Modern Life Network - Content As It Relates To Your Life

Waymo has partnered with Walmart to provide their customer base in Phoenix with an option to use autonomous vehicles for grocery pickup. Disney and 21st Century Fox announced a $71 billion deal that could be sending a number of entertainment brands, including Hulu and animation studios, under the Disney umbrella. The Girl Scouts of America are adding thirty science, technology, and engineering badges to inspire and encourage their members to choose a career path in technology. Lastly, Chrome is still working to improve the unencrypted and encrypted web by established a new default setting in their browser.

We are discussing topics that matter to you in the technology industry.  AT&T is bringing 5G Evolution to 12 United States cities after testing in specific markets for 7 months. 5G brings 10 times the capacity of 4G and offers capacity to fuel virtual reality and autonomous vehicle innovation.  The Indian government is mandating the use of a spam-filtering app on all networks because users are facing major spamming issue the past three years. Apple has until January 2019 to comply by offering the app to users or they must leave the Indian market.  An Uber/Lyft driver live streamed his rideshare experiences with his Twitch channel leading to a major debate in the industry to the legal, moral, and ethical use of video in today’s technology space. Lastly, the results are in from Prime Day 2018. Amazon set a number of new records selling over 100 million products.

First up, we are diving into the growing issue of customer service in the technology industry as automation and in-store cuts become a common function of business - who is doing it right and who is getting is terribly wrong. An ex-Apple employee has been arrested for the theft of autonomous vehicle schematics and technical documents as he was getting ready to board a plan to his new job overseas with a self-driving car startup venture. Facial recognition technology is growing in popularity for many corporations, but very little is out there in the form of government regulation. Some Silicon Valley companies are saying the tech industry needs guidance on the ethical uses of software recognition now and in the future.

We are covering a bizarre collection of technology topics for the week. After learning of the stranded Thailand soccer team, Elon Musk put SpaceX and Boring Company engineers on the clock to create a mini submarine (a kid-sized escape pod) to assist with rescue efforts. Across the country and specifically in California, the risk of fireworks leading to wildfires and property damage is leading July 4 organizers to contract with Intel to create drone shows to celebrate Independence Day. eBay is ramping up their efforts to steal some attention and customers away from Amazon Prime Day by offering super discounted items to any and all visitors to their e-commerce site. Facebook is back in the news after flagging the text of the Declaration of Independence as hate speech. Their use of artificial intelligence to identify hateful posts still needs some fine tuning.

We are heating up the mic with some strong takes and stern words for some choice companies. We start off calm with a discussion on the growing problem of major Silicon Valley tech companies impacting their hometown with transportation and housing issues. Mountain View is considering a tax on Google to pay for improvements. Next, the once popular PC maker Dell has announced plans to go public again after a five year hiatus from public trading. Now we get heated… AT&T announced several rate increases immediately after their $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable, and Comcast announced plans to throttle data and hotspot functionality for Xfinity Mobile users. We obviously have strong opinions on both these matters.

Instagram surprised everyone this week with the release of IGTV - a stand alone long-form video application for content creators and consumers. The Facebook Marketplace is a feature of the social media giant that is often under reported on but has some great benefits for buyers and sellers of goods. Following their acquisition of Time Warner, AT&T released a privacy policy update. The FAQ page is one of the most comprehensive pages out there. And finally, AppNexus has been bought by AT&T as the telecom giant pushes into digital advertising to compete with the likes of Facebook and Verizon.

A United States federal judge approved the merger of AT&T and Time Warner Cable. In effect, AT&T owns distribution, content, and media rights to nearly 100 companies across the world.  Moreover, Comcast and Disney are battling for the acquisition of a 21st Century Fox stake to add additional content and rights to the asset class. This all may spell trouble for consumers as net neutrality regulations are set to expire thanks to the Federal Communication Commission.  Next, the CIO of General Motors has transformed the Information Technology branch of the company in just under five years by insourcing over 10,000 jobs and focusing on innovation, research, and development. Lastly, we share a personal story of how one single app is changing the life of addiction.

The United States is now owner to the most powerful supercomputer in the world - Summit. The computer has the ability to compute 20 quadrillion calculations in just one second and is optimized for artificial intelligence specific applications. The gig economy is changing the way people lives their lives, travel, and earn an income. A couple is using Rover and Taskrabbit to earn a living while traveling around the in their RV. In 2015, a young teen struggling with depression and attempted suicides created an app to serve as a resource for others battling the same. Three years later, Amanda Southworth is changing the app space with her purposefully built apps. Finally, the VPNFilter malware infection has moved across international borders and has infected 500,000 devices.

We dive into what the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) are and how it is affecting companies, benefiting consumers, and changing the definition of personal data. L’Oreal, the French health and beauty giant, is adapting their digital strategy to include augmented reality to allow their customers the ability to virtually try-on makeup and hair products. The United States’ Senate passed a resolution to reinstate the Open Internet Order, with little hope of it moving forward. Google has made the decision to transition Chrome to the default HTTPS setting in September and October. Finally, iOS 12 was announced and new features such as Siri Shortcuts, Measure, Screentime, and Group FaceTime are here.

Adobe is offering the suite of Creative Cloud to educators for an absurd discount - $5 per student per year. Students will have access to Lightroom, Audition, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and more. In net neutrality news, the United States Senate has forced a vote on the floor to reinstate the 2015 Open Internet Order. The ongoing battle over net neutrality between the FCC, the federal government, states, general public, and the tech industry is quickly coming to a boil. Square, the popular payment services company, recently acquired Weebly. The companies form a solid partnership providing a comprehensive solution for business owners and individuals growing their brand, business, and income.

