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  • Amazon Echo Auto, Alexa in the Car

    Amazon Echo Auto, Alexa in the Car

    Last week Amazon announces a slew of new and updated products. One in particular caught my eye. Its called the Amazon Echo Auto. This device gives your car the smart AI assistant you are already using at your home. Already you are thinking, how does this work and why would i need it. Hang on baby birds, ill feed ya.

     

    How it Works

    It is wireless voice controls. It works just like you think it would. A simple plug in to your car and boom you are interactive. 2 easy, simple steps. Plus the Echo Auto in to your dash via the cigarette lighter port. Download the alexa app. Done.

    What Does it Do?

    SO what can Echo Auto do? It will Connect to Alexa using your phone, is ready in seconds, and plays through your car speakers. Includes Echo Auto Dash Mount. It has eight microphones and far-field technology. This means Echo Auto can hear you over music, A/C, and road noise. It will let you use your voice to play music, check the news, open the garage door, find the nearest gas station. Echo Auto gives you control to play Audible books, stream podcasts, or listen to Amazon Music, Spotify, Sirius XM, or NPR. You can eve Make calls, set reminders, add items to your shopping and to-do lists, or manage your calendar.The feature and function I like the most is the ability to set location-based routines. I can use the automated actions Alexa can start when I leave the office or get home. GPS capacities? She has them. Get directions and Alexa connects to supported apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze on your phone.

     

    The Final Thought

    Tt works better then any car bluetooth voice system I have ever seen. It is magnificent to actually control my phone while driving. Much more then I ever thought it could be. I have had voice control options before, all the way to siri, but none worked with the AC on, let alone anything else. This is the solution to the problem you didn’t realize was a big as you will find out.

  • Finally the Razer 2

    Finally the Razer 2

    I’ve been waiting for this news for a while. I kept asking when is Razer going to make a move for a new phone. Well Things are heating up in the Android market. We have seen the Note 9 and Pixel 3 release this month. There were very few surprises in store for the Pixel 3, which is now Google’s most expensive phone ever. Lack luster release to say the least. Starting at $799 there are better options. For instance, you could buy the Razer Phone 2 instead, Razer’s brand new gaming phone. We knew the new Razer Phone was coming. Razer announced this a few weeks ago when it stated the original gaming phone was a tremendous revenue generator. Why is this a better choice than the Pixel 3? Let me tell you folks if you want to ratchet up specs and a screen that’s unlike anything available on smartphones stay tuned and check out the Razer 2.

    For starters the Razer 2 is the 5.72-inch IGZO LCD with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, wide color gamut, UltraMotion technology and Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Unlike everything else this month, no notch. The Razer 2 is featuring top and bottom bezels. Camera? We have two 12-megapixel cameras, including a telephoto lens and a wide-angle lens with optical image stabilization. On the front, there’s an 8-megapixel selfie taker.

    The Power

    How is the power on the Razer 2? Look inside and you will see the Snapdragon 845 is popped in the Razer Phone 2, so plenty to spare. Also you get twice the memory — the phone has 8GB of RAM compared to 4GB for the Pixel. Lastly it features a Vapor Chamber cooling system. The base model comes with 64GB of UFS storage and does feature support for microSD storage expansion.

     

    The Final Razer 2 Thought

    It is bad to the bone and the top android phone on the market. It is also a better price then its competitors at $799. The phone will be available in two shades of black, including Mirror Black and Satin Black, and it will ship in the fourth quarter in the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, with preorders set for October 11th. The Pixel 3, meanwhile, will reach buyers on October 17th.

  • Top Dog Food Brands

    Top Dog Food Brands

    Dogs rely on their owners for lots of things. They need love, they need shelter, they need to be cared for. But most importantly, they need to be fed! Most experts recommend feeding your dog twice a day — once in the morning and once in the evening.

    What they don’t say is what to feed them. That’s where choosing the right dog food comes in. It’s important to take your time deciding on the best dog food for your pup because it is not recommended to change dog foods like humans do. Dogs need consistency and switching them to new foods can be a tricky business.

