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Virtual Skinny: ClickBait…

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter 0 Comment

8.8.2016

Good to Know: It’s #InternationalCatDay. BTW, over the weekend, the hashtag #FirstSevenJobs was trending thanks to @mariancall. People shared their first seven jobs. Did you? If not, it’s not too late! Take a min, reflect a little, and tweet at us (@virtual_skinny)!

world cat day

THE SKINNY

When You’re Just Looking Out (For clickbait)… 

Facebook doesn’t want its users to deal with ‘clickbait’ articles in your newsfeed.

When You Need To Use It In A Sentence …

Clickbait aka articles with headlines that leave you feeling misled, tricked, or underwhelmed after clicking the link (e.g., Headline: You won’t believe what XYZ celeb did! The Actual Content: [Insert uninteresting, mundane activity like a grocery story run].

When They’ve Heard You Loud & Clear …

Facebook users aren’t amused and complain about these annoying clickbait articles. So, FB decided to put some brainpower behind solving the problem. FB employees have narrowed down types of click bait into two groups. Category 1: ‘Curiosity gap headlines’ (see example above) and Category 2: Flat out misleading headlines.

When You’ve Found A Solution … 

FB’s changed up its algorithm so that publishers who dabble with the worst type of clickbait just simply won’t reach the number of FB users they’d like. But no need to go to basic, boring, and bulky headlines just yet. FB’s only going after the worst offenders.

When Others Chime in…

Last night, John Oliver dug deep into journalism and even talked ‘clickbait’ and what that means for the future of journalism.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Didn’t They Tell You That I Was a Savage?

In case you haven’t heard, Instagram hit ‘copy and paste’ on Snapchat’s Stories. That’s right … Insta pulled a boss move and copied Snapchat’s Stories feature. The basic concept is that you can post pics at the top of your newsfeed, but it’ll “disappear” after a day. Insta’s version is called ‘Instagram Stories.’ #ShockerButNotReally Turns out people seem to like it better. And business wise, Snapchat should be worried. Instagram’s got a larger audience (its 350 million daily users v. Snapchat’s 150 million users) and possibly better tools. Uh Oh!

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN

E-commerce site Jet.com tried to take on e-commerce giant Amazon. But, it didn’t work. Walmart stepped in and paid $3 billion in cash money for Jet.com. Now, it’s back to the Wal-Mart v. Amazon matchup. Advantage, Walmart? 

Back on! Online fantasy sports sites FanDuel and DraftKings can now legally operate again in New York. But, there’s a catch. NY Governor Andrew Cuomo says the sites’ contests are now considered a “game of skill,” which basically means NY regulators will be watching. And, the sites will have to pay new fees.  

Google is off to the races in India. The company’s winning the emerging market (ahead of Facebook and Microsoft) with its free Wi-Fi program, and that’s major! #NextBillion  

Yahoo’s going through things right now. But, it’s still got its eye on the prize. It’s launching Yahoo View, a TV watching site, with the help of Hulu. 

In more TV watching news, Comcast, Time Warner, Disney, etc. have all poured money into online companies to reach younger audiences. But not Viacom. The company hasn’t gone down the digital investments road yet. Rumor has it that Viacom has its eye on BuzzFeed. Unlikely, but anything’s possible…

Speaking of not making investments, Chinese Internet giant Alibaba has no plans to get involved with U.S. streaming service Netflix. 

MAKING MOVES

Twitter just lost a member of its Comms team. Jim Prosser is heading over to marketplace lending company SoFi.

Everyone’s trying to be a tech company, including healthcare and consumer goods company Johnson & Johnson. J&J is kicking of its new tech business with the help of former Dropbox exec Marc Leibowitz.

After almost 8 years on Google’s self-driving car projects, Chris Urmson is peacing on account of he’s ‘ready for a fresh new challenge.’ 

And now that Verizon is buying Yahoo, the Internet company’s VP of global PR & Communications Anne Espiritu is ready to dip. She’s going the startup route and is joining health-care company Oscar Insurance Corp.

8.3.2016 – Virtual Skinny FinTech: Move It or Lose It

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in FinTech Edition, Newsletter 0 Comment

8.3.2016

Good to Know: We want to get your thoughts. Take our poll below! 

THE SKINNY

When You Can’t Beat ‘Em …

Join ‘em. Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, Bank of America, and US Bank are all jumping on the instant cash bandwagon.

When You Don’t Really Have A Choice …

Their hands have been forced. In the U.S., moving money between bank accounts is slow AF. Mobile services like PayPal’s Venmo and Square Cash handled the issue…Customers love it … Now U.S. banks don’t want to get left behind. 

