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  • Best Vehicle Tracking and Monitoring Services

    Best Vehicle Tracking and Monitoring Services

    Weather you need to improve your fleets fuel use, track your vehicle, or moniter your 16 year olds driving habits there are tons of services to pick from. Vehicle tracking and monitoring services are abundant with a slew of features and functions and range of quality and price. Like we like to do here at goodfind.guru Im gonna sort through all the deats and tell you the ones you should look at.

    Tracking devices let you track your vehicle, monitor use, send notifications when cars enter areas they shouldn’t, as well as maintenance and diagnostic info. They off an invaluable set of information, and work simply by plugging in to your cars existing diagnostic port. Here are the Top 4 vehicle tracking and monitoring services.

    1.Verizon’s Connect

    Verizon’s connect lets you monitor and manage your mobile workforce with ease by giving you  a full 360-degree view of your fleet’s daily operations.you can dispatch more efficiently, improve customer service and reduce time spent calling drivers for updates with an easy to use interface at an affordable price.

    2.Hum

    Hum, which costs $14.99 per month, includes a module that plugs into a car’s OBD port and a handsfree unit that can clip to a visor. Between the two — plus a smartphone app — the service offers vehicle health monitoring, roadside and emergency assistance, and stolen vehicle tracking. In addition to the location and speed alerts, this month’s update will enable location tracking (a small expansion of stolen vehicle tracking) and a driving log, which measures travel times, engine idle times, and average speeds.

    3.STI GL300 Real-Time GPS Tracker

    Just want to track your vehicle and that  is your only concern? The  STI GL300 Real-Time GPS Tracker monitors location with pinpoint accuracy and goes anywhere discreetly while giving you real-time updates. Once the device is in place on the target (person, vehicle or property). Its location and movement is then tracked from anywhere on a phone, tablet or computer. The tracker’s geo-fence function allows you to set up a perimeter on the map. Then get alerted when the target enters or leaves that area.

    4. Mycartracks to Track Your Vehicle

    The is the smartphone-based vehicle tracking. It is the most advanced Android app with automatic drive detection  so no GPS hardware or device is  needed. You can create a fleet is just a matter of minutes. Allowing you  to track you vehicle, locate, manage, reimburse and measure your fleet.

     

    The Final Thought

    No longer is trying to track your vehicle an issue. It now has a variety of options for a variety of reasons. These are the best options to track your vehicle, I hope it answers your questions.

  • Sprint’s iPhone Deals

    Sprint’s iPhone Deals

    I spent many years working retail for the big 3 cellular carriers. I was on the front lines of every iphone release day. Oh the excitement and thrill of the new iphone, it was electric. We felt it, the customers felt it and it was contagious. Lines would form, smiles galore, the phones would sell and commissions where counted. We call it iPhone day, It was a holiday for me. Still to this day I am inundated with questions about the procurement process of the new iphone. So lets talk about the best deals from the biggest iphone suppliers. It is now the time to details Sprint’s iPhone Deals

     

    Sprint’s iPhone Deals

     

    Sprint has sone really mind blowingly good offers,  with the 64GB iPhone XS available for $0/month or the 64GB XS Max for $4.17/month following an eligible trade-in. These include iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S9+, LG G7 ThinQ, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, Samsung Galaxy S8 Active, Samsung Galaxy Note8, Google Pixel 2, and Google Pixel 2XL.

    SO yes you can get a free iPhone Xs if you trade in an iphone 7? What what?!? Here is how it breaks down. With the value of the trade-in, you’ll get $41.67 per month credit for both 64GB models of the iPhone XS and XS Max, applied within two billing cycles. The new devices must be purchased on an 18-month lease, with a new line and approved credit.

    In addition to that if you move over an existing number from another carrier and i switch to Sprint you’ll get $100 for each new line of service that you add when you lease a new smartphone. The credit will come in the form of a $100 Prepaid Mastercard for each new line that you add.

