Coming soon - cheap smartphones with internet access

Taken from:  http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/540601/20140226/microsoft-smartphone-nokia-android-samsung-facebook.htm#.Uw8_nvldWSo

Microsoft is intending to sell cheap smartphones in developing nations:

At the ongoing world's biggest mobile show Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Microsoft discloses its plans to hit the emerging market of developing countries, providing low-cost phones and make internet-for-everyone possible. Targeting cheaper phones in collaboration with Qualcomm and with Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella, it could lead to the company's healthy global internet growth.

So ... Moore's law and communication continue to leap forward!!!

Comcast acquires Times Warner Cable

Taken from: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-12/comcast-said-to-agree-to-pay-159-a-share-for-time-warner-cable.html

Comcast and Time Warner are the United State's two largest cable companies - and Comcast (the biggest) recently announced plans to buy Times Warner Cable for 45.2 billion.  

Comcast has plans to become more than just a cable company, but to move into mass content creator, plus keep the high speed internet and cable TV side of things.

It puts them on a collusion course with Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon and Verizon in the coming battle for digital dominance.

CNN had this comment:

"Americans already hate dealing with the cable guy -- and both these giant companies regularly rank among the worst of the worst in consumer surveys," said Craig Aaron, president and CEO of Free Press, a group that advocates for diversity in media ownership. "But this deal would be the cable guy on steroids -- pumped up, unstoppable and grasping for your wallet."

and this:

"An enlarged Comcast would be the bully in the schoolyard, able to dictate terms to content creators, Internet companies, other communications networks that must interconnect with it, and distributors who must access its content," said John Bergmayer, senior staff attorney for online consumer activist group Public Knowledge

So ... the future of cable TV, home internet and even entertainment is going to be effected by this merger.  Time will tell what happens!!!

 

Facebook Acquires WhatsApp

Taken from:  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/must-know-facebook-acquires-whatsapp-162740629.html

Facebook spent 19B (that's BILLION) to acquire WhatsApp.  (Part of that was with Facebook stock - WhatsApp shareholders and employees will hold about 8% of Facebook stock)

This purchase expands Facebook's reach - but (maybe more importantly) keeps others (most notably Google) at bay.  Messaging apps, VoIP, Instragram and others seem to be on Facebook's agenda as it gets into its second decade of life.  

Facebook seems to be heeding the message "Don't look back, they may be gaining on you" in a big way!!!

The Million Dollar Opportunity!!!

Taken from:

http://www.information-management.com/news/the-million-dollar-opportunity-reaping-returns-from-analytics-10024977-1.html?ET=informationmgmt:e9461:1985081a:&st=email&utm_source=editorial&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=IM_Daily_101813

The article starts with this paragraph:

As long ago as 2008, the Royal Shakespeare Company in the U.K. saw a 50 percent increase in ticket sales at one of its theaters – following an investment in an analytics program that helped it identify specific audience segments for targeted marketing campaigns.

The article (of course) is on Business Intelligence - and it is a growing business.  Many universities (including the University of Texas-Austin and Quinnipiac University) have recently added business intelligence / business analytics master's programs. 

With abundant data, and the right software, one can start to analyze relationships - is there a relationship between (say) age of the mother and autism?  Or with diet of the mother and autism?  Or with genetics and autism? Or with the mother having flu while she was pregnant and autism? Or the amount of carbonated beverages that mother drinks and autism? - OR ... so many other factors that could be investigated.  

As a parallel, the Irish potato famine was caused by an airborne pathogen - that could have been solved with small doses of trace minerals - but ... the data and relationship between the disease and certain minerals was not able to be studied.  With business intelligence, the data could be analyzed and the problem solved early on!!!

So, business intelligence / data analytics is here to stay and WILL be a game-changer for many problems!!!

Biking technology coming to US

Taken from

http://www.cio.com/article/741549/Velocomputer_Measures_Bike_Rides_with_Impressive_Accuracy?taxonomyId=600007

There are a lot of technology gadgets for exercise - Nike has a chip for running; various devices are available to monitor heart rate and effort.  

Now VeloComputer has a device that can measure distance down to the centimeter, plus the inclination of the road, the energy expended and more.  The device interfaces to Android smartphones and interfaces to standard packages like Training Peaks, Strava, Garmin Connect and others.

The price for the basis model is estimated at $79 - and should be a great way to keep track of your workout!!

