In keeping with their storytelling standard, Format67 released a little video on the car that just leaves me wanting more. Watching it fly around the corners, capturing shots inches off the pavement just gives me chills. While the Cayenne and Raptor cameracars are cool, I cannot wait to see where Format67 goes with this, the shots they capture, and the rules they continue to break.

That being said, I want to see a video about this car, the build, and everything. Heck, as a journalist, I want to drive and review this gorgeous machine. What do you say Format67? Can I review it? Let’s make this happen.

Check out more about this car here: http://www.format67.net/camcar

The post This Cameracar Deserves More Attention appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Watching this video gets me all kinds of pumped up, crazing the canyon-carving driving and deep exhaust tone from the hot sedan. Always loved from afar, the M3 has always been a ride I would love to add to my stable. Even as a fanatic Audi fan, I will admit the allure of the newest BMW M3/M4s is big, and when built right, these rides just seem the be the best thing on 4 wheels to hit the roads as of late.

The Imola Media team does a great job of capturing the elements that make this ride special, desirable, and fun, tapping into the carnal desire we all have as automotive enthusiasts.

So sit back and take it all in, let your mind wander to the canyons and listen to every note of that beautiful exhaust. It should get your heart pumping.

The post I Suddenly Want a BMW M3 appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rachio. All opinions are 100% mine.

Being a techie living in a 30-year-old home has had its challenges over the past few years. Everything from where the phone line comes in (kitchen) to where the thermostat sits (direct sunlight) seems a bit off and out of place for today’s modern conveniences. And sadly, upgrades are limited to heavy investments, trial, and error, or just plain luck when it comes to figuring it all out. On the other side of the techie, challenges have been the yard. Living in Colorado provides some very interesting challenges when it comes to keeping the yard beautiful without breaking the budget. Between the heat, the heat, and the heat, all mixed with seemingly random rainy times, my yard has been at the mercy of a simple timer that I would adjust manually based on the weather forecast. But that all ended this last month with the brand new Rachio 3, a smart device that does exactly what I was doing manually but much better.

This brand new smart sprinkler controller is just what I was looking for when it comes to an intelligent upgrade and improvement to my yard. Connected to the web, it can pull in specific weather data for my address, plan out an ever-changing watering schedule based on the randomness of the rain and heat, and give me all the data I need to make smart adjustments. No more guessing. Do you know how amazing that is? Arriving in a simple box, this non-descript white control unit comes with some of the simplest instructions I have seen. I started out by taking a photo of my current zone setup and removing the old control. Mounting the new Rachio 3 was a breeze, and I had the zone wires back in their right spot in less than 5 minutes total.

Plugged in, the Rachio 3 has a blue light across the middle and nothing more. The main controlling is done from the Rachio app on the phone, which quickly found the device and let me connect it to the WiFi for our smart devices. Yes, our smart devices in the home all run on a separate network from our computers, but that’s another story. Running through the app was a breeze with tests of each zone, controls letting me pick everything from the vegetation type to slope of the yard. 10 minutes after opening the box, my full yard was set up and under the control of the Rachio 3. That’s it – 10 minutes from start to finish. Management of my yard has been beyond a breeze. I get notifications the evening before the sprinkler runs with its nightly plan, as well as a report afterward. I can open the Rachio app and make adjustments, like when I wanted to increase the watering of the vegetable garden a bit, and everything is done in a snap. And if I want to start the sprinkler for a manual run, my options range from direct control on the Rachio box, asking my Alexa to start sprinkler, or opening the app.  This is exactly what I have been looking for all these years.

And how does my yard look? Amazing. To be honest, it’s never looked this good and I could not be happier with the improvements and health of my yard. It’s even helped fix dead grass areas that have been the bane of my stress all these years. And all without excess water waste. While another tech seems to be the luck of the draw when it comes to the upgrading, the Rachio 3 hit the mark right out of the box, delivering exactly what it promised and bringing a better sense of control and understanding to my yard. And for a techie, that’s a smarter way to water your lawn.

If you’re looking to take control of your yard, manage the water with smarter technology, check out the Rachio 3 sprinkler control. It will be one smart investment.

Sprinkler Controller

The post Bring Intelligence to the Yard appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Find An Entry Point

You might have a vague idea of what you want to explore, but no idea how to begin. Some people get their interest piqued by music from other cultures, others the way through sartorial choices. Whatever your interests are, whether it is fashion, entertainment, literature, use your interests as an entry point.

Learn Another Language

As an entry point you can get your teeth into, another language is an eye-opening way to explore another culture. By getting stuck into the language, the nuances and the patois, you become more clued up in the culture of another region. Learning another language is a particularly difficult thing to master, especially as you get older, but don’t be put off by the task. Because you have an active interest in another culture, this will lend itself well to your learning abilities.

Get Stuck Into Research

It’s always a good idea to use the internet to get a vague approximation of other parts of the world. After a while, you venture beyond the typical Wikipedia articles, and go further into what it means to be a part of that specific culture. For example, a website like His Boutique shows different cultures around the world in terms of fashion choices. This is always a fantastic entryway into becoming a well-rounded individual with a diverse knowledge of a specific culture and how they operate.

Get Into The Food

Of course, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and if you’re looking for a way to get stuck into a culture, but can’t afford to go to the country right now, exploring the culture through their meals is another way to get insight. Becoming a man of the world via food is a very enlightening (and tasty) experience. So have a look online and find a few recipes that you’d like to cook at home. Or use these recipes to cook for friends, and have a theme night. Whatever your interest is in the way of food, using it as a way to understand a culture is one of the best approaches.

