New Jersey Autos

Awhile back, the engineers at Nissan created a one-of-a-kind paint for the automaker’s vehicles that “heals” itself if it gets scratched. Now, the Japanese company has licensed its “Scratch Shield” paint to a mobile phone company, too.

The mobile phone company – NTT DoCoMo, Inc. – is going to offer the paint as an application for its phones sold in Japan. The paint was designed and created with the help of Advanced Softmaterials and the University of Tokyo in 2005.

“Scratch Shield” helps the paint restore itself from fine scratches. In most cases, it only takes a few hours to “heal” itself, but more extreme cases could take up to a week to restore the natural finish. In addition to restoring itself, the paint is more scratch-resistant than other types of paint used on some models of Nissan vehicles. Since mobile phones are susceptible to being dropped and other abuses, “Scratch Shield” is a natural fit for the product.

This isn’t the first time the Nissan company has licensed its products for non-auto companies. In the past, the automaker has licensed its infrared image sensor and its around-view monitor. Look for more breakthrough technologies from this company that continues to look for ways to improve safety and durability throughout the world.

The Philadelphia Phillies gave it their best shot at back-to-back baseball championships earlier this month. Unfortunately, the New York Yankees were just a tad bit better and took that dream away from the Phillies. But now it’s time to look forward instead of dwelling on what the team should have done. Here are some of the changes you may see in the Phillies lineup for next season.

• Officials are considering a decision on whether or not to keep Pedro Feliz – the team’s third baseman. Although he is good in the field, Feliz “does not provide the optimal offensive production out of the position,” according to an article in Bleacher Report.
• Mark DeRosa of the St. Louis Cardinals, is a viable option for the Phillies as he can play six positions and has a lifetime batting average of .272.
• If the team decides not to sign Feliz, Chone Figgins of the Anaheim Angels may become a great addition to the team. He played in the 2009 All-Star Game and he has an average of nearly .300 along with 42 stolen bases.

Of course, this is all speculation and no major decisions have been made. Whatever the team decides, you can join your Philadelphia area Nissan dealers in cheering on the Phillies in 2010!

If you have been paying attention to the texting while driving debate, you know that several states in the nation have already banned drivers from doing those two activities at the same time. Legislators in Pennsylvania have been debating the issue for some months now and The Keystone State may be the next to ban this bad habit.

The bill has already been introduced into the state’s House of Representatives and the state’s Senate. If it passes, Pennsylvania would become the 15th state to ban texting and driving because it is such a danger. “Many people accept that it is increasingly dangerous to drive a vehicle with all of the distractions,” said State College Police Department Captain Dana Leonard.

The ban would restrict all drivers in Pennsylvania from text messaging while operating their vehicle. Younger and less experienced drivers will be prohibited from using any wireless communication devices at all. In addition, the bill would also create a public education awareness program designed to reduce the number of distracted drivers throughout the state.

Are you still texting and driving behind the wheel of your Nissan cars? Is it a bad habit that you are trying to break? Let us know your thoughts abut the ban below.