What are your weekend plans? Do they involve Uber transportation? If they do, you should alter those plans right now.
Uber drivers are going on strike. The strike is scheduled to start at 5pm EDT Friday and last until 10pm EDT Sunday. This is the busiest time of the week for Uber service. The strike is organized by former Uber driver Abe Husein. But Abe Husein isn’t stopping at asking drivers not to work this weekend. He’s asking supporters to make fake Uber accounts, request rides they don’t intend to use, and deliberately cause mass confusion and frustration for non-striking Uber drivers this weekend. Their demands are many, and most involve money. Uber drivers take home on average 75 cents a mile, a pay most drivers can’t bare. Strikers want Uber X fares raised by 60%. They also want a tip option for customers. As for now, tipping is a no-no in the Uber world, something that attracts customers. They want the minimum fare raised to seven dollars and the cancellation fee raised to seven dollars. So far, around 20,000 Uber drivers have joined Husein. Some Uber drivers aren’t taking part. Some think it’s a waste of their time and a waste of good business that can be had on a weekend.
I support the right to strike and the right to peaceful protest as much as any good American. Many great movements throughout our rich history were born out of strikes and protest. And it’s an effective way to get the public’s attention. But one thing I don’t support is deliberate deception. There is no need for faking accounts and faking Uber request just to prove something. This kind of behavior is unnecessary and uncalled for. Attorneys say this is at least a civil offense, if not a criminal one. Is this strike, or any other strike, worth deception, or the consequences it could bring?
For the last couple of years, technology and the Obama administration has had quite the relationship. Recently, it’s flared up again over the encryption issue.
Intense deliberation about encryption has taken months. The Obama administration decided it won’t push legislation requiring communication technology companies to decode messages for law enforcement whenever law enforcement wants. That’s a small victory for privacy rights advocates and Constitution advocates, but don’t pop the champagne yet. The White House still wants telecommunication companies to create ways for government to go into people’s data, but only for criminal and terrorist investigations. This is basically government agencies trying to walk the tightrope between public safety and ensuring privacy rights. However, FBI officials complain encryption makes it harder and harder to catch the bad guys. Take any smart device. Only the device owner has access to such data. So basically, in the case of smartphones, companies would be of little if any help even with a search warrant. National Security Council spokesman Mark Stroh addressed this dilemma. He said, “As part of those efforts, we are actively engaged with private companies to ensure they understand the public safety and national security risks that result from malicious actors? use of their encrypted products and services.? ?Privacy rights advocates don’t trust the administration’s definition of strong encryption.
After months of quarreling over the encryption issue, little progress has been made. Don’t expect this issue to be solved or resolved anytime soon. Some of these complaints might be valiant. What if the guy with the smartphone is a terrorist, sociopath, psychopath, or career criminal? It might take more effort to catch him. But the point is, 99% of smartphone users don’t fit in such categories. So what about us? How long will they walk this tightrope? And can the handful of criminals be punished without taking it out on the rest of us?
I saw long lines and security at every Apple store in my area. I’m sure this scene played out in much of the world. The iPhone6/6s Plus craze is more powerful than any of us even know.
The iPhone 6 and 6s Plus sold over 13 million devices worldwide last weekend. That’s a new record for any device Apple has ever sold. Ironically, the old record was set last year. That old record broke the one set the year before. See a pattern here? Let’s break Apple’s record breaking weekend down. Apple sold 50 iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus devices a second. That’s 3,000 devices sold a minute. Sales in Asia did especially well. In fact, China and Japan were the main reasons for the record. This is just the beginning. On October 9, these devices make their debut in 40 more nations, including economic powerhouses Russia, Switzerland, and Taiwan. I’m sure Mexico’s numbers will be off the charts, too. By Christmas 2015, Apple iPhone 6s and Plus will debut in 130 nations around the world. That’s about 2/3 of all the nations of the Earth. So what’s the fuss about? Maybe it’s the better camera. Maybe it’s the fingerprint and other upped security measures. Maybe it’s the faster chip or 3D Touch. But between you and me, I think it’s the advertising and the name Apple.
A few days ago, I asked “How would Apple do this weekend?” Now I have my answer. I saw police and heavy security at every Apple store I passed by. Lines were often long. It wasn’t just Apple stores. It was like this at every phone shop were Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are sold. For those who got the new one, I hope it was a good investment. I was never one to be the first to get any smartphone. I guess I’m too stubborn and lazy. Will somebody let me know how iPhone 6 is at this time next year?
