Archive for November, 2018

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Martello Releases Q2 2019 Numbers

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 28, 2018 by itnerd

Martello Technologies Group Inc. has released financial results for the second quarter of its 2019 fiscal year, including the three and six months ended September 30, 2018.  This is the first time Martello has released earnings since going public on the TSX in September 2018.

Q2 Highlights

  • Reported three and six month revenues of $2.0 million and $3.9 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 92% and 86% respectively. This included organic growth of 21%, from increased network performance management software revenues.
  • Gross margin was stable at 93.6% for the three months ended September 30, 2018, compared to 93.4% for the corresponding quarter in the 2018 fiscal year.
  • Martello’s revenue base continued to diversify in this reporting period, with 67.9% of revenues from network performance management software, a decrease of 32% from the corresponding quarter in the 2018 fiscal year.
  • Adjusted EBITDA, which assesses operating performance before the impact of costs associated with acquisition activity and other non-cash costs, amounted to a loss of $343,298 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to income of $17,114 for the corresponding quarter in the 2018 fiscal year.

The Company is well positioned for future growth. Access to public capital markets following the completion of Martello’s reverse takeover (RTO) transaction in this reporting period will fuel new growth opportunities with future merger and acquisition activity. The announced acquisition of Dutch-based software company, Savision on November 1, 2018 is intended to accelerate recurring revenues and provide opportunities to grow Martello’s European sales.

Leave a comment »

Just When I Thought It Was Safe To Go On The Internet, I Get Alerted To A New Extortion Phishing Scam

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 27, 2018 by itnerd

Over the last little while, there’s been nothing new on the extortion phishing scam front. In fact, I even Tweeted about the lack of action:

Well, that was yesterday. And clearly the Internet Gods heard me because today I got a tip about a new version of this scam. And I have to admit, it’s got one creative element in it:

Hi, my prey.

This is my last warning.

I write you because I attached a trojan on the web site with porno which you have viewed.
My trojan сaрturеd аll yоur рrivаtе datа and switchеd оn your cаmеrа which reсorded thе асt of yоur sоlitary sex. Just аftеr thаt thе trojan saved your соntact list.
I will erase the cоmpromising vidеo rеcords аnd infоrmatiоn if yоu send mе 500 EURO in bitcoin.
 
This is аddrеss for pаyment :  [Bitcoin Wallet Address Redacted]

I give yоu 30 hours аftеr yоu oреn my mеssage for making thе раymеnt.
As sооn аs you rеad the mеssagе I’ll sеe it right awаy.
It is not nеcessary tо tell me thаt you havе sent money to me. This аddress is сonnесtеd to yоu, my system will erаsеd аutomaticаlly after trаnsfеr сonfirmаtion.
If you nеed 48h just Оpеn thе саlculаtor оn yоur desktоp аnd prеss +++
If yоu don’t рay, I’ll sеnd dirt to аll yоur соntасts.      
Lеt mе remind yоu-I seе whаt you’re doing!
You can visit the pоliсe offiсе but аnybody сan’t hеlр you. 
If you try to deceive mе , I’ll knоw it immеdiatеly! 

I dоn’t livе in yоur соuntry. So аnyоne can nоt trаck my lосatiоn even for 9 months.
bye. Dоn’t forgеt аbout thе shame and tо ignorе, Yоur life саn be ruined.

So, while a lot of the content is recycled and not particularly new, I will give the scumbags points for creativity because of this:

If you nеed 48h just Оpеn thе саlculаtor оn yоur desktоp аnd prеss +++

In the absence of serving up a password which would give the scam email some degree of perceived legitimacy, the losers behind this email give off the impression that they can actually see you. I have to admit that this is pretty crafty and might fool a less sophisticated user. Other than that, it’s the same playbook as the last last ten extortion phishing scams that I told you about in the last few months. Sigh. #Fail. If you get one of these emails, simply delete it and move on with your day.

 

2 Comments »

Cisco Predicts More IP Traffic in the Next Five Years than in the History of the Internet

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 27, 2018 by itnerd

The internet is made up of thousands of public and private networks around the world. And since it came to life in 1984, more than 4.7 zettabytes of IP traffic have flowed across it. That’s the same as all the movies ever made crossing global IP networks in less than a minute.

