Mar 7, 2019 | Smartphone
So round one of Chinese smartphone giant Huawei vs the US government actually took place in Barcelona, Spain.?This showed up at the last Mobile World Congress. It’s not over yet. In fact, it’s moving to this country. This is Huawei vs USA part two. The lawsuit.
So now, Huawei sues the US government, claiming the USA is limiting them on doing business. The Chinese smartphone firm claims what they’re doing is unconstitutional. Their lawsuit complains about import tariffs the Feds put on them. It also says this makes it impossible for them to do business here in the USA. Furthermore, one exec accuses the US of a spreading a smear campaign, trying to keep American consumers from Huawei.
Yes, the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) does forbid the US gov’t to do business with Huawai. But legal experts say it’s because of national security reasons, not business. The lawsuit is in Texas. The lawsuit claims the plaintiffs don’t even have due process. It’s not just Huawei that’s sounding off. Because the Chinese government is coming to their defense. In fact, one of their foreign minister leaders call this lawsuit “…totally reasonable and understandable”.
But experts say this won’t last very long. Because of the national security issue, they may just dismiss this one. I hope they do. Because you can’t put business ahead of national security. I don’t care what business it is, IT service, smartphones, computer repair, or anything else. Yes, I’m sure the Trump trade war has a lot to do with this. Though Huawei plays the victim, I have little sympathy for them. Look at how hard they’re trying to push 5G technology. Then look at the dangers of 5G that scientist have covered. Yes, the smartphone industry could use more competition. But do we really want it to come from Huawei? What is your take on the Huawei vs USA part two?
Mar 6, 2019 | General
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?
Mar 5, 2019 | Computer technology, Entertainment
So I have another merger to talk about. But this isn’t what you think. Because this is less about big money and more about IT support functions. Alexa and Roku are compatible: Should we rejoice?
So now, through Alexa, consumers can now control their Roku account. This means Alexa will do things like play their favorite shows and search their account for shows. Furthermore, Alexa will do practical things for Roku, like turn on/off the TV. Alexa’s services apply only those with Roku 8.1. or higher. Also, they have to link their Amazon account with their Roku account. In anticipation for move, Roku already came up with voice-controlled equipment just for this.
Roku already works with Google based equipment. So with Amazon just being Amazon, this shouldn’t surprise anyone. Roku will work with any Amazon voice system, no matter how budget or expensive. Yes, you will be able to control Roku by telling Alexa what to do. Already, some bloggers are giving it the advantage. Because with Google, one has to say, “Hey Google…”. But with Alexa, you just say, “Alexa…”. Some people say this alone gives Alexa the advantage. Come on, people. It’s just a one word difference. And that word is, ‘hey’. The word ‘hey’ is often a first word for one-year-olds.
However, this is one point. If we’re going to choose a voice system just to save us from saying one small word, then something is wrong with us. I remember when I was a kid, I was the remote. I was told to change the channel, until we finally got a remote. Now, the IT service/voice does it for you. As a business move, this is good for Roku and Amazon. For consumers, this gives us more convenience, as we need any more. Alexa and Roku are compatible: Should we rejoice?
Mar 4, 2019 | Uncategorized
So recently, Silicon Valley resident Anand Giridharadas wrote a book. It’s about the IT service in Silicon Valley. However, it’s hardly flattering. Let’s look at this tell all book about Silicon Valley.
So he titles the book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World. The title alone sounds honest, but harsh. However, he’s just warming up. His biggest beef with Silicon is the inequality. He praises the innovation that comes out of this area. He argues that it’s great for the few that created it, but what about everybody else? This includes people that work for and under them.
Then Anand backs his arguments with scary statistics. It might seem that Americans, no matter what income level, are doing better than ever before. But that’s just not true. For 3 years straight, our life expectancy rate declined. That’s the first time in 100 years that happened. Literacy and education are stagnant. It was easier for you to start your own business in the 1980s than it is today. Also, Anand confronts the ‘win-win’ mentality. That’s the mentality that if you help the very top, like the Jeff Bezos’ and the Mark Zuckerberg’s, then the bottom will get help. In fact, Anand calls that a religion. And he remind us that rarely works.
I would highly recommend you get this book. It confirms what many of us in computer repair have known for years. Silicon Valley is a broken place. How can any worker survive at a place where coffee is $8 and breakfast is over $20? People who make $100,000 a year live in their car because rents are that out of control. Now, people and business are leaving Silicon Valley because of such reasons. Look at all the sobering statistics. In an era of so much innovation, you’d think these statistics would go up. In fact, here’s an article saying that over 450 retail stores closed down within two days! Is that progress? I applaud this tell all book about Silicon Valley. Again, is this progress?
