Jan 7, 2016 | Entertainment
By January 6, 2016, streaming service Netflix had reached 190 of the 195 countries on Earth. One would think this would be enough, right? Not for Netflix. They want the world!
Or they at least want to do even better. For example, Turkey and Russia get Netflix, but it’s only in English. In Russia, only 6% of that nation’s population can speak English. In Turkey, it’s 17 percent. ?Neflix isn’t available in China at all. Keep in mind China has the fastest rising economy in the world and is home to 1.35 billion people. That’s nearly twenty percent of the world’s problem with no Netflix access. But there is great news though. Netflix has added 130 nations to their roster. But it’s not coming cheap. Programming costs in 2016 alone is expected to cost over $6 billion. But with increasing competition in the US, and increasing online availability worldwide, going international is Netflix’s best move. But China isn’t the only nation closing it’s door to Netflix. Netflix won’t be coming to Syria, North Korea or Crimea anytime soon, if ever. We can thank political tensions, war,oppression, censorship and isolation for that. Nevertheless, Netflix will add Arabic, Korean and Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese languages. ?So since they’re investing in the Chinese languages, what about Netflix in China?
Understand Chinese is the most spoken languages in the world, with nearly two billion speakers. That’s six times the number of English speakers. Netflix is working on it, and I hope it happens. It’s good for Netflix and it’s good for China. Whether we like it or not, they’re a major player on the world stage. This could make Netflix huge profits! I wish the censor dictators there would lighten up. If they want to be a free nation, let Netflix broadcast there. It wouldn’t hurt anybody. Well, it wouldn’t hurt anybody except for those who make millions in piracy. Netflix also needs to invest in Russian and Turkish languages, since they’re there already. But back to China: who and what else is holding up the Netlfix process there?
Jan 6, 2016 | Computer technology
One of the biggest tech revolutions in recent years has been the self-driving car. Google leads the way in this?trend. But one major player in the US auto industry wants to lead this race.
This is where Ford’s self driving ambitions come in. At the annual CES conferences in Las Vegas, Ford leaders announced they should have autonomous cars on the road by 2020. According to Ford Advanced Engineering Director Jim?Buczkowski, the automaker is working on cars that can drive themselves, in certain areas, and in certain weather conditions. Ford will triple their autonomous vehicle testing fleet. They’re also using a system called LIDAR for detection and ranging. This LIDAR system will us 3D maps to determine the car’s surroundings. But who says Ford’s new self driving car is just for driving? If all goes right with Amazon, you’ll be able to control the Echo smart home device right there in your car. You can do so through Alexa the voice assistant. Ford even want drones to work with their cars. They’re partnering with drone maker DJI. They want the driver of the car carrying a drone to control that drone through their cabin. They believe this could be good for disasters and emergencies, for farmers to manage their crops, and construction crews surveying their building sites.
Once upon a time, this self driving business was either out of a cartoon, sci-fi plot or a child’s imagination. Within a few years, maybe even months, this could become reality. Google and Ford will see to it. In the Great Recession, Ford leaders begged Congress for bailouts. Now, they’re leading the charge for autonomous cars. What could this do for technology? Think about the city of Detroit, which isn’t in the best of shape. They’re striving for a comeback. Could Ford’s self driving ambitions be a part of the comeback? Could this put the US auto industry back on top?
Jan 5, 2016 | Entertainment
Let’s say you get a surprise bill for $5,900. You don’t know where this bill came from. Then you find out the bill came from your 7-year-son!
In the United Kingdom, that’s what happened to a father named Mohammad Shugga. In December 2015, he learned his 7-year-old son racked a $5,900 tab (4,000 British pounds), on his Apple account. All of it was billed to the iPad game Jurassic World, based on the wildly successful movie franchise Jurassic Park. Jurassic World is a combination of tycoon games like Sim City or Rollercoaster Tycoon and a Pokemon style gaming iPad game. You build your own dinosaur park, creating dinosaurs, and letting them fight. At first, it’s free to play. Key word: at first! But if you want to speed up production and get cooler beasts to fight to the death for you, then you gotta pay. You gotta pay Dino Bucks through an iTunes account. The 7-year-old made 65 transactions with Dino Bucks and was daddy Shugga was $5,900 in iTunes debt before he figured it out. Can you imagine Mohammad Shugga’s shock when he went to Apple, explaining what happened and requesting a refund? Can you imagine his reaction when Apple told him to monitor his child’s use of the iTunes account? I don’t know if Shugga got the refund or not.
