Sep 8, 2015 | internet, Smartphone, Software
The United States and United Kingdom aren’t the only nations embracing the Uber craze. One of the fastest growing economies in the world is joining the movement.
Uber expands in China. This ride-hailing app will expand to over 100 Chinese cities over the next year. That’s double of what Uber’s goals were just a few months ago. Chief Executive Travis Kalanick ?made this known in a speech in Beijing. Over four billion dollars were raised in a short time to make this happen. And now it’s happening by leaps and bounds. “When we started this year, we were about one percent market share. Today, nine months later, we’re looking at about 30 to 35 percent market share,” Kalanick said of Uber growth in China. Uber executives and investors bank heavily on China’s online transport market to become the biggest and most lucrative of them all. They’re even welcoming the Chinese government’s new regulations. That’s a far cry from other nations Uber has invaded (no pun intended). Kalanick spoke of the importance of a good relationship with China’s Internet services. Kalanick bragged about China’s ahem…’progressive’… government and services. This showering of praise came right after the Chinese Internet search leader demonstrated a smartphone finding services on it’s own with no human assistance.
Okay, China is the fastest growing economy in the world. In a few years, it might be the top economy in the world, whether we Americans like it or not. But look at the way Kalanick is kissing up to Chinese officials. I don’t remember Uber leaders rolling out the red carpet to other nations. I wonder how the Chinese people will respond to Uber. In the US and UK, Uber has done well. Uber has also been met with massive resistance from San Francisco all the way to London. No wonder why Kalanick is kissing up to China. Will it work?
Sep 7, 2015 | Entertainment
A few months ago, the top publishing companies with the world, like Hachette Book Group (owned by Lagardere) , Harper Collins Publishers (owned by News Corp) and Simon & Schuster (owned by CBS) took a gamble. They struck a deal with Amazon. This is where the e-book backfire begins.
They struck this deal to control their own titles, set their own prices, and avoid deep discounts Amazon usually requires. Sounds like a winner, right? Wrong! Partially because of this deal, e-book sales this year took a drastic decline. Maybe it’s because Amazon Kindle e-books from big publishers cost more than double of what other e-books cost. In some of these cases, it would be better off for customers to buy an old fashioned paper book. For example, Jonathan Franzen’s novel ‘Purity’, has a $15.10 price tag. That’s for a hardcover book. The e-book sales for $14.99, just 11 cents less. This is before the sales tax. We can thank Macmillan Publishers for this mess of a price. Last year, James Patterson’s ‘Invincible’ was sold on Amazon Kindle for $8.99. This year, thanks to this backroom deal with Amazon, James Patterson’s newest masterpiece ‘Alert’ will run you $14.99 on Amazon. Doesn’t sound much better than the paperback book, does it? Thank you, Hachette Book Group (in my sarcastic tone).
This should be a lesson to every corporation involved here: Listen to your customers! But no…because of their own greed, the major publishing companies upped the price and Amazon let them. Now everybody’s suffering. You could say, “They’re just looking out for the author/artist”. No they’re not. The author is suffering too. He’s missing out on royalties that could have been easily collected if they kept the prices lower. Consumers aren’t dumb. They know when they’re getting the run around. Today, we have more choices than ever. What’s stopping us from going to the competitor? Shouldn’t the publishing companies and Amazon have left well enough alone?
We at Geek Choice want to wish everyone a happy and safe Labor Day.
Sep 6, 2015 | Smartphone
Here and there, I’ve talked about how only a small handful of mega corporations are dominating the smartphone industry. To an extent, that’s true. But there’s a secret horse that’s catching up.
