Virtual Skinny: Doing the Absolute Most…

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on August 1, 2016 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter 0 Comment

8.1.2016

Good to Know: Snapchat’s geofilters aka personalized filters could be the new hashtag. All the kids are doing it …

THE SKINNY

When You Need to Do the Absolute Most…

Alphabet’s Google, Facebook, and Twitter teamed up for a three-week, experimental collabo by using online videos to counter terrorist and extremist propaganda on their platforms. The social platforms are targeting teens and young adults that use words like “sharia” and “mujahideen” in their posts.

When You Need More Information…

Islamist radicals and far-right groups’ extremist propaganda and violent content on the InterWebs play a major role in terrorism. So, Internet companies are fighting back. They want to figure out what messages work to keep the youth from becoming full-blown radicals.

When You’re Not Trying to Hear It …

Young people are saying ‘no’ to government-sponsored messages. And ‘definitely maybe’ to videos shading jihadist groups, the Taliban, and white supremacist groups. The videos are courtesy of organizations like U.S. based Average Mohamed, Pakistan’s Harakat-ut-Taleem, and ExitUSA.

When You’re Not Sure It’s Working …

Are the videos working? Hard to tell. But, starting a discussion is always a positive first step. And for the most part, the videos are getting people chatting online about the videos.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

If They Ever Did That, I Think We’d Have a Cyber-Attack …

Remember that time someone hacked the U.S. Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) emails … Russia’s name came up as the potential culprit … Then, Donald Trump looked straight into a press camera and challenged Russians to find Hillary’s missing emails but later said ‘just kidding?‘ Of course you do, that was just last week. Well, security expert Bruce Schneier thinks things could get worse. Schneier says Russia could go after the nation’s voting machines come this November. He says the U.S. needs to get its cyber-defense game in order. And apparently, Internet voting is not the answer.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

Looks like maps and driverless cars are on Uber’s 2016 vision board. The ride-hailing services just dropped a cool US $500 millie on a global mapping project so it can say “bye” to Google Maps. Oh and, Uber’s packing it in … at least in China. The company’s done competing with its Chinese rival Didi Chuxing and decided that both companies need to become one in a deal worth $35 billion.

Speaking of the Googler, navigational app Waze just released a new bomb feature called Child Reminder to make sure people don’t forget their kids in the car.

Interior design app Homee didn’t make the cut on Shark Tank, but Tinder co-founder Sean Rad happened to catch its episode. Rad decided to pony up hard cash for Homee. He’s its first investor. As they say, any publicity is good publicity …

Fresh off of exposing Taylor Swift’s B.S., Kanye West has made it clear that he’s done with Apple’s B.S. too. Word on the street is Apple wants to buy music service Tidal owned by West’s bestie Jay-Z. West tweeted “Apple give Jay his check for Tidal now and stop trying to act like you Steve.” And by Apple, we think he means Tim Cook. #ShotsFired

The Rio Olympics start this Friday. But if you’ve been paying attention, you know that many people (including athletes) will be skipping it on account of Brazil’s issues with Zika, its water supply, and general turmoil. Even if you won’t be in Brazil, Google’s is bringing the favela (aka slum) experience to you via Street View.

One more thing about the Olympics … Those that are going have much to complain about including an ‘uninhabitable’ Olympic Village and maybe even worse no access to Pokemon Go. #Messy

MAKING MOVES …

In the wake of the Verizon-Yahoo deal announcement, Verizon’s Marni Walden and AOL head Tim Armstrong got together at Yahoo’s Sunnyvale, CA HQ. The message to Yahoo employees was positive, but everyone’s well aware there’ll be issues joining both companies. A new company structure and potential unforeseen costs to name a couple.

Founder of CODE2040 Laura Weidman Powers is headed to Washington. For six months, she’ll be taking on the role as senior policy adviser to U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith. Diversity and inclusion in tech and entrepreneurship generally are at the top of her “to-do” list.

Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is writing a second book tentatively called “Option B.” It’ll be about resilience. Sandberg has had to show quite a bit of it after the tragic and untimely passing of her husband last year.

Virtual Skinny: Consistency Is Key

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on March 16, 2016 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

3.16.2016

Good to Know: Consistency is the name of the game for the Obama Administration when it comes to nominating someone to fill the current vacancy on the Supreme Court (like previous Administrations). In a slight departure from tradition, the Administration created an account (@SCOTUSnom) just to announce President Obama’s nominee. Congrats, Judge Merrick Garland. Now, good luck getting Senate approval.