But they’re several lessons to be learned here. Apple is right: parents should always monitor their kids’ computer activities as long as they’re minors, especially if they’re 7. I know it sounds big brother, but there’s no telling what perverts, predators,?and id thieves are lurking on the other side of that monitor. There’s no telling what they might be spending your money on either. Set ground rules with your children about computer safety and etiquette, and remind them why such rules are in place. Don’t be afraid to use your password and change your password if you find anything suspicious, even if it comes to your own child. If you do have to block your son/daughter from your account, tell them why. ?How did you think this father-son conversation went?
Jan 4, 2016 | Computer technology
Microsoft’s latest software installment edition Windows 10 was released in July 2015. It’s taken off like wildfire ever since. Let’s look at Windows 10’s latest milestone.
Microsoft now claims Windows 10 is active on 200 million devices worldwide. This includes PCs, laptops, smartphones, Xbox One video consoles and other devices. Back in August, one month after the release, they reached 75 million devices. We can thank the free upgrades for this. Many claim the pay for upgrades were costly and they didn’t get very much. So free upgrades were a big plus. Also, Microsoft announced Windows 10 was the last upgrade; there will be no Windows 11. But they’re others reasons for this milestone. Consumers can get Windows 10 not only on the PC, but on the XBox and new Lumia as well. So expansion has a lot to do with this expansion. The praises of Windows 10 are ongoing. How else do you explain why Windows 10 gets on 31 milion new machines a month, compared to 20 million with Windows 7? More people are on Windows 10. In December 2015, people spent 11 billion hours on it. Individuals aren’t the only ones jumping on the Windows 10 bandwagon. Businesses and schools are too. In fact, over three-fourths of Microsoft enterprise customers who are on Windows 10.
It’s fortunate that Windows 10 is doing so well. Windows XP had to be cut off. Windows 7 and 8 didn’t do so hot. Microsoft needed a winner and they needed one yesterday. Now, it seems Windows 10 is the winner Microsoft needed. There is the matter of the Windows Store. Some said it would hinder Windows 10 process, but obviously that isn’t the case. In fact, the store may have helped. Since Black Friday, Windows 10 gained 40% new active users. Yes,?I?know nothing is forever and the Windows 10 party could crash at any moment. But how long could it be before Windows 10 hit 500 million devices? How long could it be before it hits one billion devices?
Jan 3, 2016 | internet
What if you were a billionaire and ran a multi-billion dollar a month online company? You had the world at your fingertips. Which nation would you invest in next?
That’s the dilemma Amazon and Jeff Bezos face. And they aim to conquer rising economic superpower India. Despite overcrowded streets, slums and homes with no indoor pluming, many take to the Internet and shop Amazon for products they can’t get locally. Amazon leaders predict by 2025, India’s e-commerce will be almost as big as the USA’s. Diego?Piacentini, Amazon VP of International Sales, believes India’s success will be measured in trillions of dollars. Nobody says it’s going to be easy. Keep in mind around 25% have Internet access. Few have ever shopped online. According to the World Bank, nearly a quarter of India‘s population live on less than $1.25 a day. Nevertheless, where some see mountains, others see opportunity. And India has lots of potential. The business language is English. That alone opens many doors for opportunity. Now that smartphone costs are plummeting, and many India incomes are rising, the demand is there. And the 25% who do have Internet access usually have the means to buy. According to Morgan Stanley, e-commerce in India could rake in over $137 billion per year.
Another thing you must realize is India’s population itself. India has approximately 1.25 billion people. That’s second to China’s population (1.38 billion) and nearly 4x the USA population (316 million). Let’s play with some math. Twenty-five percent of India’s population have Internet access, so they can shop online. That’s equivalent to 312 million people. That’s almost the entire US population. Think about the buying power! Unlike?China,?India isn’t under communist law. This gives India more freedom to deal with international companies like Amazon. India is like an economic plum ripe for the picking. Of course, what I’d like to see is more of India’s people have online access so more can prosper. Do you think Amazon can conquer India?
Jan 2, 2016 | Computer technology
Now that we’re in 2016, a lot of people have a lot of hopes and dreams. But for tech conglomerate Apple, few insiders predict a happy, uplifting year.
