Not all of the coverage Apple has received in the past few months has been favorable; far from it. At a time when it no doubt would have preferred that we all speak in glowing terms about the iPhone 8, the iPhone X and the iMac Pro, the discussion occasionally went off the rails in ways that may not have been predictable.

In November, it was reported that macOS High Sierra had a perfectly silly bug that allowed you to gain full admin access without using a password. Not even the word “password.” Zilch, zero, and you wonder how it would have gone undetected by Apple’s OS engineers. It was all fixed quickly enough, but not before Apple got some pretty bad coverage over this carelessness.

Of course, it’s not that it would have been quickly exploited. I assume hackers would usually just try out passwords rather than assume that one wasn’t needed.

In any case, all went well through the first part of December. Shipping dates were announced for the iMac Pro, and Apple’s new powerhouse all-in-one workstation got excellent reviews. For content creators, scientists and others who had no problem paying from $4,999 to $13,199 for one of the most powerful personal computers on the planet would have been rewarded with a terrific machine. All right, it wasn’t so terrific if you wanted to upgrade something inside, but what did you expect?

In any case, Apple continues to promise that a modular upgradeable Mac Pro is under development, so if the iMac Pro isn’t your cup of tea, you may be able to spend even more money on the long-awaited successor to the failed 2013 trash can model.

As the year was coming to a close, Apple found itself in the thick of it again due to its usual failure to fully detail the changes in OS updates. There were reports that older iPhones were running really slow, based on the usual benchmarks. Did Apple deliberately cripple performance in order to entice you to upgrade? Was this the ultimate exercise in planned obsolescence?

As it turned out, it was all the result of a choice Apple made when it released iOS 10.2.1 in late 2016. In order to control the phenomenon of some iPhones with failing batteries shutting down, Apple opted to reduce performance when the unit was under load.

Good intentions no doubt, but Apple failed to fully explain what it was doing and how to restore your iPhone to full performance. Some people reportedly replaced their phones; others paid for new batteries and realized all was well.

But until Apple made its apologies, class action lawsuits were filed. Accusations did include the planned obsolescence claim. At first, Apple clarified the reasoning behind the updates in iOS 10 and iOS 11 that reduced performance. But that wasn’t quite enough to mollify the complainers. So there was yet a second, more detailed statement, accompanied by detailed support notes. The price of battery replacements was reduced from $79 to $29 until the end of 2018. I’m not sure how customers who already paid full price for battery replacements — or bought them from non-authorized dealers — will be treated. And what about those who bought new iPhones? Were they entitled to refunds.

So until all these cases wind their way through the courts, it’s hard to know how it’ll all end up, but I suspect Apple will settle where it can and give coupons to those who participated in the filings.

Thus ended 2017, as expectant Apple watchers wait for February 1st, when December quarterly financials will be disclosed. Did the iPhone X reach stratospheric sales, or did it crash and burn? There are both versions out there, but Apple doesn’t ordinarily break down sales among different models. Positive signs for the newest iPhone will include record sales, at or above analyst estimates, and higher average resale prices.

The year began with yet another potential scandal, but it wasn’t Apple’s. Intel announced that two CPU bugs, labeled Meltdown and Spectre, were discovered recently, but impacted all their chips dating back to 1997, plus silicon from ARM and other companies. One wonders how they went undiscovered for so long, but one of my colleagues suggested that it was the result of the use of sandboxing in current operating systems. This procedure involves walling off apps, with special exceptions, for better security.

In short order, Apple released updates for iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra to “mitigate” Meltdown. On Monday, a supplemental update for 10.13.2 and an iOS 11.2.2 update addressed Spectre, which impacts  browsers. Microsoft patched Windows, but its Spectre fix reportedly bricked some PCs with AMD CPUs, even though that company’s chips aren’t vulnerable. Strange that there hasn’t been a lot of coverage of that problem. If it happened to Apple, you’d never hear the end of it.

Indeed, Apple got blamed for getting in front of the issue and explaining its plans. Soon the story became all about Apple, rather than one that impacted billions of computing devices, of which iPhones, iPads, the Apple TV and Macs were just a part.

Forgetting the unfair press, Apple’s documentation on the CPU bug was actually pretty well prepared. Sure, it was a little technical for many users, but it was a refreshing example of getting in front of a problem and reassuring customers that Apple was on the case.

If this is an example of how Apple will handle such matters going forward, it will be a lesson well learned.

This past holiday season, 4K TVs hit critical mass. Only the very cheapest models were strictly HD. Starting not too far north of $300, you can buy a genuine Ultra HD set with a decent-sized screen. It’s not that these sets are necessarily junk either. Many come from big-name manufacturers, such as LG, Samsung, Sony and VIZIO. While the latter specializes in mostly lower cost sets, they are often rated higher than more expensive gear, a good market to be in for people looking for the best value.

What this means is that, if you’re ready to trade up from HD, you’ll find plenty of affordable gear. Indeed, when you examine all these sets in stores, it is very difficult to choose one from the other based on picture quality alone. Many of these are cookie-cutter products with fine differences that will never be noticed under the bright lights of a retail outlet. It’s only when they are set up in your home, and actually run side by side, would most of the differences be revealed.

