Aug 28, 2018 | Smartphone
So just because Apple is a trillion dollar company doesn’t mean they can rest easy. On the contrary. Because Huawei surpasses Apple in sales and numbers.
So according to analytics company Gartner, Huawei surpasses Apple in global smartphone numbers. This is really true for Q2 2018. If you don’t know, then Suawei is a Chinese smartphone maker that is gaining momentum. Here is an example: Last year at this time, Apple beat Huawei in sales 12.9 to 9.8 percent. I refer to how much of the smartphone sales pie each company got. But this quarter 2018, Huawei got 13.3 percent of the pie. This is while Apple only got 11.9 percent.
Furthermore, Huawei sold over 49 million smartphones this quarter. This is while Apple sold less than 45 million. This is while Huawei faces more competition not from the world, but from rising Chinese IT service companies. Also, smartphone sales are generally glowing down all over the world. Samsung, the world’s biggest smartphone maker, saw their numbers go down. One Auawei leader says innovative features and covering large populations helps the growth. He also says their Honor devices are helping sales. Their Honor smartphones alone are selling in over 70 countries. Then add their P20, which rivals Apple’s IPhone X.
Meanwhile, sales for IPhone X are down. Maybe because it’s $1,000, while the P20 is only $800. Or maybe it’s because the Apple iPhone X makes you use facial recognition for your password. I don’t know if P20 makes you do that, but I doubt it. Even in our computer service shop, customers complain about Apple products for either being too expensive or complicated. I know a few people who have a Huawei smartphone. Believe? it or not, I don’t know of many complaints. Like I said, I don’t know of many people who own a Huawei, but those who do, they don’t complain. Should this be a wake up call for Apple’s iPhone department?
Aug 27, 2018 | News
Gaming is huge in the IT service and support community. In fact, we in our computer service shop play video games, whether by console or social media. Furthermore, they have video game contest all over the country. But yesterday, senseless tragedy hit.
So this weekend, gamers from all the country went to Jacksonville, FL. The game they played was EA Sports’ Madden NFL 19. It took place at gaming bar GLHF Gaming Bar at downtown mall Jacksonville Landing. The goal of the gamers was to win so they could advance to Las Vegas and play for big money. However, almost as soon as the tournament started, shots started firing.
According to gamers and fans, at first they thought it was balloons popping or firecrackers. Then they realized it was actual gunfire. The tournament ended abruptly. People then ran for their lives, even pushing and trampling each other to get to safety. One person huddled in the bathroom for 10 minutes, then ran to safety. One gamer sprained his ankle while trying to escape. Another got shot in the thumb. At first, he complained, but when he realized the carnage around him, he said he’s lucky to be alive. That carnage included two deaths and eleven injuries of innocent people.
The shooting suspect is also a gamer. In fact, EA Sports records show he was a Madden championship winner in 2017. The suspect is 24-year-old David Katz, who came to Jacksonville from Baltimore. Before he could be brought to justice, Katz ended his own life by shooting himself. It’s a tragic thing when people can’t even go to something as innocent as a gaming event without fear or shootings and terror. I myself visited Jacksonville Landing several times, even spent a New Years Eve there. So this one hits a little close to home. Our thoughts and prayers go to the victims and families of this video game contest that turned into yet another mass shooting tragedy. When is it ever going to end?
Aug 24, 2018 | Computer technology
So Sony is coming out with their new gadget. But it’s not a smartphone, laptop, or any normal IT support gadget. It’s a robotic dog. In fact, it’s robotic dog Aibo: Is this cute or creepy?
This puppy robot looks and acts like a puppy. In fact, I saw footage of this puppy wagging it’s tail and blinking it’s bright eyes like a real puppy. Furthermore, it looks at you and charms you like a real puppy. It can beg, fetch, roll over, shake hands, play dead and do other typical dog tricks. You have to train robotic dog Aibo to do these tricks.
But there’s way more to this dog than just real life tricks and companionship. It comes with lots of AI technology and deep learning. The cameras in it’s nose and eyes alone can pick up a person and a pet’s sniff. That way, can truly distinguish it’s owner from other people, and humans from pets. It can even pick up on your mood. Aibo comes with an app, so you can train it to do the things I mentioned. You can use the app to determine Aibo’s gender, eye color and bark. With the app that comes with it, you can even train it to become a camera watch dog.
Yes, robotic dog Aibo can be many things to many people. But inexpensive won’t be one of them. On average, Aibo will cost you $2,900. It will be available in the US in September 2018. I’m sorry, but if I want a cute pet, I will get a real pet. If I want a robot, or piece of AI technology, then I will get a robot or piece of AI technology. Just to train a robot as a pet is beyond bizarre to me. How anyone can ‘ooh’ and ‘awww’ and ‘how cute’ a robot is beyond me. It’s just a robot, y’all! There are many, many, real life dogs out there just waiting to be adopted in shelters. Go there to get a pet. Robotic Dog Aibo: Is this cute or creepy?
Aug 23, 2018 | Computer technology
So, we can all agree earphones came a long way in a short period of time. I remember when they were big and bulky and still gave you poor quality. But now we come to this. We’re introducing world’s first magnetic wireless earphones.