When Your Age is Showing …

Banks have tried to pull an Instagram by offering their very own money transfer apps. Think Chase QuickPay. But, it isn’t quite the same ‘copy and paste’ job Instagram just pulled on Snapchat (read more on that later this week in our Internet & Tech edition).  They want customers to believe that their apps are just as ‘hip and cool’ as the Venmos of the world with the help of star-power ads. But, some people aren’t buying it.

When You’re Not Leading From Behind…

The U.S. is playing ‘follow the leader’ with the rest of the world when it comes to faster payments. Note to self: The U.S. is doing the following. So, the Federal Reserve Board’s ‘Faster Payments Committee’ is telling banks to ‘pick up the pace’ on money transfers.

When You Need to Make A Move …

Meanwhile everyone and their moms in the financial ecosystem (including financial OGs like Mastercard and Visa) are in an arms race to build the “payments network of the future.” Mastercard snatched up a huge chunk of Vocalink, a UK biz with a mobile and internet payment network, and Visa’s strategically linked up with Paypal.

When You’re Just Happy to be Here …  

Since people are still using the cash money and writing checks, there’s lots of opportunity to get in on the instant payments action. It won’t be easy for banks to catch up with Venmo and other peer-to-peer apps that are hybrid payment and social platforms. But, at least U.S. banks are making moves.

PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS?

Now that banks are stepping up their instant payments game, are you willing to give up your current money transfer app (i.e., Venmo, Square Cash, etc) and give your bank’s app a go?

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That …

The U.S. is still trying to get consumers to dip their credit cards rather than swipe them. Turns out chip and pin cards aka EMV cards aka cards that keep us waiting at checkout for life are way more secure and help cut back on fraud. That’s great and all, but we hear that making just two purchases daily for a year with an EMV card adds up. It’s literally 85 minutes of our lives that we’ll never get back just waiting to check out. No bueno! Even retailers want to avoid installing EMV card readers because long lines aren’t good for biz. Only 28% of all U.S. merchants require dips v. swipes. Shopping at places that take Apple, Android, or Samsung Pay may be a better, faster option. Meanwhile, some of us will continue to struggle with the process.

Screen Shot 2016-08-03 at 10.32.34 AM

And The Winner Is…

We hope China’s been practicing it’s surprise face and pageant wave. The U.S. Department of Commerce just crowned Asia’s largest economy as the 2017 Fintech Leader. Expect China to lead the world in payment exports. 

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word …

Banks in Africa are are like that ex who took you for granted but now wants to make things right. Sure, they did the basics like setting up infrastructure but didn’t go the extra mile to take care of everyone’s needs. Banks on the continent dropped the ball on figuring out mobile money services and left potential bankers out of the loop. Now that fintech startups have stepped in to offer way better services that can help way more people, the banks are seeing the error of their ways. To right their wrongs, banks are teaming up with startups like MFS Africa and Nomanini to reach untraditional young consumers.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

Hong-Kong based Bitcoin exchange Bitfinex told us its system had been compromised. Like thieves in the night, hackers allegedly made off with a cool US $65 million in real money. The exchange is looking into the breach. In the meantime, Bitcoin’s value dropped by 7.8 percent earlier this week.

China’s got a trust problem with its charity organizations. Alibaba’s CEO Jack Ma wants to use blockchain technology to make sure charities are using donations for the right purposes. Alibaba’s Ant Financial is leading the effort on this. Transparency FTW …

The charity world is pretty old school when it comes to donations. It’s all about those cash money donations. But, you can only give what you have. So, if people are short on dolla bills, charities are SOL. DipJar wants to change that up by allowing people to donate with credit or debit cards for “impulsive, on-the-spot giving.”

While Alibaba’s trying to figure out this blockchain situation, IBM seems to be way ahead of them. The tech company is all set to kick off the first major implementation of the technology for its business. IBM’s figured out how to use the technology to settle financial disputes between partners and customers. #NBD

One last thing on the checkout process, Venmo’s no longer for just easily reimbursing your friends. It’s branching out into checkout services for retail apps. Buying things you probably don’t need just got easier…

The Virtual Skinny: Run That Back!

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

12.11.2015

Good to Know:  friendswholiketrump.com will tell you if your friends support or are at least interested in Donald J. Trump and what he has to say. 

THE SKINNY

Let’s Go Halfsies? 

After its board meeting last week, Yahoo has decided to keep its stake in Chinese Internet company Alibaba. There’s also a chance it’ll put a “for sale” sign on its main Internet business (things like Yahoo Mail and its other websites).

But, Why? 

Well, Yahoo initially wanted to keep its core Internet business and sell of its Alibaba stake. But, turns out that idea comes with some major U.S. tax headaches. So, the company is switching things up. It has two options: (1) Make the sale or (2) Split off its Internet biz into a separate publicly traded company aka a “reverse spinoff.”  CEO Marissa Mayer and Chairman of her board Maynard Webb choose #2.  They say making a sale on something of low-value is generally not a good move. But, they’re still not completely ruling out that option.

