As recently as the mid 2Triple000s, few of us had access to mobile Internet. Few of us knew what an ‘app’ was. Let’s look at how things have changed.
According to a Flurry.com report, American mobile device owners spend 2 hours and 42 minutes on them, up 4 minutes from last year’s tally. But here’s the eye opener: only 14% of that time is spent on the Web, down from 20% in March 2013. The majority of that time is spent on apps. And of that app time, a third of that is spent on games and another 20 percent is spent on Facebook alone. After that, another combined 14 percent is spent between social network and entertainment.
On my mobile device, I’m a huge You Tube junky. I wonder if that qualifies for social network or entertainment. Come to think of it, I spent a lot of time on Facebook mobile, especially while out of town. I’m surprised a bigger percentage isn’t on entertainment. We’re heading toward an age where mobile entertainment is becoming so popular that by the 2020s, cable TV may be as obsolete as the VCR. I’m surprised games took up that much percentage. But everywhere I go, I do see people playing Angry Birds, Candy Crush and other games. I think in a few years, a lot more people will use mobile devices for entertainment and social media way more than gaming. Within a few years, these two will trade places on the pie charts. What do you think of these trends?
In an era where mergers and mega-corporate are almost daily, Facebook makes another statement. After spending billions on getting the What’s App, they made another mega purchase.
Facebook is in the process of buying Oculus VR? for approximately two billion dollars. Oculus is a premier virtual reality company. Some say it leads the world in virtual reality, the kind where you put a headset over your eyes and are transported to another world. Why would Facebook do this? Facebook CEO Zuckerberg believes virtual reality, not just gaming, is the wave of the future. He doesn’t seem to be worried about competition from Microsoft or anyone else, it’s been rumored they’re working on a virtual reality project. Some worry this merger will compromise Oculus’s creative integrity. Facebook assures that won’t happen.
I hope so. I will give Facebook credit: during their previous purchases, they’ve let the smaller companies run as the small companies see fit. It sounds like Oculus will get the same freedom. But is virtual reality the wave of the future? I’m having a tough time seeing it happen. Then again, 20 years ago, I had a tough time seeing a cell phone in every hand. Ten years ago, I thought everyone would still be listening to CDs. Five years ago, I didn’t think I would have You Tube or Facebook on my iPod Touch. So who am I to say virtual reality won’t be the? wave of the future? Will this help?
Yesterday, I talked about Turkey’s crackdown…well…let’s call it outright ban on Google and Twitter and what a firestorm it’s causing. Now, Google itself addresses the issue.
Google rejected Turkey’s request to take down You Tube videos reporting Turkish government corruption. They’ve been embroiled in scandal recently, and insiders say Google won’t take such exposing videos down is because it’s an illegal move. But many at Google fear Turkey’s shutdown of You Tube is just a matter of time, but as of Friday, March 21, 2014, it was still up. The videos Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan wants taken down include him allegedly instructing his son to hide money from investigators. But Google is known for it’s refusal to take down videos, especially when governments get involved. “We support a free and open Internet throughout the world and are concerned whenever and wherever it comes under threat,” one Google employee said.
Legal or not, this is the right thing to do. No government anywhere should be telling major online corporations what and what not to post. Yes, there are controversies about what might be inappropriate or not, but that’s up to the people and parents to decide. That’s not even what’s going on here. What’s going on here is a Erdogan got caught in an alleged wrongdoing and now he’s censoring the Web and wants Google to help him cover his hide. Even a 5th grader can figure this one out. But I give props to Google for taking a stand like this. But I am concerned for Turkey and the people. If the Prime Minister is going this far just to hide this minor of an offense, what other skeletons might he have?
Several months ago, I did a top 10, or should I say bottom 10, on the most censored countries in the world when it comes to the Internet. Maybe I should redo that list.
Turkey, considered a moderate Middle Eastern nation, votes to widen online censorship. The Turkish government has blocked Google and Twitter access. And the people don’t like it. They’re getting around it by typing 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4 to access these websites. People are even using graffiti to bunk this system. That’s right: they’re painting these codes in public squares so that their neighbors can have the access they deserve.??It’s already been dubbed one of the worst attempts at censorship of all-time. Adding more insult, the Turkish people are using Open DNS and VPN, assuming they’re still going.
Good for the Turkish people. I applaud what they’re doing to stand up against censorship. Just like in previous periods of history, non-violent rebellion works. I hope the government gets the message. Why should America and the rest of the west even care? Keep in mind if a moderate nation is using such extremes to enforce censorship, whose next? They’re not the only ones. I read one article where Russia and China could take over the whole Internet. Knowing their governments’ track record, you trust online freedom to these two nations? And whose to say other governments won’t follow Turkey’s example?
There’s a new book about Apple. I don’t know when the release date is, but CEO Tim Cook isn’t giving it an A rating, or even a passing grade for that matter.
The name of the book is called Haunted Empire. The author is Yukari Iwatani Kane. He’s a former tech reporter for Wall Street Journal. This book says Apple’s best days are behind them, they will never be another Steve Jobs era, and that Apple is in decline. The book includes 200 interviews from Apple insiders (current and former employees and partners). Current CEO Tim Cook is outraged. In a statement, he called the book ‘nonsense’. He defended Apple and all 85,000 of his employees, claiming doubters like Kane have made the company stronger.
Wow, Mr. Cook, you’re getting mighty defensive, almost to the point where you’re telling Kane, “Those are fighting words!” But maybe Kane has a point. At one time, in September 2012, Apple stock was worth over $685 a share. As of today, March 18, 2014, it’s worth around $535. It may never get back to $685, but the price is better than it was at this time last year (around $420 a share). And Apple’s latest products have done fairly well. But the competition in the last several years have done equally as well, and probably, a little better at times. Every time I go to an Apple store, the joint is jumping. So is Cook right to criticize Kane for this scathing book, or is this book the hard truth?
You Tube is going on nine years old, and has countless videos. Let’s face it, many things on You Tube aren’t exactly family friendly. That’s where this spinoff comes in.
There are reports that You Tube is building a spinoff version aimed at children under the age of ten and their parents. This isn’t a You Tube channel; this is a whole other You Tube system. The goal is to load only family friendly and education videos and to monitor and block racy, obscene and inappropriate comments. Don’t look for any kind of date; don’t look for Kiddie You Tube to come anytime soon. But there is a You Tube EDU that’s used in schools strictly for education purposes. But even then, some advertisements have been called questionable.
I like this idea. As much as I enjoy You Tube, I’d be scared to let any small child look at it. Even for G and PG rated videos on there, comments can get down right NC-17 and X rated. They should think about that as they build this new You Tube system. Also, watch the advertisers. Even the most innocent of commercials can contain subtle messages you don’t want children getting. There are some companies I don’t think should be involved anyway. For instance, any company in whose products could lead to child obesity or bullying or other bad lifestyle habits shouldn’t be advertising on this Kiddie You Tube site. And they need to watch that comment box with an eye that rivals big brother. It’s a lot easier to be nasty behind a screen than it is to someone’s face. Do you think a Kiddie You Tube will be successful?
