede Sophie

Heated seat belts are being claimed as another way to increase the range of electric vehicles, writes Brian Byrne. The issue is being promoted by the automotive components developer ZF, who say that in cold weather their use could add 15pc to an EV’s range. It is well established that heated seats are the best way to stay warm in an electric car, allowing less dependence on the normal heating-ventilation system which is a bigger draw on the battery system. The ZF heated seat belt is marginally thicker than the standard ones in use, with integrated heating elements in the fabric. No changes to the other elements of the seat belt system are required. So far, no car company has been named as a customer — but it’s not so long ago that heated seats were unknown in temperate markets like Ireland, now we almost expect them. So they’ll come, you can bet your winter jacket on it. 

  Canna ‘Cleopatra’ is a gorgeous herbaceous plant which despite being introduced in 1895 has been seemingly missing from the plants beds of UK garden centres. Growing to approximately 1.2 metres tall, this bi-coloured ornamental specimen has the star quality to stand out amongst the regular collection of canna lilies. Its strange, haphazard chocolate/green leaf colourisation is due to it being an unstable colour hybrid. It is as though two distinctly different colour forms have been spliced together but rather than one dominating so that the hybrid reverts to just the one type, the variation is extremely stable! There is even a colour choice of red, yellow and even a mixture of the both. Remember to dead-head your spent booms to encourage more flowering. Flowering from mid-summer to the autumn, it will perform best in organically rich, well drained soils. Canna ‘Cleopatra’ will tolerate a shady position but to get the best show of blooms position in full sun. However it will require w

Choosing a payment method that you’re familiar with and comfortable with as a consumer will make you more likely to purchase from the store. For customers, it’s all about convenience. If they can pay for their purchases easily and quickly, you’ll have a higher chance of them completing their purchase. It’s also important to note that the more payment methods you offer, the higher your revenue opportunities.  The internet made it possible for e-commerce stores to have their customers purchase or book online services and pay online by integrating plugins such as a WordPress booking plugin into their websites. If you’re already selling online but accept only one or two payment methods, you may be losing a lot of potential business. Here are seven reasons why you should offer a more comprehensive array of payment options to your customers. Customer Retention Customer retention means keeping your current customers and convincing them to come back for more. If the experience of buying from