Instagram Stories let users share their day. They can do so multiple times without too much posting. Also, these ‘stories’ last 24 hours, and won’t clutter your profile. But something will clutter stories: advertising. Let’s see how Instagram Stories cater to advertisers.
Today, Instagram announces full video ads. They will come to stories sometime this week. How will they do it? First, they will start with a trail run. Then, they’ll invite 30 companies to take part. These companies include McDonald’s, Nike and Airbnb. These tests should run two or three weeks. Furthermore, since Instagram Stories started, businesses posted 1/3 of the stories. Then of course they’ll want to advertise here.
Also, Instagram Stories has over 150 million daily active users. That’s 25% of all daily Instagram users. And another thing…Snapchat has the almost the same kind of advertising. So there’s a factor. But Instagram leaders say they have an advantage Snapchat doesn’t have: Facebook. Facebook bought Instagram in April 2012. Facebook is also starting their video ads. These will air when videos are uploaded. So remember that during your next video post. But the video have to be at least 90 seconds long. Plus, it will come on after the video’s first 20 seconds. I find this to be a smart, but peculiar move.
So what does this have to do with IT support and computer repair, particularly Boston IT support and Boston computer repair? ?Lots. Most in our industry either use Facebook or Instagram. Many use both. Instagram Stories is also getting popular around here. In fact, most of our customers use Facebook and Instagram. I believe it’s important for us to keep up with the latest social media trends. Advertising has a huge role in that. Plus, this would be a good way to advertise up here. The greater Boston area alone has over four million people. Think of how many use Instagram Stories. Wouldn’t this be a great advertising tool? And furthermore, do you think Instagram can beat Snapchat at it’s own advertising game?
I think we can all agree 2016 was a year Samsung wants to forget. But 2016 wasn’t a joyous year for Apple, either. Many customers don’t like their new iPhone 6s, thanks to poor batteries. Apple’s battery: Folks are mad now!
So right away, customers’ phones shut down. Furthermore, the batteries weren’t even dead, or dying. Then, after numerous complaints, Apple finally addressed the issue. They assured people the problem wasn’t a big one. Then they showed customers to check their battery to see if they need a replacement. But the problem got worse. Apple’s battery shut iPhones down, even those who didn’t qualify for a replacement. Later, they found the problem: Too much exposure to ambient air during assembly. Therefore, the batteries shut down faster than normal batteries.
But this didn’t even solve the whole problem. Apple’s battery kept on slipping. It go so bad governments confronted Apple. Consumer advocate groups criticized Apple. They believed Apple’s battery problem was worse than Apple admitted. They also accused Apple of failing to meet basic customer needs. Also, iPhones were shutting off every other day. These include all iPhone 6 versions. They made these versions between September and October 2015. Many tech journalists, like Fortune’s John Roberts, claim Apple won’t admit what’s going on.
Okay, so Apple’s Battery problem isn’t as grave as Samsung. But it’s worth talking about. There’s a lot of bad press and customer anger following this incident. That’s not good for Apple, or any IT support company, or any business period. Apple saw it’s worse revenue in 15 years. Also, Tim Cook took a pay cut. I hope Apple learned a lesson from this. Consumers are getting smarter, and more vocal, and more cynical of corporations. This only adds to the cynicism. I think Apple’s only saving grace here was the fact Samsung had a far worse Q4 2016. But personally, I had a battery problem with my iPod Touch. But that device was 5 years old. Can you imagine having a battery problem with a device just five days old?
Remember the good ‘ol days? It’s when your work time was your work time. Consequently, your time was your time. But since the GPS and smartphone boom, employers can watch their employees literally 24/7. However, this may not be workers’ biggest worry. Smartphone tracking…what worries workers?
It seems like less employees worry about privacy invasion when it comes to smartphone tracking. In fact, they worry more about smartphone impacts. Software tracking firm TSheets polled over 1,000 employees from all walks of life. Furthermore, some of these included those in IT support. Also, keep in mind these workers know bosses are tracking them. But the biggest fear among them was battery life (62%). In second place, the big concern was data consumption (56%).Privacy concerns came in third (52%).
Also, there’s more startling news. It’s illegal for employers to track employees 24 hours a day. But 10% of employees think theirs are tracking them all the time. Another 45% said they didn’t know if the tracking lasted all the time or not. But do you know the ironic thing here? The majority of employees are cool with tracking. Many of them say tracking systems help with accountability issues. Some others say smartphone tracking holds a system of checks and balances. The employer and employee must treat each other right.
And here’s another kicker about smartphone tracking. The majority of these employees say they trust their employer enough to let it happen. Yes, there are great worker/employer relationships where trust runs deep. But that’s not always the case. There are places where trust is a huge issue, and smartphone tracking is a huge privacy invasion. Not to mention it’s illegal to track employees 24 hours a day. What about this? (But speaking of smartphones, you know at Computer Geeks, we’re excellent in smartphone and laptop screen replacement, right?) Okay, I just had to get that in there. What about those who are fired for something they put on Facebook, or social media? And in some cases, some could use smartphone tracking to deliberately set someone up. So lots could go right. But lots could go horribly wrong. Should smartphone tracking be legal at all?
