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  Geebo 8:58 am on June 20, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 112 ), walmart ( 25 ), Whole Foods ( 7 )   

  Are we headed for a retail duopoly? 

  

  Wal-Mart is the number one retailer in the US with a substantial web presence. They see Amazon as their greatest competitor. Amazon is the number one online retailer and they’ve been looking to get into the physical retail space. They see Wal-Mart as their greatest competitor. Now, Amazon is firing a shot across Wal-Mart’s bow as they are in the process of acquiring organic grocery store Whole foods.

  While not even coming close to Wal-Mart’s almost 5,000 locations across the country, including Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market and Sam’s Club, this acquisition would give Amazon a substantial foot in the door in the country’s grocery market. With its already popular online business, with just 400 possible new locations it actually could give Wal-Mart a run for its money if they’re also used as small distribution or pick up centers for online orders. Not only that, but Amazon could also end up taking a piece out of Wal-Mart’s grocery share in the country, which is where Wal-Mart makes most of their money.

  What could be worrying is Wal-Mart’s response to Amazon’s potential acquisition. A lot of brick and mortar store chains have crumbled under the might of the Wal-Mart. Sears and K-Mart used to be giants in the industry. Sears alone has been around since the 19th century, but is now facing the spectre of closure. If this trend continues, we could all end up shopping at either a Wal-Mart or Amazon branded store in the near future. Competition always breeds innovation in business, but a near monopoly between two retail monoliths will cause not only stagnation, but will also allow the two corporate giants to become complacent in their pricing.

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  Geebo 9:01 am on June 19, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Denver ( 2 ), Rentals ( 14 ), Scams ( 1,611 )   

  Denver man takes on rental scammers 

  

  If you’re looking for a property to rent online, and you come in contact with an obvious scammer, we don’t recommend engaging with them. Any actual information they can get out of you can be used for their gain. Instead, if you really want to help prevent the activity of these scammers, we recommend contacting the Internet Crime Complaint Center. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate someone who wastes a scammer’s time in the same way they like to waste ours. A man in Denver was looking for an apartment on a certain disreputable classifieds site when he was contacted by a slew of scammers. Here’s how the rental scam usually works.

  In Denver, the scammers kept asking the man for a picture of a check written out for a phony deposit. The Denver man kept sending the scammers e-mails with no attachments, links to URLs that went nowhere, and a picture of broken image error message. It was a number of back and forth e-mails before the scammers realized they were being trolled.

  While this man recognized the red flags that led him to realize there were scammers afoot, not everyone does. Just as a reminder, if a rental price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If a ‘landlord’ wants you to send money without letting you view the property, it’s probably a scam. If they ask you to wire money to them or send money using prepaid credit cards or gift cards, it’s most definitely a scam. Education is the key. If more people are aware of these scams, less people will fall for them and that will begin to drive the scammers out of business.
   
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  Geebo 8:57 am on June 16, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: FCC ( 30 ), net neutrality ( 32 ), Netflix ( 15 )   

  Is Netflix fighting for net neutrality once again? Sort of. 

  

  Previously, the CEO of Netflix said that his company was not worried about net neutrality since he said they were “big enough to get the deals they want.” Now it appears the subscription video streaming service may have changed its tune. Recently, Netflix made an announcement they were participating in the July 12th Battle for the Net campaign, alongside sites such as Reddit, Etsy, Kickstarter and Amazon among many others.

  
  Relative content between 4:36 and 5:12

  In a tweet from Netflix they said, “Netflix will never outgrow the fight for #NetNeutrality. “Everyone deserves an open Internet.” The tweet also included a link to the ‘Day of Action’ website. It’s still unknown what is going to take place on July 12th, but back in 2014 many websites participated in a similar protest where they displayed animations to make it look like their websites were loading very slowly.

  So why did Netflix have a change of heart? Probably for PR reasons. Many Netflix subscribers are cord-cutters, meaning they’ve gotten rid of their expensive cable or satellite subscriptions in favor of the less expensive internet streaming service. Their customers do not want to see those savings nullified by internet service providers raising their rates even further just so people can have quicker access to prioritized sites.

  Again, even with Netflix wearily on board, this latest campaign for net neutrality may be like trying to hold back the ocean with a broom, as the President Trump-backed FCC has full intentions of repealing the net neutrality regulations put in place by the Obama administration.

  You can go here to voice your opinion about net neutrality to the FCC.

