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Which Virtual Assistant is the Smart Choice?

Virtual Assistants of today are displaying the very early phases of science-fiction virtual assistants like Jarvis. With their help,soon we'll superheroes.

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Which Virtual Assistant is the Smart Choice?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwOxM0-byvc Virtual Assistants, run by AI, are displaying the very early phases of Jarvis. True, they are not to the level of Tony Stark’s trusty assistant Jarvis…yet. The good news is we are closer to realizing virtual assistants that could outperform even Jarvis. Soon everyone may have access to a highly competent and integrated virtual assistant...even if we're not superheroes. For now, we'll have to continue taking care of our living spaces on our own. Sorry. On the upside, there are smart home devices available now for you to install in your home. These require a virtual assistant to run, either by voice or through an app. There will be some work and costs required up front, but with a little planning, you can have your smart home devices running the trivial to minor tasks of your house. This will save you time, and ultimately, some cash. Finding the right virtual assistant to help you can be a difficult choice.

The Best Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants act like a butler or a maid. The main difference is they're automated and available to everyone. No longer do you need to pay a hefty annual salary in exchange for a “gentleman’s gentleman.” Instead, there’s Google Assistant, Apple's Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Amazon’s Alexa. There will be more as the demand for better and better virtual assistants increases. As of this writing, Assistant, Siri, Cortana, and Alexa are the top four available. They may not be of the caliber of Jarvis, yet they do bear striking resemblance to the Marvel Comic’s character, as well as other highly qualified, though fictional, assistants.

Jeeves

Long before Downton Abby, PBS would broadcast the hilarious British comedy Jeeves and Wooster, based on characters created by PG Wodehouse. You may not recognize the names, but you’ll recognize the stars. Hugh Laurie, playing the role of Berty Wooster, is better known for his role as the Vicodin-popping genius of diagnosis-- House. Comedy legend Stephen Fry took on the role of the ever-present, ever helpful- and ever clever- Jeeves. "Clever and helpful" is a good description of Amazon’s Alexa. When paired with the Echo and the Dot, Amazon’s smart speaker system, Alexa excels at answering questions and getting the answer right…most of the time. She can also help with finding directions, providing updates on traffic, and making calls.

Alfred Pennyworth

Bruce Wayne, the troubled but wealthy orphan, always has help from Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred, though played by many actors over the years, is the epitome of jack-of-all-trades servant. Broke down car? Alfred knew how to do that. Computer code needs writing? Alfred knew how to do that. Multiple gunshot wounds that need bandaging? Alfred knew how to do that. For the sake of this post, Michael Caine’s interpretation of the character is the most iconic. While Alfred Gough did step into the role more often, the gritty realism and paternal affection of Caine gave the character depth and elevated him to a serious part of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Saga. Sadly, Jeremy Iron’s talents are wasted on the tiny role of Alfred Pennyworth in the newer incarnation of the Caped Crusader. By setting Michael Caine as the Alfred Pennyworth, Microsoft’s Cortana most closely resembles this famed assistant. Thanks to Microsoft’s heavy involvement in the development of the personal computer, a huge database of information is available to plug Cortana into. The result is a virtual assistant who can answer more questions and answer them correctly.

 Jarvis

Born on the pages of Iron Man, Jarvis was at first a person. For Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, however, Jarvis was turned into a true virtual assistant. Integrating everything Tony Stark needed, Jarvis was every present and ready to help. All Tony had to say was “Jarvis…” and the awesome voice of Paul Bettany would pipe in with “Yes, sir.” Of course, by the second Avengers movie, Paul Bettany finally gets to flex more than his vocal chops and takes on the role of The Vision. Despite this vocational change for the character, Jarvis assisted Tony Stark through all three Iron Man films, even saving his life. Google Assistant is the closest approximation we have today of Jarvis. Scoring better than Alexa and Cortana in answering questions, and answering them correctly, Google Smart Home products are also cheaper than Amazon's.