Look At The Literature

Literature is such a vast topic, you can never aim to understand an entire culture by reading a few books, but by looking at the most treasured of authors that hail from that country, will give you a unique flavor of its rich cultural heritage.

These are just a handful of ideas to take on board, but when you are trying to become a man of the world, and get into a specific culture of another country, hitting these touchstones is the perfect starting point. After a while, you will imbibe these cultures and mannerisms, and you will feel part of something special.

The post The Vulture Of Culture: Becoming A Man Of The World appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Getting The Formality Right

Something that a lot of people struggle with sometimes is working out how formal or informal to be for a given event. This can happen with everything from weddings to funerals, as you never quite know what the people there are going to expect. The truth is that as long as you carry it off with confidence, you can make any level of formality work pretty well. But nonetheless, you do want to make sure that you are not completely standing out like a sore thumb, and this is something that you can achieve by just doing one simple thing: asking ahead. If you ask ahead about what to expect for the night, you can find out how formal to dress. It is far less embarrassing to just ask the question than it is to end up dressing in the wrong thing, so remember this if you are struggling next time around.

The Hairstyle

If you really want to look as though you have put a lot of effort in, you might want to think about your haircut and what it says about you. Most men don’t really think about their haircut at all, and generally this means that they are much less likely to make an impact in that manner. But if you want to look the part as best as you can, you will want to make sure that you put some thought into what your hair is doing as well. Luckily it is relatively simple to do this, and there are a number of extremely safe styles, such as the shaved sides haircut, which you can choose between. But the important thing is that you have considered it at all, as otherwise you will find that you don’t feel quite complete on the whole. Think about your hair and it will make a huge difference to your overall look.

Confidence

We have already alluded to the fact that confidence is often enough to help you get away with anything, and in fact it is so powerful that it deserves a mention all of its own. Whatever you are hoping to wear and whatever kind of impression you want to make, you can make it much more likely to work by simply acting confidently. Confidence is one of those slippery things that people fail to properly understand because they are actually so simple. It’s no more or less than feeling completely stable and secure in yourself, without a care of what others think of you. But there is also the kind of bravado that goes with it, and this is what people tend to try and imitate when they are trying to appear confident. It can work to a certain extent to fake it til you make it, but once you’re there you need to find a real reason deep within to feel confident. As long as you can do that, it will matter much less what you are wearing – your confidence will just carry it through.

Little Touches

Looking the part is as much about the finer details as it is about the big picture. You need to make sure that you are considering everything from your lapel to the choice of shoes, as it is these which actually make up the overall look on the whole. Make sure you are not overlooking them if you want to really look the part as fully as possible. By paying attention to the little touches, you will be able to ensure that you are achieving whatever you set out to achieve with your look, and feel as though you are fitting in with your next big event, whatever the nature of it might actually be.

The post Looking The Part At Your Next Big Event appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

That all being said, the new revelations of the call and text scraping and deeper-than-comfortable analytics used by various political platforms has left me curious to the full impact of the data I have both shared and the puzzle pieces the company has put together through their tracking and scraping. So I have downloaded my Facebook data and am going to break it down for you all here. I am going to break it into three different categories: the expected, unexpected, and oh shit. Their purposes should be self-explanatory.

• To download a copy of your Facebook data, check out your settings: https://www.facebook.com/settings.
• To prevent Facebook from tracking you outside your computer usage, I recommend Disconnect Facebook for Chrome.

Breakdown of the Process

From request to assembly, it took 10 minutes for Facebook to deliver the e-mail with the relevant link to actually download the ZIP file. The file itself is 802mb. The zip file opens up a natively hosted webpage that you can navigate like a simple form of a Facebook profile, but with a lot more data.

The Expected

Every single photo, post, idea, thought I ever shared. I do find it unnerving all the IPs I ever connected through are tracked, but that is expected. I did actually like the fact that I have a list of every cookie created from 2016 associated with my account; I now have a list of what to be sure to make sure is gone from all my devices.

Unnerving but expected, there is a record of all my chats. Yea…I read some of those old ones. That was like opening some journal I wrote as an angsty teenager thinking I could solve all the problems of the world. Never again.

The Unexpected

I know that Facebook sells data, but some of their customers that have my info I have literally no connection to or past dealings. I’ve never interacted with the companies marked in red, but do understand the data is correlated based off their purchasing and targeting decisions. And with that, how many stupid best-of/promoting/self-fellatio crowdfunding pages do there really need to be? Twelve (in bold) of them bought my data.

Advertisers with your contact info
Airbnb
The Fillmore Silver Spring
Spotify
The Mowgli’s
Revention Music Center
Best Tabletop Games Crowdfunding Projects
Vons
eBay.de
Albertsons
Tabernacle Atlanta
Target
Safeway
Design Crowdfunding Videos
eBay Canada
Fiverr
Walk Off The Earth
Marriott Rewards
House of Blues New Orleans
PediaSure US
The Neighbourhood
Dreamers
X Ambassadors
Live Nation Concerts
The Fillmore Philadelphia
State Farm
MileIQ
Tom Thumb
Best Crowdfunding Videos
The Fillmore Charlotte
The Majestic Ventura Theater
Design Crowdfunding Projects
Airbnb （エアビーアンドビー）
Sure Sure
Smallpools
Saint Andrew’s Hall
Imagine Dragons
Randalls
Tech Crowdfunding Projects
Best Crowdfunding Projects
TLA
The Depot
House of Blues Dallas
Best Design Crowdfunding Videos
Uber
AWOLNATION
Omaha Steaks
Tabletop Games Crowdfunding Videos
House of Blues San Diego
Viking River Cruises
Tabletop Games Crowdfunding Projects
Best Tech Crowdfunding Videos
Tech Crowdfunding Videos
Amazing Design Crowdfunding Projects You Need To See
Amazing Tech Crowdfunding Projects You Need To See
Best Design Crowdfunding Projects
GQ
HTC VIVE
Best Tech Crowdfunding Projects
Uber Eats
Viking Ocean Cruises
(Official) Company of Thieves
Best Tabletop Games Crowdfunding Videos
House of Blues Houston

