End of August Locksmiths Posts

Another locksmith posts this time
http://locksmith.iblogger.org/2019/08/25/locksmith-los-angeles/
http://locksmithlosangeles.is-best.net/2019/08/25/locksmith-los-angeles/
http://locksmith.likesyou.org/2019/08/25/leos-locksmith-los-angeles/
https://alocksmith4u.ml/los-angeles-locksmith-key-service.html
http://locksmith.do.am/publ/247_asap_locksmith_la/1-1-0-1

http://locksmith.22web.org/2019/08/28/locksmith-los-angeles/

Garmin Fenix 3 review

In fact, on top of its vast range of data fields, Bluetooth connectivity and numerous built-in sensors, the Fenix 3 has us contemplating ditching our trusty Edge 500 computer.

Our sample GARMIN FENIX 3 is the standard version with rubber wrist strap. There are also Sapphire, HRM and Titanium versions, which feature a scratch-resistant sapphire lens, additional band options and one version includes Garmin’s built-in Elevate wrist-based heart-rate technology.

As we already own a range of Garmin branded ANT+ heart rate straps and sensors, our test sample was the watch-only version. Also available is a performer bundle that includes the HRM Run heart rate strap.

The rubber strap is flexible, quite comfortable and replaceable with a few Torx screws. Over the Fenix 2, the edges on the clasp have been rounded and don’t eat your wrist.

Buttons not touchscreen

Opting against the current trend in touchscreen everything, the Fenix 3 is controlled by five buttons situated around the stainless steel bezel, so there’s no need to take your gloves off to start or stop your ride.

Weighing 84g, the Fenix 3 is no lightweight, especially when you compare it with the 38g Garmin VivoActive smart watch or 57g Edge 500. Thankfully, it’s not quite heavy enough to notice it on your wrist.

We have been using the Fenix 3 as a replacement for our everyday watches and we can say with full authority that it’s a rugged unit. It’s survived everything from our daily rides, to surfing, skiing, rock climbing and canyoning, with no signs of wear and has been dubbed by one tester “a Ron Swanson-approved version of an Apple Watch”.

While it’s a rugged unit no doubt, our own Josh Patterson did manage to kill a test unit on a Scuba trip at  80ft / 24m down — despite its 328ft / 100m rating. While this may have just been a faulty unit, I've had no trouble with water — though to be fair I've only delved as deep as the bottom of a 10ft / 3m swimming pool.

The basis of the Fenix 3 is its GPS capabilities. Like any other GPS enabled cycling head unit, as long as there’s a signal the watch can track your location. The Fenix can also tap into the GLONASS network for ultimate accuracy, especially when GPS coverage can be spotty.

With the ability to sync to your Bluetooth 4.0 equipped iPhones and Androids, the Fenix 3 can display notifications from your phone, download apps, widgets data fields and watch faces as well as firmware updates on the fly.

The Bluetooth connectivity also allows for the Fenix 3, with the help of the Garmin Connect app, to automatically upload activities to Strava, as well as track things like steps and sleep patterns. There’s also a nifty ‘find my phone’ feature, which not only brings up an avalanche beacon style tracking system, but also triggers an alarm on your device.

The full-colour, daylight-visible 218 x 218 pixel screen is sharp as a tack and allows the watch to display brightly coloured metrics and watch faces, including one graced by Homer Simpson.

Powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, Garmin claims the Fenix 3 will last up to 50 hours in ‘UltraTrac’ mode, up to 20 hours in GPS training mode and up to six weeks in watch mode. Charging is taken care of via a proprietary plug we like to call the ‘Garmin claw’. This unique plug grabs the outside of the bezel and lines up the charging port.  

Bike-friendly features

Initially we tested the Fenix 3’s accuracy against our benchmark Edge 500 unit and, as we expected, the units provided the same results both in speed and total distance.

Running GPS and GLONASS together is heavy on the battery, each ride taking a serious chunk out of the charge. That said, actual battery life is inline with the claimed 20-hours in GPS training mode. To combat constantly needing to charge the unit, we used the UltraTrac mode for the majority of our testing.

To save battery power, the GPS tracking is periodically turned off in UltraTrac mode with the watch relying on the built in accelerometer to calculate speed and distance — although it doesn't cut out data from ANT+ sensors like the Fenix 2.

