Here are some great songs to start off the weekend right!
5. We Are the Champions - Queen
4. Let It Be - Beatles
3. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
2. Good Life - OneRepublic
1. What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Friday, February 28, 2014
Thursday, February 20, 2014
These Apps Are Great For Saving Time On Commutes
We all know that Traffic Technology is evolving at the speed of
light. Also, the moment you drive off the lot you might find out that
some insane new technology just came out! For this reason, we’ve
compiled the best apps you can download to help you save time on your
work commute. It will help you avoid, accidents, traffic, police stops
and radars or basically anything that will prevent you from getting home
fast.
Garmin Street Pilot
This expensive software with photo- realistic mapping and right-now prompts, which worked well even when you are cruising through rural areas without a cell signal. That detail and immediacy are the result of maps that live locally on your smartphone, not in the cloud. Another distinguishing feature is Garmin's awesome mass-transit database. The app can route you to the nearest parking garage and it will drop a virtual pin on the map to help you remember your car's location. It even knows the bus schedule and will help you find the nearest Bus/Metro/Ferry stop. Live traffic information is provided by Here and augmented by crowd sourced data.
Waze
Recently purchased by Google we still need to say, it's not Google Maps with added directions. The maps and routings are built by 50 million worldwide users. Traffic data in the U.S. is based entirely on the progress of "wazers" currently driving. These generous volunteers provide information on speed traps, accidents, and other road events, which fellow wazers confirm and update. But Waze needs an internet connection; lose service and most of the info is unavailable. The police and traffic warnings are highly reliable, and points-of-interest searches are augmented by larger databases such as Google, Yelp, and Foursquare. This is basically a game-changer in the Traffic Apps of the world.
Scout
This product comes from mapping- and traffic-service provider Telenav, so they know what they are talking about.In case you don’t know who they are, they are the inventors of In-Car Mapping systems. We like the layers of information that come with directions, such as weather forecasts. Two other features stand out: OnMyWay texts contacts that you're en route, and the Meet Up function lets multiple users see the others' progress in real time. Scout also acts as an event guide, with listings of movie times, concerts, and so on. In-app upgrades include speed traps and speed cameras. Like Waze, Scout's prompts may be a beat slower than those of Garmin's StreetPilot, but, hey—it's free! We also love that you can choose a monster truck as the icon for your car. Basically, this is a very contender! Don’t miss out on it.
Trapster
Directions and traffic alerts aren't the only ways to improve your commute—apps can also help you steer clear of cops, drive green, or find a charge. For those averse to tickets and fines, Trapster uses voice prompts to flag red-light and speed cameras along with known speed traps. Data is crowd sourced from 20 million users, and accuracy is solid.
Garmin Street Pilot
This expensive software with photo- realistic mapping and right-now prompts, which worked well even when you are cruising through rural areas without a cell signal. That detail and immediacy are the result of maps that live locally on your smartphone, not in the cloud. Another distinguishing feature is Garmin's awesome mass-transit database. The app can route you to the nearest parking garage and it will drop a virtual pin on the map to help you remember your car's location. It even knows the bus schedule and will help you find the nearest Bus/Metro/Ferry stop. Live traffic information is provided by Here and augmented by crowd sourced data.
Waze
Recently purchased by Google we still need to say, it's not Google Maps with added directions. The maps and routings are built by 50 million worldwide users. Traffic data in the U.S. is based entirely on the progress of "wazers" currently driving. These generous volunteers provide information on speed traps, accidents, and other road events, which fellow wazers confirm and update. But Waze needs an internet connection; lose service and most of the info is unavailable. The police and traffic warnings are highly reliable, and points-of-interest searches are augmented by larger databases such as Google, Yelp, and Foursquare. This is basically a game-changer in the Traffic Apps of the world.
Scout
This product comes from mapping- and traffic-service provider Telenav, so they know what they are talking about.In case you don’t know who they are, they are the inventors of In-Car Mapping systems. We like the layers of information that come with directions, such as weather forecasts. Two other features stand out: OnMyWay texts contacts that you're en route, and the Meet Up function lets multiple users see the others' progress in real time. Scout also acts as an event guide, with listings of movie times, concerts, and so on. In-app upgrades include speed traps and speed cameras. Like Waze, Scout's prompts may be a beat slower than those of Garmin's StreetPilot, but, hey—it's free! We also love that you can choose a monster truck as the icon for your car. Basically, this is a very contender! Don’t miss out on it.
Trapster
Directions and traffic alerts aren't the only ways to improve your commute—apps can also help you steer clear of cops, drive green, or find a charge. For those averse to tickets and fines, Trapster uses voice prompts to flag red-light and speed cameras along with known speed traps. Data is crowd sourced from 20 million users, and accuracy is solid.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Interesting Commutes From Around The World
Tired of rush-hour traffic? Exhausted from hour-long drives to work?