Yet the new Visual Networking Index (VNI) by Cisco predicts that is just the beginning. By 2022, more IP traffic will cross global networks than in all prior ‘internet years’ combined up to the end of 2016. In other words, more traffic will be created in 2022 than in the 32 years since the internet started. Where will that traffic come from? All of us, our machines and the way we use the internet. By 2022, 60 percent of the global population will be internet users. More than 28 billion devices and connections will be online. And video will make up 82 percent of all IP traffic.

Key predictions for 2022

Cisco’s VNI looks at the impact that users, devices and other trends will have on global IP networks over a five-year period. From 2017 to 2022, Cisco predicts:

  1. Global IP traffic will more than triple
    • Global IP traffic is expected to reach 396 exabytes per month by 2022, up from 122 exabytes per month in 2017. That’s 4.8 zettabytes of traffic per year by 2022.
    • By 2022, the busiest hour of internet traffic will be six times more active than the average. Busy hour internet traffic will grow by nearly five times (37 percent CAGR) from 2017 to 2022, reaching 7.2 petabytes [1] per second by 2022. In comparison, average internet traffic will grow by nearly four times (30 percent CAGR) over the same period to reach 1 petabyte by 2022.
  2. Global internet users will make up 60 percent of the world’s population
    • There will be 4.8 billion internet users by 2022. That’s up from 3.4 billion in 2017 or 45 percent of the world’s population.
  3. Global networked devices and connections will reach 28.5 billion
    • By 2022, there will be 28.5 billion fixed and mobile personal devices and connections, up from 18 billion in 2017—or 3.6 networked devices/connections per person, from 2.4 per person.
    • More than half of all devices and connections will be machine-to-machine by 2022, up from 34 percent in 2017. That’s 14.6 billion connections from smart speakers, fixtures, devices and everything else, up from 6.1 billion.
  4. Global broadband, Wi-Fi and mobile speeds will double or more
    • Average global fixed broadband speeds will nearly double from 39.0 Mbps to 75.4 Mbps.
    • Average global Wi-Fi connection speeds will more than double from 24.4 Mbps to 54.0 Mbps.
    • Average global mobile connection speeds will more than triple from 8.7 Mbps to 28.5 Mbps.
  5. Video, gaming and multimedia will make up more than 85 percent of all traffic
    • IP video traffic will quadruple by 2022. As a result, it will make up an even larger percentage of total IP traffic than before—up to 82 percent from 75 percent.
    • Gaming traffic is expected to grow nine-fold from 2017 to 2022. It will represent four percent of overall IP traffic in 2022.
    • Virtual and augmented reality traffic will skyrocket as more consumers and businesses use the technologies. By 2022, virtual and augmented reality traffic will reach 4.02 exabytes/month, up from 0.33 exabytes/month in 2017.

Regional IP traffic growth details (2017 – 2022)

  • APAC: 173 exabytes/month by 2022, 32 percent CAGR, four-times growth
  • North America: 108 exabytes/month by 2022, 21 percent CAGR, three-times growth
  • Western Europe: 50 exabytes/month 2022, 22 percent CAGR, three-times growth
  • Central & Eastern Europe: 25 exabytes/month by 2022, 26 percent CAGR, three-times growth
  • Middle East and Africa: 21 exabytes/month by 2022, 41 percent CAGR, six-times growth
  • Latin America: 19 exabytes/month by 2022, 21 percent CAGR, three-times growth

Cisco Complete VNI Forecast

The Cisco Complete VNI™ Forecast includes global, regional, and country-level projections and trends associated with fixed and mobile networks. The full report includes additional information and analysis on IoT by industry vertical, IPv6 adoption, traffic growth by application, traffic patterns, cord cutting implications, Wi-Fi hotspots, broadband network performance and network security issues.

Cisco VNI Methodology

The Cisco VNI™ Complete Forecast for 2017 to 2022 relies upon independent analyst forecasts and real-world network usage data. Upon this foundation are layered Cisco’s own estimates for global IP traffic and service adoption. A detailed methodology description is included in the complete report. Over its 13-year history, Cisco® VNI research has become a highly regarded measure of the internet’s growth. National governments, network regulators, academic researchers, telecommunications companies, technology experts and industry/business press and analysts rely on the annual study to help plan for the digital future.

Supporting Resources

Leave a comment »

New Data Shows Increase Of Mobile On-Demand Apps Usage Across Canada: PayPal

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 27, 2018 by itnerd

With the holiday season in full swing, Canadians are increasingly turning to their phones using mobile on-demand apps to streamline their tasks and checking off their to-do lists. New research from global mobile payments leader PayPal reveals that Canadian mobile app users on average spend at least $2,500 annually on apps for everyday tasks. Coming in particularly handy over the holidays are apps for travel, cab rides, food and grocery delivery, cleaning, laundry, and at-home beauty services.

