Donations – Page 2 – Dino's Storage

Drivers Dislike Voice-Recognition Systems in Cars

Drivers say voice recognition is the feature in new cars that troubles them the most, according to a new study. The technology that allows drivers to vocally give requests is becoming more common in new cars, but researchers say there’s a lot to be done before voice recognition is perfected.

A recent J.D. Power quality studies report says that 32 percent of all infotainment-related complaints are due to voice recognition errors in cars. Some cars only can understand a few commands and work only if the driver is on a corresponding screen. For example, telling the system to find an address won’t work if the system is searching for radio stations.

“People think it’s their fault,” says Kristin Kolodge, J.D. Power’s executive director for driver interaction and human machine interface. “They start to raise their voices, and it still doesn’t work.”

The systems have limited memory and processing power, says Mike Thompson, an executive vice president at Nuance Communications. More vehicles need to be connected to the Internet in order to take advantage of the processing power and storage available online, Thompson says.

Thompson says the systems will eventually understand more synonyms and allow drivers to speak naturally.

Tech Trends Will Transform the Way You Live

From bendable smartphones to driverless cars, these upcoming technological advances will change your daily routine on the job.

This could be your future: You’re driving hands-free, taking your visitors on a city tour. While you’re behind the wheel – though you’re not actually steering the car – you pull from your pocket a bendable smartphone or tablet and bring up locations for nearby coffee shops. Then you remember you left the lights on and the door unlocked at home. No problem, you use your smart phone to turn off the lights and lock the doors. Some of these capabilities are already here – or are coming soon.

Here’s at peek at the latest tech from the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show.

WEARABLES

Wearable tech is a big buzzword right now. The smartwatch business alone is expected to grow from 400,000 shipments this year to 35 million by 2017, according to market research firm Berg Insight. Watchmaker Pebble touts a $249 Pebble Steel smartwatch with leather or metal straps. It can connect to apps from iOS or Android devices for accessing e-mails, calendar alerts, news updates, social media accounts and maps.

It is anticipated that for the technology to fully catch on it will need to have voice-control capability and connect to all your smartphone apps so that you don’t ever have to take out your phone.

SMARTER HOMES

Several products are being developed with the goal of creating “connected homes,” which will allow for greater control and monitoring of home appliances and systems from a smartphone. The tech is getting more affordable and simpler to use, mostly through smartphone apps, and could make the connected homes more mainstream within the next decade, says Matt Rogers, cofounder of Nest, a home technology manufacturer recently purchased by Google.

DRONES

Real estate pros, filmmakers, land surveyors and farmers, among others, are waiting for the green light for drone use. The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to release rules addressing safety and privacy issues for commercial drone use next year.D

Drone manufacturing company Parrot has an upcoming MiniDrone, which can be controlled by a smartphone or tablet to shoot photos and video while flying up to 160 feet high. It also has wheels to climb walls or move across ceilings. It is slated to debut later this year, and while the price has not yet been announced, it is expected to be cheaper than the company’s upgraded $300 A.R. Drone. Also, global drone manufacturer DJI’s Phantom 2 Vision, retailing for about $1,200, can snap 14-megapixel images and record high-definition video.

DRIVERLESS CARS

Could texting while driving one day be safe? Automakers are racing to release the first publicly available self-driving car. Manufacturers such as Audi, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and BMW, among others, are testing the technology. Officials with Bosch, a global automotive supplier, says the company is about seven to 10 years away from having a fully automatic powered car on the roads.

The cars use 360–degree sensors without human intervention for accelerating, braking, maneuvering turns and parking. Driverless cars have been approved by lawmakers for experimentation in several states, including California, Nevada and Florida.

FLEXIBLE PHONES

LG Electronics has created a smartphone that bends. The LG G Flex is the first smartphone with a flexible screen, and has just become available to AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile customers, starting at $600. Wireless carriers offer a steep discount with a contract. The G Flex features a 6-inch display and a slightly curved screen at the top and bottom. LG officials say the curved screen offers better sound, voice and picture clarity. You can also bend it slightly without cracking the screen. Smartphone manufacturers as a whole are focusing on curvier devices. Samsung has launched its flexible Galaxy Round phone in South Korea, while Apple was granted a patent in 2013 for a curved display back, which has some tech forecasters predicting curvier, more bendable shapes for future Apple devices.

Smith says bendable glass helps protect devices from shattering. Bendable glass offers a way to keep the devices looking the way they were built as well as some protection against breakage.

You Can Make A Difference

Dino’s Storage has partnered with Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska to help foster children and others in need.

Donate a new winter coat, winter boots, hats and/or gloves to Lutheran Family Services and you will receive a discount on your first month of storage.

Your gift will help foster children in need and all donations are tax deductible. Your first month storage deduction will be $25 off on a small space, $50 off on a medium space and $75 off on a large space. The offer applies to the first month’s rent for new move-ins only with a minimum three-month lease. Your donations to Lutheran Family Services must be new and include price tags.

For more information about Lutheran Family Services or how to become a foster parent, please call 402-661-7100.

HELP DINO’S STORAGE RESTOCK THE FOOD BANK

As you may know from previous blogs, it’s important to our owner of Dino’s Storage to serve and contribute to and within the community. So one of the things he encourages the individual facility managers to do is run specials at our storage facilities that help non-profit and charity organizations.

So this month at the Center St (Midtown) facility I am running the following special:

HELP US RESTOCK THE FOOD BANK!!

