The year 2016 in tech is memorable, and hardly in a good way. Furthermore, in many ways, everything that could go wrong did. So here are five highlights (if you want to call them that) in the industry. 2016 in tech: Stop the madness!
First of all, there was the crazy election. Nearly everyone in Silicon Valley opposed Donald Trump. Then came Peter Thiel, the only Trump supporter in the area. But Thiel was pretty much ostracized for his support of Trump. Silicon Valley’s attacks on Trump were brutal. So was the egg on their faces when Trump won on November 8. But peace seems to be near. In December, Trump and Silicon Valley leaders met. Will they work together in 2017? Or will tensions get worse?
Also, there’s the Samsung Galaxy 7 Note disaster. No, 2016 in tech hasn’t been good to Samsung at all. Between September and October, these phones caused 3rd degree burns. They set homes on fire. Then, they forced airplanes to come back. And another thing…Samsung’s washing machines were a failure. But they’re planning a comeback with new products. Will Samsung comeback in 2017?
One celebrity that wants to forget 2016 in tech is Leslie Jones. This should have been the year of her life. But instead, she found herself the subject of racist trolling. It got so bad she had to shut her Twitter account down. This forced Twitter to tighten their laws when it comes to bullying and harassment. Twitter even banned a famous online personality. Did Twitter do the right thing? Or is too much political correctness?
And then there’s the Pokemon Go craze. We played it in our computer service shop on occasion. Don’t judge us: they even played Pokemon Go at church! Sounds like innocent fun, doesn’t it? Well, not so much. Drivers got into car accidents looking for Pokemon. Pedestrians put themselves in danger. Also, criminals used Pokemon Go to lure victims for robbery and assault. Homeowners even shot trespassers looking for Pokemon! So I ask again: Is Pokemon Go innocent?
In the wake of the election, many in the the tech community declared war on…ahem…’fake news‘. What does this have to do with 2016 in tech? Much! What they’re really doing is declaring a war on alternative media. They blame alternative media for Trump’s win over Hilary Clinton. Well, most alternative media comes from social media sites. Furthermore, they come from blogs and other online resources. But wait…there’s more. Fewer people trust mainstream media. Their ratings show it. And they’re losing money. More people seek online alternative news than ever before, including people in IT support. Will this trend continue in 2017?
What are your most memorable tech moments of 2016?
Thank goodness it’s over now. Thank goodness the most contentious election in American history is over. But Silicon Valley, mostly Hilary Clinton supporters, aren’t taking it so well. Let’s see how Silicon Valley’s handling the election.
But some expressed hope.? Technology consultant Jeff Morris Jr. called Trump’s victory a wake up call for Silicon Valley. John Lilly serves on Code for Americs’a Board of Directors. He’s the former CEO of Mozilla Corp. Lilly encouraged his fellow techies to work hard and keep their heads up. While other Silicon Valley leads urge and preach defiance. I’ve read some celebrities say if Trump wins, they’re moving to Canada. But don’t tell that to Anil Dash. He tweeted, “…and not afraid of Donal Trump. We have to get to work.”
Finally, there’s Peter Thiel. He’s the co-founder of Pay Pal. Thiel? is an ally to pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan. He’s virtually the only Silicon Valley Trump supporter. If they’re others, they don’t admit it. Thiel congratulated Trump on last night’s victory. In addition, he urges all Americans to come together and face America’s problems. I don’t agree with Thiel’s politics. But he has a point. All of us, including the technology community, need to come together now. We need to improve diversity in Silicon Valley. Let’s work together to bring tech jobs back to America. Most of all, if we’re going to compete in the world, make tech education a top priority. But let’s start while they’re in early elementary school. Don’t wait until they’re in high school or college. Give our young kids the tools to succeed and prosper now. What can Silicon Valley do to move forward?
Ever read an article and had to do a double take? That’s what happened to me this morning. Because I read of a merger that could change everything…again. Is AT&T buying Time Warner?
While various reports come in, I’m still amazed at this one. According to such reports, AT&T verbally agreed to buy Time Warmer. As a result, the deal is worth $85 billion dollars. Hence, this deal gives AT&T control of cable channels HBO and CNN. It would also give them control over Warner Brothers, one of the biggest entertainment corporations in the world. While nothing is final, expect to hear an official word in the coming days.
But maybe this shouldn’t surprise me. The company led the telecommunication industry since the 1880s. Now they want the media industry. Recently, they bought direct TV for $48.5 billion. They also entered joint ventures with Otter Media and Chernin Group, a media based venture group. But back to Time Warner. If the deal is official, AT&T will offer $110 for every Time Warner share. That includes some cash as well. It has to be this way. AT&T only has $7.2 billion in cash. From what I hear, AT&T already struggles with debt. I also hear their credit rating rating faces tremendous pressure.
That’s just one of the reasons this merger should not happen. First of all, AT&T can’t afford it. Sure, you can give stocks and bonds. While Time Warner’s ticker tape grew 8%, AT&T’s stock went down 3%. From where I sit, this doesn’t spell good for the oldest and most respected telephone company in the world. That brings another point. What does AT&T have to do with media? Okay, that was a dumb question. They sell products that give us media. But how good are they with producing media. Ask yourself this question: Do you want AT&T controlling your news? Do you want them producing and controlling your movies and TV programs?
