Waves of Tech

Welcome to Waves of Tech #110! Thank you so much for the continued support of NetCast Studio. We appreciate all of our listeners and supporters. We have a good, solid mix of tech for you tonight

The majority of computer voices over time have been female. We can consider the recent reveal of Apple’s Siri, GPS units, automated car prompts, and many more. But, what’s the real reason behind dominant female voices? What historical perspective can we find here? Female voices were used in WW2 navigational devices because their voices stood out more than their male counterparts. Biologically, we are more apt to respond to a female voice and find it pleasing to hear a woman’s voice rather than a man’s. Follow the discussion as we conclude with our thoughts on the “revolutionary” Siri integration.

Amazon has begun embracing HTML5 for their new Kindle Fire. HTML5 boasts a host of rich content formats, improving upon the Internet experience by augmenting audio, video, and interactive elements. What place does this have in the education field? Students can experience a text book that is dynamic, alive, compelling, and progressive. Combine that with instant, up-to-date, relevant text and we have a serious victory for kids here. Imagine what a science, history, or psychology e-text book could be HTML5 format! We open up and discuss the influence tech is having on the educational sector. Be sure to check out a piece of what HTML5 can offer through this link: http://thewildernessdowntown.com/.

The biography of Steve Jobs has been release. Millions of copies have been bought or downloaded already. The passing of Jobs has brought to life the relative short tenure of many CEOs in today’s technology firms. IBM recently promoted Virginia Rommety, Yahoo recently fired Carol Bartz, and Tim Cook succeeds Jobs. In our discussion, we try to highlight some reasons why tenure is shorter, why the pressure is higher, and why the current state of technology strains CEOs.

1. Computer Voices: Siri, Gender, Origins

2. Amazon embraces HTML5 for new Kindle Format. What could this do for education? http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920022473.do
Amazing example of the power of HTML5 and video Arcade Fire: http://thewildernessdowntown.com/

3. Smart phone changeover – Steve Jobs Biography

4. Technology CEO’s.  What is Changing

• IBM: Virginia Rommety (headed up Business services division)
• HP: Meg Whitman (eBay- Skype purchase) Carly Fiorina (Former HP-ousted after battle to acquire Compaq)
• Google – Eric Schmidt / Larry Page
• Yahoo: Carol Bartz Out Tim Morse CFO in
• Apple Tim Cook succeeds Steve Jobs

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Welcome to Waves of Tech #109! We welcome to the podcast this week Jim Meeker (@ctrlaltdeliver). Jim is a blogger, podcaster, and educator. You can find his content of ctrlaltdeliver.com. We hope you enjoy this week’s show and as always…continue to ride the waves of tech.

In the digital age, the question of lifespan comes up quite frequently. We’ve seen this in recent infographics stating that, on average, 71% of Tweets receive no attention or reaction. 92% of RTs occur with the first hour of tweet. A recent study shows that Facebook updates persist in the News Feed for around 22 hours. With individuals spending more time on Facebook weekly (~2 hours more than last year), with teens finding more educational uses for social media, and other sites such as GooglePlus evolving, does this trend create a better chance of someone viewing your content or less? We open up and discuss.

The dichotomy of technology continues to be pressed into our minds, week after week. Hackers recently hacked Sesame Street’s YouTube channel and flooded the account with inappropriate pornographic videos and images. Google quickly responded by secure the channel. On top of all the filtering we already do to keep our kids safe online, we now have to worry about checking trusted family broadcasting channels for inappropriate content. What a world it is now!

Groupon, Groupon, Groupon. A few months ago Groupon was on top of the world. A huge IPO in the horizon, massive capital growth, and huge sums of start-up funds. Since the SEC traced through their financials and found some non-GAAP principles being utilized, Groupon’s financial platform isn’t looking very secure. Will this cause investors to move away from Groupon’s IPO? Time will tell folks.

Want a world of no bank fees, no government regulations, and no real dollar valuation? If so, join the world of Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer digital currency that can be used to exchange services between business entities. This movement has been thought to be the next non-conventional currency to conduct business. Bitcoin recently imploded leaving the industry in a bit of shambles.

1. Facebook: Post Life Span (The lifespan of a Tweet); The Facebook Addiction; Teens leaving Facebook

2. Sesame Street Youtube Channel hacked

3. Groupons Accounting Problem: Does it really matter to us whether or not the company is valued at 5 Billion or 10 Billion?

4. Bitcoin implodes, falls more than 90 percent from June peak?

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Welcome in to Episode 108 of Waves of Tech! This week, we have a guest on the podcast: Donald Schwartz. Don has been an avid tech user throughout the years and even started his pressure washer business with a Commodore 64! Thanks Don for joining us in Episode 108 and now it’s time to ride the waves of tech.

Our first discussion covers something near and dear to our hearts – The Amazon Associate program. California Gov. Jerry Brown signed repeal legislation that had forced Amazon to terminate their California Associates Program. Amazon invited all California Associates whose accounts were closed due to the prior legislation to re-enroll in the Associates Program. Amazon is planning it’s next move up the democratic ladder as they attempt to lobby the Federal government to pass a national law about sales tax collection.

Ever heard of a kiosk machine that would spit out some cash for an old cell phone or MP3 Player? Neither did we until we came across the EcoATM. Originally spotted in Southern California, there are now 23 reverse-vending machines located in the state. The primary investor in EcoATM is CoinStar, which may sound familiar to most. Be sure to check out the 4 minute video link here.

Scammers continue to find ways of creating havoc in our lives. Now these “Scummers,” as Dave calls them, are begin to exploit the online games that kids are now playing. These online games are rigged with malicious software, including Trojans designed to drain a parent’s bank account. When will enough be enough!?!?

Also, we touch on a few other topics. Apple releases iOS5, iTunes 10.5, and Lion 10.7.1 recently and Steve provides his thoughts. Also, RIM is still in process of restoring service to millions of the phones, in respect to e-mail service. In the age of major mobile competition, RIM might want to start figuring things out or get left behind. Finally, we hit on the responsiveness and tech integration that some companies have found to be effective and profitable.

As always, thank you for listening or watching Waves of Tech!

1. Donald Schwartz: Pressure washing industry veteran, entered the industry in 1979 as a sales rep, then went on to establish Super Pressure Washer in 1987 (total industry experience 32 years). Started business with little to no capital, a pressure washer and a Commodore 64 computer.

2. California repeals associate program legislation

3. EcoATM

4. Scammers Attack Kids With Rigged Online Games

5. IOS 5, Lion 10.7.1 and iTunes 10.5 released

6. RIM still restoring service

7. Tech and ordering services

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