2.4.2016
Good to Know: The Super Bowl is coming up this weekend. Don’t have cable? No problem. CBS Network is streaming the game for free on more devices this year. There’s still time to get yourself a Roku set-top box, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Firebox, etc. Even if you’re not into football, band Coldplay is the halftime entertainment; BUT, we hear Beyonce will be stopping by! #YASSSS
THE SKINNY
Are You Ready For This?
And by this, we mean predictive policing. What it boils down to is using different data sources (e.g., past criminal activity, population density; census data; the locations of bars, churches, schools, and transportation hubs; schedules for home games, etc.) to pinpoint patterns for future crimes. Trippy, right?
This Is Happening …
We all saw what happened in Ferguson, Missouri (police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed unarmed black teen Michael Brown). Some people are looking for ways to improve law enforcement’s relationship with local communities. Just so happens that some police officers think that relying on data could help them make better, more objective decisions. One community is working with HunchLab, a startup that offer the latest version of predictive policing. You should know that other companies like Predpol, IBM, Hitachi, and Lexis have been in on predictive policing for some time now.
We Call B.S. …
Activists and academics think that this is a pretty terrible idea. They think it’s pretty simple to conclude that the data being used would only reflect a system that already targets young black men at disproportionate rates. Proponents for cops using predictive technology say that at least with HunchLab’s system it protects against racially disproportionate policing by only focusing on serious felonies and not low-level crimes (i.e., drug possession). Seem like most people think that’s a tough sell.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
Let’s Get Down to Biz …
Mixing the old with the new. That’s pretty much Yahoo’s plan to do better in 2016. It’s a three-step plan. The first is something Yahoo’s already done – many times.Yahoo’s telling 1600 more of its employees that “they don’t gotta home, but they gotta get the heck outta there!” And in what seemed to be a crazy plan when we first heard of it, turns out not so crazy after all. Yahoo is willing to sell its core Internet business and also its stake in Yahoo Japan. Last on the list? They’re even willing to sell the whole shebang to the highest bidder. It’s an aggressive plan. Only problem is … How do you motivate people who may not be around for much longer? Things to think about …
On That Note …
Speaking of selling to the highest bidder, Twitter is struggling and should probably be giving its next steps some serious thought. Otherwise, a hostile takeover may be in its future. Meaning the company could either be bought by or merged with another company whether Twitter’s board of directors likes it or not. The good news here is a hostile takeover probably won’t happen for now mainly because of how the company’s board is structured. But, things could change.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered …
The U.S. and European Union (EU) finally struck a new deal on transferring people’s personal data across borders. In what seems like a Hail Mary-type move, both economies came together and signed off on what they’re calling the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, intended to replace the previous agreement known as the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor. The agreement is likely a huge relief for American companies that do business in Europe. Now, they can somewhat relax and get back to business as usual without having to jump through much legal and regulatory hurdles. Even though the EU and US shook it, an EU watchdog still wants to take a hard look at the new deal to see if it really protects Europeans’ data when it makes its way across the U.S. border.
THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’
Sometimes, running your mouth can get you into uncomfortable situations. Just ask CEO of shopping mall operator General Growth Properties Sandeep Mathrani. He said that Amazon plans to open about 400 physical bookstores. Not true!
Action camera maker GoPro has got some news for ya. Are you sitting? The year ahead will be a bumpy ride for the company. And by bumpy, we mean its sales will be taking a dip.
Messaging platform Slack wants to change the way people work. E-mails are a huge time suck, and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who loves those “reply all” messages. The platform wants to push office convos via channels and figure out how to better manage those discussions.
Let’s get back to the big game … Tech companies are digging deep into their wallets for Super Bowl Sunday. We’re talking US $ 4.3 million for a 30 second spot. Yikes! Expect to see ads from the likes of Amazon, PayPal, Apartments.com, and Squarespace. Ride hailing app company Lyft is taking a different marketing approach. It involves ex-NFL pro Jerry Rice as an undercover driver.
There’s now a text generator emulating unlikely Snapchat star DJ Khaled’s “keys to success” messages. #BlessUp
Looking for new things to watch? YouTube’s out with its very own original content February 10.