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Who's Getting Big and Who's Going Away
Tech News Stories from the week of June 16th...
Walter Wimberly
June 20, 2024
Welcome back my Tech Curious friend. I’m so glad you’re here. Below you can find information about the most recent tech news. So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
You Were Supposed to Save Us
A firewall that should have prevented cyber attacks from taking down the 911 system, ironically, caused the recent outage of the 911 call system in Massachusetts.
The system was down for about 2 hours. Luckily, there are other methods of calling for assistance, and those were still operational. However, none of them are as easy as 911.
It’s Even Bigger!
Just a couple of weeks ago, Nvidia was celebrating being the second largest company by market capitalization. Now, they are the biggest.
Of course, this is a measurement of their stock price, not what they are selling. So it is subject to some volatility. But, for now, they’re going to ride high on the sales of chips that can be used for AI.
How You Get Big Matters
Adobe is being sued by the US government for allegedly hiding early cancelation fees, a complicated cancelation process, and more. Of course Adobe denies all of this of their SaaS product.
Many designers find Adobe a necessary evil since they make most of the industry standard design tools, however their products are expensive and you have to pay monthly for them.
While this has been good for Adobe’s bottom line, it upsets many of their users, like myself, who is always on the lookout for alternatives, if only Photoshop wasn’t just so dang good. Of course, I rarely need/use their new features, which is why I rarely updated in days gone by.
TikTok isn’t the Only Company Being Banned
The US House of Representatives recently passed a bill to ban another Chinese-based company - DGI. They are the manufactures of some of the most common personal drones, owning 70% of the market.
Concerns for spying, and more are why it is placed in the upcoming Defense Authorization Bill. If it passes in the Senate, no new sales would be allowed, although existing drones in the market would be allowed to stay.
Of course, the question is, “Is this about security, or trade wars?” And I’m thinking a little of both.
Speaking of TikTok, and Other Social Media Companies
The US Surgeon General is demanding that warning labels be put on social media apps because of the risks associated with them for children and adolescents.
Congress has called different social media companies before them because of these risks, and there are lots of studies which show the risks. However, Congress would have to pass a law to make it take effect.
While some are saying this has helped reduce smoking, I’m thinking the crack down on selling to underage individuals, as well as making it so smoking companies couldn’t have ads on TV for their products might have had more effect.
Big Macs Require People Now…
…at least to order. McDonalds is temporarily pulling the AI drive through kiosks. Of course, this was just a test at about 100 locations.
However, McDonalds has said that it is not pulling the plug on AI, just this instance.
They Just Won’t Die…
The tracking cookies that is. Google has given them another reprieve of about 200 days at this point.
While these are nasty little buggers which not only track you, but allow cross site tracking which has huge security concerns. Of course, they are great for marketers, which Google needs to continue to support, since they make most of their money from on-line ads.
No More Cell Phones
That’s what the second largest school system in America is saying, at least. The Los Angeles Unified School District’s board voted 5-2 in favor of the ban earlier this week.
According to a recent survey, 72% of high school teachers said cell phone distraction “is a major problem in the classroom.” While many students feel they can multitask, I’ve done a simple test which shows how difficult it can be.
The school district is working out issues, such as how to handle emergency communications, and allowing them to be used for students where English isn’t their first language, and they need help to translate.
Of course, how good will students be hiding these device? Only time will tell.
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