    Some Additional Details

    On Sprint’s Flex 18-month lease the iPhone XS is $41.67 a month for 64 GB, $41.67 a month with $150 down for 256 GB, and $41.67 a month with $350 down for 512 GB. The iPhone XS Max on Flex 18-month lease is is $45.84 a month for 64 GB, $45.84 a month with $150 down for 256 GB, and $45.84 a month with $350 down for 512 GB.With an eligible trade-in, the iPhone XS 64GB is $0 a month or the XS Max 64GB is $4.17 a month with a new line and 18 month lease.

    The Final Thought

    Hands down the best deal in the industry if you can handle Sprints subpar service. Their wireless plan are the cheapest and best bang for your buck already. If you are thinking of switching, now’s the time to move to Sprint, you can not beat Sprint’s iPhone deals.

  • AT&T iPhone Deals

    AT&T iPhone Deals

    I spent many years working retail for the big 3 cellular carriers. I was on the front lines of every iphone release day. Oh the excitement and thrill of the new iphone, it was electric. We felt it, the customers felt it and it was contagious. Lines would form, smiles galore, the phones would sell and commissions where counted. We call it iPhone day, It was a holiday for me.  Still to this day I am inundated with questions about the procurement process of the new iphone. So lets talk about the best deals from the biggest iphone suppliers. Now let’s take a look at AT&T iPhone Deals and what they are  up to with their iPhone deals.

    AT&T says Their AT&T iPhone deals are the best around. If you buy the iPhone XS with AT&T, you’ll get another XS for $700 off if both are purchased on AT&T Next. The limited time offer requires a new line to be added onto a Next plan. The $700 promotion will be applied over 30 months. AT&T notes that you can also receive the $700 as a credit towards a more expensive iPhone, including a 256GB iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max (priced up to $1,450). In these cases the second iPhone will be discounted but not completely free.

     

    The AT&T iPhone Deals Breakdown

    On AT&T Next the iPhone XS is $33.34 a month for 30 months for 64 GB, $38.34 a month for 30 months for 256 GB, and $45.00 a month for 30 months for 512 GB.  The AT&T iphone Deals is best On the  AT&T Next Every Year the iPhone XS is $41.67 a month for 24 months for 64 GB, $47.92 a month for 24 months for 256 GB, and $56.25 a month for 24 months for 512 GB. You will notice that the prices for AT&T and Verizon as well as directly from Apple are identical. The 24 month cost are based on the total cost of the phone broken in to 24 monthly payments.

    The iPhone XS Max on AT&T Next is $36.67 a month for 30 months for 64 GB, $41.67 a month for 30 months for 256 GB, and $48.34 a month for 30 months for 512 GB.AT&T Next Every Year is $45.84 a month for 24 months for 64 GB, $52.09 a month for 24 months for 256 GB, $60.42 a month for 24 months for 512 GB.

     

    The Final Thought

    The AT&T iPhone deals are just uninspired and not that great. I’ve have never liked the 30 month plans and they don’t have an enticing yearly upgrade options. I like to get every new phones, not conducive to AT&T’s plans.

  • Verizon’s iPhone Deals

    Verizon’s iPhone Deals

    I spent many years working retail for the big 3 cellular carriers. I was on the front lines of every iphone release day. Oh the excitement and thrill of the new iphone, it was electric. We felt it, the customers felt it and it was contagious. Lines would form, smiles galore, the phones would sell and commissions where counted. We call it iPhone day, It was a holiday for me.  Still to this day I am inundated with questions about the procurement process of the new iphone. So lets talk about the best deals from the biggest iphone suppliers. The Verizon’s iPhone deals are up first.

    Verizon’s iPhone Deal

    Verizon has almost the same offer as AT&T, but they allow you to mix-and-match a BOGO deal where you can buy the iPhone XS, XS Max, X, 8, or 8 Plus, add a new line to one of the phones, and save $700 on the second. In Verizon’s offer, the credit of $29.16 will be added to your monthly bill for the next 24 months.

    Note you will be paying full price for the two iPhones over 24 months, then in one to two billing cycles you will to see a credit of $29.16 added to your account. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in the deal are for the 256GB model, however the credit placed on your account will be $24.opt for the 64GB option.