    There are a ton of dog food brands and they range from pennies to big bucks for high quality top shelf dog food. Does your pup know the difference between the high end premium dog foods and the regular? Is there a difference? There are many features to consider here. Taste, texture, and nutritional value should all be coming to mind. Dogs need the types of pet food that they’ll want to eat, of course, but they also need sustenance that will help give them energy and strength.

    Many dog foods today are manufactured with generic ingredients that aren’t the healthiest for your pup. That’s why doing your research really matters when it comes to making the right choice. So let’s take a look at the top 3 dog food brands for that special friend in your life.

    1. I and Love and You

    The best dog foods contain real foods, like vegetables and meats with Veggies like sweet potato, peas, and tomatoes provide vast nutrients for pets. Even protein such as salmon, white meat chicken, and lamb can be found in some of the best dog food today, I and Love and You. Not to mention the clever use of an Avett Bros song title, it is the highest quality, affordable, and most enjoyed by your dog. It’s great and your pup deserves it.

    2. Rachel Rays Just 6

    With lots of variety, tons of high quality ingredients and grain free, Rachel Rays just 6 is great mid priced option. If your four legged friends suffers from food allergies, this is the best dog food to easily and efficiently manage your dogs diet. With just 6 ingredients in each bag you can easily identify and eliminate the allergens. This is also my consigliere and questionable sushi tester Sam’s absolute favorite.

    3. Nature’s Recipe Dog Food

    Nature’s Recipe has a wide range of products featuring chicken, salmon, turkey, beef, venison, and lamb. They also have vegetarian and grain-free dog foods. They produce foods for puppies, seniors, adult dogs, large breed puppies, and for many dogs with special needs such as skin conditions, digestion problems, small breeds, and weight control. Their food comes in both canned and dry kibble forms. Again we are seeing a trend, grain free. No one does grain free better than Nature’s Recipe Dog Food.

    Bonus: Newman’s Own

    Paul Newman, the man, the myth, the legend, and the fantastic dog food. Much like everything coming from Newman’s Own brand it is a terrific dog food that your little guy will love. Oh Paul, to be like you and walk the path, to lend a hand, and make some wonderful dog food.

    The Final Thought

    Some of the best dog foods contain real foods, like vegetables and meats we would eat ourselves in order to have a balanced meal. Veggies like sweet potato, peas, and tomatoes provide vast nutrients for pets. Even protein such as salmon, white meat chicken, and lamb can be found in some of the best dog foods today. These days, pet food makers are making a conscious effort to shift toward organics, grain-free foods, and unique formulas packed with healthy proteins and fiber. Dog food comes in many different shapes and sizes. There’s dry food, dehydrated raw food and canned food. Do your research and find the best option for your dog!


  • Top 5 Email Providers

    Top 5 Email Providers

    Email  has become a primary form of communication for work, family and friends. It is the cornerstone of everything from keeping up with loved ones to confirming purchases. We are all walking around with priority access to our email accounts at all times.

    With so many email options it may be hard to pick one email provider. Which one is the best for your priorities and needs? I always recommend everyone have at least 2 email addresses. One for important accounts and security that you only use for personal and financial accounts. Then a second one you use to register for Netflix, social media, communicating with family and spam registrations.

    Getting hold of an email account is easy. Getting the right email account is more difficult, as there’s a lot to consider. What are the spam filters like? How easy is it to keep your inbox organized? Can you access the account from other email clients? Keep reading and we’ll highlight some of the best email providers around. Here are the Top 5 Email Providers!

    1.Gmail

    Google’s webmail juggernaut needs no introduction. It’s easy, reliable and most importantly free. Your Gmail  email address gives you access to a plethora of Google apps and functions. There is no reason not to have at least one and it’s great as your primary email address. First released back in 2004, Google’s Gmail has become the market leader in free email services with more than a billion users across the globe.

    Gmail’s stripped-back web interface is a highlight. Most of the screen is devoted to your inbox, with a minimum of toolbar and other clutter. Messages are neatly organized via conversations for easier viewing, and you can read and reply to emails with ease, even as a first-time user.

    2. Outlook

    Outlook provides plenty of power and features, especially for Office 365 users. Focused inbox, powerful events and calendar abilities and litany of app based integrations are some of the great features of Outlook.