Some insiders come to this conclusion by looking at how 2015 ended. Some say Apple ended the year ‘just fine’, despite how they pushed new device after new device and service after new service on the consumer. Some tech insiders argue 2015’s Apple products deserve a C grade, at best. But wait…there’s more. For the first time in many years, Apple is poised to be on the downward side. According to a Business Insider article, 2016 is expected to be the first year iPhone sales end up in the red. And iPad sales are are falling with little sings of increase. The Apple Watch is highly anticipated, but so are their competitors’ smartwatches. The Apple Watch isn’t the only candy store in town when it comes to smartwatches. Apple’s software services, like iTunes, Apple Maps, and Apple Pay, have been deemed just okay. In the last several quarters, iPhone and iPad sales have plummeted. Sales in their other products and services are either stagnant or barely rising. Some experts warn Apple sales could fall 10% in Q1 2016 alone. That may not sound like much, but to Apple, that’s tens of billions of dollars in profit loss.
To Apple ‘just fine’ isn’t good enough. If the late Steve Jobs heard his company described as doing ‘just fine’, he’d probably roll over in his grave. For many years, Apple has been expected to lead and revolutionize all tech industries. Here lies part of the problem. Apple had been leading their competitors, now the competition is winning. Their competitors are many, their competitors are getting smarter and better, and they’re everywhere. In my neighborhood, there may be an Apple Store, but there’s also a Microsoft Windows store across the street from them. No longer can Apple be satisfied with just being the leader. It has to step it’s game up. Everybody else is. What do you think 2016 will hold for Apple?
Jan 1, 2016 | Security, Uncategorized
Well, we start off 2016 talking about one of the biggest concerns in 2015: keeping your computer system secure. Microsoft pledges to help.
On December 30 (last year), Microsoft announced to Outlook email consumers they will warn users when their email is being targeted by hackers. They didn’t just mean targeted by cyber criminals. They meant targeted by government and government agencies as well. Microsoft vows to take extra steps in warning of ‘state-sponsored’ attacks because those attacks are often more sophisticated. Around two weeks ago, Microsoft was chastised for not telling hacking victims of an attack aimed at China’s Tibetan and Uighur populations. Although former Microsoft employees confirmed the Chinese government was behind the email attack, Microsoft kept it secret. They already offer security alerts, but don’t tell you suspects. Now, they’re ready to name names, and in some cases, name nations. In recent years, Hotmail attacks (now called Outlook) targeted Chinese diplomats, media, human and environmental rights activists, and others on the Chinese governments’ naught list. They will warn you when you’ve been targeted before you might get compromised. The Microsoft announcement also includes suggestions for keeping your email safe. These suggestions include changing your password, two step verification and an up-to-date anti-virus program.
The turbulent world stage has crossed into the email stage. Don’t think for a minute China is the only country wrestling with this. There’s no telling which agencies are looking at our emails here at home. Notice how the Chinese government allegedly attacks activist, minority groups, renegade politicians, and anyone else who is a threat to their power and world order. What’s new? I’m glad Microsoft is stepping up it’s security against such action. I’m glad they’re naming names and nations. Maybe they’ll think twice before hacking. My question is: What took Microsoft so long?
We here at Geek Choice want to wish you all a Happy New Year. May 2016 be your best year yet.
Dec 31, 2015 | General
The year 2015 has not been boring in the tech world. Here are my top 10 events in the tech world this year.
10. Star Wars The Force Awakens: It’s the biggest money making movie of all time. Let techies and geeks rejoice!
9. July 8 Super Glitch: Do you remember July 8, when computer glitches caused United Airlines flights to be grounded, the NYSE to stop trading and the Wall Street Journal website to shut down? The cause of that historic mega glitch is unknown to this day(or so they say).
8. Mark Zuckerberg: After the birth of his daughter, the Facebook CEO and founder pledged to give away 99% of his wealth to make the world better for his child’s generation. I doubt a certain presidential candidate would do the same.
7. Company Mergers: More mergers happened in 2015 than any year in history. Dell bought EMC for $67 billion. Western Digital bought San Disk for $19 billion. Facebook gets Oculus for $2 billion. Free market competition isn’t dead, but it needs serious intensive care.