The accuracy is still pretty good in UltraTrac mode, though it’s not perfect; according to Strava, we clocked a speed of 70mph/112.7kph down a particularly rough descent when we began testing the UltraTrac function. While it seems to be an isolated incident, we can’t help but wonder if the shaking of the watch tricked the accelerometer. Other than that, the Fenix 3 matched the accuracy of our benchmark Edge 500 unit.

Using the breadcrumb style navigation, similar to that on the Edge 500, you can create and mark up to 1,000 locations and 10,000 track points, such as a start/finish line, course checkpoint, and use the Fenix 3 to follow the course. That said, this function is much more useful off the bike because riding down the road trying to look at your watch is rather dangerous.

Unlike many wearables in this category, the Fenix 3 features a built-in compass, altimeter and barometer. These enable the watch to give accurate readings of heading, altitude and air pressure rather than piggybacking your phone via the Bluetooth connection. Why’s this useful on the bike, you ask? With these built in sensors, the Fenix 3 can pick up on quick changes in air pressure and set off a storm alarm to let you know the weather is about to change among other things.

Also like any other Garmin head unit, the Fenix 3 offers menus upon menus of metrics from speed, heart rate and grade, to more technical measures like power and a VO2 max estimator. Each different activity (Run, Bike, Ski, Swim etc) are called apps and are fully customisable with up to 10 pages of metrics each.

Not only can you pick and choose which metrics are displayed, but also whether the screen is white or black and the accent colour. Unless you select the ‘time of day’ data field, however, you won’t be able to find the time easily — slightly ironic for a watch.

Additional data screens and metrics can be downloaded for free from Connect IQ. These include everything from visual heart rate zones and graphic elevation to things like beers earned and animal speed.

Fenix 3 connectivity

While the Fenix 3 is ANT+ enabled as you would expect, it seems the Bluetooth connection is only designed for connectivity with your phone. The only mention of Bluetooth in the user manual is in relation to a smartphone connection and we weren’t able to pair the watch with any Bluetooth sensors.

Despite those Bluetooth woes, we were able to connect the unit to a Stages power meter (using ANT+) with no troubles.

Speaking of smartphone connectivity, initially we dreaded having the watch buzz every time our phones did, especially out riding. We usually don’t check our phones on rides, but the Fenix 3 made it easy to screen calls and decide whether they were worth stopping for.

However, there's an apparent lack of consistency around the apps you get notifications from — as well as the obvious risk of drowning in reminders. For example, the Fenix 3 displayed notifications from Gmail, but not the Mail app on an Android phone. We also got plenty of Facebook and Twitter notifications, and have since limited it to just calls and texts.

One tester who’s terrible about uploading rides to Strava from his Edge 500 (only doing so in bulk when a charge was crucial) got quite a surprise after getting a couple of Kudos on his initial ride with the Fenix 3 before he’d changed out of his chamois. Through the Bluetooth connection on your paired smartphone, as soon as the activity is saved it can be set to upload to Garmin Connect and onto Strava.

If you haven’t got a smartphone, you can sync the watch to your home Wi-Fi network to do the same, or barring that plug the unit into your computer (gasp).

Fenix 3 vs. Fenix 2

The Garmin Fenix 3 watches carry a hefty price tag, one that may deter some potential users. While the Fenix 3 is a great unit, it’s older cousin the Fenix 2 is still a solid performer. It's been discontinued with the advent of the Fenix 3, but there are still a few floating around for a good price.

No you don’t get whiz-bang features like WiFi, GLONASS or a colour screen and it’s only waterproof to 50m instead of 100m; but you still get full ANT+ compatibility (including power), GPS, plenty of multisport profiles, access to Garmin Connect (and the Connect IQ store) and a built-in altimeter, barometer and compass.

Fenix 3 vs. Fenix 3 Sapphire/Fenix 3 HR

To be frank, we can't see much difference between these two versions of the Fenix. Yes you get a Sapphire scratch-resistant screen and a built in heart rate monitor, but the firmware is identical.

Only the Fenix 3 HR receives Garmin’s wrist based Elevate wrist based infrared heart rate sensor.