Speaking of ads, it has a full list of all the ads I have clicked on Facebook and Instagram only from 2018. No idea why it’s only this year, but there are some real doozies in there that I’m even wondering why I clicked. Clearly in order to get me to click an ad, it’s got to be real stupid. That says more about my sense of humor than anything I think.

Oh, and this doozie.

Updated: Wednesday, December 31, 1969 at 5:00pm MST

The Internet and Facebook apparently is as old as my mom.

Oh Shit

Under Contacts, there is a full list of everyone I have ever had in my contact book. I mean EVERYONE.  There are names in there I have not seen or thought of in years, all being connected back to me. Names that have long been deleted from my contacts on every level. Everything from e-mail addresses to phone numbers, their place of employment, and even more data. And as my contact book is managed natively through Google, every e-mail address that has ever come in through my GMail, including e-mails I have sent, has been added to this list.

That’s 6,548 records uploaded through my phone to Facebook.

Lose your phone and need to find a number? Don’t worry – Facebook has it. Did I text you once? Facebook knows. And as is being pointed out – it does not matter if you’ve ever uploaded your number or not to Facebook; others have and Facebook knows and has correlated the data to you.

But it gets better. Under about 60% of the numbers, there is a string of code:

profile:
number_times_contacted:
contact_id:
starred:
last_time_contacted:
custom_ringtone:
in_visible_group:
send_to_voicemail:
is_user_profile:

Oh…shit. Safely assuming that my Android is tracking this data inside my call log, it looks like Facebook has scraped the data and can track who I am communicating with the most, and who I send to voicemail. Are you my favorite? Facebook knows.

Awkward.

What Now?

Well, let me come out and say it.

To every single person in my phonebook and e-mail, I am sorry I breached your trust and acted as a gateway for Facebook to gather your data. That is on me as it should be on all of us, something I never gave two thoughts about, and we are all seeing the consequences of the collective’s actions.

From a personal note, I have installed a plugin that blocks all of Facebook’s tracking pixels and other programs from gathering more data. I have also uninstalled the feed app from my phone. I have kept Messenger Lite, but have limited permissions since installing it. I am also going through and manually deleting a lot of outdated data; there is no need for me to have posts up from 2006 or even 2012.

From FactoryTwoFour’s point, we are shutting down our Facebook application and removing any plugins and code from the website that has tracking codes related to Facebook and other websites. We will still maintain a plugin for auto-publishing from our console, but the connections it shares is that of content and not user data tracking. We will audit this further to ensure, and if changes need to be made, they will be made. We will still continue to use Google Analytics for tracking of our web traffic internally, but none of this will be shared with outside applications. We are going to adopt a state of transparency, taking our reader’s privacy into account for all future work and development of the website.

We cannot fix the damage done, but we can work to help prevent it for the future. We no longer want to be part of the problem.

The post I downloaded my Facebook data. Here’s what I learned. appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

“Hey, Richard. I have a one-owner Touareg here. It’s a diesel.”

“Meh. Nobody wants a V6 TDI Touareg.” I replied with a bit of apathy.

“It’s not a V6.” He replied, knowing he just dropped the mic.

Shit.

“I’ll be over tonight.”

And so began my love/hate relationship with a 2006 Volkswagen Touareg stuffed with a V10, twin-turbo diesel.

Now, first and foremost, I am an Audi/VW fanboy. I admit it’s an expensive hobby, accept the notoriety of the vehicles I have and will continue to own, and am okay with the higher-than-average costs of ownership I have experienced. In return, I have had the absolute joy of experiencing some of my holy grail cars first hand. To me, it has all been worth it.

In August 2011, I found myself the proud owner of one of those grails; the aforementioned Touareg V10 diesel spec’d out at 309 HP, 554 ft lbs of torque and an abysmal 15/20MPG. Packed inside this SUV was just about every feature VW had on the shelves including navigation, four climate zones with heated seats, and the famed air ride suspension. It was also a high-mileage vehicle, coming to me at 105,000 miles on the odometer with one previous owner who was local and had bought and serviced it at the same dealership, ultimately trading it in on a new TDI. Full records and faith behind the ride, I was confident.

Now despite what you may think up to this point, I am not a complete idiot. I took the vehicle pre-purchase down to my trusted independent Audi/VW shop (Berg Performance) and had a full pre-buy inspection done. I talked with the head mechanic on known issues and what prepare for regarding ownership of this beast. I had them look over the full records provided by the dealership, which proved to be beyond thorough. At the time of purchase, I knew I was not walking into an easy, inexpensive ownership, but was confident in the ride.

The only reason I bought this high-mileage Touareg V10 monster is that I lucked out with the previous owner. The guy was VW’s worst nightmare when it came to repairs and warranty claims. Even though the vehicle had over 100,000 miles on it, it had brand new turbos, exhaust system, and even a new headliner and electronic components inside all replaced by VW under extended warranty. The moment there was a hint of an issue, the previous owner had the Touareg in the shop for repair.