6. The Streaming Revolution: Prime time TV is dying, thanks to Netflix, Hulu, You Tube and other streaming sites. In 2015, even prime time shows became dependent on streaming. Netflix subscriptions crossed the 60 million subscription mark, and streaming original shows like Orange Is the New Black and Transparent took home Emmy awards.
5. Nice Techies Finish First: For instance, Sundar Pichai became Google’s new CEO. He has a reputation for being approachable, humble, and congenial. He surrounded himself with staff who are just the same. Could Pichai lead a nice guy revolution in tech leadership?
4. Amazon’s Best Year Ever: Their Amazon Prime service is booming. Their original show Transparent won an Emmy. They had the best Christmas season profits of any business ever. They’re leading the drone charge. Jeff Bezos is the 4th richest person alive today. What more can I say?
3. Bad News and Social Media: Let’s face it, not all the 2015 news has been good. There’s been terrorism, mass shootings, racial murder and brutality, international tensions, and natural disasters. Social media often captured such events in a way mainstream media never could.
2. Terrorist Recruit with Social Media: Unfortunately, ISIS and other terrorist groups use social media outlets to charm naive people into joining their deadly and sadistic cause. One time, ISIS put up a You Tube video of them serving children ice cream. How do we draw the line of shutting their communications down while keeping our online freedoms?
1 ?International Government Hacking: This year, the US, China, Russia, Turkey and other nations have accused each other of hacking and stealing military and government secrets. Some say the US is hacking their own citizens. ?With global tensions on the rise, do you see an end in sight for 2016?
Those are my events. What are yours? We at Geek Choice wish everyone a Happy New Years Eve and please be safe and careful out there.
Dec 30, 2015 | News, Security
We all remember the Eric Snowden NSA scandal of 2013. We all remember the controversy that surrounded the government and telecommunication companies alike. Two and a half years later, this story is a dubious gift that keeps on giving.
We’re now learning the White House continued to spy on their ally Israel months after promises of curtailed eavesdropping of global allies. The alleged spying took place during the midst of the Iran nuclear deal, a deal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposed. The NSA got plenty of conversations between Israeli leaders and members of the US Congress. Of course, that meant the NSA literally spied on Congress. White House leaders believed this NSA surveillance taught them just how bad Netanyahu hated this deal, and how to counter his campaign. It revealed the Israeli Prime Minister begged and negotiated with lawmakers to block the Iran deal. This surveillance campaign was so risky they made sure no paper trail was discovered. And this isn’t the first time the NSA was caught spying on it’s own allies. It was reveled they snooped on French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In January 2014, US President Obama pledged to curb this sort of eavesdropping.
President Obama said curb the eavesdropping; he didn’t pledge to drop it altogether. The relationship between Obama (and many Congress members) and Netanyahu has been rocky for quite a while. Earlier this year, when Netanyahu spoke to Congress, many in the White House and Congress didn’t show up. I doubt these revelations will thaw matters much. I’m not writing this to take sides or to say who was right and who was wrong. But this episode goes to show what a powerful tool technology, especially surveillance technology, can be on the global political landscape. And it shows it can help or hinder global alliances. Did it help or hurt the decades long alliance between the US and Israel?
Dec 21, 2015 | Uncategorized
You may have heard of the crypto locker virus. This virus came about late last year and has affected thousands of people and businesses. One of the business types that has been infected is the law. Police offices, lawyers and the bunch have been hit hard by this infection.
Back in December, Geek Choice was featured in a news report from WBZ news to talk about the experience that people have with this virus. Geek Choice is focused on not only removing the virus, but saving your data. Typically people infected with this virus have a one percent success rate of recovering their data and even paying the ransom may not guarantee you get your files back. Because of this, Geek Choice recommends a data backup solution. This solution can be as easy as an external hard drive that you back up to on a scheduled basis or going up into the cloud and using a source like Carbonite to back your data up securely.
Geek Choice IT support for law firms has been helping many lawyers not only to protect their data but also prevent infections such as the crypto locker virus. Geek Choice also recommends a brand new product that we offer through Carbonite. This new appliance is set up to give you onsite data backup and cloud storage for redundancy of your files.
Please note that most people don’t think about how valuable their information is until it’s lost. This isn’t just for consumers, but businesses as well. Putting the focus on IT support for law firms, think about how tragic it would be if you lost your case files, client data and other vital information. Now that you’ve taken a minute to think about it, isn’t it worth contacting Geek Choice to find out how you can protect that data with just a simple phone call?
