Are brick and mortar stores becoming irrelevant?

December 6, 2011 Dexter Johnson

Malls, shopping centers, and retail outlets thrive from consumer spending. However, where is the majority of this spending taking place, in-store or online.

Are brick and mortar stores going the way of the dodo?

In short, no. However, within certain areas there is simply no reason to leave the comfort of your home to do your shopping. Today, one can even go grocery shopping online. There are some serious advantages and disadvantages to shopping online.

Advantages:

Lower price points
Vast selections
Simple

Disadvantages:

Possibility of lost shipments
Groceries?
Waiting on shipping

When you shop online for certain types of items, the savings will be significant; however, there are times at which the shipping charges would suggest you just drive to your nearest location. In addition, humans love the fact that going to a store gives them instant gratification instead of waiting on a delivery. On the other hand, there isn’t just one place you can shop from online, there are literally hundreds of thousands so the selection is endless. No Macy’s in your city? No problem, just head to the retail website and you can go from shopping to shopped in minutes! As with any good thing there has to be downsides. For example, you just ordered a brand-new graphics card online and you wait for it for weeks only to realize that the parcel service lost your shipment; it can happen. Lastly, what about groceries? Food is something that we all need to survive. Yet, I just don’t see grocery stores going anywhere anytime soon.

Bottom line: Technology and e-commerce have virtually eradicated the need for so many physical stores to be built when so many commodities can be found online for a reasonably low price.

Online marketplaces that offer savings:

Mobile Operating Systems, Technology

Carrier IQ; Your phone is watching you!

December 5, 2011 Dexter Johnson

News has been released that pre-installed tracking and logging software has been found on select Android devices and Apple’s iOS.

Does this really come to a surprise to anyone?

I am not surprised at all; however, I am relieved to find out that my rooted Motorola Droid X does not contain Carrier IQ. First, let’s put this “malware” into perspective; no matter what we do in the digital world data is consistently being collected about us and we are being targeted as a customer in someone’s eyes. Second, there is no type of technology that is not guilty. There are mobile phones that collect our data, as well as computers, websites, and more.

On the other hand, in the grand scheme of things, it is frankly unsettling to know that your beloved, app-centric cellular device is sending information back to your wireless carrier. Carrier IQ has been alleged to intercept the following:

Key presses
Call data
SMS
Web data

Honestly, that is everything that you would use your phone for. However, there are ways to determine if you have this software embedded deep in your android device with a free app, Carrier IQ Detector, which was created by Lookout. In addition, iPhone users, need to navigate to Diagnostics & Usage and check Don’t Send, which will not send diagnostic and usage data back to Apple.

Mobile Operating Systems, Operating Systems, Technology

What if WebOS succeeded?

December 2, 2011 Dexter Johnson

HP’s WebOS; was it really that bad? The short answer is NO.

WebOS was actually an excellent mobile operating system that was just overshadowed by its rivals (Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 7). Did it have stability? Yes. Did it have fluidity? Yes. So, what was WebOS missing? HP had poor marketing of the OS as well as a very small ecosystem setup for it’s end users. In addition, the number of apps available to be installed on a device should not be the deciding factor when it comes down to purchasing a new mobile device because any market and/or app store will have the same productivity and big-name entertainment apps (Evernote, Netflix, etc). So, is a fruit slicing game that important when you can get something similar? For example, Android has counterpart apps that do the same as certain iPhone apps and vice-versa. To be honest, WebOS had polished looks, excellent multitasking, and a decent array of apps. However, due to poor marketing and a price-point that rivaled the iPad; it failed.

Bottom line: If this mobile operating system had done a few things different maybe you’d be using a HP Pre or Pixi right about now, because it had all of the right tools they just were not implemented correctly.

Multimedia, Technology, Video

Set top boxes…worth it?

November 29, 2011 Dexter Johnson 1 Comment

There are several set top boxes that an enthusiast can choose from. Some may want to completely cut the cord, as I did, or some might want to simply enhance their entertainment experience. Below are just a few:

Roku (what I currently own)
Apple TV
Google TV
Boxee Box

I am a firm believer that a set top box can help you significantly lower or even eliminate a pesky cable bill. Why? The answer was simple to me, the only thing I need from my already expensive cable company is the internet. I will use a quote I once heard, “If I can’t stream it, I don’t watch it.” This definitely holds true to me as my daily television consists of YouTube vidoes, Netflix, and HuluPlus. When living a typical work lifestyle it is difficult to put down everything and watch a network show when your cable company tells you to. So, why not have access to tv shows and movies when you are ready? The cost of a set top box is a one time fee that will lead you to media freedom later; you really pay for exactly what you want. All I want is Netflix and Hulu, so $15 per month is nothing compared to $100 plus for dozens of channels I wouldn’t waste a second on.

Bottom line: Cable is done and providers know it; don’t get locked in. This investment will prepare you for the future and with all of the options to choose from; there is a box right for everyone. Happy picking!

Technology

Censoring the Internet?

November 19, 2011 Dexter Johnson

S.O.P.A. or the “Stop Online Piracy Act” is a bill in congress that could potentially change the way we view the internet forever. It will not be the same free place that it is now, but it will be similar to the “internet” that has been butchered by other countries.

Basically, ISPs could be ordered to prevent its subscribers from obtaining data from certain IP addresses of off-limit websites. For example, if there is a “pirated” movie being streaming online, whether it was or not, could be blocked. “Pirated” is in quotes because it is hard to define, simply because who will determine whether it is infringing on a copyright or not?

This is yet another sad attempt in trying to bring piracy to a halt in cooperation of the RIAA and MPAA. Will piracy ever end? To be honest, answer is no. However, so many artists and movies could thank piracy for their vast popularity. Artists and studios should not be mad at those that obtain their music because companies rob them of more money than pirates ever will.

The techniques that would be used to take block this information from the customer would be similar to tapping a phone and would require complete reconstruction of some networks.

Bottom line: This infringes on the customers privacy because packets would have to reviewed at a very deep level. Also, the ISPs would have to spend a vast amount of money to block the content, there is no guarantee that all will ever be blocked.

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