This Week in Mac Sports: 9/15
Ford Getting Complaints About 'ear Piercing' Noise From Speakers In F-150 Trucks
Ford has gotten about 100 complaints from F-150 truck owners who say the speakers in their vehicles are emitting a loud, annoying noise that sounds like static, or glass shattering, and which cannot be shut off.
The automaker confirmed the complaints and said it has come up with a software fix that addresses the problem. But it has yet to issue a full recall to notify owners of the potential problem and the fix.
"We know it may be startling and frustrating for customers who have had the problem, but, based on what we've analyzed to this point, we don't believe it rises to the level of a recallable safety defect," the company said in a statement.
Ford said its software update is available for customers who contact their dealers and that it will be distributing the fix in over-the-air software that automatically updates all potentially affected vehicles "in the coming weeks."
The company said the models affected by the problem include the 2021-2023 F-150 pickup, both the hybrid and gas versions, the 2022 electric version of the F-150, the F-150 Lightning, and the 2021-2023 model years of the Expedition SUV. The company said complaints have come primarily from owners of the gas and hybrid versions of the F-150, which is the auto industry's best-selling US vehicle.
A spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the agency is "aware of the issue and to date has received multiple vehicle owner complaints. We will continue to closely monitor and evaluate the issue for safety and take action if necessary."
The problem was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which quoted complaints from several owners who described the noise as "ear piercing." The article said that some owners reported the noise continued for 15 minutes or more, persisting even after the car was shut off.
It said some owners recorded a noise as loud as 109 decibels, according to a reading on their Apple watches, a level that the Journal reported is similar to that of a loud concert or a car horn, according to the American Academy of Audiology.
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Ford Confronts Strange, Ear-Piercing Static In F-150 Trucks
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https://www.Wsj.Com/business/autos/ford-confronts-strange-ear-piercing-static-in-f-150-trucks-7551ba24
Tori Ear Piercing Celebrates Return To Port Washington's Main Street
PORT WASHINGTON, NY — Tori Ear Piercing is set to celebrate its return to Main Street, Port Washington, with a grand re-opening. The ribbon cutting is scheduled for noon Thursday, the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce said.
Tori Ear Piercing came full circle, having started on Main Street when Valentina Hartman opened 18 years ago. The business downsized after four years and transferred to Willowdale Avenue. But Hartman ached for a return to the downtown and purchased the building at 167 Main Street last July.
"I'm very into being part of the community and being part of everything that goes on on Main Street," Hartman, 49, told Patch. "Port Holiday Magic, Port Outdoors. All of that stuff, so that was definitely a big part of it."
While Tori Ear Piercing specializes in children, the business serves everyone. Hartman believed there was a lack of ear piercing specialists.
"Most people have to go to a jewelry store where they do ear piercing or a body piercing studio, which is a totally different vibe," she said. "I've known kids who have walked into body piercing or tattoo places and walked out. It's just not the vibe. I wanted to have something that specializes in babies and is really warm and welcoming for all ages."
Hartman numbs the ears and pierces them simultaneously for kids who are afraid and want to get the process over with, she explained.
The business was lovingly named for Hartman's daughter, Tori.
Hartman used to work as an account executive at Shiseido Cosmetics before she had Tori and raised her as a single mother.
"Things were not great," Hartman said. "I knew I didn't want anyone else raising my daughter. I didn't want to put her in daycare."
Hartman had been piercing ears since she was 16 years old and cutting hair since 18. She quit her job at Shiseido Cosmetics because she decided she wanted to raise Tori herself.
At first, her business was Tori's Place for Kids. Hartman offered haircuts and birthday parties when she decided to add ear piercing to her services.
"My daughter was raised in a hair salon in a play pen," Hartman said. "Slowly, after a little while, I noticed the ear piercing was doing better than the actual haircuts and a lot of doctors recommended us, and we got a lot of good reviews. My body was shot from cutting hair and cutting kids' hair. I said, 'I'm gonna do this and turn this into an ear piercing studio.' Everyone was like, 'You're out of your mind.' 'There's no such thing as an ear piercing studio.' I was like, 'You know, we'll see.'"
The gamble paid off, and 18 years later, Hartman has her own building on Main Street.
Tori just finished her first year of college. She is learning business and marketing, and Hartman said her daughter will one day assume the ear piercing studio.
Hartman said she is thankful to the community for being so understanding years ago when she opened up while raising Tori.
"I had to close down to do stuff. In between haircuts, I had to change her diaper and do all this stuff. I just feel like the community welcomed me with open arms. All the parents and everybody were so, so sweet. I feel it's very important to be a part of the community and really appreciate all that and give back to the community."
Hartman said she has her own earring collection coming out "real soon."
"So that's pretty exciting," she said.
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