Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am a guest contributor on CHOM 97.7 FM radio out of Montreal (home base). It’s not a long segment – about 10 minutes every week – about everything that is happening in the world of technology and digital media. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly on i Heart Radio, if you’re interested in hearing more of me blathering away about what’s going on in the digital world. I’m really excited about this opportunity, because this is the radio station that I grew up listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry DiMonte morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.

This week we discussed:

• Remember Neighborhood Watch? What about the saying, “See something. Say something”? How would you feel if the next wave of this crime prevention strategy was brought to you by Amazon? People with and without Ring cameras can download the Neighbors app. It features a feed where users can post videos and photos from their cameras, file reports of activity they think is suspicious and read crime reports from the app’s “News Team.” The app partners with local law enforcement, allowing them to post alerts or ask for the public’s help. At the same time, Amazon (who owns Ring) posted a job opening for a managing editor for the app. Essentially turning Amazon (and its doorbell company) into a local crime news network. What comes next? Worries of increased video surveillance, privacy concerns, safety concerns, potential for racism, discrimination and more. What could go wrong?
• Speaking of Amazon, their Key program is picking up a new car manufacturer in Ford, and launching in 50 U.S. metro areas. Here’s how Key works: Certain cars have modems that are connected to cloud services. Amazon packages under 50 pounds and below a certain size can be delivered to the trunk of your car. The Amazon delivery driver uses their phone to unlock the car, put the package in the trunk and then lock it again. You may remember Amazon’s Key Service from about a year ago, when we discussed it. It allows you to give the drivers access to your house with the help of a compatible keypad on your door and a smart security camera. For now the car delivery service will only deliver the package to your car if it’s in your driveway, but Amazon has talked about a near-future, where it can deliver a package to your car, wherever it is parked. Ford and Lincoln owners with models from 2017 on will soon be eligible.
• Would you endure a Netflix that runs commercials? One of the beautiful things about the Netflix model is that you pay a monthly service for content without ads. Netflix has said that they don’t want to run ads, but last week ad executives (not from Netflix) claimed that the company is hiring ad executives. Could we soon see different paid versions of Netflix? An ad-free version and an ad-supported version (think Spotify)?
• App of the Week:  Have they faked me? (remember This person does not exist?).