Today, while I was working out at the gym, I saw a kid, probably around the age of fourteen, walk right into a treadmill because they were staring at their phone instead of looking ahead at where they were walking. While I could rant about how the youngest generation is addicted to their smartphones, the “look down” effect plagues people of all ages, creeds, and colors. I wasn’t around for a time before cell phones, but I can imagine that people riding public transportation at least recognized each other’s existence with a nod or a smile, maybe they started speaking to one another, but this is something I have yet to see in modern society. Gone are the days of socializing with your fellow humans. We prefer to “like” photos and content posted by friends and, more often than not, complete strangers. I’m far from perfect and use my phone while walking or doing other public activities, but I have made a conscious effort to be more present in everyday life, and I highly recommend doing the same.
Well, here’s what you missed in the news yesterday.
The Saga Continues
The investigation into Russian collusion with Trump administration officials has gone on for what seems like years at this point. In my opinion, we either need to send everyone to prison or move on and start solving real-world issues like the fact that the US may be headed into yet another recession. But I digress, on Tuesday a federal judged delayed sentencing yet again for former national security adviser Michael Flynn — a move that surprised media junkets, political analysts, and Flynn himself.
U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan reamed out Flynn for his alleged “serious offense,” and yet, he withheld his sentencing.
“Judge Sullivan usually gives prosecutors a hard time, not because they’ve necessarily done anything wrong, but because he holds the government to a very high standard. But today, it played out to the disadvantage of the defendant. And why? The defendant was a high-ranking government official who engaged in egregious conduct. And Judge Sullivan turned his wrath on the defendant.”
–Glenn Kirschner, Former Federal Prosecutor
Google Maps To-Go!
Google (GOOGL) has expanded its Street View program from streets around the world to virtually every reachable piece of land on the planet because of the Google Trekker program. The purpose of the program, which first began in 2011, was to allow everyday travelers to strap on the 44-pound device to their backpacks and carry the camera pack to places that Google Maps cars would have a difficult time reaching. According to Google Trekker testimonials, people and organizations have taken the backpack-sized mapping system everywhere from 3,000 feet up El Capitan in Yosemite to floating the canals of Venice to exploring the ancient city of Petra.
On Tuesday, after nearly eight years of travelers carrying around the 44-pound piece of tech, Google (GOOGL) announced changes to the Google Trekker camera in a blog post:
“Over the years, we’ve gathered feedback from people and our partners who have used the Trekker around the world. Today, we’re upgrading the Trekker so that our partners — like tourism boards, airports, and transit operations — can better capture places and their stories. The new Trekker has a sleeker design and is lighter in weight, making it easier to carry. The camera has also been updated with increased aperture and higher resolution sensors that will capture sharper imagery.”
–Danny Cheung, Technical Program Manager, Google Street View
