Tag Archives: online

“ending operations effective immediately.”: U.S. Hi-Tech/Communications breakdown, January 2019

Incomplete list, mainly links to main stream news media reports, of U.S. internet/high-tech/communications job destruction and cyber-chicanery announcements in January 2019:

At the end of January, U.S. led NATO countries converged on Estonia to conduct cyber warfare ops.  Cyber operations included attempted attacks on industrial control systems, physical security systems, unmanned aerial vehicles and maritime surveillance systems, according to U.S. 24th Air Force/Air Forces Cyber.

During the ongoing U.S. meddling in Syrian politics, a female U.S. Navy Cryptologic Technician was killed in Manbij, on 16JAN2019.

Proof of just how dire things have gotten within the media industry, 1-thousand job cuts announced at BuzzFeed, HuffPost and Gannett!

China’s (Taiwan) Foxconn kills 50-thousand contractor jobs across the world, blaming it on crashing Apple iPhone sales!

The looming danger in high-tech car safety systems

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

CALIFORNIA:  Space Exploration Technologies issued a layoff WARN, 577 people in Hawthorne to become jobless in March!  Solid state battery maker Seeo issued a shutdown WARN for its ops in Hayward, 45 jobs gone in March.   Online entertainment company Machinima issued multiple WARNs, at least 81 jobs in Burbank gone in March.  Carlisle Interconnect Technologies issued shutdown WARNs for its ops in El Segundo and Riverside, 338 jobs gone by October!  Automotive pricing and information website TrueCar eliminating 35 jobs by mid-March.  Verizon subsidiary Oath eliminating 71 jobs by the end of March.  Symantec continues killing jobs, this time 14 people were suddenly laid off.   Photonics company Invuity finally revealed to state unemployment officials that it laid off 81 people back in October 2018.  Texas based AT&T issued several WARNs, 78 jobs gone by the end of March.  Software maker VMware issued a layoff WARN for its Palo Alto ops, 126 jobs gone by April!

Helicopters and drones with hi-tech surveillance equipment will ostensibly be used to count how many homeless people live in San Diego County (interesting that apparently nobody has a problem with this, but many people have a hissy about the government counting non-citizens)

Viacom’s Paramount Pictures lays off 20 people

Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group suddenly lays off 22 people

Palo Alto based online home improvement platform Houzz lays off 180!

Elon Musk founded, Palo Alto based Tesla eliminating 3-thousand jobs due to lack of profitable sales!

Elon Musk founded, Hawthorne based Space X eliminating about 7-hundred jobs! 

Mojave based Virgin Galactic lays off 40 employees ahead of transition to New Mexico spaceport

Santa Clara based McAfee suddenly lays off 2-hundred employees!

Cupertino based Apple eliminated 2-hundred jobs from its self-driving car program!

After nine years of hype, San Francisco based online meal delivery company Munchery is now dead: “Today, with a heavy heart, we’re reaching out to announce that Munchery is closing its doors and ending operations effective immediately.”

“They can hear you!”  The new electronic warfare ‘Greywolf’ vehicle spotted at U.S. Army’s Fort Irwin National Training Center, 13JAN2019.

COLORADO: Cable TV company WideOpenWest (aka WOW!) shutting down a call center, 2-hundred jobs gone by March!

ILLINOIS:  Cable TV company WideOpenWest (aka WOW!) issued a layoff WARN, 56 jobs in Warrenville gone by March.  Audio/video equipment maker Harman International issued a shutdown WARN for its Vernon Hills ops, 59 jobs gone in March.

MARYLAND: On 04JAN2019, the U.S. Navy Reserve created a new Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group (NCWDG) Reserve unit: “There is a growing demand for Reservist skill sets from all designators. This is where it all comes together. Regardless of their designator, they have impressive skill sets from their civilian work they can apply to Navy needs.”-Captain James Lee, commander of new unit

In the following official USAF video report, new recruits are told that modern warfare IS about creating better video games:

MICHIGAN:  Reprise Media issued a layoff WARN for its ‘Search, Social, Mobile Media’ ops in Birmingham, 92 jobs gone. Also in Birmingham, global media advertiser Universal McCann Worldwide issued a WARN, 116 jobs gone!  Once again in Birmingham, ‘communication, media and technology specialists’ Mediabrands issued a shutdown WARN for its I-T ops, effective in March.

MINNESOTA: ‘Backup’ security software maker Code42 suddenly laid off 55 people due to crashing global sales

NEW YORK:  Concentrix-Convergys issued a shutdown WARN for its call center in Watertown, between 114 and 540 people affected by the end of April!  Sun & Earth Energy company issued a layoff WARN, between 47 and 58 jobs goneMonolith Solar issued a layoff WARN, as many as 23 employees affected.

App ‘savant’ kills self with cocaine and heroin!

NYC based global communications company Ketchum warns of Double-Digit Job Cuts

NYC based Verizon eliminating 8-hundred jobs!

No longer NYC based Lionsgate Lays Off 25 as part of its Escape from New York to California operation

Washington state founded, yet headquarters based in NYC (news media still says its based in Washington, for some reason), online make-up seller Julep suddenly lays off 102 people and goes bankrupt busted!

