Nov 2, 2016 | internet, Smartphone
We knew this day would come. And now it is here. Mobile online use surpasses desktop online use. While this is a first, this shouldn’t be a surprise.
So these statistics go back to 2009. But back then, smartphones and tablets were in their infancy. However, the change was slow. As recent as October 2013, about 75% of online use came from desktops. But around this time, the turn got more drastic. By October 2015, 45% of online use came from mobile sources, compared to 55% coming from desktop sources. Now, history is made. The majority of Internet traffic, 51.2%, comes from a mobile device. Now compare that to 48.8% from a desktop device. While that is a slight majority, we should expect this trend to continue.
We can thank StatCounter for this numbers. They’re are also some telling tales here. In mature Western markets, like the US, Australia, and Great Britain, desktop online use has a fairly wide gap, like around 56-55%. It’s rising markets, like India, Brazil, and China, that’s driving the mobile numbers up. Also, gaps in Western nations are shrinking too. For example, in October 2014, 35% of online traffic came from mobile devices. Two years later, it was 42%. Another interesting tidbit: the number of people using only mobile Internet rises. What drives this?
First of all, smartphones in many Asian nations are flying off the shelves. And here in America, smartphone companies complain that high end smartphones decline in sales. That may be true. But cheaper smartphones are steady in sales. Not too people I know want to pay over $600 for a smartphone. This is especially true when the $100 ones work almost as well. Maybe that’s why online smartphone traffic numbers are slower here. But here is what is clear: If any business wants to thrive, even survive, they must cater to smartphone and tablet consumers. What do you make of these numbers?
Nov 1, 2016 | News, Smartphone
So far this decade, smartphone apps open doors for business and communication. But sometimes, they can open the door for racial discrimination and hatred. Airbnb wrestles with this. So are ride-hailing apps. Do ride-hailing apps enable discrimination?
According to university research (MIT, Stanford, Univ. of Washington), the answer is a disturbing yes. Research shows in Boston, Uber drivers cancel rides for men with Black sounding names. Black men are four times more likely to suffer this than any other race or gender. Research shows in Seattle, Black riders face longer wait times than White customers. That’s because it’s harder to find drivers willing to take Black passengers.
To their credit, Uber and Lyft do all they can to combat these trends. A Lyft spokesperson says Lyft will continue to provide affordable, comfortable rides for all. She makes it clear discrimination is not Lyft’s practice. Rachel Holt is Uber’s head of North American operations. She addressed the study. In an email, Holt stated discrimination has no place in Uber. Furthermore, Holt says this study was helpful in fighting discrimination. Also, researchers suggest ways to combat racism. They suggest names and photos not be identified. But on the flip side, some argue names and faces offer a friendlier experience. So what do we do?
First of all, don’t let cabbies off the hook either. Some are notorious for passing a potential black customer just to serve a white customer. As a man of color myself, I experience this sometimes. You see, we don’t have an app problem. We don’t have a cab problem. As a result, what we have a a problem with the human heart. Yes, Uber and Lyft needs to do all they can to fight discrimination, just like Airbnb needs to fight it. But it’s obvious this problem won’t end with laws and legislation. I urge all Uber and Lyft drivers and Airbnb hosts to think before you act. Think before you refuse service to anybody. Please think before you hate or discriminate against anyone. What message are you sending? Would you want that done to you?
Oct 31, 2016 | networking, News
There is another tech merger to report. Internet service provider CenturyLink purchases Level 3. Level 3 is also an ISP and telecommunications provider.? What does this mean?
As a result, this merger means competition for AT&T. After AT&T’s merger, they really need competition right now. But how much will this cost CenturyLink? Consequently, this will cost them $34 billion in cash and stocks. This deal will also pay off all debts. Furthermore, this deal equips CenturyLink to handle heavy, heavy online traffic. That’s critical for their business customers.
Level 3 stocks soar. At 1 pm Thursday, their stocks stayed around $47. The last time I checked the ticker, Level 3 stock was above $56 a share. Over the past decade, both spent billions on acquisitions of other corporations. Such corporations include Quest, Global Crossing and TW Telecom Inc. And another thing…Level 3’s clients include Netflix and Google. So CenturyLink will get some very important clientele. In addition to that, CenturyLink gets $10 billion in tax credits. Who doesn’t like tax credits? But all the news isn’t good. While Level 3’s stock soars, CenturyLink stock declines. At 4 pm Friday, CenturyLink stocks held at $30.39 a share. As of 11am Monday, October 31, stocks struggle to make $26.70 a share.
