Central and high desert residents of California were hit with major back-to-back earthquakes and social media played a pivotal role in information, safety, and communication. Over the weekend, we experienced how availability of mobile phone data can cause a headache in terms of management, cost, and convenience. E-scooters deserve more conversation because they create an eyesore and public safety concerns along with a tax on public services in terms of enforcement and oversight. And finally, a group of powerful executives and technology movers are investing heavily in the midwest region of the United States which is often outshadowed and overlooked by the industry.

Amazon has announced Prime Day – July 15 and 16 – offering up some new features to entice veteran and newcomers to the sell-a-thon. Tech comes and goes, some faster than others. We take a stab at existing technology that will be dying off by the end of the year and into 2020. After the massive Equifax data breach of 2017, a sentence of four months in federal prison was handled down to a single executive for insider trading. Finally, we learned last week that the brilliant product designer Jony Ive has departed Apple to begin his own company.

A new bill from the United States Senate aims to require some tech companies to disclose the actual dollar amount being made off your data they collect. The very popular and entertaining Drone Racing League has secured another round of venture capital to the tune of $50 million dollars. The Home Depot is celebrating its 40th birthday so we venture down the road of why home improvement stores seem to be void of troubles associated with online shopping and other industry store closures. Microsoft is limited which software their employees can use (including Slack and Grammarly) over concerns of intellectual property protection. Monopoly has gone high tech with the integration of a voice command AI-type smart speaker that tracks money and controls to pace of the game.

We are joined by Heather Welch of the Sunshine & PowerCuts podcast talking about the myths, realities, and technology behind off-the-grid living. Out of necessity 7 ½ years ago, Heather and her husband built a customized off grid system in rural northern New Zealand after being told a power connection would cost over $30,000. Heather shares her story of building the system, the technology behind the system, and the obvious ups and downs of living such a lifestyle. Adapting to changing conditions in terms of weather conditions, personal needs, and capacity limitations is a major component of the system. Many of us have strongly held perceptions of this lifestyle and Heather shares numerous myths, misconceptions, and realities of off-the-grid living. We finish off with offering up several concrete tips and takeaways from her experiences.

We kick off the show talking about the changing landscape of the video and gaming industry as E3 in Los Angeles is in full swing. NASA has launched a new deep space atomic clock into orbit with plans of testing a one-way signal communication between Earth’s satellites and a space unit. The FCC recently approved default robocall blocking options for the phone carriers in the United States. Lastly, we dive into the geopolitical war playing out between the US and Huawei and tell you what it means for future device manufacturing and 5G development.

On Episode 448 of the Waves of Tech, we are covering a wide spectrum of technology news that matters to you as a consumer. Eero is a simplified and app-based home mesh WiFi network that is proving to be the future of wireless connectivity. Apple made news at WWDC with their announcement of a new sign-in-with feature focused on burner emails and user privacy. The list of most valuable private companies – including tech, healthcare, fitness, wealth management, and shared workspaces – is shifting with the influx of venture capital funds. Netflix and Disney are making boycott statements due to political positions from some states here in the United States. And finally, Napster was born 20 years ago and made a lasting impact on the music industry.

Apple is now required by a U.K. consumer watchdog organization to warn and inform users about potential battery issues resulting from software updates. Walmart recently launched a new economical line of tablets, at the cost of $64-$99, that are perfect for home use and families. Canva suffered a security incident, but their amazing response to the situation is what is the talking point this time around. And, you can now pay for your AT&T bills using various forms of cryptocurrency.

The city of San Francisco bans brick-and-mortar stores from only accepting app-based and credit card forms of payment, requiring all businesses to take cash. In an eight year court battle, Apple users are now allowed to sue the Cupertino tech giant over fees and commissions charged for app purchases. After the news of the death of Doris Day, her Wikipedia page was immediately defaced raising questions of their open source method of updating information. Uber failed to impressive many Wall Street investors with a lackluster IPO and a less than optimistic future of profitability.

We share some personal IT stories that have shaped the beginning of our weeks and proudly support the men and women behind the scenes getting things up and running. Microsoft is attempting to modernize the voting system around the world with their new open source and free software called ElectionGuard. The art and enjoyment of magazines is fading away quickly and share why their place in today’s world still matters. Microsoft is also pushing out prompt messages letting users now to migrate to Windows 10 as support for Windows 7 support nears the end of life in January 2020. With Mother’s Day right around the corner, we share some technology related gift ideas that will surely bring a smile to the faces of your loved ones.