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Month: March 2019

  • Does AAA Offer More than Roadside Assistance?

    Does AAA Offer More than Roadside Assistance?

    AAA is a federation of various motor clubs that offers a number of benefits to members. The most notable of these benefits is roadside assistance, such as flat-tire replacement, lockout services and towing. However, AAA offers more than just roadside assistance to its members. Today we’re taking a look at everything AAA has to offer its members.

    AAA is More than Just Roadside Assistance

    Memberships

    There are a number of different membership levels available through AAA. The classic membership runs between $40-$70, on average, depending on the benefits you want. There are also Plus and Premiere memberships, which offer more miles of towing, fuel delivery and other great perks. These, of course, come with higher monthly rates to compensate for the higher level of benefits.

    Discounts

    Something many people don’t know about AAA is that membership with them entitles you to a number of discounts with associated businesses. Everything from oil changes to repair work with affiliated body shops is on the table. There are even discount movie tickets and discounts on moving trucks and electronics that some members can take advantage of.

    AAA Insurance

    Another discount available to members is the discount on AAA’s auto insurance. You have to be a member to join, but the discounts often cover the fees associated anyway. Sometimes you can also bundle this insurance with life and home insurance, too, allowing you to keep your costs down across the board in some situations.

    This isn’t true in all situations, though. Not all AAA clubs offer insurance, so make sure you do your research before you join a AAA club on that premise.

    What Else does AAA Do?

    AAA is also a lobbyist to the US Government. They lobby for automotive businesses like body shops and dealerships. The membership fees collected by AAA primarily fund their lobbying efforts. This is an important thing to keep in mind when you’re considering AAA roadside assistance, insurance and discounts.

    If you’re not a fan of funding a lobbying group, there are alternatives to AAA. You could go through your auto insurer for roadside assistance, though this could increase your premiums. Your cell phone service provider likely has a roadside assistance service you could add to your plan, too. Some car manufacturers even offer roadside assistance if your vehicle is still under warranty.

  • Top Reasons to Buy a Used Car

    Top Reasons to Buy a Used Car

    Does anything beat that new car smell? Yes, we’d say, the smell of money in your wallet beats that new car smell. See, when you’re saving money by buying used, you’re coming out with a lot more cash in your wallet. Today we’re running down the best reasons to buy a used car when you need a new ride. Make the right call when you hit the dealership!

    Top Reasons to Buy a Used Car

    Car Values

    It’s no secret that new cars cost a lot more than they have any business costing. That’s why a new car depreciates by 50% in the first three years after it rolls off of the lot. This really stinks when you buy a new car and go to trade it in a few years later. The thousands of dollars it’s lost in value is essentially gone, and you’re about to sink the excess value into another new car.

    Stretch your Money

    It doesn’t have to be that way, though. If you go to a used car dealership and look for a 3-year-old vehicle, you can get a nice, modern car for half the price of a new car. Beyond that, once a car is three years old, it’s stopped depreciating at such a dramatic rate.

    That means, after you’ve driven your used car around for a few years, it’s unlikely that you’ll have a hard time selling it for a similar amount that you spent on it. This goes double if you’re buying used cars with lots of options, like infotainment systems, safety features and the like.

    Insurance

    Driving a new car is expensive for a lot of reasons. One of those reasons, on top of the sheer cost of a new car, is the insurance. Insurance on a new car can be as much as double the price for the same vehicle that’s three years old.

    Here’s the thing: you won’t feel the difference driving a three-year-old car around the road unless you’re a professional driver. Your insurance company, however, marks that difference in cold, hard cash. Cash that you could save for fun stuff like going on vacation or just for putting in your savings account.

    Choices

    Most dealerships have much wider varieties of cars that are used. After all, the newest cars have to appeal to a very specific kind of driver. If you’re looking for the right car for you, your best bet is going to be looking at a used car. Make your budget go farther for you by buying used for your next car.