Janine Melnitz

Played by the stellar Annie Potts, Janine Melnitz was the, ahem, below average secretary to the Ghostbusters. Competent in her work, she really complained more than anything. Annie Potts, because she’s an awesome actress, made the character funny and held her own against Bill Murray, Rick Moranis, Harold Ramis, and Dan Aykroyd. Apple Siri fits this description the best- not very helpful but can joke a lot.

Time to Get to Work

Unlike their fictional counterparts, these assistants are real and will help with tasks when asked. How well they do it is up for debate.

Alexa

Echo has scored well when it comes to responding to voice commands and working with various third-party smart home devices. Couple this with the Dot and Alexa integrates easily into your home. Setting up smart light bulbs, plugs, thermostats, and security devices can give you more influence when running your house. After installation, you can set up groups and routines. Through Alexa, you can turn off all the lights in a certain part of the house, program your thermostat while away, and monitor security. There is set up and costs involved, as well as trial and error. Once you've figured it out, you'll be saving both time and money.

Assistant

Google Assistant is second in this category. The Google products required to make your home a smart home have been rated lower than Amazon’s. On the upside, they are cheaper than Amazon, and Google Assistant has been shown to answer more questions accurately than Alexa.

Siri

Apple Siri, though there are some smart home devices, they are not as diverse as what Google and Amazon offer. And since Siri is pulling a Melnitz, it seems Siri isn’t a good choice as an assistant for your smart home.

Cortana

Microsoft Cortana, though brilliant, has no smart home devices it can integrate with. Cortana is going to be sticking with the computer for the foreseeable future.

“Is that all, sir?”

No matter your choice when it comes to picking a virtual assistant, remember that we are still very far away from our own Jarvis, Alfred, and Jeeves. There may already be a Melnitz out there though. Another downside is that we’re still stuck with the task of taking out the garbage, changing the laundry, and cleaning the dishes. Unless we hit the lottery, these are still the everyday chores we’re tasked with. Without Jeeves, Jarvis, Alfred, and even Melnitz, taking care of chores can be a superhero task.
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Who Killed Your Wi-Fi?

It's Friday night,you turn on your favorite streaming service. Only to find your TV is stuck on the loading screen. Someone has killed your Wi-Fi. But who?

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Who Killed Your Wi-Fi?
It’s Friday night and you’re simultaneously turning on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu to catch the most recent binge-worthy show. This week’s flavor is...crime dramas. Yet, the TV is stuck on the loading screen. Someone has killed your Wi-Fi. The screen will only show the spinning wheel that never stops. Instead of loading your show it simply taunts you. Thanks to having watched a few police shows already, you’re confident in your detective skills to assess the evidence, round up suspects, and deliver the perpetrator to justice. It’s the Internet Service Provider. Plain and simple. Cue the end credits, no need for further investigation. Right?

Bring It Out Into the Open

Your badge isn’t on the line, but admit it, you jumped straight to the conclusion that your ISP killed your Wi-Fi. Stop and look around the room. Locate the Wi-Fi router. Is it tucked away in the corner? Set high up a shelf with books? Hidden behind your TV because you’re ashamed that it doesn’t fit with the overall aesthetic? Now is the time to move it somewhere closer to the middle of your house or apartment. Wi-Fi, like a sprinkler, does its best when it’s in the middle of the space and can be seen from each corner easily. An optimal location for it would be to install it on the ceiling. Obviously, this isn’t an option for everyone. There’s also the concern of having your Wi-Fi router hanging from the ceiling like a bat. While this option may not be feasible for most, work to locate a spot near the middle of your living space. Be it an apartment or home, there should be a spot near the center that you can use to set your router. Also, try to get it up as high as you can. Going back to the sprinkler metaphor; sprinklers cast the water out and it falls to the earth. So the higher the sprinkler, the greater the coverage of the lawn. Same with a Wi-Fi router, though the signal doesn’t fall like water, you’ll notice better reception when it is placed higher.

