Nov 13, 2013 | General
How big is Google today? This mega, mega, mega company brought $60 billion dollars in revenue so far in 2013 alone!? Most of that comes from advertising. How much is $60 billion dollars?
That is bigger than today’s entire newspaper and magazine industry today! Keep in mind that in the mid-2000s, Google’s revenue wasn’t even $10 billion a year. They held steady during the Great Recession of the late 2000s, while other major companies were either hemorrhaging or going out of business altogether. But last year, 2012, that was the first year Google surpassed the magazine and newspaper industries.
But we can’t give all the credit to Google. There’s one Simpsons episode where Grandpa Abe Simpson joked the newspaper industry will be dead before he will. That joke isn’t very far from reality. So far in the 2010s, revenue for these industries was about half the revenue it was in the mid-2000s. Even major newspapers like the Washington Post have been bought out by online gurus like Jeff Bezos. With more people clicking on the Internet, and with more people turning to alternative media, less and less are turning to print media.
But you have to get Google some credit. It was voted one of the most trusted companies in the world today. It’s not just about ad words anymore. It’s about You Tube, Google Maps, Google Glass; I can go on and on! It won’t be long before Google will be bigger than the papers were even back in their heyday. What’s the reason for Google’s massive revenue: it’s rise or other media’s downhill?
Nov 12, 2013 | Computer technology, Wireless
To me, the wildest thing about Google Glass is that you can take a picture with a wink’s eye. Now, you’ll be able to listen to music with these devices.
Google is set to show off musical features like song searching, playlist scanning, and high fidelity music. The Glass can do this with voice commands and a small computer. Glass will have ‘listen to’ among the commands. The wearer can name a song, artist, or genre and it will come up through the Google media and apps hub. You can link your play account to song recommendations due to your listening history; kinda like you can get You Tube recommendations on your account due to your viewing history.
Well, for $1,5000 Google Glass had better me offering something good! Not only that, this music app is far less evasive! I’m still very weary of any device where you can take pictures with the wink of an eye. You can get headphones just for this device…for $85. You know they got celebrities involved in this app, like Young Guru and Jay-Z. I’m sure that will get younger people tempted to buy, well, more than they already are. Now if I’m paying $1,500 for Google Glass, one would think they would include these headphones for this music app. But that’s just me. They truly believe this will enhance, if not revolutionize, the way we listen to music. Will it?
Nov 11, 2013 | Uncategorized
Apple is developing yet another brand of iPhone. This brand will include bigger screens, curved glass, and enhanced senors.
The screens will be 4..7 and 5.5 inches. It’s said these would be the largest iPhones yet, approximately 5.7 inches. It’s so early in the development plans we’ve heard nothing about the handsets. Screen sizes are a big issue for Apple. Android seems to have their number. Remember earlier this year, when Apple released two iPhones 5s and 5c on the same day? The cheaper and less advanced 5S is far outselling the 5C. But Apple is bracing for perhaps their worst holiday shopping season since 2008. Maybe that’s part of the drive to come up with the new phone. The plan is to this release this device is late 2014.
I have no problem with Apple trying to better their project. As an Apple consumer, I’m glad they are. But why are they telling us about this project months before their released? Okay, I’m not naive; I know why. But why talk about it this early in the planning? Don’t they know how quickly plans can change or go wrong? That’s especially true in the technology field. With the shopping season around two weeks away, shouldn’t they be focused on advertising the Apple devices they have in stores now?
Nov 10, 2013 | General
Who built your new iPhone 5? It wasn’t apple; they’ll tell you that on the box. Foxconn is one of the builders, but even they need companies to make the supplies.
They need companies like FLEX, Flextronics International. They own 28 million sq. ft.worth of factory all around the world. So now they need countless manpower to manage the plants and hire the workers needed to make and distribute these supplies. This is where it gets dicey. In Malaysia, recruiters go into an unregulated network of getting laborers. They go into the rural improvised farms of Malaysia and neighboring countries. These factory jobs are so in demand that these laborers aren’t hired: the jobs are sold! Think of the tenant farming system of the early 20th century in the US. To prepare for the iPhone 5 rollout, brokers had to get 1,500 men to make cameras in one day! Brokers say so many men so quickly were needed that they had to go to the most remote parts of the Himalayas…by foot.
