In China, they have networking company Huawei. So that’s kind of like the AT&T or Verizon of China. So why am I talking about a Chinese networking company and I’m in a Boston computer service shop? Because Huawei has the artificial intelligence smartphone.
They call it the?Kirin 970. Let’s start with the chip set. It has 5.5 million transitors in one centimeter. They say it’s 8-core CPU and a 12-core GPU is 50x more efficient than the average smartphone. It should also give 25 times better performance Then they tested the chip set. It processes 2,000 images per minute. So why is all this important? Because they want to use Kirin 970 as a platform for AI, making this the artificial intelligence smartphone.
In fact, the Kirin 970 is part cloud AI and on-device AI. According to a Huawei spokesperson, AI will play a major role in the future of smartphones. They want AI to give smartphones better voice, data, and image facilities. However, when they say AI will ‘disrupt’ the smartphone experience, that concerns me. But even they say AI will make heavy demands on computing, energy, and cloud services. Maybe that’s why they’re taking their time.
Huawei leaders say the artificial intelligent smartphone will be complete around 2020. They’re even trying to make it more intelligent and give it almost human like capabilities. So even after they make the phone, they have to promote it. This is scary and exciting at the same time. Yes, this phone will be able to do things we can’t even dream of. But what if it can do too much for us? There’s already debate about AI taking human jobs. Could the AI smartphone add to that worry? So we have at least 2 1/2 years before this kind of phone comes out. Would you buy the artificial intelligence smartphone? And how much would you pay?
It is amazing how accessible the smartphone is now. Because just five years ago, or over, the smartphone was only for the rich or middle class. But now, you can get a smartphone for as little as $20. T-Mobile knows this. It’s the T-Mobile cheap phone and on demand program.
Today, T-Mobile releases the T-Mobile Android Revvy. So you have a choice. You could buy it up front for $125. Or you could lease it for as little as $5 a month. However, as one spokesperson joked, this phone helps you keep up with the Jones’, not the Kardashians. But look at the price? What do you expect?
Well, one can expect a 5.5 inch screen, 13 megapixel camera, and Media Tek MT6738 processor. The Revy runs on Android Nougat. Smartphone critics boast the 3,000mAh battery. Because it may not keep you going and going, but it’s sufficient enough. There is also 32 GB of storage. So you may not have $130 to pay right away? You’re in luck, thanks to the the T-Mobile cheap phone’s On Demand Program. This program also includes other T-Mobile cheap phones. But those will run you seven or eight dollars a month. So the Android Revvy ?is about the cheapest you can get, well, from T-Mobile.
First of all, I applaud T-Mobile for making this move. I say this because in our Boston computer service shop, we see quite a few cheaper smart phones. In fact, I have one myself. You see, not everybody wants to wait in line for hours and pay $700 for the next big thing. Some of us don’t get our kicks that way. So for some, this phone would be fine. I’m not the only one. Many people, from all economy levels, would rather have a basic smartphone than the next big thing. Phone companies like T-Mobile and AT&T realize this and they’re taking advantage of this market. As well they should. Would you purchase a T-Mobile cheap phone?
They social media population reaches three million people. So you may ask, “What’s the big deal”? Well, the global population stands at 7.52 billion. So when you break it down, around 40% of the world’s population regularly connects to social media.
But that’s not all. Over half the world’s population use the Internet daily. Then, take into account over 2/3 of the global population has smartphones. However, if you take the US alone, 83% of us has smartphones. In fact, I know people who swore they would never get one. But today, even they have a smartphone, and social media apps to go with it. There’s no escape anymore. I don’t think too many people want to escape.
Who are the social media winners? Facebook is the biggest one, because they lead the social media lead by a fairly big margin. Facebook alone has over 2 billion accounts. So more than a quarter of the global population uses Facebook. A good second winner is You Tube. Some people in our Boston computer service shop watch You Tube more than network TV. ?Coming in third is What’sApp. They have 1.2 billion accounts. Instagram is holding it’s own with 700 million.
But who are the social media population losers? One loser is Twitter. Of all the major social media companies in this poll, Twitter came in ninth place. They have 328 million accounts. That many sound good to some people, but remember when Twitter was supposed to be the next big thing? Then add the scandals, the layoffs, the bullying, and a certain US President who can’t put Twitter down. More people are turning Twitter off. Not even the NFL can help their matters. Some social platforms, like Uber and Airbnb, are not on the list, yet. But the way they keep growing, they will be. What do you think of this list? I hear people say smartphones and social media are destroying this generation. Are they right?