Moving Forward … 

It’s business as usual for Yahoo. It just released an app to help you sift through online streaming content called the Yahoo Video Guide.  And in the midst of all her company drams, Mayer welcomed twin daughters just yesterday. Congrats!

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED? 

We’re Here For You …

That’s what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is telling the Muslim community. Zuckerberg is committed to protecting their rights.  In the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, CA, things got downright nasty. Earlier this week, U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump thought it’d be a great idea to suggest banning Muslims from entering the U.S. Pretty much everyone disagreed. Zuckerberg says even though people are turning against them, Muslims are always welcome on his social platform. 

Will The Real Slim Shady Please stand up? 

We all want to know who is responsible for bringing us the virtual currency bitcoin. To date, people credit Satoshi Nakamoto, but no one really knows whether Nakamoto is a person or a group of people hiding behind the name. Recently, publications Wired and Gizmodo think they’ve figured it all out. Based on a ton of evidence, these publications are pretty convinced that Craig Steven Wright either invented bitcoin or we’ve all been royally punked. Coincidentally, Australian federal police officers busted into Wright’s home and office. Authorities say reasons for the raid are tax-related and have nothing to do with bitcoin. Now, people are wondering if id-ing bitcoin’s creator even matters. Some say “who gives” because no single person owns the bitcoin network. But, others disagree. They want someone to step up and help sort out some of the network’s bugs.

It’s All About the Benjamins, Baby… 

Twitter needs to make more money. It’s targeting people who read tweets without actually logging onto its platform. Coming to a desktop near you, Twitter will be playing around with a feature that shows ads to these non-active users. This means about a half a billion more people each month. Since we’re talking numbers, that averages out to an additional US $2.50/user. With Jack Dorsey leading the company, lots of changes are underway. Add changing up the timeline to show tweets based on relevance rather than timestamps to the list. Twitter’s just trying to make sure you get the content you want to see.

Is The Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

The Chinese government says “half full” when talking about it web censorship.  China’s government says bringing more “order” leads to increased online freedom.  And, by order, it means doing things like shutting out Western Internet platforms like Facebook and Gmail. Oh, did we mention detaining bloggers for “spreading rumors online” and “picking quarrels?” China wants people to back off. It says if things were so bad, then its online economy wouldn’t be growing so quickly. Also, it doesn’t appreciate people bashing its ways then trying to make money off of its people.

When Things Aren’t Looking Good … 

In the U.S., drivers for ride-hailing app Uber want employee benefits and are fighting to upgrade from just contractors for the company to legit company employees.  Ohio and Florida state legislators have denied their wishes.  Both states just passed laws classifying Uber drivers as contractors.  It’s unclear what these laws say exactly, but these moves could potentially ease Uber’s pain if it loses a class action lawsuit drivers brought against it in California.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’ 

Walmart wants in on the mobile payment game along side Apple and Google. The mega-retailer introduced Walmart Pay, its new mobile payment system. The word is Walmart still plans to work with other retailers like Target and BestBuy on CurrentC, the collective’s answer to Apple Pay.

Speaking of Apple, all you iPhone 6 and 6s users will love this … The smartphone manufacturer’s developed a battery case called the Smart Battery Case.  It’ll let you run your mouth for 25 hours.

Streaming service Netflix raked in more Golden Globe nominations than old-school TV broadcasters (8 nominations to be exact).

Turkey’s government is telling Twitter to pay up TL 50,000 (US $51,000) for not taking down alleged “terrorist propaganda.” At least it’s a fine this time, Turkey’s been known to shut down Twitter within its borders all together.

When you think you’re doing a good thing but not really… Tech company IBM quickly ended its #HackAHairDryer campaign initially intended to encourage female coders and engineers. The “hair dryer” angle didn’t go well … Women engineers fired off tweets letting IBM know that they are capable of much more.

Crowdfunding site GoFundMe just landed its new Vice President of Policy & Communications, Dan Pfeiffer. He was formerly the White House’s Communications Director.

Who hasn’t this guy gone after?  U.S. Presidential hopeful Donald Trump piped up about e-commerce company Amazon’s alleged “tax shelter.” Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos now wants to #sendDonaldtospace.

Yahoo can’t keep its people. It wasn’t so hard for Ad Product Chief Prashant Fuloria to say goodbye to the com-pah-nee. He’s getting back into startups.

The Virtual Skinny: It’s Enough Now …

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

12.3.2015

Good to Know: Most of you will likely get new devices as holiday presents this year. Not sure what to do with your old ones? Amazon, Gazelle, and Best Buy have stellar recycling or trade-in programs in the U.S. 