So I’m talking about planar magnetic headphones. We already have models like Blue Ella. But now, there are CL2 Planar earphones. They are completely wireless. They are also so tiny that the whole thing can fit into your eardrum. Then take into account their record setting transducers and other parts.
It’s wireless, but it comes with an optional Bluetooth neck brace. It also has a 12 hour battery life. However, if the battery life runs out, plug it into the 3.5mm cables. They built the outside from a substance they call zirconium dioxide. That protects the inside from mold, which can easily destroy any earphone set. This CL2 Planar set comes with optional wires acting as a charger, a storage case, flight adapters, foam tips, and other accessories. They create that near perfect sound by creating magnetic balance using opposing fields. It also uses planar magnetic copper coil. They say this is the key to producing better sounds from bass to treble, and every sound in between.
I’m just introducing world’s first magnetic wireless earphones. These CL2 Planar come out September 12, 2018. Starting that day, you’ll find them in retail stores and online. However, you won’t these earphones cheap. From the IT support research I’m finding, these things will start at $900. Basically, they’re going to be competing against some of the top of the line earphones around the world. With computer servicing technology the way it is these days, just about everybody uses or needs earphones, or headphones, these days. So you know some people will buy these. Is $900 worth a pair of earphones to you?
Aug 22, 2018 | Computer technology
So last week, investigative reports caught Google in a privacy snafu. Because they discovered even when you turn off your location, Google still tracks you. But I found some ways of how to keep your privacy in check.
In some cases, it’s just as easy as going into your Google settings app. Follow instructions, and from there, you’ll find review your privacy settings. Then you’ll find privacy checkup. Once you hit get started, then you can study your own privacy options. There are several things you can switch off in this app. For example, you can go to the?turned on?button. Then, flip from blue to grey on the next page and hit the pause button. This way, you can either delete certain locations or turn the whole thing off altogether.
You can also turn off your location history. Click on?turned on,?which is next to Location History. Then, go to?manage settings. It will show you that your smartphone is showing off your location history to the world. Here is where you can turn it off. You can even get rid of old data that’s haunting you. Just go to the Device Information center and click?manage activity.?Then, click on?delete all.?
They assure me this will work on all Android smartphones. I’m getting this from computer repair experts, who are also concerned about their privacy. I find it disturbing that this came from an IT support source; I mean a third party source. So far, Google is saying and doing little about this issue. Let’s face it. It’s awfully hard not to use Google these days. If you use any Android at all, then you’re using Google. If you watch You Tube, then you watch Google. Also, if you even search for something, then chances are you’re going to be using Google. This is how to keep your privacy in check. But shouldn’t this come from Google itself?
Aug 21, 2018 | Computer technology
So back in 1938, Orson Wells came out with radio broadcast War of the Worlds. This piece of fiction sounded so real people really took to the streets expecting aliens. Now, there is social media footage that kinda reminds me of that. Robot freaks out Twitter. Is AI going wild?
So a few days ago, someone put up a Tweet of a robot walking around. This robot looked almost too human. He had all the human forms we do: head, two arms, two legs, was upright, etc. This bot walked around cars in the front yard like it was nothing, with no human help. Before long, this Twitter video got over 5 million views. The feedback was that of fear and even apocalyptic paranoia.
So many called the footage, ‘scary’, ‘creepy’, and ‘terrifying’. Then you have mentalist Darren Brown tweeting, in all capital letters, “We’re all going to die!”. One person tweeted back an evil robot that was on the verge of killing people. Then another person posted a movie clip and in the titles it said, “We’re not going to make it, are we?”. But everybody can go ahead and relax. Because the robot isn’t even real. Because 3D artist Maxim Sullivan used CGI (computer generated imagery) to make Adam, this robot, look all too real.
That’s how I make the comparison between this robot and War of the Worlds. People really did think War of the Worlds was real, and it scared them to death. In the same way, people thought this robot was real, and it was scary. But this should tell you what people think about AI technology in IT support. That is is scary. It is scary that every job from cooking to nursing to computer repair will be replaced by robots soon. Yes, it’s scary to think people are taking robots for mates, even as spouses. Of course it’s scary to think robots will serve as police officers and military personnel one day. No wonder why robot freaks out Twitter. Then you have scary robots that are as real as can be. So what do we do about it?
Aug 20, 2018 | internet
So Walmart wants to become a huge player in the IT support game. In fact, they may be already. But Walmart wants more. Maybe that’s why Walmart buys out Flipkart and partners with India.
Walmart leaders said they bought Flipkart for $16 billion. Flipkart is an e-commerce firm out of India. The deal includes a 77% share of Walmart, so now they own over three fourths of Flipkart. This deal also guarantees $2 billion for equity funding. This will help them become a public company one day. However, Flipkart’s leadership will still be under India’s leadership. They will still be backed by India’s corporations like Tencent and Tiger Global.
