Copywriter, technical writer, translator (FR>EN, ES>EN, IT>EN), journalist

TechnoZen

Respectable much of the time: The 2018 Volkswagen Passat GT

Sometimes you want your “family sedan” to be capable of a little more fun in the side. If that’s what you’re looking for, check out the 2018 Volkswagen Passat GT. First Impressions The Reflex Silver Metallic paint contrasts subtly with the Black Uni Roof, side mirrors and

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Getting around media website paywalls

News websites need to make money, so they ask readers for subscriptions. These subscriptions seem reasonable and I suspect many news junkies (sorry, readers) pay for them. My relationship to news websites I’m doing what I can to avoid the news in general. As an old New Yorker cartoon

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Grand Touring in the BMW 640 xDrive Gran Turismo

Covering the technological marvels in any given vehicle becomes more of a pipe dream with every model year that passes. Fortunately, some vehicles let me distract readers from this inability using spectacular imagery. Let’s see if that works here: Consider the “key fob” otherwise known as BMW’s

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Finding Lost Attachments in Mac Mail

If you’ve read much of my blog over the years, you probably know that I’m a fan of all things Apple. My allegiance lies primarily with the Mac. It may cost more at purchase, but the time it saves in troubleshooting I haven’t had to do over the years

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Maximum MINI – the 2018 Cooper Countryman ALL4

How does a brand with the name “mini” slake consumer first for large vehicles while retaining a claim to its diminutive brand? That’s the first question I had when I stepped into the 2018 MINI Countryman ALL4. The answer I came up with: there’s a hodgepodge of personalities

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Refreshing my LinkedIn network

Some time ago, I wrote about social network bloat. I followed up with a deeper dive, which is a bit redundant now that I read it again. It’s clearly a topic that recurs to me. Much of what I wrote in line with how I recommend people build

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The family-hauling 2018 Honda Pilot

Lots of drivers thirst for roominess but not the stodginess of minivans. Automakers know this. That’s why just about every one offers an SUV that features three-row seating. I spent a week with a mainstay in this category, the 2018 Honda Pilot. First impressions Largely unchanged from 2017,

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Writing with Mind Maps

When I start to write a document, the ideas in it never get to the page in publishable order. (I know I’m not alone in this.) Pieces of the “story” float about. Many writers feel a compulsion to write from the start of a new document. That

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Worth the wait: the 2018 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD

You know a car is a hot ticket when you call to reserve it for a media review the same day you get the email announcing it’s joined the media fleet, only to be told you’ll need to wait a few months for your turn. Fortunately, I’m

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Dialling phone extensions from your Mac

I’ve been increasingly making phone calls using my Mac, without even touching my iPhone. FaceTime on the Mac makes this possible when my Mac and iPhone are connected to the same WiFi network. (Apple provides full setup instructions here.) It’s a great convenience. The sound is fine,

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