THE SKINNY

Something Becoming Routine Isn’t Always A Good Thing…  

In fact, it can be a very bad thing. Yesterday, a horrible mass shooting took place in San Bernadino, California and claimed the lives of 14 innocent people. Per usual, U.S. politicians immediately took to Twitter to send their “thoughts and prayers.” It didn’t go over well with the American public. 

aN uNEXPECTED RESPONSE … 

The hashtag #thoughtsandprayers started trending on Twitter but not in the way you think. Americans tweeted their frustrations with the U.S. Congress’s inaction on gun control. Their message: Simply tweeting about “thoughts and prayer” won’t change anything.  The controversial front page of today’s NY Daily News pretty much sums it up.

Speak Up or DO SOMETHING

This latest tragedy is just another example of the increasing role Internet and tech companies are playing to either help force difficult political debates or help take action against domestic and global terrorists.  For instance, earlier today, five tech companies including Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Google, and Microsoft told France that they would “define and establish an offensive strategy of counter-discourse that will specifically target the online activities” of terrorist group ISIS.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Break Me Off A Piece of that…

If Yahoo’s board decides to sell the company’s Web business, it looks like almost everyone and their Moms want a piece of the action.  Potential buyers range from private equity firms to media and telecom companies like Verizon Communications (they bought AOL earlier this year), Time Inc., and even News Corp. (owner of Wall Street Journal).  Not everyone’s jumping on the Yahoo bandwagon.  Chinese Internet company Alibaba is not interested.  Decisions should be made by the time the company’s marathon board meeting ends tomorrow.  The suspense!

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’ 

German banking startup Number26 is going after Europeans with aversions to traditional banking. It’s expanding across Europe to service countries like France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Slovakia and Spain.

When a potentially better product is on your heels, you have to act quick! Global bank Goldman Sachs is creating its own version of “bitcoin” or virtual currency called SETLCoin. Trading securities and settling those trades may just get a bit easier and faster.

Spotify is world’s the #1 music streaming service, but Pandora isn’t going out like that. Pandora’s pretty popular in the U.S., but it’s putting in work to compete in a very competitive market. New strategy: Attack the Spotify-types’ “free” music model. Record labels are listening, but that message probably won’t go over well with consumers.

YouTube is forming closer ties with Hollywood. The online platform is wheeling and dealing (in a good way) to get rights for TV shows and movies to stream via its new YouTube Red Service.

Parking your own car is such a waste of time.  Don’t worry! Startup valet-parking company Luxe has got you. Start saving your coins. Depending on the U.S. city, pricing could range from US $5-7 hourly or US$15 – US$30 daily.

The Virtual Skinny: Surprise, Surprise

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

11.12.2015

Good to Know:  We all know what it’s like to have the case of the Mondays but turns out that people actually hate Thursdays more according to posts on the Whisper app. 

THE SKINNY

Yikkity Yak, Don’t Post That … 

Using anonymous messaging app Yik Yak to post racial threats is a pretty terrible idea. Just ask 19-year-old, Missouri University of Science and Technology student Hunter Park.

What Went Down? 

Park took the app and allegedly posted a message threatening black students and faculty at the University of Missouri (Mizzou), the sister campus to Missouri University of Science and Technology. The actual words used were “I’m going to shoot any black people tomorrow, so be ready.”  Umm… terrifying … Black students fled campus before police arrested Park on suspicion of making terrorist threats.

Posters Beware … 

College kids are very into Yik Yak, but most of them probably didn’t read the fine print. The app says it can hand over users’ information (e.g. Internet protocol address, GPS coordinates, date and time of message, etc.) to police if there’s a subpoena, court order, or search warrant involved. But, all that paper work isn’t needed in the event of an emergency like death threats.

Not the First Time …

Park’s threats along with some others surfaced on Yik Yak after Mizzou’s President and another senior university official were forced to step down.  Their departure came after weeks of protests calling out the university’s handling of students’ concerns over racial incidents on campus. The app has a history of users’ posting these types of messages. In recent weeks, a few arrests have been made on college campuses across the U.S. for similar threats by other students.  Yik Yak founder Brooks Buffington says the app is not meant for this type of behavior. 

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? 

Paying Your Fair Share …

AirBnB was fired up when it scored its major “W” by shutting down San Francisco’s Proposition F, which would have been bad news bears for short-term rentals.  But now, the home-sharing service is taking things down a notch. This week, the company’s out with what it’s calling the “AirBnB Community Compact” to mend relations with local governments. AirBnB is willing to pay taxes, share unidentified data on its hosts and guests, and banning illegal hotels for participating on the platform.

When Someone Tries To Put You in a Box … 

“Don’t do it,” says Chinese Internet company Alibaba.  The company thinks it can do better and is looking to expand its empire.  Alibaba is getting into U.S. territory by throwing money at high-tech U.S. startups. The company also wants to export goods from U.S. small and medium-sized businesses over to China.  Btw, the company’s setting the record straight … It’s no e-commerce company. Instead, it wants to help other businesses compete with the Amazons of the world.

