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.

At Apple’s WWDC last week, iOS15 was unveiled and showcased a number of new features for mobile and iPad users. With the advancements in the tablet iOS operating system, the question has been raised as to how Google and Android can compete in the tablet market in the future. The US Senate passed a bill that would boost government funding into the tech industry to the tune of $250 billion over a five year period with a focus on semiconductor manufacturing and related fields.

This week we dive into the vehicle shortage many local automotive dealerships are facing due to the semiconductor production issue. Microsoft is poised to make a significant announcement in late June regarding their famed Windows operating system. Amazon Sidewalk has hit the streets and you would probably be best served to turn off its functionality as soon as possible. The US Department of Justice successfully recovered $2.2 million worth of Bitcoin that was paid by Colonial Pipeline from their recent hack.

On Episode 532 of the Waves of Tech, we are diving into sports, electric vehicles, photo storage, and space tributes. ESPN made headlines this week by finalizing several broadcast deals that are making live sporting events their main focus. Canoo announced their van/bus electric vehicle designed around a specific lifestyle and peculiar frame. Google Photos has ended their unlimited and free cloud storage and some customers may be looking at paying for storage. Michael Collins, one of the first astronauts to conduct spaceflights, died in April and we pay tribute to his contributions to NASA and science.

Dell recently learned that firmware updates being pushed since 2009 had five significant security flaws that in fact were never acted upon. NBC is supplementing prime time Olympic games coverage with a dedicated Twitch channel featuring athlete interviews, highlight recap shows, and live interactive polling. Ford is set to create a ripple in the electric truck market with the announcement of their new F-150 Lightning model. The Colonial Pipeline ransomware hack is once again spotlighting the aging security and physical infrastructure in the United States. In October, Microsoft will be updating many of the original 1995 icons within Windows 10.

We dive into technology used on vacation and share what was useful and what to avoid. GM finally issued a significant software update to address the battery pack fire issue that raised much attention in 2020. On a somber note, Bill and Melinda Gates announced their pending divorce and the questions are swirling as to the impact this will have on the technology industry and The Gates Foundation. Apple releases a new product lineup and we share some of the items that caught our attention overall.

Walmart has invested $750 million into Cruise, GM’s self-driving vehicle company, as the retail giant looks to shed some costly delivery services. A horrific crash of a Tesla Model S leaving two persons dead has sparked the debate over the safety of autonomous vehicles on the market. Ingenuity took flight on Mars and became the first aircraft to make a powered and controlled flight on another planet. Amazon has reached an agreement with United Launch Alliance to send over 3,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit as the race from dependable, affordable, and satellite-based Internet heats up.

It was announced this week that T-Mobile is upgrading existing customers to unlimited 5G plans and trying to convince customers from competing companies to join. Segway, yes the two-wheeled transporter, is introducing a hybrid hydrogen motorcycle with top speeds at nearly 100MPH. As the semiconductor shortage continues to impact the automotive manufacturing industry, Intel is stepping to the plate to fill the gap for US-based producers. Ingenuity is forced to reschedule their first flight on Mars due to some startup complications.

LG, the world’s third largest smartphone manufacturer, is stepping out of the market entirely effective immediately to focus on smart home devices and robotics. The Google v Oracle battle over Jave code usage finally made its way to the highest court in the land and Google won with resounding numbers. Ingenuity, the helicopter partner to Perseverance, touched down this week signalling another major step in exploration of Mars. Facebook was subject to a massive hack that will be creating chaos for over 550 million of their users and their personal data.