It’s a new week with a new President and I’m glad to be back on with Mark Starling, Seth, John, and the First News 570 crew. This week, gamers rescue GameStop, Google’s employees organize in a new union, and Apple posts a security update you should really install. You can listen to Mark and I point and laugh while talking about the wild and crazy technology world every Thursday morning, LIVE at 6:43am Eastern.
APPLE POSTS SECURITY UPDATE TO FIX SERIOUS FLAWS
We’re going to start this segment off with real news. If your smartphone is made by a fruit company you should seriously consider installing the latest update. Apple is encouraging iPhone and iPad users to immediately update their devices to the latest version of iOS. Current iDevices users are susceptible to a chain of software exploits where hackers can hijack the device being able to run arbitrary code of their choosing, including downloading contacts. The latest iOS, 14.4, was released last Tuesday and can be installed by many users over the air.
WORKERS ORGANIZE UNDER THE GOOGLEPLEX
Tuesday was a busy day. Google employees from around the world have formed a coalition called Alpha Global which is made up of 13 Google employee unions from around the world. Alpha Global consists of 10 unions including the US and Canadian based union, the Alphabet Workers Union. The AWU consists of 700 workers across the United States and Canada and is a member union affiliated with the larger Communications Workers of America union. Google employees have formed these unions after high profile firings and investigations of Google employees questioning the company’s use of AI technologies.
GAMERS KEEP GAMESTOP ALIVE WITH STOCK PURCHASES
As more game consoles make downloadable content accessible and require less and less physical media, Gamestop has struggled. The company has lost hundred of millions of dollars in 2019 and 2020 and things were looking pretty bleak. Hedge fund investors have been eyeing the company in an attempt to short the stock. Over the last several weeks, the gaming faithful have banded together andused social networks to cause Gamestop stock to rally. Gamestop stock had been trading around $2.57 per share at the end of December. Yesterday, Gamestop shares have been trading at $347 per share yesterday afternoon. The only thing driving Gamestop shares now is demand as the company continues to lose lots of money.