The sensor, which determines heart rate by reading how much blood is flowing beneath your skin using an infrared light, runs 24/7, and as you can imagine that has an effect on battery life. The Fenix 3 HR is claimed to manage up to 40 hours of battery life in UltraTrac mode, 16 hours in GPS training mode, three weeks in watch mode and two weeks in smartwatch mode. For comparison, the current Fenix 3 will last up to 50 hours in ‘UltraTrac’ mode, up to 20 hours in GPS training mode and up to six weeks in watch mode.

Fenix 3 vs. Forerunner 920XT

Even though their feature set is extremely similar, the Fenix 3 and Forerunner 920XT are two very different watches; the first aimed at the adventurer and the latter at the multisport endurance athlete. For those whose gear closets don’t contain six pairs of skis, two surfboards, frame packs ranging from 60l to 105l and more climbing gear than you can shake a rope at, the Forerunner 920 is probably more than enough.

Portable hard drives

Solid-state storage may be sexy, but if you’re looking for huge capacity and tiny prices, then the classic hard disk remains unbeaten. Available capacities of portable drives with laptop-style disks inside now extends up to a whopping 4000GB, more commonly referred to as 4 terabytes (TB).

Most portable USB drives (as DROBO 5N ) are powered by the connected computer, so you can use them on the move without the need to plug into the mains or use batteries. Some will even connect your phone or tablet and let you extend storage that way, or allow you to transfer or open files.



Capacity

Even in the smallest portable drives you’ll likely find are 128GB in size, which is enough to space thousands of CD albums in lossless FLAC format, or even more in lower quality MP3 or AAC formats. Off-loading your music collection alone from a computer to a portable drive can be a godsend in freeing valuable space if your laptop has limited storage.

Another popular application of portable storage is for keeping critical backups of your data held on a PC or laptop. You may be able to keep a perfect clone of your entire computer’s internal drive, on standby and ready in the event that the computer is lost or its drive should malfunction.

Alternatively, you may choose just to back up the most important files and documents from your user libraries, such as text documents, photos, films, music and stored email. Some portable drives include software that can help automate this process, keeping your selected directories in sync whenever you plug in the drive or by a daily schedule.

Performance

Now that USB 2.0 has been banished from all self-respecting storage, we find USB 3 as the standard for connection, letting these portable drives perform as quickly as the little disks inside will allow.

This means that when transferring your music or video collection to or from your PC, you can expect around 100MB/s read speed (and typically the same for writing, since unlike flash storage technology the read and write speeds tend to be more symmetrical).

Compare this with the older drives using USB 2.0, which would limit speeds to around 35MB/s, or only one-third the speed. So in real terms, your 100GB of media files would take close to an hour to transfer with USB 2.0, or under 20 minutes using USB 3.0.

If you’re likely to be storing or backing up many small files, be aware that overall performance will plummet since hard disks tend to choke on smaller files. So while large files may zip across at 100MB/s, the smallest will likely travel at less than 1MB/s, or one hundredth that speed.

USB 3 is confusing, as USB 3.0 was retrospectively renamed to USB 3.1 Gen 1. There’s also a new version, USB 3.1 Gen 2. This doubles the potential throughput from Gen 1’s 5Gb/s to 10Gb/s. In megabytes per second, these equate to 625 and 1250 respectively. Pretty fast, then.

In reality, the fastest SSDs top out at around 550MB/s and this speed is highly dependent on the device you’re connecting it to.

Protection

A rugged exterior will be handy if you want the freedom of being able to throw around the unplugged drive with less worry that it will damage the unit; and more importantly lose your data.

Look out for shock-resistance ratings such as the US military MIL-STD-810F 516.5 (Transit Drop Test). This means that it should withstand being dropped 26 times onto a hard floor, once on to each face, edge and corner, from a height of 1.22m.

Flash storage - more commonly known as SSDs - can survive more brutal treatment, and some portable drives are even water resistant. If you were to accidentally drop a portable SSD drive in water, then as long as the port covers are firmly closed, it will work fine to use it after it has been fully dried.

Reliability

It’s tough to say definitively which manufacturer makes the most reliable hard drives. While there’s a big difference between the technology used in traditional hard drives and SSDs, both have a limited lifespan, and this is why warranties are relatively short - typically two or three years.

What’s important is that you have a well-thought-out backup process and you don’t rely on any single drive to store precious files. Ideally you should have three copies: one on a PC or phone / tablet, one on a backup drive and one in the cloud.