This tells me several things. This tells me the company being bought out actually holds the cards. It’s usually the other way around. Usually, the company doing the buying has most of the power. But here, it’s the other way around. Notice it’s Level 3, not CenturyLink, that has the big clients, like Netflix and Google. Then, notice it’s Level 3’s stock that’s going up. Let’s face it…CenturyLink needs Level 3 way more than CenturyLink needs Level 3. But I am happy this is going to give AT&T the competition we consumers deserve. That’s the glory of a free market enterprise system. Competition keeps corporations in check. It keeps people accountable. I’m not a big merger fan, but I am happy about this one. What do you think of CenturyLink purchasing Level 3?
Oct 30, 2016 | internet
Only 6% of Americans trust the media these days. But can you blame them? Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton are the least popular presidential candidates in American history. But can you blame them? However, there seems to be a beacon of fairness out there. Could Wikipedia provide the sanity we need?
According to Harvard Business School, Wikipedia maybe the most balanced website out there. But it wasn’t always like this. But over the years, they moderated toward neutral ground. Now, many believe Wikipedia to be about as balanced as an encyclopedia. As a result, we can thank the contributors and editors for this.
Also, they noticed certain political phrases don’t appear in Wikipedia as much. Phrases often used by Republicans include ‘death tax’ and ‘secure the border’. In addition, phrases often used by Democrats include ‘tax breaks’ and ‘change the rules’. You’ll hardly find these phrases in a Wikipedia article. Harvard Business School professor?Shane Greenstein commends Wikipedia for striving be neutral. Many writers started their careers leaning hard toward one political party or system. So that’s how they started their Wikipedia journey. But over the years, most have gone neutral. Furthermore, Wikipedia has a manual of rules that talk about how to behave. They urge their writers not to go too far either way.
I’m not saying Wikipedia is perfect. I won’t even call it the best news source. But in an era and season of so much rhetoric, I’m glad somebody can be neutral. It’s enough when you got Facebook friends pulling you every way. But you have media sites and talking heads pulling us every way. And most of this rhetoric isn’t pretty. In fact, it’s the ugliest I’ve ever heard. My parents, aunts and uncles, who came of age in the Turbulent Sixties, say they never heard it this bad. Aren’t you glad there is some neutrality in a world of insanity?
Oct 29, 2016 | Entertainment
Thursday, Apple revealed their new App. They simply call it TV. So according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, there’s no reason to watch TV any other way. Is he right? So let’s look at Apple’s New TV app: Is it all that?
They promise help you navigate through 1600 video providers on TV’s platform. That’s right. Apparently, over 1600 streamer apps contribute to this platform. In addition to that, TV has 8,000 total apps. It debuts in December 2016. Furthermore, TV lets Apple TV customers browse through their categories easier. Also, they can ask Apple’s voice Siri for help. You can just tell her you want to watch a certain show or a even a certain channel. Siri does that work for you. So no more flipping through hundreds of channels for over 30 minutes (don’t act like I’m the only one who does that!). Also, you can play Minecraft on Apple TV. Finally, you can integrate Twitter into this TV app. That’s perfect for talking about the NFL, or hit shows like The Walking Dead and Empire. So what’s there not to like about this TV app?
It lacks two of the most popular streaming sites today: Amazon and Netflix. That’s a potential problem. While Netflix is still in Apple TV, they won’t be taking part in this TV app. Of course, Amazon Video has nothing to do with Apple TV period, except for being a fierce competitor. But it seems like both are missing a huge opportunity. Can’t consumers use the TV app to catch up on shows like Bloodline, Orange is the New Black, or House of Cards? And what about previous seasons of other popular shows? But I will give this Apple TV app credit; it offers a lot. This will encourage more Americans to cut ties with cable TV. In my humble opinion, that’s always a good thing. But Cook believes this TV app will totally dominate the TV world? Is it right for one company to have that kind of power?
