Dec 24, 2013 | networking, News
Have you ever posted anything regrettable on a social media site? At worse, it probably costed you a lot of humiliation, Or maybe even a stern lecture. For Justine Sacco, it cost her a lot more.
On a flight to South Africa, Justine Sacco, a public relations agent, tweeted, “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS! Just kidding. I’m white.” By the time her plane touched down, she was an instant celebrity, for all the wrong reasons. The national firestorm was swift and harsh. Her employer fired her and she was forced to apologize in front of the nation.
There is a lot to be said here. First, we should all be careful what we put on social media. It will haunt us for life. And unfortunately, we will be judged on that. I hate it as much as everyone else, but that’s just where the world is right now. The second thing, something that is supposed to be funny or innocent to get blown way out of proportion. For example, if Sacco said this some 25 or 30 years ago, would it have been a big deal. The media got on Steve Martin?for tweeting about pronouncing something in an Italian or African-American restaurant. This could have been an innocent question, but the media and political correct police pumped it up to be even more. He was eventually forced to apologize. I’m not condoning what Sacco said. But has social media become a tool for political correctness enforcement?
Dec 23, 2013 | Computer technology
Two stories made headlines this year. One was the debacle involving Obamacare’s website. Two was the glitch involving EBT cards back in October. And as far as American technology goes, this may just scratch the surface.
Is the US government being cheap when it comes to 2013 technology? The US Air Force cancelled a billion dollar supply management system. A budget to fix the turbulent US air traffic control system is over budgeted and overdue. According to a tech firm called the Standish Firm, less than 5 percent of government tech contracts have been successful. Half were considered challenged and around 45% were a total failure.
Look, I know our nation has budget problems. I know we’re around $18 trillion in debt. Much of that belongs to China, Japan and other nations who seem to be doing better with education and technology. But we shouldn’t be skimping on technology, not in the 2010s. There was one school system that gave kids free iPads in the classroom. Then, because it was too much for the school district, they cut it. For a nation that’s in the 20’s in education, does that make any sense? And if?the government is supposed to lead our nation and follow the example, shouldn’t they do a better job?
Dec 22, 2013 | internet, networking
And bitcoin has?found another believer and another user. Now don’t rush over there with your bitcoin just yet.
Online megastore Overstock.com has agreed to accept Bitcoin as currency. They will begin to accept the Internet only currency sometime during the second half of 2014. They are the first major online retailer to make this move. (Really?) Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne says logistics still had to be worked out, but “Bitcoin is good money.” Overstock was launched in the late 1990s. Now, they’re one of the biggest online retailers around today, averaging over a billion dollars in sales a year.
This would be a bigger step up for Bitcoin than for Overstock. But I do think this is an educated risk for the retailer. They’ve seen how the new currency has exploded this past year. They also see how unstable this market could be. But Byrne seems really excited about this new adventure, and I think this relationship will be an adventure. I had a feeling something like this was coming. And if this relationship was successful, will other retail stores and maybe auction sites like EBay accept Bitcoin? If this works, how far can Bitcoin’s future grow?
Dec 21, 2013 | scam, Security
Earlier this week, it was discovered around 40 million debit/credit cards were compromised, thanks to a breach at super store Target. It’s now being discovered where some of that info is.
According to security watchdogs like Krebs on Security, much of that data has entered the underground stolen credit card market. Some people’s credit card numbers, security codes, and other info is being bought, sold and traded for as little as $20 a pop as I write this. In fact, the breach was encouraged after one underground ‘card shop’ advertised there would be a place where thieves could get stolen credit/debit cards. Not only that, this particular card shop has a reliable reputation throughout the cyber crime community. What they do is clone cards. They get the stolen number and the pin, put their name on the cards, and then use the cards at stores and ATMs like it’s theirs.