Apple to announce new products

Taken from: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/apple-likely-unveil-lot-tuesday-probably-no-october-surprise-8C11428866

Over the years, Apple has had major public announcements.  In the past, Apple announced new phones, tablets, and more.

This time around, Apple seems to have updates (but not anything earth shaking).

Items being discussed include:

• New iPad
• New iPad mini - with a better display
• Keeping the old iPad Mini - at a cheapter price - to compete against cheaper tablets
• New iMacPro - made in the USA
• New software for the iMacPro - maps and iBooks

The October announcements tend to fuel the Christmas shopping season - so ... we'll have to see (a) what exactly Apple announces; and (b) how that impacts the shopping season!!!

Rhinos to get Microchips

Taken from:  

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/18/21019720-rhinos-to-get-microchips-in-horns-as-kenya-fights-poachers?lite

We have talked about RFID chips - now the rhinos are getting chipped!!!  Poaching has been a big problem for rhinos and elephants (their tusks sell for big dollars on the black market).  It this can stop (or lessening) the poaching problem, then it has been a success.  

Google Stock Prices soar

Taken from: 

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/google-stock-surges-tops-1-000-share-8C11418694

The article notes:

Google shares jumped to an all-time high above $1,000 on Friday after the search engine giant reported a surge in mobile and video advertising that helped drive quarterly revenue up 23 percent. 

While most of us are familiar with the Google of free searches, obviously they have to make money somehow - in order to fund such things as Google Glasses, Google's self driving car, Google Maps, all the servers and electricity to run those servers.  As a big consumer of Google's products, I think it is great that their stock (and their services) are doing quite well!!!

The unsung women of technology

Taken from: http://www.computerworld.com/slideshow/detail/123864/The-unsung-women-of-technology

say something profound.

Apple will struggle to find new buyers for iPhone

Taken from: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2425582,00.asp

The article suggests that most iPhone sales in the future will come from replacements / upgrades rather than new purchases.

The article noted:

An interesting new report from Sanford Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi suggests that Apple might be on the cusp of seeing a drop in new iPhone buyers.

The news doesn't suggest a drop in the popularity of the iPhone. Rather, many people already have one, so Apple will soon be selling more devices to upgraders rather than new iPhone customers. According to Sacconaghi, the percentage of "net new iPhone customers" is set to shrink approximately 13 percent between 2012 and 2013, dropping from 62 percent to just around 54 percent.

Going forward, those numbers will drop to 37 percent in 2014 and a mere 28 percent in 2015. Concurrently, iPhone "replacement" purchases will jump up to nearly 3/4 of everything Apple's selling by 2015.

We talked about switching power.  My guess is that the great majority of the population has smart phones.  But, Android phone users would have to learn a new environment if they switched to the iPhone; and (likewise) iPhone users would have to learn a new environment if they switched to a different type phone.  And ... is the competition over for Blackberry, Microsoft Windows Phones and others?  

Microsoft to ship Windows 7 soon?

Taken from: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9243188/Microsoft_ships_tool_to_block_IE11_on_Windows_7

As Microsoft releases new Windows software, it frequently blocks automatic updates to Internet Explorer:

The article notes:

The toolkit blocks automatic upgrading of older editions of Internet Explorer to IE11 on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 through the operating systems' built-in Automatic Update service. Companies that rely on Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) or System Center 2012 do not need the toolkit since they can manage the deployment of IE11 using those tools.

Individuals can also use the toolkit to keep IE11 off their Windows machines without disabling Automatic Updates for all other Microsoft software.

This generally relates more to corporate subscribers - to keep older (solid) versions of Internet Explorer while updating the rest of the software.

Meanwhile, for personal computers, Windows 8 is available - for PC's and for mobile devices.  It enables touch screen computing (like iPhone and others)

Windows 8 was released to mixed reception. Although reaction towards its performance improvements, security enhancements, and improved support for touchscreen devices was positive, the new user interface of the operating system was widely criticized for being potentially confusing and difficult to learn (especially when used with a keyboard and mouse instead of a touchscreen). Despite these shortcomings, 60 million Windows 8 licenses have been sold through January 2013, a number which included both upgrades and sales to OEMs for new PCs.^[5]

To survive all companies have to innovate, change, adapt to the current marketplace (something Dell failed to do).  With these upgrades, Microsoft indicates it is STILL a viable and solid company in the computing field.

"Computer Error"?

