Microsoft thought it was doing a good thing when it introduced “Tay,” an AI chatbot, to the world earlier this week. The company built Tay to mimic stereotypical millennials’ “caszhh” speak aka casual speak by learning from 18-24 year olds Twitter and messaging apps Kik and GroupMe.
But, Then Things Went Left VERY Quickly …
Things started innocently enough with Tay responding with playful comments. But in just half a day, Tay transformed into your racist, homophobic, xenophobic, politically incorrect relative that you are forced to see at least once a year. Tay was spewing things like: “WE’RE GOING TO BUILD A WALL. AND MEXICO IS GOING TO PAY FOR IT.” We’ve heard that somewhere before …
Apple’s first TV series will be an unscripted show that’s centered on something it knows well – apps. Musician will.i.am and TV producers Ben Silverman (former executive producer of The Office) and Howard Owens are in.
Snapchat reportedly dropped $100 mill Bitstrips, the company responsible for the Bitmoji app.
Google just made its Nik Collection, a collection of desktop plug-in, free. It would usually run you about US $149. #GoodDeal
Historically, Republican presidential nominations came down to media and political powerhouses … But that was then. Now, thanks to online fundraising, presidential candidate no longer need to rely on political and media insiders but can rake in tons of online donor cash to support their campaigns.
Role Reversal …
These days, Internet users are driving content. And, it’s no different when it comes to politics. Case in point? Online media sites like Vox and others picked up on stats that articles about Bernie Sanders generate heavy traffic. So, they do what any savvy biz person would do … Give the people what the want – more articles of Sanders.
Bottom line …
Some of you guys on social media are partly responsible for Sander’s popularity and the unexpected rise of Donald J Trump (to which DJ Khaled would say, “Congratulations, you played yourself.”) Moving forward, the Internet’s shake up of the media’s influence in U.S. politics is just starting.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
When Consistency is Overrated and You Need to Change Strategy …
Apple filed its latest response yesterday in its ongoing beef with the U.S. government. Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed its own documents with the court and fired (more) shots. The DOJ alleges that Apple is only making a thing out of the entire situation for its marketing purposes. In response, Apple took a more measured approach to dispel the government’s characterization of its position. With its filing, Apple’s trying to change the convo from marketing chatter to more serious things like privacy and security.
It’s Not As Easy As It Looks …
There’s been a lot said about what’s going on in this very heated debate. Late last week, President Obama even weighed in at tech and music festival South by Southwest. Obama basically said there has to be a middle ground. But, no so fast … John Oliver’s got the illest 18-minute long explanation of the whole issue. Definitely worth a looksy…
Not This Again …
Online streaming services have been going through it. Last year, Taylor Swift piped up to pen an open letter about how she won’t be putting her work on streaming services like Spotify because they don’t properly compensate artists the way they should … U.S. music licensing laws are insanely complicated, and Swift’s argument isn’t exactly accurate. While that’s still an ongoing issue, music streaming services now have a new problem: Click fraud. Turns out it’s pretty easy to defraud streaming services into forking over royalties even if you aren’t a legit artist. You basically need three things to pull it off: (1) fake artists, (2) auto-generated tunes, and (3) “bots” that’ll click all will nilly on songs by real and fake artists. Things that make you go hmmmm…
QUICK POLL – RUN THOSE NUMBERS …
Some of you guys in the U.S. aren’t paying up for Netflix. A recent study found that about 31% of Americans who have access to the service aren’t actually paying for it. On a related, here are tips to sharing your account the right way. You’re welcome …
THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’
Instagram’s going rogue … The platform plans to start showing posts not in chronological order but based on what people want to see. While we’re on Insta, Pope Francis is getting ready to make his debut.
AirBnB just announced in Tokyo that neighbors of AirBnB hosts will soon be able to put the hosts and their properties on blast via an online form.
If you’ve got an MBA, e-commerce giant Amazon may just be interested. The company’s got a thing for business school grads. While it’s recruiting MBAs, Amazon is putting its lawyers to work. The company just filed a patent application on the process that would allow people like you and me to pay for things via selfies.
