Oct 5, 2014 | Smartphone, Wireless
Sprint’s troubles seem to have little end in sight. So far in 2014, they’ve had to cut hundreds of jobs and shut down scores of stores. And that’s just the beginning.
Back on Friday, during a regulatory meeting, Sprint announced more job cuts from their already battered Kansas City headquarters. Back in March 2014, they had to shut down 55 stores nationwide and cut 330 jobs. Now more are coming. Management positions aren’t immune, as some top positions are expected to be cut. By October 31, this batch of job losses will likely cost this smartphone conglomerate over $160 million this fiscal quarter alone. And it looks like the Sprint consumer may be paying for the balance. Sprint warned additional charges may be needed to make up the difference, although nothing specific has been released to the public. Intense and aggressive ad campaigns are doing little to help. If anything, it’s inspiring? competitors. Sprint is #3 in the wireless carrier market. T-Mobile, #4, is bent on taking their #3 spot. The top two, AT&T and Verizon, have countered Sprint’s campaign with their own aggressive, but very popular, ad campaigns.
How did Sprint get in this mess? It started with a tacky, mediocre overhaul that a 5th grader could have put together. That lead to gaps in coverage, which led to confusion for a lot of Sprint consumers. That led to a mass exodus of customers dumping Sprint, probably in favor of T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. So when the customers go, revenue goes. And when revenue goes, jobs go. And now they want to take it out on their remaining customers by even suggesting the bill might be passed on to them? This is what I call company suicide. I know the lostmoney has to be made, but not this way. Hold on to what consumers you have left. How bad will it be when more customers walk out because they’re being forced to pay for Sprint’s troubles?
Oct 4, 2014 | Entertainment
When I was a little kid, one of my favorite cartoons was Tom and Jerry.? Me and my peers thought little of the violence and sometimes racial overtones. But times have changed.
Social media venues iTunes and Amazon Prime offer the classic cat and mouse cartoon. But they have put on a warning label saying Tom and Jerry can be potentially racist and offensive, claiming some scenes may contain, “racial and ethnic prejudice”. Keep in mind most of these cartoons were done in the 1940s. One Tom and Jerry character in the center of the controversy is Mammy Two Shoes. The black mammy with the thick southern accent and incorrect grammar was one of the most used stereotypes in entertainment at the time. The last time Tom and Jerry put out a DVD, actress, comedian, and co-host of The View Whoopi Goldberg put on a disclaimer about the cartoon’s potential stereotyping. But she also says eliminating or censoring Manny Two Shoes and other controversial subjects would be like pretending they never existed.
I agree with Goldberg on this one, and I’m glad Amazon Prime and iTunes are taking the high road. Censorship does nobody any good here. But you do need to respect people’s sensitivity. I think this is the perfect call on their part of Amazon and iTunes. Besides, if we? censored every entertainment venue between the 1920s-1950s that contain ethnic stereotypes (and I don’t want to encourage them) then half of what came out during that period would be gone. Isn’t it bad enough there’s a school in Missouri that’s trying to censor US history? I think we need to see Mammy Two Shoes and other Tom and Jerry cartoons. These shows can start a great dialogue of ethnic portrayals in decades past and what we can learn from it today, and how far we’ve come. Or have we come so far?
Oct 3, 2014 | Computer technology, Smartphone
Remember when Google tried to get the What’s App? Facebook beat them to it. Google didn’t quit, but instead, is working ceaselessly to come up with their own What’s App.
Google plans to launch a mobile message app. They’re getting ready to test it in India. They’ve already sent a Google product manager to India to check out the message app conditions of that developing nation. Some sources say the Google message app will be ready for the public sometime in 2015. I can’t find the future name for this app; they may not even have one yet. Google product manager Nikhhyl Singhal is being sent to Pacific Asian nations to study ecosystems and the mobile scene there. This message app is expected to be free and won’t even require a Google password.? Google offered What’s App $10 billion, but Facebook got What’s App by ponying up nearly twice as much. That’s how Google got here.
Some may be asking, “Why is Google testing India’s ecosystem for a potential message app?” If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and that includes the technology realm. By the end of this decade, India should have the second biggest smartphone market in the world (China will have the biggest). You’re going to need a strong smartphone market if you want a strong app market. There are around 600 million What’s App users globally, over 10% are in India.? The message app market is growing altogether. At least a dozen message app has tens of millions of regular users. We Chat has well over 400 million monthly users. But most things Google touches has turned to gold. So I think their message app will do well. But me being a fan of small business, I’m concerned people will dump the small message app sites and flock to Google as soon as the release date is here. Would you use a Google message App?
