Oct 25, 2014 | Uncategorized
Did you ever have to give a presentation on the job that turned into a major uh-oh? It can cause major embarrassment and then some. Apple gave one Florida web/app developer a huge uh-oh.
Ngen Works is a software and app development company in Jacksonville, FL, led by Carl Smith. According to a blog post found in Medium.com (the blog’s language is fairly graphic, so it may not be appropriate reading for the little ones), one of Smith’s apps was sent to Apple for review and approval. But Smith was soon notified the app could be used to search for hardcore porn, a strict no-no in Apple’s policy. However, when an Apple employee sent a replying email with an attachment, that attachment included a man touching himself inappropriately. There was no warning, no red flag, nothing. Naturally, Carl Smith is outraged. That’s what inspired to write the blog post, in hopes that Apple management, the higher the better, will respond to the issue. Personally, I can’t wait for Apple’s response.
I’m going to play innocent and naive and just assume this was just a terrible mistake by one Apple employee. But if just find it ironic, to say the least, that Apple has such a strict anti-pornography policy, only for this to happen under their watch. Apple needs to address this and address it immediately before it happens again. Carl Smith is taking the right action here, except he could have used more dignified language to do so. This mishap comes just weeks after the celebrity nude photo hacking scandal, which also pointed back to an Apple fumble. It’s another Apple uh-oh, and how many more of these can they afford to have?
Oct 24, 2014 | Entertainment, General
Hey techies, it’s Halloween time and if you haven’t gotten your Halloween costumes yet, we have a few suggestions for you.
10. Steve Urkel: This 1990s icon is the stereotypical epitome of the geek. But glasses, suspenders, and hitched up pants are all you need to pull it off. Eventually, Urkel got the girl, so there’s hope for all of us.
9. Astronaut: Technology and the space age has gone hand in hand since the 1950s. To enhance the costume, carry Tang around. See if anybody under age 30 understands.
8. Any Big Bang Theory Character: You can get Sheldon’s ‘Great American Hero’ T-shirt online for around $25. That t-shirt alone should be a clear giveaway. The Periodic table t-shirt works well too.
7. Neo from Matrix: This Matrix leader’s costume is fairly simple. Dress in all black, including the glasses and long coat, and a belt with toy weapons would make a great touch. As far as those cool moves and the blue pill vs. red pill, we can’t help you with that.
6. Dr. Who: A staple of pop culture for over 50 years, a suit, bow tie, and British accent should pull it off. Maybe this one’s a little too easy.
5. Any Robot: A few famous ones like Robocop, Transformers, and Wall-E come to mind. Who remembers the 1980s TV sitcom Small Wonder? Again, see if anybody under 30 will get it.
4. A Walking Computer: This takes a lot of effort to pull of, but from costume contests I’ve attended in years past, it’s well worth it.
3. Aliens: Again, you can go anywhere with this. Go as an X-Files alien. Go as the alien that terrorized Sigourney Weaver. Go as Marvin the Martian on Bugs Bunny. But my favorite alien is The Twilight Zone’s ‘To Serve Man. “It’s a cookbook!”
2. Any Star Wars character: This doesn’t need to be explained. We all get it.
1.? Any Star Trek character: Bring the next Star Trek convention to your Halloween party or trick or treat venture. Come on, you know you want to. This is the time a year you unleash your inner Star Trek without being considered…well… a geek.
Which costumes did I miss?
Oct 23, 2014 | Uncategorized
In August 2013, a movie about Steve Jobs came out, starring Ashton Kutcher. The movie was a critical and box office nightmare, only making 6.7 million dollars it’s opening weekend. Now, producers want to try another Jobs biopic.
