Somebody I know needs a GPS for a trip, but doesn’t want to use phone navigation software. Do I have something that works directly with the Global Positioning System satellites? Why, yes I do. A now-idle Garmin nüvi 58 that I bought six years ago, along with a nice beanbag dashboard mount, for getting around greater Phoenix.
After repurposing a 32 GB microSD card to make it possible to update the maps, the Garmin is now ready to go.
Fun fact: The Internet and the Global Positioning System were both created with American taxpayer dollars, under the auspices of the Defense Department, formerly the War Department. Reminding you and all Americans to take the right route and DON’T BE A SUCKER!
Today’s big thrill, after a prostate check during my annual physical, was getting a new case for my Pixel 4a. With the phone now being an ancient model from two years ago, Best Buy has the OtterBox Commuter on clearance for $17.
I don’t commute anymore, but my pal Denro and I will be seeing Joe Sinnott’s family this weekend in New York. The OtterBox case works well with the Topgo phone holder I have in the car. I’ll probably use the Waze app for navigation.
A buddy of mine used to tease me about using a blue filter to adjust the color on my TV sets. My first encounter with a blue filter was with Joe Kane’s A Video Standard LaserDisc, back when there were only conventional CRT screens. More recently, a blue filter came with the Spears & Munsil Blu-ray disc.
Blue filters seem quaint now, with all of the advanced technology in TV’s today. Vincent in England gets into the nit-picky nitty gritty of nits and display calibration.
Speaking of video, the YouTube app on my Sony Blu-ray player has a feature I haven’t seen anywhere else. Stats for Nerds, displayed here with nerdy Joe Pera.
Today was tire buying day. My 2017 Toyota Camry has 21,500 miles on it, and before winter arrives I want to replace the very noisy Bridgestone Turanza EL400 tires that came with the car. For an all-season tire, I wasn’t impressed with its traction in snow.
I have been very pleased with the Michelin Defender T+H tires on my 2011 Honda CR-V. The ride in the CR-V is quieter with the Michelins than in Camry is with the Bridgestones! Which isn’t how it should be, comparing an SUV with a passenger car. Having a set of Defenders on the Camry seemed like a good idea, but another Michelin option seems even better — the CrossClimate2. Here’s the CR comparison.
The Camry’s mileage — up to 40 mpg highway — is much better than the CR-V’s, so the CrossClimate’s lower rating for rolling resistance compared to the Defender isn’t a concern. The Camry being FWD, not AWD like the CR-V, the CrossClimate’s superior snow traction is the big attraction.
Taking advantage of a Michelin promotion at BJ’s (the warehouse store for those of us not near a Costco), four CrossClimate2’s, including installation and tax, cost $800. The tires are on order and are scheduled to be installed a week from Monday. So if there’s a freak Halloween snowstorm like the one we had in 2011, I’ll be ready!
There are a lot of YouTube videos about the CrossClimate2. This one is the most informative and interesting overall.
