Sep 12, 2018 | networking
So in the next two days, there will be a technology/IT support conference. The GSMA sponsors it. However, one of the main topics will be 5G technology. What is 5G technology? This LA conference tackles the issue.
So that’s hard for even us to explain. I think most of us know that most mobile tech run on 4G, a fourth generation of broadband. Well, that kinda explains what 5G is. But experts say 5G will be 50x faster and hold 1000x more data. They also say smartphones will have 5G technology starting in 2020.That will be for the more advanced ones.? But it will take several more years before it catches on and become accessible to most of the public.
Son now we come to the MWC 2018 Conference, held in Los Angeles, CA between September 12-14. The sub-title of this conference is 5G Beyond Mobile Broadband. Speakers will come from companies like Cisco, Deutsche Telekom, and LG Electronics. According to their website, 5G will be the next IT service revolution. They also say it will go beyond mobile services. Because their features like network slicing and faster connections should support and enhance other areas of life. In fact, much of this conference will focus on 5G technology beyond your smartphone.
Some say be 2035, it will create over 22 million jobs around the world. I hope they mean human jobs. Topics will include how 5G technology will help with health, sales, even public transportation. I will admit one thing. It’s hard for me to imagine cell phone, or any computer system, holding 1000x more data. But then again, 10 years ago, I couldn’t imagine some of the computer technology the way it is today. What is 5G technology? I guess in the next couple of days, they’ll tell us. They say that by the 2030s, 5G technology will be as normal as 3G and 4G will today?
Sep 11, 2018 | General
So remember when Apple and Amazon reached a trillion dollar status? It looks like those days are over, for now at least. Because Apple and Amazon fall backward in stocks.
So in the last several days, Apple and Amazon lost over $100 billion in stocks. For example, back on Sept. 4, Apple hit a record of over $228. But since then, they lost over 5%, or around $10 a share. That may not sound like much. However, this means Apple lost over $50 billion in less than a week. Then there is Amazon. Their stocks are in a four day losing streak. They lost around less than one percent of their stocks. Again that doesn’t sound like much. Nevertheless, to Amazon, that’s over $50 billion.
Why is this happening? Well, stocks are falling across the board and several reasons. The numbers overall aren’t that alarming, but this is Amazon and Apple. However, in order to explain their slide, maybe we should get into the overall stock’s slide. Insiders blame crises in Turkey and Argentina for the slide. Both their currencies are in decline. Also, keep in mind Turkey’s growing involvement with the Syrian war. Investors fear where this might head. Then there are trade wars with other nations from Canada to China, China being one of the biggest IT service countries in the world. This also has investors on edge.
Despite these reasons, investors really don’t have an answer why Apple and Amazon fall backward in stocks. However, I have some guesses about Apple. Every year around this time, they either announce or release a new smartphone device. People in our computer service shop ask this. This year, we heard nothing but speculations. We don’t even know what features they will have or how much they will cost. We can only hope not $1,000 or over that. Experts say some of their new phones will be lower. I hope so. Apple and Amazon fall backward in stocks?
Sep 10, 2018 | Smartphone
So recently, you probably told a speaker to do something or look up something for you. If this is you, then you’re not alone. Smart speakers are on the rise.
So this is according to Adobe Analytics’ stats. They say that nearly a third of all consumers own smart speakers. Keep in mind that number was just 28% from January 2018 (it’s 32% now). Furthermore, they expect the smart speaker to be one of the hottest selling item of the 2018 holiday season. In fact, they say nearly half of all smartphone owners plan on getting a second one. Then, 23% plan on buying one for someone else. And another 23% plan on getting a first one before the? year is over.
The two most common uses for these are to check the weather and ask to play music. The next popular uses for these smart speakers are fun questions, online searches and checking the news. Less people use them to make a call (wow, you don’t even have to dial a number anymore). However, very few use such speakers for shopping. But you can do that if you want. What isn’t clear is which brand consumers use the most. But here is what’s clear: Smart speakers are on the rise.
In fact, sometimes in our Boston computer service shop, people ask us which smart speaker is best. Personally, I don’t have one and don’t plan on getting one. But this is a trend that we in IT support can’t ignore. Plus, they’re affordable, well…kinda, sorta. You can find one for as little lower than $50. But many will cost you over $300. Look, I hate talking about the holiday shopping season in September. I think it’s way too early. However, you know it’s coming, and I do believe smart speakers will be the big tech trend of the year. What’s your bet?
Sep 7, 2018 | Uncategorized
So yesterday, Uber CEO Dara?Khosrowshahi had quite an interview. He talked about many things, such as overcoming recent scandals that plagued his predecessor. But one topic has the IT service world world talking. Is the ride sharing era over? Uber CEO says yes.
Also, Khosrowshahi’s latest purchases are backing his words. First, they got Jump Bikes, an electric bike sharing app and firm. Then they have Uber Rent. And now, they’re launching an electric scooter service. So why is Uber making these moves? Because Krosrowshahi says within a few years, ride sharing apps will be a thing of the past.
He says e-scooters are a couple of years away. He also says we’re 5-10 years away from flying Ubers and flying taxi. They’re already working on space technology, air technology, and getting investments to make this happen. Don’t think this will be a service for the rich either. They want everyone to enjoy these flying ride shares. But this dream of his goes even further. The Uber CEO believes this will get rid of road traffic and have environmental benefits. However, this dream goes even further. Because they want to be the Amazon of daily travel. He told the audience that in 10 years, he wants nobody in that audience to even own a car.
Do you think it’s impossible? Let me take you back to 10 years ago. Did you think ride sharing apps were possible? In fact, they were just coming out with apps period. As recent as 2010, there was no Uber. Here in Boston, near our computer service shop, everybody used taxis. But in less than a decade, most people switched from taxis to Uber. In the next 10 years, there is no telling where we’ll be heading. Maybe flying to work every day isn’t as Jetson as we think. The ride sharing era is only five or six years old. Is the ride sharing era over?
Sep 6, 2018 | News
So there is an IT support billionaire whose name is Liu Qiangdong. He also goes by the name Richard Liu. In fact, some call him China’s Jeff Bezos, for his rich status in China’s e-commerce community. But now, in Minnesota, someone accused Liu of rape. Also, the accusation was enough that they arrested a tech billionaire guru.
However, despite the arrest, Minneapolis police say very little about this. In fact, they didn’t even file charges against him. A Chinese media source asked the police about the pending case. One officer said their goal is to provide services for the accuser while protecting Mr. Liu’s privacy. They soon let Liu go. In fact, on Monday he was on a flight back to China. By Tuesday, he was at his desk JD.com.
Liu founded and made his fortune through JD.com, his e-commerce website. They say it’s Alibaba’s biggest Chinese rival. I say they’re both rivals to America’s Amazon and Ebay, but before I get all into a patriotic rant, let’s go back to this case. JD.com immediately came to their founder’s defense. They said he was falsely accused and even police found no evidence. Liu’s lawyer is confident Minnesota won’t charge him. But why was Liu in Minneapolis to start with? Because he’s pursuing a doctorate of business at University of Minnesota.
So why am I talking about a Chinese IT service billionaire on a Boston computer service shop blog? They don’t call Liu the Jeff Bezos of e-commerce for nothing. Forbes magazine ranks his net worth at $10 billion. Also, JD.com is very popular on the Nasdaq stock exchange. But after they arrested a tech billionaire for rape, stock prices went down almost 6%. This brought their stocks to a 19-month low. But now that this seems to be over, for now, maybe stocks will go up. However, will this be the end of this or could this drag on?