  • Best Medicine for Heartburn: Keep the Party Going

    Best Medicine for Heartburn: Keep the Party Going

    Nothing kills the idea of a fun night out with friends faster than remember your acid reflux could act up. Overactive stomach acid can put a damper on any party. When you want to just have fun and enjoy your friends, what are your options? Today we’re going over some of the best medicine options for heartburn to help you keep the party going.

    Best Medicine for Heartburn

    Oral Suspension Medicines

    Oral suspension medicines include brand names like Pepto Bismol. These medications work by coating the inside of the esophagus, offering up protection from short-term heartburn symptoms. Generally speaking, Pepto and the like is more ideal for people who suffer acid reflux symptoms less frequently. That’s because once the coating wears off, it loses its effectiveness.

    Antacids

    Antacids are a common medicine used to combat the worst heartburn symptoms. Brands like Tums, Rolaids, Mylanta and Maalox are all antacids. These medicines work by neutralizing the stomach acid that is over-acting in your stomach and causing you discomfort.

    Generally speaking, antacids are used for fast relief from acute symptoms. For instance, if you’re out to dinner with friends and you begin feeling heartburn, you can pop a Tums to try to settle your stomach. Generally, antacids are used by infrequent sufferers because they give fast relief but aren’t ideal for long-term use.

    Make sure you don’t take too many antacids in a short period. Taking too many can lead to diarrhea or constipation, so make sure you only take the ones you need.

    H-2-Receptor Blockers

    These medicines were once only available by prescription, though they are now available over-the-counter. Pepcid AC and Zantac are examples of brand names of this variety of medicine. Generally speaking, these receptor blockers are slower to act than antacids but work over a longer period.

    That’s because receptor blockers stop the production of stomach acid, allowing people with mild symptoms of heartburn to treat their symptoms proactively. These medications are taken over a long period, instead of being taken in response to the appearance of symptoms.

    Proton Pump Inhibitors

    Medicines like Prilosec and Nexium fall under this category. These medications keep your stomach acid neutralized and can even heal damaged esophageal lining. These medications are ideal for people who suffer from more severe heartburn symptoms that are quite frequent. The trade-off is that these medications tend to be more expensive and require you to take them regularly.

  • Best Flea Prevention Methods for Dogs

    Best Flea Prevention Methods for Dogs

    If you see your dog constantly stopping and scratching, gnawing and itching, then they might have fleas. When the weather turns warm, it’s time for fleas to crawl back out and cause problems. When you’re trying to combat fleas, the awful little bugs can seem indestructible. Don’t worry, though. There are many effective ways to combat fleas on your pup.

    Beast Flea Prevention for Dogs

    Flea Collars

    One of the best things you can do is stop fleas before they get started. Give your dog a flea collar before they have fleas, not after. The collar will prevent fleas from jumping on your dog well before the infestation gets started.

    That said, you’ll want to give your dog a flea collar even when they already have fleas. This allows them to prevent new fleas from rolling up while you deal with the existing problem.

    Flea Bath

    When you dog has fleas, the best thing you can do for them is just give them a flea bath. Fleas aren’t indestructible, though they might seem that way. Their biggest weakness, it turns out, is drowning. Your dog simply taking a dip in the water can cause the fleas on them to all drown and die the horrible deaths they deserve.

    That said, there are also flea shampoos that are medicated to make your dog’s coat hostile territory for the evil bugs. Follow a good flea bath with a flea collar for double the protection.

    Shampoo the Carpet

    Once fleas have been on your dog, they’re in your carpet. You’ll have to wash your carpet to get them out. There are specially-made shampoos made specifically for killing dormant flea eggs and hiding adult fleas. Get this carpet shampoo and rent a carpet-cleaning machine and go to town.

    Make sure you hit rooms you don’t often walk in, as fleas love quiet, dark places to lay their eggs. Show those bugs no mercy: you deserve a flea-free home.

    Diatomaceous Earth

    Commonly abbreviated to D. earth, this mineral compound does a funny trick with fleas. When fleas walk over it, this material slices their exoskeleton to ribbons, causing the fleas to lose all of their internal moisture. Even if they find water, their compromised exoskeleton causes them to lose the moisture again.