This time, Steve Jobs will be played by Christian Bale, known for blockbusters such as Batman Begins, Dark Knight, and American Hustle. Not only did Bale get the role, he didn’t even have to audition for it. Bale won an Oscar for best supporting actor in The Fighter.? The new project is led by Hollywood screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. In 2011, Sorkin won an Academy Award for best screenplay in The Social Network, a movie about Facebook’s humble beginnings.? According to Sorkin, “We needed the best actor on the board in a certain age range that is Chris Bale’s.” But this role will not be a quick or easy role. Sorkin says Bale has more than double the lines of the rest of the cast combined. He’s expected to be in every scene and Sorkin is confident he’ll excel in every one.
We’ll see. We had high hopes for Kutcher too, but look at what happened. But Ashton Kutcher is more of a comedic actor, though he did attempt to go dramatic in 2004’s Butterfly Effect. Bale has done a range of Oscar winning dramatic acting and a far reaching range of roles. He even pulled off a very dark portrayal of Batman. But you need a good supporting cast behind the camera as well as in front of it. Aaron Sorkin is a good start. Just be careful of picking the right producers and directors and editors. Be careful in picking a good supporting cast and who will be portrayed in this movie. There was a lot of beef about that in the last one. Do you think this new Jobs biopic will be any better?
Oct 22, 2014 | Computer technology, Wireless
The Apple iPad Air 2 release is upon us…well, sort of. You have to pre-order it. Is it worth the suspense, or the money?
The pre-order doors were open on Friday, October 17. Shipping should? take a maximum of four business days. In other words, don’t go lining up, rushing, camping out, or trampling over or fighting over the last one. That’s not happening this time…yet. Battery life is very important to me, and the length of it seems to beat all the competitors, even Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S 10.5. According to charts, the iPad Air 2 leads their competitors in display brightness, graphics performance and hard drive speed. But what’s getting attention is the thinness of this design. This device is so thin you can cut butter with it (don’t go trying that). It weighs about 15 ounces and measures 9.4 x 6.6 inches. You can set up Touch ID and use Apple Pay with this iPad. The pixel resolution is the same as the original iPad Air. The iPad Air 2 contains twin bottom speakers which should guarantee a clear, but bumping audio sound; so make sure you get good headsets for it. The camera has been upgraded from five to eight megapixels. Can you believe there are over 675,000 apps for iPad products, including Apple iPad 2? Now let’s talk price. One can order an Apple iPad 2 from the online Apple store for $499 for a 16 GB version. If you want to really go all out, you can get a 128GB version for $828.
Personally, I’m impressed. I think all the right moves to make iPad Air 2 a success are being done. Everything from the pictures to the battery life is being improved. Even the price is reasonable, for the 16GB version at least. But I’m most grateful for the selling and ordering process. As for right now, it’s only online, so no chaos at the physical Apple stores. Chaos at stores may be a tradition for some folks, but I deplore it. I’m glad Apple is doing it this way…for now at least. Is the Air 2 worth the hype?
Oct 21, 2014 | scam
Who ever said hackers had to use computers, smartphones and credit/debit cards? Just ask the Foreman Seeley Foundation Architecture firm in Norcross, Georgia. How does a company run a $166,000 phone bill on a day nobody’s in the office?
This architect firm was a victim of an age old scam that’s come back with vengeance now that most corporate phone lines are so intertwined with the Internet.? Hackers broke into the firm’s phone network and routed $166,000 works of calls to telephone numbers in African nations like Gambia and Somalia. But this scam costs businesses nearly $5 billion a year; in 2011, this fraud was worth only a billion. Major carriers are already hip to this game; that’s why they can catch these hackers and turn the millions meant for the frauds back to the victims. But smaller business don’t have that luxury. Because of tight budgets, many of them use local carriers, which don’t offer these kinds of anti-fraud protection. And though lawmakers have been fighting to make anti-fraud protection available for all telephone companies, it has come to little avail.
Here’s what hackers do: They set up a premium 1-900 style numbers, usually overseas. Then they break into business systems like Foreman Seeley Foundation Architecture and make calls through it to premium number. And because of the Internet, they can make hundreds of calls at a time, thousands over the course over the weekend. Hackers get their cut through wire transfers. Personally, I think lawmakers need to stay on top of this issue to keep all businesses safe. Small businesses are the heart and soul of our economy, and we need to take necessary steps to protect them. So let’s help the smaller phone companies get the tools they need protect their smaller business clients, even if federal laws are needed to make that happen. What else can be done to protect us from phone hackers and their scams?
