2019 is starting to look a lot like the new 2009.

Once upon a time, in a land before Apple, there was Nokia, the queen of feature phones. Who could ever forget how awesome it was to walk around with your sliding, twisting, flippy cell phone? “Nokia” in the early 2000’s is as defining of a word to a generation as “Instagram” is today (Okay, that’s a stretch. You get my point). But seriously, whipping a sleek flip phone out of your pocket a decade ago was a sure easy way to up your cool factor.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, she’s back. And she’s cooler than ever.

Nokia just announced their flip phone comeback, which will be a revamped version of their original Nokia 2720 Fold. The new Nokia 2720 is obviously entering a highly competitive market with the majority of Americans having either iPhone’s or Androids. With the rise of the internet and instant gratification expectations over the last decade, who could imagine having a flip phone today? This is why Nokia created their 2720 model equipped with 4G internet and application capabilities such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Maps.

Another fairly recent trend seems to be the growing angst and distrust consumers are having with Apple products. It is becoming obvious that iPhone’s are not meant to last for years – just until the next iPhone comes out. Our society has become so attached to these devices that we have no choice but to comply with Apples purposeful software malfunctions and fork up over $500 for a new phone every two or so years. According to Florian Seiche, the CEO of the company who makes Nokia phones, people are placing more importance on having their phones longer, and they should benefit from doing so.

Another huge benefit is obviously the price tag on these new innovative flip phones. If I can essentially carry out the essential tasks of my iPhone, not have to replace my broken glass screen every two months, and get to revel in early 2000’s nostalgia every day, ALL for $600 cheaper?! Sign me up, Nokia. I’ll see you at Blockbuster with my Tamagotchi.

20,000 Google employees made the brave decision to conduct a walkout about a year ago to protest the mishandling of reports of sexual harassment and misconduct. It seems as though to this day not much has changed for those brave enough to speak out against the wrong doings. While Google seemed to say the right things and make the right moves publicly, changing there old polices to be more updated and making a public statement about the reports, behind the scenes employees are accusing the company of having a “retaliation culture”, which has made past and present employees too fearful to report any issues.

As reported by Recode, they found out numerous employees were punished for their actions with demotions, being pushed out, or made to work on lesser important or coveted projects after filing complaints with HR. The company would rather sweep issues under the rug than face the controversy head on, and this mentality is applied to a range of issues including everything from sexual misconduct to security. While employees have begin to voice their concerns about the retaliation, more often than not Google is loosing these employees because of this major issue.

I always find it puzzling that these larger companies would rather mistreat and belittle their employees rather than listen and work with them. I truly think they only end up hurting their image and credibility in the end, as people like myself hear these reports and stories and have no desire to work for such a place. I think the higher ups in companies like Google don’t understand that the way these situations are handled have a big impact on consumers, it is not like ten-twenty years ago where people don’t care or are ignorant to what is going on, people want to be informed about a companies moral code and values, so this doesn’t paint Google in a flattering light.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/08/technology/microsoft-brad-smith.html

In the midst of all the topics surrounding data usage and antitrust claims against big conglomerates such as Amazon, Google, and YouTube, there seems to be one big tech company that has avoided a majority of government backlash today–Microsoft. 

Although the company is no stranger to facing substantial fines due to its own antitrust claims, Microsoft has found a defensive approach in order to revolutionize its external affairs becoming a leading advocate in public policy matters and ethical settlements aligned with the government. 

Microsoft has restructured its external strategy by becoming less of a consumer company through market shifts and a newly defined business plan. For instance, the company has rallied behind the protection of consumer privacy and ordered for more legitimate sanctions in regards to artificial intelligence. Unlike companies today, Microsoft attributes its corporate personality change by not becoming reliant upon online advertising and storing personal data–a headline we are all too familiar with in the current media landscape. The President of Microsoft, Brad Smith, claims that, “when your technology changes the world, you bear a responsibility to help address the world that you have helped create.” The company still undergoes business selling ads but instead compromises with the views of its competitors and policymakers, making a case for bringing tech sectors and government together. 

Smith has since marshaled support for the Paris Call for international norms of behavior on the internet and for the Christchurch Call to curb terrorist and extremist content online. These initiatives are without restrictive law, however, Mr. Smith claims they could start global conversations that shape global policy.

Smith notes how the mentality behind the leaders in tech today is to continue to fight, because that is how they made it out to be successful in the first place. However, the more ethical approach is compromise– to reach out and be proactive in confrontational disputes. Microsoft’s has framed a fundamental model all tech companies should follow. To advocate for change in a productive way and make meaningful decisions that positively impact technology and the consumer.