What’s to make of this? At best, better planning needs to be in order. Heck, a better system needs to be in order. I don’t know how, but something needs to be put in place to select the right amount of workers for the jobs. That way, those laborers who are chosen can get a decent wage and feed their families. And they should have known that many hands were needed ahead of time to build those cameras, so why didn’t they plan better? Recruiters shouldn’t have to walk to all over everywhere in that short of time. But something has to be done. What though?
Nov 9, 2013 | Computer technology, internet, networking
Recently, I logged on to a major hotel site to look for rooms in a city I plan to travel to. Then I go to a travel site to look up schedules on how to get there. The next time I check my email, both sites are advertising on that page! I learn it’s common for advertisers to track one website to the next.
But Google might be topping them all. Word is that Google is testing a smartphone program to find out what stores you’re traveling to and what time you’re visiting them. They’ll connect the visits to the searches on smartphones to boost mobile advertising. If I Google ‘Cadillac’, car dealerships in my town/city can bid for listing on my phone. They compare car dealer listings to my location data. They can see if I saw the ad and if I visited the dealership. It’s called passive location tracking. It’ll be easier to find this tracking on Android devices. They’re the smartphone leader as far as market share and units sold these days. Nobody at Google is commenting.
A few years ago, things like this would’ve totally freaked me out. Now, I say this could be a good thing, so long as it’s not abused. If I am in need of a store in a new neighborhood, I can find it. If there is a? store is better in the same neighborhood, I can go there. So maybe passive location tracking is a good thing. But I worry about the ‘big brother’ aspect. What’s there to prevent stalking, abuse, and corruption from coming upon this system? That’s the real concern. Is passive location tracking a blessing or curse?
Nov 8, 2013 | Entertainment
A few days ago, a reported on an organization that uses technology for good and/or combats evil. Here are some more technologies and? organizations that are known for doing good? deeds.
10. Tres Des Hommes: This Dutch based child advocate group used recently used a fictionalized computer based young girl to catch over 1,000 potential predators. Hopefully these suspects will think twice.
9. Raspberry Pi: For around $40, Raspberry Pi helps children learn about computers. Computer use is critical for our next generation and this low cost guarantees all children have an opportunity for this much needed knowledge.
8. Idealist/Action Without Borders: This nonprofit organization allows people to post or get opportunities, interns or jobs to make a better world.
7. Donors Choose: Use this website to donate to your local public schools, or any public school of your choice. Since 2000, they’ve raised over 86 million dollars and helped over 5 million school kids.
6. Keepon: This yellow robot is used for interacting with children. This is especially good for children diagnosed with autism and other socially hindering disorders.
5. Pedometer: This helps with workouts and encourages physical activity, measuring everything from heart rate monitor to calories burned, fighting the good fight against obesity.
4. EFF/Electronic Frontier Foundation: This non-profit website teaches and advocates our rights as digital consumers, including our right to privacy and fair use. With all that’s going on, we could use EFF more than ever.
3. Feeding America: Are you aware 1 in 7 children in the US will go to bed hungry tonight? With this website, you can educate, donate,volunteer, advocate against the injustice of hunger in our own country.
2. Project C.U.R.E.: It’s one of the most respected charities in the world. It’s the largest donators of medical supplies the the poorer nations of the world.
1. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: Their tireless efforts of philanthropy got them Time Person of the Year. They’ve tackles just about every global issue imaginable: education, medicine, getting good food and clean water to those who don’t have, and teaching them to thrive in their own community. It’s recent endowment is 36 billion dollars. That’s going to help a lot of people.
I can’t wait to hear of other technologies or organizations that are doing good in the community, nation and world.
Nov 7, 2013 | Uncategorized
For many years, Blockbuster has led the video rental world. We all know those days are waning. In a few months, those days will be officially over.
Announced Wed., November 6, Blockbuster announced it will shut down it’s remaining 300 US stores. In 2004, Blockbuster had 9,000 stores. Don’t look to it’s DVD mailing service either: By New Years Day 2014, that service will be gone too. The only thing that will exist of Blockbuster will be about 450 franchises, but most of those are overseas. In 2011, DISH Network bought Blockbuster out of bankruptcy. Apparently, that couldn’t even matters.