    If this sounds brutally efficient, that’s the idea. Sprinkle food-grade D. earth all over your home, focusing on entryways, and watch your flea problems disappear. Remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry with fleas, and there’s no such thing as overkill.

  • Best HTC Phones for Android: Our Take

    Best HTC Phones for Android: Our Take

    HTC was once the big name in Android phones. In recent years, they’ve fallen off a lot in favor of Samsung’s seemingly unstoppable Galaxy line of phones. However, HTC still has a lot to offer in the Android space for people looking for a great phone. Today we’re going to break down some of the best HTC phones you can find today.

    Best HTC Phones

    HTC 10

    The HTC 10 was released way, way back in January of 2017, making it a bit of a dinosaur by smartphone standards. However, as many people have noted, phones have largely plateaued in the intervening two years, and even phones from early 2017 are still viable for many people.

    The HTC 10 retails for around $500, making it a great budget pick for Android users. The phone’s build is sturdy, and it’s got a great design that makes it attractive and durable. If you’re looking for an affordable smartphone with a great camera and solid battery life, the HTC 10 is a great pick for you.

    HTC U11

    The HTC U11 first made it on to the scene in December of 2017, making it nearly a full year younger than the HTC 10. There’s a lot to love about the U11. It’s very colorful, glossy and flashy, making it a flagship-looking phone at an affordable price. You can still pick this phone up for somewhere in the range of $650.

    The first waterproof HTC flagship, the U11 has a lot to offer for Android lovers. The specs under the hood are comparable to other major Android releases, making this a great pick for those looking for power. It also sports an interesting feature called EdgeSense, which is a squeezable “button” with some interesting uses.

    HTC U11+

    While the HTC U12 is out, it’s got its share of problems. As such, we’re giving the nod for best HTC phone at the moment to HTC U11+. The 128GB of internal storage, the great processor and the stellar screen quality all give the HTC U11+ the edge. If you like a large phone with a big screen, the U11+ is a great pick for you.

    The notable thing about the U11+, though, is that it’s a bit underwhelming in the wider market. If you consider what the phone brings to the table, there are other Android phones that give you a similar (or better) experience. That said, you can often find the U11+ for cheaper than the competition, making it a good budget pick for Android fans.

  • The Best-Selling Android Phones: What’s Popular?

    The Best-Selling Android Phones: What’s Popular?

    People love their Android phones. Android is a very open and malleable operating system and allows for people who love the finer points to make their phone their own. That’s a lot of the reason why Android phones sell so well! Which one is the king of the hill, though? Today we’re looking at the best-selling Android phones of the last year.

    Best-Selling Android Phones

    Samsung Galaxy S9 Line

    The S9 line of Galaxy phones cleaned up over the last year. Of the top five selling Android phones, the S9 line of phones picked up three of those slots. The Galaxy S9 Lite sold 4 million units, coming in as the lighter, cheaper option for Samsung fans. The S9 Plus, on the other end of the spectrum, sold 8 million units, doubling its tiny cousin.

    The standard-sized Galaxy S9, one of our favorite Android phones on the market, sold a cool 10 million units, making it one of the best-selling phones of the year. It actually tied for second place with the next phone on our list. So, what made the S9 line just so popular?

    In short, Samsung knows how to make a great smartphone. The S9 line offers a huge, beautiful screen with hardly any bezels. These phones have great battery life and stellar processor performance. There’s a lot to love with these phones.

    Huawei P20

    Selling a 10 million units, and tying with the S9, the Huawei P20 managed to keep pace with Samsung. That number would have been much higher if Huawei could sell phones in North America, but that’s a story for another day.

    The Huawei P20 is a great smartphone, manufacturer notwithstanding. The screen is huge and colorful, bringing tons of vibrancy and life to bear. It also sports great cameras, snapping shots like a high-end photographer’s camera.

    Samsung Galaxy Note 9

    Samsung absolutely cleaned up the last year in Android phone sales. The Galaxy Note 9 posted a stellar 30 million units sold, making it far and away the best-selling Android phone. The huge phablet, complete with the S Pen and a huge battery, has a lot to offer.

