News: Free 1GB extra data from Verizon in November and December 2014!

Source: Verizon Wireless

In case you didn't know, Verizon is offering up 1GB extra data for the months of November and December 2014. This is apparently to commemorate  the day before Thanksgiving, which is apparently known as  "Connection Day." Go and claim yours now! I did mine through the MyVerizon app through the AppStore with directions below!

Enjoy! Comment below if this worked for you!

Poll: Which music streaming service do you prefer?

I have had several people ask me which streaming service I use to listen to music while I am at work. Some people are surprised at how many services there actually are. I am curious to see what my reader base uses.

Which music streaming service do you primarily use?

Spotify

Google Play All Access

Pandora

Amazon Prime Music

iTunes Radio

Beats Music

Grooveshark

Other

Please Specify:

Poll Maker

Poll: How many GB is your mobile data plan?

I have to admit, I am a heavy user of cellular data. I stream music, watch YouTube videos, do mobile banking, texting, e-mail, browsing, and even tether to other devices frequently.

I am curious to see what my readers have for their data plans. (In case your wondering, I fall into the > 10GB category.)

How many GB are on your shared cell phone data plan?

< 2GB

2GB

4GB

6GB

8GB

> 10GB

Poll Maker

Update: It appears there's a PHEV minivan around the corner.

Source: Auto Blog

Well, now that I have been searching for information on hybrid minivans, there appears to be one coming up on the horizon, which Chrysler is saying is "Late 2015."

This is supposed to be the first hybrid minivan targeted for US release, which is still 14 years after Toyota released their first hybrid minivan in Japan. One surprise, however, is that this will be a PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle) which should have an electric range of 74 miles before going into hybrid mode. For reference, the Chevy Volt has a 38 mile electric range before kicking over into hybrid mode.

Here's some reference shots of the current Chrysler Town and Country minivans which could look similar I would think (photo credit to www.autoblog.com):

2013 Non-Hybrid Exterior

2013 Non-Hybrid Interior

I was unable to find a proposed price of the vehicle, but Toyota sells their hybrid minivan for 3,918,437 Yen in Japan (About $34,190) for the base model. Also, Toyota's Plug-In Prius carries an additional $5,000 on it's price tag for it's plug-in feature, which would make it safe to assume that these could go for $40,000+. I hope I'm wrong.

Hopefully this will be a catalyst for other HEV/PHEV minivans in the US market. What would be the price point you would be willing to purchase a PHEV minivan? How about for a HEV minivan?

Review: iOttie Easy View 2

iOttie Easy View 2 on Amazon

As mentioned earlier this week, I have been reviewing the iOttie Easy View 2 dash mount for our vehicles.

My goal was to find a strong suction that would adapt to various surfaces of dashes (too bad I can't test this in a Tesla Model S, if only). My other requirements were to hold my iPhone 6 Plus with a case on it and retail for less than $20. After several searches, this one trickled its way to the top of the list.

Now, I have had my fair share of cheap department store solutions but those always tended to break within a week, not hold up the phone well, or just plain stink (literally and figuratively). I just needed something that worked and not break the bank.

When I received it, I was surprised at how small the box was. I was starting to wonder if it would really fit my iPhone 6 Plus at all. After opening the package I did a quick test to see if it would fit. I was quickly shown that it fit rather comfortably, even with my Spigen Tough Armor Case. If you are  looking for a no fuss dash mount for your iPhone 6 Plus, just stop here, you have found it.

Now for some more of the fundamentals. The first thing to address is the suction/stickiness of the suction cup. I tried every surface type on our minivan which varied from smooth, textured, curved, and flat and held up like a champ. It simply wouldn't budge. Then I realized I hadn't even clamped it down yet! Once I had that clicked into place, it was going nowhere. I will say though that if you need to move it ton another car or another position, it can be done, but it takes some serious effort. (Which is what you want out of a dash mount right?)

 Next test was to see how well it held up my iPhone 6 Plus and case. The main thing I was looking for was wobble, or the arm falling under weight, or the whole thing coming off the dash altogether. I am happy to report that none of those thing occurred. In fact, after driving around with it for some time it held up perfectly. I was still able to make some minor adjustments while I drove around however. Here are a couple shots of my phone mounted on it.

Landscape

Portrait

There are just a couple minor quibbles with this unit, but they are extremely minor. My first is that I had a hard time telling if the phone was all the way on. It's kind of hard to explain, but I have a hard time knowing if it's all the way pushed back against the back, mostly due to the clamped edges clamping down so tight. I found that if I wrapped my had behind the flat part of the mount while installing the phone that I could could ensure it was pressed back all the way. My second complaint is that I feel there should be some arm movement to allow for additional minor adjustments. The mount on the stationary arm does allow some movement for small adjustments and rotation, but I still feel like there could be a tad more. For the price however, these are easily forgiven.

I highly recommend the iOttie Easy View 2 as a sturdy and affordable dash mount for your phone, especially if your looking for one for your iPhone 6 Plus. The iOttie Easy View 2 also comes in four colors too for a little variety: Black, Red, White, and Mint.