We are celebrating another milestone on the podcast - the 400th episode! Over ten years ago, we hit record with no idea of where this podcast would go and it’s been an adventure. First up, we discuss how tech has changed since our first episode and then dive into a celebration of the iMac turning 20 years old this month. Last week, Twitter internally exposed the passwords of their 330 millions users. We tell you what you need to know and what to do to protect yourself. Google is set to announce a new set of controls for individuals to help manage phone use. In Microsoft news, the new Your Phone app for Windows 10 provides a direct mirror of your phone straight to a desktop PC, allowing users to access texts, photos, and notifications. In addition, we dissect the future direction of Microsoft as their position in the tech industry has drastically shifted with CEO Satya Nadella at the helm. Finally, we offer up a 6 minute audio collage spanning the last 399 episodes.

Apple has issued a memo (which was in fact leaked) warning employees that the leaking of confidential and sensitive information is punishable with termination, fines, jail time, and more. The cost of your Amazon Prime membership has been increased by 20% after Amazon executives stated that more digital, shipping, and delivery options are rising in cost. T-Mobile and Sprint announced a multi-billion dollar merger that would instantly rank the new company as the second largest mobile provider in the nation. With the promise of 5G investment and better capabilities, the industry may be in for a major shakeup.

Chevrolet and Shell have partnered to provide drivers to ability to pay for gas inside their vehicle via the infotainment center. With a modest rollout in three cities, look for the nationwide announcement soon. The state of California is moving forward with their own version of net neutrality in response to the FCC’s rollback of internet protections earlier this year. The Hubble Space Telescope celebrated 28 years in orbit this week. The telescope has amazed scientists, astronomers, and enthusiasts with its brilliant and stunning photographs of the depths of space. Google plans to introduce an app across its systems, Chat, to compete with and eventually end SMS messaging.

Facebook Messenger is a great way to communicate, and in this story Steve shares how the application brought together friends that haven’t spoken in 25 years. Apple Music continues its accelerated growth in the streaming service market, boasting a subscribing base of over 40 million, and becoming more and more competitive with Spotify. In Australia, a 57 year old victim’s Apple Watch data was used to solve her 2016 murder. ESPN has entered the digital content streaming business with ESPN+, which will offer a variety of sports content to users that do not have a traditional cable package. Finally, the end of passwords may be on the horizon with the introduction of WebAuthn, a global effort to bring simpler yet stronger web authentication to users.

Google has removed the ‘View Image’ function, safeguarding image rights and limiting image piracy, after after facing an antitrust lawsuit filed by Getty Images. The State of Oregon has signed a bill enacting their own form of net neutrality that prohibits state agencies from working with internet providers that choose to throttle websites, limit access, and treat traffic unequally. Dubai is running a test program for digital license plates that is being aimed at reduced emergency response time and quickening fee collection. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg sat in the hot seat during his Senate testimony this week and earned major points with his responses and genuine message.

The Facebook data mishandling is still at the top of the discussion list as we share our thoughts on the matter, how that fits into their business model, and why things will not change. A number of technology companies played pranks on April Fools’ Day, creating some fun and entertaining concepts on social media that had customers laughing. A UK-led experiment is tackling the problem of the millions of items of space junk floating in orbit causing several safety and hazard situations. And finally, we feature four exhibitor interviews from the CUE18 conference including discussions on adapting devices into powerful learning tools, flexible seating, creating engaging presentations, and classroom management software.

We are featuring CUE18 conference conversations with a technology coordinator, an IT coach, an institute director, and fellow podcasters. CUE (Computer Using Educators) recently celebrating 40 years of bringing technology resources and tools to educators, administrators, students, and attendees. In the four conversations from the halls of the event, we explore a wide range of topics - professional development, infrastructure decision making, teaching digital citizenship, serving as a resource, empowering educators, execution of technology in the classroom, providing equitable access to digital skills, and conference rejuvenation.

Data loss is very common and strikes at inopportune times, causing stress and anxiety. With that said, March 31 is World Backup Day so join the movement! Toys R Us, an iconic American toy store, is officially closing after 70 years of service after failing to adapt to digital commerce. Ford is making a major change in the way buyers may purchase their vehicles - online dealerships with locked-in pricing, real time inventories, and no awkward sales interactions. Apple has developed a ‘Families’ page to provide resources to families on data control, website access, and privacy.

We are talking all about protecting ourselves, our data, our privacy, and our privileges. Robocalls, spam messages, and fraud attempts are rising day-by-day. Find out how to prepare and protect yourself from these types of calls. 2018 is shaping up to be a banner year for cyber-attacks, with an estimated 11 billion individual malware attacks anticipated. Learn what is coming and what can be done. California is introducing legislation - Right to Repair - mandating manufacturers to provide repair specifications on all devices sold. This would allow consumers to properly and accurately repair their devices without paying the high costs to stores and authorized dealers. And finally, states are taking the net neutrality battle to heart and signing bills to protect consumers from a future without internet protection and unequal access.

We are chatting about the future of the motorcycle industry, Amazon’s push into the security business, and people running into glass walls at Apple Park. Harley Davidson invested heavily in Alta Motors and are actively designing an electric model motorcycle to add to their inventory. This signals a small but significant change in the motorcycle industry. Amazon has purchased Ring, the internet-connected leader in security systems. The retail giant is hoping to utilize Ring and its home gadgetry to provide safe and secure delivery of their products. In some strange news, employees at Apple Park are continually running into glass walls and doors around the campus, causing 9-1-1 calls and visits from paramedic to control for head bleeding.