TwitWipe: An App that Deletes ALL of Your Tweets

Mischief.  Trouble.  Mayhem.  These three words can accompany a questionable decision you’ve made, a night of unwanted remembrance or a tweet that you regretted as soon as it left your tech savvy fingers.  We’ve all made questionable decisions in our time, that’s obvious.  With the emergence of social media, it’s easier to broadcast your debauchery via tweet, text, message or photo...in an instant.  It’s an immediate blast to the online world, forever etched in the Internet’s repertoire. 

Have you ever posted something you later regretted?  In most cases, you can delete a post fast enough to avoid detection.  However, once you push ENTER and one person sees the post before you delete it, they can share it with their friends in an instant.   I.e.  Anthony Weiner, the disgraced Congressman who infamously tweeted a private picture, was the center of a huge scandal.  It’s also hard to forget the tweet by Ashton Kutcher, regarding the Sandusky scandal that read: “How do you fire Jo Pa? #insult #noclass as a Hawkeye fan I find it in poor taste.” Before he knew about the scandal…the list goes on. 

For the impulsive Twitter junkie, there’s hope. A new app called TwitWipe is able to delete ALL of your tweets in one go.   This might be a little drastic for most Twitter users, but if you regret most of the things you’ve said on Twitter, this is definitely the ideal road to travel.  Utilizing TwitWipe will let you start fresh on Twitter without losing your followers, the people you follow or your favorites.  It’s more beneficial than deleting your account because you still hold on to your followers, who you follow etc…   

There is a downside, however.  TwitWipe takes time to perform deletion and once done, there’s no turning back.  If TwitWipe is the right thing for you, click: http://twitwipe.com/login.php

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Automotive Advertising

A Surefire Way to Save at the Pump

Gas is the last thing on your mind on December 21^st.  We’re one day into Hanukkah and only four days until Christmas and you NEED to finish your holiday shopping.  Online outlets have made it easier for us to make buying decisions on the net, but you can’t purchase EVERYTHING online.  You’ll need to drive…that’s where we come in.  If you’re trying to pinch pennies this season to get that new tablet for your favorite nephew, then here’s a suggestion:  when buying gas at the pump, stop buying premium. 

A lot of drivers ask themselves if they can switch.  The answer is yes.  Today’s automobiles have made strides in engine technology.  Even if the manual says premium, its performance will only suffer slightly.  For example, it might be a half a second slower when accelerating from 0-60.  Drivers should know if premium is recommended or required.  Still in doubt?  Here's a deeper explanation of why this is a benefit to your commute and your pockets.  

A long time ago, engines were unable to adjust to fuels with differing octane ratings.  If you used the wrong fuel, the engine would knock audibly as the fuel combustion became uncontrolled.  Engine knock can damage internal engine components over time.  Today advances in engine control systems can compensate for low octane by monitoring knock activity and adjusting ignition in advance to quell the knock.  According to Edmunds: “This sophisticated electronic capability effectively gives drivers more flexibility in the grade of fuels that they can safely use.  Compared to premium gasoline, lower-octane fuels don't allow the engine to run as much ignition advance during situations where lots of throttle might be used. Since the engine doesn't make quite as much power with lower-octane fuels, this translates into slower acceleration in cars for which premium fuel is recommended. The performance loss is especially noticeable in turbocharged gasoline engines.” In other words, this is only something you’ll notice if you have a heavy throttle foot.  Otherwise, it’s smooth sailing.  So take a sec at the pump and save!

Happy Holidays!

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Automotive Advertising

Finding a Fresh Christmas Tree

It’s two weeks before Christmas and you’re running around frantically.  The gifts are unwrapped, the food is unprepared and your Santa hat is nowhere to be found.  Stop.  Take a deep breathe and relax, we’re here to help.  Though we won’t be able to cook your holiday dinner, (we can make a mean roast, by the way) we will be able to help you with one of your dilemmas: finding the perfect Christmas tree. 