Taken from:

http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/thrifty-says-offer-free-rental-car-was-mistake-6C10361929

Seemingly Thrifty Car Rental sent out a massive email to customers indicating they were getting a free day of car rental!!!  Hurray!!!

BUT ... it was a mistake.  They only wanted to send the note to their BEST customers.

So, a 'computer mistake'?  Not really.  Somebody (a human) had to select the data to use (SQL query most likely) - and they screwed up!!!

It reminds me of when I worked at Citibank's credit card division.  A letter was prepared to go out to best customer, who paid on time, great credit scores, etc. Unfortunately the letters were printed, envelops and addresses prepared for the opposite end of the spectrum - the deadbeats, bad credit, late payments, poor credit history.  In that case, it was caught just before the letters went out the door.

In my biased view, Thrifty could have saved face a little (instead of ticking people off) by saying - "Hey, we made a mistake, but ... we are willing to stand up for it.  If you rent three consecutive days from us, we will give you a free day!!! "  It might be a way to keep customers from thinking - first OMG I got a free day - second - boy Thrifty is messed up - third I won't be renting from them anymore!!!

Blocking communication

Taken from:
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/saudi-arabia-plans-block-whatsapp-within-weeks-report-6C10339650

In the west, very few things on the Internet are blocked.  But, in Saudi Arabia that seemingly is different.  The article tells how the government Communication and Information Technology Commission have blocked Viper and are looking to block WhatsApp and Skype.  The offense?  Seemingly, they all allow for free communication - and seemingly that alarms the three telecom companies in Saudi Arabia (who would lose revenue).

The article notes:

Mobile penetration was 188 percent by the end of 2012, CITC data shows. Saudi Arabia now has 15.8 million Internet subscribers and the average user watches three times as many online videos per day as counterparts in the United States, according to YouTube.

and

The kingdom appears to be making a greater push for more control over cyberspace as Internet and smart phone usage soars, in part due to strict laws that limit opportunities for people to mix in person 

So, in the western world, the telecom companies have become part of the smartphone business - and who cares if A&T or Verizon get as much in long distance charges - because they are making good money on smartphone contracts.

The article also mentioned that many workers in Saudi Arabia are not Saudis - and they are texting, emailing, and Skyping for free with family and friends back home (and not using the local telecom services!!!) 

Privacy versus Need to Know

Taken from:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9239911/Privacy_tradeoffs_are_inevitable_to_keep_nation_safe_Obama_says

The article says:

Computerworld - President Barack Obama today forcefully defended the government's data collection activities, calling them vital to protecting the nation against terrorist attacks.

"It is important to recognize that you can't have 100% security and also then have 100% privacy and zero inconvenience," Obama said. "We are going to have to make some choices as a society. What I can say is that, when evaluating the programs, they make a difference in our capacity to anticipate and prevent terrorist activity."

Obama's remarks are his first public comments since The Guardian on Wednesday disclosed how the NSA was collecting phone data records of all domestic and international calls made by every single Verizon customer since at least April under a secret court order. Since then, there have been at least two other reports, one by The Washington Post and the other by the Wall Street Journal, that have exposed similar large-scale data collection operations by the FBI and the NSA.

There is an old statement (that is no-longer true) - on the Internet, no one knows you are a dog.



That is no longer true - with cookies, identification of internet service providers, and much more, there is little privacy.  Even if you go go "incognito" (Google Chrome); "Private Browsing" (Firefox) or similar, you are known.

As I have traveled this summer, I find ads (frequently even the same ads) adjusted for my location.  "If you drive in <state>, you need to be aware of this new law".

I am not going to try it, but I would anticipate if I search for how to make a device that could cause a large conflagration (in other words), that I would be on somebody's list!!! 

Your IT department won't exist in five years!!!!

Taken from:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9239815/IT_departments_won_t_exist_in_five_years

What an interesting article and approach (especially for bigger businesses - with huge IT departments).  

[...]they are not sure how to address a growing generation gap between young and veteran workers, each of whom are comfortable with different technologies.

"Interns coming in for the summer are asked if they're familiar with Google Apps. They say, 'Of course we are,'" said Nathan McBride, vice president of IT & chief cloud architect at AMAG Pharmaceuticals. "Then we have other employees coming in who worked for other companies who say, 'I need Outlook.' We have to say we don't use that anymore."

McBride said 75 Fortune 100 companies now use Google Apps along with most Ivy League schools, meaning that the next generation of workers won't be users of Microsoft Exchange or Office.