This is where the ZTE invasion comes in. You can find them in AT&T, Sprint, or T-Mobile stores in a neighborhood near you. It’s just going to take a little more effort. That’s because the ZTE Maven doesn’t sale as high as say, the iPhone 6. The iPhone 6 could costs you over $700. A ZTE Maven will only cost you $60! That’s right: It’s a smartphone that cost less than dinner for two at a fancy restaurant. And that’s not even ZTE’s cheapest brand. Some sale for as low as $30. This Chinese backed company is supported by all of the major phone carriers except Verizon (refer to second sentence in this paragraph). And low cost smartphones prove to be a highly successful market. In second quarter 2015, ZTE got approximately 8 percent of the American smartphone pie. That’s double of what ZTE got in first quarter 2014, just last year. It’s now the fourth largest smartphone market in the US behind Apple, Samsung and LG. But even ZTE is trying it’s hand at the expensive smartphone game. Back in July 2015, ZTE released Axon Pro. That will run you $450, but that’s far lower than most high end smartphones.
What ZTE is doing is extremely smart. Yes, they keep telling us the economy is getting better. Yet many Americans are still struggling. ZTE understands this, while rival companies continue to cater to the rich and privileged. This is while ZTE’s momentum is growing. I wonder why Verizon won’t carry them? When someone finds out, please let me know. Keep in mind ZTE is a China based company. When is an American smartphone company going to cater to the economically challenged?
Sep 5, 2015 | internet, Smartphone
Another school year is upon us. In much of the country, it’s already started. Do you or your kids need a tech boost to help make the As and Bs and avoid the Fs and Ds?
Here are some apps that can help. Is foreign language on the schedule course this year? Duolingo can help. This free app creates courses and lesson plans for 23 different languages. For example, there are four pictures and you’re asked to match which English word matches with picture, which is in the language you’re studying. This app is for all ages and can be addictive. It’s a lot more fun than sitting in the classroom breaking down the verb ‘etre’. ?Have you been assigned a research paper? EasyBib can help. It helps you create citations and bibliographies. There’s one version that helps you choose from 7,000 bibliography styles, from MLA to APA to Chicago. Do you need help in organizing your academic and social life (and in this busy and chaotic age, who doesn’t)? The My?Homework App can help. Geared for the high school and college crowd, it does everything from track class schedules to gather contact information. Then there’s Quizlet. This is the ultimate study app. This free app gives you study tools like flash cards, practice tests, and educational games.
Obviously, there are many, many more educational apps to choose from. The world has changed so very much since I went to school, even college. The best app we had was the library. But now, with these and so many other apps, there’s no excuse for our kids not to do well. You can’t say, “They’re too expensive”. The apps I mention are either free or nearly free. Take advantage of them. With back to school apps, this should be the most educated and knowledgeable generation of all-time. And in many ways, it already is. So what subject do you need a back to school app for?
We at Geek Choice would like to wish everyone going back to school, and their parents, a very happy and successful upcoming school year.
Sep 4, 2015 | Wireless
The smartwatch competition just got more intense. In fact, the iWatch could have undesired company that could benefit many consumers.
Ever hear of Runtastic? It’s a mobile fitness company dedicated to making products to improve your health and fitness. Formed in Austria, Runtastic already have activity trackers and heart rate monitors in their arsenal. Now they’re in the smartwatch business. It may be simplistic as far as cool digital apps and activities are concerned. But it specializes in the basics: steps taken, distance walked or ran, length of physical activity, calories burned, sleep records and goals, even a goal indicator. It even keeps you accountable if you get a little lazy, thanks to a vibration telling you when you’ve been inactive too long. It can be waterproof for waters up to 300 feet deep. It stores fitness data for up to a week. That kind of storage can either help you or haunt you. The best thing about Runtastic’s smartwatch is battery length. You can go six months without ever charging the battery. The Smartwatch is called Runtastic Moment. There are four versions: Fun, Basic, Elite and Classic. Fun and Basic versions start at $129. Elite and Classic versions contain silver, gold and leather. Therefore, they will begin at $179.
Runtastic was acquired by shoemaker corporation Adidas back on August 5. Yep, it’s another merger of big corporations eating up the little guys. But this could work to Runtastic’s advantage. This is the first major product for them ever since the merger. Both Adidas and Runtastic have a lot riding on this. It sounds like a good buy. You can’t beat the battery life. If only all portable and smart devices came with six months battery life. Some may not like the simplicity of Moment, but I embrace it! Just give me the basics, thank you very much! And for price, well, it could be a little cheaper (and probably would be if Runtastic hadn’t merged with Adidas.) So which smartwatch are you getting: iWatch or Runtastic Moment?