As most of you know, Pope Francis will spend the next several days visiting the United States. Pope Francis will be visiting President Obama and Congress in Washington DC, then the United Nations in New York City. He will then hold mass in Philadelphia, PA. Social media will capture it all.
Thanks to new social medium Periscope, you can catch Pope Francis’ first trip to the US as it unfolds. The White House is helping broadcast this historic occasion to Periscope users live. This Periscope footage began yesterday. It started from the very beginning, as Pope Francis’ plane touched down at Joint Base Andrews airfield in Maryland. The footage isn’t exactly a close-up, but what do you expect? You can see the plane landing. You can see Pope Francis stepping on US soil for the first time. You can hear the cheers and screams of the fans. You can see President Obama, Vice President Biden, their families and other dignitaries greet him on the tarmac. They’re at least 10,000 Periscope users hoping to catch a glance of this historic occasion. This video will remain on Periscope until 4pm ET today. This Periscope was produced by the White House. Will the UN have Periscope ready when Pope Francis visits their headquarters?
Periscope isn’t the only social media outlet getting in on this moment. You Tube has footage of Pope Francis’ arrival. Facebook talks about it a lot. Pope Francis is the first social media Pope. Social media was in it’s infancy when Pope John Paul died. It grew up when Pope Benedict reigned. During this visit, Pope Francis’ visit will be captured by social media. What does Pope Francis and social media have in common? Lots! In the days to come, you‘ll probably see social media be used to capture every step of this historic occasion. Will you be between New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC in the coming days? ?Will you be taking your smartphone with you?
The cell phone is the technology piece hardly anybody can leave home without these days. But what about those incidents where you forget or misplace your phone? That just ruins your whole day.
These cell phone carrying alternatives could help. I would suggest Purse and Boots by Elizabeth Anne Shoes. These boots have a sub-compartment that can hold any cell phone. You’ll always know where it is. And undesirables like phone thieves and pickpockets never know where it is. Sounds good, right? But Purse and Boots have two strikes against them. One, most of these boots cost around $300. Two, they’ve received many complaints about shoes not getting shipped. Though their Facebook page is up, their website isn’t. Let’s move onto the festival belt. Well, that’s just one word for it. These leather accessories aren’t just meant to hold your cell phone. They’re meant to make a fashion statement. While these are great to make a statement and keep your phone safe, there’s a conflict here. You have to be aware of what you where. What if your outfit doesn’t match your festival belt? Then there’s the Porta Pocket. You can strap it on any part of your body. It’s perfect for your workouts, and going out. And here’s a plus: if you use the Porta Pocket on a more intimate body part, it’s less likely you’ll be robbed of it. Just hope nobody’s calling or texting while it’s there. And it’s the cheaper way to go. Many Porta Pockets can go for under $20.
Yes, there is the old fashioned way, like the pocket or purse. But with that comes risk. Hacking and cell phone thefts are two of the fastest growing crimes today. It’s good to have options and alternative to curb and prevent this criminal trend. What are some of your cell phone carrying alternatives?
Remember when I asked how the iPhone would do this time, especially with smartphone competition at an all-time high? I guess that was a silly question. This year’s batch of iPhone products breaks records…again!
Apple just announced they’re on pace to beat last year’s iPhone record. Apple’s stockholders are liking that news. This same statement said iPhone pre-order sales are very strong around the world. One blog says the wait time for the big iPhone 6 Plus is between 3-4 weeks. The iPhone 6S is expected to take between 2-3 weeks. Apple reports and blogs insists they’re doing the best they can to process pre-orders as fast as they can. They remind customers they can get the new Apple iPhone 6 Plus and 6S at their nearest physical Apple stores starting Friday, September 25. Sales in the US are doing well. But insiders are really impressed with pre-orders in China, despite the economic slowdown in that nation. The order wait time is particularly long there, and China seems to be leading the world in new iPhone 6 demand. Even during the Chinese stock market mayhem, Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC through email they’ve had strong economic growth in China.
There’s a lot that can be said about this. Apple definitely has a major, loyal fan base. I think we all knew that. But I’m totally shocked at China’s response at these new products. Have you seen the summer China had economically? Do you remember how much they lost in the stock market this summer? But yet China is virtually leading the world in new Apple iPhone sales. I’ve also read China has the biggest wealth inequality gap of any nation on Earth. If that’s truth, then who do you think is buying up these phones? The new iPhone 6’s don’t come cheap. So what does this scenario really tell you about China’s economy? Or am I reading too much into this?
