A Jacket For Window Cleaners?

The new Levi’s Commuter smart jacket, being pushed to window cleaners. Yet no information on if they get wet or washing instructions!

Levi's® Commuter™ x Jacquard by Google Trucker Jacket - The Commuter Smart Jacket: The new Levi’s Commuter smart jacket is fashioned in collaboration with Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) research along with Project Jacquard, which was created to embed technology in the clothes we wear.

Wearables is a sensitive subject for Google, because it is still nursing the wound from the failure of Google Glass (in terms of wide acceptance and not technology). After all the hype, considerable investment, and hard learned lessons, the company has decided to create a wearable that is more accessible and not so conspicuous.

The Commuter smart jacket looks just like any other jacket, which may be its saving grace. Unless you know the tech is in there, you would be hard pressed to find it. This was achieved using conductive yarns so that custom touch and gesture-sensitive areas can be woven at precise locations, anywhere on a piece of garment. Additionally, sensor grids can be woven throughout the textile, creating large, interactive surfaces.

When Google announced the smart jacket at the recent I/O conference, it was being pushed to urban cyclists and the commuter market, but there is no reason it can’t be applied anywhere else, especially after developers get their hands on the APIs.

Achieved using conductive yarns, custom touch and gesture-sensitive areas can be woven at precise locations, anywhere on a piece of garment. Additionally, sensor grids can be woven throughout the textile, creating large, interactive surfaces.

So What Can This Connected Smart Jacket Do?

As of now, not that much, but Google will release some APIs in 2017 so developers can use it create more solutions and integrate other applications besides the limited fair currently being offered.

The sensor that is attached on the cuff of the jacket lets you control your phone with some basic functionalities so you can focus on the road while accessing the information you need. This includes messages, calls, Google Maps, Google Play, Spotify and Strava using the Jacquard platform.

Small Business Application

In addition to bicycle messengers as possible business application, this smart jacket can be used in different industries. Security guards, window cleaners, drivers and anyone else that needs to communicate with minimal effort can take advantage of this technology.

The Levi’s Commuter smart jacket is going to be tested in beta this fall with availability in the Spring of 2017. The price for the jacket hasn’t been announced.

Do you have a small business that requires your employees to be outdoors a lot, and if so, do you think a connected jacket can improve their productivity and quality of work? If you have used any type of wearable as part of your operation, and might consider the Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket, please let us know.

Viability of the Levi’s Commuter Smart Jacket

What gives this connected smart jacket a great chance is the way it is made. It is produced using existing Levi’s factories so interactive textile can be woven the same way as any other Levi’s garments in the mills it operates. That means no special factories to invest in, which allows Levi’s to keep the cost low and scale to meet demand if consumers like the jacket and becomes hugely popular.

Also see; The Cold Weather Safety Jacket

Now Google Go Head to Head with Amazon Home Services

Now Google Go Head to Head with Amazon Home Services. It will all end up as a price war for window cleaners.

Google to go Head to Head with Amazon Home Services: Later this spring, Google is expected to officially launch its online, on demand home services site, comparable to the recently launched Amazon Home Services as well as Angie's List, HomeAdvisor, and Thumbtack. Currently available for finding car insurance, Google Compare may become the location-based evolution of Google Places as the platform for connecting searchers with local services in their area.

Google Follows Amazon Into Home Services: Google's ambitions are virtually limitless: curing death, teleportation, renewable energy and so on. Add another one to the list: fixing your clogged toilet.

Following closely behind its arch-rival Amazon, Google is planning to launch a new product connecting users with home services providers like plumbers, housecleaners, electricians and carpenters.  The move, expected to be announced within the next few weeks, is in keeping with a broader corporate strategy of "closing the loop" between buyers and sellers rather than simply introducing the two through advertising. Google Express, its e-commerce service, now serves six urban areas, including Chicago and Boston.

But for a company that prides itself on total informational awareness, the home-services market poses unique challenges. “Local services will be harder because the data’s not as transparent on what you can provide,” says Manpreet Singh, founder of TalkLocal, a startup that helps customers book appointments with approved service providers. A contractor doesn’t know how much it will cost to retile your bathroom until she goes in and sees it.

For that and other reasons, Singh expects Google to partner with companies like his rather than try to go it alone, even though it will mean cutting in another middleman. That’s the approach Yelp has taken in its own efforts to close the commerce loop, and it’s also how Amazon, which has a partnership with TaskRabbit, is easing into the home-services game.

One unanswered question in all this is how Google will square its new push with the $100 million investment it made in Thumbtack through its Google Capital arm last year. The San Francisco-based company provides essentially the exact same service Google is looking to start, connecting service providers to customers for a commission.

The apparent conflict of interests is reminiscent of the situation unfolding between Google and Uber. Google Ventures has invested $250 million in the car-service startup, but Google is also said to be developing its own ride-summoning product, a development that would put the two giants into direct competition.

Did Google Just Declare War on Amazon (Again)? Pull up a chair, and get the popcorn out… We have yet another fierce scrap between two of the world’s biggest tech giants. In the race to develop new technologies and innovations – and break into untapped, highly lucrative markets –  such scuffles are common. In August 2014, for example, Google (GOOGL) went public with “Project Wing” – a previously secretive project to develop a drone-delivery service. The revelation was a shot across the bow of fellow tech juggernaut, Amazon (AMZN). Eight months earlier, CEO Jeff Bezos had appeared on 60 Minutes to announce Amazon’s own drone-delivery ambitions – Prime Air.