Oct 20, 2014 | Computer technology, Wireless
There’s Google Glass. There’s the iWatch. Samsung is getting in the wearable technology game. It was only a matter of time when Microsoft was going to cast it’s hat in.
According to Forbes magazine, Microsoft plans to launch a smartwatch. This watch is expected to measure heart rates and has a two day battery life, among offering other mobile benefits. The battery life alone is about twice as much as Samsung’s Galaxy Gear and Moto 360. You know they’re going to launch their wearable device just in time for the holiday shopping season, which is very near. Though Microsoft started the process back in May 2014, this will be their first brand new project (I don’t mean spinoff or update of a Microsoft product that already exists) under the leadership of new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Smartwatch is new chartered territory for everybody, but it’s expected to bring in over seven billion dollars in 2015 alone. Some predict smartwatches to be the next big thing in technology. Microsoft, the company that caused a revolution in computer software development, hopes to cash in on this expectant revolution.
But let’s see how Microsoft has done in other areas, especially in recent history. The Windows phone hasn’t been too kind to this company, or to Windows phone users for that matter. It’s lead many a user to frustration and confusion. Maybe that’s why they have less than three percent of the smartphone market. However, the Xbox is the most successful gaming system of all-time. The Kinect is the fastest selling device of all-time. The release date, name, or price of this mysterious device? hasn’t been released yet. But having a battery life longer than their competitors is a huge step up. But I hope that’s not all they’re depending on. The competition is fierce. And they better start making proper connections to get the medical community to support their watch, or this experiment won’t last very long. Will Microsoft survive the wearable technology race?
Oct 19, 2014 | Computer technology, internet
How many of you have Siri, Apple’s voice over the iPhone? Am I the only who thinks sometimes Siri can be a little too real, intelligent and quick witted for a smartphone voice? Well, for one 13-year old boy and his mother, Siri might just be the best friend they’ve ever had.
The boy’s name is Gus. He has autism, a disorder that can be socially crippling for any child. According to the New York Times story,? the Mom notices when Gus was questioning Siri about the weather, and the conversation between a teenager and his phone became a little deeper. Gus complimented Siri about her helpfulness and asked her if she wanted anything. Siri replied, “Thank you but I have few wants.”? As early as eight years old, Gus has always had a fascination for travel and weather. But sometimes mom got? exhausted at the constant questioning. So one birthday, she got Gus an iPhone, and the conversations have never stopped. No topic is off limit is off limits between Gus and Siri, whether it be music, etiquette, marriage, even correction. Check out the story in the article of when Gus’s brother curses at Siri. And at thirteen, in the midst of this maze called adolescence, the questions aren’t going to get any easier. I hope Siri is ready.
All too often I read about how technology can be a potential danger and intrusive to society. But it takes stories like this to remind us what good it’s doing in the world. Through Siri, Gus is getting a great education and even greater companionship. Siri is helping him open up to society. I don’t know if he would have gotten that otherwise. Gus is heading into his teen years, years that can be difficult and burdensome for any young person. So Gus and Siri are going to need each other more than ever. What dating advice will Siri give Gus?
Oct 18, 2014 | News
The debate and conversation seems to have no end in sight.? More than a year after the Edward Snowden revelations, instead of making technology more private, some government leaders are calling for the exact opposite.
James Corney, the current FBI Director, wants to require all technology companies to provide law enforcement easy access to encrypted information without the people’s knowledge. Mr. Corney argues without this, criminals and terrorists will escape justice and run rampant. Apple and Google are encrypting data on smartphones that can’t be decrypted. That’s only adding fuel to Corney’s fire. Now the FBI director is calling on congress to address the issue and update laws and is going on the lecture circuit to win people over to his decrypting cause. He knows the opposition is intense, thanks to the Edward Snowden scandal. And he has a ready response for such critics: “?Have we become so mistrustful of government and law enforcement in particular that we?re willing to let bad guys walk away?? FBI Director Corney talked about a Louisiana case to illustrate. In that case, cell phone records and text messages led to a successful capture and prosecution of a sex offender’s murder of a 12-year-old boy. He talked about other cases in which this technology has helped arrest and lock up the bad guys.