Donation of 5 items gets you $5.00 off the monthly rate for a 10×5 unit.

Donation of 10 items gets you $10.00 off the monthly rate for a 10×10 unit.

Don’t have time to go to the store? Monetary donations of $5.00 and $10.00 can also be made directly to the Food Bank at http://www.foodbankheartland.org

Offer valid only once, applies to new move-ins only, and items or receipt must be presented at time of lease signing.

MOST NEEDED ITEMS ARE:
peanut butter, crackers, canned fruit, canned vegetables, macaroni & cheese, pancake mix, cereal, pasta sauce, pasta, canned soup, canned meat, pork & beans,
hamburger helper & other boxed meals

ALL DONATION GO DIRECTLY TO THE FOOD BANK FOR THE HEARTLAND.

The Midtown location is an indoor, multilevel, climate & humidity controlled facility with 5×5 – 10×20 size units available. Facility amenities include 24/7 access, digital camera surveillance, and individual coded access to the building.

Kerry Lambert – Property Manager

5328 Center St – Omaha, NE 68106

(402) 504-4600

Another Example How Dino’s In Des Moines Cares About It’s Community

It is no secret to most people that HUNGER is a real problem here in America. Here in Iowa we have a Child Food Insecurity Rate of 19.5% and an overall Poverty Rate of 11.6%. Dino’s in Des Moines on SE 14th has teamed up with The Food Bank of Iowa to help in this matter. The Food Bank of Iowa delivers food to 55 of the most desperate counties in Iowa. Last year they received 7,673,765 lbs. of food from donations! All though this is remarkable news, it still does not cover what is needed to feed everyone in need ALL year around. I have set up a bin in my facility to collect donations for the month of November and December, anyone can donate. However, I have set up a SPECIAL for the months of November and December for anyone signing a new lease with us here at Dino’s on SE 14th. We will take off the $10 application fee if you bring in 2 non-perishable items to donate to The Food Bank of Iowa. How great is that, you can help out Hungry Iowan’s and save yourself money too! Anyone can donate, you don’t have to sign a lease with us, BUT if you do you will receive the great discount on your application fee. So stop in and see me and let’s fill this bin to the top! Thank you from ALL of us here at Dino’s!

Giving Back

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Here in Papillion I am running an awesome special to help give back to the community. The Food Bank is running low on supplies and with the holidays coming up I believe it is very important to give back to those in need. Right now if you come in to sign a new lease and bring 10 dry food items, I will remove the $10 processing fee. If you bring 15 or more, I will remove the processing fee and take half off of your 2nd months rent! We are trying to replenish the food bank so every little bit helps. If you are not interested in renting a unit and would still like to help you can drop your items off at :
921 Cedardale Rd. in Papillion.

Most-Needed Food Items:
Peanut butter
Macaroni and cheese
Canned tuna and chicken
Cereal
Pancake mix
Canned fruit and vegetables
Pork and beans
Pasta and sauce
Boxed meals

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
― Winston Churchill

For more information or other locations to drop off your donations please check out the food banks website at www.omahafoodbank.org/

Dino’s In The Community – Donation Drive for CFIowa

We love giving back to the community and two of our Des Moines locations have teamed up with Children & Families of Iowa in an attempt to collect some very much needed items for their non-profit organization. During the months of October and November, both the 2^nd Avenue and Bondurant locations will be accepting items for CFIowa.

Children & Families of Iowa has been assisting citizens throughout Iowa for 125 years with various programs to help people in need during times of transition. They help women in domestic abuse situations by offering shelter, referrals and assistance, counseling and educational training. They also offer multiple programs to help at-risk teens in their group homes, addiction recovery center and support groups to ensure a bright future for teens around Iowa. They offer family counseling for foster and adoptive parents as well as offer training classes to establish better parenting and life skills in hopes of brighter futures for families. Their mental health services teaches life skills and offers counseling for financial matters, couples, families and children to promote positive changes for those in need. Children & Families of Iowa also provides high quality child care with transportation and age appropriate activities for children.

Our 2^nd Avenue and Bondurant locations in Iowa
will be accepting the following items from
October 1, 2013 to November 29, 2013:

New or Gently Used Items Accepted
Blankets, Pillows, Twin-sized sheets, Pillow cases, Towels and Wash cloths

New Hygiene Items Needed
Shampoo, Shaving cream (men and women), Razors (men and women), Facial wash, Body wash, Deodorant, Tooth brushes, Tooth paste, Floss, Lotions, Feminine care products

New Clothing Items Needed
Undergarments & Socks (variety of sizes and both genders), Children’s shoes (variety of sizes)
**Currently not accepting all other clothing items due to space limitations**

Also Accepting
New children’s toys and books (for the holidays)

We would love to fill a storage unit for this wonderful organization
and ask that you bring your donation in during office hours.
We will waive the administrative fee for new customers if you
bring in 5 items from the list OR we will give you a
$25 credit on your 2^nd months rent if you bring in 15 items!!

Items accepted at either of our Des Moines locations:

Dino’s Storage – 2725 2^nd Avenue – Des Moines, IA 50313
Amanda or Jill: (515) 280-5060

Dino’s Storage – 411 Brick St – Bondurant, IA 50035
Cindy, Manager: (515) 967-9346

If you are unable to bring a donation to either facility and would still like to make a contribution to Children and Families of Iowa, you may visit their website and click on the “Give to CFI” tab at the top of their page. You may also view their website for helpful resources and events or to learn about this wonderful organization.