Well, if the latest rumors are true, the search giant is stirring up trouble again. This time, in a high-dollar market, worth up to $400 billion per year… A Whole New Spin on “Google It” Now, you’d think that Google’s latest venture would be another cool, high-tech offering like drones. But instead, it’s rather low-tech… involving plumbers, electricians, and roofers.

There are increasing rumors that Google is preparing to expand its specialized search capabilities in order to connect consumers with local home service providers. Currently, searches for things like plumbers only return links to local contractors’ websites or contact information. Then, consumers must navigate strategically placed advertisements, as well. But Google’s new service will reportedly connect search users directly with contractors.

In other words, while a regular search just spits out a list of options and a few ads, Google will now act as a middleman and actually allow you to set up and schedule the service. In return, it’ll take a cut of the fee. Again, this is all speculation. But keep in mind that in 2014, Google led a $100-million investment in home service company, Thumbtack. So it’s obviously interested in the home services market.

Sources say an official announcement is likely to come at Google’s annual advertiser summit in May.

Coincidence? Hardly… Not even two weeks ago, Amazon launched a similar service, which allows customers to schedule home services after making purchases. Dubbed Amazon Home Services, it was beta-tested in major cities – including Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York – as Amazon Local Services. Now it’s available in 41 states and 30 of the biggest metropolitan areas in the United States, according to Peter Faricy, Vice President for Amazon Marketplace.

Say, for example, you order a new sink. Amazon will hook you up with a plumber to install it. Or if you buy a new, 60” Samsung (SSNLF) LED TV, Amazon has a guy who can come mount it on the wall for you. Amazon benefits by taking a cut (anywhere from 5% to 19%) of the service providers’ fee.

So why in the world are two of the biggest technology companies interested in such a low-tech, local opportunity? It’s All About the Money… or Is It? Although the home service market might consist of a lot of small ticket items – $150 to install a ceiling fan… $600 to clean out a chimney… they add up.

“It’s a huge market,” says Gartner analyst, Jason Daigler. Indeed. Estimates peg the overall addressable market size at $250 billion to $400 billion. To put that into perspective, the high end of the estimates is bigger than Google’s or Amazon’s current market cap!

So expanding into home services and capturing a meaningful market share could contribute substantial profits to the bottom line. At the same time, home services represent a low-risk expansion opportunity for both companies. As consumers, we clearly don’t like to go it alone when it comes to finding service providers. Consider that the likes of Angie’s List (ANGI), Yelp (YELP), Groupon (GRPN), and Craigslist already connect us directly to service providers. So they’ve validated that demand exists.

Obviously, Amazon and Google believe they can do a better job of helping us. I tend to agree, given each company’s platforms, extensive reach, and the invaluable intelligence gleaned from a near-endless supply of data on consumer habits.

But it’s not going to come without challenges…

Wanted: A Critical Mass of Contractors. The home services market is extremely fragmented and localized. Think about it: Very few, if any, national chains exist for plumbers, electricians, roofers, etc. It also lacks uniformity. Some handymen have nothing more than a truck and a sign. Meanwhile, some service companies boast fleets of trucks and technicians. Local… fragmented… heterogeneous. Add it all up, and it requires a highly customized approach to succeed. And that inevitably cuts into margins.

Even more so when we throw in additional layers of complexity and due diligence, such as performing background checks (for example, Amazon has a full-time vetting team in Seattle) and providing a platform for reviews and consumer protections for bad service. But, as I told CNBC’s Morgan Brennan in a recent interview, “If anyone can automate a seemingly daunting market via data, it’s Google.”

Above all, Google and Amazon need to get a critical mass of service providers on the system in order to make it a true benefit for consumers and a boon for shareholders. But the tech behemoths’ move into home services isn’t simply another opportunity to make money, though…

Show Me the Money: The desire to “go local” serves a much higher purpose – expanding each company’s reach and entrenching their services into our everyday lives as much as possible. And Rolling Stone thought Goldman Sachs (GS) was the vampire squid, “relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money!”

Bottom line: By offering more services, Google and Amazon can keep us – and our hard-earned capital – from straying elsewhere on the web. In the process, we’ll give both companies even better data to keep serving us even more services. Talk about a domino effect. And with an entire world of consumers to go after, it’s no wonder the two companies are squaring off again in what promises to be another fierce battle.

Window Cleaning News

Window washers clean the glass on the Bolshoy Ice Dome. Monday at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, including Team USA vs. Switzerland in women's hockey, the women's supercombined, men's curling, speedskating, and much more.

Window washer rescue near Hopkins.

Two Rescued From Loose Scaffolding At Hopkins: City fire department crews used ladders to rescue two workers stuck on a malfunctioning scaffolding at one of the buildings at Johns Hopkins Hospital complex. Ian Brennan of the fire department said that a window washing scaffolding appears to be hanging almost perpendicular to the windows at the Outpatient Building, or a nearby hospital building, off of Broadway and McElderry. Brennan declined to say who owns the building but a photo posted on Twitter appears to be the Outpatient Building at Hopkins. There were no serious injuries reported.

Water saving by California government: Here are some of the actions that California state government is taking to reduce water use by 20 percent.

— Department of Transportation is cutting back irrigation along California roadways.

— New, non-essential landscaping projects will be stopped.

