Yesterday I installed iOS 8.1. At the time, I noted that my iPhone 5s was better able to connect to my 5 GHz network. Prior to iOS 8, if it connected to my network at all it would connect to the 2.4 GHz network. So the behavior has changed. What hasn’t changed is that my iPhone 5s still has difficulty connecting to networks with marginal signal strength. Something that I first reported here. Thus my impression is that Apple has made some steps forward, but work still remains in terms of getting WiFi under iOS 8 to the level it was at under iOS 7.
Archive for October 21, 2014
Review: 2014 Mazda CX-9 GT AWD – Part 2
Posted in Products with tags Mazda on October 21, 2014 by itnerd
This is the 3.7L V6 that motivates the CX-9. You read that correctly. It’s a V6 and its the only one in Mazda’s line up. It puts out 273 horsepower and 270 pound feet of torque. All that power goes to an all-wheel-drive system that shunts power between 100:0 and 50:50 to deliver optimum drive power to each wheel. A six speed transmission helps the engine get the power to the wheels. This combo performs very well. It’s quick to get up to speed and has lots of power to get around slower moving cars on the highway. If power is what you’re looking for, the CX-9 has plenty of it.
For a big 7 passenger crossover it feels like it’s anything but that. It feels sure footed and handles well. It feels on the firm side with some compliance over bumps and the like. While it isn’t a MX-5, turn in is sharp and direct. Though I will note that the weight of the steering wheel is lighter than other Mazda’s that I have driven. Though, I do not think that most will complain. The only thing that makes it way into the cabin in terms of sound is very low amounts of wind noise at highway speeds. Tire noise seemed very well muted. You’ll hear it if you go looking for it, and quite honestly you will be more likely to hear the “thump” of expansion joints on the road rather than hearing tire noise. The exhaust note is a somewhat muted growl under acceleration. That’s a very nice touch. Visibility is also excellent from the drivers seat as there was nothing that impaired my vision in any direction. I wasn’t expecting that and that meant that I could back up without having to use the backup camera if I so choose. I should also mention that side mirrors are big and really makes it easy for me to see what’s around me.
The only thing that could come close to being a negative is the fuel economy. I am currently getting 13.7L per 100/KM. While I do admit to driving in mostly stop and go rush hour traffic which is a great way to hammer fuel economy, I was hoping to do better. I am thinking that this will improve as the week goes on. I should note that it does use regular gas which means it is wallet friendly.
Tomorrow, I will look at the interior in detail. It’s got a lot going for it if you carry a lot of people or stuff on a regular basis. Stay tuned!
Apple Releases Support Document To Combat Chinese Man In The Middle Attack
Posted in Commentary with tags Apple on October 21, 2014 by itnerdYesterday I posted a note on a Chinese based man in the middle attack that was harvesting iCloud logins and passwords. Apple has responded by posting a new support document on how to protect yourself from this sort of attack. It details how to verify that you’re logging into iCloud rather than a fake iCloud server via your web browser. It’s written extremely well and I believe that any user should be able to follow these directions. If you have an iCloud account, I strongly suggest that you look at this document on top of using two factor authentication to keep yourself safe.
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