Archive for December 30, 2019

The IT Nerd Award For The Best SUV Of 2019 Goes To: 2020 Hyundai Palisade Luxury

Posted in Products with tags on December 30, 2019 by itnerd

Hyundai has a three row crossover that is going to scare the dickens out of a lot of their competition in the form of the 2020 Hyundai Palisade Luxury.

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It brings a stout engine, some really cutting edge tech, and one of the best interiors that I have ever seen in a vehicle. On top of that, I managed to get seven adults in it comfortably and the exterior stands out from virtually everything else on the road. The kicker is that I didn’t get the top trim to review which means that there’s even more that you can pack into this vehicle, all at a max price of $53K CDN. For a company that is known for packing a lot of content into their vehicles and pricing it at a level that makes it almost irresistible, Hyundai has outdone itself with the Palisade. That makes awarding it the Best SUV of the year an easy decision.

If You Have A Wyze Security Camera, Your Data Is Likely In The Wild

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 30, 2019 by itnerd

I guess we can’t end 2019 without talking about yet another company who somehow managed to leak data that’s tied to its customers. From CNET:

Security camera startup Wyze has confirmed it suffered a data leak earlier this month that left the personal information for millions of its customers exposed on the internet. No passwords or financial information was exposed, but email addresses, Wi-Fi network IDs and body metrics for 2.4 million customers were left unprotected from Dec. 4 through Dec. 26, the company said Friday.

The data was accidentally left exposed when it was transferred to a new database to make the data easier to query, but a company employee failed to maintain previous security protocols during the process, Wyze co-founder Dongsheng Song wrote in a forum post. “We are still looking into this event to figure out why and how this happened,” he wrote…

Among the data exposed in the Wyze leak was the height, weight, gender and other health information for about 140 beta users participating in testing of new hardware, Wyze said.

Amazing. And by amazing, I mean that this leak is amazingly bad. Why was this information needed from beta testers? That’s what I would like to know for starters. But back to the core issue. I’ve said it before and I will say it one more time. There need to be stricter laws to punish companies who let this sort of thing happen. Otherwise companies will just continue to do dumb stuff or not care about the security of the data that they are entrusted with. And customers will suffer as a result. Thus seeing as Wyze appears to be US based, I hope that some congressional committee decides to take a look at this, or somebody like the FTC decides to investigate Wyze and slap them silly. Because this nonsense has to end.

The IT Nerd Award For The Best Car Of 2019 Goes To: 2019 Mazda3/Mazda3 Sport AWD

Posted in Products with tags on December 30, 2019 by itnerd

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone is rushing out to buy an SUV these days. Some people still want a car in their driveway. One that’s good on gas, handles well, and has a well appointed interior. Plus having a ton of safety features on board is a must along with tech like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In the case of Mazda, they have two choices for you. The Mazda3 sedan and the Mazda3 Sport. Both of which have the option for all wheel drive which is not exactly common in the compact space.

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It doesn’t matter which form factor you choose, the Mazda3 ticks all the boxes and is a standout in the compact car class. It’s great on gas, has an interior that rivals luxury cars, has the safety that car buyers demand these days, and comes with the tech you want. Plus you get the option for all wheel drive which really makes it stand out from the rest of the cars in the class with no penalty at the fuel pump. All of that means that an SUV may not be in your future. And it makes giving the Mazda3 the IT Nerd Award for the best car of the year a no brainer.

The IT Nerd Award For The Best Accessory Of 2019 Goes To: Oral-B Genius X 10000 Toothbrush

Posted in Products with tags on December 30, 2019 by itnerd

You must be thinking that I am mad because I gave a toothbrush the best tech accessory award for 2019? But let me explain why the Oral-B Genius X 10000 Toothbrush is getting this award.

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I am constantly looking for tech that really can be a game changer for the people who buy the tech in question. And the Oral-B Genius X 10000 Toothbrush is something that is a game changer. I’ve had electric toothbrushes before, but none of them got my teeth as clean as this. Plus none of them helped to push me to be disciplined about my brushing routine. And the results are impressive. My teeth are noticeably cleaner and my dentist and hygienist are impressed with the results. All because I use this toothbrush along with my iPhone to brush my teeth. Since great oral health has knock on effects for your general health, I would say that this is game changing stuff. That’s why I’m giving the best accessory of the year to the Oral-B Genius X 10000 Toothbrush. It’s not cheap, but it’s a great piece of tech that will make a difference in your life.