Finding the perfect tree starts with one simple rule: look for the green! According to Elwood Christmas Tree Farm owner Lee Itzler, the best way to test the health of an evergreen is to grab a branch of your Christmas tree-to-be and lightly scratch the stem. "If you see green, the tree will keep its needles longer."

Trees between 6 and 8 feet are always in high demand, taking between 8 and 10 years to grow 6 feet tall.  Once you pick out your tree, it’s best to put it inside of your car as opposed to on top.  Why? Itzer says: "Strapped on the roof, the trees get really beat up, wind burned, and desiccated. If you're a local delivery it really doesn't make a difference, but if you're going on the highway, then it should go in the car."  If you do have to put it on the roof, put the trunk facing into the wind.

Once your tree is home safe and sound, it’s time to get a good stand with heavy water retention.  The tree will soak up a lot of water over the course of the next couple days, so make sure to keep the stand full.  Viola! Your tree skills have improved this year! 

How do you retain your tree over the holiday season?  Let us know below!

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Automotive Advertising

Consumer Tips For Staying “Green”

As 2011 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to look back on the year.  For the auto industry, it was a tad rocky, but we’ve managed to bounce back.  In other aspects, it was a great year for hope and prosperity, instilling a feeling of pride for what we do as a whole.  As Americans, we have been able to navigate a recession and emerge victorious.  One aspect that should be addressed is the environment.  As individuals, we have a responsibility for the vegetation surrounding us and in today’s blog; we delve into options for staying “green” in our current economy.  Feel free to add your own in the comments section below!

According to Compatible Green Energy: 

1. Use cloth instead of paper:Try trading in your paper napkins, paper towels, paper plates and paper shopping bags, in exchange for more earth-friendly materials. Save the trees! People have been using cloth napkins, rags and shopping bags for centuries, not to mention that reusable, washable plates date back to the beginning of eating.

2. Grow something green: Plants use up CO₂ and release oxygen. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Oxygen is good – plain and simple. You can’t get much greener than that.

3. Make a compost pile: Instead of tossing your left over food in the trash, or sending it down the garbage disposal, make a compost pile. Anything that once came from a plant can be composted – fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, etc. Decomposed plant matter contains nutrients that make it a great natural fertilizer.

4. Trade your wheels: It’s no secret that cars produce pollution. In the name of health, try biking or walking instead of driving. Even using public transportation such as buses or trains is better for the environment than driving your personal car everywhere.

5. Recycle: Ancient civilizations recycled their metals and we’ve been recycling ever since. Now, with a modern twist, we can recycle metals, plastics, glass and paper. Recycled materials are broken down and then processed into new products, such as high-grade paper being deinked, pulped and then repressed into more paper.

6. Reuse: Before you recycle, look for ways to reuse empty bottles, old newspapers or plastic containers. You can use empty containers to store food, cleaning supplies or household materials. Not only is it good for the world to reuse your old materials, it might save you some money too.

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Automotive Advertising

The Kookiest Auto Races…EVER

 

We love speed.  The exhilaration we feel when we’re driving with the top down and the landscape is whizzing by is an American pastime, almost a tradition in our culture.  We pack Nascar Speedways to watch speed demons circle a track, drive fast in the HOV lane, and mount up a ridiculous amount of speeding violations on a daily basis.  We’re a speed-based country bent on getting to the next objective…quickly.  As fans of the racing dynamic and the sense of adrenaline we get from it, I’ve decided to pull 3 crazy races into a list (Courtesy of HowStuffWorks.com) on our Blog.  Check them out below:

Red Bull Soapbox Race

It’s all about gravity with this one.  The objective is to create a makeshift vessel that can be propelled with only standard wheels.  The vehicle is engineless, and zooming downhill in this derby and winning could warrant a prize.  The derby oozes creativity, with past entrants being in the shape of a piano, a giant corn on the cob, and…the Golden Gate Bridge.  Now that’s awesome!

