The Waves of Tech

In the final episode of the Waves of Tech, we are recapping the technology industry from 2009 to 2021. We recorded the first episode on May 20, 2009 and are formally ending the podcast on August 31, 2021. Thanks to each and every one of our family members, friends, guests, and listeners for supporting us over the last 12 years and 3 months. It has been an absolute honor to share these memories with everyone. And for one final time, thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to keep on techin’

Over the weekend, a few teenagers with visual impairments wore IrisVision goggles from Virgin Media and experienced a football match in a new way. T-Mobile suffered a hacking job that exposed millions of users’ data and the steps they are providing to fix the problem are both good and not enough. Mastercard announced worldwide plans to shift away from using magnetic strips on credit cards to biometric data by the year 2033. California’s Prop 22 is making news again as a federal court judge has ruled the previously voted on and approved proposition as unconstitutional.

Netflix uses a series of secret codes in algorithmic programming to categorize genres and it is available for viewing online. A recent survey in enterprise business is reporting that nearly 40% of businesses do not have a chief data officer in an executive  position. A federal agency has launched a large-scale investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot after numerous accidents, injuries, and deaths while utilizing the system. AMC Theaters is planning to accept bitcoin this year as the digital currency grows in popularity and stability.

Over this last week, the team has upgraded some outdated technology (desktops and mobile phones) and we share the experiences. It seems that every year there is a major dispute between a broadcast company and cable provider, and the recent spat DISH and Sinclair are having is another headline making story. The technology industry was fundamentally shifted thirty years ago when the first website was launched with the vision of Tim Berners-Lee. A recent report shows that revenue from 5G infrastructure is anticipated to reach over $19 billion globally in the year 2021.

LendingTree surveyed thousands of home sellers and it was learned that many are using secret cameras to leverage their properties, without consent from buyers and agents. A planned 1,500-person e-sports arena is being constructed in Ohio to draw more attention from the Midwest population, and we think it is a stellar idea. After years of trying to figure out the future of DirecTV, AT&T finally spun off the cable provider from their core business model. Lastly, we are learning more about what Amazon has planned for Alexa in terms of ambient computing and the future of in-home voice functionality.

A terrible AirDrop prank went very wrong when a teenager decided to share photos of an airsoft gun to those with open AirDrop functionality enabled. Wildfires are devastating the western state, yet there are several fire behavior computer modeling programs out there assisting fire managers with data and information. Technology has changed the way the summer Olympics games are both played and covered from equipment design and camera quality to biometric data and player performance.

United Airlines is looking to revolutionize regional air travel with the purchase of 100 zero-emissions, electrically powered airplanes from Sweden-based Heart Aerospace. After lingering concerns for nearly a month, the Hubble Telescope is now up and fully functioning thanks to the troubleshooting expertise of engineers. Warby Parker has updated their app to include augmented reality abilities to digitally try on glasses and have a prescription issued. Blue Origin is set to launch their New Shepard rocket with a four person crew, including Jeff Bezos and famed female NASA figure Wally Funk.

A newish app called Swimply is making waves as it offers homeowners the opportunity to rent out the backyards (pool, BBQ, spas, etc.) to visitors looking for a change of environment. The Pentagon has formally cancelled a $10 billion cloud computing contract with Microsoft raising more questions than answers. Virgin Galactic has made history with the success rocketing into space with the help of SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo then returning to Earth safe and sound.

Columbus, Ohio wrapped up their 5-year Smart City grant and we learned of the successes and failures of the process. New data is showing that consumers are shelling out upwards of $65 billions during the first half of 2021 with few indications of slowing down. Windows 11 received very mixed reactions and we shared some thoughts from what was presented. John McAfee changed the landscape of virus protection and created an industry that was essential to protecting our systems. The Hubble Telescope is experiencing some technical and computing issues and NASA is racing to ensure the system gets back online.

During a recent vacation, we learned about some unique regional technology trends happening in various states. In a funny yet bizarre petition, thousands are signing an online action to ban Jeff Bezos from returning to Earth after the Blue Origin virgin flight. The Microsoft event in which we anticipate Windows 11 to be displayed is happening this week. Several Texas residents experienced a change in their thermostat settings as it was learned that a company is remotely raising temperatures after residents entered into a promotional event. Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the world wide web, is selling the original 10,000 lines of source code as an NFT in an upcoming auction.