I just had quite the conversation with our computer repair man. It seems that over the last several weeks, Apple machines are getting constant cyber attacks! Attention: Constant Apple hacks are out there! So don’t be naive.
According to my computer service source, constant Apple hacks include just about every kind of computer illness. So this includes spyware, malware, adware, viruses, worms, trojan horses. You name it, he’s had to fix it. But that’s not all. I’m hearing some cases of ID theft, as well as break into people’s passwords and accounts. I can’t stress it enough. The constant Apple hacks’ struggle is very real.
Furthermore, let’s not be naive. I hear Apple users brag about how their machines are hack proof. Not really. Last year, somebody hacked Apple stores in China. Also, in September 2015, 85 iPhone apps got infected with malware. But nobody remembers that one, though. However, I’m sure everyone remembers the big celebrity hacking of September 2014.?A hacker leaked many, many nude photos of celebrities like movie star Jennifer Lawrence. Yes, the culprit behind the hack got 10 years in prison. But keep in mind the hacker broke into an iCloud. Once again I say, don’t be naive.
It’s easy for Apple users to point to Droid users. And they say, “Why would you get a Droid for? Those things are so prone to trouble.” And there is some truth to that. Droids were the subject of ?some bad cyber attacks. But Apple is the subject of constant Apple hacks. This is why you need to get software security. You can start with Avast. It’s easy, free and it works. Of course, you can always pay a little for even extra security. And there are other security software companies that are just as good. Just don’t let your Apple device go without protection. What else can you do to keep your i-device free of constant Apple hacks?
In the smartphone and IT field, we mess up, too. And Samsung certainly messed up with Samsung Galaxy Note 7. But when we in the IT field mess up, we get back up and try again. Samsung seems to be doing just that by creating Galaxy 8. Will customers love Samsung Galaxy 8 phones?
So according to sources, the Galaxy 8 will be all screen. There will be no physical home button, but rather, a virtual one. It will be on the glass’ lower section. They will also come with wraparound displays and diode technology. They expect the size to be roughly the same. Another feature should include Snapdragon 835 chips. While others will have the Samsung Exynos processor. Keep in mind this is prediction from, ‘people with knowledge of the matter’. Nobody wants to identify themselves. So if the Samsung Galaxy 8 doesn’t happen like this, don’t blame me.
The Galaxy 8 should be out in March or April 2017. And Samsung will use stricter testing standards. or so they say. This could delay the release date. In addition to all this, they plan to upgrade software that controls voice messages, texting, and phone calls. They even boast of AI features no other smartphone allegedly has. Well, they did acquire Viv Labs Inc., a huge artificial intelligence firm. They’d better put good use to that, hadn’t they?
But they need make up for much lost ground. The Samsung Galaxy Note failure costed them $6 billion. ?Not only that, many loyal Samsung customers will never trust Samsung again. Furthermore, they’re up to their eyeballs in lawsuits. They need to hit this one out of the park. So what if they have to delay the release a month or two? I would much rather delay the release then have my device burn people and property. But what do I know? I don’t own a smartphone company. Do you think the upcoming Samsung Galaxy 8 will get people into Samsung’s good graces again?
This is a consumer alert. Malware compromises Google/Android accounts! They call the malware ‘Gooligan’. But Gooligan breached around a million Google accounts. Also, the attacks started in August 2016.
As a result, the malware infects these systems. Then, they steal from systems. Systems include Google Docs, Gmail, Google Photos, Google Play, and a handful of others. This is especially relevant because so many people have Google accounts. Furthermore, so many have Android devices. I have one. And so many use these systems. The hackers make money by putting apps on infected phones. The malware takes over after a user unknowingly downloads a Gooligan infected app on a 3rd party app store. Then the malware app takes hold. It sends data to the malware’s server. Consequently, hackers get control of your device.
This mobile attack concerns many cyber security experts. Many say hackers are targeting mobile devices now. Hence, the fact that hackers hit one million Droids concern them. It should concern us too. But for American Android users, there is some good news. Of all the Google systems infected, over half of them come from Asia, about 57%. Another 15% come from Africa, and another 9% come from Europe. The remaining 19% of infected systems come from the Americas. They didn’t specify any nation; they just broke it down by continents.
So I guess we could say statistically, American Droid users might have dodged a bullet. They hacked a million phones. So according to these stats, about 190,000 hacked systems were in North or South America. What I’m trying to say is: this malware attack could have been much worse. I know; I covered?them. But let’s learn a lesson here. Get anti-virus and anti-malware protection for your smartphone! Get it now! It’s just as important as anti-virus on your desktop. Come to think of it, with all we do on our cellphones today, maybe even more so. Don’t think are protection these hackers are going to stop with a million phones. They’ll go on and on. What are you doing to keep your smartphone safe?
