After a rain delay on Wednesday, SpaceX is poised to launch its first manned mission to the International Space Station with DM-2. Leo says that while critics say that money shouldn't be "wasted" on space exploration, Leo disagrees, saying that a tiny fraction of the federal budget goes to NASA and the Commercial Space Program, and the benefits of what we learn far outweigh what we spend, or the risk. And it always has.
A woman took her mother to court citing a violation in the GDPR privacy laws in order to compel her to take down pictures the grandmother posted of her grandchildren.
Twitter announced this week that their employees can work from home and don't ever have to come back to the office. Leo says that this could be a new emerging trend, where companies allow ther employees to telecommute. The result could also be that people will be able to live where they can afford, rather than living in expensive areas. But it may also mean that companies will pay their employees less if they live in cheaper areas. But companies are also battling for the best talent, by offering amenities. Working from home will be part of that.
Two journalists who are very accurate when it comes to Apple rumors are predicting that the company is developing Augmented Reality Glasses. Ming Gi Quo says that Apple will launch the AR specs in 2022, while John Prosser thinks it'll happen next year in 2021. Leo likes the idea and finds AR far more compelling at virtual reality. It keeps you rooted in the real world.
Leo has been trying a new DNS service called NextDNS. Not only does it keep your online activity private from even your ISP, but it also blocks ads and has great parental controls. And it's free for most types of online activity.
Facebook has bought animated GIF site GIPHY for $400 million. Leo says that the true value in the site is the information that flows between users when they share a funny animated GIF.
Falling by one vote, Congress failed to pass protections that would prevent government officials from accessing your personal browser history without your knowledge or consent. And there is no warrant required. Now they can just go straight to your provider and ask for it. Leo says time is ideal to start using a virtual private network (VPN).
Leo spent the week having Zoom meetings with friends, family, and business associates. He even had a virtual college reunion, and at the end of the week, he's all zoomed out. Effective, yes. But he's eager to get back to talking to people face to face.
Leo picked up the new iPhone SE in white and says it really is adorable. It's nice and petite, has a great camera, and at $400 it really is the ideal smartphone for most people.
Quarterly earnings reports reflected a modest growth for tech giants this week in spite of the outbreak. Spotify, for example, stated that every day is a weekend now, as daily listenership was up. Microsoft reported single-digit growth as well. But Leo says that doesn't mean next quarter won't be the same.
Advertising revenues, by contrast, have plummeted online as advertisers pull back.
