Feb 21, 2019 | Smartphone
So Q4 is a quarter that companies from grocers to computer repair to smartphone companies look forward to. It’s the holiday shopping season, of course. However, smartphone companies might want to forget this one. Because smartphone growth ends 2018 in a drag.
So when I say drag, I mean sales grew just 0.1% from Q4 2017. Ouch. Apparently, high end smartphone lovers (think iPhone X, Google Pixel 3, Samsung Galaxy 9) saw no reason to upgrade. Apple got the worst of it. Because Q4 2018 was their worst quarter since early 2016. In fact, they told investors not to expect a prosperous Q1 2019 either. Their sales continue to decrease literally to this day.
Samsung isn’t fairing much better. Not only did they have a bad Q4 2018, but their overall sales in the recent past fell off. As I stated before, their Galaxy 9 phones aren’t helping matters much. They can partially thank Android’s Huawei phones. They sold over 60 million smartphones between October-December 2018. The majority of these sales come from China, one of the greatest smartphone markets around today. In fact, Huawei is probably the only one that had a good Q4 2018. Their sales for that period grew 14.8 % from Q4 2017. This is while everybody else struggled to break even from one year ago. Some publications went as far as calling 2018 the year of the Huawei.
However, for all others, smartphone growth ends 2018 in a drag. And if something revolutionary doesn’t come from the smartphone game in 2019, then I don’t see an end in sight. Location wise, the worst drops were right here in North America. Then follow that with China and the rest of Asia. That’s alarming for smartphone companies because these nations (US, China, India, Japan, etc) are their money maker. Some experts say that in mature markets, like the smartphone, sales start declining when pretty much everybody has them. But let’s hear from you. Why do you think smartphones are decking?
Feb 20, 2019 | General, Wireless
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?
Feb 19, 2019 | General
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?
Feb 18, 2019 | Computer technology, Security
So what is 5G technology? It’s hard for even IT service and IT support experts to explain. But they expect 5G technology to move so fast that even machines will connect with other machines, with no effort. We’re talking speeds of 20 G/bps. However, these guys can explain it better than me.? That sounds great, right? But some say not really. Because they worry about the physical and medical consequence this may have. Is 5G technology dangerous, or even deadly?
So members of the medical community ask questions about great health risks. These risks are mostly about radiation, and too much of it. Also, this radiation comes from the phones as well as the cell phone towers. Furthermore, keep in mind the massive increase of signals not just to cell phones, but smart devices. We’re talking about things from smart security systems, smart voice speakers like Alexa, and that smart self-driving car that’s coming. Some studies even talk about a cancer risk from 5G. They did a study with lab rats. They gave the rats daily radiation doses for two years. The researchers were alarmed at the increase of brain and heart tumors in these lab rats.
Yes, I know how controversial it is to use lab rats. But I want to look at the bigger picture. Some will say there is no harm in 5G. They will say things like, “We used cell phones for 30 years. We’re still good”. But look at how often we’re using cell phone technology today. And it’s not just our phones, either. Smart technology is in about everything we use: radios, TVs, voice devices, security systems, and soon, it will drive our cars for us. Also, keep in mind there will be more cell towers to facilitate this 5G technology. They bring with them their own radiation. It adds up. Is 5G technology dangerous, or even deadly?
Feb 15, 2019 | News
So a few months ago, Amazon announced three cities to put their second Amazon headquarters. Those cities were New York City, Arlington, VA and Nasheville, TN. However, yesterday, Amazon cancelled such plans. Amazon pulls out of New York City.
As you can expect, reaction about the IT support giant’s move came swift. Amazon asked for around $3 billion in government assistance. But this led to outrage among many New York leaders, especially progressives and union leaders. The cries against Amazon got louder and louder. Then, eventually, Amazon listened and backed out of the deal. But not everyone is happy. Governor Quomo and Mayor deBlasio say Amazon’s cancellation move hinders diversity and job growth. There were powerful people on both sides of the issue. But the negative attention this got soon won out. This led to Amazon pulls out of New York City.
We know the fight is not over. Because NY Senate Democrats vow to keep Amazon’s new headquarters out of NYC. But now, deBlasio blames Amazon for this fallout. He now says they could have worked with the community. But now, they blew it. For those keeping score, here’s the update. Back in 2017, Amazon announced a second headquarters. The first is in Seattle. They promised that city over 50,000 jobs and billions of dollars in revenue. However, in late 2018, they said the new offices would have to be split in two.