— Washing of many state vehicles is banned, except for health or safety reasons.

— Contracts for water-intensive window washing at state buildings are being canceled.

— Signs in state buildings emphasize smart water use in bathrooms, kitchens.

Todays twenty-somethings are a generation blighted by debt and overwhelmed by consumerism. On the plus side, at least they don't have to go down the mines. This documentary delves into the wallets of four such young folk, starting with Ricky, a window cleaner with a seven-year-old son and another child on the way. Cleaning contracts come and go, but Ricky has his heart set on the British welterweight title, finding unwitting sparring partners in those who settle their bills late. Determined to give his kids a better life than his own childhood self, he hopes boxing will provide his payday as he trains hard for the biggest match of his life.

Small businesses losing faith in banks: James Benamor, founder of Amigo Loans, said: "Small businesses have now lost all faith and the lifeblood of our economy; the mechanics, the window cleaners, the shop owners are turning to dangerous payday loans.” He added that payday lenders are spending enormous amounts on marketing in comparison to more responsible lenders who lack such a voice. One in 10 microbusinesses believe banks aren’t remotely interested in lending them, with 2.5 million saying they wouldn’t even bother knocking on a bank’s door.

The figures also revealed that small business are looking at alternative options, as 21% of microbusinesses took out an alternative loan last year, while 29% approached an alternative lender. Benamor added: “Payday loan sharks needn’t be the first port of call for microbusinesses seeking funding. It’s essential they are aware of the safer and more cost efficient lending options available, such as credit unions, peer to peer loans and guarantor loans. “We would like to see a not-for-profit, all of market comparison site for loans, which all lenders are forced to promote on their advertising." Small businesses remain pessimistic about the future, with 45% believing that bank lending to small businesses will not increase in the next year.

Members of Regina Fire and Protective Services and the Regina Police Service were at Hill Centre Tower III on Monday to keep watch on a shattered pane of glass on the 20th storey until the glass was safely removed.

Falling glass closes downtown street: A block of 12th Avenue in downtown Regina was shut down for a couple of hours Monday morning after a piece of a window fell from an upper storey on Hill Centre Tower III. Gerard Kay, deputy chief for Regina Fire and Protective Services, said a call came in at around 10:30 a.m. about glass falling down from a building. He said when crews arrived they discovered a fourby-eight-foot window of the mechanical penthouse located on the 20th floor had shattered and shards of glass had fallen to the street below. "Fire crews worked with police to cordon off the area," said Kay. "We wanted to keep both pedestrian and vehicle traffic out of the area." Kay said as a precaution all the people who were in the tower at the time of the incident were kept inside while workers removed the remaining glass. Four vehicles were also removed from the street below where the glass was falling, for their protection.

Members of the Regina fire dept., and the police service were at Hill Centre Tower III to keep their eye on a shattered pane of glass on a high floor, possibly the 19th of Tower III until it was made safe by window washers.

"A window-washing crew was called in and they rappelled down the side of the building and basically knocked out the remaining glass from that pane, and firefighters backed them up," said Kay. "Our high-angle team was also there just in case someone got stuck." The area was reopened to vehicle and pedestrian traffic at about 12:30 p.m. It took two hours to complete the call because the street needed to be secured and all hazards needed to be removed before work to remove the remaining glass could happen, he said. "There was a fear that a larger piece would go and all of a sudden that acts like a sail so it could end up anywhere (and) that's always our biggest fear," said Kay. "Fortunately, I believe it was tempered glass and it's designed to shatter and not come down in large pieces."

He had no explanation as to why the glass shattered. "We are going to defer that one to the building owner and (let them) look at it from a proper engineering standard, so they can figure out what caused this window to break," he said. This is the second time since the office tower was completed in December 2012 that a piece of glass has fallen from an upper floor. On Aug. 26, a broken window on the 20th storey sent glass into the street. At that time, Roseanne Hill, managing director and vice-president of leasing for Harvard Developments, said the window had been cracked for a while. She said sometimes in new buildings, a small percentage of panes of glass can crack spontaneously due to pressure and natural occlusions in the glass. Hill said the other two towers have also experienced cracked window panes and the normal practice was to tape the window and then replace it.

PageRank Redemption: Escaping the Prison of a Low Google Ranking - With the most recent Google algorithm update, Hummingbird, the ruling search engine is paying more attention to natural semantic language. This newly refined “search intelligence” focuses on real-life questions that users ask when utilizing the platform and recognizes the “how”, “what”, “why”, “where”, “when” questions to quickly return answers rather than results.

This means you’ll have to ensure your website’s content is actually answering the questions of those seeking your business. If a user searches “Where is the closest bakery to my location?” your newly optimized bakery website better answer that question. Or if potential customers search “How much do commercial window cleaning services cost?”, your price should be displayed in the appropriate context on your site.  Take a moment to research your customers’ top questions through surveys, comments, and internal brainstorming sessions.

Local balloon artist Loni Trude helped Tom Lopac with his window cleaning business.