As the mobile on-demand economy continues to grow, the PayPal Canada study reveals half of Canadians rely on an average of three on-demand apps, a trend that continues to accelerate. Recent data found Canadian mobile app usage has grown by 74 per cent in the past two years accounting for nearly half of global internet traffic last year.

Chores are less of a bore with mobile apps saving the day

Mobile apps are defining a new lifestyle trend with more and more Canadians incorporating mobile on-demand apps into their daily routines to streamline daily chores and tasks. With holiday demands and endless to-do lists, it’s no wonder that one in five Canadians have started using mobile apps for their laundry and dry-cleaning (22%), beauty services (21%), and grocery delivery (19%) and these numbers are likely to increase during the holidays to free up time better spent enjoying with friends and family.

Men versus Women: who relies more on apps

The data reveals that men are leading the charge when it comes to on-demand task-based app usage. The study reveals men are significantly more likely than women to rely on mobile on-demand apps to tackle day-to-day tasks.

  • When it comes to getting around town, nearly three quarters of men (74%) rely on apps for taxis or rideshares, compared to two out of three women (64%).
  • Men are more likely to use a mobile app to get groceries delivered – 42% compared to 31% of women.
  • More men (32%) use a task-based app such as a house cleaning service compared to women (22%).
  • Similarly, more men (29%) use mobile laundry and dry-cleaning services to ease the burden of chores than women (17%).
  • However, women (28%) are more likely to treat themselves to beauty services via mobile apps like Style or Soothe than men (25%).

Fueling holiday hunger

Some of the first mobile on-demand apps developed – specifically food and beverage apps – continue to drive usage with 70 per cent of Canadians taking their morning meal on the go by ordering coffee and breakfast items. Nearly two out of three Canadians are using mobile apps like UberEats and Foodora for food and meal delivery (63%).

In British Columbia, using mobile apps to streamline the morning routine is even more prevalent with 78 per cent usage whereas those in Quebec are the least likely to use mobile apps to order coffee or breakfast items (54%).

Going further, the survey found a huge proportion of Millennials turning to mobile solutions, with 77 per cent of them using food and meal delivery apps, versus 43 per cent of Boomers.

From arriving in style to parking with ease

As the holiday season comes into full effect, Canadians will plan their holiday events and gatherings and likely use cabs to get to where they need to be as quickly as possible. The study reveals more than two thirds (69%) of Canadians rely on mobile apps for taxi or rideshare services, such as Uber or Lyft and these numbers are likely to spike during the holidays when festivities rise.

Parking apps are seeing greater adoptions. Nearly half of Canadians (49%) are using mobile apps for parking, such as Green P or EasyPark. This is not only a trend in urban centres. Three quarters (76%) of urbanites use mobile apps for taxis and rideshares, while 64 per cent of their suburban counterparts, and 52 per cent of those in rural areas, do the same. However, both urban (51%) and suburban (48%) Canadians prefer the convenience of paying for parking through an app.

For more information on mobile on-demand apps, please visit www.paypal.ca/shopping.

Study methodology

The online survey was conducted through the Legerweb panel. The study was in field between August 30 – September 6, 2018, and surveyed n=1,807 Canadian mobile app users* starting from the ages of 18 and older. The survey was offered Canada-wide in English & French. The estimated margin of error for the total sample is +/- 2.31% at a 95% confidence level.

*To qualify as a Canadian mobile app user, the respondent must be 18+ years old, and use 1 or more mobile apps for on-demand services (i.e. taxi and ride sharing (like Uber or Lyft), parking, food and meal delivery, coffee, beverage, and breakfast items, grocery delivery, beauty services, laundry and dry-cleaning, and other task-based services such as dog walking, handyman, and house cleaning). The incidence rate for those using one or more mobile apps for on-demand services is 50% of the adult population.

Leave a comment »

Canadian FinTech Mobeewave Helps Enable Contactless Transport Payment Solution For Australia Transit System

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 27, 2018 by itnerd

Sydney commuters can now ‘tap on and off’ all metro train services using their credit card or mobile device instead of their Opal card, thanks to an extension of the contactless transport payments trial run by Transport for NSW in partnership with the Commonwealth Bank, Cubic and Mastercard.