Appliances Are An Accomplice

Your Wi-Fi router, while sitting still and unassuming, is constantly being accosted as it tries to do its job--send and receive signals. Some of these suspects may be surprising to you.

Home appliances

This may seem obvious. Most appliances plug into the wall and are made out of metal. All that metal and electricity interfere with a Wi-Fi signal. In a way, they create their own little signals. They don’t mean to do it as they’re just doing a job as well. The problem can be exacerbated further with appliances now coming with their own Wi-Fi signals in an attempt to make homes “smarter.” Think of the refrigerators with touch screens and cameras inside. While these are meant to work with your personal Wi-Fi network, they can also end up taking more of the bandwidth and leaving you sitting there staring at the pinwheel of boredom.

Blinds

Some blinds are made of plastic or compressed board. And a lot are manufactured out of metal. Again, the metal is what will affect your Wi-Fi signal. On the flipside, there may be a new market here- “Interior Design that is both stylish and won’t kill your Wi-Fi!”

Mirrors

The reflective coating that gives mirrors their...mirror-ness, also bounce Wi-Fi signals off in haphazard directions.

Reinforced Concrete

The rebar inside of reinforced concrete will affect the Wi-Fi signal, as well as the dense nature of the concrete itself. This time it's not just the metal, but the concrete too.

Fish Tanks

Yes, there are comprised of metal too, but also a lot of water. So while Nemo is taking laps and plotting his escape, the water he’s swimming in is also making it difficult for your Wi-Fi signal to get through. Of course, you can’t take out all the metal in your home, nor can you leave the windows uncovered and tear down any walls. There will be obstacles to your Wi-Fi, but you can eliminate or lessen them by placing your router somewhere up high and near the center of your abode. There are also ways to extend your Wi-Fi signal.

The Butler Did It!

Those smart home devices mentioned earlier? Yeah, they could be the ones who killed your Wi-Fi, or they may be taking up a lot of the bandwidth. Earlier this year, it was revealed that these smart home devices were actually bogging down your home's Wi-Fi signals. A bug in the system caused a lot of data to be sent at once, impeding the Wi-Fi. Most of the kinks are being resolved right now, but don’t be surprised if your Wi-Fi is slow after you plug in your newest smart home device. There is good news; patches have been sent out in updates to fix the problem. So if you haven’t updated yet, this may be the reason. Or maybe those little boxes just got tired of you shouting at it? Maybe.

It's an Open and Shut Case

Thanks to buddy cop movies and police procedural shows we can solve the case of "who killed your Wi-Fi?" with confidence. But do not, and this is important, start trying to solve murder/arson/robbery cases on your own. Leave that up to the professionals! What it all boils down to is understanding the technology you use and how its affected by items in your home. This knowledge will ensure a proper solution to these “crimes.” The next time you see the spinning wheel of doom, take a moment to assess the room and figure out if the router just needs to be moved or if you have an appliance in the way? 
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4 Ways to Keep Rising Prices from Burning Up Your Wallet

Since a few streaming services have decided to raise their rates, this also creates optimal fire conditions in your wallet.

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4 Ways to Keep Rising Prices from Burning Up Your Wallet
With summer in full swing, temperatures rise. It’s not uncommon to see forest fires in more rural parts of the country. As the heat and the dry winds cause perfect conditions for fires to start. Since a few streaming services have decided to raise their rates, this also creates optimal fire conditions in your wallet.

Temperature Rising

Within the last week Playstation VUE, DirecTV have announced a price increase of at least $5 to their streaming services. It doesn’t help that Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Netflix have also announced price hikes in the last six months.

It’s not all bad

Despite no clear explanation for the price increase, Playstation VUE and DirecTV are still going to deliver the same great shows and live TV they always have…just at a little bit more of a price tag. These streaming services provide cable channels without the actual cables, which is a definite plus for some people. For example, FIFA’s World Cup is garnering lots of attention, even though it's already half-over. Since it’s being held in Russia, which is on the other side of the globe, being able to stream games live is a necessity. Come August we’ll see this happen again when the NFL kicks into high gear with their 2018-2019 season.