Loni Trude Makes Balloons Her Business: "Look! I made something that will picture your business," Trude said. For weeks, Trude had been sending BW email updates on her adventures as a balloon artist. Starting in December, she began twisting balloon sculptures customized for businesses across the Treasure Valley, submitting photographs of them to local newspapers as under-the-radar advertising and charging $50 for the service. She said that she was able to generate $850 worth of advertising for her first client, Tom Lopac of Picture Perfect Windows, based on print advertising costs. "A lot of the newspapers liked the idea. They needed content ... so they pursued publishing a brief story along with a picture of what she's done," Lopac said. The value of exposure marketing has long been ambiguous--it can be difficult to quantify results--but for companies like Picture Perfect Windows (which received a Trude-crafted, window-washing Santa Claus), exposure and word of mouth can be revenue drivers. Lopac said he may never know exactly how much exposure Trude's photos gave his window washing business, but to him, the experience has been beneficial. "It was a very positive image for our company to be represented in that way," he said.

Toby Harnden - Team of window cleaners, K Street NW, Washington DC.

New window cleaning franchise opens in Xenia: Fish Window Cleaning has opened a new franchise location at 74 North Orange St., Xenia. The location is owned by Shane Hartley. Prior to joining FiSH, Hartley was a police officer/investigator for nearly 13 years and has been in the Army for the past 27 years. He was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. He returned from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2012, earning a bronze star for working with the Afghan National Army, according to a company release. “Our franchise owners get to draw on FISH’s thirty-five years of knowledge and experience. FISH offers proven methods, training, a nationally recognizable business name, and uniformity,” said Nathan Merrick, vice president of franchise development. “Shane’s vast business experience partnered with his passion and enthusiasm is sure to make his business successful.”

OxBox was formed from former members of Witney TV – a community TV project – and has spread across the county. As the group looks to celebrate its third birthday on March 18, it will launch a new online radio station for Oxfordshire. But all of its 50 contributors work on the project in their spare time, balancing full-time jobs with the demands of an ever-growing website. OxBox can now boast an audience of 30,000 people, which in part could be put down to its match highlights of Oxford City FC matches and its promotion of upcoming county bands. Adie Gargan (pictured) will host one of the new shows on the radio station. Mr Gargan, 42, of Madley Park, Witney, is a window cleaner by day and soon-to-be ‘Steve Wright’-style co-presenter on OxBox radio. The father-of-two said: “I do quite a bit of acting and I have experience in filming and I started doing this about 18 months ago. “I really like the community side of things and am really looking forward to the radio show. It will be a bit of banter and getting people to phone in and stuff like that."

JLG’s 1500SJ has three steering modes including conventional front two-wheel, crab and four-wheel coordinated. The oscillating axle moves 12 inches for better traction and to keep all four wheels on the ground.

Trico Lift Adds Four More JLG1500 SJP Telescopic Booms to Its Fleet: Trico Lift recently announced the availability of four additional JLG1500SJP telescopic boom lifts in its rental fleet; the JLG1500SJP with its 150-ft. elevated platform height is suited for applications including window cleaning and cellular tower construction. “Trico Lift serves the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, which are areas of this country that have resumed and/or maintained large contracting projects where these machines are critical - but perhaps too costly to own,” said Trico Lift President and CEO Chris Carmolingo. “We are pleased to be able to provide accessibility to these additional machines and are confident that we can put them to work immediately where they are needed.”

Father-of-three found hanged at Pendle farm - A father of three was found hanged at his remote farm amid a raft of money and personal worries, an inquest heard. Stephen Haigh was concerned about a tax bill, a looming family court case and even a speeding course he was due to attend, Burnley Coroner’s Court was told. The 51-year-old, who ran his own contract window-cleaning business, was discovered by his estranged wife Katie at Thorny Bank Farm, off Jinny Lane, Barley, on October 31. An investigation by police indicated there was no third-party involvement.

His wife Katie Haigh said her husband was ‘eccentric’ and kept problems to himself, never giving any indication of wanting to take his own life. But he had left a series of small notes, including a line echoing the late comic Spike Milligan which read: ‘I told you I was poorly’. Mrs Haigh said he had discussed wanting the line as the epitaph on his headstone, convincing her that he had intended to harm himself. She told the inquest he was worried at paying a tax bill and the prospect of attending a court hearing over maintenance issues with an ex-partner. “Stephen struggled with expressing himself and he didn’t cope well in social situations,” she said.

“He would have hated the thought of having to go through this process. He couldn’t have coped with it and he was very worried and he asked me if I would come with him.” East Lancashire assistant coroner Mark Williams said he was satisified, after the note had been explained, that with the financial and personal issues he faced, Mr Haigh had taken his own life.

Police launched probe after finding body of man who had lay dead for nine days in Hartlepool house - A dad of six lay dead in his blood-stained flat for nine days, an inquest heard. Mystery surrounded the circumstances in which James Wallace, 54, was found at his home in Wensleydale Street, Hartlepool, and police launched an extensive probe. There had been a suggestion he had told police he was being harrassed for money, and there was also a 999 call made from his mobile phone which was abandoned two weeks before his death. But after a major investigation involving tracing Mr Wallace’s last movements, house-to-house inquiries, CCTV and mobile phone analysis, an inquest into his death ruled out any foul play.

Hartlepool Coroner’s Court heard concerned neighbours contacted Mr Wallace’s landlord, Endeavour Housing, on August 22 last year, having not seen him for a week. Endeavour Housing then contacted police and uniformed officers had to force entry. Mr Wallace, a window cleaner, was found face down near his settee and blood was found in various places, including the settee and on internal doors. Officers from CID were drafted in and the scene was secured as a potential crime scene. Town coroner Malcolm Donnelly told the inquest there was no sign of forced entry or a disturbance, and suggested Mr Wallace had injured himself in a fall in his house. He said: “It could be interpreted as consistent with a person staggering around the room.” Mr Donnelly said inquiries were made into Mr Wallace’s lifestyle and it appeared he had a “drink issue”.