Internet veteran Yahoo is still trying to figure out the best way to move its business forward. But no matter what happens, its current CEO Marissa Mayer wants to stay put for at least three years.
Ride-hailing service Lyft and GM are teaming up to make car rentals easy peasy for Lyft’s drivers.
Waffle , anyone? No, we’re not talking the better alternative to pancakes. It’s Samsung’s new social network.
Btw, Twitter’s trying to make a comeback. Here are someways to make your account work for you.
Good to Know: It’s almost festival season … Super cool tech and music festival South by Southwest kicks off this weekend. Even, U.S. President Barack Obama is making a cameo. #Jelly
THE SKINNY
When You’re Trying to Get Your House in Order …
These days, we’re used to hearing about the Googles and the Facebooks of the world trying to bring Internet access to emerging and underrepresented areas. But, this week, President Obama is keeping things closer to home. The Administration announced new broadband plan for the U.S. called ConnectALL.
When Things Aren’t As They Seem …
Over the past 15 years, Internet access has been growing like gangbusters in America but is still very much out of reach for some households. ConnectALL intends to bring broadband access to underserved communities.
Billionaire media mogul and former New York City Michael Bloomberg bowed out of getting into the U.S. presidential election as an independent. It’s unfortunate for some, including sharing economy companies like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, AirBnB, etc. The word is Bradley Tusk, who led Bloomberg’s NYC campaign, would’ve incorporated these services into Bloomberg’s would’ve-been campaign. Tusk figured since there’s no blue print to run as an independent, the sharing economy would’ve been the perfect match to get things going for field operations (e.g., hiring Ubers to get people to the polls). Oh, what would’ve been!
About 47% of Americans surveyed are #TeamApple, and we’re not talking Apple Martin aka the daughter of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and rocker Chris Martin. Most Americans in a recent Pew survey are siding with the smartphone manufacturer in its beef with the U.S. government over encryption.
THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’
Not an astronaut? No worries, Amazon CEO and owner of space startup Blue Origins Jeff Bezos is working on test flights for regular folks beginning in 2017. The goal is to make things offisch by selling tix for short suborbital flights to us in 2018. Your move, Elon Tusk & SpaceX …
Anonymous messaging app Yik Yak is probably getting tired of always being in the middle of controversy. User names are now a thing for the app.
Facebook and Google want to share their data center designs with you via the Open Compute Project. It’s a win-win … People get to give these companies a hand in advancing Internet hardware and the companies get to keep their hardware costs low, low, low, low …
BTW, Facebook isn’t back down from competitor Snapchat. The OG social media platform (relatively speaking) just bought video filter app Msqrd.
It’s getting’ hot out there … You know what that means? Let the trip planning begin. Not sure where to go? Google it, duh! The search engine’s got a new feature called Destinations to help with your planning needs.
Instagram just pulled the kill-switch on “Being,” its app intended to give users an inside look into another user’s Insta for discovery purposes. Probably for the best on account of all its technical problems.
When You’re Coming Up with Solutions, Not Problems …
Google wants to create an open source platform intended to map out the virus’ spread and i.d. potential outbreaks by looking at things like travel and weather patterns and other data points. Why stop there? Well, it’s not. The Internet industry vet also wants people to learn more about the virus via a new web-based campaign among other things (i.e., develop a vaccine since one doesn’t currently exist).
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
When You Just Need to Get Used To It …
We’ll probably be talking Apple v. FBI for a while. This week, both sides took their arguments to U.S. Capitol Hill. And now, FBI Director James Comey is saying “our b.” During a hearing, Comey admitted that the FBI made the wrong decision by changing the Apple ID password linked to one of the San Bernardino shooters’ phones – a “180” from the agency’s previous statement.
When You’ve Watched One Too Many Episodes of ‘Lock Up…’
uberMoto, Uber’s motorbike hailing service, is now a thing in Bangalore, India. The company responsible for putting ride-hailing apps on the map is stepping its international expansion game all the way up. It’s shelling out US $250 million to get into areas like the Middle East and Africa. As of today, Uber’s now live in Pakistan.
