According to Carrie Mihalcik of cnet.com, Facebook is in the early stages of creating a tool to “help creators and publishers protect their intellectual property” (Mihalcik). Facebook plans to use its Rights Manager for Images to accomplish this. The tool uses “‘image matching technology to help creators and publishers protect and manage their image content'” (Mihalcik). Facebook is launching the tool to “select partners” as of today; however, the firm is hopeful that eventually, all users will receive access. Likewise, the tool will also enable users to “issue image takedown requests and use territorial blocks to restrict images in locations where they hold a copyright” (Mihalcik). Eventually, Facebook plans to roll out the Rights Manager for Images tool for Instagram as well.

Overall, I believe this feature is a step in the right direction for creator rights on social media platforms. Creator image rights are currently a large problem on Instagram. Often large Instagram accounts take entertaining photos or video clips from other smaller accounts and repost them without crediting the original account. The Rights Manager for Images tool could help these smaller accounts, as creators could file a takedown request because they are the original owner of the content. Likewise, sometimes people like to keep a more private profile on social media. This tool would allow users to enhance their privacy by being able to report other accounts who have reposted previously uploaded content. Another circumstance where I see this being useful deals with advertising spaces. Often when on Instagram I come across many ads that repost another user’s post without permission. This tool would prevent other organizations from profiting off of someone’s content without seeking permission first, as the user could report the account to Instagram or Facebook.

Overall, I think the Rights Manager for Images tool will be very helpful in terms of further establishing creator and privacy rights for Facebook and Instagram users. I am interested to see how this affects some of the accounts I follow, as a majority of the content is reposted.

Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-adds-new-tool-to-help-creators-protect-their-images/

Apple recently released iOS 14 on September 16th. However, this was not the typical yearly software update that the majority of iPhone users have grown accustomed to over the years. Instead of implementing smaller changes and keeping things simple, Apple went against its own reputation. One of the new features is the ability for users to become more organized by using the App Library. This feature “autoarranges all the apps on your phone in folders based on app category” (Cipriani). Likewise, widgets were another feature that the new software brought to the iPhone. Essentially, widgets allow the user to customize their home screen to their liking and style. This was a big step for Apple, as originally all iPhone home screens tended to look identical. Also, Picture in Picture was included in the update as well. Picture in Picture enables the user to leave an application that is running a video and continue watching the video while on their home screen or other applications. Once exiting an application, if you are watching a video, the video will continue to play in a smaller window. This allows the user to multitask and is especially useful on applications such as FaceTime.

Overall, I think this was one of the greatest iOS updates to date as many long-awaited changes were finally implemented into the iPhone’s software. However, I think it is interesting how powerful software can be, especially in iPhones. Apple over the past four to five years has integrated some incredible physical features into their devices. A facial recognition system, a gesture-based experience with no home buttons, and top of the line cameras are just a few of Apple’s new improvements on their devices. However, what I think is most interesting about Apple devices deals with the software. I think it is incredible how an iPhone user can have essentially the same user experience on a phone that is 5 years old, such as the iPhone 6s, as they can on a newer device like the iPhone 11. For example, my father has two iPhones, one for work and one as a personal phone. One phone is an iPhone 6s and the other is an iPhone 11. Other than the camera and Apple’s facial recognition system on the iPhone 11, my father believes it is relatively the same experience. Although some may call this a lack of innovation on Apple’s part, I believe this displays the power of iOS and how great the software actually is. Apple has managed to use software to make up for a lack of newer hardware in their older devices.

Overall, although often criticized, I believe Apple’s iOS software is one of the best available on mobile devices. Although other companies may have more innovative hardware, the software is ultimately what drives the user’s experience.

Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/6-new-ios-14-features-we-love-iphone-owners-you-are-in-for-a-treat/

Two years ago Microsoft placed a cylinder-shaped data container into the ocean. Interestingly enough, after being extracted from the sea only “eight out of the 855 servers on board had failed” (Cellan-Jones). Ben Cutler, who is leading the project compares the situation with the typical data center on land. Cutler states, “‘Our failure rate in the water is one-eighth of what we see on land.'” Analysts at Microsoft believe this “greater reliability” may be related to the lack of humans on board the data center and that nitrogen was being pumped into the capsule as opposed to oxygen. Likewise, the experiment is projected to make storing data more sustainable as “All of Orkney’s electricity comes from wind and solar power” (Cellan-Jones). Orkney, an archipelago off the coast of Scotland, was the location chosen for the experiment due to its energy practices.