We Still Need Confirmation … 

The U.S. and EU are working hard to figure out a deal that will allow American companies to transfer Europeans’ data back to the States.  The EU may have some new stipulations. EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova says it may want American companies to turn over reports detailing just how many times U.S. intelligence agencies are reaching out to them and inquiring about EU residents. You know, just to double-check that things aren’t getting out of hand.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

Social media company Facebook’s out with its new “breaking news” feature called Notify. You get your pick of what type of news you want to see from over 70 publishers.

Apple wants you to be able to make instant payments to your friends. It’s rumored to be working with banks to figure out a mobile peer-to-peer payment service.

Ride hailing app Uber wanted to get Nokia Maps in its corner to improve its navigation service, but things didn’t work out.  Uber has moved onto navigation company TomTom and worked out partnership deal.

Online music streaming service Spotify’s trying to get you to the next big show with concert recommendations curated just for you.

IAC/Interactive Corp, owner of brands like OkCupid and CollegeHumor.com, wants to add Angie’s List, reviewer of local businesses, to its collection via a merger. Angie’s List is thinking things over.

LinkedIn knows it sends way too many emails and is working on a tool to fix that. Internally, the tool is known as Air Traffic Controller.

The Virtual Skinny: Halfway There, Already

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

10.14.2015

Good to Know:  Working remotely is generally a good deal unless you’re about to be canned. Yesterday, Twitter employees working remotely found out they got laid off only when they could no longer access their company e-mail.  Ouch! 

THE SKINNY

It’s Hard Out There …

Breaking into the music biz is tough. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) just said “see you in court” to Aurous, a newly released music streaming service, and one of its creators Andrew Sampson.

RING THE ALARM …

Aurous came out just this week. Unlike what we’re used to with Spotify-type services, Aurous is completely free (look Ma, no ads!). Spotify-types usually negotiate and license music from record labels so you can listen to your sweet jams.  Aurous doesn’t bother. Instead, the service fancies itself an aggregator of sorts and pulls music from third-party services like Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, etc. The RIAA is giving Aurous major blank stares. The music industry rep says that the service is blatantly violating copyrights left and right. Plus, it says Aurous’ main sources are Russian sites notorious for offering pirated music. They want the court to shut it down and for Sampson to cough up $3 million in damages. Shots fired!

joke’s on them …

Aurous and Sampson took to Twitter to respond to the RIAA. Let’s just say, they’re not taking it that seriously. The company seems confident that the suit is rubbish, and it will be able to continue operating.  But, it should be a little worried. Turns out using those Russian sites may not bode well in court. In the meantime, Sampson is telling the music industry to be cool because he plans to create a system for them to flag infringing songs.  He even wants users to be able to tip their fave artists with virtual currency bitcoin. We shall see…

What Else Is Going On?

Pop Up Video … 

What can we say? Facebook is literally into everything.  The company announced that it’s trying its hand at video.  FB wants people to be able to save videos right from their homepage, and it’ll also offer up suggested videos based on viewing habits and give access to vids posted courtesy of your friends, celebs, companies, etc.  What’s the big deal? It’s all about the $200 billion companies are shelling out for TV ads. Naturally, FB wants some of those ad dollars and will begin sharing its ad revenue with video creators soon. For now, FB is testing the video feature only with a small group of people. But, it’s probably still safe to say, watch out YouTube,  FB’s coming for you.

Read Between the Lines … 

Fresh off the biggest tech merger ever between EMC and Dell, some people on Wall Street are getting worried about the amount of deals going on this year.  Companies joining forces have already captured $3.5 trillion in merger transactions.  Bankers are concerned that this could be signs of a weak economy. Taking a look at recent mergers, particularly the EMC/Dell collabo, many have been in efforts to cut costs and to turn around struggling companies.  These mergers are coming from a place of weakness and not strength – another cause for concern.  We should expect to see more of this trend over the course of the next year, but it could be longer due to low interest rates.  Financial analysts are saying this type of deal-making isn’t sustainable and are watching the markets.  Hold onto your hats, people!

The Streets Are Talkin’

Chinese Internet giant Alibaba is going European.  As growth slows in China, the company continues its international expansion by opening offices in Italy, France, and Germany.

Nothing like having good conversations while breaking bread with strangers.  Under the radar app, EatWith is still working to bring strangers together over a shared meal.

Staying on the food trend, UberRush, Uber’s new courier service, is launching in Chicago and San Francisco. Services aren’t limited to just food deliveries either. Flowers anyone? Also, Uber is lending its driver network for a good cause. It’s partnering with the U.S. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to send Amber alerts to drivers.

