Cellphone Numbers

Apparently, phone numbers are becoming a new area of identity theft and privacy concerns.  According to this NY Times article, cell phone numbers are tied to a number of databases:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/business/cellphone-number-social-security-number-10-digit-key-code-to-private-life.html?src=me&_r=0

In effect, consumers can apply for credit and receive access codes to a line of credit that are given via text message.  If someone has access to your cell phone and it's unlocked, that could create some problems!  As fewer and fewer people have landlines, a cell phone number is something that someone could hold on to for a very long time.  While people move, cell phones are portable so a lot of people keep their old numbers.  Of course, if you move from half-way across the country, you might not want an old cell phone number with an unfamiliar area code.  Nonetheless, consumers have a choice.  In fact, 212 area code phone numbers have quite a demand:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/25/nyregion/as-manhattan-area-codes-multiply-some-still-covet-a-212.html?_r=0

You could be clear out in Kansas with a Manhattan-based cell phone number.  And yes, Dorothy there is a Manhattan in Kansas.  Still, looking at a phone number that begins with 212, my initial thought is Manhattan, New York, not Manhattan, Kansas.  Until next time, catch me in the library.

More On Self-Driving Cars

Greetings,

A while back, I blogged about self-driving cars as part of Uber's ride service in Pittsburgh.  Recently, Pittsburgh's mayor was interviewed on the emerging technology:

http://www.marketplace.org/2016/10/28/world/full-interview-pittsburgh-mayor-bill-peduto-steel-city-innovation-hub

Apparently, self-driving technology's emergence was helped by robotic research efforts at Carnegie Mellon University.  All these years later, you can see the hard work of early robotics researchers pay off.  Literally, you can watch self-driving cars roll down the street.  A few years ago, it would have sounded like something from a science fiction novel and today it is no dream.  That said, robotics researchers and engineers can only go so far.  It takes cooperation with government.  Some cities might not want self-driving cars on their streets.  For Pittsburgh, many city officials saw an emerging 21st century technology and wanted to get in on the ground floor.

On another note, marketers have put together a quiz that they claim can have predictive effects on which candidate a voter chooses:

http://features.marketplace.org/electionquiz/

While no measure is 100 percent accurate, it provides some insight into market segmentation.