Texas based AT&T shutting down Syracuse call center, 150 jobs gone!  (the official WARN says 155 jobs gone as operations are Escaping from New York to Florida)

NORTH CAROLINA: Conduent to lay off 61 employees

More proof the housing market isn’t doing well, iconic tech giant IBM laying off 310 people as it gets out of the mortgage processing business!

OHIO:  Teleperformance shuts down Fairborn facility, 334 layoffs!

OKLAHOMA: Online children’s clothing boutique, T’Dazzled Too, bankrupt-busted due to owing customers thousands of dollars

OREGON: Bend based Western Communications now chapter 11 bankrupt-busted

TEXAS: Official report about taxpayer funded ‘Hack-of-the-Drones’ involving personnel from the U.S. Army, Air Force and Navy:  DVIDS_News_306568_791ccf518d402d1c6fe40a3ebe93e655210305df63065fd0dc3cec6e2e893243

Dallas based AT&T boasted about how many people they’ve hired, then admitted they were going to have to eliminate an undisclosed number of jobs

Dallas Morning News suddenly laid off 43 people due to crashing revenues

WASHINGTON: On 11JAN2019, the U.S. Army created the new Intelligence, Information, Cyber, Electronic Warfare and Space unit (known as I2CEWS) at Joint Base Lewis McChord: “Today we’ll activate the Army’s first I2CEWS detachment, which is the critical unit in the Multi-Domain Task Force and the centerpiece of how the Army will conduct Multi-Domain operations in the future.”-Lieutenant General Gary Volesky, I-Corps

Boeing, a company that’s been proven to have major hi-tech software malfunctions of its aircraft, is now switching to computers to conduct quality control inspections!

WISCONSIN: Mail order/online gift gourmet food seller Figi’s suddenly halted some operations and will layoff 276 people by March!  For proof brick-n-mortars are not the only companies suffering declining sales, Figi’s reps said that despite investing millions of dollars into their ops, profits keep falling. 

In four years, Rhinelander based Drs. Foster and Smith (DFS) went from the largest online seller of pet products in the country to out of business, the final 289 jobs killed by brick-n-mortar competitor PetCo!

U.S. Tech/Communications breakdown, December 2018: “UNFORTUNATELY OUR RENT IS TOO HIGH”

Skyrocketing pork sales in China means skyrocketing prices in United States?

25 OCT 2017 (01:52 UTC-07 Tango 06)  03 Aban 1396/04 Safar 1439/06 Geng-Xu (9th month) 4715

Virginia based, yet China owned, Smithfield Foods is about to get a huge boost in demand from its biggest buyer, China!

Smithfield Foods was taken over by Shuanghui Group (aka WH Group) in 2013.  Smithfield has many slaughterhouses across the U.S. and sells pig products under many brands;  Cook’s, Eckrich, Gwaltney, John Morrell, Krakus, and Smithfield.

WH Group is now boasting it is “The Largest Pork Company In The World.”  In August it made a $25-million USD investment in U.S. online food seller Chef’d to sell Smithfield products.  On 24 OCT 2017, WH Group announced a deal to provide China’s online food seller JD.com (aka JDFresh) with Smithfield pork.

JD.com is boasting that from 2016 to 2017 its online sales of pig meat exploded by more than 780%!  And that’s pork sales just in China!  That’s sounds good for Chinese consumers who love to shop online, but what does it imply for consumers in the U.S.?

The ‘law’ of supply and demand would say that if pork supplies in the U.S. declined due to increased demand from overseas buyers, then naturally the price for U.S. consumers will go up.  U.S. price increases could be halted if another cheap source of pork could be found, probably in another country since the biggest pork producer in the U.S. is owned by China.

Sony PlayStation continues to get hacked, losses big money

May 24, Sony announced that their online services continue to get hacked.  The latest involve countries like Greece and Thailand.

Japanese IT officials think hackers are just practicing, and that Sony’s security sucks: ‘‘Hackers are launching attacks apparently to hone their skills. Sony must review the security systems of its entire group to redress their vulnerability.’’-Information Technology Promotion Agency

Sony announced that they have lost, so far, $171 million because of the hacks.  This adds to Sony’s year after year losses.

Like your online Poker games? The creators are now wanted men, under a new law

“Our 1.2 million members are shocked and outraged. Many players cannot get access to their money. It is a confusing and concerning time for our members.”-John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players’ Alliance

Players can’t get their money because the online poker company’s bank accounts have been frozen.

Executives from online companies like PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker have been indicted by the U.S. Attorney General’s office for bank fraud, money laundering, illegal gambling and other crimes.

Three defendants were arraigned in federal courts in New York and Utah. Eight other defendants remain at large, and Interpol (international police) thinks they’re in Costa Rica, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

Costa Rica is the capitol of online gambling soliciting gamblers in the United States and around the world. Prosecutors are seeking U.S.$3 billion in assets from the three companies and have seized, or frozen, 76 bank accounts in 14 countries.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, made it illegal to accept or process payments in connection with “unlawful” Internet gambling, but did not define what “unlawful” gambling was. This is the second time arrests have been made under the new law.