    Outlook’s web interface follows the same familiar style as its desktop incarnation, and most other email clients: folders and organizational tools on the left, the contents of the current folder in the center, and a simple preview pane on the right (with adverts in the case of the free account).

    A toolbar gives you speedy access to common features, and right-clicking folders or messages shows you just about everything else. If you’ve ever used another email client, you’ll figure out the key details in moments.

    If that’s still not enough, Microsoft offers a bunch of app-based integrations to take the service further. You get built-in Skype support via the beta, and apps give you easier access to Evernote, PayPal, GIPHY, Yelp, Uber and more.

    3. Yahoo

    Yahoo mail has a powerful offering with some surprisingly neat extras. Useful extras like disposable email addresses, 1 TB of inbox storage and limited low level options.  Yahoo Mail doesn’t make the headlines so much, these days, but its latest version is a polished and professional service which stands up well against the top competition.

    The well-designed interface resembles Gmail, at least initially, with a large view of your inbox, one-click filters for common messages and content (Photos, Documents, Travel), and easy browsing of all the emails in a conversation. But you can also organize mails into custom folders, and the layout can be tweaked to display a message preview in a couple of clicks.

    4. Proton Mail

    Proton Mail is email with an emphasis on security and privacy. It includes tight privacy features and end to end encryption for messages. Signing up with an email provider will often involve some privacy compromises. Yahoo Mail asks for your name and mobile number, for instance. Gmail and other services might scan your messages to carry out useful actions (such as adding events to calendars), and just about everyone serves you with ads.

    ProtonMail is a Swiss-based email service which focuses on privacy above all else. You can sign up anonymously, there’s no logging of IP addresses, and all your emails are end-to-end encrypted, which means there’s no way ProtonMail (or anyone else) can read their contents. Also, address verification (which allows you to be sure you are securely communicating with the right person) and full support for PGP email encryption is available.

    In reality, ProtonMail is a specialist tool which is intended for use alongside services like Gmail – not to replace them – and overall it performs its core tasks very well.

    5. Mail.com

    Mail.com offers most of the important email features that you might be thinking about. Most importantly, you can select the email domain name that will suit you best from over 200 domain names. They provide unlimited email storage capacity and you can attach up to 50MB of file in one attachment.

    You can also set up your email to receive and reply all your emails from this one address. They also provide mobile support. You can use your email on BlackBerry, iDevices and Android devices. You also have an online calendar to use.


  • Monday Movie Review : Venom

    Monday Movie Review : Venom

    Hooray,  Its Monday. That means like most of you, and the rest of the free world, I got to hit the theaters over the weekend. I like to do this every weekend. I wanted to take a little bit of time to tell you my experience at the movie,. Just a minute to shed a little insight and perspective on Hollywood’s latest hit. Seeing a great movie in the theater can be a life altering experience. It can also be an easy way to waste a couple of hours and 30 bucks. My hopes is that with a quick review from this self proclaim movie connoisseur I can save readers  a few hours.  Or better yet, possibly change a few more lives. I saw Venom this past weekend.

    Venom is the latest superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Marvel. Let talk about it

     

    Venom 57% Life Altering

    We have a Superhero movie. This one is interesting though. Venom is not altruistic, he is a down right evil symbiote. His human pair Eddie Brock is a tragically flawed man of biblical proportions. The two combine and special effects chaos ensues. The movie follows Tom Hardy’s “Eddie” struggle to come to grips with an alien parasite hosting on him, controlling his actions and eating peoples heads. Both Venom and Eddie share a common antagonist and the movie flows to that confrontation aboard a launching rocket. Abort.

    What Did I Think?

    Its a predictable superhero movie, you can write it out your self before seeing it. Culminating in an over the top and unnecessary 3rd act. For a superhero movie it strayed from the original Todd McFarland comic. Venom is a Spiderman villain. Most of what makes him unique is the symbiote bonds with the spidey suit. This is what gives Venom the characteristic we know and love. So that is a %10 loss in score.