The Touareg was also not a city vehicle, with lots of short drives or stop and go. The previous owner was a traveling salesman and racked up most of the miles driving to and from meetings all over Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska. This meant the engine had proper warm up and cooled down periods and the turbos didn’t have too much unnecessary stress put on them with excessive stops or accelerations.

You get it, I know. You see that I was confident. But what about the bad? Well, there were those moments too. Off the top of my head, here’s where that confidence got me with the significant repairs my local shop had to eventually take on:

• Center-bearing failure lead to drive shaft replacement
• Fuel Injection Throttle Body Left replacement (ordered from Germany as no part in the US was available)
• Discovering that the two computers (yes – two) were controlling the opposite banks than marked. Bank 1 controlled Bank 2 and vice-versa.
• Alternator oil seal replacement
• Oil-filter housing reseal
• Repair the KESSY module
• Battery replacements
• Auto-leveling XENON module replacement

This list doesn’t look like much, I know, but each one of these repairs was a discovery in itself – minus the center-bearing of course. And when it was in the shop, and I was paying the higher-than-average repair bills, I hated it. Although, if you are a DIY kind of person, you can find workshop repair manuals online for free. As the Touareg V10 was not as prevalent in the states as other rides, a lot of the diagnosis came from having to dig in and take apart components piece by piece. And this vehicle was packed tight. Want to work on anything below the top of the engine? Better have small, nimble hands or just take the front-end off. Battery dead? Remove the front seat. All that work added up.

The VW Touareg V10 is not the easiest vehicle to work on, and mine was no different. Even talking to the mechanics about it today yields uncomfortable laughter as we went through all the repairs they had to complete. All of those repairs are on top of the regular maintenance, from the 12-liter oil services to the every six-month alignments due to Colorado’s notorious roads.

Was it worth it all though?

Oh Yes.

I drove that V10 everywhere, over mountains and through massive amounts of snow to road trips across the plains. It was an incredible date-night ride; smooth, safe, and comfortable. It drove over the highest passes in the mountains with ease, often turning heads as it roared on by other rides. It hauled more than enough cargo and trailers without even a hint of struggle. And it flew off the line like a bat out of hell, pushing all that power and torque down in an unequal acceleration off the line. And even for a 10-year-old vehicle, it was quiet inside with no rattles, shakes, or annoying older-car noises. I chalk that up to it being built with so many features, packed so tightly together; there was no room for the rattles that often appear after so many years and miles on the road.

My 2006 Volkswagen Touareg was unnecessary. It was not practical for my wallet. It was not practical for gas mileage. But it was so much fun to drive every single time.

It was and still is a beast on the road, appropriately nicknamed TRex among friends and family. It turned heads to those who knew what the four exhaust tips and V10 meant. It turned even more heads as it accelerated in a way that no SUV that looked as plain at the Touraeg should. It was a beast of a sleeper, straight from the factory, and I only ever saw one other on the road in all my time of ownership.

So why did I sell it if it was so good? Simple. The perfect storm of luck.

First, a co-worker of mine, a car nut at a whole other level than me, heard I had the Touareg V10and asked if I would sell it. Thinking it was a joke, I said “sure – everything is for sale for the right price.”

His reply was very straightforward – “What’s the right price? Name it.”

I threw a number out that I felt was fair for both the rarity and quality of the ride, plus all the maintenance. He agreed to it right then and told me he would buy it when I’m ready to sell.

Well, shit. Now I needed another ride, which leads to the second part of the perfect storm.

I told my mechanic about the offer and how I wouldn’t want to replace it with just another ride.

“I’ve got the perfect car for you. It’s on your grail list. And I built it.”

Shit.

The post The VW Touareg V10 Was The Best SUV I Ever Owned appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

And it’s a dark, twisted, violent story that is worth staying up late for.

Last year, FX and BBC released Taboo in unison, an 8-episode series created by Steven Knight with Tom Hardy and Chips Hardy. Yes – that Tom Hardy. Not only has he helped create this epic story, but he also stars in it, bringing his incredible dedication to his characters to the small screen. Having watched the season three times so far, I can’t imagine a better actor for the story and brutality that is brought from the very start. While only available for one season so far, it in its self is cohesive without reliance on the second season (ordered, air dates unannounced) for a story to be completed. In all honesty, it is almost as if the producers were not prepared for the success of the show which ultimately leads to Season 1’s success as a binge-worthy show.

Set in 1814, Taboo follows James Keziah Delaney (Tom Hardy), a man who has been to the ends of the earth and comes back irrevocably changed. Long believed dead in the wilds of Africa, he returns home to London to inherit his father’s crumbled shipping empire, attempting a rebuild of his life and the company. But with enemies lurking in every dark corner and a family legacy that tells more of a tale of betrayal than love, James must navigate the world the only way he knows. Filled with conspiracy, murder and, betrayal, a dark family mystery unfolds in a combustible tale of love and treachery.

Season 1 of Taboo is available for streaming on Hulu today: https://www.hulu.com/watch/1170756

The post Taboo Needs to Be Your Next Binge appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

“Should I buy a brand new car, or opt for a cheaper used car?”

There are many different factors that go into answering this question. Let’s dive into the details so you can decide which is right for you, exploring the key questions around this dilemma, and providing you with the answers you need to make the right decision for your next purchase.

“Why would anyone buy a used car if they can afford a new one?”

This is a valid question; after all, if you can buy a new car, why wouldn’t you? New cars are… well, they’re new; they’re yours, you know the history, and they’re never going to work better than they do right off the assembly line.