Probably the most immediate distinction, though, is in the viewing angle. As you check the picture from the sides and above and below, you’ll see the picture dimming. But you see the same phenomenon on your iPhone or any device with an LED-based display. It’s the limit of this technology, though some sets manage it better than others. That’s where advantages will be fairly obvious.

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Despite its pretensions of factual and technical accuracy, I’ve long had issues with the way Consumer Reports magazine manages its reviews. A notable example is the curious way in which notebook computer battery life is calculated. When CR first reviewed Apple’s 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, it wasn’t recommended due to reported battery life inconsistencies.

Apple quickly responded and, working with the magazine, found that the CR’s test methodology, requires turning off browser caching, thus using Safari’s Develop menu in macOS Sierra. It helped trigger a rare bug that virtually nobody would see under normal use. But Apple fixed the bug anyway, and the magazine reversed its non-recommendation. Still, nobody expects the MacBook Pro to deliver over 13 hours of battery life over regular use.

Without going into detail, when I’ve checked the reviews of cars I’ve owned and/or driven I’ve run across occasional stark differences in the way features were described. The thin side bolsters of the leatherette seats of recent VW Jettas, for example, are not thin but thick and really holds you in place around a sharp curve. Or perhaps there was a manufacturing change of some sort after CR did its review.

So we come to a section containing TV reviews, and I decided to compare CR’s rating to what I achieved in evaluating a 55-inch 2017 VIZIO M-Series. Whereas the set has received really high scores from CNET and other sources due to its combination of high performance and a low price, CR’s rating was a decidedly mediocre 62 compared to similarly-sized models that earned scores of up to 88. To be fair, the highest rating includes some decidedly pricier sets including OLED models from LG.

Now in comparison with other reviewers, CR buys all the sets it covers anonymously from regular retail establishments. Supposedly it makes the publication incorruptible because the manufacturer can’t send a ringer, a specially adjusted sample that would deliver better performance than the shipping product. Not that I ever encountered anything of the sort in the 25 years I’ve been reviewing tech gear, but I’ll grant is may be possible.

Regardless, CR is entitled to its priorities, but not its facts.

Just where did the VIZIO fall down? Well, it’s downgraded in several areas, such as HDR “effectiveness,” and the supposedly “limited viewing angle” that actually scores as “good.” Go figure!

In addition, the lack of a TV tuner is criticized, but there is also a peculiar conclusion, that the “required tablet-control device [is] not included.”

I understand where the lack of a tuner might be important for some people. This design decision is clearly intended to cut costs and not have people pay for a feature they aren’t going to use. Tuners are available from Amazon for around $30 or so, and thus it shouldn’t be an issue. In the future, there will be an updated broadcast standard, ATSC 3.0, supporting 4K and other features. So when they arrive, you’ll be able to buy one without being saddled with a TV that has the older hardware. I suppose that’s a way to future proof.

The claim that a tablet is required is simply not true, although a mobile device will help expand the built-in Google Chromecast feature. As it stands, the set ships with a small number of preloaded apps that include Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Netflix. This selection probably accommodates most users. For those who want YouTube and thousands of other services, you can pair the VIZIO with an iOS or Android device with the company’s SmartCast app.

No tablet required. On the other hand, since the CR review is based on an older firmware version on its test VIZIO, perhaps these apps were added in a subsequent update.

CR also claims there is no Internet capability, but since the set offers both an Ethernet port and Wi-Fi connectivity, and uses the Internet to receive streams for its embedded apps, the statement is just not true. Thus the review is a little jumbled. Maybe CR is reviewing so many sets, it just can’t get all its facts in order.

In other review categories, Ultra HD (4K) performance is rated as “very good” largely because of less-than-stellar upconversion from HD-to-UHD. Since most of what you’ll be watching on such a set is HD, this process is of critical importance. For me, cable reception is clearly better than on my previous TV, a 2012 VIZIO E-Series, but edges, particularly lettering, are sometimes jaggy if you look real close. Otherwise it’s not going to be much of an issue.

That said, I was particularly interested in the “Optimized Picture Settings” that were obtained in CR’s test laboratory. In brief, they were actually quite close to the Calibrated Dark settings achieved by CNET. Compared to the Calibrated setting, the backlight is turned way down. Consistent with other reviews, sharpness is set at zero. It’s generally felt that set manufacturers make the edges just too sharp, perhaps to make a better impression when customers do comparisons.

So I switched to the CR settings, which took maybe a minute or two, and turned off Auto Brightness, which I had been experimenting with. So far there is a definite if slight improvement in color rendition, particularly flesh tones. That’s probably the result of a somewhat higher color setting, plus changing the set’s gamma from the default 2.2 to 2.4.

Overall, the CR review seems fairly consistent with some of the results I achieved, but I’m concerned at the contradictions and clear errors in some ratings categories. This demonstrates a lack of attention to detail, or perhaps the editors are so reliant on boilerplate templates for reviews that they were a little careless in the final editing process.

Regardless, as my review progresses, I continue to enjoy the rare selection of true 4K content that reveals the sets superior picture in all its glory, and even the standard HD fare from the cable company looks a whole lot better.

