Surely you have written, said or recorded things as a teenager you later regretted. There was that diary or that yearbook?you dug up. There was that experiment where you tied rockets to yourself?trying to fly. Oh, then there was the gangsta rap song you recorded. Better not let your spouse/significant other hear that one. Now we may have?Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg’s adolescence playing out.
Word on the web is there’s an Angelfire page, created back in 1999, that belongs to Mark Zuckerburg.?Assuming this page?was really his:?Even at 15, he shows his online smarts. On one page, he created this Java app called ‘The Web’. Mark’s app drew people together and connected people all over the Internet. Sounds a lot like Facebook today, doesn’t it? Through a favorite list page, we learned of his teen personality. His favorite food was quesadillas. He must have been a pro wrestling fan. He says the best quote is ‘Suck It’, a popular saying by the great WWE?clique of that time, D-Generation X. I’m guessing he was an Eminem fan. On the about me page, he jokes his name is Slim Shady.
You know, it’s fun to see how big time celebrities and business people start out. One thing I love to see on You Tube is celebrities on commercials before they make it big. Here we get to see one of the greatest minds of our time?in development. I mean, he even draws on Angelfire?and writing?with different colors. So are these things embarrassing? Maybe so. Is this really young Zuckerburg’s page? I’ll let you decide.
Apple’s love-hate relationship with China continues. There’s been a two week fight between Apple Inc. and the Chinese Government over warranties of iPhones sold in that country. After being bullied by CCTV, the state communist run media, Apple caves. They apologize to Chinese consumers for it’s melee and agreed to change warranty terms and cater to Chinese consumers.
Keep in mind China is Apple’s second largest consumer market, after the US. In the last quarter of 2012, China made Apple $6.8 billion dollars. So it makes perfect business sense for Apple to give in. It’s never good to bite the hands that feed you. But where does it stop? According to Global Times, a tabloid backed by the Communist Party, Apple’s apology only softened and eased tensions. I’m guessing that means tensions aren’t going away anytime soon. Last week, a state medium called Apple iPhone’s return policy ‘unparalleled arrogance’. I guess Apple’s going to have to apologize for that too. And Apple isn’t the only American based company going through this. Chinese media accused KFC chicken farmers?for adding excessive?antibiotics to their products. And they were forced to apologize.
Ever hear of the phrase ‘give an inch and they’ll take a mile’? I fear this is what China is doing. They know they have the fastest?growing economy in the world. They know they’re a rising major superpower. They know what kind of power they have these days.?They also know what kind of power media?have, especially if it’s state?owned and?operated. Are they using this new found power?for their people’s good??Or are?using this fame to?throw their weight around? My cynical self thinks it’s the latter. And?I doubt this is the last?time Apple?will apologize for something.?My question is: What will it be and how far will it go?
On April 4, a press conference sponsored by Facebook will reveal it’s ‘home on Android’. On this day, the Facebook home screen will be shown off on an HTC handset, on a Droid system, with Facebook in control. Picture another version of Amazon Kindle.
They’re making all the right promises, like becoming closer to your friends. It will reduce the time it takes to make posts and respond to them, they say. You can use the Facebook phone to invite someone over for drinks, dinner or coffee if they are near you. And since Facebook is your home screen, as soon as you turn the phone on, you’ll be immersed in your Facebook world. Okay, this can be a great way for FB to attract advertisers and to help HTC handset, whose numbers aren’t doing that well. However…
Don’t you get enough Facebook already? It’s easy to get on your desktop, laptop or notebook. Just?about every device from the iPod Touch to the Ice Cream Sandwich offers a Facebook app. Yeah, you can let your friends know where you are, but can’t texting do that? Plus,?if I had a phone that directly?goes to my FB page, I’d probably never get anything done. I’d be on my home page, and everybody else’s, almost 24 hours a day, which is probably what?they want. So yes, I can see a few Facebook addicts?buying this device, as well as those who just have to buy into the latest trend every time they come?out. I like to call them sheeple.?Who wants a Facebook phone? Not I.
Apple acquires WifiSlam for $20 million dollars. What is WifiSlam? Glad you asked. They develop ways for mobile apps to detect where the user is, particularly in indoor locations.
I almost forgot…WifiSlam’s founders were former disgruntled Google interns.?Both sides are being hushed about this transaction. Apple execs say they do buy companies occasionally. But when it came to Wifislam, Apple had no comment, neither did the company they bought out. However, this deal is being done at a time Apple is desperate to improve it’s mapping skills, especially compared to Google. Last year, Apple attempted to launch it’s mapping app, and they fell so hard on their faces that CEO Tim Cook felt apologized to customers everywhere. Have you tried that joke of an app? According to Apple map, Berlin is in Anartica and the Statue of Liberty isn’t where we think ?it is. I’m sure Google had a field day with this one. Google already offers indoor mapping, and they know where Berlin and the Statue of Liberty are.
Do you think this purchase is a good idea? I understand the reason. When it comes to mapping, Google is king, and Apple wants a piece of that pie. They definitely have to do better than they did last time. They seemed to have gotten someone who knows what they’re doing. But should WifiSlam have held out for more money? I mean $20 million dollars to Apple is like $20 to you and me. Will this deal work? Should Apple just forget about mapping all together and just concentrate on what they do best?
So Samsung is about to release Galaxy S4 Launch. Apple is about to launch something too: a praise of their company and an attack on Samsung and every Apple competitor out there!
Apple’s marketing vice-president Phil Schiller, in front of the world, openly criticized and scorned Android. He…ahem…reminded people the majority of malware attacks occurred on Droid devices. He accused Android for running on old operating systems. Of course, Apple is responsible for all their systems. I’m sorry, but is Mr. Schiller marketing a product or running for office? You’d never know it with these attack ads.
Meanwhile, Apple has a website telling consumers why they’re so lovely, well, compared to their competitors. You know it’s going to be bad when?the headline says, “There’s?Apple. And then there’s everything else.”?According to this site, Apple is the only trusted source for entertainment. They remind us only iPhone has Siri. They even claim Apple is the best, no, make that the only company that have the right people to talk to.
Look, I have an Apple device myself and it works great, and their customer service has been great. So why do this, when a competitor is about to release their product? Are they that fearful of Galaxy S4 success they have to resort to these childish ads? Couldn’t Apple be using this time and energy to concentrate on their products instead of condemning someone else’s? Do you really think Steve Jobs would have approved of this?
There are two things I can’t live without: Netflix and Facebook. With Netflix, I can watch old cult favorites few ever heard of. Ever hear of Welcome to Arrow Beach? With Facebook, everyone on my page is talking about Scandal. Now, both?of these addictions?are coming together.
Now, you can share your Netflix?favorites by?connecting to Facebook. ?You can track what your friends watch, as they can your watching habits, and you can rate and recommend. If something is so sorry you don’t want others to watch it, just click ‘Don’t Share’. When I look at what’s on TV and in the movies?today, I’m going to be clicking on ‘Don’t Share’ a lot! Don’t go rushing to share right away; it’s going to take a few more days for the social features to be put in place.
So I’m looking forward to this Netflix feature. And if you’re not a Netflix member, here’s yet another reason to become one! I can’t wait to share my favorites with my FB friends. They’re always bragging about their favorites. This is also a good debate tool. What I plan to do is tell people why it’s my favorite, and I want to hear why it’s theirs. But don’t expect me to share any romance chick flicks! So are you excited about this next phase of social networking as I am? What shows are movies will you be sharing? And which ones will get the dreaded ‘Don’t Share’ treatment?