    Tom Hardy does an amazing job. He alone makes this movie watchable. He adds depth and layers to Eddie and makes him instantly likable. The likability and struggle Tom does with Eddie is completely fantastic and worth watching.

    Riz Ahmed, you know him as the pilot from Rouge One. He does a delightful job with a one dimensional, terribly scripted villain. With just a little bit of forethought Drake could have been a wildly interesting villain.

    The road to hell is paved with good intentions, good intentions were what was missing from Drake. Think Thanos, his actions are selfless. Drake is  a character in a position to do some fantastic things, and a tragic fall, matched with a massively evil smybiote could have been cool. But instead Venom misses, I do not sympathize or care or really believe in Drake or Riot at all. 

    The Final Venom Thought

    Eddie, Watch it for Tom’s Eddie. Tom is one of the greatest actors of our generation, and this only adds to his impressive body of work.  The Post scene could open doors for a good 5-6 movie universe. We know Marvel has got the rights to Peter Park and Spiderman. However Sony still has Miles Morales’s Spidey, or Spider-Juan as I like to call him. They could introduce Miles and have a new spider man universe with Venom and Carnage and crew. All we ask Sony is plan for 5 movies, don’t rush, spend time developing the characters. That is what we love after all, its not the CG, its the characters.

  • Google Pixel 3 Leaks

    Google Pixel 3 Leaks

    Google will hold an event on Tuesday, October 9th, starting at 11AM ET. This will be to unveil the Google Pixel 3. This is the latest and 3 incarnation of googles flagship smartphone. The last 2 have been impressive and the 3 is looking to follow suit. Lets take a loot at what we know already. Lets sort through all the Google Pixel 3 Leaks

    The Google Pixel 3 is not much of a mystery. It  has been plagued with Google Pixel 3 Leaks info. In the lead up its launch everyone is showing off the screen, colors, wireless charging capabilities, cameras, and more.  The Pixel 3 XL  has a 6.3-inch screen, 128GB of storage space.The Google Pixel 3 has some impressive and unique  gestures. The specs line up with a disappointing expectations: it uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 chipset, only has 4GB of RAM and a 3,732mAh battery. Pretty standard, and standard for the Google Pixel 3 is a tremendous waste.

    The phone’s cameras info has leaked and looks equally uninspiring. We are hearing it has a 12.2-megapixel main camera, as well as a pair of 8-megapixel front-facing cameras, which allows it to take extra-wide shots.The primary camera is said to be capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps while the front is ‘limited’ to 1080p. Again I find this uninspired. Various images of the Google Pixel 3 XL corroborating previous leaks reveal a notch-style display. The device could be seen featuring minimal bezels on the front-fascia with a slightly thick chin at the bottom. From the backside, the Google Pixel 3 XL seems to carry similar design cue to that of the Google Pixel 2 XL with a mix of glass, aluminium and a circular-shaped fingerprint sensor at the center.

     

    The Final Google Pixel 3 Leaks Thought

    tiple leaks and reviews say the retail box suggest that the phone bundle a few accessories that include a USB-C dongle, a pair of USB-C earphones, USB-C to USB-C cable, a USB-C to USB-A dongle and an 18W USB-C two-pin power adapter. You are probably asking yourself how all this info got leaked, so we have so much details. Well apparently a Honk Kong Retailer is already selling the Google Pixel 3.

    If you still care to follow Google will hold its Pixel 3 event on October 9 at 11am ET. Besides the new Pixel 3 series, the Mountain View company is expected to unveil a “Home Hub,” a new Chromecast and a Chrome OS tablet or the Pixel Slate as it is being called at the event.

     

  • Facebook Clone Hoax, Did You Fall For It?

    Facebook Clone Hoax, Did You Fall For It?

    Facebook Clone Hoax Alert. So you got a message that said something like this on Facebook this weekend?

    “Heads-up!! Almost every account is being cloned. Your picture and your name are used to create a new face book account (they don’t need your password to do this). They want your friends to add them to their Facebook account. Your friends will think that it’s you and accept your request. From that point on they can write what they want under your name. I have NO plans to open a new account. Please DO NOT accept a 2nd friend request from ‘me’. please forward to all your contacts.” Its a Facebook clone hoax.