Detective Sergeant Joanne Wright added: “I’m more than satisfied that nothing suspicious happened and there was no third party involvement.” Forensic pathologist Mark Egan said there was a large number of injuries including cuts to the head, and some injuries suggested Mr Wallace had been moving around on his hands and knees. He added that Mr Wallace had moderate coronary artery disease and this could have made him more susceptible to the effects of blood loss.

Forensic scientist Sammy Warner, who specialises in analysis of blood patterns, said there were no obvious signs of an assault at the flat. Mr Donnelly added: “I think he banged his head as a result of an accident, we don’t know precisely where, we never will.” He recorded a verdict of accidental death. After the hearing, Mr Wallace’s family said they were satisfied with the ruling. Michael Wallace said: “There were doubts, but the experts couldn’t have done any better.” Mr Wallace’s daughter Caroline said: “I feel lots better now that we know.”

BT launches home smartphone to block nuisance calls - Following the success of its first landland nuisance call blocking phone, BT has launched a smartphone for use in the home. Calls from companies offering claims against banks which have mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance or services like window cleaning can be filtered out, alongside international, withheld numbers or calls from unknown numbers.

Sisters secret fundraising for Atherton parents' wedding: Weddings can be dauntingly expensive but for one remarkable schoolgirl it is a fundraising challenge worth taking on to see her parents walk down the aisle. Nine-year-old Melissa Todd stunned her parents by announcing that she wanted to help them pay for their special day by selling bracelets and necklaces she has made with her six-year-old sister Courtney and cousin MacKenzie Hartley-Neal, aged 10. The girls have been busy making the jewellery out of wool in the hope of selling them to help pay for the wedding which their parents John Todd, a window cleaner, and Lyndsey Neal have always wanted but not been able to afford. Melissa, of Seaforth Avenue, Atherton, said: "My parents have been engaged for a really long time, since before I was born I think. "I would probably faint to actually see them walk down the aisle." The Atherton St George's Primary School pupil had begun secretly planning the day and wrote to the Journal in a bid to gain more publicity for her fundraising appeal before finally spilling the beans to her mum on Sunday. Lyndsey said: "It is such an amazing thing for her to have wanted to do but I think there are much needier people out there than us, so Melissa is going to carry on fundraising among our friends and family.

Gate fans remember Alan 'best ever header of a ball' - Fans from Margate FC have paid tribute to club star Alan Blackburn who died this month. A striker, Mr Blackburn who played for the club in the 1960s, also played for West Ham United and Halifax Town. One Gate supporter Rich Garner said: "He was the best header of a ball that I ever saw anywhere and a nice man to boot. When playing with the lads up the rec we used to try to imitate his heading ability."

On the club's forum, Harvey Lockwood wrote: "Was in awe of him in my younger days. LEGEND!"

During his time with Margate – from the 1961/62 season to the 1964/5 season – Mr Blackburn scored 121 goals in 211 appearances making him Gate's second highest post-war scorer. The Margate FC history website says of Mr Blackburn: "Alan was a Barnardo's boy who started his career at West Ham, having been spotted playing in Hertfordshire junior football. He signed professional forms for the Hammers aged 17. Mr Blackburn, who had his own window-cleaning business, left Margate at the end of the 1964/65 for family reasons. He died in January 2014 at the age of 78.

Police issue bogus caller warning in south-west Fife: Police in South West Fife are urging householders to be on their guard when dealing with people knocking on their door and claiming to be collecting money.  “I would also like to take the chance to remind all householders that when people come to the door collecting milk money, window cleaning money or where they claim to be collecting on behalf of charity, that they make sure they are paying the right person. “We have seen a couple of instances recently where householders have parted with money, only to receive a call from the genuine collector and the initial caller was bogus. Again, it is the elderly and vulnerable who are favoured by these unscrupulous individuals and my best advice would be to ask any collector for ID or some other form of proof, such as a business card, to prove that the caller is genuine.”

Bogus window cleaner stole cash from Flackwell Heath pensioner: A bogus window cleaner stole 'a considerable amount' of cash from a Flackwell Heath pensioner. A white male with short brown hair visited the property in St Hildas Way on Thursday, January 23 and asked for money for a cleaning job he had not carried out. The occupant, a man in his 80s, gave him the money despite never having requested the service. Between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on Saturday, January 25 the 'window cleaner' returned to the house and requested change. Whilst the victim was looking for change, the man entered the living room and took a cash box containing money. The burglar was wearing a black raincoat down to his knees and a light coloured jacket underneath. A 36-year-old man from Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and bailed until March 5.

Prisoner caught with drugs in buttocks: A driver who caused the death of a 12-year-old boy has been jailed for three months after prison officers found cannabis in his cell. Lisburn Magistrates' Court heard on Monday how prison officers searched 35-year-old Andrew Paul Morrow's cell when they smelled cannabis smoke coming from it on 16 October last year. A prosecution lawyer described how officers conducted a "full body search" and uncovered the small amount of cannabis hidden between the cheeks of his bottom. Appearing in court via videolink from Maghaberry Prison, Morrow, originally from Vara Drive in north Belfast, pleaded guilty to possessing class B cannabis. Window cleaner Morrow is currently serving eight years behind bars after he admitted causing the death of 12-year-old Daniel Mooney by dangerous driving.

