The Not-So-Nice Holidays

Yahoo recently came out saying that they would be firing roughly 650-700 today, the 14th.  I can't imagine how that must feel for not only the employees who will be receiving the untimely news this holiday season, but also the remaining employees of Yahoo.  The majority of the layoffs will take place in the U.S. offices of Yahoo proving that our economy still has yet to bounce back.  The article states that these firings are unavoidable if Yahoo wishes to "improve revenue and spur growth."  However, the most interesting part of the article that I would like to ask you all about is in regards to the manner in which Yahoo is going about relieving these employees of their jobs: "Those let go will be notified tomorrow and will likely have to leave Yahoo facilities immediately."  This is my question, given the time of year and magnitude of the layoffs, do you feel it is necessary for not only Yahoo but companies in general to notify workers in advance if they are to be fired?

Verizon announced today that it will release it's 4G network Sunday.  It will be released for computers first, and then eventually it will make its way to smartphones.  I consider this the first real account for 4G.  T-Mobile and Sprint have already released their versions of 4G, but both of those companies are relatively unpopular in America, Verizon boasts the biggest network.  By Sunday, Verizon hopes that 4G will be available to roughly 110 million people immediately.  Unlike T-Mobile and Sprint, whose 4G network took much time to reach even the bigger cities, Verizon will provide coverage in the US's largest cities immediately.  AT&T is planning on releasing their 4G network at some point in the upcoming year.


While reading this article, there was a link in regards to how even Verizon's 4G is not really 4G.  Under the full capabilities of 4G, a person should have the ability to download a HD movie in roughly 3 minutes. None of the 3 companies who claim to have a 4G network actually have a fully-able 4G network.  Verizon and Sprint actually upgraded their network to a different network, yet one that still is not fully 4G.  T-Mobile chose to just aggressively update their already existing network to have the abilities that Verizon and Sprint have.  The best way to summarize what this particular article is trying to say is "The term 4G has become meaningless and confusing as hell for wireless customers."  It is believed that the term "4G" will eventually vanish and companies will have to reset their whole PR campaigns.