Tired of seeing pics of your friends’ kids every two seconds on FB? France may be the place for you. The government’s telling parents in the country to stop posting pics of their kids on FB in the name of protecting their privacy and security. Seems like it could be a win-win for everyone involved.
Watch out, Skype and Google Hangouts … New chat app Slack is coming for you with its soon to be launched video and voice feature. Side note: Slack is killing the fundraising game! The startup has raised over a billion dollars in just a year. #Impressive
Not so great news for SurveyMonkey employees … The cloud-based polling service is working to better its business offerings and will drop about 100 employees along the way.
BTW, new app No More Voicemail wants people to talk less and text more #YesPlease
The government eventually found a way to reset one of the terrorist’s (Syed Rizwan Farook) iCloud password, which allowed investigators to see the dude’s backed-up data. Apple said wait a minute (or as the kids say “wayment”) and claimed that resetting the password only made it virtually impossible to get data straight from the phone. Now, there’s chatter that Apple’s been working on creating new security measures that would prevent any workarounds from being used to break into iPhone devices. Experts says if and when Apple creates these new measures, it’s pretty much game over unless Congress amends existing law to require companies like Apple and Google to make their data available to law enforcement.
Well, in the short-term, Apple still has to respond to the court order issued by a federal judge last week that set all of this into motion. The order requests that Apple give the government special access to the phone in question. The deadline is tomorrow.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
Getting the Band Back Together …
Calling all for entertainment firms, tech companies, community organizations, social media companies! On Feb. 24, the White House invited a select few for an hours-long pow-wow. Why? Terrorists, of course. Apparently, they stay recruiting peeps online. The U.S. government isn’t afraid to admit that it’s out of its league on this one. So, it’s calling on the private sector for back-up. The goal? “[To] help communities and young people amplify their own messages.” Looks like a joint effort between Facebook and government agencies to fund a peer-to-peer college course to teach kids how to craft their very own anti-militant messaging could do the trick. A FB rep says we’ll know if its working by monitoring the number of shared messages and how people interact with them.
Immigration advocacy groups feel like all of this social media talk to screen out potential immigrants could leave some people out who don’t deserve to be. Besides, a new study shows that innovators in the U.S. are actually well-educated immigrants and not necessarily young college dropouts. The study found that more than 1/3 of U.S. innovators were born outside the U.S.
THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’
Alphabet, formerly known as Google, wants you to meet Atlas, its 5’9”, 180 lbs, battery run humanoid robot.
Not sure where to go for your next vacation? Travel site Expedia is knee-deep in user-experience research to make sure your trip planning is as easy, efficient, and enjoyable as possible. Happy Planning!
Grocer Whole Foods wants in on grocery delivery startup Instacart. Both companies also plan to partner up for at least the next 5 years.
Online personal styling startup Stitch Fixis getting into the men’s wear game.
Are the 80s making a comeback? Amazon’s working on a new show called Jean-Claude Van Johnson and starring Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme. It’s being described as a “comedy-thriller.” Oh and the e-commerce company turned content company also forked over $15 million for Woody Allen’s new movie.
First Paypal, now LinkedIn … The social platform is set to air its first ever TV commercial during the Oscars on Sunday. It’s space-themed and the message? LinkedIn believes in you. The platform is often described as “the FB for professionals.” But, the company wants people to know that it’s much more than that through a large-scale marketing campaign. We’re sensing a trend here …
Good to Know: The Oscars are coming up. Pretty much everyone’s pulling for Leo DiCaprio to take home his first little gold man. Now, there’s a game to help him do just that. Leo’s on a rampage!
THE SKINNY
What We’re Not Gonna Do Is …
Remember the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, CA a couple of months back? Well, the U.S. government wants Apple to “unlock” the attackers’ iPhones so they can get some info. But, Apple said “nah.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook was not pleased with how the government took the issue public. So, he fired off an 1,100 word “customer letter.” In a nutshell, the letter says that what the U.S. is asking Apple to do is not right. Cook wants everyone to know that encryption is key to keeping users safe and secure. He admits that not even Apple employees can access people’s phone data. That’s how serious the company is about users’ security and privacy. And, this letter is basically his attempt to “rally the troops” and get everyone talking about this important issue. #KnowledgeIsPower
Ride hailing app Uber is shelling out a billion dollars annually just to play in China.