   
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  Geebo 10:17 am on June 15, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 112 ), Amazon Go ( 8 ), Moby, Wheely's Cafe   

  Swedish company testing mobile store that seems to solve the problems Amazon Go has 

  

  Previously, we’ve posted on this blog about Amazon Go, Amazon’s proposed attempt at an automated brick and mortar store with no employees. One of the issues Amazon came up against was that the store’s system crashed when there were too many people in the store. To that end, the store with no employees would then require employees. Now, a Swedish company is testing a similar concept, and may have a better grasp on the concept than Amazon.

  Wheely’s Cafe is a company that already franchises mobile coffee stands around the world. Now, they are testing a mobile marketplace called Moby. Like Amazon Go, it has no employees, however, unlike Amazon Go it only allows four people inside at a time. Also, rather than being a brick and mortar store, a Moby is mobile. While now it requires a driver, Wheely’s is hoping to use autonomous driving in the future. Currently, Moby is only in beta testing and is only being tested in select Asian markets.

  Amazon may want to take a few hints from Wheely’s by making Amazon Go mobile. Not only could they be used as regular stores like Amazon is proposing, they could also be used as a sort of delivery hub. The last mile of delivery is the most expensive according to online retailers. If Amazon were to deploy mobile stores they could have mobile hubs where people could come to pick up their orders without waiting as long.

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  Geebo 8:55 am on June 14, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: employment ( 43 ), McDonald's, Snapchat ( 13 ), Snaplications   

  McDonald’s using Snapchat to recruit new hires 

  

  If you need to hire a large number of new employees, you need to go where your potential hires are. For McDonald’s, that would be social media and not just any social media, but Snapchat specifically. The fast-food pioneer is using the photo sharing app to appeal to the 16-24 demographic in order to hire 250,000 people for the summer.

  If you use Snapchat, you may see a short ad for McDonald’s about open positions. In a process McDonald’s is calling ‘Snaplications’, if you’re interested in the position you can swipe up on the ad where you’ll be taken to the company’s career webpage where you can complete your application.

  It will be interesting to see if this recruitment drive is successful for the Golden Arches. While their appeal to a younger demographic through Snapchat seems ingenious, there is still somewhat of a stigma when it comes to working at McDonald’s. The term ‘McJob’ comes from that stigma after all. Many young users tend to portray themselves on Snapchat as being more financially well off than they actually are. They may see working at McDonald’s beneath them even if it is one of their better financial options.
   
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  Geebo 9:07 am on June 13, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Facebook Marketplace ( 67 ), Safety ( 46 )   

  Florida Facebook Marketplace shooting shows need for safety vigilance 

  

  A very sad and unfortunate incident recently took place in Jacksonville, Florida, that involved Facebook Marketplace. A father of two was shot and killed in front of his children when a man giving away a dog on Facebook Marketplace became suddenly violent in the man’s home. The gunman was giving away a dog that he had allegedly found in the back of his truck. The father wanted the dog for his children and asked the man if he could pick the dog up but the man insisted that he drop off the dog at the father’s home.

  When the man showed up at the house the father and his fiancée invited the man in for a drink to thank him for the dog. The man is said to have overstayed his welcome and becomes drunk and belligerent before getting into an argument with the father and shooting him dead. Thankfully the children and the father’s fiancée were physically unharmed.

  Normally, when a murder is committed through the use of a classifieds site, mainly the notorious craigslist, it’s usually a robbery that goes bad. However, it’s not unheard of for freak occurrences like this to arise. Having someone come to your home is never a good idea no matter how trustworthy you think the person may be. As soon as they try to talk you into meeting you at your own home you should immediately say that you’re no longer interested in the item. It’s recommended that you always ask someone who is about to complete an online exchange with you to meet you at a police station as most police stations in the country now welcome these transactions to take place within the safety of their walls. If something does not feel right when making any kind of classifieds transaction, listen to your gut and walk away.
   
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  Geebo 7:54 am on June 12, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: malware ( 28 ), mouseover, Tinba, Zusy   

  New malware doesn’t even need you to click on a link 

  

  Another week and another new type of malware comes out, this one even has a new trick to it. Normally, when your computer gets infected by malware you have to open an attachment or click on a link. With this new type of attack, you don’t even have to do that. All you have to do is hover your mouse over the link and it could infect your computer.

  This particular attack exploits a flaw in an unpatched version of PowerPoint. Usually, PowerPoint will warn you that something is attempting to download itself to your computer. However, it’s pretty easy to accidentally bypass the warning, allowing the malware to infect your computer. This attack is said to download a type if malware known as both Zusy and Tinba. The malware is designed to copy any financial information you may input while you’re on the internet such as account or card numbers.