Sep 3, 2015 | internet
How would you like to see historic online wills? How would you like to read the wills of your favorite American heroes, villains, and celebrities? Thanks to Internet technology, you can.
Thanks to Ancestry.com, you can see wills and other family details of America’s most famous and infamous. You can choose from any era, from Colonial times to the 21st century. They’ve digitize such records of 100 million Americans, whether they were famous or not. These records are even more personal than any memoirs ever written. These records contain wealth and possessions and power that followed them long after they’d pass away. What they left to whom said a lot about their family relations. American Revolution hero Paul Revere had 16 kids with two wives, but by the time Revere died, only five were still alive. According to his last will and testament, he left all his furniture to one unmarried daughter. Nineteenth century abolitionist and author Harriet Beecher Stowe left railroad stock and a Florida orange grove to her son. Cotton gin inventor Eli Whitney had one son, but left $1,000 each to two nephews. Whitney died in 1825; keep in mind how much $1,000 was worth. You can find a lot more from these wills and records.
I’ve always been a huge history buff. I believe history is important for all of us. If we forget history, we’re doomed to repeat it. Ancestry.com is offering quite a history lesson here. These documents and wills pose a lot of questions. These are questions like, “Why did Eli Whitney leave $1,000 to his nephews and not his son? What did he leave his son? What were the relationship dynamics in the family at that time? If Revere left all that furniture to one daughter, what did he leave to his other living children?” Which historic figure would you like to look up on Ancestry.com?
Sep 2, 2015 | Humor, Uncategorized
The world is very different from what it was in 2000, or 2005 for that matter. In the last ten years or so, social media and smartphones have changed the way we do everything. They’re even changing the way we handle divorce.
Let me introduce the new social media craze: divorce selfies. When a married couple seeks divorce and the divorce is finalized, the former couple take one last selfie. These selfies are often happy, funny, even celebratory. For example, take Chris and Shannon Neuman from Calgary, Alberta, Canada ?(look at the picture above). After their divorce went final, they took a smiling selfie. With the picture, Shannon posted, “Here’s Chris Newman and I yesterday after filing for divorce! But we’re smiling?! Yep, we’re cooky like that.” This picture went on Facebook. Their post has been shared over 36,000 times…in one day! They said they went this route because they wanted an honorable end to their marriage and move forward as parenting partners to their kids. There’s more where that came from. There’s one picture of a couple with their divorce certificate, with thumbs up and quoting, “They couldn’t wait to sign.” Another smiling divorced couple posted their selfie with the quote, “Because you can get divorced while smiling.” There’s another young former couple giving peace signs saying, “Awww look, even kids have been doing it.” I can go on and on.
There may be some moralist out there who say, “How can anybody celebrate a divorce or treat a divorce in this fashion?” But I don’t see it that way. I applaud how these couples are handling a difficult situation. Shannon Neuman said it best. Keep it civil and respectable for the sake of the children. I’ve read too many stories of divorces ending in unspeakable tragedy. I’ve seen people who get totally depressed and even suicidal after divorce. I’m glad these couples can hold their head high, and even make fun of themselves through it. So you still say divorce selfies are wrong? What’s the alternative?
Sep 1, 2015 | internet
First and foremost: We at Geek Choice would like to congratulate Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and her husband Zack on their expectancy of twins. But it’s Mayer’s work decision during the maternity process that has many talking.