Viral Window Cleaning News

The Most Positive Man I Know: His name is Darron Mothersby and he is, by a long way, the most positive person I have met for some time. On August 31st 2012 he fell from his ladder while window cleaning and is now paralysed from his neck down. Despite this any visitor to his bedside goes away feeling much better than when they arrived. Yes he has issues with his health, he's desperate to get rid of his respirator for example, but Darron is full of encouragement and positivity. He hopes to go home at some point in the future. He has an indoor chair that he can operate with his chin, it's not great because as he moves and bumps into something it clouts him in the chin. What he really needs is a head operated outdoor chair. Sadly this is not in the budget for the local authority. At a cost of £15k it's also not in the range of Darron's pocket either. What is remarkable is that his many friends have started a collection doing Marathon runs and garden parties among other things and have so far raised £8.5k toward his much needed chair. So here's the thing, can I ask that if you have read this blog you do some if not all of the following things..

1. Go to Darron's facebook page and 'Like' that page.
2. Re-tweet/message/facebook this blog so that your friends can also share this message.
3. Send Darron a message, say hi or tell him Hull City will be relegated. He's a good sense of humour!
4. Finally, and only if you are able, see if you can donate a few £'s to his fund here. 

Darron is a wonderful man and is supported tirelessly by his family and friends, he's had a setback in life and yet is the most giving of individuals. I love the guy and don't see him nearly as often as I would like to. Can we as individuals, businesses and fellow window cleaners make his life just that little bit easier. If you can, please do. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please share. By Stuart (The short one with no hair in the picture).

Window Cleaners - Lets take this viral!  Like we did last time!

A window cleaner on zip line is seen as he cleans the glass of a glass pedestrian passage in Dubai's business district. 

This stunning building proposed for Sydney’s Darling Harbour precinct is being flagged as a possible future home for Google Australia. Meet The Ribbon.

This Beautiful, Twisting Glass Building Could Be Google Australia's Next HQ - This stunning building proposed for Sydney’s Darling Harbour precinct is being flagged as a possible future home for Google Australia. The concept for “The Ribbon” takes advantage of cutting-edge building technologies that allow for twisting glass facades — as seen in London’s The Shard — and is being marketed as a prestige home for a major company. It’s at the current location of Sydney’s IMAX theatre and is right next to Commonwealth Bank’s new complex at Darling Quarter, which houses over 6000 personnel. Australia’s largest private developer Grocon and property management company Markham announced they had submitted a development application for the project this week. They say they are aiming to create a landmark similar to The Shard or the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

Grocon’s NSW general manager Chris Carolan told Business Insider the design drew on an emerging trend for “these innovative curved structures, all around the world, including in the Middle East and China. We want to bring it to this country.” Sydney’s corporate architecture is generally conservative, and statements tend to be matters of height or signage rather than creative design. The Ribbon sweeps upwards and outwards from the ground along its east-west axis, with an undulating facade made entirely from glass wrapping around the building.

Inside, the furthest you can get from a window is 12m. The windows have a particularly slick feature that will excite any desk jockey: they are triple glazed and contain a venetian shade sitting in a cavity between the glass panels to keep the sun out when needed. Oh, they’re computer-controlled, too. No cord-wrestling. This gets around one of the drawbacks of many modern offices which have large window areas but rely heavily on the use of overhanging ledges, fixed slats and other shading devices which, while keeping out the harsh summer sun, also block the view. “Our research has shown that some of what people see as internal comfort is the ability to see outside,” Carolan said. If the development is approved by authorities it would take around three years to build. Assuming it was ready to occupy around 2017, its first openings would line up closely with the expiry of Google’s current property commitments which expire the following year, in 2018.

Window-washers described a zone of cool air around the building on the hottest days, and curtains moved in the breezes even with the windows closed.

Two Icons Go Green: Long overdue upgrades make the Empire State Building and the U.N. Secretariat building relevant in the 21st Century. Two iconic Manhattan skyscrapers have emerged from major renovations with sharply reduced carbon footprints, making them beacons of New York's evolving "green skyline."

The 102-story Empire State Building, designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon and completed in 1931, was already scheduled for renovation in 2008 when the nonprofit Clinton Climate Initiative approached Anthony Malkin about ways to reduce its carbon footprint. (Malkin and his father lead the investors who own the building.) One of the goals of the renovation was "to prove the economic viability of a deep energy retrofit," says Schneider. She and her team began examining dozens of strategies; they eventually came up with a plan they projected would reduce energy use by 38 percent, paying for itself within three years.

"For most owners, an energy project has to pay for itself within three or four years through reduced energy costs to be considered a good investment," says Schneider. The strategies included reconstructing each of the building's 6,514 double-hung windows, reusing the existing glass, sash and trim, and adding a low-emissivity (low-E) film suspended between the two panes of glass to more than double the original R-2.0 center-of-glass thermal value. The remanufacturing was carried out on-site, to avoid the costs, monetary and environmental, of shipping. In fact, Schneider says, the energy savings have exceeded the projected 38 percent in the first two years of post-renovation operation.

Rather than having to satisfy investors, the U.N. answers to 193 member states. But the Secretariat building was so dilapidated that virtually everyone could see the need for drastic measures. The building's original, 1/8-inch-thick glass provided practically no insulation. Window-washers described a zone of cool air around the building on the hottest days, and curtains moved in the breezes even with the windows closed. Over the years, the U.N. had added reflective film to the glass, to reduce heat absorption and glare, but the film just made the glass look dirty.