But you want to know the saddest thing of all is? Chain stores and law enforcement, or legal banks can’t seem to catch up with this disturbing trend. While some cards have been recovered, the majority of them looks like they’ve entered this underground market. While these markets thrive, legit companies are struggling to fight back, or even keep up. What can be done to turn this tide?
Dec 20, 2013 | Entertainment, General
Well, 2013 hasn’t been boring in tech news. Here are some major news stories this year has brought us:
10. Tech Based Movie Flops: Movies like Jobs and The Intern were worth more hype than box office results. And the post-movie fallout from Jobs didn’t help matters much.
9. Target Hacked: This holiday shopping season, 40+ million debit/credit cards were compromised. Sadly, this was only the 2nd biggest retail hack in history.
8. Jeff Bezos Drones: If the former Amazon CEO has his way, your packages will be delivered with the same technology the military uses against our enemies.
7. Blackberry Collapses: Since January, sales have declined 68%. Today, stocks are lucky to trade at seven dollars a share.
6. Play Station Four vs. Xbox One: The hype started with Xbox One’s press conference in May. Both were released to the public in November. Both cleaned house, but it looks like Play Station is having a slight lead.
5. Samsung Galaxy S4: This challenged the iPhone with authority, especially with it’s super cool voice and camera features.
4. Instagram Goes Videos: As if taking pictures of every little thing wasn’t enough, now you can add 15 second videos thanks to their new smartphone app.
3. Social Media Entertainment: With Netflix shows winning Emmys and You Tube shows increasing in popularity, 2013 was the beginning of a shift from network TV to social media entertainment.
2. Bitcoin Booms: In January, this online currency was worth around $13.50. By November, it was worth around $1,000. There was even talk of people being paid in Bitcoin.
1. NSA Surveillance: In June, we learned through former NSA contractor? Edward Snowden that the US Government was listening to our smartphones and reading all we do on the computer, from emails to social media. This opened up a Pandora’s Box that’s still opened and will likely remain opened for years to come.
What are your tech newsworthy moment for 2013?
Dec 19, 2013 | News, Security
Earlier today, it was learned the credit/debit cards of around 40 million Target shoppers are at risk of being compromised. Basically, anyone who shopped at any Target in the US between Thanksgiving weekend and December 15 is at risk.
The risk isn’t for online Target shoppers, just for those who used their cards in the store. Stolen info includes customer’s names, card numbers, card expiration date, and even that 3 digit security code. It’s believed this breach was an inside job. It’s believed the machines were broken into to get the information. This isn’t the first time this happened to a major store chain. Back in 2007, TJ Maxx and Marshall’s had over 45 million cards compromised.
There are things you can do. First off, call your credit card company and make sure every purchase is on the up and up. If anything sounds or looks fraudulent, cancel the card immediately and get a replacement card. I know getting a new card can take a couple of weeks and can be an inconvenience, especially this time of year. But it’s better to be inconvenienced than to be wiped out. Use cash whenever you can. There’s no way cash can be hacked into. What are some other ways these crimes can be prevented?
Dec 18, 2013 | Computer technology, internet
Next year, 2014, is expected to be the year of the iWatch and Google Glass. Wearable technology is becoming the latest trend. Is it good for us?
Some say yes. If someone would call on our watch, we can just press a button on our wrists. If you want to take a picture, just wink with your Google Glass. As early as 1945, a Life Magazine article predicted wearable technology would one day be a way of life. The article is called, “As We May Think”. Some say wearable technology will help us communicate together face to face. Another argument is that wearable technologies reduce time. For example, Google Glass is designed to take 10 second video clip, photographs and hangouts, and share these experiences with ease.
I am not one of these voices. In fact, I think wearable technology is going to increase our dependance on it. At least with phones and cameras, we have to put a physical effort to answer your phone and take a picture. With this, it’s so attached to you that it becomes a part of you. I doubt it will help us communicate better. Imagine looking at somebody wearing Google Glass. Imagine looking at somebody talking to his own wrist. Sorry if it seems I’m a little old school when it comes to these new things. Maybe they will prove me wrong. Do you think wearable technology will wane or intensify our tech addition?