Value

For many users, a portable storage drive may be an unavoidable commodity, and price will be the deciding factor. We give a value rating based on how much each gigabyte of storage is costing you for each drive. Particularly with a 3TB drive, you can expect to find storage for under 4p per gigabyte now.

How to Install the Garage Door Opener

Installing your own garage door or door opener may seem a terrible project requiring a great deal of efforts and time. But is it really so? Well, actually not. If you do your homework well, this will probably be a simpler task.However, you will have to meet the prerequisites.
Installationof the Door Openers for garagein a few simple steps is as under:

Step 1: Meet the Prerequisites

Gather your tool inventory:

First of all, you have togather the tool inventory you will be needingfor the installation process.For this purpose, I suggest you to do a comprehensive research about the parts needed to install the Door Openers for garage. It can be found on the internet, or you may ask the hardware retailers to provide you a list of the hardware tools you shall require in the installation. For assistance in installation, you may get the company of a friend.

Get a good quality garage door-opener:

The most basic requirement for the installation of the garage door-opener (like MIGHTY MULE 502 )is actually the garage door-opener itself. For a good quality garage door-opener, I suggest to buy Garage Door Parts Storm Shield Garage Door Threshold as it is affordable and better than some other products available in the market.

Observe Safety Rules:

Of course, you can get yourself injured if you do not observe safety measures. So for being safe,observe all the safety rules that can be found on the product packet or on the internet.

Step 2: Get Started the Installation of Garage door-opener

Basically, there are three types the garage door-opener: 1. Chain driven, 2. Belt driven and 3. Screw driven.This guide relates to the chain driven garage door-opener, which is one of the most widely used type of garage door-openers. Follow the following steps to install the garage door-opener:

• Get familiar with parts to be installed:

First of all, you must be aware of what you have to do in the entire installation process step by step. You should also know the tube, the power unit, the traveler casing, assembly part and the chain and its behaviour.

• Affix tube and other small parts to your garage door:

Now, inset the tube into the unit of power and then slide the traveler part on the tube. Then mount the idle assembly part on the finishing corner of the tube, and position the traveller according to the specified instructions by the manufacturer. After this,link the chain to the traveller and loop it around the drive notch wheel on unit of power all over thetraveller and idler assembly on the opposite side creating a connection between both ensuring a good amount of tension.

• Install the header bracket:

At this point, you have to discover the midpoint of your garage door, mount header bracket on it a few inches above the door height, and connect idler assembly with the power unit.

• Adjust the place of the power unit:

Now, configure the place of the power unit. Firstly, open the door to full wide position and try to make to adjustment with respect to the door height and select the optimal level of height and place.
Next,mount the power unit to your garage ceiling to affix it with steel angles and leather straps using the appropriate size nails.

Connect the garage door-opener:

Once you have finished mounting the power unit, connect it with the door so that it may open the door itself. However, before connecting the door to power unit, first make sure that the door is functioning properly by opening the door manually. If the door opens freely and easily, go ahead with the following things to do in order to connect the door.

• To connect the door to power unit, attach the traveler to a linkage assembly, which consists of a bar, the door brackets, and an L-shaped link that is to be connected to the straight bar with bolts.
• After attaching the traveler with linkage assembly, disengage the door opener from the door by pulling the disconnect cord.
• Then tie the door brackets to meet them at the center of the door. The L-shaped link is attached to the center point which is usually 3 to 6 inches far from the door top. For fastening the door brackets, you may use steel or fiber glass.
• Install the garage door-opener control buttons on the wall, which is connected to power unit wires to give command to power unit to produce enough power to either lift the door up or shut it down.For safety, you can use small clips to attach the wire to the ceiling.

Now you are all done with the installation of the garage door-opener. You may check whether the door is functioning properly or not electronically.Do open and shut the door several times with the push button control to test it. Remember one thing, never configure or alter the settings of the garage door-opener without switching off the main power supply.
Apparently, you may find horrible, yet it is really not. Comprehensively and repeatedly review this article to get a good insight of the entire process of installing the garage door-opener.

Dollar-denominated tariffs attract Indian solar power firms to South-East Asia

Given the record-low tariffs and offtake uncertainties in India’s solar energy sector, domestic developers are scouting for opportunities in the immediate neighbourhood and South-East Asia. One attraction: The dollar-denominated electricity tariffs they stand to earn there.