However, there are downsides to choosing a new car, some of which you might not have considered before:

Very few people can buy a new car for cash. The vast majority of new cars are bought using some form of financing. Credit cards and personal loans are often used to fund a new car purchase, but by far the most common financing option is a car loan. Car loans might be able to get you on the road in the vehicle of your choice, but they also tend to be incredibly expensive, with huge APRs and worryingly high repayments. Furthermore, there are even signs that the car loan industry is in trouble, with a bubble not dissimilar to the subprime housing market of 2008/09– the housing market that then crashed, taking much of the global economy with it.

Given how worryingly precarious the car loan market is, steering clear of it (if you’ll excuse the pun) might be a better idea than you think.

“What if I can get a good deal?”

If you can find a good financing deal, and you’re confident you’ll always be able to make the repayments, then you don’t need to worry quite as much. However, there are additional reasons a new car might not be for you.

“Such as…?”

The biggest concern with new cars is their depreciation value. Cars depreciate at a truly horrendous pace, meaning that you could find yourself paying an inflated purchase price (which you then have to keep paying for the duration of your finance agreement) and then having very little to show for it.

If you buy a second-hand car, then the initial high purchase price has already been paid by someone else– and you are able to take advantage of that depreciation as a buyer, rather than losing out as a seller.

“Is buying a second-hand car safe?”

Of course, some second-hand cars are not safe– we’ve all seen the news reports about disreputable car salesmen and bad workmanship. Some of the stories are truly terrifying. Badly-repaired second-hand cars that effectively crumple if another driver accidentally rear ends you, meaning that you have to go through the hassle of a repair and following this link to investigate compensation opportunities. Or you may have heard scare stories about wheels falling off, engines malfunctioning, or second-hand buyers being left with huge repair bills after only a few days usage.

As worrying as these stories are, you can avoid them by ensuring you always buy a second-hand car from a reputable dealer. While buying from a member of the public may be cheap, there’s a far higher chance that you won’t be getting the quality car you think you’re paying for. If you always buy from a reputable dealer, then yes, it’s safe to assume that second-hand cars are safe– though you’ll still want to do all the relevant safety checks, of course.

“Do second-hand cars cost more to run than new cars?”

This is a common concern, and the answer is… it depends. It depends entirely on the quality of the second-hand car that you buy, how good the maintenance has been, and how good a deal you get on financing.

However, it’s worth remembering that while you may have to pay for more repairs on a second-hand car, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be more expensive to run than a new car. The price difference for repairs is offset by the higher purchase price for a new car, so make sure you factor that into any calculations you’re doing.

“What are the major pros and cons of each option?”

New Car: Pros

• The car is in great condition.
• Will be up-to-date regarding technology and performance.
• Higher resale value (even with depreciation factored in)

New Car: Cons

• Depreciation is a real concern.
• Maybe overpriced, with dealers cashing in on the “new” novelty factor.
• More expensive upfront costs.

Second-Hand Car: Pros

• Lower cost to purchase.
• You can benefit from the depreciation of the cost of the car from the “new” cost.
• Your insurance rates may be lower on a used car than a new one, though this does depend on the model and driving background.

Second Hand Car: Cons

• Potential safety concerns (though these can be reduced by buying from a reputable source)
• The car might not feel like “yours” in the same way a new car will
• You can’t always know the car’s exact history.

“Which is right for me?”

Ultimately, you have to make this decision based on:

• Your financial situation. What can you afford? What financing options are available to you? Do you have enough money to afford repairs, or do you need to be able to rely on a warranty?

• Your requirements. Do you have special requirements for your car, such as adaptations? If so, it may be easier to find a suitable new car that can be tailored to your needs.

• Your preferences. Do you like the idea of a new car? Does the idea of a second-hand car make you uncomfortable?

• Your plans. How long are you going to keep the car for? Does the resale value matter to you? If the car hugely depreciates, are you still going to see a new car as a good investment?

When you have perused the information above and can answer the final section of questions, you’ll be well equipped to make the right decision for your next vehicle purchase.

The post The Big Car Dilemma: Spend or Save? appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

 Brewed Awakenings

• 1 ½ parts Hornitos® Black Barrel® Tequila
• 1 ½ parts coffee liqueur
• ¼ part vanilla syrup *
• 1 part heavy cream

*To make vanilla syrup, mix together 1 part sugar, 1 part water and 1 part vanilla extract. Bring to a boil and cool before serving (approximately 1-2 minutes)

 Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a glass and serve

 Bitters Sweet Barrel

• 1 ½ parts Hornitos® Black Barrel® Tequila
• 1 part Campari® Liqueur
• ¼ part Sweet Vermouth
• 2 parts Seltzer
• Dash of orange bitters

Preparation: Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass. Serve in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange peel or slice.

A special thanks to Hornitos for working with us and sharing these amazing recipes.

The post Tequila Cocktails for the Holidays appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Baseball

Baseball is one of those sports that’s as much a mental workout as a physical one. Sure, it involves huge amounts of strength and dexterity no matter what position you’re playing in, but it also requires you to keep a bunch of things in your head at once. You need to think about the ball, the other players, your position on the diamond. All of these things are going to end up completely distracting you from just how much of a serious workout you’re getting. Just be careful that you don’t get too obsessed. Baseball’s the kind of sport where you can start out playing casually and before you know it you’re buying Victus baseball bats every time your paycheck comes in and lying awake at night devising play strategies. Few sports offer so much for you to think about while you’re not playing.

