For many years, Re/code has been an online leader in alternative tech based news. Their leaders include seasoned journalists Walt Mossburg and Kara Swisher. Now they’re just the latest tech entity to be acquired.
Vox Media acquires Re/code under undisclosed financial terms. All we know is that this merger will be dealt in stocks. This deal is expected to give Re/code a better audience. Their audience has dwindled since ties were broken with the Wall Street Journal. This has been happening a lot lately. Digital media has been struggling. Tech conglomerates are searching for digital media outlets to booster their name and profits. In March 2015, Gigacom was forced to shut down, that is, until it was acquired by a new company called Knowingly Corp. Circa is peddling itself to larger social media sites like Twitter. But let’s get back to this Re/code situation. Since the late 2000s, Re/Code has built a popular and respected following among techies high up the ladder, even hosting conferences for Facebook’s Mark Zuckerburg and the late Apple founder Steve Jobs. But recently, they’ve lost their Silicon Valley competitive edge. This is where Vox comes in, though Vox didn’t talk about staff changes. Vox Media had 53.2 million new visitors in the US in April alone, and that’s not including regulars. I can see why those numbers attract Mossburg and Swisher.
No doubt about it, this merge will make Re/code a financial winner. But I’m more worried about the employment of Re/code writers. There are no changes that we know of, and I hope it stays that way. We don’t need job casualties because of this. But what about journalistic integrity? I want to believe Re/code will keep reporting their own stories their way. I hope Mossburg and Swisher will insists on this. But with past corporate buyouts, I’ve seen news media abandon their way from original reporting to the reporting the conglomerate wants. Will that happen to Re/code?
In Santa Cruz, CA, a Google executive dies of a heroin overdose. A model he met online is in jail, facing the trial of her life. Sounds like a novel or movie plot, right? It’s real life.
The Google executive is Forest Hayes. Hayes had a life most men only dream of: a high level job at Google, a 17 year successful marriage with children, respect everywhere he went, and his own yacht. Then he met an aspiring tattoo model named Alix Tichelman through a causal ‘sugar daddy’ website called Seeking Arrangement. This website caters to rich men looking for women seeking casual hookups. ?In November 2013, both boarded Hayes’ yacht, a yacht he decked out with camera equipment. According to local police, Tichelman injected herself with heroin, then allegedly injected Hayes with the heroin. Hays collapses and soon dies of an overdose. Local authorities claim Tichelman drank some wine, failed to call 911, and left the boat while Hayes was dying. A boat captain discovered Hayes’ body the next day. Eight months later, Tichelman was arrested for manslaughter, drug possession, and other crimes, facing 20 years in prison. But last week, the plot thickened again. Alix Tichelman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, guaranteeing a reduced sentence. You can see this case unfold tonight on the CBS true crime show 48 Hours. Check your local listings for times.
This tragedy has everything the world loves: money, wealth, adultery, sex, drugs, death and celebrity downfall. I call this a tragedy because we need to look beyond the juicy scandal. A wife lost her husband. Five children lost their father. A community lost a pillar. He may have made bad choices, but Mr. Hayes was a human being. They’re lessons we can all learn from this, like be careful of where you look for companionship online, and from whom. Do you think Alix Tichelman’s sentence is too harsh, too light, or just right?
As most of you know, Former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton is running for US President in 2016. But there are some controversies surrounding her, like private emails.
The State Department is setting up a January 2016 deadline to release emails on her private server turned over to the agency she used to run. That includes all 55,000 of them. This January 2016 proposal addresses a lawsuit filed by Vice News demanding such emails. The email controversy has been a dark cloud over Hilary Clinton ever since she announced her candidacy for US President. While she wants public/work related emails released, she admits some emails her lawyers called private were erased. New York Times reveled Clinton’s email issues, and her team responded almost immediately. Some may ask, “Why is it taking months to reveal these emails?” According to State Department Information Program and Services director John Hackett, twelve staffers have been hired to review these emails. Now they’re scanning them in the records. This process alone takes five weeks. Also keep in mind there are 55,000 of them. The completion date should be around January 16, 2016.
Keep in mind the Iowa caucus, the unofficial journey start to the Democrat and Republican National Conventions, is on February 1, 2016. That’s two weeks removed from the email releases. Will it make a difference or impact? Only time will tell. I can’t stress this enough: This isn’t an endorsement of Hilary Clinton. Nor is this an endorsement of any of her Republican rivalries. But there’s a small lesson to be learned here. If you’re going to run for president, you better watch your emails. This is by no means Fmr. Secretary Clinton’s only concern, but this one has been following her. How important is this email issue to you as a voter (assuming you are a registered voter)? Do you think Republican candidates will submit their emails as well?
Yet another mega merger, or buyout, is taking place. Telecom conglomerate Verizon purchases Internet/email pioneer AOL (America Online) for $50 a share. That’s $4.4 billion. How and why did this happen?