24 Hours of LeMons

According to HowStuffWorks.com “While the actual 24 Hours of LeMans sports car race, held annually in the eponymous French city, features real racing cars that have been tuned and engineered within an inch of their lives, the 24 Hours of LeMons race features real, well, lemons.”  If you paid more than $500 for your car, including modifications you won’t be allowed on the track.  Our first car out of high school would have worked perfectly.

Gumball 3000

The Gumball 3000 is a high-end car rally that runs annually between locations since 1999.  The tradition began in London, making its way through Europe, ending in New York City.  Other Gumballs have gone from New York to the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles and from the Eiffel Tower in Paris to the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France -- not a very long trip until you consider that the route crossed the Mediterranean and passed through North Africa on its way to the finish line.  Have any you would like to add?

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AutomotiveAdvertising

Car People Who Know Grub: Quick Thanksgiving Recipes

Everyone is huddled around a long table, the soft scent of cranberry fused with smoked turkey emanates from the small area.  Your plate is already full to the brim with Turkey, doused in gravy and soaked up by a monstrous pile of stuffing.  You look down at your plate and smile.  Yes, this is perfection.  Thanksgiving is the best time of the year.  It’s a celebratory holiday for family, friends and an ice-cold brewski.  In other words, it’s AWESOME.  In today’s blog, we’re showing you that us car people can cook, too!  For those of you on your last minute cooking binge, pay attention!  We’ve got a couple of quick recipes courtesy of the Food Network for you:

Worlds Simplest Thanksgiving Turkey

Time: 3 Hours

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pull the neck and giblets out of the cavity; ditch the liverand save the rest of the gibletsfor gravy. Dry the turkey with paper towels, then season inside and out with salt and pepper. Fill the turkey with aromatics like chopped onions, carrots, applesand herbs, then place breast-side up in a roasting pan and brush with melted butter. Tent with foil and roast for 2 hours (for a 10- to 12-pound turkey; add an extra 15 minutes per pound for larger birds). Remove the foil, bastewith more melted butterand crank the oven to 425 degrees F. Roast for another hour or until the meat at the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Let rest while you make the gravy.

Pumpkin Pie

Time: 1 Hour 35 min

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
• 1 piece pre-made pie dough
• Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Enjoy!! Happy Thanksgiving!

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Automotive Advertising

App of the Week: Vlingo

The daily commute can put a damper on your attitude.  Lets face it, sometimes traffic is the worst thing in your existence.  To make life easier, there’s an app for that.  No it doesn’t fly you over traffic in a hovercraft vehicle equipped with back massager, but it does act as your personal assistant.  According to Vlingo: “Tell your phone what to do!  The Vlingo Virtual Assistant turns your words into action.  Vlingo combines voice to text technology with its "intent engine" to help you quickly complete your desired action.   Simply speak to your phone or type a command through the ActionBar to get just about anything done while on the go.

Looking for directions to a restaurant?  Need to do a quick mobile search for information on bee allergies?  Can’t find the number for a plumber?  Want to update your social status to tell everyone about your new puppy?  Maybe you need to send a quick text to a colleague because you’re running late for a meeting?  Or perhaps you’re looking for a safer alternative to texting while driving?  Vlingo can do all of these things for you, and so much more!  

Vlingo has accurate voice recognition technology, speed and intelligence to help you stay connected with the people, businesses and activities that are important to you. “

The best part?  The app is free.  It’s a safe alternative for getting info while on the road while keeping your family and yourself safe.  Check it out right here: http://www.vlingo.com/.  Vlingo is available on iOS, Android Blackberry, Nokia, and Windows smartphone platforms.

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Automotive Advertising

Car App of the Week: Waze, FREE GPS Application

Life has been made simpler with the emergence of smartphones.  Need to find a great place to eat? There’s an app for that.  Want to set up a reminder to pick milk after work?  There’s an app for that.  Want to begin your plan for world domination by taking over your city with one swift button?  There’s NO app for that, yet…but who knows what's in store for the future!