     

    The Great Facebook Clone Hoax

    Calm Down. You have not been hacked. say it back with me. You have not been hacked. The friend that sent you this, while gullible, has not been hacked.Don’t forward it. This is a text book classic Facebook clone hoax That message is fake.“It’s bogus. And you’re just making it worse,” the Plaquemines Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said in a Facebook post.This is just a well timed Chain letter. Their is no threat to your Facebook.

    Facebook says there has been no known uptick in cloned accounts this week, when the messages started circulating. Facebook keeps an eye on trends and anomalies as part of their cyber security. Massive amounts of Clones, different from hacks, means a spammer created a new account under your name, using your pictures and requesting your friends. They would see the large duplication of accounts and stop this before it affects the masses. It is also easy to check for a cloned account. just search your name and see if there is more then one account with you name and a picture of you.

    This well time hoax comes as news Facebook had a massive and malicious date breach. This is still a developing story and the details are still to marking to actually report on. However this is potentially world altering situation and needs to be monitored. In the mean time, change your password. Said it before, the Apocalypse will start on Facebook.

     

  • Goodbye MoviePass

    Goodbye MoviePass

    It is now time to dump Moviepass. I have been an avid supporter and a celebrated recruiter for Moviepass. I’ve championed Moviepass to everyone I know and gained many subscriptions for the Movie Theater subscription company. Unfortunately, with a heavy heart, I am today canceling my subscription. Why say goodbye MoviePass you ask, 3 Big reasons, lets talk about them.

    Dumping MoviePass Reason 1

    It is no longer unlimited. If you have been following my post regarding MoviePass and the scores of negative press perpetrated my the fake news media arm of Hollywood, you would be very familiar with MoviePasse’s woes. At its hay day Moviepass was hemorrhaging money allowing all of us to see whatever we wanted at the theater for $9.99 a month. All month I would see what ever Hollywood could throw in to the theaters along with all the movies I have been anticipating. Now Movie pass has cut my subscription to a measly 3 movies a month.. It is still a good deal and I will see at least 3 movies a month. Lets’ move on to reason numbered 2.

    Reason Number 2

    I have a reduced selection of what I can see. It changes daily and is different from theater to theater. No longer Can I plan on seeing a movie, I have to check day of for a time I can see a movie, and it’s never available. Coupled with no new releases, and bad show times. It has become impossible to actually viably use it. Now I’m paying $9.99 a month for 3 movies I probably don’t want to see at a time I don’t want to go to the movies. Still so what, its only $10 and will push me to the movies and the theater experience. Ok fine, but now on to the straw that broke the camel’s back.

    Who is That

    AMC A-list. Now I can see the hit job Hollywood put out of MoviePass. If successful It could alter the long time strangle hold the Hollywood studio elite has on distributions. All moral outrage and conspiracy’s aside, The AMC A-List is a really great option. It took a while for AMC to come up with a MoviePass competitor, but all signs seem to indicate that the service is a success.

    AMC has an advantage, they own the theater. The Subscription plan, aside from being more stable, is letting me see three movies a week for a monthly fee of $19.95. It’s not Unlimited but it is more than enough. I can see them all in one day or whenever I want. I can reserve seats and buy advance tickets. It even lets me go to advanced screening and premiers. There is only one catch, I have to go to AMC only theaters, I don’t really have one of those around…

    GoodBye MoviePass

    So Long MoviePass, I’ve found a new theater date. And No, your idle threat of not letting me return to you for 9 month isn’t changing my decision. I would consider returning, Maybe one day when you have evolved to stop being so useless. For now it’s GoodBye MoviePass.

  • SmartPhone Spotlight: OnePlus 6T

    SmartPhone Spotlight: OnePlus 6T

    OnePlus’s deal has always been offering flagship-level internals coupled with minimalist software, all for significantly less than similarly-specced devices. The OnePlus 6T has all the right stuff you’d expect for late 2017: a Qualcom Snapdragon 845 processor, SoC, a 6.4-inch, 18:9 screen, and a dual-camera. Is the the smartphone you deserve?

