Fire-Wired Blog

This article was first published by  dmcityview.com Why is it films set in dark dystopian futures are always beset with fascist governments, evil multinational corporations, or tech firms that foolishly program indestructible robots? Shouldn't the heroes of these films be battling the real oppressors of modern life like student loan officers, the I.R.S. (please don't audit me for this column), or cable companies? These are the institutions that hold society over a barrel and beat us into submission. Now normally I would include cellular service providers in that list, but I'm starting to feel their days of tyranny are coming to a close. Why? Because technology like Google's Project Fi are slowly starting to rip apart their business model. Cellular service providers aren’t necessarily evil, but they certain are vampiric. Whether you’re talking Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or any of the also rans, they’ve all got their fangs plunged deep into our collective cas...

This article was first published by  dmcityview.com One of the scariest things about being an adult is making large purchases. Houses, cars, refrigerators, washers, dryers, and so many other high ticket items remind you with every purchase that as an adult you need to be a responsible decision maker. Still for those who can’t commit to mortgages or car loans there is an alternative; renting. You can rent a house, lease a car, rent-to-own appliances, and with the rise of subscription model you can now rent software and gadgets. Over the last half decade a glacial shift in revenue generation has been occurring in the tech industry. Instead of purchasing technology outright, companies such as Adobe and Sprint have shifted to continuous revenue generation through subscription-only models. Just like it sounds, subscription customers pay a monthly fee to use a companies service or device. With Sprint’s new model customers no longer buy a phone straight away with with a one-time $50 o...

This article was first published by  dmcityview.com If science fiction has taught us anything, in the future education will likely be pointless as computers will know everything. Whether its as far off as Star Trek or as immediate as 2001: A Space Odyssey computers will handle all the tough issues while we’re simply along for the ride. While 2001 has already passed us by and computers have yet to start killing us, computers and internet searches have virtually erased the need to retain information. Need to know the capital of Azerbaijan? The answer is one web search away on the smartphone in your pocket. But actually its even easier than that thanks to Amazon’s latest gadget; the Amazon Echo. When Captain Picard asks the Enterprise’s computer how long their journey to the Klingon homeworld will be does he reach for a device in his pocket? No, he simply says “Computer, how long…” That is the simple logic behind the Amazon Echo. For $200, Amazon will ship you a nine inch tall cyl...

This article was first published by  dmcityview.com Depending on your shopping disposition iKEA is either the worst or best storefront in the history of time. Best because it has more options for home decor than any store on the planet, worst because all those options make it the size of three Wal-Mart's put together and it's built like a hedgerow maze. For the uninitiated trying to limit an iKEA shopping excursion to under an hour is an exercise in futility, the store is designed to keep you from leaving. If you can't tell, I hate iKEA, and making Marieta worse technology firms are all starting to model their businesses after it. Take a moment and fire up Facebook or Twitter on the closest mobile device to you and click on the first link you see. Nevermind the destination or content, do you notice anything peculiar? Maybe the awkward bar at the top of the page with Facebook share numbers or maybe three vertical dots in the corner allowing you to share or Tweet a link t...

This article was first published by  dmcityview.com Premium technology is the specter all developers long for, but few have achieved. Luxury is easily attainable. Six-figure cars and stereo systems pack in pricey, high-end technology but require stringent upkeep. Premium means a steep price tag but not the excessive maintenance necessary for ownership. Apple builds premium consumer devices, Tesla builds premium cars, and now Tidal wants to be the premium streaming audio service. It’s too bad for Tidal that too few people are willing to pay the price for premium audio. In the late 1990s, music reached its peak value. New release CDs were usually $15, and sometimes $20 or more. Since the turn of the century with the peer-to-peer downloading revolution began by Napster and the digital music sales iTunes ushered in, the bottom has completely fallen out of the music industry. Today, albums have virtually disappeared, and individual songs are either streamed for free or sold for less...