We know Silicon Valley is a technical haven. It’s not a political one. But tech billionaire Peter Thiel endorsed Donald Trump. He pledged over $120 million. Furthermore, Thiel spoke at the Republican National Convention last July. Is nobody immune? ?The presidential election even divides Silicon Valley.
Also, Facebook co-founder Dustin?Moskovitz and his wife donated $20 million to the Democrat Party. In addition, Charles River Ventures, a tech venture capitalist firm, published a blog called, “(Curse) Trump”. Charles River Ventures claims Trump’s immigration policies threaten entrepreneurship. ?Around 300 tech based companies are giving their employees Election Day off so they can vote.??Furthermore, Silicon Valley leaders tackle social/political issues. Some, like Netfix CEO Reed Hastings, donate millions toward Prop 62. Prop 62 is a bill that will abolish the death penalty in California and other states.
Let me be clear. Silicon Valley has never been political because tech companies know they could lose customers that way. But Inkling CEO Matt?MacInnis believes this is no ordinary presidential election. That’s because MacInnis, and many in Silicon Valley, are terrified of a Trump presidency. MacInnis says so. He said, “?The sheer terror of electing Trump as our president has caused many of those donors and activists to be public with their views, regardless of the social or business consequences.?
Meanwhile, Thiel is a disliked man in Silicon Valley. This election is tearing people apart. It’s tearing households, families and communities apart. Silicon Valley is no exception. There are probably other Trump supporters in Silicon Valley. But Thiel is the most vocal. ?MacInnis is right. We’ve never seen an election like this. I hope we never see it again. Silicon Valley is neutral in politics. Not anymore. Will supporting Trump costs Thiel business? Maybe supporting the Democrats will cause the others business. Many polls say it’s down to the wire. What about after the election? Will Silicon Valley ever treat Peter Thiel the same way again?
The World Economic Forum is a global organization dedicated to economic improvement and innovation. Now, the World Economic Forum comes to San Francisco, neighboring the Silicon Valley. The San Francisco stay is permanent.
They chose San Francisco for their second US office. Since the San Francisco Bay area is a tech powerhouse, it makes perfect sense to choose this city. The other US headquarters are in New York City. While global headquarters are in Beijing, China and Tokyo, Japan. Therefore, leader Murat Sonmez is very optimistic about this decision. In a statement, he said, “Technology is having an unprecedented impact on the global economy…and it’s happening very, very fast.” As a result, Sonmez will be running World Economic Forum operations in San Francisco.
Also, tech giants like Uber and Twitter’s headquarters are there. As a result, young workers flock to San Francisco. They have dreams of tech stardom in their heads. Also, many dream of starting their own tech businesses. And they look for venture funding. Tech employment quadrupled this decade in San Francisco. The World Economic Forum slightly adds to it. About 60 staffers will solicit policies about technology.
First of all, I applaud this move. San Francisco is a tech powerhouse. Any global economic organization wants to be here. I hope San Francisco uses this to address the problems. The cost of living is astronomical. Rent is out of control. Furthermore, wealth inequality in San Francisco is at an all time high. They should use this time to solve these issues. Maybe this is an opportunity to reconcile the issues. Furthermore, let’s not forget the lack of diversity in the tech market. Yes, it’s gotten a little better in the last couple of years. That’s only because they addressed the issued. This forced tech companies to do something about this embarrassing issue. ?Will the World Economic Forum help with this? How will the World Economic Forum help with the San Francisco tech boom?
There’s been a lot of talk about Millennials, the generation born between 1981-1998. We can’t deny their contribution to technology, as innovators, leaders, tech employees, and obviously, tech consumers. But what about the generation coming after them? What about Generation Z (born between 1999-present)?
That’s just one name they’re being called. Some call them Centennials. Some call them the iGeneration. Whatever name you wish, they’re bringing a lot of tech savvy and buying power with them. They are called digital natives’ for a reason. The average Gen Z’er gets their first smartphone at 10 years old. They check their phones 150 times a day (that’s no exaggeration; that’s a literal statistic). They sent 50 billion instant messages a day. Over 6 billion emojis are sent daily by the Gen Z’er. Keep in mind the oldest of Generation Z are in high school. Already, tech companies and banks prepare for this generation’s buying power. Bank of America prepare for this oncoming wave of future investors. Other companies work around the clock to build better apps, smartphones, social media networks, omnichannel marketing, and other tech facilities catering to the Gen Z crowd. They better hurry. The oldest Gen Z’ers already have after school jobs and the buying power that goes with it.
Tech leaders need to be on their A+ game if they want this generations’ business. Millennials saw the Internet mature. With Gen Z, it already matured. By the time the oldest ones were in 4th grade, we already had smartphones and social media. Plus, by 2030, they’ll be the largest generation of all time, with 2.4 billion people. Compare that to two billion millennials (age 18-35) today, making up 27% of the global population. By the 2040s, Generation Z will make half the global population. They’ll probably be the first generation where the average life expectancy is 100 (today, it’s 71 globally, 79 in USA, Monaco has highest with 89). So we need to take this generation seriously. They are our future. How do we cater to their needs now?
