Alan Smith, Crystal Palace Youth Team Coach: I had a doubt whether or not he (Gareth Southgate) had a career in professional football in him. We had one particular game, which we lost, and I called him into the office and said: “Gareth, I think you’re too bright to do this job. I think you have to make a choice. If it was my choice, I think you should become a travel agent.”
Ok, you may have missed this but new laws are coming in soon (2030) which will ban the sales of petrol and diesel vehicles only. Hybrid vehicles will be available to purchase till 2035.
It’s already started – many people are buying electric cars – but most are opting for an hybrid option first. And I agree.
Now you can get self-charging hybrid or a plug-in hybrid.
Either way – I think hybrid is a natural way forward from a petrol or diesel only car. It’ll help you a) understand more about the electric motor, b) how, where and when to use your battery power and finally c) will help bridge that gap from petrol to electric.
I used to have a hybrid car. It did about 30miles on electric. Which was ok for town driving. And then on the motorway – the petrol engine would kick in. This was good for me – regular trips of 140miles + single way, were not a problem. Petrol Stations readily available, easy and all I had to do was pop in, fill up – 5 to 10minutes later – I was back on my way.
I’ve moved from Hybrid to fully Electric.
Now whilst there are more and more fully electric car options – I personally opted for a Tesla.
And if you’re thinking of ordering a Tesla, before you do – use my referral code/link – and you’ll get 1,000 free supercharger miles! – it’s bal71307 (and the link – http://ts.la/bal71307
Whilst the choice is getting bigger and bigger by the day – there’s some great small electric cars that are now available… such as the VW ID range…
BMW are releasing a number of fully electric cars – and you may have noticed, a number of Nissan (the original Leaf has been upgraded many times – and is a very good car), Toyota, Mini and many others – have great electric cars on offer.
But before you buy an electric car, you may be concerned and questions I got whilst I was talking on BBC Radio on Sunday night was… what happens if my battery runs out?
Well, ‘range anxiety’ was one of my fears also.
Honestly. It all comes down to one thing. You just have to plan your journey a little better. Because – there are not as many electric car chargers currently as you’d like compared to petrol stations.
Saying this, I’ve done a few long trips. and was concerned about not having enough battery. However – the sat nav in the car helps. I put in my destination and the car asked if it was a round trip or anywhere I was going – and then magically (well, it seemed to be magical) worked out, how much battery would be used, and that I would not have enough for a return journey! – now, the reason I got a Tesla was because of their Supercharger network…. and what happened was, the Sat Nav told me – where and when and for how long I’d need to charge in order to complete my trip!
Again – a number of factors were taking into account, like how fast I’d be driving, conditions, etc…
Over the past year – there’s more and more chargers being installed in a variety of locations. There’s various apps you can download and see where your nearest charging station is, the cost to charge (you’re paying per kwh) and on some apps, even tells you if the charging point is busy or available!
Back to why I went for a Tesla – 1) their supercharger network is fantastic. I’ve used it a few times, just pull up – plug in and wait a short while. No need to tap anything, anywhere – the charger recognizes the car, payment details are already registered – the process is so easy and simple. Love it.
2) Tesla seem to be more advanced than some of the other manufacturers – they’ve been doing it for a while and are learning and pushing out updates regularly. And finally, 3) they can’t be doing that bad of a job- they had record sales in the last quarter and in the UK – was one of the best sold Electric Vehicles! I’ve driven others – and yes, others may have a better ride quality, or something else that is better – but overall, the Tesla experience has been great.
So there you go- start thinking about your next car being a fully electric – and start to think about home charging units (the grant for these will expire soon – so suggest you look at getting one installed sooner rather than later) and don’t worry about running out of battery – your car will warn you well in advance and there’s more and more charging stations popping up. Everywhere. Even Tesco. Because every little helps.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos will step down on July 5, turning the helm over to cloud-computing boss Andy Jassy.
“We chose that date because it’s sentimental for me, the day Amazon was incorporated in 1994, exactly 27 years ago,” Bezos said Wednesday at Amazon’s annual shareholder meeting, which was held virtually.
Amazon announced in Feb, that Bezos would leave his post later this year. Bezos will transition to executive chairman of Amazon’s board and is expected to dedicate more time toward initiatives like the Bezos Earth Fund, his Blue Origin spaceship company, The Washington Post and the Amazon Day 1 Fund.
Bezos began his career in the hedge fund world in the 1990s, then left a cushy job to launch his own startup that didn’t turn a profit for years.
Jeff Bezos in his open letter to public (Amazon annual shareholder letter) describes his vision. Here’s an extract from his letter.
“From very early on in Amazon’s life, we knew we wanted to create a culture of builders – people who are curious, explorers. They like to invent. Even when they’re experts, they are “fresh” with a beginner’s mind. They see the way we do things as just the way we do things now. A builder’s mentality helps us approach big, hard-to-solve opportunities with a humble conviction that success can come through iteration: invent, launch, reinvent, relaunch, start over, rinse, repeat, again and again. They know the path to success is anything but straight. It’s critical to ask customers what they want, listen carefully to their answers, and figure out a plan to provide it thoughtfully and quickly (speed matters in business!). No business could thrive without that kind of customer obsession. But it’s also not enough. The biggest needle movers will be things that customers don’t know to ask for. We must invent on their behalf. We have to tap into our own inner imagination about what’s possible.”
