So back in the day, we waited until the Super Bowl to watch Super Bowl ads. But social media changes that. Because now, we can see the whole commercial before the intended debut. However, one gets to me. Microsoft’s Super Bowl ad: Who’s cutting onions in here?
So in this one, Microsoft promotes their Xbox Adaptive Controller?(no, this link is NOT the Super Bowl commercial). But they’re not using celebrities for this one. The stars of this commercial are children with disabilities. Most of them have physical disabilities, like either no hands or deformed hands. But one child is a 9-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. They talk about their love for video games, and how it connects them with friends.
However, there is one problem. The controllers they use often don’t fit their needs. It usually slows them down and messes up their video game play.? This is where the Xbox Adaptive Controller comes in. Because these controllers are more roundly shaped, and they don’t have to grab at joysticks and push at buttons. Therefore, everyone can play at an equal level now. This improved these kids’ play sharply! One kid said she doesn’t even have to look at the new controller, just at the screen now.
So you say it’s just a video game, right? Don’t tell those kids or their parents that. Because this moved one father to tears. He asks, “How will Owen (the kid will cerebral palsy) be viewed by other kids?”. Choking up, he answers his own question, “He’s not different when he plays.”. That’s the point. These adaptive controllers gives a more equal playing field, so everyone can fit in, regardless of disability. And it shows Owen playing video games with other kids, enjoying each other’s company. This controller will cost you $100, but what comes with it is priceless. How can anybody not feel some kind of touch or emotion when watching this commercial? Microsoft’s Super Bowl ad: Who’s cutting onions in here?
So many of you know of increasing tensions between China and Taiwan. If not, then here is a link to explain it all. But it’s not just Taiwan who is on China’s hate list. China criticizes big tech over Taiwan.
So China is angry at?IT support’s biggest names (Apple, Amazon, etc.) simply for ‘incorrectly’ referring to Taiwan and Hong Kong. The beef comes from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences or CASS. You see, China claims both Taiwan and Hong Kong as their territories. But I guess Amazon and Apple see it differently. There are about 50 other major companies that CASS accuses this ‘incorrect’ labeling of.
What these companies do is list Taiwan and Hong Kong separately, as in their own municipality. They totally leave China out of it this listing. That’s what has the Chinese government so upset. China insists everybody, from businesses to governments, recognize Taiwan and Hong Kong as a part of China. However, most do not. This is certainly true for most in IT service. Neither Apple nor Amazon is talking about CASS’s complaints. But China refuses to back down.
So if China is expecting an apology from Amazon and Apple, then they shouldn’t hold their breath. But why am I even reporting this? Because China is one of the biggest markets for Apple and Amazon. In fact, it has the second biggest economy in the world, second only to the USA. Then add the literal threats of war between and about Taiwan. In addition to that, you have the tariff battles between China and the USA. On top of this, China criticizes big tech over Taiwan. Okay, the fourth one seems just more of an annoyance. But where will this lead? And if big tech keeps ignoring this ‘incorrect labeling’ (which I am so glad they are!), then will China take economic revenge?
So WordPress, the popular blogging forum, has a plugin. A plugin is something you can add to any IT support system to make it better. But one plugin suffers a severe setback. This is a security alert: Word Press plugin leaks access tokens.
So the name of the plugin is Social Network Tabs. Like most websites nowadays, they use access tokens. Access tokens securely holds your login and password info to your and only your device. This is good for those of us who can’t remember every password of every sit. So I’m assuming that’s the majority of us. However, French security expert Elliot Alderson found a venerable spot.
Alerson tested 539 websites with the troubling plugin by using code search engines. Then, he wrote a script that let him access 400 Twitter accounts. Then he used those accounts to ‘favor’ a tweet literally a hundred times over. Sounds complicated? Well, this test proved that with this manipulations, a hacker can take over these Twitter accounts. Some of his tests include a sheriff’s office in Florida and an Oklahoma casino, among others. Twitter responded. They advised Twitter users to stop using Social Network Tabs and change their passwords ASAP. They also removed this plugin from their IT service system.
Yes, Word Press? plugin leaks access tokens. But let me be clear. As far as I know, nobody has reported any major theft, hacking, or any other damage because of this. However, in this day and age, we need to be informed of any threats that may come through. So take Twitter’s advice. Leave Social Network Tabs, change your passwords, and if you can, memorize your passwords so you don’t even have to use access tokens. It’s also good to change your password once in a while. I know it’s a chore and quiescence, but what’s the alternative?
So since 2016, Facebook keeps getting in hot water over ‘fake news’. In fact, it’s been one scandal after another. Is this why Facebook releases political ad checks?
Facebook launches ‘election security’. This means they’ll check on political advertisements to see if they came from the campaign, or a ‘fake news’ source. They’ll do this in several nations. So they’ll include Nigeria, Ukraine, and throughout the European Union. They’re doing this because in 2019, critical elections are coming up. They’re also doing this while respecting local and national laws and customs. Because what works for the EU won’t work for Nigeria. They know it. Furthermore, Facebook want to have rules and tools for political ads globally by mid-2019.
But the thing is, Facebook has no targets on who can buy how many political ads. This is on all levels, from local to nationals. That could be a problem. Many in the IT support community say the Kremlin preyed on racial, political and social division to promote fake ads back in 2016. But now, India is having a general election in March. Facebook said they’re putting in ad checks for them. This year, they’re having critical elections around the world, from Israel to the Philippines. We don’t know if their checks will be ready for those.
Facebook releases political ad checks, globally.? Some may say this comes just in time. But others in IT service say this is too little, too late. I say it’s a little of both. No, you can’t turn back time to 2016, when this whole ‘fake news’ outcry started. However, we can learn from mistakes and bad choices. Maybe this is what Facebook is doing. Because political volatility isn’t just in America, it’s around the world. Look at France right now. Look at nations like Ukraine. Now, more than ever, there needs to be some ad checking and balancing. Do you think this is just in time, or too late?
So this one is hot off the press. We all know Netflix is one of the biggest streaming services of all-time. But this morning, they made quite the announcement. Breaking news: Netflix raises it’s prices.
So these prices go up for the first time since 2010. From now on, the cheapest plan will cost you $9 (it’s officially $8.99 a month, but who are we kidding, here?). That’s the basic plan that used to cost $8 a month ($7.99, but even a 3rd grader can round that off). That’s for one device. But the most popular plan is the two device plan. If that’s you, then expect your Netflix bill to go up to $13 a month. That’s up slightly from $11 a month. A four device plan will now run you $16 a month.
So why is Netflix doing this? For starters, they’re looking over their shoulders at the competition. In order to compete, they need to keep investing in original programming. And like any IT service, or any business, they have to pass that cost on to the consumer. Then add companies like ABC/Disney, NBC/Universal, will be starting their own streaming services. That means they’ll be less generous with their original programming. Of course, they’re competing with Hulu as well. Me and my computer repair colleagues often argue which one is better: Hulu or Netflix? I always say Netflix.
Netflix raises it’s prices, but how are people responding? The stock market responds very well. Because today, Netflix stocks are rising over 6%. Personally, I like how Netflix does this. Yes, they raised their prices. But they have to cover their cost in order to get better. However, they didn’t double the prices, or were ridiculous with raising prices. They know that will turn fans off. And with so much competition, they don’t want to do that. That’s why this Netflix move is so genius. Do you think so?