The iPhone app store has a plethora of GPS apps that range from $.99 to $100, all allowing for a step-by-step guide to get from point A to B.  Our app of the week, Waze, a new navigation system that provides step-by-step directions on a 3-D map, combining crowd-sourced info as well as accurate GPS, is the perfect solution. Also, the app is totally free!  According to 148Apps: “Waze is a free, social, mobile crowd-source navigation and real-time traffic application for iPhone that gives its users a "real-time," live description of the road/driving conditions around them. It's a free, useful, fun application everyone should download and experience!”

Waze features:

·      Constantly-updated road map

·      Real-time traffic updates

·      Automatic rerouting

·      Live reports from users on the road

·      Turn-by turn directions

·      Road tweets – Twitter integration

·      Foursquare integration

·      Automatically learned frequent routes

·      Picture sharing from the road

·      User contribution scoreboard

Download ASAP! For more, visit: http://www.148apps.com/reviews/waze/and http://www.waze.com/download/to download

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Automotive Advertising

Roadside Assistance Tips

The road can be a dangerous place.  We all take the necessary precautions to create a safe vessel for our daily commute, but in some cases, things are unavoidable.  If you have been the victim of a flat tire, or mechanical mishap, then you’ve experienced that lonely feeling.  You’re stuck on the side of the road, all of your contacts are either busy or too far away for contact, and you feel stranded. Alone.  Roadside assistance has created a safe haven for daily commuters.  It’s a great service that provides assistance to motorists whose vehicles have suffered a mechanical failure that is significant enough to leave them stranded.  In today’s blog, we provide some tips for getting through it.

The first thing you should do is call and establish with the operator what the problem is.  The call is then relayed to the tow driver or emergency officials.  By popping the hood to see what’s wrong or getting out and checking the damage, you can survey the problem.  This gives the officials a general idea of what to expect.  Please, take caution, if you feel as if you’re taking a chance, stay in your vehicle!!

The next thing to do is describe your location.  According to eHow: “Tell the operator where exactly you were driving and where you think you may be on the road. This will help the operator call the closest tow truck company or emergency medical services so that they can get to you as quickly as possible. Turning on your flashers or your headlights and, if you feel safe doing so, put out reflective triangles behind your car to help the tow truck driver find you in a shorter amount of time.”

Information!  Information!  Information! Always keep a copy of all the info you would need for roadside assistance.  One should be in your wallet or purse, while the other should be easily accessible in your vehicle.  This should include the numbers that you would need for the operator, expiration date, and other details.

These are just a few tips for you guys to check out…feel free to comment!

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Automotive Advertising

The DeLorean is Back From the Future…and it’s ELECTRIC!

“McFly!” The phrase is well known in American society.  A quip that has been instilled in us since the eighties by a burly young man known by one syllable: Biff.  This man, Marty McFly’s arch-nemesis, made his life a living hell in the Back to the Future films by berating him with comments, abuse, and the fondling of his future mom (i.e. see film).  It’s an American classic.  Marty’s vehicle of choice for transcending the time space continuum was a 981 DeLorean DMC-12, a futuristic vehicle with gullwing doors and a fictional “flux capacitor”, the main cog in initiating time travel.  Now, in 2011, the manufacturers over at DeLorean have decided to bring this classic back…as an electric vehicle!  Check it out below:

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Automotive Advertising

Driving Cautiously in a Downpour

Rain is essential.  It helps vegetation flourish, provides nutrients to soil, and is an overall integral part of life here on Earth.  But when it’s hitting your windshield and the pitter-patter of raindrops causes you to clench your teeth, it’s time to take precaution.  Rain can be attributed to thousands of car accidents a year.  Accidents can be preventable by drivers who weather (pun intended) the conditions of the road, using their intuition and defensive driving skills to stay safe during their commute.  When the road is wet, a film is created on the asphalt, causing your tires to lose traction.  Another problem during a downpour is your perception.  You can’t see as far into the distance as normal, so this decreases visibility of other cars and the road itself.

In today’s blog, we discuss some options to driving safely when the roads are wet.