Golf

Golf probably isn’t the kind of sport that jumps to mind when you think about serious physical exercise, but it can actually be an incredibly effective workout. The key to golf is control and strength, something that you need to be in pretty great shape to achieve. Not only that but it’s pretty low impact as sports go, so it’s incredibly useful if you’re having any health issues or problems with your joints.

Soccer

The wonderful thing about soccer is that literally, anyone can play. All you need space to play, a ball, and a couple of coats to set up as goal posts. Unlike many other sports, you don’t have to shell out money for expensive equipment. That’s what makes it so popular and that’s why it’s such a wonderful social sport. Not only that but you’re going to end up giving yourself a serious cardio workout running up and down the field throughout the course of a match

The great thing about sports is that they not only offer you an amazing workout, but they’re often fun and engaging enough that you don’t even realize how much of a workout you’re getting. Not only that but they offer you the chance to meet people, socialize, and make new friends. Before you know it, you’ll be spending all week long waiting for the chance to go out and get some exercise, instead of trying to figure out how to get out of going to the gym.

The post Struggling To Keep Fit? Why Not Try These Sports? appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

The Car

Being made out of a large metal box, a car offers a lot of protection from the outside world, including when it comes to collisions and other accidents. Along with this, their airbags and seatbelts work perfectly to add further to their safety. A lot of modern examples even have tools which can detect and avoid crashes, while also providing you with images of the road behind you.

Of course, though, a car isn’t all good. Instead of putting you in danger, the weight and solidarity of a car don’t translate well to pedestrians and other road users. Instead, it makes the vehicle very dangerous, as even small collisions could cause loads of damage. Most care owners won’t give this sort of area a second thought.

The Bike

A lot of people will automatically assume that a bike is unsafe simple because you aren’t surrounded by something. In reality, though, the bikers’ basics can be found all over the web, giving you access to loads of safety gear and tips which will have a huge impact on your riding career. People are becoming more and more aware of bikes on the road, nowadays. This gives you a chance to strut your stuff without so much of the danger.

In reality, being out in the open can cause some issues which a lot of bikers will simply ignore. Junctions, for example, will be the most dangerous part of your experience, and even extreme care won’t be enough to keep you safe. Bikes themselves, unlike cars, can also be very hard to control in bad weather conditions. This makes them very worrying for people used to stay stuck on the road.

Which Is Best?

It will be hard to know which of these options is safer. In some cases, the nimble ability of a bike will be enough to avoid an accident. In others, though, the car’s hardiness could make an unavoidable accident a lot less painful. Of course, bikes are arguably more dangerous, simply because the risk of death is higher. Both methods can be very dangerous, if you don’t have the right training.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start working harder on the safety methods you use when driving or riding around on the city streets. With this on your mind, you will already be improving your chances of getting off of the road in one piece. Of course, though, you have to be proactive if you want to make a real difference. This will take a lot of time and effort, but will be well worth it in the end.

The post Car Vs Bike: Which Is Safer? appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Here’s an idea of the scams you could come up against when buying a car:

Virtual Vehicle Scams

This scam involves using fake shipping websites that tell buyers they will take care of the money. If you express interest in a vehicle this way, which will be somewhere abroad, you will be take to a fake website. If this website was legitimate, the website would transfer the funds to the seller when you have your vehicle and state that you’re happy with it. However, in reality, a car doesn’t show up.

Lying Car Dealerships

Many car salesmen lie about things, both big and small. They may tell you that the color you want is not available, that you can only get that great price you’ve been quoted today, that lots of other people are interested in the car – anything to make you decide to buy the car quickly. You need to make sure you don’t feel pressured to rush into anything when buying a car. Do your research on reliable, trustworthy dealers too, so you can relax when browsing their used car inventory. It’s wise that you treat everything said to you with a pinch of salt, wherever you look for your car.

Mistakes In Your Contract

Don’t just assume that your paperwork is correct. Errors may be made on the price, bonuses, loan terms – anything you can think of. You can bet these mistakes will be to the dealer’s advantage. Always double check that you’ve agreed to the terms and never sign anything blindly.

The ‘Bait And Switch’

This is where a dealership advertises a vehicle at a bargain price, but then tell you that it has been sold when you enquire. They will usually then attempt to get you to purchase a more expensive vehicle. The whole scam is designed to get people into the showroom. Always call the showroom beforehand to see if the vehicle advertised is in stock, and ask them to send you proof in the form of an email or fax.

Good Cop Bad Cop

Sometimes, salesmen will take on the role of good cop and bad cop, with one of them being super helpful and another being super awkward in a bid to get you on side. Usually, they will aim to wear you down slowly so you agree to a less than ideal deal.

Being Told Finance Has Fallen Through

If you ever get a call down the line after you’ve agreed to finance, telling you it has fallen through because of bad credit, this is a scam designed to make you pay more. Always read the smallprint, as usually the loophole they use is explained here. If you don’t understand the contract, have a professional read it over.

The post Buying A Car? Avoid The Scams appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Hurry to save up to 70% in showrooms and online during INDOCHINO’s biggest Black Friday Event ever. Great deals on all suits, shirts & accessories with suits starting at $429 (reg. price $799-$999). Use code BLKFRI online or in showrooms. The full list of sale items is below.

The full sale selection can be viewed at www.indochino.com.

The post Don’t Miss the INDOCHINO Black Friday 2017 Sale appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

This is no ordinary prize pack either. Each Boostbox prize is different with different themes coming out each week. But each one does include two tickets to an upcoming Broncos game, a tablet featuring Sanders’ laser-engraved signature, which those two alone would be pretty badass.