Oct 28, 2016 | Uncategorized
Learn a lesson, kids. You don’t invade other people’s privacy. This is especially true for social media. Justice comes to celebgate hacker Ryan Collins. And it comes swift and hard.
Ryan Collins, a 36-year-old from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to federal hacking charges. Furthermore, he admitted two a two year online scam. Also, he explained the scam in detail. He gained 100 passwords through phishing. These passwords included the celebritity passwords of people like Jennifer Lawerence and Rhianna. Another thing he did was con celebrities into handing him passwords and emails. He did this by pretending to be Google or Apple. Collins used software to steal their iCloud backups. Finally, Collins ran a fake online modeling company. He did this to trick women into sending nude photographs. ?All of this is according to court documents.
As a result, 50 Apple iCloud accounts and 72 Gmail accounts got compromised. In August 2014, over 100 celebrity photos leaked online. Most were either nude or unflattering. While Apple’s iCloud service took much of the blame, people forgot there was a hacker among us. Also, people forgot Collins hacked into Google accounts as well. He was arrested in Los Angeles, but tried in his home state of Pennsylvania. Collins faced five years in federal prison. But since he plead guilty, he will only do 18 months maximum, in federal prison.
That’s the only reason Ryan Collins admitted to any of this, or plead guilty. The gig was up. The hacking party was over. You think he’s sorry for his crimes? You really think he’s sorry for nearly destroying people’s lives? I may sound cynical, but I doubt it. Collins is sorry he’s going to prison. This plea bargain lessened the time. This should be a lesson to us all. The law, the victims, the courts are not playing! Because if you post nude or condemning photos of someone online without their permission or approval, they will catch you. They will prosecute and imprison you. Just ask some of the other sextortionists caught and doing hard time. Speaking of hard time, do you think 18 months is enough for Ryan Collins?
Oct 27, 2016 | Smartphone
The year 2016 has not been kind to Samsung. That’s because they had a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fiasco for the record books. While some say, “It’s not that bad. Samsung is a multi-billion dollar ?business. So they will bounce back.” I hope so. The Samsung profit plunge: It’s bad.
You see, Samsung lost 30% of operating profit in Q3 2016 alone. As a result, Samsung lost over 5.6 billion dollars in just three months! I don’t care who you are; no company can afford to lose that much money in three months. Furthermore, there are internal quarrels. Some shareholders appointed?Lee Jae-yong on the board of directors. He is the grandson of Samsung’s founder and son of Samsung’s current chairmen. Consequently, some board members complain Jae-yong got the position because of his birth, not by his merit.
But the Galaxy Note 7 helped create this crisis. Add to that Apple’s somewhat successful iPhone 7 campaign. However, Samsung lost more than just profit. They lost a lot of consumer confidence and respect. Sure, they might make it up when Galaxy Note 8 comes out. But that’s not until 2017. First Samsung stopped the original Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s. They tried replacement ones. But even those caught on fire and injured dozens of people. These phones should have sold between 15-20 million. Obviously, that’s not going to happen.
However, Samsung has one little thing to cheer about. High end smartphone sales decline across the board. It seems the more smartphone companies encourage high end smartphone buying, the more consumers stay away. Even Apple’s iPhone 7 is struggling. Can you blame them? Not everybody has to have the latest gadget and the latest smartphone technology. For some, the basic smartphone is enough. But what about Samsung? Was this a good time to create division by bringing in the Samsung founder’s grandson? That seems to create more division at a time Samsung needs unity. Samsung lost 30% of profit in three months. Will they make it up? How long will it take?
Oct 26, 2016 | Computer technology
Amazon unveiled the new tablet. They call it the Fire HD 8. So, this new tablet has Alexa the Amazon voice. Therefore, Amazon’s new tablet?meets Alexa. Will they get along?
The Fire HD 8 is the first tablet that has Alexa’s support. But you don’t have to talk or shout to her. Hold down the home button and watch Alexa come to life. Also, it takes the same voice command as Amazon’s popular Echo devices. But be careful. Sure, use the Fire HD 8 to command Alexa while watching TV. But telling Alexa what to do while chopping wood or cutting potatoes…not a good idea. Due to one hand being on the home button, you’re limited to following Alexa’s instruction. What if you need both hands to do something?