    Per the Verizon site Break down, Here’s the deal.

    Mix and match any two iPhone XS Max, XS, X, 8 Plus or 8 256GB devices
    You’ll need to add a new line to one of these phones
    Then you’ll see a credit of $29.16/mo. over 24 months on your bill

    The Final Thought

    The Verizon’s iPhone deal I like the most of the 3 big carriers even though one of the line has to be new. There is also an option to get an additional $100 off spread out in a $5 discount per month if you trade in an older iPhone. Side note for all of you Iphone x owners, with this additional $100 off and the $500 trade in. upgrading to the newer models will reduce your monthly cost. wink. As of this morning, the 14th, the xs is still available to ship on the 21rst. The Xs max is back ordered till the 3rd of october.

  • Best Paper Towel Deals

    Best Paper Towel Deals

    All of you know we love to find great deals on things people use every day here at Goodfind.guru. Today I will put the paper towel industry and their retailers through the rings and see who comes out on top. Let find the best paper towel deals.

    To find out what is the best value for paper towels I went to 5 different big-name stores and gathered prices, sizes, ply, rolls and sheets per roll information. I then compiled all the data into a spreadsheet so I could compare and decide which one gave the most value for the money. I also tested many mainly brands to figure out the best quality brands. The stores I visited were Walmart, Target, Costco, Publix and Amazon.

    For the most part they all offer the same brands and close to the same prices. Where they differ greatly is there store brand, Brand x or generic brands. Ill ad those in for quality and pricing comparisons as well. We will get down to the best way to purchase Paper Towels people. SO I’m going to test the Strength, Durability and quality of the top brands. Then we will find out where the best place to buy them.

    Paper Towel Strength Test

    To do the Strength test I have 3 Cups of water, one cup, 3 cups and 8 cups. and one cup of a heavier liquid, Heavy Whipping cream. I will dup the contents of each glass one at a time on the same table. Then swiping right to left see how far I can swipe before breaking or tearing the paper towel. Pretty simple right.

    Up first is the Quicker Picker upper, Bounty. This is the leading name brand In paper towels. Bounty is the big dog and I’m assuming they will fare the best in this test. One cup water, absorbs the water easily with room to spare. I’m able to continue swiping with no resistance or tearing. 3 cups fills the Towel and tears after 6 complete swipes back and forth on the kitchen table. I’m able to get 3 full swipes on 8 cups and the heavy whipping cream, How everyone sheet fails to pick up all of the liquid. I’m assuming this will be the standard.

    Next up is the Lumber Jack beefcake guy, Brawny. I like the Brawny Guy and I’m pulling for him already. One cup water, absorbs the water easily with room to spare. I’m able to continue swiping with no resistance or tearing. 3 cups fills the Towel and tears after 5 complete swipes back and forth on the kitchen table. I’m able to get 3 full swipes on 8 cups and the heavy whipping cream, How everyone sheet fails to pick up all of the liquid. Almost exactly as Bounty

    Brand X, I have 5 Different Brand X, generic brands from each off the Retail outlets. They All fared exactly the same, which is 10 swipes on 1 cup, 3 swipes on 3 cups and tear pretty much immediately on 8 cups while not picking up more than half the water. There is one exception, the Great Value brand from Walmart, I was assuming this would be the worst performer. However it did slightly better in every test. Who knew?

    Conclusion

    There is not a big enough difference between the best and the worst to make a cost analysis difference. What I mean by this, Bounty will not use less sheets then Brand X. So the best way to purchase is to go solely off cost.

     

    Best Paper Towel Deals For Bounty

    Searching through the big box retailers, the best deals I could find on bounty are at Target and Amazon.Not the best pricing option Target has a special offer. If you buy 3 you can get a 10$ target gift card. You must use their pick up or restock options though. IF you average that deal in, $21 for 24 rolls, $.83 a roll. Not the best paper towel deals, but decent.

