Happy New Year and Welcome to the All New Format of FocusOn Landscapers Thanks to all subscribers and manufacturers that participated in the "New Look Advisory Group." This is not just a new look for the e-publication but also an opportunity to provide you and your industry with more information that will be of interest to you. This information will be updated often throughout the month as important news breaks so be sure to check in regularly! We will continue to provide you with our industry leading product reviews along with videos and brochures on the latest equipment and in the February edition we will launch the new sections; Tricks of the Trade — Technical Assistance from Industry Insiders. Snow, mow and grow stories— from around the world; some odd, some funny, some fascinating general — but all interesting. General interest news and application stories... and here's one of those now... British troops use Leaf Blowers to Uncover Deadly Taliban Roadside Bombs DARING bomb-disposal experts risking their lives in Afghanistan are using ordinary garden leaf-blowers to uncover deadly roadside explosives. Use of the common gardeners' tool — attached to a remote-controlled wheelbarrow — means operators no longer have to dig out the booby traps by hand Potentially saving hundreds of lives, it works by using a powerful whoosh of air to clear sand and soil so the bomb is exposed and can be defused. Engineer Martin Slater, one of the team that came up with the idea, said the invention would make a huge difference to the safety of British armed forces on the front line. He explained: "The whole problem with an improvised explosive device is that it is buried. The people here thought, ‘What can we do to prevent someone having to use their hands to find devices?' and came up with this. "It's a straightforward idea and simply a case of buying a leaf-blower off the shelf then integrating it on to the current system. Now the wheelbarrow can do its job while reducing the risk to operators." Previously, soldiers used paint brushes to sweep away dirt covering a suspected IED bomb planted by the enemy. More than 100 British soldiers have now been killed as result of the Taliban's continued use of deadly IEDs throughout war-torn Helmand province. Military advisor Major Chris Yates said of the new solution: "It's a commercial leaf-blower strapped to a conventional wheelbarrow. "This kit significantly reduces the time it takes to render an improvised explosive device safe. Without it the operator has to clear the device by hand and there have been several deaths among military personnel while doing that." A number of the modified devices are now being used by British troops in Afghanistan. The system was developed by scientists and engineers at the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory at Fort Halstead, Kent, to give British forces on the frontline an edge in the fight against the Taliban. Courtesy: The Daily Mirror — UK I am always interested in hearing from you on any suggestions you may have to improve our e-mag or if there are specific stories you would like to see in future editions. Feel free to email me at editor@thefocusongroup.com. I do respond to all emails. Rick Vandekieft FocusOn Group Inc Publisher