The Week USA - 13.03.2020

The best of...drinks to go

Consumer

The Detroit News

Cars like the new Hyundai Venue are

“increasingly rare.” At a time when the

average price of a new vehicle sold in the

U.S. is $39,000, Hyundai has just rolled

out a “tasty” little subcompact crossover

that’s priced well below the $20,000 mark.

“As Mini Cooper–cute as it is utilitarian,”

the Venue is now the lowest-priced SUV in

America, yet it’s “peppered” with modern

electronics and—especially if you opt for

the manual transmission—perfectly willing

to play.

Consumer Reports

Not that the Venue is fast: Its 121-hp four-

cylinder engine struggles to reach highway

speed when merging. But this attractive

front-wheel-drive runabout is “poised in

around-town driving” and feels “pretty

sprightly” on country roads. What’s more,

it averages 35 mpg with its standard trans-

mission, it’s surprisingly roomy for its size,

and it “has more style than expected.” In

the $22,050 Denim Edition, the cabin “looks

like a classic pair of Levi’s.”

Motor1.com

The Venue has no fl aw you won’t fi nd in

every entry-level rival, so it “pretty handily”

emerges as the best in its class. Even the

entry price buys lane-keep assist, front-

collision warning, an 8-inch touch screen,

and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This

is a good car at any price. For the price

Hyundai is asking, “it’s a great car.”

28 LEISURE

Tip of the week...
How to be a self-checkout master

Best apps...

For taking measurements

And for those who have

everything...

“Don’t

settle for a

garage like

everyone

else’s.”

Every

Supercar

Capsule

Garage

built by

ASZarchetetti Group, an Italian architecture

fi rm, treats your prized vehicle or vehicles as

the works of art they are. The designers cre-

ate custom showrooms that can be stacked

in a tower or integrated with your home as a

glowing space that fl atters the car and puts

it behind a wall of glass. “What better way to

wake up in the morning than with the smell

of fresh coffee and the sight of your McLaren,

Ferrari, or Lamborghini?”

From $50,000, supercarcapsule.com

Source: AutoEvolution.com

QKnow your limits. Choose the self-checkout
line at your supermarket or discount store
only when you have 15 items or less. Beyond
that number, it ceases to be the most ef-
ficient option, and because the counter space
is limited, you’ll struggle with bagging.
QAnticipate complications. If you’re using
coupons or loyalty cards, consider asking
an attendant if the sequencing will matter.
And know that tobacco or other age-
restricted items can create delays.
QSlow down. When you start scanning
purchases, don’t try to be faster than the
computer system. Because it needs a mo-
ment to recognize each item and calculate
the price and discounts, a more deliberate
pace can actually speed your checkout.
QRespect the weight sensor. Don’t let a
purse, coattail, or child touch the bagging
area, because the system will think you’ve
put something there without paying for it.
Source: The Washington Post

QDimensions: Rough measurements of

rooms and objects can be taken using

Google Play or Apple’s free augmented-

reality apps, both called Measure. Android’s

comparable app is Moasure, while Ruler for

Android or iOS makes the screen a ruler.

QDistances: Strava excels at measuring dis-

tances you’ve walked and plotting your path

on a map. When driving, try MileIQ, and

turn to Polarsteps if you’re trying to track

distance traveled by land, sea, and air.

QAltitude: Your phone is equipped to calcu-

late altitude, but you need an app to show

you the results. For iOS, try My Altitude or

My Altitude and Elevation GPS; for Android

GPS, try My Elevation or Altimeter Ler.

QSpeed: You can always use Google

Maps to see your current speed. For more

functionality, try Cyclemeter for cycling and

SpeedView or Speedometer Speed Box for

everything else.

Source: Gizmodo.com

The 2020 Hyundai Venue: What the critics say

A new entry benchmark, from $17,350

Stojo 12 oz Cup

This reusable silicone

cup—available in a rain-

bow of colors—fl attens

to a 2.5-inch disk that’ll

fi t in a pocket. “It’s truly

that small.” And it will

pay for itself if you buy

your coffee at a café

that offers a bring-your-

own-mug discount.

$15, stojo.co

Source:

Travel A ndL eis ur e.c om

PopBabies

Personal Blender

“The true defi nition of

portable,” this single-

serving blender can be

charged with a USB

cord from your desktop

computer and will also

operate unplugged. Just

be ready to cut fruit

small, and your smooth-

ies will always be fresh.

$37, amazon.com

Source: Shape.com

Stanley Stay Hot

French Press

When traveling, “think

like a construction

worker to always have

great coffee.” Pack

this Stanley thermos

in your bag with your

choice of dry grounds.

Hot water can always

be accessed—even

from a fl ight attendant.

$65, stanley-pmi.com

Source: Bloomberg.com

Final Straw 2.0

Forget the knockoffs.

This popular collapsible

steel straw (shown here

in its carrying case) is

“designed to last a life-

time.” The tips are made

of food-grade silicone,

and the case, which

doubles as a keychain,

also holds a telescoping

cleaning brush.

$25, fi nal.com

Source: People.com

CamelBak Ratchet

Hydration Pack

Built for cyclists, this is

the perfect hydration

pack to wear at a music

festival, when you want

to be “pared down to

the essentials.” It holds

almost 3 liters of water

and has a separate

storage area for keys

and other miscellany.

$85, camelbak.com

Source: MensHealth.com