Modern Life Network - Content As It Relates To Your Life

A growing concern is sprouting in the technology industry as many hiring managers are finding a talent gap between what’s needed and what applicants can provide. National Geographic has produced an excellent DocuSeries - Valley of the Boom - revisiting the history of Netscape and web browsing. Many federal government websites are set to have their security status expires as the shutdown lingers on in the United States. Trusting cloud storage is a risk and when Google Drive folders cannot be located, the anxiety can quickly set in.

We consider the dark side of high paying tech jobs in the booming and competitive real estate market of San Francisco. IMDb has announced the launching of Freedive, an ad-supported movie service feature older offerings that is lacking in the market. Microsoft’s support of Windows 7 is phasing out in one year, but there is work to be done with 600 million units running the legacy operating system. And finally, several FCC and FTC sites are non-operational due to the domestic government shutdown. The lack of services are leaving consumers vulnerable and unable to report identity theft and robocalling scams.

We quickly dive into a few stories we missed on the year in review episode and also share our holiday tech recap. A report showed that 164 companies made their first $1 million via in-app purchases and recurring membership fees, proving that app development is changing the economy and business landscape. Apple has agreed to provide iTunes movies and their original content on specific smart televisions, which demonstrates a shift in Apple’s hardware only model. We recap some interesting Consumer Electronics Show gadgets and share some recent shipping issues that are causing headaches for online shoppers.

The tech industry brought about a number of changes in 2018, specifically in the entertainment, mobile, cloud computing, and smart home corners of the technology sector. The year brought about a new level of hacking and data breaching, along with plenty of space travel and augmented reality to go around. And of course, what is a recap of last year if we didn’t throw out some predictions for 2019. Next year may serve as a launching pad for a few specific industries, but technology will fall short in some areas as well.

Google is in the news as the shutdown of Google+ speeds up after another breach exposes users’ data. Sundar Pichai, Google CEO, is heading to Capitol Hill to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee where user privacy, anti-conservative bias, and more is on the agenda. In a shocking, or maybe not too shocking, report the New York Times reported an incredible piece on how enabled location services tracked an individual throughout the city to freakish detail. Locally, over 200 e-scooters hit the streets of Bakersfield overnight without the approval or consultation of city officials.

Over the past 30 years, consumers and businesses have forgotten about a number of tech products ranging from portable music and video technology to mobile tech and connectivity means. Google is having its day in front of the United States Congress as it heads to Washington D.C. to answer questions from congressional leaders. In another major cyber attack, Marriott announces an incident in where 500 million customers’ information was stolen. And in bizarre news, dial up internet still services nearly 9 million people in rural and remote areas.

We learned this week that Amazon now has a deal with Apple to sell most of the Apple products on the online retailer’s marketplace. Absent from that is the HomePod and for good reason. InSight landed on Mars this week as it is set to explore and teach us more about what’s going on beneath the surface of the red planet. In more Apple news, the Silicon Valley giant is battling with iPhone users over the 30% commission earned from app store purchases and app developers. Lastly, we share a few stories related to customer service, cancelling accounts, and strange mapping directions.

We are joined with a good friend of the show and gadget guru Rick Limpert to talk about Black Friday deals, holiday hacks, and hot holiday items with special. We talk about a wide range of items for the holidays from online Christmas card ordering, noise cancelling headphones, DSLR cameras, vintage video games, and portable gym bags. And what about some holiday hacks such as finding places that price match, doing your homework online prior to shopping, using apps to find the best deals around, and finding out what benefits credit card companies offer for shoppers.

We learned this week that the person named after Nintendo's famous Super Mario franchise, Mario Segale, has died at 84. Apple reported to investors last week that the hardware giant would no longer be reporting on unit sales for their line of products, raising many concerns and questions along the way. When it comes to daylight savings, let’s not just focus on the housework. Let’s add some items to our tech to do list such as updating systems, security, and passwords and backing up our data. Lastly, bitcoin turns 10 this week and changed the manner in which many envision financial transactions in the future.

In California, the senator that authored the gold standard of net neutrality laws has delayed the implementation of that law after agreeing with the FCC to wait for judicial review. In random news, CompUSA is back online after 11 years as the site is now a bargain affiliate based site for discounts products and tech gadgets. Google is now handing over some more privacy controls to users with the ability to clear their entire search history from their servers. Finally, IBM is set to acquire Red Hat by end of 2019 in an attempt to compete in the cloud services industry and provide more offerings to their clients.