In five years, McBride said, companies will have to ensure they're matching their enabling technology to the demographic of that time.

Kathleen Schaub, vice president of research firm IDC's CMO Advisory Practice, said many corporate IT organizations now report to the head of the business unit it's assigned to."

The article suggests that some functions (maybe legacy systems and systems analysis and design and back end mainframe processing) will be lead by the older generation, but the new tablet / smartphone / apps will be done by the new generation.

While I am definitely in the older generation, being a professor does keep me current with the new technologies.  I might be able to bridge the generation gap!!!

Charge your phone in 20 seconds???

Taken from:

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/52114158#52114158

Interesting!!!  Does your phone die and then you have to take an hour to charge it?  This young lady has ideas for 20 second charging - and more.  While the article didn't tell us how, it did indicate that there are still many 'game changing' ideas around us!!!

Google Skunk Works

Bloomberg Business Week recently had a front page cover (and related article) on Google Labs:http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-22/inside-googles-secret-lab

In the spirit of older, more traditional "Skunk Works" (not that Skunk works were ever traditional); Google is going full out.  

As one of there executives said: “Anything which is a huge problem for humanity we’ll sign up for, if we can find a way to fix it,”

While this blog isn't necessarily going to point out all that Google does; it is to applaud the innovation and thinking behind the developments.  I love entrepreneurship - thinking / ideas / creativity!!!  Edison took thousands of attempts to make the light bulb (and so many other things).  The Wright Brothers believed in their idea to make an airplane.  These are the game changers of history.

And ... Google labs is already putting its name out there as a "Game Changer"!!!  (Bring on my Google Glasses and my driver-less car!!!  WOOO!!!!)

A reminder

Taken from: 

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/28/18563942-harvard-dean-who-authorized-email-searches-resigns?lite

The article starts with this background:

The embattled dean of Harvard College, Evelynn Hammonds, announced on Tuesday that she will step down this summer, following months of controversy over her decision to authorize secret searches of faculty email.
Hammonds, who will remain a professor at the prestigious university, had given conflicting accounts about her decision to scan the subject lines of email accounts belonging to 16 deans, in search of correspondence relating to a major cheating scandal among Harvard students. She apologized to the faculty last month.
The e-mail search was apparently aimed at tracking correspondence between faculty and reporters for the school newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, who were investigating allegations that dozens of students cheated on a take-home final exam in a government class last spring. 

But ... in court-case after court-case, businesses have the right to search, archive, etc. email.  Not that I have anything of a negative nature in my email, but if Quinnipiac University wants to search my email - go ahead!!!

But ...another question might be with a non-business email (I use Gmail) - again, not that I have anything to hide there - can my company look at my Gmail account - especially if I open it while on campus - on a campus provided laptop?  It might be an interesting case, but I'm guessing my employer has the right to do that as well!!!

3D printing saves a life

Taken from:

http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/22/18425715-doctors-print-up-a-splint-for-babys-blocked-throat?lite

Let's be honest - I think 3D printing is an exciting new technique - and I can picture it as a great game changer in the future.  If the cost and processing come down, it might be a real inventory 'game changer' for auto shops, for replacement parts - and more.  (In a previous post I talked about how they have made 3D guns)

But in this case - 3D printing saved a child's life.  Seemingly Kaiba Gionfriddo (the child) has a rare condition where his air tube gets pressure from blood vessels and constricts so the child can't breathe.  The hospital did modeling and a the University of Michigan designed a specialized device to keep his airways open - and they printed it with a 3D printer.

And ... all is well!!!  

So ... put 3D printing on your radar - it already is a game changer for one family!!!!

Basketball sensors can be 'game changers'!!!

Taken from: 

http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/94fiftys-sensor-laden-basketball-shoots/240152926

The article explains that new micro sensors have been embedded in basketballs and can - in real time - collect, analysis and send information to smartphones!!!  This could help a basketball player who is just a little off today - correct his (her) aim / conditions.  

As a fan, I've watched some basketball players send up 'brick' after 'brick' - shooting about 10% - this might help them to see that they need more arc, more 'umphh', adjust more to the left (or right).  

The article goes on even more - to suggest that such sensors can help any activity.  Jogging, this might collect data that your right foot is slightly too open and hurting your stride; golf - your follow thru is cutting across the ball (and getting a slice).

Maybe my typing is just a little too strong on the right hand and I should do some exercises to strength my left hand typing skills!!!