THE SKINNY

You Came In Like A Wrecking Ball …

Is the Internet partly responsible for giving the American people Senators Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz … and even Donald J Trump for the 2016 presidential election? It could be the case since they’ve all gained traction despite the fact that the establishment isn’t here for any of them.

What Used to Be …

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.

The Virtual Skinny: Making Waves

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on April 1, 2015 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter 0 Comment

3.31.2015

Good to Know: No more lame texts. Magisto Shot, an app related to FB messenger, wants to bring you what its founder Oren Boiman calls Video 2.0. Basically, Boiman wants to bring back body language, facial gestures, etc. through video messages. We’re interested.

THE SKINNY.

I’M A HUST-LAH…

Earlier this week, Jay Z launched his new music streaming service, Tidal. To be fair, it’s actually a re-launch. Hova through one of his companies, Project Panther Bidco, put up $54 million to purchase Tidal from its former owner Stockholm based company Aspiro.

Ok, And?

We know what you’re thinking … what makes this any different from Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or other existing music streaming services? Tidal is being marketed as offering high definition music streaming services as well as access to HD music videos and industry news courtesy of the company’s editorial team. Unlike Spotify, there is no “free” option. Basic service will cost about $10 and premium service twice that amount at $20. #RICH

Why Should I Consider It?

During the Tidal press event (which according to popular opinion was a bit off), big name artists like Rihanna, Kanye West, Madonna, Daft Punk, and Beyonce (obvi) to name a few are supporters of Tidal. It’s reported that these artists will stream exclusively on the platform. Even Taylor Swift who caused an uproar not too long ago by pulling her entire catalog of music from Spotify wants in (1989 is still out of the question though). Other than personal and professional relationships to lock in these artists, it looks like Tidal’s promise to pay these artists more per stream than other existing services is a good selling point for their participation. #TIDALforALL

Don’t Knock It Before You Try It?

Tidal is offering a 30-day free trial. Interested? Try it out and let us know how you feel. Tweet us at @Briefed_me!

What Else is Going On?

In Other Music News …

Apple and Beats are teaming up for its very own music service to rival Spotify and now Tidal. This service is in addition to its iTunes Radio. Pricing will be on par with its competitors since Apple was unsuccessful in securing a $2 markdown from $10 to $8. Also, on the global scene, Alibaba is making good on its promise to be the world’s largest digital empire. The Chinese e-commerce site just secured a digital distribution deal with BMG, a German music rights group. BMG exec Hartwig Masuch sees this deal as a huge opportunity, “Internet and paricular mobile media are quickly providing an answer to the music industry’s long-time challenge of how to monetize the vast untapped potential of the Chinese market.”

Stepping Up to the Plate …

Tech industry leaders are jumping into social issues in the aftermath of Indiana’s new law. What law? Well, ICYMI the state’s Republican Governor Mike Pence recently signed into law the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The issue is this new law could potentially lead to discrimination against the LGBT community. Arkansas passed a similar bill. In a joint statement out today by many tech leaders, the group said, “To ensure no one faces discrimination and ensure everyone preserves their right to live out their faith, we call on all legislatures to add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes to their civil rights laws and to explicitly forbid discrimination or denial of services to anyone.” Sidenote: Pence is rumored to be considered a 2016 presidential run. This should be interesting …

Other Woes …

It’s that time of the year again and the tech community is not pleased. April 1 marks the period where U.S. immigration accepts H-1B wok visa applications. In recent years, demand has always outpaced supply when it comes to potential employees and their employers securing these visas. This year won’t be any different. There are 85k visas available, and the U.S. government expects to reach this cap in just five days. Immigration reform can’t come soon enough …

The Streets Are Talkin’

Amazon is expanding its service offerings with “Home Services.” This service will make it easier for shoppers to reach local service providers (e.g., TaskRabbit, Dish satellite-TV service, etc.). Also, the Web company recently announced its “Dash Button,” which allows consumers to place orders for essential household items by simply pushing a button. #ThatWasEasy #MaybeTooEasy

As Heidi Klum says, “one day you’re in, next day you’re out.” And, it looks like Meerkat is out and Periscope (Twitter’s answer to the app) is in.

The Virtual Skinny: GET OUT THE VOTE!

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on November 4, 2014 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.