Fire Risk

With so many streaming options available, there’s a significant portion of the population with more than one streaming membership. Now, what may be just a $5 increase for one streaming service, is becoming a $10, $15 increase per month. Some people are faced with the choice of deciding whether that price tag is worth premium access, even if it is for the World Cup and the NFL.

Rising Prices

Prices go up, that’s one thing we can all rely on with certainty. Therefore, there are those who will simply pay the increase and find ways to cut costs somewhere else in their budgets. Then there will be those who decide it’s not worth the extra five, ten, fifteen dollars a month to have multiple streaming services. Yet, the decision will be difficult as to which streaming service to cut and why. Take heart, as there are other options.

Reduce Your Internet Bill

To keep your streaming services, you can find ways to reduce your internet bill, thus absorbing the cost of the price increase that way. Before you dial the customer service line, realize that this isn’t a life and death negotiation. It’s just business. The customer service rep on the other end of the line won’t take it personally that you’re trying to reduce your bill. They will still get paid at the end of the day. Come into it as though you’re simply talking dollars and sense. Knowing this you can confidently dial the customer service line for your ISP. Start by giving them your cancellation date. This lets them know you’re serious. Once you have their attention, request a lower rate, possibly the introductory rate. If they can’t give you the introductory rate, don’t settle for “the next best thing.” Set a price and stick to it. If they won’t play ball with you, then hang up. It’s as simple as that. If they still want your business, then you’ll be getting a call back from a retention specialist. It’s this person’s job to keep you as a customer for the company. When they’re calling you, you’re the one calling the shots. From there you can set the tone of the conversation and demand a lower rate. If they’re still not going to budge on their price, let them know you’ve already set your cancellation date. If the retention specialist is wise, this person will at least entertain the idea of a lower rate. When this happens, you can even offer to buy the modem and router your ISP provided to bargain for a lower price. This way you’re no longer paying the monthly rental fee!

Skimpy Bundles

If negotiation isn’t your thing, then you can cancel your streaming services and go with a Skimpy Bundle. The trade-off with a skimpy bundle service is a sacrifice of access to unlimited content in exchange for a select number of channels for a cheaper price. You’ll still get a good picture and ad-free content but on a smaller scale.

AT&Ts Watch TV

AT&T’s cheapest live TV streaming service, Watch TV comes in at $15 a month. With this, you can stream 31 channels to your smartphone, tablet, or set-top box, but only one at a time.

Philo

Backed by cable TV content providers, Philo offers a base package of 37 channels that includes a lot of the big-name channels. You can also stream on multiple devices at the same time. There are other packages that offer more channels, but of course, they’ll cost more. The base package only costs $16 a month. Unfortunately, there are no sports channels offered.

Fubo TV

Fubo TV does have a nice introductory package of 70+ channels that includes a healthy sampling of sports channels! After a seven-day free trial, your first month will be $19.99. The drawback is after that first month, the price goes up to the normal amount of $44.99. This would be a great way to enjoy your sports for a short time then cancel once the season ends.

Extinguish the Fire

With these suggestions in mind, you don’t have to let the streaming services dictate how much you’ll be paying. There are ways around the higher prices. All it takes is a little research, a little time, and you’ll find the right viewing options for you at the right price. This will keep the money in your wallet from burning up this summer!
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6 Steps to Finding the Best Deals on Amazon Prime Day

Forget Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Amazon Prime Day is a day full of deep discounts and awesome deals! Maximize your shopping experience.