Do you remember the 2002 movie Minority Report, starring Tom Cruise? If you don’t, then here it is. Taking place in the 2050s, they arrested you before you even did anything. Because artificial intelligence predicted their crimes. But can this happen in real life? Can AI predict crimes? China thinks so.
So China wants to use artificial intelligence to help them solve crimes. That sounds good, right? But China wants to help the police solve crimes before they happen. They also want to catch the bad guys even before they have the opportunities to become bad guys. The Chinese police are all for it.
China also has an ally in Cloud Walk, a facial recognition tech firm. They make software that gathers data on the whereabouts and doings of people. For example, if the person goes somewhere shady, Cloud walk assumes the person is more likely to be a criminal. They can also use?algorithms and crowd analysis to study what they deem as ‘suspicious patterns and activities’. Furthermore, they want to use personal re-identification software. That matches a person’s real ID, even if they moved to a new town. Or even if they try to change their identity. It’s also a part of what they call body recognition.
This opens the door to so many problems, in IT service, in law enforcement, and especially for society. This is going to cause everything from profiling to police brutality to false arrests. For example, someone who goes into a bar might just want a drink, not to start a fight. When someone goes to a gun shop, that doesn’t mean they’re planning to start a killing spree. Plus, one again, you’re taking jobs out of human hands and putting them in robots. Can AI predict crimes? Or will a lot of innocent people be imprisoned, or worse?
The year 2016 was probably the worst in Samsung’s history. Because their new smartphones burned up, their washing machines exploded, and they lost billions in dollars and respect. They even arrested one Samsung leader. But their 2017 looks very bright. Samsung’s comeback is in full swing.
So Samsung just came out of the best quarter ever. For example, their net profits were almost ten billion dollars in Q2 2017 alone. That’s almost double from Q2 2016. That is also a Samsung quarterly record. The old one was 9.3 billion dollars. That was set in 2012, at the height of the smartphone rise. Samsung’s comeback can thank Samsung Galaxy 8. Not only are sales strong, but came at the right time.
Then, Samsung’s comeback helped them stand up to competitors again. In fact, Samsung beat Apple in Q2 2017. Keep in mind Apple is about to launch iPhone’s 10th anniversary smartphone. Samsung stocks are also doing better. In fact, their trades are almost at all-time highs. Furthermore, Samsung’s software and hardware plays a role in this recovery. Their memory chips and flexible displays. For many years, they invested billions in semiconductor technology to make smartphones run better. Now, it’s finally paying off.
But Samsung shouldn’t pop the champagne yet. I don’t think they are. First of all, their leader, Lee Jae-youg, is still facing charges. The trial starts soon. How will it play out? Then there’s the next few months. In September, they expect Apple to release their newest smartphone. Then the real test will begin. How will Galaxy 8 stand up to Apple’s 10th anniversary phone? In the next few months, we’re heading into the busiest shopping seasons of the year. The back to school season and the Christmas shopping season. How will Samsung do then. I’m happy Samsung is coming back. But how long will it last? Will it stand the test of time? It’s a great comeback for any body in IT support. But will this comeback be in full swing?
In China, there is the?Xinjiang Provence. This province is the home to majority of China’s Muslim population. So why do I bring this up? Because here is where China throws their surveillance weight around. China’s spyware demands: But not on everyone.
Chinese authorities order Xinjiang citizens to install a certain app on their phone. This app spies all talk on their phone 24/7, and follows them around too. They also have sporadic tests to make sure the people have this spyware. In fact, they wrote a note in Arabic as well as Chinese. They call this app the Jingwang app.
The Chinese government is teaching people how to scan QR code to their phones. This allows for China’s spyware demands. Because the Jingwang app detects any terrorist activity, or any other illegal activity for that matter. Or so they say. But what if people rebel or disobey these spyware demands? They will be detained for 10 days. Something tells me it will probably be longer. Human and civil rights activists naturally warn against this app. But they also recognize how powerful Chinese cops are. Xinjiang has a population of about eight million Muslims. Most of them are from Turkey. For decades, they endured lots of oppression at the hands of Communist China.
That’s why we need to be weary of China’s spyware demands. Something tells me they don’t give one care about Xinjiang’s safety or security. But they’re just doing it to impose their will and power. For them to use computer repair and smartphone surveillance is wrong, to say the least. But what does this have to do with us in America? Think about how close our economies are. Think about how big the surveillance culture is. I’m scared to write this because I don’t want to give anybody ideas. Do you really think this can’t happen to the USA?