Ultimately, I believe Microsoft is heading in the right direction with this project. With data optimization and data storage being increasingly important moving forward, Microsoft is getting ahead of the curve. I thought it was extremely interesting how the project, even though underwater, was actually more efficient and had fewer failures than a conventional data center. If these underwater centers turn out to have long term success, it could change the way data is stored forever. Likewise, with climate change becoming a larger problem, more sustainable centers will help with the increasing need for storage and cloud optimization. However, I do have one obvious concern for underwater data centers. If water manages to get into the base, that could ruin the storage servers inside. For this reason, I believe space could be a good place for data centers moving forward by utilizing satellites to serve as capsules for servers.

Overall, I am curious to see if Microsoft continues to create more underwater databases in the future. However, I could also see companies placing data centers into space for further optimization if problems arise.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54146718

YouTube, a Google-owned company, has announced a new “short-form video feature” platform called Shorts. Shorts is essentially Google’s attempt to compete with the popular app TikTok. YouTube released a statement declaring the app allows “social media creators to ‘shoot short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones'” (Yurieff). YouTube plans to test the platform by releasing a beta version of the app in India. Earlier this year, TikTok was banned in the country due to a posed threat upon “sovereignty and integrity” (Yurieff). India has been looking for a replacement platform for TikTok for months, as the app was banned in late June.

I am very interested to see how Shorts develops over the next several months. We learned in class that google can have access to a lot of individual private information. I am curious if other countries will investigate how Shorts gathers data about their users, and how that information is used. However, since the platform is associated with YouTube, I believe more countries worldwide will have less suspicion about privacy violations as YouTube has been used universally since its creation in 2005. Likewise, I am interested to see if Google will implement some method of synching Shorts to YouTube. This may be a technique that Google uses to persuade current TikTok users to switch over to Shorts in the near future.

Overall, I believe Google is attempting to take advantage of TikTok’s controversy in order to develop a user base, especially by deciding to beta test in a country like India. It will be fascinating to watch how the country monitors this app during the early stages of beta testing; however, I do not believe a Google-owned platform will have as many issues as TikTok did with its parent company ByteDance.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/tech/youtube-shorts-tiktok-india/index.html

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, applications like google maps have had to make changes to the ways in which the program uses data. According to Todd Haselton of CNBC, once lockdowns began “Google found global traffic dropped 50%” (Haselton). This has led the company to look at newer traffic models. Google has now changed its traffic data to “prioritize traffic patterns from the last two to four weeks.” This is a drastic change from the application’s older model where Google estimated arrival time based upon years of live traffic data, which had shown to be accurate for “over 97% of trips worldwide” (Haselton).

Overall, I think this article does a great job displaying how companies use and manipulate data is always changing. Instead of continuing to use data that had been accurate in the past years, Google had to adapt and use practically real-time data. Likewise, I am particularly interested to see how the company decides to use this information going forward. Once the world starts moving towards a new normal, will this data still be of value as people start heading back to offices for work? Also, will google revert back to using pre-pandemic data? I think this pandemic will bring some flaws/problems to traffic data for Google Maps in the future.

Ultimately, this must be a difficult time for Google Maps as they are forced to rely on very new information to make projections for their users. How do you think Google will utilize the pandemic traffic data moving forward?

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/03/covid-19-forced-google-maps-to-change-how-it-predicts-traffic.html

Autonomous vehicles are becoming an inevitable part of the world’s future. According to a CNBC article, China plans to roll out “large-scale commercialization of self-driving taxis in 2023” (Kharpal). AutoX, is currently the company behind the hardware and software development for self-driving vehicles. The Chinese firm launched its “robotaxi” project last month, as “the company opened its robotaxi service to the public in Shanghai” (Kharpal). To schedule a ride, customers use the affiliated Amap app. Currently, China appears it has the chance to become “the world’s largest market for autonomous vehicles”, as it is forecasted that autonomous cars will “account for as much as 66% of the kilometers traveled by passengers in 2040” (Kharpal).