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6 Steps to Finding the Best Deals on Amazon Prime Day
The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, is the biggest shopping day in the United States. In 2017, a recorded 97,632,000 million people entered a retail store to make a purchase and the sales figures for that day, both in retail and online sales, were in the billions. More impressive than that, the numbers for Black Friday 2017 were dwarfed by the sales figures of the following Monday, Cyber Monday. And a good chunk of those sales were on Amazon. And why shouldn’t they? They’re the largest online retailer and it was the holiday season. Amazon, however, has decided to take this a step further- they’ve created their own holiday, in their own image. Amazon Prime Day. Now in its fourth year, Amazon Prime Day will fall on Monday, July 16th.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Despite being called a “day” Amazon Prime Day will last for 36 hours, starting at noon on July 16th, and ending at midnight on July 17th, Eastern Standard Time. This day will be full of special discounts, deals, and lightning deals…open only to Amazon Prime Members. This includes ALL Amazon Prime Members. It matters not if you live outside the United States and could care less about Black Friday, if you’re an Amazon Prime Member, you’re already in! The first step, then, to getting in on all these good deals, is to become an Amazon Prime Member.

Step 1- Become a Prime Member

Amazon Prime Members enjoy perks like free same-day delivery and two-day shipping, unlimited music streaming, photo storage, and reading, as well as Prime Video, Amazon’s streaming content service. The standard option is Prime Monthly, coming in at $12.99, charged monthly, and you can cancel at any time! There is also an annual option of $119 paid once for the entire year. And for those who just want to enjoy the shows and movies, there’s a Prime Video option for only $8.99. Any of these options will allow you to participate in Amazon Prime Day. Keep in mind, however, that the Prime Video option will not have the two-day shipping and same-day delivery. If you’re not wanting to pay even that much, and just want in on the great deals, then sign up for a 30-day free trial. Even with this trial offer, you can still get in on all the great Amazon Prime Day Deals!

Step 2- Download the Amazon App

If you haven’t already, download the Amazon App. With this app, you can preview deals in the week leading up to Amazon Prime Day.

Step 3- Set up Notifications

With your Amazon App downloaded, you can set up notifications for when a product is on sale. There are also third-party services that will let you create a tracking list and stay on top of pricing changes.

Step 4- Store Your Favorites in Your Shopping Cart

The Amazon shopping cart is for more than just checking out. There’s no time limit to how long you can leave a product sitting in there. This is especially handy if you want to hold onto that special item until Amazon Prime Day. When July 16th arrives, you can open your app, check your cart, and Amazon will adjust the price to the current sale price.

Step 5- Don’t Be Afraid to Look Outside Amazon

While Amazon is having its moment on July 16th and 17th, it might not hurt to take a look at other online retailers. For instance; Amazon’s competitors, like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy may not be sitting by quietly while Amazon is throwing a huge sale with deep discounts and deals. So take a look at their online shopping options. They may even have sales going on in stores to combat Amazon. Who knows, you just might find a better deal!

 Step 6- Seize the Day

Not to be left out in the cold, websites like IGN, The Verge, Tech Crunch and others will also be running updates on Amazon Prime Day sales. Check with your favorite to see if they’ve got the scoop on a specific deal coming up. If there is something you just can’t live without, stick it in your cart and wait for Prime Day to start. But even then, don’t buy it yet. Wait patiently as there are likely to be lightning deals. These deals happen at a specific time and last for a short time. Make sure to check in throughout the day so you don’t miss your chance to not only get a good deal… but a deal you could be bragging about until next year’s Amazon Prime Day!

What Makes Amazon Prime Day Different

Unlike Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, which can last for a week after the actual day, Amazon Prime Day will end at the stroke of midnight of July 17th…Eastern Standard Time. Don't wait, take the right steps today to maximize your Amazon Prime Day Experience!
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Speed Test From your favorite providers including WOW, Rise Broadband, Spectrum and more.

Internet speed tests are useful tools for gauging how much bandwidth is available to you. You can choose your Internet speed testing website based on several factors. Here are some of the top sites for you to gauge your internet providers speeds including AT&T High Speed Internet Speed Test CenturyLink Broadband Speed Test Cox Internet Speed Test Fios Speed Test (Verizon) Rise Broadband Speed Test Spectrum Speed Test (Charter) WOW! Speed Test XFINITY Speed Test (Comcast) Cox Internet Speed Test

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Speed Test From your favorite providers including WOW, Rise Broadband, Spectrum and more.