Verizon wants AOL’s content and digital advertising. This deal will give it to them, and a powerful edge in online advertising space. Verizon is the country’s largest Internet provider and wireless carrier. Needless to say their wireless space is increasing. So is the competition from rival telecom companies over video content. The transaction is expected to finish in summer 2015 and by that time, Verizon will totally own AOL, though Tim Armstrong will remain the AOL Chairman and CEO. It seems AOL will get something out of this merger too. Verizon will help AOL compete in a forever changing market. Tim Armstrong discussed the optimism he has of this transaction. He said, “If you look at AOL in the past five years…we turned the company around. But if you look forward five years, you’re going to be in a space where there are going to be massive, global-scale networks…”. ?Armstrong is confident Verizon can help them do this. Is he right?
You must admit, AOL has had quite an odyssey. ?In the 1990s, AOL helped launch a technological revolution. Then they merged with Time Warner and still did well. But by the late 2000s, AOL became a technological punchline. Not even a great-grandmother would’ve been caught with an AOL email address. But starting in 2010, under Tim Armstrong’s leadership, things have turned around. Their stocks are nearly twice as high. They co-own Huffington Post. They’re a legitimate online company again. Now with Verizon, they can put their name out there in the video streaming and advertising race. One could argue this is another mega conglomerate purchasing another mega conglomerate, and more small businesses will be squeezed out. But this story is different. This is a story of AOL going from the brink to a major comeback. And this is another step to that comeback. What do you think of the Verizon/AOL purchase?
The NFL 2014-15 season won’t be known for great games, but numerous scandals and bad behavior off the field. This week, a former New York Jet will face revenge porn charges in court.
Former NY Jets linebacker Jermaine Cunningham faces prosecution on revenge porn charges in New Jersey. New Jersey is one of 17 states that has strict laws against such behavior. In December 2014, Cunningham was arrested for allegedly broadcasting pictures of a nude woman without the woman’s approval. This followed a domestic dispute in which 911 was called. Cunningham is also facing illegal gun possession charges. Cunningham’s case comes in a middle of a movement to crack down on revenge porn: posting nude or sexual based photos online, without the victim’s knowledge or consent with malicious intent. A couple months ago, I blogged about a case in California in which someone running a revenge porn ring was successfully prosecuted. Victims’ advocates, like U Miami law professor Mary Ann Franks, say,??Your most private, intimate moment (is) turned into entertainment for thousands, for millions of people.? But civil liberties groups say anti-revenge porn laws need to be more specific to protect from overreaching legislation and legal witch hunts. While that debate continues, Cunningham faces a $15,000 fine and three years in jail if convicted.
I can understand both sides, and lessons should be learned across the board. Please be careful of taking photos, who takes these photos, and what you put online. That person may be your friend in that moment but can also be the person that hurts you for life. I’ve heard testimonies from revenge porn victims and the stigmas that are placed upon them. It’s hard for them to get a job, a mate, housing, credit, and they’re often the subject of judgement and ridicule…because of what someone else did to them. Suspects and their lawyers can hide behind the Constitution all they want. But with freedom comes responsibility. I don’t know if Cunningham is guilty or not. I believe in innocent until proven guilty, ?but can’t there be a better way to solve domestic issues? As this progresses, he has the dubious position as the first celebrity prosecuted for revenge porn. Will he be the last?
Listen, we all like to party. Heck, yesterday was May the 4th and we here at Computer Geeks went nuts. But today is Cinco De Mayo, a day littered with Corona’s and many many drunk encounters. So we’ve decided to hand out some advice to those of you really looking to go nuts today. Your electronics are EXPENSIVE, and one day of partying shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg. So before you decide to pop open that first cerveza, and smoosh your little lime wedge to the bottom, take our advice: Hide your electronics! Here are a list of potential drunk disasters that await those who do not heed our advice…
1. Beer Spill on your $1800 MacBook
I wish I could tell you that this is not common, but it is all too common. People drink near their laptops, people drink near their VERY EXPENSIVE laptops. All it takes is a spill of 1oz of beer on the keyboard of a MAC and your computer is toast. If you find yourself in this situation (because you didn’t listen) you will need to do a few things to save it.
1. Flip it upside-down
2. Power it off immediately
3. Wait 48 hours to let it dry
4. Call a professional to clean it out (800) 433-5435
2. Cell Phone Disaster
There are few things that drunk people do really well, but one of them is dropping their phone. Whether it is in the toilet or on the pavement, you’re in trouble. iPhone 6 plus broken screen is $450 to fix, and if you drop it in the toilet the phone replacement will be double that. Don’t use your phone in the bathroom, and don’t play with it outside, it is your best bet to keep that expensive little toy in your pocket safe. If you wreck your phone, check out our repair page
3. Go Party at someone else’s house
I mean it, you don’t need to host this gathering. Host Thanksgiving dinner, or Christmas, but for God’s sake, don’t host a party for a day full of drinking Corona’s. You know that 60 inch TV you love so much? It only takes 1 moron to crash into it, to ruin it FOREVER. Your tablets that are lying around become frisbees, or just unfortunate objects people sit on and crush. Go destroy a friend’s house, and take away the risk.
So go out, have fun, drink a few cervezas for us, but keep your electronics at home where they are safe. And if you do happen to have an accident, give us a call or send us a message and we will come to the rescue!