These people's commutes will make yours look like a walk in the park!
1. Anyone who has to drive along the North Yungas Road in Bolivia. Where's that horse and buggy when you need it?
2. Anyone hoping to get on this train in Beijing. Claustrophobia is a valid excuse for being late to work... we hope.
3. Anyone who constantly has to risk their life by driving under the Devil’s Nose. Must be quite a sight when it rains.
4. Anyone who has no choice but using a zip line to get to town in Colombia. For a handful of families living there, zip lines are the only way to cross a river and not a source of recreational amusement.
5. Anyone who has to cross the Hussaini Bridge in Kashmir. The bridge divides a village in two - on one side are houses, on the other are farms. What was that old saying about a house divided?
1. Anyone who has to drive along the North Yungas Road in Bolivia. Where's that horse and buggy when you need it?
2. Anyone hoping to get on this train in Beijing. Claustrophobia is a valid excuse for being late to work... we hope.
3. Anyone who constantly has to risk their life by driving under the Devil’s Nose. Must be quite a sight when it rains.
4. Anyone who has no choice but using a zip line to get to town in Colombia. For a handful of families living there, zip lines are the only way to cross a river and not a source of recreational amusement.
5. Anyone who has to cross the Hussaini Bridge in Kashmir. The bridge divides a village in two - on one side are houses, on the other are farms. What was that old saying about a house divided?
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Chinese New Year: The Year of The Horse
While the New Year (January 1st) is the one we are traditionally used
to, another new year is a very important one amongst many around the
world. That is the Chinese New Year. It is the Lunar New Year and the
Chinese Year of the Horse. The horse
is part of a 12-year-cycle of animals that make up the Chinese zodiac.
These interact with the five elements: wood, fire, metal, water and
earth. 2014 is the year of the wood horse.
The spirit of the horse is recognized to be the Chinese people's ethos – making unremitting efforts to improve themselves. It is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able. Ancient people liked to designate an able person as 'Qianli Ma', a horse that covers a thousand li a day (one li equals 500 meters).
The spirit of the horse is recognized to be the Chinese people's ethos – making unremitting efforts to improve themselves. It is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able. Ancient people liked to designate an able person as 'Qianli Ma', a horse that covers a thousand li a day (one li equals 500 meters).
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Five Audiobooks Perfect For A Long Drive
The Invention of Wings: A Novel
Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
Written by: Sue Monk Kidd
Summary: From the celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees comes a magnificent novel about two unforgettable American women. Sue Monk Kidd presents a masterpiece of hope, daring, the quest for freedom, and the desire to have a voice in the world. Hetty “Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke’s daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women.
Imperial Life in the Emerald City
Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
Summary: The Washington Post's former Baghdad bureau chief, Rajiv Chandrasekaran, takes us into the Green Zone, headquarters for the American occupation in Iraq. In this bubble separated from wartime realities, the task of reconstructing Iraq is in the hands of 20-somethings chosen for their Republican Party loyalty. They pursue irrelevant neoconservative solutions and pie-in-the-sky policies instead of rebuilding looted buildings and restoring electricity, angering the locals and fueling the insurgency.
Divergent, Book 1
Written by: Veronica Roth
Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
Summary: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue - Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is - she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War
Length: 25 hrs and 42 minsSummary: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue - Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is - she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War
Written by: Robert M. Gates
Summary: From the former secretary of defense, a strikingly candid, vivid account of serving Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When Robert M. Gates received a call from the White House, he thought he'd long left Washington politics behind: After working for six presidents in both the CIA and the National Security Council, he was happily serving as president of Texas A&M University. But when he was asked to help a nation mired in two wars and to aid the troops doing the fighting, he answered what he felt was the call of duty.
Sycamore Row
Written by: John Grisham
Length: 20 hrs and 50 mins
Summary: Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County's most notorious citizens, just three years earlier. The second will raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly?
Friday, January 24, 2014
Why Is My Check Engine Light On?
Something none of us likes to see is the “Check Engine” light
illuminating our dashboard. After the initial horror and disbelief, our
thoughts turn to hoping it is not a major issue. The worst thing we
can do is avoid seeing a mechanic immediately – some issues just get
worse if left unchecked. So, what is that little light telling you? Here
are the eight issues it could be signaling you to address:
1. Oxygen sensor failing
Oxygen sensors keep engines performing at peak efficiency levels, and they manage emissions. O2 sensors monitor gasses leaving the engine. Engines need exact ratios of fuel and air for the most efficient operation. Malfunctions can drop your fuel economy by up to 40 percent. Engine performance is also negatively affected.