Nobody wants to live life in the slow lane.  As a civilization, we are hellbent on going faster, whether that’s when we are stuck in morning traffic on our way to work or standing in line at the grocery checkout; we crave more speed.  Nowhere is our need for speed more appropriate than with our Internet connections.  I know you remember those old stone age days of dial-up.  Recall your frustration at watching badly pixelated photos load line by line at a snail’s pace.  We’ve come a long way, but there’s always room for improvement (unless, of course, you’re one of the researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany who was able to reach broadband speeds of about 26 terabits per second – fast enough to transfer a file from a 3 TB hard drive in less than a second!)  Internet speed tests are useful tools for gauging how much bandwidth is available to you.

Why You Should Use Internet Speed Tests

There are quite a few resources out there for you to conduct your own speed test.  Think of Internet speed tests as a kind of taser to keep you ISP in check.  Troubleshoot your connection.  Conduct the test, and then, compare your results with the plan your purchased.  If there is a considerable discrepancy (bear in mind that these numbers fluctuate to a degree), you can call up your ISP and get answers as to why you are not getting your money’s worth.  Get answers.  Maybe your ISP is throttling your Internet.  Screw that.  Get on it.

ISP-Specific Internet Speed Tests

When approaching your ISP about slow connection speeds, it usually easier to make your case by citing their own provided speed test results.  Imagine the conversation going something like this:
You: My Internet is going slow Them: What makes you think that? You:  I conducted a speed test. Them:  Well, which speed test did you use? You:  Your own.  The one on your site.  Now kindly fix the issue before I take my money elsewhere!
Well, maybe not exactly like that, but you get the general idea.  My friendly advice is to first try using and citing the ISP-specific speed tests.  Below are some of the top ISP provider test websites.  If you can’t find yours on the list, a simple Google search should bring it up.  You can also call your ISP and get the link.

Independent Internet Speed Tests

There are some providers, like Sprint, who don’t host Internet speed tests for their service.  If that’s the case with your provider, you may need to use an independent speed test site.  Netflix launched its own service-specific speed test back in 2016.  Simply go to Fast.com to calculate your download speeds in megabits per second (Mbps).  If you think about it, it makes total sense for Netflix to offer this service – many people check their Internet speed to make sure they can stream movies and shows.

Speedtest.net

It’s the most well-known speed test.  This test site utilizes test locations all over the world to give you fast and accurate results.  It also calculates the nearest testing server based on your IP address. 


SpeedOf.Me

This is a handy tool.  The site uses over 80 servers around the globe and the test is run from the fastest one at any given time.  Plus, it’s an HTML5 speed test, which means you can run it on your iPhone, iPad, Android, and other devices without Flash or Java. 


TestMy.net

Another good one that uses HTML5.  The website touts that “TestMy.net gets smarter the more you use it and makes adjustments specific to your computer for a high level of accuracy. This speed test will download randomly generated data to your browser, calculate your download speed and log your speed test results. TMN ensures your Internet connection is tested thoroughly with large download tests up to 200 MB.”  Pretty nifty.


Bandwidth Place

 It’s really simple to use.  With a single click you can get your test results in a simple, easy-to-read format.   The site also uses HTML5 and works on desktop and mobile devices.  The only downside I can see is that the site doesn’t use nearly as many testing servers as other sites.

Final Thoughts

You can choose your Internet speed testing website based on several factors.  First, you’ll want to use the ISP-specific test sites if you are using the test to make a case to your ISP.  Those test sites carry the most authority with the ISPs.  If you are looking to test your speed for other reasons, you can choose the site based on accuracy and number of servers used and layout and design preferences. (If you feel you are getting shortchanged by your ISP when it comes to download speed and are interested in finding alternative providers and the best Internet deals, call one of our agents to get info on saving money and improving service.)