tech

New iPhone commercial throws some serious shade

/ peterbohjalian / Leave a comment

It is a debate that is seemingly less and less raging all the time, and a new iPhone commercial just may take the Android vs. iOS argument a step closer to the grave. Check it out, below.

And honestly, the ad makes some good points. The complete, inalterable integration of hardware and software has been a core tenet of Apple since the earliest, now legendary days of both Steves; Jobs and Wozniak. This design and construction philosophy has resulted in some of the most fluid, and revolutionary products our world has ever known. As a now famous example, Jobs would not let the original iPod be released until users could get from one point in the interface, to any other, in 3 ‘clicks’ or less. Thus, the ingenious wheel system was born; perfectly melding the exterior hardware with the internal, operative software.

But of course, this hardline approach to product construction does have it’s naysayers (remember the days when you could pop the back off your phone, and remove the battery? Not with an iPhone, obviously), and also, for the sake of competition, don’t we want a healthy smart phone market with a number of able competitors?

We absolutely do. But this writer for one, just can’t imagine ever switching away from an iPhone, and that seamless, integrated hardware and software experience that Steve Jobs mandated all those years ago. A mandate that reaps benefits to this day.

What do you think? Do you like the extra freedom that Android allows its developers and users? Or do you prefer the near-flawless user experience of iPhone ownership?

What is the ‘Sharing Economy’- and how will it affect industry, workers?

/ peterbohjalian / Leave a comment

Via: Source

Hilary Clinton made waves on Monday morning when she effectively called out the major players in the ‘sharing economy’; a new business model that uses contract labor, instead of traditional employees, to fulfill their services. The implications of this seemingly small legal distinction can be massive. The classic examples of the new ‘sharing economy’ companies are Uber and Air Bnb. In light of the varying press the undoubtedly massive, innovative companies have been amassing in recent days and weeks; we wanted to take a look at what this trend could mean on a macro level as we head into the future.

Uber and Air Bnb are fascinating companies for a number of reasons. Globally speaking, Uber is now one of the largest, private transportation companies that there is. But they own not a single car. And similarly, thousands of people now book rooms and houses across the globe via the Air Bnb app, yet they own not a single piece of property. And that distinction is far from the only one differentiating them from conventional companies.

They both use contract labor forces outside of their corporate headquarters. I.e., the Uber driver that picks you up is not a benefitted employee who works exclusively for Uber, as a cab driver for a traditional cab company would be. That Uber driver is a contract-employee, only working when they want to, but also not receiving any benefits that a traditional employee earns, like healthcare or retirement savings. Now, if you’re a college kid looking to earn a little extra money by renting out your room, or by driving people around in your car, this arrangement is perfectly fine.

Where it theoretically becomes dangerous is if these companies serve as a kind of starting point; rolling the metaphorical snowball down the hill towards a point where we are ALL contract employees, responsible for our own healthcare and retirement savings. This would represent a potentially dangerous step if it became the norm. What do you think? Is the sharing economy a slippery slope? Or is a it a non-issue, being used by politicians to garner attention for themselves? Let us know in the comments.