So I’m still thinking about that SimpliSafe Super Bowl 53 commercial. You know, the one that scares us to death, then says our only hope is more surveillance IT service. Then I read an article that asks a good question. Are smart devices too smart?
So did you know there is a smart garden? We can thank NASA’s technology for this. It pretty much grows your vegetables, fruits and flowers for you, and you have to do very little work. The smart garden gives you the perfect amount of water, and nutrients for the perfect garden. This garden also includes LED lights that makes sure your plants get the perfect amount of light to grow. So basically, it gives you the tools and does much of the work for you.
Or how would you like a smart frame TV? It looks just like a piece of modern artwork…because it is a large piece of modern artwork. Then you turn on the Sumsung Smart Frame TV. It offers 4K Utlra HD, and great WiFi connection. That’s perfect because less people are watching conventional TV these days. Instead, more watch TV through their apps, like Netflix and Hulu. Also, more people watch through their smart devices. I must admit…it’s a great joke to play on people, when you turn that artwork into a big screen TV. It’s an expensive practical joke, but a great one nonetheless.
Those are just two devices this article talks about. However, there is a part of me that kind of admire the smart garden. Look at the crisis of food and how much food has been recalled just over the last several months. Many want to grow their own food, and rightfully so. So I do kinda support this one. But I do have some reservations about this Samsung Smart Frame TV. But what do you think? Are smart devices too smart?
So we all know one of the next big thins in IT service is the driverless car. In America, IT support corporations and tech billionaires are working on it. But what about world government? Well, the UK government supports driverless cars.
So they will back up trials of these cars…cars that won’t have human drivers. They will also use these driverless car tests to study tech’s evolution. However, their goal is to have such cars on the road in public by 2021, only two years from now. In the United Kingdom, their government has an ‘auto minister’, a man who oversees all things vehicles. His name is Richard Harrington. He states he wants his nation to lead the next generation of these cars. He also wants these cars on his roads in 2021.
UK government supports driverless cars has been in the works for years. Because in 2015, the United Kingdom signed off to allow the tests of driverless cars. However, these tests require human beings to be behind the wheel and to supervise these tests. Well, they do for now. In fact, they’re going to drop that rule in the near future. Instead, they’ll just release info about the trials, and the risks before the next trial.
So why am I talking about what the UK will do with the driverless car? Because this is the way much of the world is going. I’m sure many of you know the US, China, and other tech savvy nations have been trying these cars for years. The United Kingdom is one of the most tech savvy nations in Europe. Some may say as the UK goes, so goes Europe. So when they come up with their own driverless cars, it’s going to be competition for the US, and others around the world. So out of all the nation, who do you think will win the driverless car competition?
So someone found a privacy flaw in Apple’s system. Because on Apple’s Face Time app, this flaw lets others here other people’s iPhone. Furthermore, these ‘others’ could be people who never called you, total strangers. But the young man who found the flaw isn’t an Apple executive, or employee. It’s a 14-year-old boy. Teenager finds Apple bug: Will Apple treat him right?
The teenager’s name is Grant Thompson. Not only did he find the privacy flaw, but he found it by accident. He told CNBC about his surprise the Apple didn’t find it. Quite frankly, so am I. But now, he might get a bounty reward for his discovery. There’s a big emphasis on the word might. Thompson’s mother, Michelle, tried everything she could to contact Apple about the flaw. At first, she got nowhere. However, certain media made the news for them. That is what got Apple’s attention, to the point a high ranking Apple exec visited them in their Tucson, Arizona home. At this meeting, the executive told Grant Thompson he’s available for a huge bounty reward. They also scheduled a meeting with Apple’s security team.
We don’t know how much, if anything, this possible bounty will be. I just hope Apple got the message. Several days ago, they apologized for this flaw. They also publicly thanked Grant Thompson for finding this out. But you mean to tell me a teenager finds Apple bug and all he gets is a public thank you? Apple is perhaps the richest IT service and IT support company in the world. They can do better. Give this kid the bounty and money he deserves. After all, this isn’t the first time they scrutinized Apple with privacy issues. Sales are down 15%. So far in 2019, they barely broke expectations. So this isn’t the time to be ignoring this 14-year-old kid for doing work Apple security should be doing. Will Apple treat him right?
So we celebrated another Super Bowl last night. Since our computer repair headquarters are in Boston, then you know we really celebrated (Go Patriots!). But what about the commercials? I read an article that graded them. I have mixed feelings, but here are Super Bowl tech Super Bowl 53 commercials.
First, there was’s Microsoft’s ‘We All Win’ ad. I talked about it a few days ago. To me, this was by far the best commercial of the night (hey, who is cutting onions around here?!). However, I did see some other good ones. There is one from Michelob Ultra the stars a robot. Like in real life, this robot does everything better than humans do. But unlike the humans, the robot can’t enjoy simple human pleasures, like having a beer with friends. In your face, AI/robotic technology!
A close third came from Verizon. This isn’t necessarily a tech commercial, but it pulled at the heartstrings. This one featured football players that honored first responders for saving their lives. Needless to say, this was just as moving as the ‘We All Win’ commercial. In an era where many are cynical of first responders, especially police officers, this is a great reminder of what they really do. They save lives, no matter who you are.
Then there was the really bad ones. Sprint tried to capitalize off sports legend Bo Jackson…while holding a mermaid and playing a synthesizer. I’m old enough to remember the ‘Bo Knows’ commercials from the late 1980s. But does anybody born after 1991 even know who Bo Jackson is? And what was the point of that unicorn? But the worst goes to tech security firm SimpliSafe. They show the world being a very dangerous and ‘big brother’ place (which it is), and IT support contributing to that. Yet, SimpliSafe is the only one that’s going to save you, your home and family from these evils. Okay. I need more evasive, big brother technology to save me from the evasive, big brother technology that’s already out there. Does that make any sense to you?
What was your favorite tech Super Bowl 53 commercials?
So in January, some people took the Dry January challenge. People agreed to quit alcohol for one month for various reasons. But what does this have to do with IT support and tech? Because maybe we should do a Facebook-free February challenge. Does laying off Facebook make us happier?
So they did researches at Stamford and New York Universities. They took nearly 2,500 Facebook users who used the social media site at least four hours a day. Then these users agreed to not use Facebook at all for a month. The researchers checked on their non-Facebook pledge by checking on their Facebook profiles to see if they’re making good on it.
However, the researchers measured emotions, one of them being happiness. Many took that time doing real world things, like spending more time with friends and family. Some spent that time in front of the TV. But most said when they laid off Facebook, they also laid off other social media sites and Internet altogether. In fact, quitting Facebook limited their news intake. Overall, they participants enjoyed life without Facebook more than they thought they would. It revealed and made people take stock of their own lifestyle choices. Also, in some cases, this study changed them. So does laying off Facebook make us happier?
These 2,500 people seem to think so. I can agree to that. Because last year, I gave up Facebook for the Lenten season (the period between Mardi Gras and Easter Sunday). I only looked at it on Sunday. It made quite a bit of difference. For one, I was more tolerant of other people’s ideas that didn’t agree with mine. It reminded me how divisive Facebook can be, with every other post hyping up his/her own side and condemning the other side. Some of my computer repair colleagues and clients were so inspired that they took a little time off Facebook. They talked about the difference it made in their lives. Does laying off Facebook make us happier?