And it’s all about vision – even when the company was making no money, he continued with his vision… and never gave up.
So whilst he isn’t exactly leaving Amazon, he’s only stepping down as the CEO, I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about his space ventures, however for the moment – this should be some Monday Motivation for many of us. Never give up.
Well… so much has happened this week! – The most important one being (for me) England beating Germany (first) and then Ukraine (last night) to make it to the Semi Finals of the Euro’s!
For those interested – Denmark (to be played on Wednesday) and the finals are next Sunday!
Ok, for this week – here’s your Top Two Tech Stories!
An NFT of the original source code for the world wide web, written by its inventor Tim Berners-Lee, has sold for $5.4m at Sotheby’s in an online auction, the auction house said on Wednesday.
A non-fungible token (NFT) is a kind of crypto asset that records ownership of digital items, and has recently become a major asset in the creative world, with NFTs of artwork, music and internet memes selling for millions of dollars.
The NFT sold on Wednesday was created by the English scientist Berners-Lee in 2021 and represents ownership of various digital items from when he invented the world wide web in 1989.
The sale effectively comprises a blockchain-based record of ownership of files containing the original source code for the world wide web. The final price was $5,434,500 and half of the bidders were new to Sotheby’s.
The world wide web, or “the web”, is the system for navigating and accessing information on the internet. But you already knew that – right?
2. Ok – up next, don’t you hate it that you have to travel to the fridge to get your beer or cold drink?
Well.. that’s a problem of the past! That’s right – Heineken have made an autonomous beer cooler – that will follow you!
That’s right – 12 carrying 12 cans of cold beer right behind you! How awesome is that?!!!
The Dutch brewing company Heineken recently unveiled the “Beer Outdoor Transporter” — a branding concept cooler that uses motion sensors to trail behind its owner. The company launched an online raffle on Thursday for people who want to own one.
While it cannot apply your sunscreen, blow off the sand from the beach or cook your Independence Day hot dogs, it seemingly solves one issue.
“Nobody loves lugging around like a giant cooler and sweating in the 100-degree heat,” said Joshua Egan, brand director at Heineken USA. It was built around a “charming” AI personality and was shown this summer to mark the nation’s return to semi-normalcy after gatherings last summer were discouraged due to the coronavirus. It was also unveiled to draw attention to the brand’s new beer can design, as the beverage category faces increasing competition from hard seltzers.
It does not have to house Heineken products. The robot is constructed to tote around ice, so you could seemingly use any beverage you would want to keep cold. Like for example – Coca-Cola. Just saying.
So there you go – my Top Two Tech Stories for this week, all about Sir Tim Berners-Lee and beer’s following you around!
Yesterday, I tweeted this…
Huge game last night. England V Germany. You’d think, cooking dinner would be the last thing on many peoples mind.
Yet – not one single takeaway or food place near me (including those I order from on a regular basis) reached out to me – with offers, suggestions etc… anything! to tempt me to order some food and not cook at home.
Yes – I could’ve been out – nevertheless, they don’t know that and maybe I would’ve wanted some food when I got home!
Anyway – the point I’m trying to make is…
The concept behind “data is the new oil” is that just like oil, raw data isn’t valuable in and of itself, but, rather, the value is created when it is gathered completely and accurately, connected to other relevant data, and done so in a timely manner.
And do you know who said this? – It was actually Clive Humby, UK Mathematician and architect of Tesco’s Clubcard, who is widely credited as the first to coin the phrase.
Tesco Clubcard – they hold so much information about you – if you shop there. And that’s how they are able to personalise the vouchers and offers they provide you.
However – when I was in Toronto a few years ago, I met with Sir Tim Berners-Lee. We were talking on the same stage. During my talk, I mentioned… Data is the new oil. After the event, we were in a room, with some photographers and other folk who had been on stage that day, and Sir Tim comes over to me.
‘Bal… it is Bal, right?… well, you said Data is the new oil… it isn’t. That’s wrong. Data is not the new oil.’
‘Woah.. .Hey Sir Tim, how is it not the new oil? – it’s so valuable… ‘
‘Oil.. once refined and used, that’s it. Data on the other hand, can be used multiple times, re-used and sold many times – and there is still value left within it’.
‘Wow… didn’t think of it like that Sir Tim.’
Anyway, Sir Tim and I chatted for a few minutes, gave me his business card and then was ushered away and so was I (to a dinner I think…)
But the point is… there is sooooo much data out there, and more and more people (customers) are willing to share it. It’s second nature in most cases. And if you’re a business – there’s so much you can do with that data.