We are chatting about micro-mobility, using technology during disasters, concerns over health monitoring apps, and contrasting customer service. E-scooters have disrupted the transportation business around the globes and caught many off guard as to the grand success of these services. To assist with connectivity during disaster relief, a new tethered drone called a Flying COW (cell on wings), has been deployed on the beaches of Florida. There is growing concern in the health provider and medical profession of the dangers of users relying too heavily on their health monitoring apps due to their inability to provide accurate, reliable, and consistent data.

Paul Allen, founder of Microsoft, sadly passed away on Monday evening. A notable figure in the growth of software, home computing, and enterprise business, Allen altered the course of technological history. Snapchat has produced a series of original programming aimed at targeting the young adult and youth using and not using their app. The three giant tech companies - Amazon, Google, and Microsoft - are in a battle of words as they compete for a USA military contract valued at around $10 billion. At the center of controversy is the use of artificial intelligence in US military war drones.

Verizon promised and has began delivering in-home 5G internet service to 4 select cities as the next development in home and mobile delivery is set to take center stage. Microsoft is looking to revolutionize the gaming industry with Project xCloud, a new concept that will be bringing the XBox gaming ecosystem to the mobile and tablet industries in 2019. The federal government is suing the State of California over their recent open internet protection bill (net neutrality) in what will become an epic court battle. And finally, we discuss the roles we have to play in today’s world in order to protect our data and information.

Stratolaunch, based at the Mojave Air & Spaceport, are using unique launching ideas and uniquely designed aircraft to send satellites into orbit. SpaceX announced plans to send the first private passenger to the moon in 2023, a stride that was promised by the company and is becoming a reality. Deadly body camera footage continues to appear on social media on the demand of users, but the trend is becoming a bit more troubling. The EU is scheduled to enforce an interesting set of regulations aimed at diminishing Google’s power and empowering creators and publishers.

We are diving into drones, senate hearings, hackers, and $1 trillion companies. Interdrone happened in Las Vegas last week and we share our opinions on the conference and the state of the commercial drone industry. Executives from Facebook and Twitter were welcomed in the United States Senate to answer questions associated with the spread of misinformation on their platforms. Over 380,000 British Airways customers received word their personal information was stolen by hackers a few weeks ago. Lastly, Amazon joined Apple as the only other $1 trillion company - proving that e-commerce, cloud computing, and customer service go a long way.

A once unknown Brazilian tribe in the Amazon was located via drone and it’s drawing intrigue and interest. Two years after the FAA commercial drone rules, we are seeing an incredible rise in use and application in industries such as emergency response, academia, and construction. Facebook Watch, their on-demand video streaming service, is going global as they attempt to compete with the other giants in the industry. A new breed of real estate companies, known as iBuyers, are popping up offering 3-day turnarounds for home sales.

Rebecca Olson - Executive Director of 59 Days of Code. 59 Days of Code is based in Fresno, California and envisions a community and city using technology for good by finding solutions to local issues. The nonprofit is creating a community that uses technology to create more sustainable, richer, and efficient ways of conducting business and resolving problems. The main highlight is their expo, dubbed #thecompetition, which throws developers, designers, and entrepreneurs against each other. We dive into the origins, the now, and the future of the nonprofit as they look to expand and create a new environment to live and work.

We are diving head first into technology stories changing and influencing your lives. During a recent hacking conference in Las Vegas, several children (ages 8-17) took only a few hours to hack into voting machines and systems highlighting the well known problem of security and vulnerability in the democratic process. Fake reviews on Amazon, TripAdvisor, and Yelp continue to grow in scale. Spotting fake reviews can be very simple, so let’s not get caught up in the mayhem. Netflix had hinted at deleting all user reviews a few months ago and they lived up to their word. All reviews are gone and we share why.

On Episode 412 of The Waves of Tech, we are covering the old and the new in technology. The IBM PC - Model 5150 - was introduced 37 years ago and we explain its lasting impact on the personal computing marketplace. Plastic surgeons across America are reporting higher than average requests from patients to receive surgery to look more like the filtering options in apps like Snapchat and Instagram. The FCC lost a court battle as the agency attempted to eliminate a $25 Internet and phone service subsidy provided to the tribal communities and small regional carriers. And beware of your Craigslist postings, as people are finding new places to squat and also posing as property owners for rental transactions. Modern Issues. Modern Discussions. Enjoy the podcast and continue to ride...The Waves of Tech.

Alex Jones and his InfoWars content has been banned and removed from multiple platforms for inciting violence, harassment of individuals, and violation of hate speech conditions. Outside of the major social networks, there are several niche and unique networks out there to join - beer drinkers, creative artists, supernatural, film, and more. The AT&T and Time Warner Cable deal received a slight setback with an appeal filed by the Justice Department. And finally, we cover the lack of common courtesy when people utilize devices in public.