    For productivity, there’s not a better Android phone out there. The blistering-fast processor, the S Pen for notes and the massive screen all make this a great phone for professionals. Beyond that, it’s one of the bulkiest and most powerful phones on the market, Android or otherwise.

  • Wireless Security: Protect Your WiFi Signal

    Wireless Security: Protect Your WiFi Signal

    If you’re worried about your wireless signal, you’re probably looking into the best ways to protect your WiFi. Well, we’ve got the article for you. Today we’re going to break down the differences between various encryption types and the different ways you can keep your signal private. Here are the best ways to protect your signal.

    Wireless Security

    Password Protection

    You need to make sure your wireless signal has password protection. Setting up your wireless router normally includes setting up password, so this shouldn’t be an issue. However, you need to make sure you keep your password complex and impossible to guess. Generally, you don’t want to include easy-to-guess things like pet names, birthdays or phrases.

    Setting up your password, come up with a random, impossible-to-guess string of letters and numbers and write it down somewhere. You don’t want to misplace that code, so make sure you save it and know where to find it!

    Wireless Encryption

    There are three major types of wireless encryption. WEP, WPA and WPA2 are all varying degrees of encryption, and each has their strengths. However, WPA2, the newest encryption, is the preferred of the three. Let’s break down their differences.

    WEP

    WEP is the oldest encryption style, and it’s also the weakest. Created in 1999, the protocol is a known security risk. It’s easy to hack into and open to a ton of exploits. As such, the protocol was dropped by the official Wi-Fi alliance in 2004 in favor of WPA.

    WPA

    WPA replaced WEP in 2003, bringing a “pre-shared key” or PSK for encryption. While not the strongest form of encryption, WPA is much preferred to WEP. The major issues with WPA are related to the way it was rolled out. This is because, at the time, it was being rolled out piecemeal as updates for WEP-enabled devices.

    As such, the WPA encryption has a lot of similar loopholes to WEP. It needed to be built on existing WEP infrastructure, so it’s not as secure as it could be. It’s unlikely any router you buy today will use either WEP or WPA, though.

    WPA2

    The Advanced Encryption Standard, or AES, found in WPA2 makes it the golden standard for Wi-Fi encryption. Rolled out in 2004, WPA2 wasn’t based on the WEP infrastructure. As such, it doesn’t sport any of the same loopholes and is much more secure.

    It’s most likely that any router you buy today will have WPA2 built in. As such, odds are good you’ve already got the best encryption you could ask for on your router.

  • Best Decongestants for Spring Allergies

    Best Decongestants for Spring Allergies

    It’s almost that time of year. Spring is nearly upon us. That means it’s time to get ready for allergies and congestion for a lot of people. If you suffer from serious Spring allergies, that means it’s time to start looking into good decongestants. That, and good allergy medicine! Today we’re looking at the former to try to help you get that stuffy nose to become a thing of the past.

    Best Decongestants

    Notes

    Before taking any decongestants, be aware of the side effects. Some people note that they get jittery and have trouble sleeping when they’re on decongestant medicine. If this is the case for you, take it easy on caffeine while you’re on decongestants.

    If caffeine doesn’t seem to be the problem and you remain jittery, it’s probably time to leave the decongestants alone. In these cases, you can opt, instead, for nasal sprays. These tend to not have notable side effects and can work well as short-term relief to extreme congestion.

    How they Work

    Generally speaking, decongestants work by shrinking swollen blood vessels and membranes. Allergies cause these areas of the body to swell up, which, in turn, causes congestion. Often, antihistamines alone don’t help with congestion. That’s because the sneezing and itching of allergy symptoms are actually caused by different functions within the body than those that cause congestion.

    People who suffer from extreme allergy symptoms often need both antihistamines and decongestants. Be careful when mixing medications, though! Always speak to your doctor before starting any new medications so they can help you pick the ones that will work best for you.

    Best Types of Decongestants

    Decongestants come in a few forms. The most common of these are in pill form, though there are also nasal sprays and nasal drops. Some people prefer liquid medicines, which are taken orally, though these are less common. Common types of decongestant include pseudoephedrine, though these are often found behind the counter.