Since July 2017, commuters have been using their credit cards, smart phones, smart watches, and tablets to ‘tap and go’ on the Manly F1 ferry, before the trial was expanded to all public ferry and light rail services in March 2018. To date, more than 235,000 trips have been made using the contactless payments option.

The core payment infrastructure has been developed by CBA. The Commonwealth Bank also plays a key role as the acquirer, and back-end processor of the transactions.

All Visa, Mastercard and AMEX cards are accepted, and commuters using contactless payments will now also enjoy daily, weekly and Sunday travel caps in line with Opal caps. However, other Opal benefits such as the weekly travel discount, concessions and the transfer discount will not be available.

In an Australian-first initiative, CBA will leverage its ongoing and exclusive partnership with Canadian FinTech Mobeewave – pioneers in mobile contactless payment acceptance – to allow transit officers to validate contactless payment fares using off-the-shelf devices. With the support of IDEMIA – a global leader in payment and identity solutions – Mobeewave has adapted its patented payment acceptance platform to create a new contactless validation solution that provides a cost-effective way to mitigate the risk of fare evasion.

The trial has the potential to be replicated to other transport networks across Australia.

For more information about the contactless transport payment trial visit transportnsw.info. For more information about Mobeewave, please visit www.mobeewave.com

Leave a comment »

Review: 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0T Ultimate AWD – Part 2

Posted in Products with tags on November 27, 2018 by itnerd

QPdk1xvPSbGAhqkLbv579w

This is the engine that powers the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0T Ultimate AWD. It’s a 2L turbo four cylinder engine that puts out 235 HP but more importantly an impressive 260 pound feet of torque to all four wheels via an eight speed automatic transmission which you can shift yourself if you so choose. But don’t bother doing so as it is a well sorted transmission that seems to be in the right gear more often than not and is generally a very smooth shifting transmission.

The AWD system in the Santa Fe is worth mentioning in more detail. Hyundai’s HTRAC AWD system was developed as a multi-mode system, providing an electronic, variable-torque-split clutch with active torque control between the front and rear axles. If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a similar system that is used in the Hyundai Genesis that I reviewed a few years back. But unlike that system, it is front wheel biased rather than rear wheel biased.

Driving Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0T Ultimate AWD is pretty rewarding. The power comes on pretty early in the rev range and pulls strong through the middle part of the rev range. So what that means is that you have lots of power off the line, as well as to pass transport trucks and merge onto the highway with ease. I never felt that this vehicle was lacking in power in any way. Handling is superb as it is very nimble at any speed. Body roll is very well controlled and it feels solid thanks to a combination of the in house high strength steel the Hyundai uses and the suspension which doesn’t beat you senseless while being firm. Quite frankly, it feels like I am driving my 2016 Tucson, only with a bit more power at my right foot. It’s also generally quiet to drive even with the winter tires that are on the vehicle.

Fuel economy is surprisingly good for a vehicle of this size. I say surprisingly because I was not sure what to expect coming into this test drive. I am currently floating around 12.1 L/100 KM in largely city driving, which I think is pretty good. That is being aided by an engine stop/start system which will power down the engine at a stoplight when you have your foot firmly on the brake, and power it back up when you start to take your foot off the brake. You do notice that process happening and I have to admit that the first few times that it happened I was kind of unnerved at the engine stopping and starting. But after about a day or so you stop noticing it. Another thing that I should note is the drive modes. You get three in this vehicle. Comfort, Sport, and Smart. And they’re appropriately color coded (e.g., a red speedometer border for Sport) so you’ll never have to guess which drive mode you’re in. My advice is to set it for Smart and leave it there as that will give you the best balance between performance and fuel consumption.

Next up I’ll walk through the interior which Hyundai has clearly brought its “A Game” to. Tune in tomorrow to find out why I say that.

 

 

 

Leave a comment »

TransferWise Opens API to Canadian Businesses

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 27, 2018 by itnerd

7 years ago, that TransferWise, set out to make the world of finance more fair. Their mission has always been simple: money without borders for everyone, everywhere – instant, convenient, and eventually free. Now the company has opened access to its API so that any Canadian business can now integrate TransferWise into their workflow, enabling customers to make fast, low cost international transfers directly from their own website or app.

This means you can now get access to the same platform that powered  TransferWise. So you can make the same transparently priced, fast, low-cost transfers directly from your own website or app. Or build whatever you need to better manage your finances. You don’t need to be a business or a bank to use the API, and there are no extra charges or premium subscriptions. And it only takes a few minutes to get your tokens. The API documentation has everything you and your engineering team need to kick off the integration. It only takes a few minutes to get a sandbox account – and once you’re done, you’ll be able to start testing and building with their API right away. When you’re ready to go live, sign in to your real TransferWise account to get your live API token. If you run into any issues, just email api@transferwise.com and they’ll quickly get you going again. While there are still a few limitations that are being addressed, this is live now.