Is this the end of the video rental industry? Let’s not go there yet. The video industry is estimated at $18 billion. In fact, 2013 could be the first year movie rentals do better, or at least as good as, movie sales since 2001. The new leading movie rental change in the US is Family Video. What are they doing right? They’re offering something other than videos. Some Family Videos stores have pizza parlors adjacent to these stores. Other video stores are adding yogurt shops and gyms. There’s one store in Brooklyn that’s located in a basement. This video store in a basement also has a video screen and bar; some of the employees are learning to mix cocktails.
So in order for a video store to even survive, they can’t follow Blockbuster’s light. They can’t just sell mainstream videos and offer candy bars and popcorn at the clerk stand. In the 2010s, you can’t do that. One local store specializes in videos that are extremely hard to find, like foreign films and silent movies and all out flops. They’re still thriving today. So offer an alternative. And I think they’ll have a shot. If a video store opened up in your neighborhood, would you support it?
Nov 6, 2013 | Computer technology, internet
I hear a lot about how computer technology is going to damage our society. In Holland, an activist group is using computer technology to catch the most dangerous participants of our society.
The group is called Tre Des Hommes. This activist group used a computer image of a fictional pre-teen girl. When the sting was over, over 1,000 suspects were rounded up. They used a warehouse in Amsterdam not only to catch the exploiters, but to expose yet another disturbing online trend called webcam child sex tourism. Males go into a chat room ( people who take part in this sure aren’t men!) and a child comes up. They’re told what age she is, as well as nationality and origin. A chat develops and the suspect tells the child what he wants to see. A deal is made. In one sting, a fee of only $20 to be wired to an account is agreed upon. Afterwards, the perpetrator is caught, and there’s the evidence on the computer.
Terre Des Hommes have worked ceaselessly to fight child abuse and exploitation. They’re putting a documentary up on You Tube addressing about such illegal and immoral sex shows. Thankfully, they’re not alone. Other organizations are using social media to combat this evil. So whether is child exploitation, hunger, bullying, fighting disease, or any other social ill, it’s inspiring to see people using the Internet to make the world a better place. So whenever you hear of people using computers for evil, like these perpetrators are doing, think of those who are using technology for good. What are you using computer technology for?
Nov 5, 2013 | internet, networking
Facebook and Twitter are perhaps the two biggest social media powerhouses of our time. But according to a book by New York Times reporter Nick Bilton, things could have been very different.
The name of the book is called Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship and Betrayal.? The book says in 2008, as Twitter struggled for national recognition, co-founder Jack Dorsey was demoted from CEO to silent chairman. Then, other Twitter leaders was called by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg to a meeting. Facebook was interested in purchasing Twitter for $500 million. Apparently, Zuckerburg and Dorsey were talking for months about a buyout. But after Dorsey’s demotion, the buyout went south in a hurry. Other reasons were: The price wasn’t good enough and? concerns about the other company.
In 2008, Twitter was already worth over a billion dollars. The next year, it exploded! I wonder if Twitter leaders know it was on the verge of explosion. That’s why it didn’t happen. I wonder if Facebook knew Twitter was about to blow up. Maybe that’s why it was trying to buy Twitter. But what if the buyout happened? Would it have been so big it would have taken out everybody else? Or would it have been so big would they have collapsed under their own weight? What do think life would be like if Facebook and Twitter merged?
Nov 4, 2013 | Computer technology, Wireless
Google Glass seems to be picking up steam and popularity. Keep in mind this device is so exclusive it’s sold for $1,500 a piece, you have to be on a pr-approved list and you have to pick them up at an office…either in New York City or Los Angeles, CA. That’s changing slightly.
Now don’t all rush to the mall with you checkbook or charge card in hopes to put the Google Glass under the Christmas tree. It’s not that lax. However, Explorers will be allowed to invite friends to try the exclusive device. They can bring three per Explorer. They’re also giving Explorers walk through classes to show them how this device works. This course will take 45 minutes. For those who purchased Google Glass, they’ll get a phone call to schedule that class. Google Glass has also done road tours recently, and may be still doing so.
Well, I’m glad they’re opening up the gates a little bit. I’m guessing it’s getting close to the Google Glass release to the public. They say the release it’s going to happen sometime in 2014. So after being so exclusive for so long, maybe this is Google’s way of saying, ‘We better hurry up and get the word out now or we’ll lose our investment.’ If they don’t want to lose their investment, try bringing these prices down! What’s the reason Google wants to show off Google Glass more often?