  The fact that you don’t even have to actively click on anything to get infected shows that the war with malware has reached a new level. As we’ve previously mentioned the best defense is not to click on unsolicited links or attachments. With this new type of attack the best thing to do would probably be not to even open emails from unknown entities.
   
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  Geebo 9:03 am on June 9, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Popcorn Time, ransomware ( 11 )   

  Ransomware makes you choose between your friends or your files 

  

  With the WannaCry ransomware attack largely gone, news is making the rounds of another type of ransomware that is even more malicious than that. While this other attack has also come and gone, the thought process behind it is so malicious in its genius that it’s worthy of discussion. The ransomware is called Popcorn Time, and it forces you to make a choice of Faustian proportions.

  If your system were to become compromised with this ransomware, you’d be offered two options to unencrypt your files. You can either pay the ransom of one Bitcoin to the attackers, or you can simply click a button and spread the ransomware to two of your friends. These two friends will then be sent a disguised link to download the ransomware, and once their infections are recognized by the attackers, your files will be released. Testing people’s morals like this at the expense of other people could almost be considered super-villainy. Dr. Evil would be proud.

  While no method is 100% foolproof, you can protect yourself from ransomware attacks. Keep your system updated regularly by turning on automatic updates. Also, the age-old adage applies of never clicking on links or attachments in emails from people you don’t know. Regularly backing up your data to the cloud or an external device also goes a long way in saving you from having to deal with lost data. Because in the end, isn’t better to take some extra time to protect yourself than it is dealing with the fallout of a no-win situation?
   
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  Geebo 9:03 am on June 8, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 112 ), Amazon Prime ( 6 ), food stamps ( 5 )   

  Is Amazon’s Prime discount for low-income families a boon or a bane? 

  

  Earlier this week, online retail giant Amazon announced they will be offering a discounted fee for their Prime service to low-income families that are on government food assistance. Prime is usually $99 per year, or $10.99 a month. With that service, Prime members receive unlimited free shipping, faster shipping, and access to Amazon’s streaming video library among other services. For those families who receive benefits through SNAP or EBT cards, they will have a monthly fee of $5.99 a month subtracted from their cards.

  Now obviously, this is a pure business approach on Amazon’s part in their ongoing battle with Wal-Mart, but does it actually help low-income families or does it more to hurt them? In some ways it’s great. For those people who may not have access to a vehicle, they can get food and other much-needed goods delivered to their residence. In a lot of cases, what some may consider a short trip to the store can end up as a recurring expense if all the transportation they have access to is either a taxi or a ride share service. Also, items that are needed frequently can be ordered in bulk from Amazon. In other instances there are low-income families who may not be educated enough, or have the experience, on how to spend wisely. A wide open pipeline to Amazon like this could lead them to make purchases that aren’t financially sound for their budget.

  Still, details are still a little sparse on this program. Hopefully, Amazon will add some type of documentation for these families on how to best use their service if they choose to.
   
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  Geebo 9:03 am on June 7, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 112 ), net neutrality ( 32 ), Netflix ( 15 )   

  Big name steps in to replace Netflix in net neutrality debate 

  

  As previously posted on this blog, video streaming heavyweight Netflix has withdrawn itself from the net neutrality debate. They claim they are so large an entity they can command any deal they want from internet service providers. By doing so, the net neutrality supporters lost their biggest ally. Now, a number of tech companies are banding together for a ‘day of action’ on July 12th to try to show the need for a neutral net. A number of those companies are no slouches, such as Mozilla, Reddit, Kickstarter, Etsy, Nextdoor and Patreon just to name a few. However, the most important name to thrown into the debate is the internet’s largest retailer, Amazon.com.

  
  (Relative content is between 4:20 and 7:00)

  Not only is Amazon the largest retailer on the web, but they are also Netflix’s number one competitor in the online streaming market. With the Trump-backed FCC getting ready to gut the net neutrality regulations installed by the Obama administration, the fight for a free web needs more powerful icons like Amazon to take up the banner. With such a huge ally on their side maybe the net neutrality debate isn’t quite over just yet.

  The problem is, it doesn’t appear the FCC is going to budge on their net neutrality stance anytime soon. Ronald Reagan could rise from the grave and testify before the FCC in favor of a free net and the FCC still wouldn’t reverse their decision. While it’s a good sign that net neutrality proponents have a number of tech giants on their side, you can’t fight city hall, or in this case the FCC.