    8 rolls,

    • $10.97 Amazon
    • $10.49 Target Buy 3, get $10 gift card with pickup or Target Restock

    Best Paper Towel Deals for Brawny

    These paper towels are the most expensive so I searched. I found a coupon at Publix that gave me $2.00 off. In addition they are on sale this week at a price of 2 8 pack rolls for $11. At a grand total cost per roll of $.56. Not too schabby. I stocked up.

    • $9.97 Walmart
    • 2 for $11.00 Publix

    Brand X

    If you are in a pinch and cash short, this is your option. How ever they don’t yield the best price per roll. An average of all 5 brand X of $.82 per roll. Just edging out Bounty but not coming close to the Brawny deal at Publix.

     

  • iPhone XS, XS Max and XR Breakdown

    iPhone XS, XS Max and XR Breakdown

    There has been months of speculation and hype about new iPhone X models rumored to be coming. “Today, we’re going to take iPhone X to the next level,” CEO Tim Cook said during the presentation and unveiling of new iPhone models.

    The iPhone X released last year was a total rethinking of the iPhone with features like Face ID and a edge to edge screen. Anticipation was high among iPhone fans and the day is finally here, and we have all the recaps.  Apple finally took the wraps off its new iPhones, including the iPhone Xs Max, its largest iPhone ever. With 3 new phone announcements, let’s take a look at what makes them different and sort through all the new details and features.

    iPhone Xs and Xs Max

    First off Apple  introduced the 5.8-inch iPhone Xs, which also has an OLED screen. The iPhone Xs is made of surgical-grade steel, is covered in new glass and comes in gold, silver and space gray. With the new A12 chip, more on this later, it allows the storage to be increased to 512 gb. The Xs will have 3 size options, 64gb, 256, or 512gb. The smaller 64gb is cutting a little close these days but 256gb should still be more than enough for 99% of the users out there.

    The iPhone XS will also incorporate more real-world machine learning for features such as augmented reality and FaceTime. The iOS upgrade will also open the door for Siri shortcuts, which users can customize.  For all the Instagram photographers out there the back camera has a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera and 12-megapixel telephoto camera, along with improvements to flash. For the selfie lovers the front camera will feature 7 megapixels.

    Both devices are identical with only one difference, the iPhone Xs is 5.8 inches, the iPhone Xs max is 6.5 inches. There also have been improvements to the overall strength of the glass screen, which is a great improvement for those of us with butter fingers.

    The iPhone XR

    Alongside with the Xs models Apple also revealed it’s midrange iPhone model, the XR.  The XR is the  bargain model that will be more affordable with most of the same features as the Xs. The iPhone XR has an LCD display called liquid retina and it features a 6.1-inch screen. It’s the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus, but with a larger screen because of it’s edge to edge screen.  The iPhone XR will also feature Face ID, and include the A12 Bionic chip like the XS. The big difference among these phones is the back camera: a single 12-megapixel wide-angle camera for the XR. The front camera will feature the same true depth features as the XS.

    On battery life, XR will offer an hour and a half more on one charge than the iPhone 8 Plus. Specs-wise, the XR is notable for matching many of the specs of the new XS, but one notable omission is 3D Touch, which  isn’t available with XR model. 

    While the 6.1-inch display seems large, the reduced bezels above and below the display  will make the XR slightly smaller than a traditional “Plus” iPhone and only slightly larger than the 5.8-inch iPhone XS. The iPhone XR will be available in a variety of colors including black, white, blue, coral, yellow and red.

    Pricing

    The iPhone XR will come in three sizes: 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB, and start at $749. Pre-orders arrive October 19, and ships October 26. XS available in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB starting at $999. The XS Max will start at $1,099. Both Xs models are available for pre-order immediately with shipping to begin on September 21st.


  • Apple’s A12 Chip: The Breakdown

    Apple’s A12 Chip: The Breakdown

    Apple has announced 3 new iphone at their sept gather round event. Each of these new phones is sport a new processor, Apple’s A12. Apple says “the A12 is a whole new level of intelligence. The A12 Bionic, with our next-generation Neural Engine, delivers incredible performance. It uses real-time machine learning to transform the way you experience photos, gaming, augmented reality, and more.” Lets dive in a find out what we have in store with this next gen processor.