Be careful when it rains after a dry spell.  Engine and oil grease cake up on asphalt over time.  When this is mixed with rainwater, it can cause the road to be extremely slick. 

Allot more time for your commute.  This allows for a steady drive to your destination.  The last thing you want to do is rush, it also compensates for delays, flooding, and unexpected accidents.

No Cruise control!  If you go into a hydroplane, there’s a slight chance your car could accelerate.  Reaction time is crucial and you’ll need your foot close to the pedal at all times.

Turn on your headlights.  This helps you see the road, and also lets motorists see you.  Blasting your high beams however can prove detrimental.  It can obscure your view further, reflecting water droplets in the air. 

Hydroplaning.  The first rule to avoiding the dreaded hydroplane is to avoid braking suddenly or turning the wheel, which can cause your car to spin or skid off of the road.  According to Edmunds: “Release the gas pedal slowly and steer straight until the car regains traction. If you must brake, tap the brake pedal (unless you have antilock brakes, in which case you can put your foot down).”

Defog your windows.  Rain causes your windshield to fog up fairly quickly.  Turn on your defrosters and make sure you're A/C is turned on.  Most vehicles climate control systems will automatically engage the A/C when the windshields defrost is selected. 

Do you have any tips for us?  Feel free to provide them below, we love your feedback!

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Automotive Advertising

Awesome New Automotive Technology

When I close my eyes and picture the future of the automobile, several things come to mind.  Maybe a vessel that moves like a flying saucer that only George Jetson could maneuver, or a hovercraft that can traverse both land and sea? The state of vehicle technology has amazed me with each passing day.  In today’s blog, we discuss the future of car technology and how it will affect the way we roll. 

Emergency Steer Assist

To begin, this system does not take over and steer for you, it’s designed to compliment emergency braking systems.  According to Popular Mechanics: “ESA works with your electric steering rack to vary the torque by direction, thus very convincingly "suggesting" the proper steering wheel motion. Suppose you need to swerve left—the torque in the clockwise motion is greatly increased (resistance), but it's ridiculously easy to turn the wheel counterclockwise. Similarly, during the maneuver recovery phase (you may know this as the tank slapper), the inverse is true, the steering working in tandem with ESC (electronic stability control, mandatory on all cars in 2011) to control the aftereffects of the swerve.

Adaptive Cruise Control

ACC is only available on a few select vehicles, but by utilizing radar sensors on the front of a vehicle, adaptive cruise control can tell when an object is in front of it and if that object is moving and how quickly.  Thus, maintaining a constant speed, but also maintaining a set distance between it and the car in front.  Brilliant!

Self Parking Cars

Advance parking Guidance Systems use sensors all around the car to guide it into a parallel parking space.  So, if you’re in the drivers seat, and you remove your hands from the steering wheel and your feet from the gas pedal…viola! There are a couple stipulations, however.  One, the spot has to be at least 6 feet long, and you have to position the vehicle and tell it where to go, but still…this is something you would expect to see in a sci-fi movie! Thumbs up!  There are countless other new devices in the market!!  Feel free to add any that you’ve seen.

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Automotive Advertising

Finding the Right Vehicle...For You

Your palms are sweaty, your eyes are burning, and you’re nervously tapping your foot against the floor. “Click” the sound of your mouse causes you to sweat as you feverishly look for an ew car online.  It shouldn’t be THIS difficult! Having trouble deciding on what vehicle to purchase next? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back!  Choosing your next vehicle is a big investment that starts ahead with careful planning.  We can help.  Come in to see us any time for your questions and concerns, we’ll be happy to help you.  Until then, take a look at this brief video to help you decide what type of vehicle is right for you, then come in for great assistance from our sales team. 

 

  
Do you want a manual or automatic transmission?

Do you really need four-wheel drive? Or all-wheel drive?

What safety features do you want?

Do you require a lot of cargo capacity?

Will you be doing any towing?

Do you have a bad back and need flexible seating positions?

Will the car easily fit in your garage or parking space?

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