Spent the Day at Ford’s Headquarters in Dearborn

Got to paw their new Sync infotainment system, which is happily far better than the current one (this one is QNX based.)

Also got to try a virtual reality helmet, very cool. So real looking. Dedicated posts about each coming soon.

Just back from the annual Ford media party, which was good fun (plus I won the race car game, tada.)

Best line of the trip comes from Francis… “You’re like the Grumpy Cat of journalism” (because of my resting-serious-face, see here)

I have 3 deadlines tomorrow for the paper, and my flight has been cancelled tomorrow because apparently we got so much snow at home? So cutting this short and will leave you with a wish for a good Thursday night, best night of the week.

TTYT

 

 

 

My Best Review Yet – 2015 Mazda MX-5

2015 Mazda MX-5

Starting at $29,450
This one $40,925

It surprised me it came out so good, because it was tough for 2 reasons.

1

You can’t actually buy this thing, so I had to review a car you can’t buy (my tester was #738 / 1,099 worldwide)

2

The MX-5 is a universally loved car by auto journalists, and there are one trillion glowing MX-5 reviews, how’s mine to be different?

I took the approach, “That’s why most reviews about the MX-5 read the same, and sound like this” which they all do, because the car is that good.

However, “The real question is: which model year do you choose? This one, or wait for the all-new model coming next year?”

(short answer – buy this year, the simpler, purer version, because the all-new model will be covered in tech and aids.)

Read it online at Autonet.

Even the photoshoot came together beautifully, come ON this haybale face.

I added it to my collection, “Special Car Photos“.

So for sure I was pleased when this printed across the newspaper chain. Of all the ones ahhh.

My favourite line even ended up in the blue circle, couldn’t have worked out better.

Now this is the review I link to when I have to showcase my work.

***

Update: this review ended up being quoted on the Mazda site ha, here

 

 

What 1 Google Search Reveals

1 – where you’re visiting
2 – on which browser
3 – date and time

#3 reveals the most information.  Because 1 visit to 1 website, meh. But the patterns that emerge from watching someone’s traffic can reveal a lot.

Examples:

– multiple daily visits to the same Facebook page = the person is obsessed with someone

– repeat visits to Tumblrs featuring X type of content = the person has a fixation for X

– visits to websites detailing how to covertly do X = the person potentially has nefarious plans to execute X attack

* – that’s the cookie / tracking code that follows you around the internet, monitoring where you’re going

***

The above photo was taken during December’s TASK meeting (Toronto Area Security Klatch), specifically during Lee Brotherston talk about his ISP deliberately MiTM’ing his connection.

The ending was the best part, because it was so refreshingly honest. Here’s his slide deck.

 

 

Solving Crimes using Car Clues

For sure search the car for physical clues like blood, hair and DNA, but also pay attention to the little things you can’t hold?

Things like radio presets, seat position, was the seat pressure sensor on or off, plus the EDR information of course, which is admissible in courts.

I’m speaking with Chris Pogue, current Senior VP at cyber-threat analysis software company Nuix, and former U.S. Army Warrant Officer attached to the Criminal Investigation Division.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

It’s assumed the first instinct is to search the car for blood and hair, for physical DNA, but how about paying attention to the little things that could be clues.

2nd Favourite line: 

Then add in the footage from traffic cameras (everyone forgets those are always watching.)

That’s me in the lede photo, cornering a Subaru Legacy.

***

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index