Oct 3, 2014 | Backup, Computer Repair, Computer technology, Dental IT, internet, Law Blog, Malware, networking, News
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Oct 2, 2014 | Entertainment, Humor, Uncategorized
The Netflix invasion of Hollywood has no end in sight. They’ve produced critically acclaimed and popular shows. These shows have won awards. A veteran movie star has taken notice and wants in on this ever increasing medium.
Netflix just announced it will produce four movies with Saturday Night Live alum, stand up comedian and A-List movie star Adam Sandler. All these movies will be exclusive to Netflix and their subscribers. It’s their latest quest to push the medium into Hollywood movies. We don’t know the financial details, but Netflix executive Ted Sarandos came to Sandler because Sandler’s movies are so popular on this medium. Sandler immediately jumped at the chance. This is just a part of the Netflix movie plan. It’s part of an exclusive distribution of a coming sequel to 2000’s mega-hit ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’. They’re venturing into the increasing popular talk show circuit too. They’re in talks with comedian, author and talk show host Chelsea Handler to give her her own show that will be exclusively on Netflix. Not bad for a company that started as a simple mailing video rental company.
But if Netflix is going to expand in the movie business like this, I wonder if Adam Sandler is a wise choice. I respect everything this man has done.? He’s been entertaining us and humoring us over 20 years, from Saturday Night Live to the Wedding Singer, form Anger Management to Grown Ups. Grown Ups was the last hit Sandler ever had. This was back in 2010. Now I know Sandler’s movies have been highly requested, but this is a new realm. They’re asking him to make new movies. They’re asking this from a man that hasn’t had a box office hit in over five years. I respect Netflix for taking it to the next level. But is Sandler the way you want to go? Shouldn’t they go with someone whose making hit after hit after hit right now?
Oct 1, 2014 | Computer technology
How do you feel about Windows 8? Apparently, some people didn’t enjoy the Windows 8 experience. So when is Windows 9 coming out? Never. From what I’m picking up, there will be no Windows nine.
But there is anticipation for Windows 10. In fact, today, October 1, 2014, Microsoft is expected to make it’s Windows 10 preview site public. There’s another reason they’re calling it Windows 10: This could be the last major windows versions ever. Windows 10 will be good on desktops, laptops, Windows Phone, even Xbox. One selling point is Windows 10 will work across platforms. Your personal Windows 10 property on your desktop will be just as good as it will on your laptop. You can also test the Enterprise Technological Preview, a version of their operating system starting today. But it will only be good on x86 machines. More consumer previews of Windows 10 should be made available by February 2015. New Windows 10 users can expect a new start menu, virtual desktops and Metro-style apps. There’s also a ‘Snap Assist’, where you can snap apps side-to-side. Continumm, another Windows 10 feature, help two-in-one device users connect keyboards to transition between two models and/or devices. Windows 10 is expected to be up somewhere between spring and summer 2015.
On paper, the changes and add-ons look pretty good. Personally, I’m looking forward to what these new concepts bring to the table, but let’s face it, Microsoft/Windows has dropped the ball before. I think they’re dropping the ball when they name their next Window 10 instead of 9. Is giving this 2015 version of Windows the number 10 supposed to make it any better? Is it going to improve the quality in any way? I doubt it will. Microsoft, please don’t insult your consumers’ intelligence just to sell more software. Just call it Windows 9. If this is the last Windows version, wouldn’t it be better to call it 9? How about you call your next venture or version 10?
Sep 30, 2014 | internet
Since the early 2000s, online auction site Ebay and online payment processor PayPal have gone hand in hand, revolutionizing online shopping and payment processing. Now, this tight relationship is coming to an end.
Today, Sept 30, 2014, Ebay Inc. announced Ebay and PayPal will become two separate entities in the second half of 2015. I’ve read Ebay’s online statement on the matter and they have some great points on how it will be beneficial for everyone. But what that statement didn’t tell you is activist hedge fund billionaire Carl Icahn has been fighting for this split for months. He believes this move will highlight each company’s strength and focus more on their core business. For example, now Ebay can become a better online shopping center and PayPal can become a better payment processing system after the split up, according to Mr. Icahn. But Ebay chief executive John Donahue doesn’t agree. He’s always believed them being together will play on each others’ strength. Oh, John Donahue will resign as soon as this split is complete. Next year, when PayPal begins their new adventure, they will be lead by Daniel Shulman, the man that led American Expresses’ mobile online payment systems.
I wouldn’t worry about PayPal. In the past year, PayPal has processed over $203 billion worth of online payments. They even have debit cards strictly backed by your PayPal account. Who would have predicted that back in 2002? But I wonder is it wise to choose an outsider to lead PayPal in this new world. Wouldn’t it be better to bring a PayPal executive to take this role? Now what about Ebay? They’re certainly not the only candy store in town anymore. While they’re still the top online auction site, they have plenty of competitors: Webstore, eBid and Onlineauction.com are just to name a few. Can Ebay keep her crown after this split?