Normally I don’t take notice the passing of a long-time auto executive, but I’ll make an exception with the news of the recent death of Kenichi Yamamoto. He once served as president and chairman of Mazda, but he became most famous by being head of the team of engineers that perfected the rotary engine for use in mass-produced vehicles.

Developed by a German engineer, Felix Wankel, a rotary engine eschewed pistons and employed multiple rotors that spun around the crankshaft. He first came up with the concept at age 17.

Without going into technical details that I scarcely understand, the engine’s “note” was much smoother, closer to that of a hum, which became the focus on a popular series of TV ads. They were more powerful than piston engines of similar size. A relatively limited-production vehicle, the NSU Ro 80, was one of the early vehicles to feature the rotary engine, but it was bogged down by reliability problems that resulted in the need to do engine rebuilds as early as 15,000 to 30,000 miles. Today’s Audi luxury brand, a division of Volkswagen, is the result of a merger between Auto Union and NSU.

One of the original Mazdas with a rotary engine was a sporty coupe, the Cosmo, which was produced from 1967 through 1972. But the first mass produced rotary-equipped family car was the two-door Familia, sold outside of Japan as the R100, which was first introduced in 1963.

Mazda didn’t reach the shores of the U.S. until 1970, setting up shop on the west coast and slowly moving east. At the time, I owned a blue-green Toyota Corona. I was between jobs, with time on my hands, and so I visited one of the first east coast Mazda dealerships in Charleston, SC. It was 1971.

The only model on display was the R100, and I took it for a spin. While smaller than my Toyota, it had pretty snappy pickup, and decent ride and handling. Once I was back on my financial feet, I opted to consider buying one.

I soon moved to Coatesville, PA, a steel mill town about 45 miles west of Philadelphia, where I worked at the local radio station for several years. By 1972, the first Mazda dealership arrived in Philadelphia, but they only had demo vehicles on hand. It took several months for the initial inventory to arrive, but I placed an order for a four-door Capella sedan, known in America as the RX-2.

On the surface, the RX-2 closely resembled the typical Japanese-built company family car. In terms of room and amenities, it wasn’t so different from my Toyota. Well, except for that amazing rotary engine.

I bought an RX-2 in yellow, equipped with the manual transmission. The Toyota had just 60,000 miles on it, but its engine needed work, and it was consuming a quart of oil every few hundred miles. I was overjoyed at my “smart” decision, but stay with me.

When I took my new car to the dealer for the first oil change, probably at around 1,000 miles, the service advisor informed me that the rotor seals were leaking oil, and they had to rebuild the engine. Surprised and disappointed, I drove off with a loaner vehicle, and picked up my RX-2 several days later.

The dealership’s owner personally apologized. All seemed well, though my car suffered from occasional water leaks, so I kept antifreeze handy. I just loved the car, so I put up with such irritants.

Now a rotary engine had other shortcomings other than early reliability issues. Fuel economy was noticeably worse than a comparable piston engine. So where the Toyota delivered gas mileage in the low 20s, it was barely 18-20 mpg on the Mazda. You also had to add oil every 1,000 miles or so, another limitation of the technology that sprayed oil on the rotors for proper engine cooling.

While acceleration was no great shakes compared to a 2017 car, a little over 10 seconds from zero-60, I enjoyed racing past larger cars with stunned drivers at stoplights. Well occasionally.

By 1976, my RX-2, with over 65,000 miles on it, appeared headed for another engine rebuild, but this time it was well beyond the warranty period. It was time to get off the rotary train, so I settled on a pure American compact, a blue and white Buick Skylark hatchback coupe, but taking delivery was a real cliffhanger. The Mazda’s clutch master cylinder was failing, and I was barely able to switch gears on the manual transmission during the trip to the dealer.

I left the parked car at a far-way spot at the dealership, entered the showroom to sign the final paperwork, and drove off. The salesman called the next day to ask if I had any problems with my Mazda, since he couldn’t get it to go into gear. I protested ignorance, and that was the end of it.

With the fuel crisis of the mid-1970s, the rotary engine quickly went out of favor, although Mazda persisted in working to improve fuel economy while delivering larger family cars with bigger engines. By the 2000s, the sole rotary car sold in the U.S. was a two-door sporty vehicle, the Rx-7, first introduced in the 1970s, later replaced by the RX-8. It was notable for sharp handling, a relatively stiff ride, with a unique slant on a four-door vehicle concept dubbed a quad-coupe, with a tiny rear door and an equally tiny space for rear passengers.

But compared with piston engines, gas economy was still noticeably lower. Striking a familiar chord, RX-8s from 2004 through 2008 received an extended warranty to cover engine overhauls, the result of premature failures. The RX-8 was quietly discontinued in 2012. While there have been rumors of an RX-9 that may debut by 2020, such rumors haven’t been confirmed.

Yes, it had its problems, but I still enjoyed the time spent behind the wheel of that RX-2. While it’s possible Mazda might resume production of cars with rotary engines someday, the focus nowadays is mostly about electric cars. Talk about going “Hmmmmmmmm.”