Where Were You? The 10 Biggest Tech Stories in the Last 90 Days

As the old saying goes, nothing in this world is certain – except death and taxes. Well, if Benjamin Franklin were alive today, he would surely revise the saying to include “and technology continues to evolve.”

And with that, here’s a rundown on the biggest news in the tech world as of late. So, in case you had missed it, we got you covered, ahem, connected.

10. G is for Google and Google is for Alphabet

In August 2015, Google proclaimed to the world that the word “alphabet” meant more than a set of letters that forms words. Because “Google is not a conventional company” nor do they “intend to become one” Google created Alphabet which is mostly a collection of companies, and the largest, of course being Google. This does not mean that there will be new companies to represent each letter of the alphabet. What it does mean is that each company will operate separately and have its own leaders yet will be unified with one CEO. Apparently, Larry Page liked the name Alphabet because it denotes language and communication, but “alpha-bet” also means “an investment return above benchmark” (G is for Google, https://abc.xyz).

9. Mobile Device Google Searches: 50 Billion+ a Month!

Google is now receiving more searches on mobile devices than on desktop – more than 50 billion searches are occurring on a monthly basis! According to Google, this trend is important because they have been competing against Apple and Facebook to grow internet browsing on mobile devices.

8. Apple’s 3D Touch

Apple’s latest iPhones feature a new screen display that detects two levels of pressure. Yes, we know, smartphones have that ability – using a finger or two – lets you swipe, scroll, and press to open apps and access information. But Apple’s 3D Touch technology goes further; finger presses are now unique. For example, new iPhone users can take a peek at their email simply by pressing on a message preview. They can view the entire email if they push a bit harder.

7. Universal Pictures Presents “Steve Jobs”

The new Steve Jobs flick is sure getting a lot of press. The film, produced by Universal Pictures, is based off of Walter Isaascons’ biography and has received mixed reviews. Rolling Stone says: “Sorkin and Boyle don’t give us any more insight into the subject’s singular personality and imagination than we could get from reading a print biography or watching a halfway decent documentary; the film is imaginative, but not that imaginative, so it focuses on the question of whether geniuses need necessarily be assholes as well, and concludes, that no, in fact they don’t.” Shocker!
On the other hand, a Contributor at Forbes.com that has known Steve Jobs both personally and professionally has said: “Steve Jobs’” is a great movie, but not about the man I knew.”

Hmmm….you’ll have to see the movie to judge for yourself!

http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/steve-jobs-and-why-movies-cant-capture-genius-20151012#ixzz3oMjUpJg0

6. Facebook Expands on Like

Facebook is expanding the “like” button and with new emotions. “Reactions,” is a set of six emoji that will be placed alongside the standard thumbs-up, letting a user post a comment and with a wider range of emotions. The new “Reactions” emoji include visuals for “Like,” “Love,” “Haha,” “Yay,” “Wow,” “Sad,” and “Angry.” Reactions will appear on both mobile and on desktop, and will be under all posts on the News Feed.

5. Amazon Introduces Handmade

Etsy is no longer the queen of the online artesian marketplace. Amazon’s Handmade website offers similar kinds of products, from vintage jewelry, one-of-a-kind furniture, and artwork. What’s different about Amazon’s Handmade is that it offers artisans more space and options for telling their story, and allows users to refine their “handmade” search by artisan location, and price tag, as well as letting you search by the last 90-day or 30-day arrivals. Amazon’s Handmade shows the popularity and trend of all things “handmade” in our modern, post-industrial world.

4. The Largest Technological Merger Ever!

The powerhouse computer maker company, Dell, is buying the data storage company EMC for a reported $67 billion. It’s being said that this is the largest technological merger ever. By the way, EMC owns VMware, Inc., which is a powerhouse in the virtualization market. The new Chairman and Chief Executive, Michael Dell, who will lead the combined companies said: “The combination of Dell and EMC creates an enterprise solutions powerhouse.” This deal is twice as big as the Compaq-HP deal valued at $33.4 billion.

3. Facebook Badges of Authenticity

Facebook badges? The small check mark in a circle that you see placed next to the company’s name (an example is seen below) doesn’t seem significant, but it’s part of a new initiative at Facebook to support small businesses. Those Business Pages that have physical addresses on Facebook can display this badge. The verified check marks – or badges – are supposed to help people locate the authentic, official business. For the business Page owner, having a “verified check mark” helps the company show up higher in search results. The badges are colored gray to help them differentiate from the blue check marks that are displayed for official celebrity and public figure pages.
Facebook ultimately decides whether or not a company is “authentic.” The administrator must be a live person (not a fake name) and verification of their driver’s license (or other government ID) is a prerequisite for badge approval.

Image is from: http://marketingland.com/new-facebook-is-rolling-out-verified-badges-for-local-business-pages-145276

2. Adobe Flash Player – Fight or Flight?

Flash Player, one of the most popular, widely used pieces of software in the world, suffered a series of critical security vulnerabilities in late summer 2015. Historically, this program has tolerated a variety of hacking events, and this is believed to be the result of Flash Player’s “closed, proprietary system” (Flash. Must. Die. Wired.com). We even covered this story in July’s MediaG newsletter – The Last Hurrah for Flash – Or is it? The tech community took a harsh stance on the latest security issues. Many developers were boldly forthright, calling for the program’s complete disabling. In fact, search browsers like Mozilla Firefox blacklisted Flash Player. Google announced that its next version of Chrome would block Flash player elements.
As HTML 5 and other “open Web technologies continue to mature, there’s less and less reason to use Flash” (Firefox blacklists Flash player due to unpatched 0-day vulnerabilities, ArsTechnica.com).

1. Apple Stock – Worst Year since 2008

Although Apple stock is still doing better than the rest of the market, and still showing some growth so far this year, it seems that it’s on course to turn in its worst annual performance since the 2007-08 financial crisis. The change in fortunes for AAPL is said to be attributable to concerns about the Apple car, how the new Apple watch is selling, and investors who are being reluctant to throw their money into the tech giant.

So there you go: The top 10 tech happenings in the last 90 days.

What new gadgets, gizmos, and technologies are coming in the next 90 days? Look for our next tech rundown in February 2016!