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  • Hum X for the Non Car Guy

    Hum X for the Non Car Guy

    The Hum is a device that plugs in to your cars computer port giving you the ability to decode engine lights, get vehicle health reports. The Hum is simple – just plug it in to add connected car features to your drive. Even better, you can easily access Hum features on the go using the Hum App.

    The Great

    • Easy setup
    • Intuitive app interface
    • Engine light Diagnostics
    • Automatic maintenance checks
    • 4g LTE with Wifi
    • Emergency Assistance
    • Stolen Vehicle Assistance

     

    The Not

    • Cellular coverage is needed for emergency services
    • Added monthly cost

    The Conclusion

    The Hum can tell you whats up with the engine alert, call for help, keep you from getting bent at the mechanic, plus add a 4g LTE wifi to your car…bonus. You will want consider your needs against the cost of the service.

    Whats an Alternator?

    For us non car guys this is great. When my car starts acting funny or breaks down and its not out of gas, most of us are pretty clueless. Despite the fact that we spend an average of 5 years behind the wheel over our lifetime, most of us aren’t very “connected” to our cars. The hum is connected to the cloud to send and receive data for emergency and convenience purposes, as well as to keep tabs on car maintenance, mileage, and other performance aspects.

    Verizon Hum consists of an ODB-II dongle, a Bluetooth-enabled speaker/control unit that clips to your car’s sun visor, a USB charging cable for the speaker with a cigarette lighter adapter, and a companion Android and iOS smartphone app. Hum costs $14.99 per month. The equipment comes at no extra cost with the service but the The HumX system is priced slightly higher, with a $150 retail equipment price , and additional vehicles cost $12.99 each per month.

    Does It Work?

    With 4 roadside assistance calls per month, per vehicle, not per account, check. They work, get a battery jump, tire changed or a tow. The Bluetooth speaker, Hum’s Bluetooth speaker clips directly to your visor and communicates between the OBD-II reader and your app.

    The speaker also allows you to talk hands-free when driving, and provides one-button access to help in the event of an emergency. Side Note, if your car has Bluetooth you have to manually switch between both, so I’ve disregarded the speaker and just use the one built in to my car. The HumX’s silver speaker also acts as a Wi-Fi hotspot, which allows you to connect up to 10 devices at any one time and provides access to the internet in the car. 1 years ago, mind blowing, today? what doesn’t have its own internet connection these days?

    The diagnostic updates when a light appears on your dashboard are great. It tells me what and why the issues is, and how to fix it. It gives me easy-to-understand alerts, then I just breakout my tool box, a.k.a wallet. In the event something serious is going on you can use Hum’s Mechanics Hotline to obtain personalized, unbiased advice and repair estimates from certified, independent mechanics.

     

    New Drivers?

    The application offers navigation, keeps track of your trips, and handles 100 percent of the tracking for the driver Safety Score. It also allows you to set up a geo-fence and get an alert if your car travels outside of any designated area. These features are a true blessing for some parents with new drivers. Track your teens trips, where and when they go, get a real sense of there driving habits and if they ever go missing you have a great tool to help.

     

    The Final Thought

    If you have an unreliable car its worth the small investment. If you have kids, get the HumX to power there devices with internet otherwise stick with the Hum+.

     

     

  • Verizon to Lock My iPhone?

    Verizon to Lock My iPhone?

    The wireless carrier has been selling phones unlocked, allowing you to swap SIM cards and use other carriers. Soon, it’ll lock phones for a certain period to prevent theft and fraud.

    Verizon Lock Down

    Say this isnt so!  Ive gone through a lot with Verizon in recent months. First they move me from my old 30gb plan to the new unlimited plan, all the while assuring me that they will only throttle speeds once I have hit 22gb and im on a congested tower. I was told that day to day internet functions wouldn’t be affected but streaming movies or music may.  Not true, I haven’t been able to purchase tickets from fandango in the movie theater parking lot since. I don’t get any where close to 22gb, but if Im in any popular place my 4g LTE is gone, and my internet is completely useless. Rant aside, We are being told that the fantastic unspoken policy that Verizon does not add any sim locking carrier software is going away.

    Not On Rex Manning Day

    The nation’s largest wireless carrier said Monday that it would begin locking the phones it sells to consumers, which will prevent them from using a SIM card from another carrier. Initially, the phones will be unlocked as soon as a customer signs up and activates the service. But later in the spring, the company will begin the practice of keeping the phone locked for a period of time after the purchase – in line with the scams of  rest of the industry. While it is a function I don’t get that much use from, really only during international travel, Its one Im particularly fond of. I like to upgrade to the newest model iPhone every year upon its release. I wait in line at the crack of dawn with all the other die hards, we joke, laugh and share apple news, drinking coffee and waiting for the store to open. iPhone day is my 3rd favorite holiday of the year next to Rex Manning day. I have raviolis and throw confetti on my bushes. Once I move all my info to my new phone, I wipe my old phone and list it on craigslist. Im able to re-coop a large amount of the new phone by selling the old phone, usually 60%. I get a good price for last years model because I can safely sell it to anyone on any carrier knowing its unlocked and they will have no issues activating it. Well not anymore.

    Wait, is this Even Allowed?

    Verizon says They’re taking steps to combat this theft and reduce fraud,” according to Tami Erwin, executive vice president of wireless operations for Verizon, said in a statement. “These steps will make our phones exponentially less desirable to criminals.” Now, also to me. The move marks a broad reversal of its policy to offer all of its phones unlocked — part of a deal with the Federal Communications Commission requiring it to unlock phones as part of its acquisition of the “C block” of 700 megahertz spectrum which powers its 4G LTE network. One section of the deal specifically prohibits Verizon from configuring handsets to prevent them from working on other networks. Verizon argues it is still following the intent of the rule.

    The Final Thought

    My guess is its a way  for Verizon to protect itself from competition, with the locked phones making it tougher to switch. Thankfully Apple sell iPhones direct that are all unlocked, so it will be off to the Apple store with everyone else for iPhone Day from now on.