Mar 1, 2019 | Smartphone
So let’s start by wishing the Samsung Galaxy franchise a happy 10th anniversary. However, look at how they celebrate. They do so by introducing the Samsung Galaxy S10.
The size doesn’t change much. This one is 6.4 inches, not that different from old Samsung Galaxys. But here is a huge difference: under display fingerprint technology. They say this is even more secure that facial recognition. Because this uses Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor to check your unique pores of your fingertip. Then, it scans and matches it. But from what I hear, it is a royal pain to get this set up. Some smartphones abandon jacks. The Samsung Galaxy S10 has ports and jacks a-plenty.
This device has Gorilla Glass 6. This will help you gain access to wireless charging. It’s the Wireless PoweShare. Turn your phone down, place another phone on top of it, and the top phone will trickle it’s power down to yours. IT service critics rave about the camera, which takes all kinds of crazy angles, and it’s three-camera array. I saw a cool slide of the wings of a plane landing with this. But perhaps the most awesome thing is the price…and not in a good way. This phone will cost you $1,000. If you start talking about foldable phones, then you’re looking at $1,900.
Personally, I wouldn’t even bother with the Samsung Galaxy S10. There, I said it. Yes, I know Apple’s iPhone X cost that much. But at least they did something revolutionary. So people wanted to pay that much because they thought they were on the verge of computer tech history. You don’t see that with this Samsung. And I’m not liking this fingertip technology. It’s too much work to set up. Then, what if it doesn’t work? And yes, sucking energy from one device to the next may seem cool. But just give me the plug-in charger, thank you very much. I’m not buying this new Samsung. Are you?
Feb 28, 2019 | Security, youtube
So I guess most of you know about the Momo challenge. A strange creepy like figure comes on your child’s social media, without warning. Then that figure challenges them to either harm or kill themselves. Consumer alert: The Momo suicide challenge.
So Momo targets children. Then, if that isn’t sick enough, Momo interrupts the most innocent of You Tube Kids shows. I’m talking about kids shows like Peppa Pig? and Doc McStuffins. The sociopaths behind Momo do this on purpose because they think the parents won’t catch on. But thankfully many are, because children are reporting it to parents. Good job, kids. This is what makes Momo so sick and sadistic. They’re going after children. Why?
However, this isn’t the first time the Momo challenge came on the scene. Last year, this creepy figure appeared in the What’s App. Two teenagers committed suicide because of it. This took place in? the South American nation of Columbia. The victims were a 12-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy. So far, no deaths or injuries have been reported from this current round of Momo sights. But I can see why parents, teachers and security experts worry. Anytime you have a coward, or group of cowards, using IT service and social media to tell children to harm and kill, that’s major cause for alarm.
Parents, please know what your kids are watching on You Tube. Not only that, but warn them of Momo. And instruct them on what to do if they do see this character. I’m thankful that kids are already alerting adults about this. Yes, You Tube and other IT support systems do the best they can, but they need the consumer’s help. You see, AI and algorithms do much of the programming now, so much is out of human hands. And the bad guys know it. That’s why we in the community need to step it up like never before. We don’t know who is behind this, but police worldwide are looking for them. In fact, celebrities like Kim Kardashian call for an end to this Momo challenge. This is a consumer alert: The Momo suicide challenge. What will you do about it?
Feb 27, 2019 | Computer technology, Smartphone
So far, things are not boring at the Barcelona Mobile World Congress (MWC). First, there is the controversy surrounding China smartphone company Huawai. Then, we have the public display of a technology you wear…inside your skin. Man shows off their RFID Chip: stunt or new reality?
So actually, several people took the stage here. The first man shows off their RFID chip. One was Edger Pons, who publicly got the chip inserted under his skin. He testified how he had an ‘automatic’ house. That means your doors and other openings are keyless. You have to have either a password or device to open them. The chip is about the size of a grain of rice. He says not only will it make it easy for him to access his house, but he can take it out anytime he wants.
The second man, who is now an RFID chip veteran, goes by the name of Pau. This man shows off their RFID chip by putting his smartphone under the chip’s skin entry. This was to show how easy it is to pay for goods simply by using his chip and/or smartphone. Sabadell, is the Spanish bank chain that sponsor this. And Sabadell executives looked on and bragged with pride. Then there’s the third person, name an engineer and curator for Alpha. That’s a Barcelona IT support firm. While this was going on, he assures the chip will NOT degrade in your skin, and bragged on other features.
But what is to make of this?? Well, they don’t tell you that you can be tracked 24/7 with if you get this RFID chip. They also don’t tell you you basically sell your privacy, what little we have left, for a little bit of convenience. Yes, Pons says he can take it out anytime he wants. But do you want to be your own surgeon every time you want to take this chip out? In this crazy IT service and tech business, I learned years ago to look at what they’re not saying. Is this a stunt or new reality?