You can do the basics, have a Customer Relationship Management system, that helps you build and grow the relationship with your customers. If that’s to complex, then just have a basic spreadsheet with customer information – that you can use to contact, call or just offer them a discounted pizza! (I do have to mention – when it comes to data, please ensure you are familiar with GDPR).
You can find out so much about your customers via social media – they’ll be sharing their favourite food, drinks, locations, etc… you can figure out so much!
Now, most big corps know how much value data has. There are ‘data scientists’ that help to break down the data into meaningful information that then can be used. There’s ‘Chief Data Officers’ – with the remit to have a team that solely looks at data and insights – again, using the value to drive business decisions and returning the biggest bang for your buck!
Whilst most small to medium companies probably can’t afford these luxuries, there are small steps that can be taken. Basic ones. Simple ones. Going back to Tesco Clubcard – can you have a loyalty scheme? – A very easy way to gather data. Connect, link and see your customers profiles on social media. Share stories of them enjoying your product or service – and see who’s liking that post, who’s sharing it – are they potential customers? – A lot of this is automated – you don’t actually have to manually do it!
So back to last night – Great win for England… and now they’ve progressed to the next stage, to play Ukraine in Rome, let’s see which local businesses use their data to engage with their football loving customers!
What a week again! This time, the UK’s Health Secetary was caught on camera in a compromising situation. Then we had a tornado hit East London – causing a fair amount of damage… and finally, England are through in the Euro’s and play Germany on Tuesday!
Enough of that – and onto my TopTwo Tech Stories of the week.
Mobile operator EE will charge new UK customers extra to use their mobile phones in Europe from January.
Those joining or upgrading from 7 July 2021 will be charged £2 a day to use their allowances in 47 European destinations from January 2022.
EE, which is part of BT Group, previously said it had no plans to reintroduce roaming charges in Europe. It is the first UK operator to reintroduce the charges since the EU trade deal was signed in December.
Since 2017, mobile networks in EU countries have not been allowed to charge customers extra to use their phones in other EU countries.
There are some “fair use” limits, for example, you cannot get a mobile phone contract from Romania and then use it all year round in Italy.
On Wednesday, O2 said they were going to reintroduce roaming charges. However, it is merely adding a “fair use” data cap of 25GB a month and will not charge customers more to use their phones in the EU.
2. Next up, Desktop Instagram!
That’s right – many of us who use Instagram will be able to do so from our desktops! Let’s be honest – we do a fair amount of editing etc.. on our desktop so makes sense to have Insta available!
It’s currently being rolled out – so if you don’t have access for the moment, don’t worry… it is coming!
Now… the good and bad. Good – it’s not he desktop, so you don’t need your phone in your hand to have a quick view on Insta.
Bad – it’s still not on ipad! I know… You’d think they’d put it on devices such as iPads and other tablets – but nope. They’ve gone straight for the desktop.
I’ll be trying it out soon – and if you don’t already, give me a follow on Insta, I’m @mrbalbansal. – it’s mainly of food… and tech!
So there you go, my top two tech stories, Insta on your desktop and remember to check your data allowance when travelling abroad.
We’re all on a journey. Some more adventurous than others. Some more treacherous than others. Either way, when you tell this story…
Middle of June already – Group stages of the Euro’s (Football) is well under way and wow, what surprises have cropped up already! – (Germany beating Portugal, France draw with Hungary…. and a few more)…. and much more happening, I bring to you, the Top Two Tech Stories that caught my eye this week.
Who’s he?! – Well, the man who helped the iPhone sense it’s been titled sideways – is taking over as CEO of Ferrari.
In a statement issued by Ferrari on Wednesday, it was announced that Vigna, 52, would be joining as chief executive officer effective 1 September.
Ferrari said that Vigna’s “unique knowledge gained over 26 years working at the heart of the semiconductor industry that is rapidly transforming the automotive sector” could help “accelerate Ferrari’s ability to pioneer the application of next generation technologies.”
“We’re delighted to welcome Benedetto Vigna as our new Ferrari CEO,” said Elkann.
“His deep understanding of the technologies driving much of the change in our industry, and his proven innovation, business-building and leadership skills, will further strengthen Ferrari and its unique story of passion and performance, in the exciting era ahead.”
2. Next up… be careful and check if your Bluetooth speaker is connected correctly!
Comedian Tawny Platis – noticed some of her ‘adult content’ she was watching was not playing on her speakers.
Volume went up and down, trying to figure out how it all works, what’s going wrong – Tawny was on the verge of giving up when she realised that it was actually, somehow, connected to her neighbours Bluetooth Speaker!
Now whilst you all laugh… (and I did too when I first heard this!) – check your connections. We’re in a world where majority of things are wirelessly connected – and bluetooth speakers are not new… however, can (on first hand experience) be difficult sometimes to pair! – so always check when pairing your speakers and equipment!
So there’s my top two stories! – Yes, there were many… but for an individual to transition from a technology company (Apple) to the automotive sector (Ferrari) speaks volumes! – and talking about volume, always check your Bluetooth pairing 🙂