 

 

 

Leave a comment »

Salesforce Leads In Giving Back To Communities Starting On #GivingTuesday

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 27, 2018 by itnerd

Taking advantage of the momentum from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday marks the beginning of the charitable season and encourages people to give to organizations, charities and initiatives that are making a difference.

Salesforce.org, the non-profit subsidiary of Salesforce, is a prime example of taking leadership in giving back to its communities. Through a partnership with United Way, Salesforce.org has launched Philanthropy Cloud, which allows employees to record all of their charitable work and connect with the causes they care about.

Here are a few other Salesforce.org initiatives related to the spirit of #GivingTuesday:

1-1-1 Model

Salesforce founded the 1-1-1 Philanthropic Model, which encourages corporations to pledge 1 percent of their employee time, products and equity to support nonprofits around the world. Since its founding, Salesforce has:

  • Given more than 3.2 million hours of community service
  • Donated more than $230-million in grants
  • Provided product donations for more than 37,000 nonprofits and higher education institutions, including Furniture Bank, an organization that donates furniture to families in need.

Employee-Inspired Volunteering

Salesforce employees get seven paid days of Volunteer Time Off (VTO) each year.

  • From volunteering at a school to building houses in remote parts of the world, Salesforce employees are encouraged to use their VTO to make the world a better place in whatever way they choose.

 

Leave a comment »

In Depth: Mazda’s Implementation Of Android Auto And Apple CarPlay

Posted in Products with tags on November 26, 2018 by itnerd

Mazda first pledged support for CarPlay back in 2014. And they have been listed as a CarPlay partner on Apple’s CarPlay website since shortly after CarPlay first debuted. But the company never actually released a CarPlay-compatible vehicle. You can mostly copy and paste that statement for Android Auto as well. And I have to imagine that this is a significant distraction for Mazda as customers were likely asking them about when support for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay would be coming. I certainly got my fair share of Tweets and emails every time I reviewed a Mazda product on this topic. Fortunately for both Mazda and yours truly, this changed a couple of months ago when Mazda started to roll out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto beginning with the 2019 Mazda CX-9 and to other Mazda vehicles.

Now Mazda is all about centering everything around the driver. Mazda Connect embodies this belief as I consider it to be one of the best infotainment systems out there. It allows you to interact the car with minimal distractions. As far as Mazda is concerned, there are three main types of driving distractions:

  • Cognitive: taking the mind off of driving.
  • Visual: taking the eyes off of the road.
  • Manual: taking the hands off of the wheel.

With that in mind, Mazda designed Mazda Connect to do the following:

Minimize Cognitive Distraction:

  • Mazda’s Solution: Information is presented to the driver in two separate zones with Driving Information presented in front of the driver.
  • Driver Benefit: If an safety alert occurs, the driver knows immediately where to look.

Minimize Visual Distraction:

  • Mazda’s Solution: Position frequently viewed displays to minimize glance angles and focus times.
  • Driver Benefit: With minimal glance angles and focus times, the driver reduces the amount of time their eyes are not focused on the road ahead.

Minimize Manual Distraction:

  • Mazda’s Solution: Commander Control
  • Driver Benefit: With the Commander easily within reach, the driver doesn’t need to alter their posture to make inputs, minimizing the amount of physical effort required by the driver.

Mazda has carried this same philosophy over to their implementation of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. This is different than other car companies who simply add either or both to their cars without thinking of the effects of doing so and call it job done. In Mazda’s case, they’ve done the following:

  • Voice Recognition button on the steering wheel activates Siri or Google Assistant. Now that isn’t that different from most car companies. But I also found that Google Assistant could be invoked simply by saying “OK Google” without pressing the voice Recognition button.
  • The Entertainment, Home, and NAV buttons activate the related CarPlay or Android Auto function.
    • Entertainment and NAV buttons are contextually aware.
    • Home: short press, CarPlay or Android Auto home screen. Long press, Mazda Connect UI.
  • Rotating/Tilting the Commander knob moves the on-screen selection highlight.
    • Depress the Commander to select.