Feb 26, 2019 | Smartphone
So remember when the iPhone X came out at around $1,000? That was pretty outrageous. Then came the iPhone XS and XS Max, which ran as high as almost $1,500. But Huawei, the Chinese smartphone giant, is about to top them all. Huawei makes news for right and wrong reasons.
So Huawei is coming out with their latest phone, the Mate X. It’s their new folding phone, and you can expect to pay $2,600 for it. The folding phone seems to be the next big thing. Huawei wants the biggest piece of that they can get. But folding phones don’t come cheap. For example, Samsung has a folding phone that’ll cost $1,900. Some leaders explain that when the notebook came out, it was unbeleivebly expensive. But as it got more popular, the prices became more affordable. That is Huawei’s hope for their $2,600 Mate X.
Huawei is also quite the star at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress (MWC). In fact, they’re so big that multiple nations are blocking their 5G infrastructure. This includes the US, Australia and Japan. In Barcelona, people of the MWC claims Huawei said, “…Huawei has now completely taken over the normal course of events”. But the US is especially critical of Huawei, and the feeling is mutual. One Hwawei brags that there is no way the US can beat them.
But Huawei may have an unlikely ally…US President Donald Trump. In a tweet, he hints that he welcomes Huawei as competition. Chairman Ken Hu tweeted back that he agreed and wants to work within the US. The 5G debate has been heated and controversial, to say the least. And Huawei is in the middle of it. But this Mate X could be the next big thing in IT support, IT service, and smartphone use. That’s how Huawei makes news for right and wrong reasons. What do you think of Huawei?
Feb 25, 2019 | Computer technology
So Back in November 2018, China’s state media made news history and computer technology history. Because they put an AI robot in charge of broadcasting the news. Then, last week, they made news again. They hired a female robot to broadcast the news. These are China’s AI news anchors. Is this a media trend?
So let’s go back to November 2018. The robot’s name is Qui Hao. It will deliver the news tirelessly, and it can do so all day every day. However, the scary thing is how human it looks. It wears a suit and tie, just like real (when I say real, I mean human) anchors do. It also nods it’s heads, blinks, and makes other human movements. Chinese IT support company Xinhua is the one who put this together. Qui Hao can also speak perfect English.
Then they bring in their second robot. It is a female they name Xin Xiaomeng. The same IT service company that created Qui also created Xin. This includes the help of some search engines. Like Qui, Xin has human movements and can speak perfect English. It wears a professional pink dress and has very well done hair, like a real woman news anchor would. In fact, Qui and Xin are often seen broadcasting the news together. They do it in record time. For instance, 3,400 news reports in less than 10,000 minutes. That averages to one news story about every three minutes.
This is what is scary. It’s scary enough that robots are taking up other jobs. The creepier thing is some are taking robots as lovers. Look, I know many people are fed up with the media today. I’m fed up with it. But hiring robots instead of human reporters is not the way. China’s AI news anchors aren’t going to make it better. Or are these robots a source of mind control? Who control these robots? Think about who programs these AI machines. Civil rights leader Malcolm X used to say, “The media is the most powerful thing on Earth”. The Chinese government knows this. Human anchors have their own feelings. Robots don’t. So are they using robots to further control the masses in way human journalists can not?
Feb 22, 2019 | News, Security
So let me give this disclaimer now. This article is not to scare anyone. But in these global volatile times, we, even us in the IT support and computer repair world should prepare for anything. I heard Putin’s address to Russia, and it was terrifying. Then I ask myself: Should the USA prepare for a cyberattack?
So many tech and intelligent experts say Russia and China can now launch huge cyberattacks. They can attack our electric grid and oil pipelines, among other parts of our infrastructure. In fact, one US intelligence firm confirmed this. This committee’s report says Russia and China often practice with weapons that could really mess up the systems we depend on. Think this is sci-fi? Earlier this week, I read about how Russia is having drills to live without the Internet, in case of an emergency. This committee’s report warns since we’re depending more on digital devices, our opponents can exploit that. It also warns of Russia and China’s cyber spying. The report then says Russia sees the US’s political, social and racial tensions these days. Their cyber spies see that and use it to their advantage, like sharks who smell blood in the water.
Then there are other worries. This report states AI and robotic technology can be even a bigger threat than any foreign foe.? Like I said, this is not to fear-monger. But we can’t stick our heads in the sand about this either. Did you know that if someone hits us with an EMP cyber attack, it would knock out everything? There would be no more computers of any kind, no more smartphones, no more radio, TV, even telegraphs. Most jobs and businesses would cease to exist. You wouldn’t even be able to start your car. Planes, trains and buses would be grounded. In other words, a cyber attack could knock us back to the 19th century! This is why we should be in the know of such things.? Should the USA prepare for a cyberattack? And if so, then what do we do about it?