Actually, it came to 2 1/2. Because they chose NYC, Arlington, VA and Nashville, TN. But now, Amazon pulls out of New York City. Personally, I see where the opponents are coming from. Yes, Amazon promised thousands of jobs. But yet not a single New York contractor was hired yet. So I can how that angers people. I don’t feel sorry for Amazon at all. This is a trillion dollar company that asked the government for $3 billion. That’s like…I have a thousand dollars in my pocket. Then I ask a computer repair colleague? for $3. Doesn’t make sense, does it?
Feb 14, 2019 | Smartphone
So today is the day for love, or so they say. Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day. Around this time, some people take to dating sites to look for that last minute date. But how ironic…one dating site hacked on Valentine’s Day.
So the dating site’s name is Coffee Meets Bagel. They told millions of their users that hackers stole their account information. Well, they gave users an email saying that a third-party ‘might’ have acquired their information. Also in this letter, Coffee Meets Bagel assured that they only stole names and emails. Because they don’t store passwords or financial stuff. They listed various steps they’re doing to protect the consumer, including working with the law to find the hackers.
However, this breach included over 670MB worth of info. Yes, it included people’s names and emails, but also registration and gender info. Though Coffee Meets Bagel has millions of accounts, we don’t know how many were hacked. In fact, as of December 2018, this dating site has over 7 million members. Then add the $25 million it made in 2018. They’re still growing. But they did give advice to it’s members in the wake of this hack. They warned against any page asking you for personal data, especially those you don’t know of. Also, watch out for suspicious emails. Our computer repair techs?remind our clients of this often.
This dating site hacked on Valentines Day though. I find it interesting hackers picked this date for the attack. Yes, few people,especially in IT service, expected this dating site to be hacked on this particular day. Maybe they know this would be a good time to get good info on people. Maybe this would be a good time to sell stuff on the dark web. But it could also be that they went through a bad Valentine’s Day experience. It could have been a break up, divorce, or the day they discovered another person in their relationship. Who knows? It’s not of of possibility. What do you think?
Feb 13, 2019 | Smartphone
So Valentine’s Day is tomorrow (bah humbug!). But even us in technology, whether computer repair or IT support leadership, have a sense of humor about it. Maybe this is why T-Mobile spoofs Valentine’s Day.
So starting today, T-Mobile starts a Valentine’s Day promotion. But maybe I should call it an-anti Valentine’s Day promotion. Because here, they want you to break up with your carrier and choose T-Mobile. In fact, they even give it a name. That name is, “National Break Up With Your Carrier Day”. Here is an old 2014 commercial that captures that spirit.? Valentine’s Day is a perfect day to woo someone to you. And T-Mobile is using this day to woo you from the hands of their competitors.
I say this because they seem to be breaking out with the deals. They include two smartphones and unlimited lines for $100 a month. It also has auto pay, and many choices of phones. However, none of them include iPhone products. This even includes ‘Netflix On Us’. That’s right. With this plan, they’ll even pay for your Netflix watching habits. But let’s talk about newer, more expensive phones, like Samsung Galaxy S9 and Google Pixel 3. Obviously, they will cost you more. However, let’s say you have a Verizon account and owe them money. During this promotion, T-Mobile says they will pay up to $650 of what you owe to Verizon. That is, if you join them.
Here is a disclaimer. I am not supporting or advertising for T-Mobile, or any other phone company. But I’m reporting how smartphone companies are using Valentine’s Day to promote. That’s nothing new or unusual. However, what catches my eye here is the way they’re trying to woo customers away from the competition on this very occasion. It’s to the point they’re even paying for a bill you may owe to a competitor. This is how T-Mobile Spoofs Valentine’s Day. It reminds of a jilted lover trying to win his/her ex back from the new lover…on Valentine’s Day. Or a single person trying to take somebody’s boyfriend/girlfriend…on Valentine’s Day. That rarely works in the romance world. Will it work here?
Feb 12, 2019 | Computer technology
So yesterday, I talked about President Donald Trump signing an AI initiative. This will promote AI in the workplace, and other areas of life. You would think IT service companies would be happy. But not so much. Google warns of AI.
So in an annual report, Google/Alphabet says AI could have negative impacts on their business. They really worry about ethics. Yes, obviously there is still a very high demand for their services and goods. That’s why Alphabet is still the biggest and most far-reaching corporation in the world. However, Google leaders fear that AI things like machine learning could raise ethical and legal concerns. Could those concerns cause Google to lose business?