Snapchat is trying to figure out what it wants to do in the content space and creating its own original content isn’t on the list. The company just let its ‘SnapChat Channel’ team go.

FB heard your complaints and no longer wants you to re-live those hard moments in your life. It’s now letting you filter out stuff you don’t want to be reminded of via its ‘On This Day’ feature. Once is enough, please and thank you!

Laser Razor sounded too good to be true, and Kickstarter thought the same thing.  The crowdfunding platform pulled the project after it raised $4 million. No working prototype? No funding!

Apparently, reality shows about startups are a bad idea. Cross that off your list of #LifeGoals.

 

The Virtual Skinny: Brrr, It’s Cold Out There!

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

11.18.2014

Good to Know:  Ever had trouble finding a parking spot in a major city?  Luxe Valet, a new app offering on-demand valet parking service, is about to change your life.  How does it work?  Simply turn on the app, input your destination and be on your way.  Once you arrive at your destination, a Luxe valet will greet you (by name). The valet does all the work while you go about your business.  Ready to leave? Just hit the app to get your car back.  All of this for just $5/hour and $15 daily. Luxe is set to launch in the LA area soon but could be coming to a city near you.  We can’t wait! 

THE SKINNY.

There’s No “I” in Team But There’s A “Me”…

According to media reports, President Obama is planning to take executive action on immigration this week. His plan is expected to permit 5 million immigrants to change their undocumented status from illegal to legal by granting them work permits.

Changing Times… 

For a few years now, President Obama has consistently stayed away from taking executive action on immigration reform but has looked to Congress to pass comprehensive legislation for a much-needed overhaul of the current system.  Though the Senate passed a bipartisan comprehensive bill last year, efforts stalled in the House.  And with Republicans set to take control of both the Senate and the House next year, things may become increasingly difficult. Though President Obama previously stated that acting by his lonesome on this issue would be “very difficult to defend legally,” he now believes that it would be “legally unassailable.”   In other words, he’s ready to get things done.

What About Me? 

The tech industry has been lobbying hard for the U.S. government to make more H1-B  visas (or high-skilled worker visas) available in order to increase America’s competitiveness.  After all, immigrants founded some of the tech and Internet companies we know and love today (i.e., Google and Yahoo).  But, there’s only so much the President can do.  While there are no specific details on the plan, it’ll likely only make small changes to address this specific issue. Congress will have to act to bring about any major changes.

What Else is Going On This Week?

Back In the News… 

Spotify is making the media rounds again, but this time it’s much less controversial and doesn’t involve Taylor Swift. Uber announced this week that it’s teaming up with the online music service just to make you feel more at home while in an Uber car.  From what we hear, once you jump into an Uber, you’ll be able to listen to your Spotify music playlist. No word yet on how this will work technically.

Can We Talk?

Telecom companies and Google are talking but haven’t quite yet defined their relationship.  Google’s Project Loon aims to bring Internet access to rural, less populated areas via balloons suspended at about 65,000 feet.  The Internet company is already partnering with Australia’s largest telecom provider Telstra to test these balloons in Western Queensland.  While Google is optimistic about potential collabos to bridge the gap between telcos and rural populations, telecom analysts think that the telcos are a bit more skeptical.  Analysts say telcos fear that Google could turn into a potential competitor.  Keep you friends close and your enemies closer.

I Got My Mind on My Money, and My Money on My Mind Phone …

Since Apple launched Apple Pay, there’s been a lot of chatter about the future of mobile payments.  And, with its recent plans to work with UnionPay and AliPay (both Chinese payment systems), Apple intends to keep the chatter going.  This week, Apple announced that its working to allow consumers to link their Apple ID to their UnionPay accounts. This move makes it easier for Chinese consumers to purchase Apple’s apps.  As Oprah would say during the holiday season, you’re ALL getting AH-AHPPSSSS … You get an app, and You get an app … In other mobile payment news, Snapchat is working with Square on a new payment feature called SnapCash. This new feature will allow SnapChat users to quickly message funds to each other.

The Streets Are Talkin’

Did you get my Facebook ping? Facebooking at work may soon be safe.  The social network is reportedly gearing up to offer its services at work via “Facebook@Work.”  This new service will allow people to group chat at work but also work jointly on projects and documents.

You’ve been summoned. And by “you,” we mean Twitter and Facebook.  According to reports, Russia is requesting to meet with the Internet companies to discuss the country’s new laws basically requiring government registries for bloggers and also that Internet data about Russian residents be kept within the country’s borders.

Alibaba keeps making moves. The Chinese e-commerce company now wants to get into the movie making business with Hollywood. It has plans to be a major player in the content distribution business.  Bloomberg says the company wants to do so “by using customer shopping and viewing data” to predict what movies will be successful in the Chinese market.

