Snickers is introducing a series of all-weather garments under the name Allweather, starting with trousers that protect against rain and that are also functional. "These are much more than ordinary rain clothes", says Per-Henrik Magnusson, Product Development Manager at the company. "Allweather clothes can be used at any time, but with the advantage of always giving protection if it should start to rain or become windy.

Optima Batteries has decided to enter the battery charger market. It has launched the first in a series of products with three other chargers to follow by the middle of 1999.

A new type of castor, specifically designed for trolleys used in hospitals, rehabilitation centres, institutional kitchens, department stores and similar premises, has been developed by the Finnish castor manufacturer Manner Ltd. The castor is characterised by silent running, low rolling friction and modern design. The so-called Tango castor is manufactured predominantly of plastic materials which provide good corrosion resistance and durability. The design facilitates easy cleaning.

A composite grommet edging material that can reduce installation cost and provide added protection against cable damage will be introduced in Europe at the Paris Air Show. Spring-Fast edging, from U. S. company Device Technologies, Inc., stays in place without adhesive.

Changes to the US National Electrical Code came into effect on January 1 this year. Manual controllers from the Finnish electrical component supplier, Ensto Oy, fulfill the latest criteria of new code.

A new, highly sensitive testing method whereby leaking packages can be detected right on the packaging line has been developed for food packages. This package leak tester developed in Finland measures minute leakages in less than a second. The first testers will be introduced on packaging lines during spring 1999.

Elekta introduced Leksell Gamma Knife Model C today. The newly refined tool will enable neurosurgeons to deliver optimal irradiation to intracranial targets in every-day clinical practice, while saving hours when compared to other methods of radiosurgery.

Detail-rich satellite images of landscapes and road networks will now be available quicker on the Internet, thanks to a new service called GISimages from the "Online Web Shop" of Swedish company SSC Satellitbild. All satellite images are ortho-corrected and can be used directly with geometrical reliability in a GIS (Geographic Information System).

The water market has grown sharply during the 1990s. This has caused new brands to emerge and the taste and odour (organoleptic) properties of packaging to become the topic of discussion. As a result the Nordic dairy giant Valio has switched to using aluminium-free, Ensobarr barrier coated gable-top packaging in its 1 litre range of drinking waters.

Office workers who need to take notes, use their computers or perform other tasks while talking on the telephone often place the phone receiver between the ear and the shoulder. A new, low-cost line of telephone headsets -- called Practica -- can help avoid this uncomfortable and inefficient position.