So this may deter from IT service and technology talk. If it does, then please forgive me. But there are 7.71 billion people in the world today. Of those, around 2,800 are billionaires. Then of those, only 145 are worth over $10 billion. Guess how many of those 145 are worth over $100 billion: Only two. These are the two centi-billionaires. Here is the common denominator.
So the common denominator is IT support. The two centi-billionaires are Amazon king Jeff Bezos and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. This is according to a recent Bloomberg report. Jeff Bezos became the first centi-billionaire of all time back in 2017. And in 2018 alone, he made another $9.6 billion (Neither he nor Amazon paid a dime of it in taxes…grrrr!). But now, Bloomberg estimates his overall wealth to be at $146 billion.? Gates is the second man to make the $100 billion mark. In 2018, he made $9.5 billion, despite him retiring from his own company back in 2014. But this was enough to make him the second centi-billionaire of all-time. Bill Gates’ net worth now stands past that mark.
What is the common denominator? Well, they’re both innovators in the computer technology world. In the 1970s, Gates founded Microsoft, and developed software that changed the world. In the 1990s, Bezos sold things through his new website Amazon from his Seattle basement. He changed the way we do retail and commerce forever. Maybe not for the best, if you ask most retail store leaders, but it did change. This goes to show you what an impact computer technology and e-commerce has had on the world. But these two men may not be centi-billionaires for long. Because Gates pledged to give away more of his wealth to worthy causes. This is admirable. Then you have Jeff Bezos, you know, the one going through a divorce. Will he be a centi-billionaire after his soon to be ex-wife gets through with him?
I think that’s the lesson here. Because remember, Amazon asked the city for billions for this to happen. When Amazon asks this, they should know the public outcry will be loud. People from union leaders to congressmen spoke against it, to the point Amazon had to respond…by leaving. Also, Arlington VA, Amazon’s other city, wants community initiatives, that Amazon will pay for, for them to set up shop on ‘National Landing’. Will they?
I hope so. Here are two more finalist cities for Amazon: Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Austin, TX. They gave Amazon no tax breaks. No wonder why we never heard from these cities again in the Amazon race. But many IT service giants are getting the message. Look at Microsoft. They’re investing $500 million in low-income and middle class housing. I wish more Boston area IT support giants did the same. Because everywhere you look in this city, condos for the rich are going up, while the homeless and poverty rate skyrockets. So kudos to Microsoft. Also, kudos to Uber. They’re building new facilities in Toronto, but doing so with the promise of community responsibility. I hope they keep that promise.
Also, keep in mind the times we’re living in. Wealth inequality in this country is at it’s highest since the 1920s. And when people read about how Amazon and Jeff Bezos paid NO?taxes this year. No wonder why so many people are so angry with big tech today. Yes, I am thankful for all big tech gave us. Our life wouldn’t be the same without them. But they can’t keep having the party all we get is the hangover. This is why big tech should focus more on community good. Am I asking too much here?
So, you can do anything with drones today. Those in IT service know this. You can you them as toys. However, you can use them in natural disasters and save lives. But how can you better use them to transport goods? Here is introducing the tiny claw drone that perches.
So these drones have claws that not only carry things, but save battery life. Certain birds, like the owl, or songbird, inspire this feature. So do bats. Because these creatures have specific claws that help them do anything. One thing they do with these claws is hunt and gather prey. But another thing they do is perch, which means to align or rest on something.
This is where the claws come in. They are grippers that can grab certain objects. Then, these drones can perch on these objects as they travel in air or rest on something. Or the drone itself can rest on something. I saw some cool pictures where the drone perches on poles and trees. For example, say you’re flying one of these drones. Instead of bringing it to you, you can rest, or perch it, on a tree in your backyard. Then, it will rest itself and shut off it’s own motors. That’s how you save battery life.
In some cases, this may be a necessity. But there are some difficulties. First of all, how do you secure it tightly enough so that it perches right without the drone being dropped? Then, how do you keep it from being stolen? Let’s say you’re indoors. Yet, someone knows that you perched the drone. They can take control of the drone, un-perch it, and you’ll never see it again. But keep in mind, they’re just introducing the tiny claw drone that perches. This is still in the research stage. And as anyone in computer repair will tell you, research is critical.? Do you see this drone having a future, or doing well in the future?
So Tesla CEO Elon Musk and IT support are pretty much synonymous. But even tech billionaires on his level, and with his genius and innovation, has struggles. Is Elon Musk losing confidence?