I personally am both intimidated and excited that this kind of technology is planning to arrive in the near future in different parts of the world. This is definitely very exciting as autonomous vehicles are slowly proving to be safer than the typical human-controlled car that many of us drive today. I believe over time, autonomous cars will make the highways and roads of the world much more secure. However, as the world is only in the early stages of this technology, I am anxious about the upcoming launches of these vehicles. I feel if some sort of malfunction happens with this technology, it can be scary knowing that you have limited control over the vehicle. Although, if the technology proves to be safer for passengers, I believe this will help humans be more productive. The world could direct that time they would be driving a car into completing other tasks while on the way to their destination.

Overall, I would not be want to be involved in the early stages/launches of this technology. Once autonomous cars prove their safety over several years, I will be more willing to ride in one.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/07/china-driverless-car-firms-see-robotaxis-scaling-up-in-3-years.html

Samsung will be releasing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 on September 18th. The device is the successor to the previous model, the Galaxy Fold. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a smartphone that consists of two folding screens. Rishi Iyengar, an editor for CNN gives insight into the different sizes of the two screens. Iyengar states, “The Z Fold 2, first revealed in August, is Samsung’s newest device with a foldable display — a 6.2-inch front screen and a 7.6-inch inner screen when the device is unfolded” (Iyengar, CNN). Samsungs greatest selling point for the device is that these two screens will allow the user to multitask and effectively have each screen displaying an application. Iyengar highlights examples of when the multitasking feature will be of use, “Users can, for instance, have a video on one half of the folded screen while scrolling through email on the other. They can also drag and drop text between multiple open apps” (Iyengar, CNN). However, due to the incredible specs, processing power, and unique features this device brings, Samsung has announced the starting price will be $1,999. This price places the phone as one of the most expensive smartphones in the world.

I personally would not pay $2,000 for a smartphone, especially with the great variety and value of smartphones there are on the market today. Although I believe the concept of a folding phone is very interesting, I don’t believe it is practical for the average consumer. Take the iPad Mini for example, the screen size on this device is 7.9 inches. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 is only .3 inches smaller when both screens are in use.

Unfortunately, although this new technology is very exciting, it appears the trend of smartphone prices continuing to escalate will not be ending anytime soon. I recently upgraded from an iPhone 7 to an iPhone 11 last spring, and I am sad to admit it but the performance and overall experience feel very similar. I enjoy the larger, gesture-based screen, battery life, and camera quality. However, other than that I feel the phone didn’t provide as many upgrades as I would’ve liked for the price I was paying.

Overall, I understand the smartphone market is still growing, and one of the biggest in the world. However, sometimes I feel the added technology doesn’t add up to the added change in price.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/01/tech/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-2-price/index.html

One corporation that has benefited from the COVID-19 pandemic has been the video communication service provider, Zoom. According to Laura He, a reporter for CNN Business, Zoom’s revenue has grown “more than 350% in the second quarter” while profits have exploded “by nearly 10 times as much” (He, CNN). Zoom’s CEO, Eric Yuan, explains the reasoning behind the company’s recent success. Yuan states, “‘As remote work trends have accelerated during the pandemic, organizations have moved beyond addressing immediate business continuity needs to actively redefining and embracing new approaches to support a future of working anywhere, learning anywhere, and connecting anywhere'” (He, CNN). However, with the application having extremely high growth, the company is struggling to keep up and support the platform. Throughout the last month, Zoom users experienced outages in different parts of the Globe. In fact, as recently as 8/24/20 there was a reported outage that affected Zoom classes for University students around the world.

I am very curious to see if these outages will continue for Zoom users. Over the past several months I personally have been using Zoom almost every day. Last spring, when the pandemic really started to take place in the United States, classes for colleges, universities, and high schools were shifted online. Throughout the remainder of the spring 2020 semester, two out of the five classes I was taking used the application to give instruction. Similarly, once the semester concluded, I was supposed to relocate to Orlando, FL for a summer internship with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. However, due to the pandemic, the internship was conducted virtually. Over the course of those ten weeks, I used Zoom every day. From onboarding, training, meetings, etc. I almost always had the application running. Likewise, I am still using Zoom now, as this semester I have four out of five classes that use the app.  I believe my personal experience demonstrates that Zoom and other video conferencing applications are going to become more essential moving forward for years to come.