Nonetheless, you can’t beat the price. The Fire HD 8 costs $90. It has super speed, but many complain about bad battery life. From what I read, it’s about 10 hours. Apparently, the new Alexa feature costs the user nothing. They didn’t mark up the price when they added this new feature. Some are notorious for doing this. There’s also the experiment ‘voice cast’. This displays request cards on your Amazon Echo or Fire tablet. But don’t go trying out the ‘voice cast’ yet. It’s still in test mode. It will probably take six weeks for it to be out. When it is, it will be available for New Echo Dot. I doubt it will ever be available for The Fire HD.
I have mixed to good feelings for this Fire HD. The price is only $90! This comes at a time when new smartphones will cost you $600 or even more. And even then, they can explode on you. Isn’t that right, Samsung? So a $90 price on a tablet that talks is refreshing. What’s not so refreshing is holding a button down so it can talk. That puts physical limitation on the user. And, there are few things more annoying than a device you have to charge every time you blink. So I wold give the Fire HD a B-. It’s a good device to have, but could use a couple of improvements. What grade would you give Fire HD 8?
Oct 25, 2016 | internet
Twitter is one of the most revolutionary social media sites of all-time. They should be thriving, right? But they’re not. In fact, Twitter is struggling…Twitter is bleeding.
This week, Twitter contemplates laying off 300 employees. That’s eight percent of their entire work staff. While they did the same thing last year, this year should be different. Also, this is not written in stone. So the number is hopefully lower, or it could be even higher. Furthermore, sources don’t want to be identified. Nobody wants to say these hindering things about their own company.
These same sources say the lay-offs could come even before Q3 2016 results come out. That report should come out this Thursday. But Twitter representatives aren’t talking about that, either. Yes, Twitter is in trouble. Sales are down. Advertising revenue is falling. In addition to that, they explore a buyout. But even potential buyers have no interest. Companies like Salesforce and Walt Disney expressed interest. They changed their mind. So Twitter can’t even sell out of their troubles. Even the stock market turned against them. Stocks fell 40% in just 12 months. As I write this, Twitter stock fall 4.45% in just two hours! How can they pay their staff with those kind of falling numbers? Furthermore, how can they compete with Facebook and other social media sites with such failing numbers?
So is laying off employees an option? I hope not. I hate for anybody to lose their jobs, especially due to something that isn’t that person’s fault. But even this fix is temporary, assuming this works at all. Twitter has tried so hard to get back on track. They put in place harsher rules to cub trolling and bullying. They tried allowing longer tweets. Then they offered NFL games on Twitter feeds. But now that NFL ratings are down, that’s all up in smoke. What is Jack Dorsey to do?
Oct 24, 2016 | Computer technology
Yesterday, I wrote a blog about the late David Bunnell. He is the father of tech media. He also has a legacy of social justice. ?In the 1980s, he criticized the tech industry for being, ‘a white male revolution’. Maybe he was onto something. Because women in computer jobs fall…and keep falling.
Research says women in the computer tech workforce could fall to 22% by 2025, while it’s at 24% now. Just think…women made up for 37% of computer based jobs back in 1995. In addition to that, the news goes further downhill. Only 18% of computer science majors are young women. In 1984, that number was 37%. And another thing: Silicon Valley is just as bad. In the tech capital of America, only 30% of employees are women. But women make up for 51% of the US population.
A group called Girls Who Code work hard to combat this trend. They’re encouraging women and girls to pursue computer science careers. They want to increase the number of women in computer jobs to 39% by 2025. Girls Who Code runs computer science summer camps for girls. They hosts conferences to get women of all ages interested in computer science.??Reshma Saujani, CEO of girls who code, urges teaching computer science to girls at an early age.
But despite efforts of Girls Who Code, and Silicon Valley leaders like Sheryl Sandberg, the gap isn’t getting better. Instead, it’s getting worse. We need less legal changes and more cultural changes. Another statistic says girls and boys are equal in math and science. But come college time, most computer science majors are men. I remember this commercial from several years ago. This young girl is playing with a computer. The parent yanks the computer toy away, and gives her a doll instead. Another girl says she wants to work in computers. The people laugh at her. We need to change this mind set. Let’s encourage all our young people, especially girls, to live their dreams. If they want to be computer technicians, teach and encourage. America’s future might depend on it. How else might we bridge this gap?