    That’s because pseudoephedrine plays a role in the creation of some illicit substances. Buying decongestants with pseudoephedrine, like Sudafed, in bulk can result in attention from law enforcement.

    Other types of decongestants include oxymetazoline, such as Dristan, Sinex and Vicks. Finally, phenylephrine-based medications are also common. Phenylephrine is found in medications like Suphedrin PE and Sudafed PE.

    Combinations

    Many allergy medications include a combination of antihistimines and decongestants. Examples of this type of hybrid medications are Allegra-D, Claritin-D and Benadryl Allergy. These are preferred by many allergy sufferers as they have two-in-one relief for allergy symptoms.

  • Best Call Center Software: Which One is Right For Your Business?

    Best Call Center Software: Which One is Right For Your Business?

    There are countless suites of call center software. It can be difficult narrowing these many, many options down. After all, it’s not like you can afford to just try all of them. What are you to do, then? Thankfully, we’ve got your back. Today we’re looking into some of the best call center software suites so you can make sure you make the right pick.

    Best Call Center Software

    What is Call Center Software?

    Before we get started, let’s look into some of the basics. What exactly is call center software? Well, simply put, it’s software that allows your business to function as a call center. Customer support, marketing, phone, email, instant messaging and social media are all typically handled through call center software.

    Auto-dialers, call analytics, computer telephony integration. Interactive voice response, call accounting solutions and automatic call distributors are some of the types of software you might find. Customer service systems offer features for submitting tickets to help customers with issues they’re having.

    Other features, like call recording, web callback, social media support, and quality monitoring are all important aspects of any good software suite. Now that you know what you’re looking for, let’s look at some examples.

    Freshcaller

    One of the most highly-rated software suites in the call center software world is Freshcaller. This software is unmatched when it comes to user-friendly interface, and it’s rather robust when compared to the competition.

    Ytel

    Ytel is a relatively new, but highly-rated, software for call centers. Ytel offers a number of helpful features, especially for smaller offices, and brings a lot of tools to the table. Integration with phone, messaging and email make this a very flexible and robust call center suite.

    RingCentral Contact Center

    Another highly-rated software suite is the excellent RingCentral Contact Center software. Customer relationships are an important focus of any business, and that’s what RingCentral focuses on. Bringing a number of tools for customer engagement to your business, RingCentral is a great suite for small and medium sized businesses.


  • Saving Money with Online Postage

    Saving Money with Online Postage

    Who likes hanging out in the post office while waiting to buy stamps? Certainly not us. What’s even worse is trying to find time in the day to set aside to get over to the post office, navigating through traffic and making it across town. There’s a better way, though: online postage. Just print your stamps out online!

    Saving Money with Online Postage

    Online Stamps

    That’s right, you can buy your stamps online and print them out right at home. There are numerous websites that are out there to help you find the best postage solutions for your business or personal use. Today we’re going to look at a few of the best sites for finding the top deals on online stamps! Let’s get into it.

    Stamps.com

    The biggest site in the world of online stamps is, unsurprisingly, Stamps.com. Stamps from this site can be purchased in bulk or in single increments. When it comes to buying stamps, this site is preferred by many small businesses. That’s because their interface is clean, straightforward and easy to navigate.

    Whether you’re buying for your businesses or just for yourself, this is a great site. Once you buy your stamps, you can print them out right from the site. All you need is a printer and you’ll be ready to go!

    Amazon

    Surprisingly, Amazon is another great place to buy stamps online. Many people might overlook the online retailer, or simply not think of them when they’re considering where to purchase stamps. However, Amazon often offers a great deal and great convenience for people looking for stamps in bulk.

    Amazon is preferred by many people for how easy it is to navigate their site and to purchase goods. In fact, many people already have Amazon Prime accounts, and, as such, are able to get free shipping on a number of items.

    USPS

    Where better to get your stamps than from the source themselves? The USPS website allows you to purchase stamps at normal rates, and even print them off right from your computer. This method allows you to get the same experience you would at the post office, without having to drive or wait in line! That’s a win-win.