Now there are additional things that I noted when I tried these systems out that I noted. And I shot a pair of videos to detail them. I’d like to start with Apple CarPlay:

The second video is about Android Auto:

Since I am normally on Team iPhone, I spent most of my time using Apple CarPlay. In my week with the 2019 CX-9 I found that using Apple CarPlay was far less distracting than normal as I was able to do what I wanted to do using CarPlay and the HMI Commander Switch rather than having to take my attention away from driving to touch something on the screen. The same was true for my day long test of Android Auto. I believe that you’ll find the same is true for you if you test drive a Mazda vehicle.

Now Mazda is doing a staggered rollout through the line-up:

  • 2019 CX-9 first model to receive from factory, and that is available now
  • 2018 Mazda6 and 2019 CX-3 will see mid-year rolling change starting from September production
  • Other models will receive update with 2019 model year (except the MX-5)

So if you’re interested in Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in a new Mazda vehicle, it’s either here or it’s coming real soon. But what if you already own a Mazda vehicle? Mazda has you covered assuming you have any of the following vehicles:

  • 2014 Mazda3
  • 2016 Mazda6
  • 2016 MX-5
  • 2017 MX-5 RF
  • 2016 CX-3
  • 2016 CX-5
  • 2016 CX-9

For owners of these vehicles, the retrofit kit will cost $445 CDN installed.

Now, some of you might have bought one of the above vehicles in 2018. Does that mean that you are out of luck? No. Mazda Canada has thought of you. You’ll be able to get this functionality for $250 CDN for a limited time. In both cases, your Mazda will get the following:

  • The software update that gives you Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
  • A USB port upgrade that gives you at 2.1A USB port. Why do you need an upgrade to your USB port? Your phone needs to be able to get power from the vehicle and run Android Auto or Apple CarPlay at the same time, and the ports that came with your Mazda won’t cut it when it comes to doing that. As a bonus, your phone will charge faster as well.

The upgrade takes about 90 minutes at your local Mazda dealer.

Finally, I am going to tackle one point that has come up a few times over the last few weeks thanks to people who reached out to me to complain that they have to pay for getting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in their cars. You can see that there’s some physical hardware and work that goes into getting this into a Mazda vehicle. None of the work that they have to do is trivial. Thus I would argue that given what you get as part of this upgrade, and the fact that Mazda has put a lot of time and effort into making this as distraction free as possible. this is money well spent.

I would be reaching out to your Mazda dealer if you’re interested in getting this upgrade to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. As you can see, Mazda has spent a lot of time and effort to make this the best implementation of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that I have seen in a vehicle. I would recommend that if you’re interested in either of these, and you want to use them as safely as possible, Mazda has to be at the top of your list in terms of vehicles to test drive. And if you already own a Mazda vehicle, this upgrade is totally worth obtaining as it will add value to your Mazda.

2 Comments »

Review: 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0T Ultimate AWD – Part 1

Posted in Products with tags on November 26, 2018 by itnerd

Crossovers/SUVs are all the rage at the moment. And you’d be forgiven if you think that you only have three choices when it comes to size. Which is sub compact, compact, and 7/8 passenger variants. But there is a fourth option which is the mid sized five passenger variant. There’s only a handful of entrants in this space and Hyundai is one of the leaders in that space with the Santa Fe which has been redone for 2019:

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I have to admit that it does look very bold. While it does carry over some of the styling cues from the previous Santa Fe, it also has styling cues from the Hyundai Kona. Specifically the front and rear lights. They are arranged like this from the front:

  • Top lights: Daytime running lights.
  • Center lights: Headlights
  • Bottom lights: Foglamps

And from the back:

  • Top lights: Brake lights
  • Bottom lights Turn signal and backup lights

But unlike the Kona, people who saw the Santa Fe didn’t find the look to be anywhere near as polarizing as the Kona which people either loved the look or hated the look. That’s important as Hyundai really wants to continue to be one of the leaders in the mid-sized crossover/SUV space.

One thing that did stand out for was the design of the 19″ alloy wheels:

vzZqHEECQdmnPUxlZ252Eg

I’m not sure why, but I really felt drawn to this wheel design. The same was true with my wife who said the exact same thing,

My review of the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0T Ultimate AWD is made up of five parts:

  • Exterior
  • Engine, transmission, handling, fuel economy, and driving comfort
  • Interior
  • Technology in the vehicle
  • Wrap up

The next part of this review will cover the engine, transmission and driving comfort. There’s a fair amount going on here that I think will appeal to buyers of a vehicle like this. Tune in tomorrow to find out why I say that.

7 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »