“Lauds support for 'Thanksgiving in July' auto show - Danbury News-Times” plus 4 more

Lauds support for 'Thanksgiving in July' auto show - Danbury News-Times
SMSC Launches Its First TrueAuto™ Ethernet Transceiver - Earthtimes
Sims Auto changing location - Salisbury Post
SMSC launches TrueAuto ethernet transceiver - Components in Electronics
Sales tax revenue declines in June - Baxter Bulletin

Lauds support for 'Thanksgiving in July' auto show - Danbury News-Times

Posted: 27 Aug 2009 12:03 PM PDT

To the Editor:

The First National Bank of Litchfield, Paradice Classic Cruisers and the Connecticut Cruise News recently sponsored "Thanksgiving in July," a classic car/truck bike show dedicated to gathering food and raising funds for the New Milford Food Bank.

Traditionally, food banks suffer during the summer because donations decrease while the need grows, especially in these economic times.

It was a great success. According to Peg Molina, New Milford's director of Social Services, the contributions of food and money will fill the Food Bank for a month.

Community sponsors enthusiastically responded with money, goods, services and gift certificates.

Our very special thanks to the following businesses:

A-1 Auto Body, Advance Auto Parts, Andy's Auto Body, b.hive salon, Bennett Automotive, Best Sanitation, Big Al's Toybox, Brownie's Towing, C.A.R.S, Candlewood Soap Company, Candlewood Valley Motors, Carquest Auto Parts, Corsi Custom Exhaust, D.B.E. Enterprises, Diamond Towing, Dowler's Garage, F.S.M. Services, Hammer Auto Body and Johana's Restaurant.

Levine's Automotive, Mark Ford, Modzelewski's Auto Body, Murphy's Tire Shop, NAPA Auto Parts, Northville Market, R & F Auto and Truck Repair, Robert's Auto, Scott's Landscaping & Nursery, Southworth, The Entertainer of Greater New Milford, Walmart of New Milford, Wetmore's Dodge-Jeep, WICC AM 600, Smart Money & Barnum Financial Group and Wizard's Products/RJ Star, Inc.

was also our pleasure to have Boy Scout Troop 58 provide our food concession. They did a terrific job.

Thanks to all who helped us fill the Food Bank.

Earle Judson

President

Paradice Classic Cruisers

New Milford

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

SMSC Launches Its First TrueAuto™ Ethernet Transceiver - Earthtimes

Posted: 27 Aug 2009 03:56 AM PDT

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. - (Business Wire) SMSC (NASDAQ: SMSC), a leading semiconductor company that provides Smart Mixed-Signal Connectivity™ solutions, today launched the LAN88710 MII/RMII 10/100 Ethernet Transceiver, its second TrueAuto™ Ethernet solution. This device is designed specifically to meet the high reliability standards required by automotive applications such as on-board diagnostics or fast software download interfaces for central gateway and telematics modules, navigation systems, radio head units and connectivity devices. The LAN88710 transceiver offers increased access speed for diagnostics and software downloads over traditionally slower speed interfaces typically used to connect to the vehicle today. When used within today's complex vehicle electrical systems, which are packed full with user content, the LAN88710 transceiver can help diagnose issues faster and lower software maintenance time so repairs are completed more quickly and cost less.

The TrueAuto LAN88710 transceiver has been specifically designed, validated, qualified, characterized and manufactured for the high reliability requirements of the car. The device provides a simple, digital interface via the MII standard (IEEE 802.3u) to a typical MAC layer integrated within an embedded microcontroller. Built into an embedded device within the car, the chip can function as a network branch to the outside world, connecting the car to a personal computer, diagnostic tool or to a complex Ethernet network in the repair shop.

The size of embedded program and data memories in today's modern cars is growing rapidly. For example, the newly released BMW 7 Series has more than one Gbyte of memory while the previous model had just short of 100 Mbytes of memory. While repair shops usually diagnose and fix problems, they also have the ability to update the software and data embedded in various control devices inside the car. Access into the car to obtain this valuable information is through the On Board Diagnostics (OBD) connector. This standardized connector today not only provides a slow communication interface but updating software through this interface can takes hours, which significantly increases both repair times and cost. As a result, many car companies are working on an upgrade of the OBD connector to provide the car with a high-performance data interface for diagnostics and software downloads - Ethernet. The initiative is expected to lead to a new ISO/SAE standard that mandates this interface as part of the OBD connector.

Ethernet is a widely used networking technology in the repair shop IT infrastructure. Its broad proliferation, high-bandwidth and optimized communication for bursts or packets of information also make it an excellent connectivity solution to the automobile. It can connect the external Ethernet-based infrastructure of the repair shop to a vehicle in a repair bay to then move large amounts of diagnostic information and software data seamlessly between the two.

"Transferring data between the diagnostics bay and the car is time consuming and often spotty when using today's traditional diagnostics interface," said Dr. Christian Thiel, Vice President and General Manager of SMSC's Automotive Information Systems group. "SMSC's automotive Ethernet transceiver delivers high data speed at the reliability grade that our automotive customers expect."

Key Features of the LAN88710

Designed specifically for automotive applications
Single-Chip Ethernet Physical Layer Transceiver (PHY)
Comprehensive flexPWR® Technology
- Flexible Power Management Architecture
- Power savings of up to 40 percent compared to other similar devices
- LVCMOS Variable I/O voltage range: +1.6V to +3.6V
- Integrated 1.2V regulator with disable feature
HP Auto-MDIX support
Small footprint 32 pin QFN lead-free RoHS compliant package (5 x 5 x 0.9mm height)

Availability

Samples of the LAN88710 are available today.

About TrueAuto

TrueAuto is SMSC's automotive quality process. It has proven its capability to deliver leading edge quality and services to fulfill the needs of even the most demanding automotive customers. If integrated circuits ("ICs") that have been designed for consumer applications are intended for use in automotive applications, they are usually qualified according to the Automotive Electronics Council's (AEC-Q100) qualification requirements. AEC-Q100 however, just covers minimum common requirements for the qualification of an automotive IC. Many car companies and tier one automotive suppliers require extensive additional qualification tests, as AEC-Q100 alone does not lead to the ultra low defect rates that they require. In addition, AEC-Q100 primarily focuses on the qualification phase of the product cycle of an IC. Other phases such as the design and production of the IC, customer support and the handling and investigation of returns are not covered in detail. In order to reach the automotive goal of near zero defect rates, all phases of the IC product cycle need to be addressed thoroughly.

TrueAuto is SMSC's proven total approach to true automotive-grade quality. TrueAuto robustness begins with SMSC's design for reliability techniques within the silicon IC itself. Automotive-grade excellence and testability are designed into the IC. The IC is fully characterized over many operating parameters to prove the quality of the design under various conditions. Also, product qualification is focused on the most demanding customer expectations. It meets or exceeds automotive reliability standards and customer specific requirements. SMSC's TrueAuto approach goes far beyond the stress tests prescribed by the AEC-Q100 specifications. In addition, extensive technologies and processes, such as enhanced monitors are used in fabrication of TrueAuto products in order to continuously drive improvements in accordance with SMSC's zero Defects per Million (DPM) goals.

About SMSC

SMSC is a leading developer of Smart Mixed-Signal Connectivity™ solutions. SMSC employs a unique systems level approach that incorporates a broad set of technologies and intellectual property to deliver differentiating products to its customers. The company is focused on delivering connectivity solutions that enable the proliferation of data in personal computers, automobiles, portable consumer devices and other applications. SMSC's feature-rich products drive a number of industry standards and include USB, MOST^® automotive networking, embedded system control and analog solutions, including thermal management and RightTouch™ capacitive sensing.

SMSC is headquartered in New York and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Additional information is available at www.smsc.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this announcement are forward-looking statements about expected future events and financial and operating results that involve risks and uncertainties. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different from those discussed in forward-looking statements. Our risks and uncertainties include the timely development and market acceptance of new products; the impact of competitive products and pricing; our ability to procure capacity from our suppliers and the timely performance of their obligations, commodity prices, interest rates and foreign exchange, potential investment losses as a result of liquidity conditions, the effects of changing economic and political conditions in the market domestically and internationally and on our customers; our relationships with and dependence on customers and growth rates in the personal computer, consumer electronics and embedded and automotive markets and within our sales channel; changes in customer order patterns, including order cancellations or reduced bookings; the effects of tariff, import and currency regulation; potential or actual litigation; and excess or obsolete inventory and variations in inventory valuation, among others. In addition, SMSC competes in the semiconductor industry, which has historically been characterized by intense competition, rapid technological change, cyclical market patterns, price erosion and periods of mismatched supply and demand.

Our forward looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations and may not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers or divestitures. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and are based upon the information available to SMSC at this time. Such statements are subject to change, and the Company does not undertake to update such statements, except to the extent required under applicable law and regulation. These and other risks and uncertainties, including potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation, are detailed from time to time in the Company's reports filed with the SEC. Investors are advised to read the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly those sections entitled "Other Factors That May Affect Future Operating Results" or "Risk Factors" for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.

SMSC, MOST and flexPWR are registered trademarks and Smart Mixed-Signal Connectivity, TrueAuto and RightTouch are trademarks of Standard Microsystems Corporation.

Corporate Communications:
SMSC
Carolynne Borders, 631-435-6626
Senior Director,
Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
carolynne.borders@smsc.com
or
Media:
McClenahan Bruer Communications
Barry Katcher, 503-546-1003
Public Relations
barry@mcbru.com
or
hueggenberg gbr
Mandy Ahlendorf, +49 (0) 8151 55 50 09-11
Public Relations
mandy.ahlendorf@hueggenberg.com

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Sims Auto changing location - Salisbury Post

Posted: 27 Aug 2009 12:07 AM PDT

Sims Auto changing location

E-mail to a friend

By Steve Huffman

shuffman@salisburypost.com

SPENCER — The fine folks at Sims Auto have moved, but, fear not, loyal customers, the relocation consists of a shift of but a hundred feet or so.

The business isn't even changing parking lots.

Better still, those who make up Sims Auto's retirement corner are supportive of the changes.

"If they hadn't brought the coffee pot, I wouldn't have approved of it," said Bob Gobbel, one of the half-dozen or so retirees who spend a couple of hours a day in the garage discussing politics, sports and anything else that pops in their minds.

Just about everyone in and around Spencer is familiar with Sims Auto. The business has been in existence in one form or another for more than 60 years.

It was started as Midway Service Center by Clarence Sims, the father of current owner Bruce Sims, at the corner of Salisbury Avenue and Fourth Street. That was in 1946, when the boys were still returning from World War II.

Business, Bruce recalled, was hopping. The station had a garage and gas pumps. Fueled by high-octane gas that sold for as little as 13.9 cents a gallon, customers came in droves.

"It was new and business in Spencer was booming," Bruce said. "Everything went right by here. There was no interstate."

Clarence Sims eventually moved the business south a couple of blocks where it became Sims Shell Service (now the site of Bobby's Mobil Service). In the early '60s the shop migrated once more, this time traveling a few more blocks to 1303 S. Salisbury Ave.

Members of the Sims family have over the years added buildings and shuffled things around a time or two. The Texaco gas station they operated was torn down around 1970 and boats were for years sold through Sims Marina there on the property.

The one constant at the site is change and that's what prompted this latest move, which took place earlier this week.

Sims Auto moved from the bigger of the lot's structures — a glass-front building where Sims Auto Parts was for years housed — to a smaller shop there on the property.

The Sims are trading places with Pete Tysinger who most recently operated a vehicle-storage unit out of the site. Tysinger is renting the larger building and will be selling auto parts.

"Over a period of years, a lot of things have happened here," Bruce said.

Things are still happening.

Clarence died about 15 years ago and not too long ago Bruce bought his brother's share of the business. Haynes still frequents the place, one of the regulars in the retirement corner.

Bruce, 76, is semi-retired, typically manning the shop's counter a few hours each weekday afternoon. He greets customers and lines up work orders. His daughter, Ginger Honeycutt, runs the shop in the morning.

"She's our CEO," Bruce said, laughing as he spoke. "She handles everything."

Doing the repair work at the shop is Bill Roseman, a contract employee and, according to those in the know, as good a mechanic as you'll find.

"Bill will tackle anything," Bruce said.

Roseman takes a fair amount of good-natured kidding (and returns it with equal abandon, that's true) from the guys in the retirement corner. The retirees usually frequent the business for an hour each morning, then return for about the same amount of time in the afternoon.

Asked if members of the group offer him advice when it comes to car repairs, Roseman replied, "All the time, but they don't know what they're talking about."

When someone asked the retirees if they solve the world's problems during their twice-a-day gatherings, Roseman overheard and shouted from the back of the garage, "Huh! They're creating all the world's problems."

Bruce Sims oversees all this and chuckles. He's been around and listened long enough to know not to take any of it especially seriously.

Bruce was just 9 when he went to work for his father, starting off by filling the soft drink machines at the station. Over the years, he's put in countless hours — he spent 10 years working with the post office while also holding down his job at the service station — and continues to stay plenty busy.

"The doctors won't let me work but two hours a day," Bruce said, lowering his voice and pretending to whisper, "but I'm usually up here for four."

He remembers the heyday of the service station industry, a time when gas wars lured motorists from miles around. "We'd have people lined up waiting to fill their tanks," Bruce said.

Then he motioned toward the retirement corner, noting that the gathering has been a tradition at Sims Auto for at least 20 years.

"They've gone from being young gentlemen to being old gentlemen," Bruce said. "We've had eight or 10 die out along the way."

The retirees vary from one day to the next, but the crux of the group consists of Bob Gobbel, Ross Julian, J.D. Shelton, Jim Justice, George Smith, Don Walser, Julius Corriher, Eddie Thompson, Tom Chapman and Tommy Frye.

Others stop by on occasion. Earlier this week, Jim Goodnight stuck his head in the door and was invited to have a seat. "I ain't got time today," he replied.

"Which one of those old wrecks are you driving today?" one of the retirees asked.

Goodnight allowed it was his '92 Buick. "That's my rainy day car," he said.

Most of the retirees worked either at Duke Power's Buck Steam plant or for Norfolk & Southern.

"And he, he ain't ever worked," one of the group members said, motioning in the direction of Frye who did nothing but smile in retaliation.

"We might pick a little, but we don't ever get mad," Frye finally decided.

Ginger Honeycutt, Bruce's daughter and the woman who makes the place go, said she learned long ago not to take seriously any conversation that transpires between the retirees.

"They just talk about whatever's on their minds," she said. "They don't mean anything by it. They're having a good time."

Then Honeycutt nodded toward her father, who was sitting at the counter and listening to his lifelong friends kid with one another. Honeycutt said her mother, Sarah, died a few years ago and coming to the garage gives her father something to do.

"He's happier here than he is at home," she said. "He's enjoyed his work."

What do you think? Post your comment below.

SalisburyPost.com is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. SalisburyPost.com cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not SalisburyPost.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Full terms and conditions can be read here .

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

SMSC launches TrueAuto ethernet transceiver - Components in Electronics

Posted: 27 Aug 2009 06:33 AM PDT

SMSC, a semiconductor company that provides Smart Mixed-Signal Connectivity solutions, has launched the LAN88710 MII/RMII 10/100 Ethernet Transceiver, its second TrueAuto Ethernet solution. This device is designed specifically to meet the high reliability standards required by automotive applications such as on-board diagnostics or fast software download interfaces for central gateway and telematics modules, navigation systems, radio head units and connectivity devices. The LAN88710 transceiver offers increased access speed for diagnostics and software downloads over traditionally slower speed interfaces typically used to connect to the vehicle today. When used within today's complex vehicle electrical systems, which are packed full with user content, the LAN88710 transceiver can help diagnose issues faster and lower software maintenance time so repairs are completed more quickly and cost less.

The size of embedded program and data memories in today's modern cars is growing rapidly. The newly released BMW 7 Series, for example, has more than one Gbyte of memory while the previous model had just short of 100 Mbytes of memory. While repair shops usually diagnose and fix problems, they also have the ability to update the software and data embedded in various control devices inside the car. Access into the car to obtain this valuable information is through the On Board Diagnostics (OBD) connector. This standardized connector today not only provides a slow communication interface but updating software through this interface can takes hours, which significantly increases both repair times and cost. As a result, many car companies are working on an upgrade of the OBD connector to provide the car with a high-performance data interface for diagnostics and software downloads - Ethernet. The initiative is expected to lead to a new ISO/SAE standard that mandates this interface as part of the OBD connector.

Ethernet is a widely used networking technology in the repair shop IT infrastructure. Its broad proliferation, high-bandwidth and optimized communication for bursts or packets of information make it also an excellent connectivity solution to the automobile. It can connect the external Ethernet-based infrastructure of the repair shop to a vehicle in a repair bay to then move large amounts of diagnostic information and software data seamlessly between the two.

Sales tax revenue declines in June - Baxter Bulletin

Posted: 27 Aug 2009 09:18 AM PDT

Revenue from Baxter County's one-cent sales tax declined a third consecutive month in June, down 2.65 percent from June last year. The trend since Jan. 1, though, remains up 1.5 percent, according to Baxter County Treasurer Nelda Speaks.

The distribution from June retail sales that came to Speaks' office on Monday was $534,607.61.

The city of Mountain Home's one-cent tax, a separate tax issue from the county's, declined in June by 4.82 percent following a decline of 9.06 percent in May. The distribution to the city this week was $364,324.68. The city's sales tax revenue is up 3.03 percent for the year, according to city records.

Speaks said she is uncertain about the reliability of the sales tax trend as an indicator of actual retail trade in the county since a late January ice storm. She noted that a record April distribution of $566,830 probably represents ice storm recovery spending as thousands of people from Baxter and surrounding counties purchased portable electric generators and other supplies for structure repairs.

The county's one-cent tax during post-storm February totaled $771,401.19. Another $59,051.82 was collected in use taxes that month. Automotive sales brought in $7,557.08, and automotive use taxes another $2,017.89, according to Arkansas Sales and Use Tax records.

Adjustment required

A $308,900 adjustment was charged against the April distribution by the Arkansas Sales and Use Tax Division, and smaller adjustments have been charged to sales tax distributions in subsequent months, including a $104,000 adjustment in June distribution, Speaks said. Month-to-month carryovers and a 3 percent commission to the state also impacts totals, the treasurer said.

Several issues can require adjustments to a county's distribution total, according to Roberta Overman, manager of the Sales and Use Tax Section of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Overman told The Bulletin on Wednesday that public and private audits routinely find reporting errors that require refunds to merchants or amended tax reports. Adjustments are usually made for taxes paid over a three-year period, she said.