So let’s start with his Model 3 production line, promising 5,000 cars a week. He was going to use AI/robots to do this. Some quarters made this quota, but some didn’t. However, here is the problem. These robots didn’t really understand some of the parts, like nuts and bolts. This severely slowed down production. In fact, Tesla had to get human employees to take care of this part. I guess they don’t call it ‘production hell’ for nothing.
But Musk seems to be having issues all across the board. Because recently, Tesla announced many of their stores will be shutting down. Then you have SEC officials. They claim Musk is in contempt after they got wind of some of Musk’s tweets. These tweets, according to the SEC, violated a settlement. If that isn’t enough, some of his own people are losing confidence in his leadership skills. Since January 2018, 88 Tesla executives left him.? Yahoo Financed polled 235 employees from Tesla. Of those, 104, almost half, say he is not fit to lead. So of those polled, that leaves 131, barely half, believing in his leadership skills. In 2019, Tesla stocks fell around 16%. Musk has until March 11 to face the SEC.
So, is Elon Musk losing confidence? I doubt it. Because a polling company called Blind polled another 284 employees from Tesla and Space X. A whopping 78% of them believe in Musk and his leadership abilities. Every company, no matter how successful it is, has to go through trials like this. Whether it be computer repair, cars, or even a local small grocer. I believe he will take these challenges and learn from it. Look at how he’s now sounding the alarm about AI technology, and what it can do. Let’s not forget how he helped save the lives of that soccer team in Thailand last year. So should these recent trials worry Musk or his people?
So I started in the computer repair business? in the early 2000s. Back then, our biggest source of advertising was the phone book. But today, phone books rarely exist. I don’t need to tell you that. Then I read an article that made me think. Traditional or digital advertising: the ad game is changing.
So the article says the inevitable is happening. They predict that 2019 will be the first year companies will spend more on digital ads than tradition ads. In fact, they say companies will spend over $109 in traditional ads. But they expect companies to spend over $129 billion. In 2018, traditional ads beat digital ads by $6 billion. The tide is turning.
And after digital ads beat traditional ads this year, don’t expect the trend to start. In fact, they say by 2023, businesses will spend 2/3 of all their ad spending on digital advertising. As of right now, Google and Facebook are the beneficiaries of this. They share a combined 60% of digital ad revenue that comes in. However, those numbers are slipping slightly. Guess who the clean up company is going to be? You guessed it, Amazon. Because in the next few years, their US ad revenue should increase by at least 50%.
When I say traditional advertising, I mean things like phone books (assuming they exist), radio, TV, newspaper, etc. When I say digital advertising, I mean basically all thing Internet, social media, and/or smartphone. Look at the Super Bowl. Gone are the days where we had to wait until Super Bowl night to watch the new ads. We can now watch them on You Tube and other places…before they even make it to their TV. As for our computer servicing company, you can bet our ad dollars are going digital. If you want your business to last longer than a year, then I suggest you invest in digital advertising nowadays. It’s not 1994 anymore (though sometimes I wish it was). It’s 2019. But it’s up to you: traditional or digital advertising?
So just when you think you know it all about IT support giant Amazon. Here is something else. Amazon operated deeply in China since the mid 2000s. This is an article about Amazon, China and NetEase.
So according to tech media reports, Amazon is talking with merging it’s Chinese import business. The company they plan to merge with is a massive Chinese online company they call Kaola. Also consider that an online Chinese mega store they call NetEase owns Kaola. So basically, NetEase is like China’s version of Amazon. They signed a merge deal in late 2018. But that’s about the only thing that came out it so far. So imagine if Amazon, Kaola and Net Ease all merged.
This deal has been difficult to put together. That’s why it’s not yet official. But things are moving in that direction. Because recently, Amazon made a deal with Western Union. This helps customers from Asia shop Amazon better…well…except from mainland China. How is that for irony? But Amazon does connect Chinese sellers and customers. Then consider Alibaba, one of Amazon’s main rivals. They’re making mergers as well. Now, Amazon reaches out to Kaola and Net Ease, Alibaba’s rival. So it’s going to be fun to see how this relationship between Amazon, China and NetEase plays out.
I hate to say the phrase ‘new world order’ because of what it sounds like. But that’s what Amazon wants to become in the IT service world, and the world in general. But they know in order to do that, they need China on board. After all, China is now the second biggest global economy in the world. However, as late as 2016, Amazon has less than 1% of China’s online market. Meanwhile, NetEase/Kaola has over 30%. So far, neither party is talking. I feel some kind of way about this potential merger. But from their perspective, do you see why Amazon wants this merger?
