The devastation in the US retail sector is accelerating in 2017, and in addition to the surging number of brick and mortar retail bankruptcies, it is perhaps nowhere more obvious than in the soaring number of store closures. While the shuttering of retail stores has been a frequent topic on this website, most recently in […]
Is It Time to Break Up Google?…
In just 10 years, the world’s five largest companies by market capitalization have all changed, save for one: Microsoft. Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Citigroup and Shell Oil are out and Apple, Alphabet (the parent company of Google), Amazon and Facebook have taken their place. They’re all tech companies, and each dominates its corner of the […]
The Massive Monopolies of Google, Facebook and Amazon, and Their Role in Destroying Privacy, Producing Inequality and Undermining Democracy…
Most of us are active on Facebook, use many of Google’s assets (search, YouTube, calendar) and get Amazon products dropped at our doorsteps. But have we ever stopped to think about the enormous impact these three companies have had on our lives and our society? Well, Jonathan Taplin has given it a lot of thought. […]
Facebook Failed to Protect 30 Million Users From Having Their Data Harvested by Trump Campaign Affiliate…
In 2014, traces of an unusual survey, connected to Facebook, began appearing on internet message boards. The boards were frequented by remote freelance workers who bid on “human intelligence tasks” in an online marketplace, called Mechanical Turk, controlled by Amazon. The “turkers,” as they’re known, tend to perform work that is rote and repetitive…
Amazon Echo Shuts Down Over CIA Connection Query (VIDEO)…
The WikiLeaks ‘Vault 7’ data dump allegedly detailing CIA hacking tactics has again thrown the privacy of electronic devices into focus. One viral video showing an Amazon Echo refusing to confirm a link to the US spy agency is summing up people’s fears. On Tuesday, Wikileaks unexpectedly released 8,761 documents claiming to reveal “CIA hacking […]
Amazon Cloud Storage Failure Causes Widespread Outages…
Amazon’s cloud-hosting service Amazon Web Services is experiencing problems in its eastern U.S. region, causing widespread problems for websites and apps. Amazon’s service site states that its customers are experiencing “increased error rates” and notes that it is working on the problem. Affected sites including Trello, Scribd and IFTTT appear to be down…
H-1B Visas Do Mainly Go to Indian Outsourcing Firms…
Hundreds of Ancient Earthworks Resembling Stonehenge Found in Amazon Rainforest…
Hundreds of ancient earthworks resembling those at Stonehenge were built in the Amazon rainforest, scientists have discovered after flying drones over the area. The findings prove for the first time that prehistoric settlers in Brazil cleared large wooded areas to create huge enclosures meaning that the ‘pristine’ rainforest celebrated by ecologists is actually relatively new…
Inside Amazon’s Robot-Run Supermarket. Employs Just 3 Human Beings…
If you’re a robot stealing somebody’s job, it’s best to stay hidden. That’s what Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos appears to be thinking, as his Seattle-based web giant has contemplated a two-story, automated grocery store in which a staff of robots on the floor upstairs grabs and bags items for shoppers below…
Amazon Refuses To Hand Over Privacy Data To Feds…
The U.S. government completely forfeited its moral standing when it was revealed that agencies like the NSA spy on every aspect of day-to-day life. Or at least they try to. In 2016, there is one last bastion of privacy – what is said in the confines of one’s own home. And in 2016, the government […]