So this is not the plot for a cartoon show. This is about iRobot’s latest product. Also, iRobot’s headquarters are in Bedford, MA, just 15 miles from our computer servicing headquarters. So a mop and vacuum talk to each other.
The names of these cleaning bots are Rooma S9+ and Braava Jet m6. These robot cleaners use technology to tag team with each other and clean floors. They also use map technology and Imprint Link to talk to each other. So basically, they would tell each other who would do what task better. For example, the Rooma S9+ gets to walls and corners better. The new 30mm arm can clean places not even it’s predecessors can get to. But critics complain this will cost more battery life and more turning.
Now let’s look at the new Braava Jet m6. It’s technology studies the floor’s plan and uses that to avoid crashing into furniture. It also uses it’s own spraying and drying techniques. In fact, they say this version is larger than those gone before. This mean it can spray larger and clean quicker and more spaces. Both use 3D sensors that will help them find dirt and grime at a rate of 25 times a second. Therefore, they can virtually take turns cleaning the floor.
Now here comes the not so nice part of this: the price. You didn’t think you could just go to a hardware stuff and get this for cheap, did you? Because the Rooma S9+ will run you anywhere between $1,000-$1,300. Then the Braava Jet costs around $500. So a mop and vacuum talk to each other. But in order to make them talk, you’ll have to shell almost $2,000. They say it will get your floor cleaner than a typical mop and vacuum. But what if it doesn’t? How foolish would you feel if a $10 mop and $100 vacuum clean better than these expensive IT service tools?
So we all know there’s a race in the IT service community. That race is to build, sell, and profit off the first driveless car. However, you may not know there’s another tech travel revolution brewing. Tech leaders build supersonic plane.
If they get their way, then we’ll soon by on passenger jets traveling over 800 mph. One of these companies is Hermeus. In fact, their goal is to build a plane that goes from New York to London in 2 hours. That sounds very strange now. But they might eventually accomplish this. Because they have generous funding from some tech venture companies. They’re also getting coaching from a former Blue Origin president. But look out, Hermeus. You’ve got company.
Because you have Aerion Supersonic and Strike Aerospace. They’re working on 12 passenger luxury jets that can fly over 1,000 mph. That will get you from New York to Los Angeles in around 3 hours. Then there is Boom, that wants to live up to it’s name. So far, they raised over $140 million. They want to build 55 seated jets that fly at supersonic speeds. Also, Boom wants to be more inclusive. If all goes well, their seats will sale at about the level bushiness class seats sell today.
So is this possible? Well, take yourself back 20 years? Did you think social media sites like You Tube, Facebook and Instagram were possible? Also, look at flying today. There was a time when people looked forward to getting on a plane. In fact, there was a time people actually dressed up to get on a plane. Not any more. Maybe these supersonic jets, and the companies that build them, can change that. I think this will make people get excited about flying again, especially if they can get there in literally half the time. Tech leaders build supersonic plane. But just like in the driverless car race, who will be first to get this off the ground?
So the WikiLeaks drama is a gift that never stops giving. If you want a refresher course, then here it is. One of the main players of this is Chelsea Manning; the Chelsea Manning drama continues.
So Manning is back in jail . Let me explain. Back in March, they locked her up because she didn’t cooperate with a grand jury subpoena. But last week, it expired and they had to let her go. But yesterday, they sent her back to the Alexandria, VA Detention Center. Because once again, she refuses to cooperate with a grand jury. With poise and dignity, Chelsea Manning explained her reasoning in this You Tube video.
This goes all the way back to 2010. Because back then, Manning leaked over 250,000 pieces of classified info to WikiLeaks and it’s founder, Julian Assange. She did this while serving as a former US Army intelligence agent. Also, she leaked military field reports and footage of US airstrikes. Manning was soon indicted, tried and convicted. She received a long prison sentence, but former President Obama commuted that sentence. She got out in 2017. As you can see in the video, Manning is not backing down. But neither is the court system.
Because Judge Anthony Trenga didn’t just jail Manning. He’s fining her $500 a day per day she doesn’t cooperate, starting next month. And if she doesn’t cooperate in 60 days, then he’ll double it to $1,000 a day. I don’t think that’s going to phase Manning that much. This is why I say the Chelsea Manning drama continues. Some in the IT service community call her a hero. They say she exposed the government and what they’re really up to. Now she’s a political prisoner. But some call her a dangerous criminal. They say her leaking of military information put many, many Americans in danger. But what do you call her?