Dec 17, 2013 | Computer technology, internet, News
This week, President Barack Obama will meet with Silicon Valley leaders about many of the hot button tech issues of 2013, like the NSA spy scandals and the Obamacare website fiasco.
These tech giants include Apple CEO Tim Cook, Yahoo President/CEO Marissa Meyer, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and AT&T President/CEO Randall Stevenson. One issue to be tackled is the improvements made to the infamous Obamacare website. It has been riddled with so many mistakes and glitches it has become the punchline in comedian’s jokes. The White House didn’t come out and say the NSA will be discussed but it will be. This meeting comes in the wake of a federal judge calling the surveillance programs ‘likely unconstitutional’. Also, issues like tech job security, job creation and education in the tech field.
I’d really like to be a fly on the wall for this meeting, especially when it comes to the NSA stuff. Many companies are now saying they were coaxed, manipulated, or outright bullied into cooperating with the Feds in these surveillance programs. There was a 60 Minutes article which didn’t make them look too much better. Now Snowden is working some deal with Brazil in exchange for asylum. Come to think of it, these issues aren’t going to be addressed in a day. They’re simply too many issues to be addressed. What about that EBT card glitch back in October? What about the struggle for college graduates in tech fields to find jobs? What about employers firing people and/or denying work simply for the content of social media’s pages? Where would I begin?
Dec 16, 2013 | Entertainment
You want music? Just download it. It’s been the most popular way of getting music since the early 2000s. Now, that might be changing.
In 2013, digital purchases fell. Digital songs fell 4.4%, according to Nielsen Sound Scan. Digital albums fell 2.1%. When this year began, people were buying as many as 25 million digital songs a week. By November, they weren’t even buying 20 million a week. Digital albums did a little better. They started the year steady, buy now, albums are losing steam. That’s where the two percent decline comes in. The number one digital selling song this year has been Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”. But that is 200,000 sales behind 2012’s best digital seller, Gotye’s “Somebody I Used to Know”.
We could blame consumer trends. We could blame technological trends. I know some will. But I think we should put the downfall where it lies: the musicians themselves, especially the most popular ones of today. How about they start making better music? People criticize my generation, late 1980s and 1990s,? for producing music that was dark, vulgar and offensive, but at least they were creative! Now all I hear is the same cookie cutter songs, the same cookie cutter beats, cookie cutter melodies, cookie cutter lyrics, cookie cutter messages. People are eventually going to get tired of that. What do you think could be done to bring digital sales back up?
Dec 15, 2013 | Computer technology
Remember when robots was just a thing of science fiction and comic books? With drones and other robots making the news, robots are a reality now, and Google seems to be leading the charge.
They own robotic companies. They’ve recently purchased Boston Dynamics. Their headquarters are in Waltham, MA, a suburban town ten miles northwest of downtown Boston. They even make research robots for The Pentagon. These aren’t your robots of the 1980s. These robots can run like humans. These robots can fly like helicopters. They can defend themselves against an attack. I’m only scratching the surface. Boston Dynamics is the eighth robotic company Google has purchased.
Now I ask myself why Google is so interested, borderline obsessed with purchasing these companies that make such futuristic machines. Have you seen the You Tube video of Big Dog? It’s fascinating and creepy all at the same time. One could argue they’re planning this is a profit move. Google could sale robots to sale to the public, much like they’re doing with Google Glass. But I think something deeper is going on here. I think a deal is being made between Google and the U.S. government to build and put robots out there, perhaps even to police us. I’ve heard of small towns laying off police officers so they can make way for machines. Even 20+ years ago, teachers would tell us robots would be cooking our foods at fast food joints. Were they right? Is this the beginning of a whole new age? Or am I just being paranoid?