There are other reasons why Walmart buys out Flipkart. According to one Walmart COO, she admires their problem solving skills. She also likes their AI space and how they’re using and advancing data usage. This is the same company that recently created a IT service platform called PhonePe. I’m sure many in India may worry about losing their jobs due to this. That often happens in mergers. But they shouldn’t be, or so they say. Walmart assures India they will work with the country to bring job creation and growth. They say they will also help bring support to farmers.
Let’s get the elephant out of the room. They want to compete with Amazon as the top online business dog. Every year, they face off with Amazon for online sales. Walmart and Amazon are definitely rivals, and they feel this merger will help them beat Amazon.? I will give them credit. India is one of the largest nations in the world. India is also one of the up and coming nations in technology. So I see why they’re partnering with India to get to that next level. So with this acquisition, don’t you think Walmart can pay their employees a little better?
Aug 17, 2018 | internet
So I tried to avoid this for the longest time. But I’m an Android user. In fact, many of our computer repair customers are Droid users. And just about everybody uses Google. Then I have to ask the question: Is Google still tracking us?
So the AP (associated press) came out with an investigative report this week. Google is supposed to stop recording our location when we turn our location history off. However, an AP report says Google is not honoring that. This could affect around two billion Android users (I told you there were many of us). Also, this could affect countless iPhone users, because many of them use Google Maps on their iPhone.
What’s happening is apps like Google Maps and weather apps take snapshots of your location, even when you turn off location history. We can thank a feature they call Google Web & Activity for this. By default, this is what takes your location, whether you want it too or not. As you can bet, lawmakers and privacy rights advocates are not letting this one slide. In fact, one researcher in New York City turned off his location history. But whenever this researcher checked the weather on his Android, he found Google still tracked him. This happened to him several times in just a matter of days.
Everywhere, IT support experts expressed disappointment in Google for this flaw. And quite frankly, so do I. Google is a company that prides itself on privacy rights and tech ethics. At least they did answer have an answer to these shortcomings. Of course, this spokesperson says yes Google offers a turn off option, and this is just a flew as we continue to improve Google location. What I wanted to hear is how they’re going to make this right. Is Google still tracking us?
Aug 16, 2018 | internet
So Facebook has a tradition. Whenever it’s your birthday, you can choose to ask friends to donate to a certain charity. Then you have the numbers that back that up. Facebook birthdays raise 300 million in charity.
So yesterday they celebrated the first anniversary of birthday fundraisers. Here, users can create a donation drive to their favorite charity. Also keep in mind there are over 750,000 charities to choose from. Furthermore, keep in mind this feature isn’t in all nations yet. So you can expect this to keep growing. But wait…there’s more. New features are coming to this birthday donation feature.
What if can’t choose which charity we want to support on our birthday? Then Facebook will give you more info on them in the feature selection tool. That way, you can learn about each and every charity you may be considering. They’re also letting Pages create and donate to these causes. Then add matching donations with other charities. With these new features coming out, you can even set up a monthly donation. So far, the most popular charities are St. Jude’s Hospital, The American Cancer Society and the ASPCA. They used to have a fee for this service, but that ended back in November 2017. That means you can be confident that all of the money is going where it is needed most.
I’m talking about this because you read so much negativity about Facebook and other IT support companies. It’s nice to report about something good. One customer from our Boston computer service shop put up a birthday button on his Facebook. On his one birthday, he raised over $2,000 to the Jimmy Fund, a local organization that help kids fight cancer. This works. I often see my own Facebook friends use this feature. It worked for them. Facebook birthdays raise 300 million in charity. Which charity are you picking for your birthday?
Aug 15, 2018 | Humor, News
So all parents cherish a child’s first…first steps, first words, first day of kindergarten, first scam. Wait…first what?! Yes, a six year old child scammed Amazon. Six year old vs Amazon: cute or warning sign?
So let me explain. For her sixth birthday, her mom let little Caitlyn order a Barbie doll from her mother’s account. She did. But this was when mommy was watching. However, she asked her mom could she look and track the Barbie’s package. This is when Caitlyn found the ‘add the cart’ button. Not only did she find it, but she used it. And she used it a lot.
Because the next day, one box didn’t arrive at their Utah house. Several of them did. In fact, imagine the shock on mom’s face when she saw several boxes on her stoop. The total came out to $350. The content not only included the Barbie, but other toys and video games. Caitlyn’s older cousin, Ria, posted a picture of the child posing with a smirk on her face and crossed arms on Twitter. Ria talked about how her cousin bought over $300 worth of toys without her parents finding out. So what happened to Caitlyn? According to Ria, she wasn’t punished, but they returned all the toys Caitlyn ordered except for the Barbie.
Caitlyn’s episode isn’t a unique one. I’m reading several incidents on Twitter where kids are using the easy add to cart and pay buttons to buy to the max. This is a huge flaw for the world’s largest IT service company. In our Boston computer service shop, while searching for a part for a computer repair job, I accidentally pressed the purchase button for the wrong part. Luckily, I was able to correct the issue. But what if a professional adult scammer sees this and goes to town with your credit/debit card Amazon already has on file? Six year old vs Amazon: Cute or warning sign? If it is a warning sign, then what should we do about it?