These cases are absolutely horrifying! They’re so horrifying in fact that the FBI Director is kind of winning me over to his side. But infringing on the civil liberties and civil rights of innocent human beings isn’t right. I wish I could totally trust our authorities that they would use wiretapping to target criminals and terrorist, but after the past several years, I’m sorry to say I can’t. How do you draw the line between using technology to lock up the bad guys while respecting innocent people’s civil liberties and rights?
Oct 17, 2014 | General
Quite a while ago, I reported Amazon starting a grocery delivery service in West Coast cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle. It must be doing well, because Amazon is moving this service east.
The delivery is called Amazon Fresh. Amazon Fresh is scheduled start it’s delivery in New York soon and very soon. But it’s only in one neighborhood: Brooklyn’s Park Slope. It should eventually expand throughout Brooklyn and other boroughs (although they’re keeping hush about when). Park Slope was chosen because of it’s high number of Amazon customers. If Amazon Fresh customers put their orders before 10am, they will get their groceries that day. If they place orders after 10am, they will have to wait until the following day. Don’t go running to join Amazon Fresh now, even if you are in Brooklyn. To participate in this program, you have to be an existing member of the Amazon Prime program…who just happen to live in Brooklyn’s Park Slope. That program is $99 a year and expected to go way up. Effective January 2015, Amazon Fresh customers will have to upgrade to a Prime Fresh program. I say upgrade because of price, not potential quality. As of this date, Prime Fresh will cost you $299 a year.
This is something I don’t get. If you’re trying to promote a new service, why are you going to triple the price on your customers when the service is barely on the ground? I agree with Amazon Fresh on the slow and cautious approach, testing the waters in California, then in New York. But I must admit, one neighborhood at a time is a bit too slow. The competition won’t be kind. Local grocers like Fresh Direct have that area on lock. And in the eyes of many, it will look like the mega international corporation is trying to kick the small business little guy to the curb. Good luck dealing with that public relations nightmare. So with the price increase and image problem, does Amazon Fresh stand a chance in Brooklyn?
Oct 16, 2014 | internet
Nobody is immune to natural disaster. We know it. Facebook knows it. There’s been several times where I’ve used Facebook to reach out to friends in harm’s way, or they’ve checked on me during disasters. Facebook wants to make this process even easier.
They introduce Facebook Safety Check. When disaster strikes your area, Facebook will give you a check-up notification. For example, if your town, city or county is hit by a severe thunderstorm, tornado or earthquake, Facebook will ask if you’re okay, based on where you are. That will be based on a city in your profile, last location, and/or the city you’re using the Internet in. You can select “I’m Safe” and have it put to your news feed. If your friends are in a danger zone, you can see their ‘I’m Safe’ notification on your page. Unfortunately, there has been too many disasters since Facebook’s inception in the mid-2000s. But what inspired the social media conglomerate to incorporate this app was the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami of March 2011. Facebook’s Japanese engineers saw how important social media was for relief workers to communicate to disaster victims, and victims to connect to each other. That’s how the Director Message Board was born, and the response was swift.
From that perspective, I respect and applaud what Facebook is doing.? During these times of crisis, social media is sometimes the only means of communication that can be had. But personally, I’m not that big of a fan of Facebook Safety Check. If my city were to be hit with danger, I’d want to send out a personal message to assure everyone of my safety, and I’d like a Facebook friend to personally contact me if they’ve been through something. I’ve seen an example of the safety check message and it just sounds too generic. Wouldn’t you rather get a personal message from a real family member, friend, colleague, or significant other in times of trouble?