Uganda voted to elect its next president this morning. Citizens tried to access social media (Twitter & Facebook) but couldn’t. Turns out the country’s electoral commission requested to block the services. #UgandaDecides
Sports network ESPN may be coming to a streaming service near you.
Google Express now delivers fresh food but only if you happen to live in select areas like Los Angeles or San Francisco. In more Google news, the time may soon come to ditch your Rosetta Stone, the number of language on Google Translate just went over the 100 mark.
Back to deliveries for a hot sec … Amazon is growing its on-demand delivery service by quietly hiring drivers to join the team.
Shop Snapchat soon, according to the company’s board member Joanna Coles.
Say hello to Twitter’s new Gif button (and we’ve learned that’s Gif with a “hard G’) … Also, Twitter just lost another user. Who? God, apparently.
Unlike in Europe, carpooling hasn’t really been a thing in the U.S. But, could that be changing?
Not Feeling It …
Americans aren’t into sharing a car ride with others. Only about 10% of U.S. commuters are doing it these days. One reason? Gas is cheaper in the U.S. than in other area. Oh, and no one in the U.S. has managed to come up with a bomb app to get people into carpooling.
Trying to Make ‘CarPooling’ Happen …
New startup Scoop wants to be the go-to app for carpooling. It’s launched in San Francisco (for now) and is working with companies in the Bay Area whose employees aren’t close to public transit access. The idea is that these apps can take out the uncertainty with carpooling by taking care of the logistics planning and money transactions in advance. Unclear whether Scoop can help turn American attitudes around about carpooling especially since oil prices are at an all time low.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
When Your Current Mood is Damage Control …
Fantasy sports websites FanDuel and DraftKings are still reeling from the alleged insider trading scandal that happened last year. After the media frenzy followed by the companies’ fallout with states like Nevada and New York, some companies that process payments for the sites decided it was time to go their separate ways. To stop the bleeding, both companies are leading the charge at the Fantasy Sports Association to influence state lawmakers across the country. The group is unleashing an army of lobbyists to push states to pass laws that in part protect fantasy-sports operators. #FullCourtPress
When You’re Trying to Drum Up Support …
Nigeria’s economy is going through it right now. The country’s government put out some new monetary policies to try to save face, but these policies aren’t working as planned. Foreign reserves are depleting, and the government is look for ways to turn things around. So, the government is now turning to Twitter to encourage Nigerian citizens to do their part. The idea is that if Nigerians buy locally, then that’ll help restore some value in its currency (the Naira) and also help boost the economy. Some people are all for it while others say that local options need to be just as quality as foreign imports. Also, there’s chatter about how Nigeria needs to look beyond the social media campaign and make the country more business-friendly. #BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira
If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again. And, that’s exactly what Google did with Project Loon, its attempt to use balloons to bring wi-fi to remote areas. The company is planning a test run in Indonesia.
Making moves … Twitter’s former News Manager Mark S. Luckie is headed over to Reddit as its first-ever head of journalism and media.
Good to Know: Earlier this week, the White House got itself its very own Snapchat account. If you haven’t quite mastered the app like DJ Khaled, here’s a 101 guide on how to get there. #BlessUp … But be careful, even DJ Khaled has screwed up while snapchatting (US $80K gone in 30 seconds) … Ouch!
Netflix may now appear as a mere blip in the broader content radar, but traditional media moguls should be worried … very worried. The New York Times advises that media execs should give Netflix’s potential some serious thought while at Davos, an annual pow wow of the who’s who in politics and business that’s happening next week.
Porque?
Well, the company’s been pouring a ridiculous amount of money into producing its own original content and decided to expand globally in just one day. Most people believe this approach should’ve failed, but Netflix seems to be defying the odds. It’s strategy seems to be working well. The company’s being compared to the early days of e-commerce company Amazon. Apparently, back in the day, some people thought Amazon’s unconventional approach would fail too.