What is new in the Tirol for next season? Oh and if you are a window cleaner you may want to apply for a job at the restaurant below. Someone will have their work cut out at this futuristic new restaurant high above Solden. With many resorts and ski areas across the Alps seeing less visitors the Tirol has seen an increase. Last winter UK skiers and snowboarders were up 5% and the UK market is third behind Germany and the Netherlands. The resorts which saw the highest overall increase in arrivals were  Seefeld (+25.7%), Alpbach (+23.3%) and Wildschönau (17%), as a result of the new Ski Juwel combined area.

(Real) Technologies That Exist Today - Transparent Aluminum Armor: What starts as powder and suddenly becomes so powerful it can withstand bullets? Well, with a little bit (OK a lot) of heat and pressure: the latest in transparent armor. Lighter and even stronger than bulletproof glass, the Air Force has been testing aluminum oxynitride (ALON) in hopes of replacing windows in its aircraft. And judging by the fact that the clear ceramic material can stop a .50-caliber rifle’s bullet travelling 2,700 feet per second —normally powerful enough to slice through a lightly armored vehicle like butter — we’d say that’s a more-than-justified investment. Is this the next thing for window cleaners to clean?

They got their MBAs, but prefer paint clothes over suits - Eugenio and Jordan Fortino are painting nearly every square inch of the Witton Lofts condos. Baseboard, doors, ceilings, walls … they could draw the layout of the condos in their sleep. It is the second big, prestigious painting contract for Eugenio 31, and Jordan 27, who started Fortino Bros. Painting & Decorating in 2010. To say they climbed their way to the top with College Pro Painters and Action Window Cleaners (now College Pro) is an understatement. 

They started cleaning windows first, then customers would ask if they did painting. Next they jumped in with College Pro Painters, and quickly moved from workers to managers when they started to run their own franchise. The hustle needed to keep the franchise earning money was a fantastic learning experience according to Eugenio. "We were always looking for more work and setting jobs up. I remember one January skipping classes to go clean a customer's eaves."
Painting and cleaning paid off. Eugenio banked $70,000 to pay for school, and Jordan $55,000. Then they graduated with shiny MBAs and joined the suit and tie treadmill. Eugenio went to work for an insurance company, and Jordan for a bank. They both could have made a good living, but something was missing. "I had a mentor at the insurance company," Eugenio says. "He asked me if I was up till 3 a.m. reading insurance policies. That's what he did. He told me when I talked about the painting business my eyes lit up. He was telling me to do what I was passionate about." So Eugenio called Jordan, a meeting was set up - it was in a garage - over a few beers.

Ideas that Henry Ford taught a century ago about the advantages of continuous mass production are finding their way into the manufacture of one of the few remaining products still made batch-wise: the billions of tablets, capsules and other forms of medicine that people take each year. Continuous processing is used in most other large-scale manufacturing such as food production, petroleum refinement and water treatment. Some industries use an extreme version. Blast furnaces that produce iron from iron ore, for instance, may operate non-stop or with only brief pauses for 8-10 years. The machines that produce window glass run continuously for up to 18 years.

The Most Awesomely Eighties 1980s Music Videos - There was one easy way to make a video look artsy in the Eighties: strip the color. Try it: imagine adding color to "Every Breath You Take" by the Police and it's just a guy playing stand-up bass and another guy washing a window. Remove the hues, it's an intense, slightly creepy Video Music Award winner. Video here.

Drummer, Wurster, the window cleaner (second left).

Superchunk - the band with the window cleaner - McCaughan saw Wurster washing windows around Chapel Hill — including at 'Schoolkids', the record shop where he was working at the time — and asked the drummer to join the band after they'd parted ways with founding member Chuck "Chunk" Garrison. And so, to learn McCaughan's latest batch of songs, Wurster would listen to a cassette of Superchunk's sophomore full-length, 1991's No Pocky For Kitty, on headphones as he worked. His first album with the band, 1993's On the Mouth, was their last for Matador before releasing their records on Merge.

A window washer with dreams and, it seems, a direct link not only to the World Wide Web, but to the tech future. But not a squeegee in sight!

At the Signature Theatre, Regina Taylor’s ‘stop. reset.’ moves the techno theme a few decades closer to the present. Set in the Chicago headquarters of a black publishing company that’s been taken over by a conglomerate with the bottom line paramount, it’s a timely meditation on the gloomy outlook for books -- real ones, with pages and spines and ink -- in the digital age. Carl Lumbly is stirring as Alexander Ames, the aging, up-from-poverty patriarch. Even better is Ismael Cruz Cordova as “J,” a window washer with dreams and, it seems, a direct link not only to the World Wide Web, but to the tech future.

