Dec 29, 2013 | Computer technology, General
I tell you one thing it wasn’t in the technology world, and that was boring. Often, tech based stories have dominated the mainstream, from the NSA revelations to the Bitcoin boom. But was it a successful one?
Some critics will answer no. That’s simply because certain Samsung and Apple products didn’t live up to the promised hype, or so they say. Add ?problems with new products like Apple’s fingerprint problems and certain Xbox one games being seriously delayed. Some say progress has slowed down this year. Some still complain Apple has been dropping the apple since Steve Jobs passed back in 2011.
I must respectfully disagree with these assessments. So 2013 wasn’t the most tech revolutionary year of our lifetime. But a lot of good came out of it. Now, thanks to Apple, one can get a decent computer phone for under $100. Xbox made a huge comeback and upgrade for a six year period. And about those delayed games: when they do come out, for the most part, it will be worth the wait. And it wouldn’t surprise me that by this time in 2014, Bitcoin will be a household name. And what about the wristwatch now being released? Who would have predicted that a few years back? I think 2013 has seen a great deal in tech advancement. It may not be as fast as everyone wants it, but we’re still going forward, not backward. Have we become so spoiled by rapid tech advancement that we panic at even a hint of a slowdown?
Dec 20, 2013 | Entertainment, General
Well, 2013 hasn’t been boring in tech news. Here are some major news stories this year has brought us:
10. Tech Based Movie Flops: Movies like Jobs and The Intern were worth more hype than box office results. And the post-movie fallout from Jobs didn’t help matters much.
9. Target Hacked: This holiday shopping season, 40+ million debit/credit cards were compromised. Sadly, this was only the 2nd biggest retail hack in history.
8. Jeff Bezos Drones: If the former Amazon CEO has his way, your packages will be delivered with the same technology the military uses against our enemies.
7. Blackberry Collapses: Since January, sales have declined 68%. Today, stocks are lucky to trade at seven dollars a share.
6. Play Station Four vs. Xbox One: The hype started with Xbox One’s press conference in May. Both were released to the public in November. Both cleaned house, but it looks like Play Station is having a slight lead.
5. Samsung Galaxy S4: This challenged the iPhone with authority, especially with it’s super cool voice and camera features.
4. Instagram Goes Videos: As if taking pictures of every little thing wasn’t enough, now you can add 15 second videos thanks to their new smartphone app.
3. Social Media Entertainment: With Netflix shows winning Emmys and You Tube shows increasing in popularity, 2013 was the beginning of a shift from network TV to social media entertainment.
2. Bitcoin Booms: In January, this online currency was worth around $13.50. By November, it was worth around $1,000. There was even talk of people being paid in Bitcoin.
1. NSA Surveillance: In June, we learned through former NSA contractor? Edward Snowden that the US Government was listening to our smartphones and reading all we do on the computer, from emails to social media. This opened up a Pandora’s Box that’s still opened and will likely remain opened for years to come.
What are your tech newsworthy moment for 2013?
Dec 12, 2013 | General
A while ago, I talked about Internet giant Amazon going into another business: groceries. Not only is this for real, it’s also expanding.
This week, Amazon launches a grocery delivery service in San Francisco/Oakland area. This service is already going strong in Seattle and Los Angeles. Apparently, it’s going strong enough to expand.? The service is called Amazon Fresh. It will cost $299 annually. This price includes prime membership and promises fresh meats, produce, dairy and breads to be delivered either the same day of order or the very next. The customers shops off their grocery list online. However, Amazon Fresh isn’t without it’s competitors. Instacart has grocery deliveries in cities like Chicago and Boston. Walmart also has a grocery delivery service.
The way I feel about Walmart and all the shady practices they’ve been doing, I hope Amazon Fresh knocks Walmart’s socks off and puts them out of the grocery delivery business! I’m totally rooting for Amazon Fresh on that one! Now that I got that rant out of the way, Amazon is being really smart on how they approach this. The fact that it started in LA, which traffic is nuts and public transit is a joke, was a genius move. I’m sure this will work in LA. Will Amazon Fresh work everywhere in the country?