Things That Break The Internet …

The verdict is still out on whether Kim Kardashian’s highly controversial, NSFW Paper Magazine pics actually broke the Internet, but it’s safe to say that LifeTime’s Aaliyah biopic and Solange’s recent wedding are definitely this week’s hot topics.

Note to LifeTime: Next time, maybe consider better casting choices – or not.  We did enjoy these HI-LARIOUS #LifeTimeBeLike memes. #WeCant #StopIt

And Solange, keep doing what you’re doing because your wedding jumper and cape and pretty much everything else about your wedding was perfection!

The Virtual Skinny: All Net Neutrality Every-thang

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter 0 Comment

11.11.2014

Good to Know:  November 11 is Alibaba’s Singles’ Day in China (and Veterans Day in the U.S. – thank you to all those who have served and are currently serving).  Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce site, is responsible for what is basically the anti-Valentine’s day and also the biggest e-commerce day of the year.  Sales have already reached over $8 billion. We’re starting to reconsider Cyber Monday and Black Friday. 

THE SKINNY.

The InterWebs Is All Abuzz…

Because on Monday, November 10, President Obama ensured that we’d be talking about net neutrality all week when he came out with a strong statement and video in support of net neutrality rules that would keep the Internet open and free.

Why Is This Big Deal?

First, the back-story… For many years, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been working towards implementing net neutrality rules. However, the Commission’s efforts have been consistently challenged in court – first by Comcast and then most recently by Verizon.  In January 2014, the D.C. Circuit struck down most of the Commission’s rules (namely no blocking and no discrimination).  Subsequently, the FCC had started a lengthy, record breaking public comment process of trying to figure out what rules to adopt and how it would legally carry out implementation of these rules.  Through this process, the FCC heard from about 3 million plus people, and many of you want the FCC to reclassify broadband services under Title II of the Communications Act (Title II) as a common carrier service.

What is Title II, and Why Should I Care? 

By reclassifying broadband services under Title II, it is argued that this would prevent ISPs from discriminating against certain types of services and content and stop them from charging Internet users a premium just to access our favorite online shows (kind of like how you have to pay more for HBO).  Proponents say going down the Title II route will protect the open Internet and allow us to do as we please online.   ISPs/cable companies are not feelin’ this idea and think things should be left just as they are.

Ok? So What’s the Punch Line …

Well, there’s been intense debate about what rules are appropriate and the best legal approach to get there.  Last week, we told you about the WSJ leak where we found out that the FCC was considering a hybrid legal approach, which pretty much everyone and their mother hated.  Then yesterday, President Obama called for strong rules that would prevent discrimination and blocking while encouraging transparency. And, Obama recommended that the FCC (an independent agency) implement these rules by reclassifying broadband services under… wait for it … TITLE II!  #MicDrop

What Does Obamacare Have to Do With This?

In a nutshell, the Democrats and Internet companies came out in support of the President’s statement.  As expected, Republicans and ISPs were not pleased.  Speaking of Republicans, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) went there and said that net neutrality is the Obamacare for the Internet.  Needless to say, the Internet responded, and it wasn’t pretty.

Till Next Year … 

President Obama’s statement is a game changer.  Originally, we all thought we’d see an official FCC proposal come out this December but looks like things have been pushed back until the new year.

What Else Is Going On This Week?

They’re Having the Last Laugh …

Remember when Facebook told you that you’d have to download its Messenger app to send messages via your phone? And we were all like ain’t happening … Well, turns out that 500 million of us gave in.  The social network now has over 1 billion users using messaging and has passed 500 million monthly users on its Messenger app in addition to 600 million active users on its newly owned WhatsApp.

Join the Social Movement …. 

In the fight against Ebola, Internet companies are coming out big.  Last week, Facebook released a donations function for its users to contribute towards these efforts. Mark Zuckerberg and his wife personally donated $25 million, and this week, Google donated $10 million to some non-profits and announced that it would donate $2 dollars for every dollar donated through its new campaign.  Oh, Larry Page and fam also contributed about $15 million.

More Stolen Data…

The U.S. Postal Service is the latest victim in data theft.  Though the public is just learning about it, back in September, databases containing about 800,000 employees and retirees personal information (names, birth dates, addresses, and Social Security numbers) were compromised. The government’s not sure who is responsible, but they think it looks like work of Chinese hackers.

The Streets Are Talkin’ 

Let’s talk more about Alibaba.  Last week, we told you about Alibaba’s much anticipated first earnings report.  The company killed it reporting its profit had increased by about 16%, and it’s now valued at $250 billion.  Now, its CEO Jack MA is saying that AliPay (its financial services arm) will definitely be going public.  Note to self:  Should’ve jumped on the bandwagon earlier.

The Virtual Skinny: GET OUT THE VOTE!