A man has been jailed for attacking two Jehovah’s Witnesses on a street in Kirkby. A jury convicted Michael Nimmo (35), of Diamond Avenue, Kirkby, of religiously aggravated assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault. He admitted the assaults but denied any of it was fuelled by religious hostility. Victim Gerald Thorburn, a self-employed window cleaner, was off work for several weeks after suffering a broken wrist in the daytime assault on Clumber Street on 15th September last year. Judge Andrew Hamilton, jailing Nimmo for 18 months, told him: “This was a completely unprovoked assault on innocent members of the public who happened to be Jehovah’s Witnesses calling at people’s homes. “Jehovah’s Witnesses are entitled to walk the street and knock on people’s doors. “You decided you didn’t like them. You called them ‘Johvos’, were abusive to them and spat at them.” The jury was told Nimmo ‘got into the faces’ of the two men, asking, ‘what are your views on weed?’ When Mr Thorburn took a photo of Nimmo on his mobile phone, Nimmo grabbed him round the neck and tried to take the phone from him. Nimmo, in his defence, claimed that when Mr Thorburn spoke to him some spittle accidentally came out, so he spat back. The court was told that Nimmo spat and hit the second man David Wass. The judge said Nimmo had committed numerous offences in the past and was on prison licence at the time. The sentence would have been longer but Nimmo had found work and had the support of his partner.

An Angus man who tricked elderly residents into paying him money for window cleaning work he had not carried out has been warned he could face jail. Kenneth Tough, 25, of Burnett Drive in Arbroath appeared at the town’s sheriff court on Tuesday, where he admitted defrauding four pensioners at Andy Stewart Court on Cliffburn Road on August 4. Tough had his sentenced deferred for the preparation of reports. The accused pleaded guilty to convincing the residents, aged 85, 84, 76 and 60, to pay him money for cleaning their windows when he attended at their addresses on the day in question.

Tough also admitted he stole £20 from a coin counter at another address at Andy Stewart Court on the same day. He claimed he was a window cleaner and told residents he was collecting money. Sheriff Peter Paterson confirmed none of the money taken by Tough was returned by the accused. The sheriff told the accused: “Given the nature of the charge a custodial sentence must be in my mind.”

Conman swindled Buttershaw widow, 83, of cash: A bogus odd job man who “shamelessly and despicably” ripped off an 83-year-old widow has been jailed for four years. Gavin Windle fleeced his vulnerable victim numerous times, turning up at her Buttershaw home drunk and threatening to pull the wires out of her TV set if she did not give him £45, Bradford Crown Court heard. He demanded £20 after pretending he was washing windows for charity and another £20 to cancel the arrangement. Windle, 34, of Orleans Street, Buttershaw, had spent eight of the past ten years behind bars, including serving a three-year stretch for house breaking and five and a half years for robbery. He was arrested on May 16 after being challenged by the widow’s worried neighbours who saw him staggering about with screwdrivers and kept an eye on him until the police arrived.

Windle was held in custody until yesterday’s hearing. He pleaded guilty to three offences of fraud, reflecting numerous occasions when he swindled the elderly woman over almost a year. Prosecutor Andrew Stranex said Windle’s victim, who lived alone, had a very poor memory and it was impossible to work out exactly how much he had taken. Although the sums were not very large, they meant a lot to her. He had been to her home many times, posing as a window cleaner and a Sky box repair man. Windle had a string of convictions for dishonesty and two for possession of heroin.

A dad of two had part of his tongue bitten off by a burly businessman in a drunken pub brawl. David Greaves was told by a judge that his attack on 33-year-old Kevin Dufton in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was “truly horrific”. The 49-year-old grandad, the boss of a window cleaning firm dodged jail for what Judge Gillian Matthews, QC, said was “probably a unique” case.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Greaves started the trouble inside The Falcon in Chester-le-Street by head-butting and punching Mr Dufton on May 25. The shaven-headed attacker was invited outside for a fight and when the “younger and fitter” man got the better of him, he tried to gouge out his eyes. Prosecutor Peter Sabiston told the court that Greaves somehow latched onto Mr Dufton’s tongue as they grappled on the ground and bit off a 3cm chunk. Unaware of the scale of his injuries after his attacker fled, Mr Dufton chased him and gave him a “comprehensive beating” before going to hospital.

Greaves was repeatedly punched and kicked as he was wedged against a car, and suffered two black eyes and a detached retina, the court heard. Christopher Knox, mitigating, told Judge Matthews: “There was a certain poetic justice meted out by this complainant to this defendant afterwards. “He may be smaller than Mr Greaves, but he is younger and much fitter. He was on top. In the tussle, I’m afraid quite a bit of his tongue was bitten off.” In an impact statement, Mr Dufton said his children were “scared and confused” by his injury, and he is now conscious of his speech defect.

Greaves, of Brackenbends Close, Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, admitted causing grievous bodily harm and was given a two-year suspended jail term. Judge Matthews also ordered him to pay £2,000 in compensation and imposed a two-year restraining order to keep him away from the victim. She told Greaves: “This is a truly horrific offence. In defending yourself, you went far too far and caused him permanent injury. “The circumstances are unusual if not unique. The complainant exacted some degree of revenge and subjected you to a comprehensive beating. “No matter how he behaved to you in advance did not justify your disgraceful conduct, which must have been a truly horrendous thing.”

A fracking protester from Birmingham has told how she was kept in jail for 26 hours after supergluing herself to a window – allegedly causing just £4 of damage. Kara Moses, 29, was arrested at the London offices of Bell Pottinger, the PR company who represent fracking firm Cuadrilla. She has been charged with causing £4 of criminal damage and banned from carrying glue as part of her bail conditions. Kara was one of six women arrested after spending five hours glued to the entrance of the PR office. Their protest took place at the same time as demonstrations at Cuadrilla’s Lichfield HQ and in the village of Balcombe in West Sussex.