Nov 29, 2013 | Entertainment, General
Happy Black Friday everybody! This is dedicated to all of those who shamelessly brave long lines, stampedes and indifferent clerks and your crazed fellow shoppers.
Apple is getting into the act. Today only, in most western countries, you can buy an iPad and get a $75 gift card free. That’s 75 songs! And that’s just the beginning. Remember what I said about Bitcoin a couple of days ago? Not only is it getting popular with consumers, but retailers too. Over 400 retailers are offering deep discounts exclusively on their Bitcoin Black Friday website. But that website should be up throughout the holiday season. Other websites like thewirecutter.com are offering great deals on items from headphones to blu-rays.
I haven’t taken part in Black Friday since the compact disc was more popular than MP3 players. I’m more of a cyber Monday kind of guy. But here are some safely tips: no trampling! That electronic device is not worth your life or health. If you don’t make in the morning, go in the afternoon. Many, many deep discounts will still be there. If your item isn’t there, get creative. Order in advance if you can; I’m pretty sure it will be there by Christmas. And plus, have fun. This only comes once a year; don’t make an even bigger chore than dealing with the in-laws or family blacksheep. Which holiday gift are you looking forward to this year?
Nov 26, 2013 | Entertainment, General
For decades, television has been the leading form of entertainment. But so far in the 2010s, the tide is turning. The TV isn’t what it used to be.
According to reports, 2013 is the worst year ever for cable TV. In fact, all of TV is having a very bad year, and a very bad decade so far. Five million households have cancelled their cable since January 2010. The 2012 Summer Olympics were TV’s only boost of the decade. More and more people are just ordering Internet services, forgoing cable. Even support for major sports events like the World Series, NBA Finals and Stanley Cup are declining. For example, NBA Finals ratings for the Micheal Jordan era are far higher than the Lebron James era today. Not only that, fewer households even own a TV. More people are turning to social media and mobile devices for entertainment. Just look at the triumphs of Netflix shows.
So while regular TV is going down, usage of You Tube, Netflix, Hulu, and other social media sites are going up. One thing cable companies can do is treat their customers a little better. In this office, we’ve gotten so many complaints about how cable companies have treated companies, from the price to the customer service. I don’t care what year or decade it is, treating people right never goes out of style. Maybe network TV can put on better shows. Ever get the feeling that there’s 400 channels and nothing is on? When I go on You Tube, I don’t have that that problem. In fact, I know of people who will hook up their TV so they can watch You Tube channels on the big screen! What else can TV do to make a comeback? Or is it too late?
Nov 13, 2013 | General
How big is Google today? This mega, mega, mega company brought $60 billion dollars in revenue so far in 2013 alone!? Most of that comes from advertising. How much is $60 billion dollars?
That is bigger than today’s entire newspaper and magazine industry today! Keep in mind that in the mid-2000s, Google’s revenue wasn’t even $10 billion a year. They held steady during the Great Recession of the late 2000s, while other major companies were either hemorrhaging or going out of business altogether. But last year, 2012, that was the first year Google surpassed the magazine and newspaper industries.
But we can’t give all the credit to Google. There’s one Simpsons episode where Grandpa Abe Simpson joked the newspaper industry will be dead before he will. That joke isn’t very far from reality. So far in the 2010s, revenue for these industries was about half the revenue it was in the mid-2000s. Even major newspapers like the Washington Post have been bought out by online gurus like Jeff Bezos. With more people clicking on the Internet, and with more people turning to alternative media, less and less are turning to print media.
But you have to get Google some credit. It was voted one of the most trusted companies in the world today. It’s not just about ad words anymore. It’s about You Tube, Google Maps, Google Glass; I can go on and on! It won’t be long before Google will be bigger than the papers were even back in their heyday. What’s the reason for Google’s massive revenue: it’s rise or other media’s downhill?