A simple entry is all it takes and you could be walking away with everything from a 55” Smart LED TV, some video game gear, a replica championship ring (bling bling!) and a team store shopping spree.  Now what true fan would not be the king of the block with those kinds of prizes?

To enter, head to DenverBroncos.com/CenturyLink and sign up today! There is a winner every week, so your chances are good. Winners are announced on CenturyLink’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as Sanders’ Twitter.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of CenturyLink. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Enter To Win the Denver Broncos and CenturyLink BoostBox Sweepstakes appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Let’s be honest, nobody is ever ready for back to school. While I don’t have kids, my wife is a teacher. Since the beginning of school, it has been non-stop routines and schedules. Gone are the spontaneous trips. They are now replaced with hours of lesson planning and grading. Despite these routines, things are no less simple in our day to day lives, so when we find a program that takes a bit of stress off our plate, we tend to take full advantage.

Our routine throughout the school year surrounds a bit of normalcy. We fall into the pattern of our evening dinners, weekends together and gatherings with friends. There are also the non-fun parts of it, like cleaning the house, paying bills, grading papers, writing curriculum and working out budgets.

Yea…budgets. So many services these days fluctuate their prices based on demand and a whole slew of other parameters. That means we don’t always get it right when it comes to the expected payout. CenturyLink is stepping up with an incredible Price For Life program that has caught our eye.

To find a service that we already love bringing one simple, set bill every month helps with budgeting and stress. It is one last area we need to worry about. No contract, no bundling needed, no rate hikes and no promotional pricing.

The best part? It’s even saving us money. Before we had to jump from promotion to promotion with fluctuating bills. Now we are saving $10 a month with the exact same services we received before. The only change has been the money spent. And even if you don’t have kids in school, fall is the time things start to normalize after a busy summer of travel and fun.

So with one last thing to worry about crossed off our list, even something as small but no less important as internet access, it’s always nice to see a few extra dollars in the bank than before.

The post Worry less with Price For Life from CenturyLink appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ukv9v7IGZw

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My weeks are spent on the road, crisscrossing the country for meeting after meeting, enjoying the fine hotel restaurants and various airport cafes along the way. Often those meals on the road are spent alone, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does lead me to miss the act of a good home-cooked meal with family and friends.

Out of these missed moments have come some of my favorite though – the celebration of coming home for the weekends. Calling up various neighbors and family for the long afternoons in the backyard, we find ourselves surrounding the grill as the food for the day gets cooked.

There is something incredibly primitive about cooking over a fire; to have the hot coals searing away at whatever vegetables, meats, fruits, or other delicious entrees need a bit of heat. Charcoal is my go-to for constant, easily maintained heat on the grill, and with Kingsford Match Light Instant Light Charcoal, I don’t have to worry about losing an eyebrow to lighter fluid. A few minutes after the single match lights the bricks up, we are ready to cook.

Along with being a strong and constant source of heat, the charcoal bricks are versatile. While meats require strong, indirect heat, I like to put blistering vegetables direct over the fire. Pizza on the grill is easier with Kingsford Match Light Instant Light Charcoal as well, where I make a ring of heat just wider than the pizza to cook up quick. One match and I’m on my way to a delicious meal with nothing but my imagination holding me back.

Simplicity is key with cooking and celebrating, and in this case, I love celebrating the simple things like coming home.

The post Celebrate Coming Home with a BBQ appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Shit.

So one weekend I decided to go check out some higher-end options, walking into a warehouse of suits to see what I could find that would cost me a little more and fit a bit better than the options in my closet. Walking around the store, followed by a very eager sales rep, I became overwhelmed with the sea of blacks, blues, and grays. Being a broad shouldered guy, my selection was even more limited to a small corner of the store, and while custom could have been an option, it was not in my price range or time requirements. Begrudgingly, I selected this boring gray suit option that was neither the cut I was thinking nor the look I was hoping for but accepted it none-the-less as what I could get in my time frame. Off the rack, with minor hemming here and there, I was out $1300 for something I felt zero connection with emotionally.What was done was done and I headed home.

As I sat at home that evening, browsing Instagram as I tend to get sucked into, an ad flew through my feed for INDOCHINO, a company claiming to be able to do a custom suit for less than $1000. As a matter of fact, what caught my eye was the sale for $389. No way. I scoffed it off as it must be made of rayon or something very heavy and cheap, but was curious none-the-less. Heading over to the good ole sub-Reddit r/malefashionadvice, I decided to see what was being said about this group. Overall, the responses from the biggest male fashion critics in the community were positive, and not one mention of rayon, crappy blends, or weird issues.

So I bit the bullet. I contacted the INDOCHINO social media team about my timeline to see if it would be possible to get a suit in time, and they came back with ‘if you’re sized by next week, yes’. The ball was in motion. While I could opt for doing my own measurements, I decided to jump into the full experience and booked a fitting at their Beverly Hills store the next week. I had enough miles to get out to LA for the day as well, which made this an interesting day trip planned out. Disappearing from work for the day to get a suit sized was different…it was exciting. I hadn’t felt this before when it came to suit shopping.

Arriving the next week at the Beverly Hills INDOCHINO, I met Shayna Green, the Showroom Manager who was going to guide me through and get me fitted. From the very start, the experience was different from the warehouse. I walked into a sea of options, colors, and styles. Shayna would ask questions about what I wanted and would guide to the best options to fit that, but never pushing me to choose. It was all up to me, from the stitching to the liner, number of buttons to the collar peak. This was the full custom experience I had never known I wanted or needed. I was hooked.