     

    The scoop from the conference on these blazingly revolutionary chips is looking super hot. They said that under the hood, the new iPhone XS models pack Apple’s A12 Bionic CPU, the first commercially available 7nm chip. The processor, which comprises of a four-core CPU, six-core GPU a next-gen eight-core neural engine, promises to deliver a 15 per cent performance boost compared to last year’s A11 chip, 40 per cent lower power consumption and support for real-time machine learning.

    Apple’s A12 Bionic and Real Time Machine Learning

    What does that mean real time machine learning… In short It can now handle five trillion operations per second, which is a bloody massive hike on the A11 Bionic’s mere 600 billion. Of course, such numbers are meaningless to all but the most dedicated chip nerds, but it has lead to Apple claiming that Apple’s A12 Bionic is the “smartest” smartphone chip ever.

    Having such machine learning performance on a device rather than requiring a connection back to a central or cloud-based system could be the motivation to get developers making more apps with AI-capabilities, especially as there are plenty of kits and frameworks to make the integration of machine learning a much easier process

    Apple’s A12 Bionic chip follows the 7nm fabrication process. The previous A11 Bionic and Qualcomm’s current Snapdragon 845 CPUs both use 10nm processes. Generally speaking, smaller nodes means you can fit more components onto the same physical space, allowing for faster, more powerful processors.

     

    Apple’s A12 Bionic key features

    • CPU: Six cores
    • GPU: Four cores
    • Neural engine: Eight cores
    • Storage support: Up to 512GB addressable storage
    • Fabrication node: 7nm

    The Final Thought

    A Lot of this is gargon and way over our heads. Apple has a nice way of explaining it to the leigh person.  Apple says that this means apps will launch apps launch up to 30% faster than they would on an A11-powered iPhone, and overall performance is 50% faster.

     

  • Series 4 Apple Watch: Quick Recap

    Series 4 Apple Watch: Quick Recap

    Ill be the first to admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong. I had made an egregious assumption that the gather round event would indicate the Series 4 Apple Watch would be round. IT is not, but we did get a first glimpse at the new the Series 4 Apple Watch. So now that the event has come and gone let’s take a look at what we have with the series 4.

    As stated by some info that leaked ahead of the keynote, the watch has a larger screen than what we have used  on the first three editions. As a matter of fact it’s 35 percent bigger on the smaller 40mm model and 32 percent larger on the 44mm edition. It’s also thinner, with haptic feedback, a louder speaker, longer battery life, more watch faces, a Mindfulness app and some new build materials: ceramic and sapphire. It ships next week, on September 21st.

    ECG

    Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer  started us off by saying “We’re thrilled Apple Watch has become an essential part of people’s lives,” . “The completely redesigned Apple Watch Series 4 continues to be an indispensable communication and fitness companion, and now with the addition of groundbreaking features, like fall detection and the first-ever ECG app offered directly to consumers, it also becomes an intelligent guardian for your health.” This is Huge

    Here’s how it works. Apple Watch Series 4 enables customers to take an ECG reading right from the wrist using the new ECG app, which takes advantage of the electrodes built into the Digital Crown and new electrical heart rate sensor in the back crystal. With the app, users touch the Digital Crown and after 30 seconds, receive a heart rhythm classification. It can classify if the heart is beating in a normal pattern or whether there are signs of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), a heart condition that could lead to major health complications. All recordings, their associated classifications and any noted symptoms are stored in the Health app in a PDF that can be shared with physicians.

    The Final Thought

    It’s quite an upgrade over the previous models. They have seemed to nail the watch down and set it for main stream success. More so then it already has. I love the bigger face, it is what has been missing. While they didn’t mention the smaller 38mm option so if it will be available further is up in the air. The ECG sensor functions could really be a huge step In reducing heart attacks among the population. Having the most used watch in the world set to combat and monitor the number one cause of death could be a monumental change in our society.