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter 0 Comment

11.4.2014

Your Voice Really Does Matter:  It’s Election Day, ya’ll! Midterm elections that is. Not to sound too preachy, but if you are of voting age and able to vote, now is the time to do so. Contrary to popular belief, midterms are just as important as the national Presidential election (if not more important).

Today, you get to vote for not only state governors but also Senators, and Members of Congress (you know, the people who actually write and pass laws and greatly impact things we should all care about – jobs, the economy, social issues, foreign policy, etc.).

Nate Silver has spoken and predicts that Republicans have a 76% chance of taking control of the Senate. But, there’s still time to prove him wrong. Bottom line: Every vote counts so please do exercise your rights today. Not sure where to go? No worries, we got you! Check it out below.

[voterinfotool]

THE SKINNY.

Why Not Just Do Both?

It’s no longer a strategy for avoiding making those hard decisions about what to have for lunch. The Federal Communications Commission is using it too for its approach to maintaining an open Internet.  According to a leak late last week via the Wall Street Journal, the FCC wants to please everyone and is thinking about a hybrid approach to net neutrality.

Wait, What’s Net Neutrality Again?

As described in one of our posts back in July, net neutrality is the idea that all Internet traffic should be treated equally, and preferential treatment should not be given to any one application, content, platform, etc. based on who pays for what.  In other words, you shouldn’t have to pay extra fees just to watch high-quality streams of your fave shows or movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime.  We’d like to stream the content of our choice sans that dreaded buffering circle without having to fork over any more $$$, please and thank you.  Still, not sure about net neutrality?  John Oliver is still your guy.

Standing Out from the Crowd…

Of the 3 million plus comments the FCC received from the public on its proposed Open Internet (aka net neutrality) rules, it seems like 2 submissions stood out and is seriously being considered by the FCC.  So, what are these submissions?  They come courtesy of Mozilla and DC-based non profit the Center for Democracy & Technology.  For months, DC policy folks have been throwing around terms like Title II, Section 706, and common carrier.  Basically, the gist of these proposals is to treat content flowing from Internet platforms to ISPs (“wholesale” transactions) differently from content flowing from ISPs to users (“retail” transactions).  While the retail part won’t be heavily regulated, the wholesale part will be subject to the FCC’s net neutrality rules.

Compromise Is Good, Right?

Not exactly.  No one seems to like where this is headed.  ISPs are still strongly opposed to what seems like pretty much anything short of leaving things just the way they are and avoiding reclassification of Internet services as a utility (just think telephones).  Those who are pro-net neutrality are concerned that this hybrid approach still leaves room for “paid prioritization,” the exact same concept net neutrality seeks to ban. In other words, there could still be room for you to get charged to watch that high quality streaming of House of Cards or OITNB. Oy!

What’s Next?

We’ll have to wait and see how things unfold between now and the end of the year.  Some speculate that it’s possible we’ll see proposed rules by December but others are thinking sometime in January. But in the meantime, there’s talk about how a new Congress will deal with this issue, how this will impact things like the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger, and even the markets.  So much to think through …

What Else Is Going On This Week?

It’s Not You, But It’s Not Me Either …

Its just business.  This is what Taylor Swift is probably telling Spotify.  Last week, she was on top of the world with the release of her new album.  Then, she kicked out this week by announcing her world tour! But, you gotta take the good news with the bad. And, the bad news is that she also pulled her entire catalog of music from Spotify. Why? It may have to do with concerns about piracy as she did pen an WSJ Op-Ed on the issue back in July.  Needless to say, Spotify isn’t too pleased.

More Of The Same …

Amazon recently jumped in on the diversity dialogue and released numbers on the make up of its employees.  Turns out Amazon employees are mostly white males, particularly as you climb up the ranks into leadership.  The U.S. breakdown of workers is as follows: White  – 60%; Black – 18%; Asian – 13%, and Hispanic – 9%.

From Russia With No Love 

Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly came out as gay.  This should be “NBD,” but it’s the first time this has been done by a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.  Almost everyone reacted positively and had nothing but kind words for Cook.  Russians, on the other hand, had a different reaction. In efforts to combat “gay propaganda,” a Steve Jobs memorial located in St. Petersburg in the form of a six feet plus iPhone monument has since been dismantled.

The Streets Are Talkin’

Google may or may not be looking for a new mission statement.  Larry Page, Google co-founder, recently told the Financial Times that the Internet company is probably due to update its mission statement.

Rumor has it that Apple Watch will be available in Spring 2015.

This past September, Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba went public. Today, it’s set to release its first earnings report. Some speculate that the company’s impressive growth will continue, and its revenue will probably increase about 45% from last year, totaling about $2.61 billion.  Things are looking good, but it could also face stiff competition from Tencent, a rival Chinese Internet holding company that owns a popular mobile messaging platform.