We are losing are losing our appetite for downloading apps across all operating systems as developers are seeing limited new downloads and more established apps soaring. In a staggering new infographic released, we dissect the volume of data used globally per minute and annually. The numbers from messaging, video streaming, wearables, and views are downright impressive. Bird is really suffering financial and have adjusted their pricing to stay afloat and respond to more cities placing more fees for use. And talks of banning facial recognition technology are back in the news as the battle for use and protection of civil and privacy rights surfaces.

First, we dissect the issues Verizon is having with their 5G rollout in Chicago and share what the impact could be if they do not figure the technology out sooner than later. Second, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show is back in Las Vegas. The event is packed with plenty to discuss as we have witnessed major shifts over the last decade in the broadcasting scene. Lastly, Apple’s long awaiting spin into the entertainment side of the business has occurred with the announcement of Apple TV+. Time will tell as to whether their new original programming is embraced by the loyal users and if new users are willing to pay.

After learning of the killing of a university student by a would-be Uber driver, we share some crucial safety tips when deciding to use ride share services.  We learned this week of a security researcher that hacked Vtech, Microsoft, and Nintendo without consequence when a London court released the hacker. California is now one of 30 states that will now be taxing companies for goods provided by out of state companies after a court ruling in 2017 now allows this.  Lastly, Gmail is celebrating its 15th birthday and continues to serve the needs of their users.

We are featuring conversations from the CUE conference in Palm Springs where technology and education were center stage. CUE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community of connected educators focused on improving education for all learners and is the conference is a must go-to for educators. We talked with Kristina Ishmael (open educational resources expert), Hans Tullman (STEAM technology specialist), Matt Markstone (educator and former instructional technology coordinator), and Adrienne White (Director of Marketing for Ozobot). Topics range from media and information literacy, equity in the classroom, benefits of shifting away from traditional textbooks, importance of educator professional development, creating better citizens through instruction, and various technology in education talking points.

Stephen A. Hart – Brand Alignment Strategist, host of the Trailblazers.FM podcast, and founder of Brand You Academy.  In today’s digital workplace and economy, a personal brand is vital to the your success. We cover what branding means and why it really matters for you as an individual. A brand built on clarity, experience, and service is the ultimate goal.  A host of technology resources are available to maximize your ability to create a lasting and memorable brand, such as colors, fonts, graphics, and a website. But don’t neglect task managers, organizational tools, and social media schedulers. Stephen shares personal stories and provides several tips to create a profitable and effective brand.

The world wide web turned thirty years old today! The origins of the web is a great story and spawned a revolution in how we conduct business and communicate.  After two fatal crashes of their 737 Max 8 airliners, Boeing is pushing out a software update in an attempt to remedy some system and design flaws. The movement to break up the big technology companies is hitting the political arena as Elizabeth Warren made waves with comments while at SXSW.  Finally, Mozilla is offer a new file sharing service to users that is easy, convenient, and encrypted.

We learned this week that the French government is set to decide on implementing a new tax on internet giants that profit on targeted digital advertising and re-selling of personal user data. The Chinese government has a system in place – the social credit score – that ranks individual citizens and that scores provides certain freedoms such as travel, mortgages, and choice of school. Retail stores around the United States and abroad continue to close but it is for many more reasons that simply Amazon and the online shopping spike.

We are joined by a special guest – Blaine Hoffmann of The SafetyPro Podcast.  Blaine joins us to dive into the intersection of technology and safety in today’s workplaces. Among the topics we cover include drone use in the safety industry; pros and cons of online training; using technology to reduce hazards; application management systems; and data management.  We discuss the importance of building a foundational community of partners that believe in safety. Empowering employees with technology is a major step in creating a smart and adaptable safety cultural.

The future of aviation is trying to be disrupted by supersonic flight, but the reality is that traditional commercial flight is safe, profitable, economic, and popular. Amazon Live premiered this week showcasing a number online products during their live broadcast with the anticipation of taking more eyes from television and providing more options to their customers. There are some really great apps out there (Truebill, SubscriptMe, Overflow) that can help you track all those pesky subscriptions you have to manage into your finances. A professor in New York came across his childhood Apple IIe that was still working and was able to play some vintage games in front of his children.