So I just read an interesting report about a potential security threat. It certainly has IT support security leaders’ attention. It’s the exposing of Intel chips. Could this lead to a massive hack?
So researchers found flaws in these Intel chips. They fear if these flaws get in the wrong hands, then they can steal info from these chips. I mean the kind of leaked info, like passwords, private photos and messages that can mess somebody up. They compare it to Meltdown and Spectre. But this would be even worse. In fact, they’re already calling this new group of bugs Zombie Load. Yes, it is as scary as it sounds.
Because instead of hijacking systems with malware and other things, Zombie Load lets hackers exploit the chip’s own flaws. So it would be like a system turning against itself, then eating itself from inside out. Sorry if that sounded too graphic. Zombie Load is also made up of not just one, but four different bugs! But wait…there’s more. These security experts and researchers say every Intel chip since 2011 could be venerable to Zombie Load. In the computer technology world, 2011 may as well be the 1911. In other words, that is a lot of chips that could be exposed by Zombie Load. I could be venerable to this. So could you. In fact, anybody could.
For instance, the exposing of Intel chips could even mess up your apps. Because Zombie Load leak data from app to app. For instance: What is that Facebook post doing on Twitter? Now what do we do? First of all, we don’t panic, but we remain alert and aware. Or as the Millennials and Gen Z’ers say, ‘stay woke’. If you do see something wrong, call someone. Here at Computer Geeks, we’ve been solving these issues for over 20 years. We can very much do it today. In fact, we can fix them better than ever before. But could this lead to a massive global hack?
So as many of you know, the stock market is not good right now. In fact, yesterday, it dropped over 600 points. One of the biggest victims of this slide is Apple. But it’s not because of this US vs. China trade war. Apple stocks sink. The reason may surprise you.
The reason Apple stocks sink is because of a US Supreme Court ruling. That ruling said that you the Apple customer and app developers can sue the IT service conglomerate over high prices. Stockholders didn’t like that at all. In fact, Monday May 13 alone, Apple stocks dropped over 6%. The plaintiffs complained of Apple’s monopoly over the apps. They also complained about the 30% Apple takes from app sales, and the absolute control of the apps.
The plaintiffs don’t win any money or material value…yet. All this victory does is say they have a right to sue. The vote was 5-4 against Apple. The court ruled consumers are buying the app right from the Apple Store. Therefore, they have the right to sue Apple under antitrust laws. But in a statement, Apple spokespeople insists they are not a monopoly. Then, the statement says the majority of their apps are free, and the app distributor determines the price on the rest of them. In other words, they hardly get any revenue from apps.
Then why do they fight so hard in this lawsuit if they’re not making revenue? They already make billions upon billions on sales, repairs, software and other things. Apple should have settled out of court. It was a bad move to continue with a very public lawsuit. I think this makes Apple look like the big, bad, greedy mega-company. A mega-corporation that’s robbing the little guy, the app developer, of his/her royalties. Is that why stocks are suffering because of this? Is it because the shareholders don’t like this image of Apple? Today’s ticker says Apple is trying to make a comeback. Will they?
So Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote quite an article for the New York Times. It criticized Apple for using something we all crave and need…privacy. This Google CEO sounds off on Apple.
So let me explain. Pichai criticized Apple for selling privacy protection as a luxury item. This stems from new…ahem…budget smartphones from Apple and Google/Android. Because both offer privacy features. However, the Google smartphone starts at $399. But the new Apple one cost $749, almost twice as much. In the New York Times article, Pichai said, “Privacy cannot be a luxury good offered only to people who can afford to buy premium products and services”. Yes, he directed this to Apple and this new smartphone of theirs.
Then add the fact that Google’s new smartphone offers privacy protection features as much as Apple does. If that isn’t enough, then add the criticism Tim Cook has toward Google, especially when it comes to privacy issues. One time, he used the word, ‘surveillance’ quite often. He didn’t say Google directly, but even a kid know who Cook threw shade at. This week, Google showed off a bunch of new products helping consumers control their own data. Of course, many others criticized Google over the lack of privacy. Maybe Pichai is getting the message and trying to do something about it.
Because ‘privacy’ is now the word of the day of sorts in Silicon Valley. Look at some of the recent news articles in the IT service community. But look at these prices though. Google’s is almost half as Apple’s. That’s the part I find interesting. If Cook is criticizing Google so hard, then why is his privacy protection smartphone so much more? And why does Google CEO sounds off on Apple? Why are they doing this now? Is it because Pichai is so concerned with privacy? Or is this a way for Google to stick it to their arch rivals?