Sep 29, 2014 | networking, News
Occupy Central Hong Kong is now underway. The Chinese government, in control of Hong Kong since 1997, stripped Hong Kong’s right to free elections last month. Over this past weekend of Sept. 27-28, 2014, tens of thousands took to the streets and shut the city down in protest. This is where social media comes in, or maybe not.
Instagram was blocked in China, according to Hong Kong journalists. It’s funny how Instagram was blocked when people were posting pictures of Chinese police officers using tear gas and pepper spray on demonstrators. And now that the site are blocked, protestors can’t use Instagram to let the world know the police brutality that’s going on over there. Then there’s FireChat, the new app in town. You can get it with your Apple and/or Android device. It’s a chat room, a huge one at that, where people from all over the world can communicate over WiFi, cellular, Bluetooth, even Apple’s Multipeer Connectivity Framework. So FireChat? can survive anything, even an ahem…sudden…network shutdown. So one activist leader named Joshua Wong started using FireChat to talk about his experiences with Occupy Central. Others followed. At one point, over 33,000 people from Occupy Central were in the same chat room at once. Most of the chats I found were in Chinese. But I found one quote in English saying, “MTR has boom tears 3 times”.? I’m not sure what that means, but I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant. And add that to the pictures we’re seeing.
So thank goodness for Fire Chat. Eventually, someone is going to translate to what’s really going on. At least those who’re in the midst of the battle can communicate with each other. And of course, it’s all over mainstream media. My takeaway is, no matter how much a government tries to block or censors things, social media is going to expose it. Remember Iran 2009?
Sep 28, 2014 | General, Smartphone
A couple of days ago, I talked about how former Microsoft CEO and current LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer may not let his players use Apple products. Mr. Ballmer doesn’t evenlet his own family use them. Is this a sign of how competitive the technology giants are?
I came across an interesting interview with Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt. He believes the competition between Apple and Google is more intense than ever before, especially when it comes to the smartphone race. Apple has iOS and Google has Android Nexus. In Mr. Schmidt’s own words, “In fact I believe that this brutal competition between Apple and Google over Android and iOS has enormous benefits for consumers worldwide.” This competition has gone on for years. When Schmidt passed an Apple store with lines around the block, he verbally rubbed it in Samsung’s face. Back in 2010, Schmidt met with the late Apple founder Steve Jobs. Jobs called out Android/Google, claiming they were intellectually copying Apple. Of course, Schmidt insisted Android was built on their own intellect. Did you know Eric Schmidt used to work for Apple, but stepped down in 2007?? Now he’s chairman executive for the rival company.
Don’t get me wrong; this isn’t some bloody hip-hop rivalry. Both companies truly respect each other. In fact, Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt were actually friends. And the Google exec is right, this fierce, but respectable competition has been Good for business. It’s kept us wondering what the next smartphone is going to be. It’s kept prices reasonable (well, pretending on who you ask). And I like hearing a little trash talking between the two mega conglomerates. Competition is good for any free market enterprise and any capitalist society, and Google and Apple prove it. What I’d like to see is even more competition within the smartphone market. That would be really good for us consumers. Whose winning the fight between Google and Apple?
Sep 27, 2014 | internet, Uncategorized
Remember when Yahoo, not Google, was the top search engine? Remember that list of topics, and the number in parenthesis telling you how many websites Yahoo had about that topic? That was the Yahoo Directory. And now we say goodbye, Yahoo Directory.
And let’s just say that this goodbye in unceremonious. In one paragraph, they explained how Yahoo Directory helped users explore the Internet, but it was time to change with the times, and this service will be ending in December 2014. Yahoo Directory was founded in 1994, the same year Yahoo was. In fact, Yahoo is an acronym for Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Order-then exclamation point. For years, Yahoo Directory was the premier search engine site. But in the 1990s, search engines were in their infancy. Back then, all a good search engine needed was generic terms that can help you find broad information was acceptable, and for the times, remarkable. This directory required human laborers to review, summarize, and categorize the websites. And believe it or not, this was a winning formula for several years.
But by the early 2000s, Google had revolutionized the Internet as a whole and the search engine game. They processed search results by automation. And unlike Yahoo, Google didn’t have a long list with a number beside it, meaning you’d have to go through pages and information you don’t want. Suddenly, all you did was type in a specific keyword and it brought you to a specific website. This worked so well that by 2003, Google surpassed Yahoo and never looked back. And in December 2014, Yahoo Directory will close it’s doors forever. It’s been dying a slow death. Directory may be fun if you just want to browse and browse through all kinds of subjects. But in 2014, who has time for that anymore? The real question is, what took Yahoo Directory so long to die?