    The Great

    • Beautiful Screen
    • Blistering performance
    • Great battery life
    • Flagship-caliber cameras
    • Very fast charging:
    • Amazing value

    The Not

    • Still not there

    The Conclusion

    If you’re willing to put up with a few small compromises then you could argue the OnePlus 6T could be even further up this list. One thing is for sure though: in terms of value for money it won’t disappoint.

     

    If it’s an affordable flagship you’re after, well, see what the OnePlus 6T has to offer. It’s bringing facial recognition, a 6.4-inch 18:9 display, dual rear cameras, a premium metal body and the latest power under the hood, all for a price that comfortably undercuts Apple, Samsung and friends.

     

    Screen:

    The 6.4-inch AMOLED display on the OnePlus 6T is fantastic, especially given the low price tag.  The OnePlus 6T features a 6.41″ (16.28 cm) display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and runs on Android v9.0 (Pie) operating system. The device is powered by Octa core, 2.8 GHz, Kryo 385 processor paired with 6 GB of RAM. It’s the best screen ever seen in a OnePlus handset and features the same 18:9 aspect ratio seen on the other Android flagship phones.

     

    Battery life:

    Solid all-day battery life is what you’ll get out of this phone. So it fits nicely in with the competition then – not as good as the LG V30 but comfortably as good as the Galaxy S9 and the rest.

     

    Camera:

    The camera, again, is decent without being standout. You won’t have any problems with it and you’ll be able to take some amazing photos with it. It’s not as good as the Pixel 2 but the far cheaper price tag will explain why.

     

    Quick Spec Look

    • Release date: October 2018
    •  OS: Android v9.0 (Pie)
    • Screen size: 6.4-inch
    • Resolution: 1080 x 2160
    •  CPU: Snapdragon 845
    •  RAM: 6/8GB
    • Storage: 64GB/128GB
    • Battery: 3,300mAh
    •  Rear camera: 20MP + 16MP
    • Front camera: 16MP

     

    The Final Thought

    If you are seriously looking at this phone, you shouldn’t be. This is the phone you get when your parents got a buy one get one free deal at their local cell phone shop. IF you are looking for a quality android, this has the specks but there are better options, go grab the LG V40.

     

  • Alienware M15, The Lightest and Thinnest Yet

    Alienware M15, The Lightest and Thinnest Yet

    Big,big news out of Dell today. Or should I say small, thin news? Alienware has announced its new m15 gaming laptop. Dell’s gaming computer division is blowing away the bigger competition by building its thinnest and lightest 15-inch laptop yet.Alienware M15, lets see what we got.

    The Design Changes

    The Design, let’s talk about it. The Alienware M15 is Different from what Alienware has been doing. It is completely visible when you compare them side by side. The new m15 offers slimmer bezels, a reduced footprint, and it looks so sleek, and so choice. The new m15 measures in at 4.76 pounds and 0.83 inches thick. If you are keeping eyes out on the competition that’s smaller than the Razr. Alienware has gone on record saying the m15 is the thinnest laptop it’s ever made. They are comparing it against the old 13-inch model, which weighs 5.8 pounds and is 14 percent thicker than the m15.

    WE also have a new keyboard remodel to a chiclet design. If you are concerned, yes it is still backlit. It host in a full number pad and trackpad into a more modern combined pad. All the plug and ports are here. The M15 is rocking three USB ports, one USB-C Thunderbolt 3 port, HDMI and Mini DisplayPorts, Ethernet, and Alienware’s proprietary Graphics Amplifier plug.

    Specs

    The Specs are just what you need, want and would expect. Not overloaded but just right. With a thinner, Nvidia Max-Q design that trades some performance for portability, 8th Gen Intel processors, up to 32GB of RAM, and plenty of different storage options. You get the options between a 60Hz FHD display, a 144Hz FHD panel designed for gaming, and a 60Hz UHD display that offers better resolution.

    The Final Alienware M15 Thought

    If a $3000, 15 inch gaming laptop is your market… Look no further than the Alienware M15. It seems like an oddly specific, small niche market. This isnt a ground breaking release or discovery. Just another update to a long line of great, reliable and powerful gaming laptops.