Haters Gonna Hate …
As Netflix’s growth continues, naysayers don’t think it’ll be able to keep subscription prices for its content low. One skeptic thinks that the best Netflix can do is to reach a “modestly profitable business, just not a spectacular one.” Others beg to differ. They’re thinking more content down the line. Perhaps a Netflix-owned studio? And, dare we say theme-parks?
The World Bank recently put out a report on the Internet and its impact on the global economy. The bank didn’t hold back and is basically telling people not to buy into the Internet-hype. According to the report, everything’s not all sunshine and rainbows when it comes to the Internet’s economic and societal benefits. Turns out digital technologies are creating more of a division between the haves and the have-nots. Whether the Internet will play a positive role, ultimately comes down to the country and its governance system. The World Bank is piping up during an interesting time – just as Internet companies are pushing to bring access to less developed areas.
What You’re Not Gonna Do Is …
Egypt’s government is playing no type of games when it comes to protests leading up to the fifth anniversary of the Arab Spring uprising against the country’s then-leader Hosni Mubarak. The Egyptian government just arrested some people for allegedly using Facebook to incite more protests. If you’ll remember, back in 2011, people turned to Facebook and Twitter to organize and protest before the country shut down access to the social platforms. The current government doesn’t want a repeat so they’re taking action to shut down channels for protests (including cultural centers).
THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’
U.S. election season is in full swing, and civic platform Change.org is out with a new service – Change Politics. The goal? Get educated on where candidates stand on certain positions and even pose questions to them directly if that’s what you fancy.
New dating app ideas are a dime a dozen these days. The latest? “Once” will attempt to use the beat of your heart to help you find the one. FitBit or Android Wear device not included but necessary.
Snapchat needs more people … You know, it needs to compete with the Instagrams of the world. So, it’s trying to woo people over 35.
Speaking of competition, new app Upshot is moving into Snapchat territory. It’s basically Snapchat for events. You can privately share pics of a night out with friends, and they’ll disappear after a week.
Twitteris integrating live stream videos from Periscope into your tweet timeline now …
Making moves … SurveyMonkey’s got a new CEO, Zander Lurie – formerly of GoPro … Google nabs Caroline Atkinson, President Obama’s Economic Advisor, to lead its global policy team … More Yahoo VPs dip out on the company.
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, presidential counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, FBI Director James Comey, National Intelligence Director James Clapper, National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers and reps from Twitter, Apple, Google, and Facebook allegedly.
What’s on the Agenda?
(1) How to make things easier for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to I.D. terrorist groups online. (2) Ways to make things that much more difficult for militant and terrorist groups to recruit peeps via social media. (3) Specifically, how to use technology to throw militant operatives off of their violent radicalization and recruitment game.
Team Work Usually Makes The Dream Work …
But, tech companies have a tough balance to strike. While they want to seem cooperative, they also don’t want to appear too friendly with governments. Post Edward Snowden leaks, companies helping governments with surveillance is just not a good look.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
Warning Shots …
Pretty much everyone and their moms in the tech world are jazzed up about next-gen products. But, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is letting tech companies know that they should tread lightly. The agency wants companies to watch how they are collecting and using massive amounts of users’ data aka “big data.” The FTC definitely understands that “big data” could have some important social benefits (e.g., proving people’s creditworthiness for loans), but it wants companies’ to make sure they are doing what they can to decrease social biases.
Who Does That Anymore?
If it’s up to social network Facebook, you should just forget about making regular calls and text messages. Facebook Messenger has now got over 800 million users. The company not only wants to take over how you communicate with your peeps, but it’s got a virtual assistant feature in the works to help with your scheduling, shopping, etc. Pretty cool …
We Want In …
When you see an opportunity, jump on it immediately! That’s exactly what crowdfunding platform Indiegogo is doing with its new “enterprise crowdfunding” consulting service. Crowdfunding has typically been reserved for artist-types and pretty much anyone with a slightly weird but innovative idea. Big brands like Brookstone want to be innovative too and are eyeing crowdfunding platforms. Why? Two reasons: (1) Major brands want to learn a thing or two about crowdfunding, and (2) crowdfunding platforms are a good place to scout out potential products/partnerships. Basically, a win-win situation.
THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’
It’s the same thing Netflix does every night … Try and take over the world. This week at a mega tech conference in Las Vegas, the streaming service announced that it’s now live in over 130 counties. #BizGoals
The new year may be off to a very rough start for some Yahoo employees. The company’s expected to let go of at least 10% of its workforce.
Going … going … GONE! Looks like the fashion deal site Gilt Groupe may have been a victim of its own flash sale model. The company sold yesterday for $250 Mill to Hudon’s Bay, the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue. The sale price is a mark down from the $286 Mill that Gilt previously raised.
Social scrapbooking site Pinterest is getting serious about increasing its diversity. The company just brought on Candice Morgan help step its game up.
Turns out giving young people Internet access via mobile devices is a recipe for success. And, these days India’s the place to be for Internet companies. That’s exactly why Tinder is setting up shop in Delhi.
And ICYMI, Twitteris trying to keep its users so the platform’s playing around with a 10,000 word character limit instead of the 140 we’re used to… Some people think this is no bueno. We could see a change in the next couple of months.
Good to Know: Gmail account stolen? Here’s how to recover it.
THE SKINNY
Rarely Seen …
In a speech from the White House Oval Office, last night U.S. President Obama addressed the American public in the aftermath of last week’s San Bernardino, CA mass shooting.
What We’re Not Going To Do Is …
President O. told Americans that terrorist threats are real, but there’s no time for fear. He wants the American public to keep calm because he’s a man with a plan. Obama and his Administration have a strategy to protect Americans against terrorist groups like ISIL aka ISIS. During his speech, he basically said, “Internet and tech companies, what’s good?”
Step Up…
Following in the footsteps of the French government that recently met with tech and Internet companies on counter-terrorism, the White House wants tech and Internet firms to step up their anti-terrorism game. More specifically, they want these companies to limit social media use for coordinating these types of events. The Administration’s also planning a sit-down with companies to get down to the nitty-gritty of “…when … social media is being used actively and operationally to promote terrorism.” Tech and Internet companies are already doing things on the low like taking down alleged terrorist profiles and content. But shhh… they don’t want people to think they’re working hand-in-hand with governments.
Having a hard time shutting down your Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, etc? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Turns out Internet companies rely on what is called the “network effect” to make sure you keep coming back for more. Hashtags, notifications about comments or likes, requests to connect, etc. are all by design and not necessarily just for your convenience. A new project called “Network Effects” wants to highlight that we’re not addicted to digital platforms solely because of our own freewill. Apparently, endless access to content has a lot to do with it.
Now, We Wait …
Last Friday in the U.S., telecom companies threw down against the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in front of three judges. They’re beefing over the FCC’s most recent net neutrality rules. Here’s what you should know about the situation. The FCC definitely put up a better fight from the last go around a couple of years ago, but it’s hard to say how the judges will rule on whether the FCC’s rules are legit or not. Looks like we use 70% of our broadband access to stream online videos so what the judges decide matters. Their decision could impact how everyday folks like us access online content. We won’t know anything until Spring 2016.
THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’
After a three-day pow wow with its board, no word yet from Yahooon whether it’s going to sell off its Web business or not. According to reports, it’s very likely that the company will continue to rely on CEO Marissa Mayer to make the company the next “comeback kid.”
Speaking of comebacks, Priceline’s got that on lock. Anything’s possible.
After years of research, 20-year old Maria Rose Belding, a sophomore at American University, helped create a social network to help cut down on food waste. Her platform connects food pantries in 24 states so they can share any excess food that would’ve probably been trashed.
Facebook’s testing out its live streaming video feature with some regular people.
Actor and comedian Paul Scheer is bringing back old school Sunday comics via Vine with cult web comic White Ninja.