Some countries offer dollar-denominated tariffs in solar project power purchase agreements (PPAs), freeing the developers from foreign exchange risks. This is important given that the cost of finance represents around 70% of the cost of developing a solar project in India.

“Indian developers are looking out for projects in the Asian markets because of the domestic market becoming too competitive and increasing uncertainties. Some of the attractive markets are Bangladesh, which offers dollar-denominated tariff, and Vietnam, where tariffs are linked to the dollar,” said Sunil Jain, chief executive officer of Hero Future Energies Pvt. Ltd.

The company promoted by the Munjal family of Hero Group is planning to put up one large grid-connected solar plant of up to 100 megawatts (MW) capacity in South-East Asia, apart from expanding in Africa and India.

“As far as dollar-based tariffs are concerned, it definitely makes it (projects) safer. It also attracts lower equity investors because they can more accurately forecast dollar return vis-à-vis return in local currency. It makes fundraising easier,” added Varun Jairath, director, investments, Rays Power Infra Pvt. Ltd, which is focussing on projects in South Asia.

Developers have been fretful that electricity distribution companies may not honour PPAs with solar projects awarded at tariffs that were as high as Rs10.95-12.76 per kWh in 2010-11. The tariffs have dropped steeply this year, hitting a new low of Rs2.44 per unit at the auction of 500MW of capacity at the Bhadla solar park in Rajasthan in May. These concerns have been deepened with Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka renegotiating or scrapping PPAs for wind energy projects.

“Seeking re-negotiation of existing renewable energy PPAs by distribution utilities is a very disturbing trend. This, along with backing down of renewable energy generation and inordinate delays in payment, is making investors in the sector very nervous,” said Debasish Mishra, partner at Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu India Llp.

Solar power tariffs have declined sharply because of plunging prices of solar modules (for example: RENOGY 250 WATT SOLAR PANEL ) Also, overseas developers with deep pockets have made a bet on the Indian solar space, driven by its scale and their own expectations of a benign interest rate regime.

“Along with expanding our solar projects in the Indian market we are aiming at exploring the solar market in certain countries of SouthEast Asia and particularly the ones neighbouring India,” said Ashish Agrawal, director at Vivaan Solar Pvt. Ltd.

India had earlier explored awarding projects on dollar-denominated tariff but later abandoned the idea.

Experts say the overseas opportunity is no match to what India has to offer.

“Solar programmes in South- and South-East Asian countries are comparatively small, and PPAs and payment security mechanism are still in evolution. Indian investors will show interest, aided by EPCs (engineering, procurement and construction projects) who will offer better terms to build a local presence. But these are no substitute for the larger and well-tested India programme,” said Kameswara Rao, leader of the energy utilities and mining practice at PwC India.

India’s green energy play is expected to grow substantively with the federal policy think-tank NITI Aayog projecting a 597-710 gigawatt (GW) capacity by 2040 in its new draft energy policy. The National Democratic Alliance government has set an ambitious clean energy target of 175GW by 2022. Of this, 100GW is to be generated by solar projects.

“Sponsors should look more closely at the so-called dollar- denominated PPAs. The conditions are often contingent, for example, they may be limited to soft funding from donor organizations, or lack a clear indexation to market exchange rates, and offer little compensation on termination. The risks, on the whole, can stack up higher,” added Rao

GoDaddy, Google, Wix Announce New Tools for Business Websites

Managing your small business website can be a complicated process. But this week, several companies including GoDaddy, Google and Wix announced new tools to help make managing websites easier, even while on the go. You can read about these updates and more in this week’s Small Business Trends news and information roundup.

Technology Trends
GoDaddy Says Its Latest Feature Will Make it Much Easier to Launch Your WordPress Site

WordPress is used by 26.9 percent of all the websites in the world, and GoDaddy (NYSE:GDDY) just announced a new service called WordPress Website that will make launching more of those websites on WordPress even easier. The New GoDaddy WordPress Website Wizard GoDaddy said this will be the easiest way for small businesses to build their own WordPress website.

New Features from Facebook, Instagram Make Business Headlines

Social networking platforms have the opportunity to make a difference in a variety of different areas. For example, Facebook just unveiled some non-profit partnership tools including safety check and donation features.

And Instagram also recently released some new features that might look familiar to users of other platforms like Periscope and Snapchat. You can read about these updates and more in this week’s Small Business Trends news and information roundup.