2. Ignition coil problems
Ignition coils take electric current from the battery and ignite the spark plugs. Without properly functioning coils and spark plugs, the electric current powering your car's engine are disrupted. All the parts in the car's electrical system take a lot of wear and tear from the electricity passing through them.
3. Spark plugs and spark plug wires
Along with the ignition coils, spark plugs and wires are critical components of the vehicle electrical system. Symptoms of problems with plugs and wires include rough engine idling, engine misses or pings, erratic engine power including power losses and power surges. When engines misfire, fuel economy drops. Ignoring spark plug and plug wire problems can permanently damage the car's catalytic converter, leading to very expensive repairs.
4. Mass airflow sensor malfunctions
The mass airflow sensor, or MAF, measures the air coming into the engine and calculating how much fuel to add to the mix. This data goes to the Engine Control Unit (ECU). Without correct information from the MAF, the ECU cannot correctly balance or deliver the right amount of fuel to your engine. The result is very poor engine performance and 10 to 25 percent decreases in fuel efficiency. Replace this critical component immediately if it begins to fail.
5. Faulty vacuum hose or evaporative emission control system
The evaporative emission control system (EVAP) of a car keeps gasoline vapors from the fuel system and gas tank from release into the air. Leaking vacuum hoses and vents, defective valves and faulty gas caps all contribute to EVAP system problems.
6. Exhaust gas recirculation valve and ports are dirty
The exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR) controls your car's emissions and helps cars run more efficiently. Rough idling, engine hesitation and misfires can indicate an EGR problem. Worsening performance and fuel economy often result from EGR problems. Often the components of the EGR system are dirty or clogged.
7. Catalytic converter failures
Catalytic converters are often the most expensive mechanical repairs made to vehicles. As a part of the exhaust system, it converts dangerous chemicals in car exhaust into less harmful compounds to release into the air. Catalytic converters should last for the lifetime of the car. Most problems with catalytic converters come from underlying problems such as those that occur with bad spark plugs or ignition coil problems.
8. Dead battery and charging system problems
Most cars have computer systems that monitor voltage in the electrical and battery systems. The computers activate the check engine light when anything appears amiss in the charging system of the car. High temperatures in the engine compartment contribute to rapid aging of batteries.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8211449
1. Oxygen sensor failing
Oxygen sensors keep engines performing at peak efficiency levels, and they manage emissions. O2 sensors monitor gasses leaving the engine. Engines need exact ratios of fuel and air for the most efficient operation. Malfunctions can drop your fuel economy by up to 40 percent. Engine performance is also negatively affected.
2. Ignition coil problems
Ignition coils take electric current from the battery and ignite the spark plugs. Without properly functioning coils and spark plugs, the electric current powering your car's engine are disrupted. All the parts in the car's electrical system take a lot of wear and tear from the electricity passing through them.
3. Spark plugs and spark plug wires
Along with the ignition coils, spark plugs and wires are critical components of the vehicle electrical system. Symptoms of problems with plugs and wires include rough engine idling, engine misses or pings, erratic engine power including power losses and power surges. When engines misfire, fuel economy drops. Ignoring spark plug and plug wire problems can permanently damage the car's catalytic converter, leading to very expensive repairs.
4. Mass airflow sensor malfunctions
The mass airflow sensor, or MAF, measures the air coming into the engine and calculating how much fuel to add to the mix. This data goes to the Engine Control Unit (ECU). Without correct information from the MAF, the ECU cannot correctly balance or deliver the right amount of fuel to your engine. The result is very poor engine performance and 10 to 25 percent decreases in fuel efficiency. Replace this critical component immediately if it begins to fail.
5. Faulty vacuum hose or evaporative emission control system
The evaporative emission control system (EVAP) of a car keeps gasoline vapors from the fuel system and gas tank from release into the air. Leaking vacuum hoses and vents, defective valves and faulty gas caps all contribute to EVAP system problems.
6. Exhaust gas recirculation valve and ports are dirty
The exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR) controls your car's emissions and helps cars run more efficiently. Rough idling, engine hesitation and misfires can indicate an EGR problem. Worsening performance and fuel economy often result from EGR problems. Often the components of the EGR system are dirty or clogged.
7. Catalytic converter failures
Catalytic converters are often the most expensive mechanical repairs made to vehicles. As a part of the exhaust system, it converts dangerous chemicals in car exhaust into less harmful compounds to release into the air. Catalytic converters should last for the lifetime of the car. Most problems with catalytic converters come from underlying problems such as those that occur with bad spark plugs or ignition coil problems.
8. Dead battery and charging system problems
Most cars have computer systems that monitor voltage in the electrical and battery systems. The computers activate the check engine light when anything appears amiss in the charging system of the car. High temperatures in the engine compartment contribute to rapid aging of batteries.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8211449
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)