But they know trying to avoid AI controversy can be a slippery slope. It already is. For example, take the Pixel 3. It’s a smartphone that prides itself on machine learning, but that machine learning got them in trouble. It’s machine learning created issues of privacy invasion. As a result, sales went down. Then there was Project Maven. That built this AI system for military drones. But the outcry from privacy rights and human rights groups was loud and intense. Google backed down. In fact, in June 2018, they pledged they would no longer support AI that threatened human rights.
Now, they face controversy over handling China’s lack of human rights. But now Google/Alphabet says they won’t participate in their censorship ways. Now, Google warns of AI. You know what? I’m proud of Goodle/Alphabet. It’s because of people like you and me, who are raising awareness about AI, and put the pressure on. Google seems to be getting the message. Please don’t think I’m anti-AI. I’m not. In it’s place, it can do a world of good. However, when people, corporations and governments abuse AI, it can lead to disaster. That’s the concern. I’m glad Google warns of AI, and it’s learning from their past experiences. Wouldn’t it be great if other IT support corporations do the same?
Feb 11, 2019 | Computer technology, News
So IT support leaders and Silicon Valley billionaires aren’t the only ones that have their eye on artificial intelligence. Global political leaders do as well. In fact, Russian President Vladimir Putin said whoever controls AI controls the world. Well, US President Trump takes on artificial intelligence.
So today, they expect President Trump to sign an executive order that promotes AI. This is years in the making. Because many in IT service put pressure on him to do this. Trump calls this the ‘American A.I. Initiative’. One focus is education. This doesn’t just mean in the schools, but especially in the workforce. This includes improving services like cloud computing. It also includes improving data to build A.I. systems. Furthermore, it even includes worldwide partnerships about AI.
These are great starts. However, there are a couple of worries. First of all, they didn’t set up a budget of this AI initiative. It’s not going to be cheap. Also, many complain it’s still pretty vague. Maybe we will learn more about it after this signing. But it is a start. And it needs to start now. Because in 2017, China pledged $150 billion to become the greatest A.I. power in the world. Keep in mind the trade war between the US and China right now. Governments like Canada, United Kingdom, Russia and Singapore are also in a hurry be A.I. greats.
There are other reasons President Trump takes on artificial intelligence. It’s not just the race for jobs, education, and technology. Because AI could determine weapons and warfare and could be a threat to our national security. Our potential enemies know it. But here is one thing I wish this initiative addresses: the moral questions of AI. This is why I’m so weary of AI. It’s a threat to our jobs. It’s also a threat to our privacy (or what little of it still exists). But now, they can also lead to outright war, maybe even outright human annihilation. What do you think of the American A.I. Initiative?
Feb 8, 2019 | General
So everybody knows Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is heading for divorce. He’s one of the greatest IT support legends of all-time. But public divorce alone is bad enough. Then add these next two events. It adds up to a bad week for Amazon and Jeff Bezos the IT service billionaire.
So Bezos accused AMI, a media company that owns the National Enquirer, of blackmail. I had no idea National Enquirer still existed. But on to the story…Bezos said this medium is holding nude pictures over him. The Amazon CEO even claimed the blackmail is politically motivated.? You see, Bezos hired a private investigator to see how they got private texts and photos. They especially look at Saudi Arabian connection. Because of this, according to Bezos, AMI claimed they would publish his texts and photos if they didn’t stop this investigation. However, AMI says they could publish these as ‘newsworthy’.
Then Amazon has to deal with legendary Hollywood director Woody Allen. He’s suing Amazon for $68 million. That’s a lot of money for anybody. It is even if you’re Amazon. Allen is suing them over a movie deal that ended in disaster. Allen planned to direct the film, “Rainy Day in New York”. But suddenly, Amazon Studios cancelled the deal. Allen claims they ended it after a sex scandal from the early 1990s re-surfaced (his alleged affair with his stepdaughter). In December 2017, as the Me Too movement gained momentum, Dylan Farrow wrote a scathing article, asking why Allen gets away scott free, while guys like Weinsten, Spacey and Cosby get exposed. Of course, since the 1990s, Allen denied any wrongdoing.
Amazon gave a vague statement with legalize. Even in that statement, it seems these old accusations does have something to do with this project ending. So yes, this is a bad week for Amazon and Jeff Bezos. And in this politically and socially turbulent era, the climate seems too good not for this to happen. Do politics have to deal with this? Or do jealousy and envy?