Marissa Mayer announced she was taking limited time away and working throughout this process. She did the same thing back in 2012, when her first son was born. Her first son was born right after she became Yahoo CEO. Her twin girls are expected to arrive in December 2015. But Mayer’s decision comes at a time when maternity leave, especially for tech industry women, is a hot button issue. Some complain she should take more time off. Some even say she’s setting a bad example for working women by keeping such a rigorous schedule while becoming a three-time mother. Thankfully, Yahoo’s maternity leave policy is far more lenient. Yahoo offers 16 weeks of paid maternity leave for new mothers and 8 weeks of paid paternity leave for new fathers. Yahoo gives new parents who are employees $500 to spend on supplies like diapers, food, clothes and childcare. But this is nothing compared to Netflix. Several weeks ago, Netflix offered a whole year of paid maternity leave for all new parents. That’s record breaking.
So what do I think about Mayer’s decision to work through her pregnancy? I say to each her own. If taking this approach is what’s good for Mayer and her family, then who are we to complain? Who are we to tell her how to raise her family? ?I’m just glad Yahoo and other Silicon Valley companies are offering generous paternity and maternity policies for their employees. Did you know that of all developed nations, the United States of America is the stingiest when it comes to maternity leave policies? When a parent welcomes a child in the world, the last thing she or he ought to be worried about is, “Is my job going to be there when I get back?” Will better maternity leave policies catch on in this country?
Aug 31, 2015 | Computer technology
One of the most anticipated tech releases this coming fall is the new and improved Apple TV (so they say). But the most attractive thing about Apple TV may not be the new features, but the price!
According to many sources, the new Apple TV is expected to cost under $200. It could even be as low as $150. One reason for the low cost is probably competition. Amazon offers Amazon Fire TV with gaming capabilities and voice control for around $100. Today’s current Apple TV has iTunes, Roku, and many channels. It will also run you about a hundred dollars. The upcoming version of Apple TV promises more advanced hardware. It has Siri integration, updated remote, and touch control. It even comes with it’s own Apple Store. Is $200 too much for the new Apple TV? Well there is a solution for you, too. This generation’s Apple TV will continue to be sold for the original price. And the new TV stream launching system will be made available to third generation customers. That way, customers don’t have to purchase or pay extra for the new one. Speaking of new Apple TV, it’s expected to be released in September 2015 with the new batch of iPhones. Shipping is expected to start in October 2015.
Some may say, “That’s still double the price from before.” They are promising a lot for the price increase. Although if Siri is included, it might result in more good than bad. From what I’ve been hearing, Siri isn’t one to be ticked off. At least Apple is giving people options of keeping their old Apple TV instead of forcing everyone to get a new one. I think this is a good upgrade and good deal. So long as Apple TV isn’t being used to spy on their customers, and I don’t mean for advertising reason either. Is $200 too much to pay for the new Apple TV?
Aug 30, 2015 | News
This weekend, New Orleans and Mississippi mark the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the most devastating storm in modern American history. As I write this, tropical storm Erika is causing havoc in the Caribbean and threatening Florida. Now is the perfect time for Google to introduce storm tracking.
Google just announced it’s expanding important weather information when people search for extreme weather in their area, like hurricanes, tornadoes and blizzards. It will now show maps and proximity of the next storm coming to your viewing area, county, city, even down to your neighborhood. It will show the storm’s predicted track, courtesy of NOAA. Instructions, coming from FEMA and ready.gov, will be used through Google notes telling people how to prepare. If a storm is a few days away (picture a hurricane or blizzard), Google might tell you where the storm is now, it’s track, how to prepare for an emergency kit, and remind you to keep in tune to the news. If the storm is hours or even minutes away (picture a tornado, severe thunderstorm, or flash flood), Google may tell you to prepare for a power outage, or which room to ride out the storm in. The closer the storm comes, and the more severe the storm is, the more urgent the Google messages will be.
This couldn’t have come at a better time of year. We’re almost at the peak of hurricane season. We remembering historic storms like Katrina, Andrew, and let’s throw in the Hurricane of 1900 for good measure. This is the perfect time to roll out such technology. But don’t wait until the next storm to be prepared. Stock up on necessities like generators, extra food, extra water, first aid kit, and portable radio now. Here in Boston, we saw four blizzards in a 30 day period. So I‘ve learned about how critical emergency preparedness can be. But isn’t Google storm tracking a great tool to keep safe?