Unfortunately, I am still concerned about the bandwidth capacity of the application. This rapid growth in a relatively short period is presenting many challenges for the corporation. Although outages have been limited, I feel as if there will surely be more in the future as the application is still experiencing new record highs. Overall, I personally cannot think of another time where this technology was needed more. Without platforms like Zoom, Skype, or Microsoft Teams, a majority of our lives/livelihoods would be on hold.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/01/tech/zoom-profits/index.html

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to the way people view everyday life, and this is especially true for consumer behavior. A recent poll states, “76% of consumers say that COVID-19 has changed how they look at behavior in public forever” (Restaurant Business Online). These new behavioral changes are impacting dine-in restaurants in the long run, as technologies are now becoming more involved in the industry. To limit as much contact as possible restaurants are implementing “digital or online-only menus”, as well as “touchless condiment dispensers.” Ultimately, this use of technology going forward appears it will have a large impact on giving peace of mind to customers, as 64% of consumers feel that shared condiment stations are not safe (Restaurant Business Online).

Overall, moving forward I truly believe more technology will continue to be placed into the restaurant industry. Technology can effectively limit what people touch and the amount of people consumers at restaurants come in contact with. I believe items such as touchless condiment dispensers will lead to more small tech changes within dining areas over the next couple of years. Perhaps an automated cleaning system will be capable of cleaning tables after consumers finish their meals. I can also envision restaurants using fewer hosts and hostesses and resorting to technology such as tablets to limit physical contact.

Unfortunately, although all these changes are interesting, I believe the use of this technology will have real economic ramifications on restaurant workers and could potentially place people out of work. In general, with COVID-19 pushing the world to a more distant and limited contact environment, I believe technology may continue to have harsh impacts on particular jobs.

Source: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology/touchless-technology-future-restaurants

A large topic in the news recently has been the controversy surrounding the social media app TikTok. Over the last month TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have been under pressure from government officials as the app “poses a national security threat because it could provide data about U.S. users to Beijing”. These concerns have led to President Trump signing off on “an executive order mandating that TikTok sells its U.S. operations by mid-September or cease transactions within the country” (Isaac). The United States is one of the largest markets for the app in terms of active users. According to Alex Sherman from CNBC, TikTok has around “100 million monthly active U.S. users” and “about 50 million daily active U.S. users” (Sherman). This executive order along with an enormous market has resulted in many multi-billion dollar U.S. corporations placing offers for the platform. Likewise, today (8/27/20) news broke that Walmart would be partnering with Microsoft to invest in purchasing ownership of the app. Dan Ives, a financial analyst working for Wedbush Securities, believes that Walmart joining forces with Microsoft was “‘the final piece of the puzzle that ultimately cements Microsoft successfully acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations for likely $35 billion to $40 billion'” (Isaac).

This situation with TikTok is reminding myself of similar topics that were discussed in today’s class, especially current trends such as social media and surveillance. The massive market of TikTok just in the United States alone is eye opening and assists in my understanding of how powerful social media platforms can be. Similarly, with nearly one third of the United States population using the app each month, TikTok storing user’s data could lead to very high stakes ramifications in the future. These consequences would not only be faced by individual users, but the entire country. Also, I believe this current event very well represents the trend of surveillance with technology, as the United States appears to be closely monitoring the platform and potential data that is being extracted from these devices containing the app. Likewise if the allegations against the ByteDance working with their domestic government are accurate, China also appears to be surveying data from their users devices.

I am curious to see how this situation plays out for other countries around the world, as other national governments have also expressed concern over the app. Overall, as a finance major I have been extremely intrigued by the current situation and how this multi-billion dollar deal will play out and what this means for the app moving forward.

Sources:                                                https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/27/technology/walmart-tiktok-deal.html https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/24/tiktok-reveals-us-global-user-growth-numbers-for-first-time.html