  • Tech Throwback: 1st generation iPod

    Tech Throwback: 1st generation iPod

    I like to take a look at where I’ve been to evaluate where Im going. Technology is cyclical after all… wait no its not. That said I still like all the feels that come rushing back like a flood of nostalgia every time I get my hand on the tech I grew up with. I’m going to go back periodically and take a looking at the stuff that used to blow our hair back and get our minds rolling. Some of these device blew up and changed the world, some where ahead of their time and some just fell flat and became colossal failures. Today’s throwback is at the very center of our every day life, The original 1st generation iPod.

     

    The iPod wasn’t the first MP3 player — there were a number of models from a number of companies before Apple unveiled what came to be one of its flagship products — but the iPod was the first truly great MP3 player. It didn’t have the most storage or the most features, but it did have a dead-simple user interface, terrific industrial design, and the simplicity and polish that define Apple products (it also has an interesting story about how it got its name).

    It featured a black and white LCD and the first click wheel, a mechanical scrolling interface that let users quickly and conveniently scroll through long lists of music. The click wheel also included easy access buttons for playing, pausing, rewinding, and fast forwarding through music content. The first iPod’s battery lasted for up to 10 hours before needing to be recharged, and the device was priced at $399.

    1st generation iPod Blew Our Minds

    The 1st generation iPod can be identified by its scroll wheel, surrounded by four buttons (from top, clockwise: menu, forward, play/pause, backwards), and its center button for selecting items. The first-generation iPod, which Apple advertised with the tagline “1,000 songs in your pocket,” was a rectangle-shaped device with a 5GB 1.8-inch hard drive capable of holding 1,000 songs. Nice this about this is its still functional and available. You can buy one on amazon new. Sadly the software and iTunes software cant be reverted so there is no really going to back to visit the original iPod. Just nice to play with the wheel for a bit.

     

     

    The Final Thought

    While it was not the first MP3 player, the original iPod was both smaller and easier to use than many of its competitors. As a result, it quickly attracted accolades and strong sales. The iTunes Store did not yet exist (it was introduced in 2003), so users had to add music to their iPods from CDs .Looking back to when the iPod was introduced (near the turn of the century!), it’s hard to remember just how different the world of computing and portable devices was.

    . At its introduction, the iPod was a Mac-only product. It required Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X 10.1. There was no Facebook, no Twitter, no apps, no iPhone, no Netflix. The world was a very different place.

  • Apple’s Gather round event: One Last Prediction

    Apple’s Gather round event: One Last Prediction

    In a few short hours we will be live at Apple’s gather round event. Having just glanced at the invite I started looking further at the name gather round.. Apple always leaves subtle hints as to what their big reveal will be. Just look at last years “learn” event when they released the low cost iPad for schools. So gather round, I keep racking my brain like im Robert Langdon in the Davinci code try to decipher this code.

    Gather Round?

    Apple loves to play these games with us. Lets look at what we know already, Its a half upgrade phone year. The “s” year. We know already that apple will release 3 new phones, a possible new 12.5 inch apple ipad pro, new software all around.. wait around, round could that be it? A round of new software updates. Negative too boring.

    We also know The Apple Watch “Series 4″ will make its debut as well, gaining a larger display and a thinner chassis. The extra screen space should enable new watch faces with more complications, and it’s possible the device will add new sensors, such as one for EKG readings. New watch face, gather round, round watch face. Eureka that is it!

    You are reading this here first. Apple’s new iwatch series 4 will be a larger round face. They have been hinting at the new watch face with clues right under our nose. Apple tweeter earlier with a live event invitation ” Join us 12 September at 6:00 pm to watch the  live on Twitter. Tap ❤️ below and we’ll send you updates on event day.”  The heart is an obvious reference to the ECG monitors built in to the new series 4 watch.

    A Patent

    Back in May, Apple got a patent for a watch with a circular face from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Titled “electronic device having display with curved edges”. The patent goes deep in details about how a circular display can be used to show graphic information in such a device as opposed to the rectangular screen shape.

     

     

    The Final Thought

    We said it, wrote it down and now we wait for apple to tell us what we already figured out.  See you in a few hours.