After selecting more details in a suit than I thought were possible, Shayna directed me upstairs for the fitting portion. Step-by-step, she measured everything to get the perfect fit. This was the part that made me so glad to have a professional taking care of it as I knew my ego would have gotten the better of me if I had measured at home. Others, probably not, but this moment made the early morning flight worth it alone.

After all the numbers were recorded, Shayna grabbed a few test pieces for me to try on, from which she was able to adjust her numbers based on how I wanted something to fall on my body or fit. Going for a specific look with a suit, I respected the time and evergy put into this whole experience all while being blown away by the price. I was more involved with my fashion choices in this moment than I had been in all my previous suit buying experiences combined, emotionally connected and excited about what was to come.

At the end of the hour I spent at the Beverly Hills INDOCHINO, Shayna had not only gotten me emotionally invested into a suit but shown me the value of the custom. I walked out that day with a tie and pocket square and a receipt delivery estimates of 3 weeks before my big day. Now, I will have to say I was lucky to be able to get this suit in time, and would not recommend waiting to when I did for the full custom experience. I was lucky, admittedly. And with INDOCHINO’s integrated system, now they had my numbers recorded so I could order another suit with different options at any time, sized just for me, all through their online system. And with more showrooms opening up all over the US, I could always pop into one of them to update my numbers if I needed to keep my profile up to date, or even have a local tailor give me new numbers to submit through my online dashboard. Now that is an experience to remember.

All in all, this whole experience with travel from Denver to LA, breakfast at Randy’s Doughnuts, and the suit came out to less than the off-the-rack warehouse suit I had previously guilt purchased.

No more warehouses for me. INDOCHINO has my business for life.

This is a sponsored post. The opinions shared are my own.

The post The Custom Suit Experience with INDOCHINO appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

The contest is only for 24 hours and a winner will be picked tomorrow, so enter now for your chance to win!

The Fate of the Furious Giveaway

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Coffee is one of my few vices I truly never hesitate when it comes to indulgence. I’m not talking spending big money for the smoked-blended-iced-caramel-thing. No, I’m talking true, real coffee – the stuff that gives you a nice wake up when needed without the harsh bitterness of the mass-produced. It was in college that I found my love for this deeply roasted nectar when I worked for a small coffee roaster, learning everything from how to roast, temperature variations, blending, and pulling the perfect shot. Those were simpler times, but my love of coffee has not changed.

In those days, I was the biggest fan of single origin coffee, especially Ethiopian and Costa Rican. Just like wine, you can tell so much about a coffee plant when you taste a single origin. Now, let’s get something straight – coffee should not taste like the black tar that our parents would drink or that you find at the local gas station. You should not need sugar or flavors to make it taste palatable. Good coffee, when treated right, will unravel its flavors in a very dynamic manner, and roasters like Alumbre Coffees have caught my interest when it comes to my morning cup (or three) of Joe. Not only does Alumbre have some incredible single origin coffees, but their blended variety is nothing to miss as well.

I’ve been tasting a whole slew of the coffees from Alumbre over the past few weeks, so let me point you in the direction of the ones I just love.

Ethiopian – Yirgacheffe – Roasted Medium

When I say I love Ethiopian single origin coffee, I mean I will buy it no questions asked when I see it light or medium roasted on a shelf. The Alumbre is no different. This Ethiopian single origin coffee takes me right back to why I fell in love with coffee, delivering some incredibly bright notes of lemon and lightly roasted berries. Taking a sip, the lemon hits the tip of my tongue before transitioning into the smokiness coming off the roasting process. This is a slower roast for sure, and even at a medium temperature and color, still maintains a brightness and almost lightness to the whole sip.

French Roast, Dark

I cold brewed this batch of coffee and do not regret it one bit. Deep, dark tobacco notes on top of the heavy smoke from the long roasting time made this an incredible coffee to have in the morning. I loved looking into the coffee grinds while in the water and seeing the oils from the roasted beans floating on top, waiting to be mixed in with a quick stir for my next cup. The notes on the French Roast are very sudden, hitting hard with the dark caramel and smoke, transitioning smoothly to a heavy tobacco sweetness before mellowing out. The little oils collected in the cold brew process left a great sweet aftertaste that made me come back for more.

Colombia, Alma Del Cafe De Jardin®, Medium Roast

Honestly, I have never been a big Colombia coffee fan – it’s delicious, but never blew my socks off. But, that said, Alumbre delivers one of the best Colombian coffees I have ever had. There was a hint of roasted cedar in the bag, and as it sat brewing in my French press I watched as the mid-dark color enveloped the water while this semi-sweet aroma floated off. But the taste is where I was amazed; it starts with a semi-sweet chocolate and smoked cedarwood, but then the cedar drops away leaving the chocolate to linger. Yes, yes, in every way, yes. I was sold on my first cup of Colombia coffee, but clearly not my last.

I might have a bit of a fascination with coffee, and will admit I am a bit obsessed with different varieties and roasts, and Alumbre Coffee has kept my interest for sure. It could be their countless investments into the community, the focus on the environment and maintaining the craft roastery feel, or the fact that because Alumbre is an exclusive brand, they take their time to really make the coffees perfect. It probably all of those combined and more to be honest, and that’s something I can stand behind.  And all it takes is a simple Sign up to get started, to start enjoying coffee as it should be enjoyed.

So think about that next time you’re picking up a bag of coffee or sipping a gas station brew; don’t you deserve coffee with flavor? Discover Alumbre as I did. Let your taste buds be free.

Try Alumbre today.

The post Don’t You Deserve Coffee with Flavor? appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.