How fake news upends journalism and technology; why it damages society at large

Photo by Joël de Vriend on Unsplash

Let me begin by admitting that I am naive when it comes to editorial integrity. As a child, I wanted to grow up to be Lois Lane. I wanted to be a reporter of high editorial authority and integrity.

I started my writing career over twenty years ago and have always been overly cautious to write the truth. Not only did I verify sources, but worked with additional editors whose job was to fact check every word that I wrote. The idea of putting my reputation behind falsehoods was beyond my ken. I owed truth to my readers; it is my responsibility.

When Propaganda became news

“Fake news” is the new term for misinformation. The practice of misinformation (disinformation, defamation, libel, false news – take your pick), has an incredibly long history. As early as the first century BC, political misinformation was used to overthrow Mark Antony in Rome. This is nothing new. Propaganda machines have inflamed elections, religions and opinions as long as humans have an agenda.

Not only written words but films have been used to sway public opinion. Just like edited video on the internet today, Leni Riefenstahl swayed sentiment to bolster the Nazi mission during World War II.

The term is attributed now to the media who have personal (or paid) agendas. Even when leaders are quoted, the quotes are appended or abbreviated to match the desired storyline. The news is no longer the subject, building the writer’s fame seems to carry equal weight. Media is now a vehicle for persons to build their personal brands in attempts to become highly paid influencers.

When Technology Black Swan Huawei Blueprints Future Vision, people listen

Black swans are the ultimate outliers. They have the ability to surprise and disrupt the status quo.

I was recently in Shenzhen and was permitted access to Huawei’s campus. I know I didn’t see it all, but I saw enough to get me thinking. I had heard lots of stories, but reality was even more interesting. Seeing and talking to the people gave me new insights. I’d heard that in China, tech employees worked 10 hours straight a day. Not really. The offices, campus and the university (yes, a University where all employees study) are perhaps even more modern and inviting than many I’ve seen in the United States.

It was hard to take in everything, but I was fascinated by the fact that Huawei  founder Ren Zhengfei’s office overlooks a most exquisite man-made lake.  This lake is open for anyone to walk and enjoy. Most interesting was the fact that black swans were imported to live in the lake. It wasn’t until I had returned home that I realized their significance. Black Swans!

Upon reflection, China’s Huawei is the ultimate black swan. Rare and unexpected, its employee owned (privately held) status allows it to disrupt common business models and even technology. There are no outside shareholders to answer to and they foster the philosophy of “we’re all in this together” as well as collectivism. Huawei looks at the world considerably different than the majority of the Interbrand 100 companies. (In 2017, they were number seventy on the list and are the youngest technology manufacturer on the list.)

Founded in 1987, they’ve risen from obscurity to one of the top growing brands in the world. According to the 2018 China RepTrak® study, conducted by the Reputation Institute, Huawei has been ranked as the most reputable Chinese corporate brand in their home country. In the study, “How to Win on Reputation in China: Understanding Chinese vs. Multi National Companies,” they out-performed Apple (a one time a classic black swan) in terms of transparency and open communication “Compared to Apple, Huawei is 2x more genuine”.  They are clearly the fastest rising 31 year old startup.

Black swans catch the competition by surprise. Huawei began their journey as a small telecommunications supplier, but quickly grew from home spun to acquiring major contracts. The black swan strategy is clear in their progress. Rather than going after telecoms in economically advanced major cities, Founder Ren chose to go after rural areas where competition was small and need was great. At a time when The Art of War was a popular tactical and strategic philosophy, he chose to "surround the city with the countryside." Huawei would cover the provinces with employees to support and service their equipment, signifying their devotion to a customer-centric philosophy. After being hugely successful in the countryside, they soon conquered the metropolitan cities.

5 Features Entrepreneurs Need on a Smartphone - found them on the Huawei Mate 10

Today’s smartphones are so full of features that its hard to distinguish one from another. They’re all great. But what I’m looking for is innovation. Features that will actually make a difference and add value to this tiny computer we all carry everywhere.

I received the Huawei Mate 10 Pro at the launch event in Munich last year. I didn’t review the phone then (since so many people did). I wanted to live with the phone and give it a real, hands-on, daily driver report. (As an aside, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro was named as the best Android phone of 2017 by Android Authority.)

While I appreciate a sexy phone and a great screen, innovation is my primary reason for selecting a smartphone. The Pro model I tested adds features of an OLED screen, 128 GB storage (no Micro SD card slot) and 6 GB of ram.

Without giving full specs (read on the Huawei website), you should know the basic firepower behind these phones is powered by amazing engine, where all parts work as a SoC (system on a chip) :

Valuable Proven Business Strategies to Make You Succeed

If you’ve had a business for any length of time, it’s easy to muse about looking towards the future. Even when you’re successful, you wonder “I can be bigger, I can be better.” There’s a lot of soul searching for every startup and business founder.

Review: Huawei P10 Rocked Mobile World Congress - now available in Canada

I don’t normally write reviews. Not because I’m lazy, but because I am an extremely picky consumer of technology. Very few products I receive to review for my #techradio podcast send me over the moon and I don’t like to waste time on negative reviews.

I have to admit also, that I have a relationship with my phones. The phone I use every day needs to seamlessly fit my needs. I am also a loyal customer. I stuck with the same brand of Android phone for several iterations. They suited me just fine. But last year I was given a Huawei P9 phone to try out. I fell in love with the phone. It’s sleek, fast and sexy. The Huawei P series reflects a special style and elegance for those with discriminating taste.. It's a piece of technology that was easy to fall in love with.

Why You'll Want these 7 Winning Innovations in Technology from CES 2017

According to the badge I received when I checked in at #CES2017, I've been attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas for the past 19 years. I've seen many highly lauded "innovations" come and go. 3D TV is one that comes to mind. I watched 3D on my smart television exactly once.

So when I attend this conference, I look for the unusual, the technology that I think will help people in their everyday lives. My post from 2015 listed some interesting innovations that I believe are still valid. I skipped posting last year because there really wasn't much that moved me. This year, 2017 is different. A few of the products I saw, really stood out.

Google Daydream VR Headset

When it comes to Virtual Reality, previously I could take it or leave it. I tried many headsets from the Oculus to the cardboard and never really felt it was worth investing in. Google's next mobile VR platform, Daydream, is far more robust than previous iterations. It is also considerably lighter. I also didn't feel quite as queasy when I tried the Huawei View (powered by Daydream) because of the improved frame rate and head tracking capabilities. To explore the VR environment in 3D with this headset, you use a remote-like controller as a pointer. You're able to point at and click on objects, navigate menus, and more. New phones (powered by Android 7.0 Nougat) need to a be high powered to provide this quality experience. At this time, only a few like the Huawei Mate 9 Pro meet the specs.

Chinese Technology Company, Huawei, Wants to Build a Better Connected World

If  you’ve known me for any length of time, you know I have a passion for technology. I’ve had a tech podcast for almost 10 years and I know that by adopting proven advances, we can all grow our businesses by applying the new innovations.