In this podcast of Bottom Line I.T. with Mike Maddox and Erik Jacobsen you will hear industry professionals talk about the latest ramifications of Net Neutrality, How bitcoin is soaring, and other hot tech topics.
RECORDED at ASK
January 23, 2018
Segment 1
End of Net Neutrality
https://www.wsj.com/articles/end-of-net-neutrality-what-it-means-for-consumers-1513275987
Proponents of net neutrality fear that the end of the Obama-age regulations will spell doom for internet freedom. Telecom companies will now have the ability to establish “slow” and “fast” lanes for different customers rather than treat all web traffic equally. Erik and Mike discuss.
Segment 2
Bitcoin is Soaring
https://www.wired.com/story/bitcoin-is-soaring-heres-why-its-not-ready-for-the-big-time/
As bitcoin’s value increases 17-fold since last January, owners of the cryptocurrency are elated and casual observers are impressed. But as the cryptocurrency grows to new heights, microtransactions grow. The maker of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, dreamed up bitcoin as a means to avoid the friction of bank transactions. With many people hailing Bitcoin, and other experts saying that is to volatile, the great question remains, what is the future of Bitcoin.
Segment 3
With a Whoosh, the Hyperloop Sets a Speed Record
https://www.wired.com/story/hyperloop-speed-record-video/
Virgin Hyperloop One, recently set a new speed record of 240 miles per hour. Having set a previous record of 220 miles per hour this summer, the hyperloop is making considerable progress toward achieving Elon Musk’s vision of flinging people through tubes at supersonic speeds.
Segment 4
Facebook to demote posts fishing for likes
http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/18/technology/facebook-spam-posts/index.html
We’ve all seen irritating Facebook posts like “Tag a friend who’s a Pisces”, but now Facebook is taking action to get rid of these posts. Facebook is utilizing machine learning to identify posts such as these, and posts that utilize this format will be shown less in the news feed. Posts that ask users for advice or recommendations will not be affected by the algorithm.
Segment 5
Fake WhatsApp App has been dowloaded more than a million times
http://mashable.com/2017/11/06/fake-whatsapp-app-google-play-store-android/?utm_cid=hp-h-8#I4aKFSsbKGqX
Fake app looked so real that it was downloaded over a million times – and its purpose was to take over your phone, bury you in spam and Hide itself.
Segment 6 – Bottom Line Security
Evidence that Ethiopia is Spying on Journalists
https://www.wired.com/story/evidence-that-ethiopia-is-spying-on-journalists-shows-commercial-spyware-is-out-of-control/
During the years of 2016 and 2017, select individuals from several Western countries received suspicious emails. The email contained a link, that upon clicking, would their internet connections would have been hijacked and directed to servers loaded with malware. Upon the installation of that malware, the spies utilizing this service were able to monitor everything users did, including access their camera and microphone. One would anticipate this measure that sounds straight out of a movie would come from the US’s CIA or NSA or England’s Mi6, but it was… Ethiopia… A country where less than 5% of its populace has access to the internet.
