What is it you do on a daily basis? – because whatever it is… it’s building your future… and if you want a different future, you know what you got to change….
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Bal’s Friday Thought…
Author: Bal Bansal
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Hmmm…. An Electric Hummer?
Ok…. who remembers the big bad boy motor, also known as the Hummer?
What a classic! That’s right – these beasts were massive!!! I don’t remember seeing too many on the British streets, well… let’s be honest… the streets are too small for a massive vehicle like this! But in the US and everywhere else (where they have larger streets) you could see them…
Now… as you can guess, they were heavy on the fuel… big and that’s about it! (You know you still wanted one!)
Times are changing… in my last blog post, I spoke about if you should get an electric car.
Couple of questions I got were – ‘….but Bal, I like the traditional big cars, with the big V8’s…’, and also, questions like… ‘Bal, I’d got for a hybrid or full electric if it didn’t look like a Prius!’.
I hear ya. I do… and so do General Motors (GM) – the makers of the Hummer…. and even they are embracing the electric car revolution!
That’s right – there’s going to be an ELECTRIC HUMMER!!!
Over on their website… they shared some impressive stats…
1,000 HORSEPOWER!!!
0-60 in 3 SECONDS!!!!
Oh MY!!!!!!
Personally, I can’t wait. And here’s your answer to a Prius!
So… still thinking if you should go electric? Definitely start thinking about it.
GM pulled out a commercial about the new Hummer…
But personally… still don’t think it’ll get down our British streets!
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Should I buy an Electric Car?
During the month of February, I’ll be talking about the subject of Cars… to be a little more specific – technology and cars. Because let’s be honest, technology has rapidly advanced in cars over the recent years.
That’s right – the shift from the traditional diesel and petrol cars (which is on the decline) to hybrid and fully electric vehicles (which are on the increase!). So the question is… should I buy an electric car?
Well… it was my brother who asked me questions about my hybrid a few weeks ago. He needed to replace his car… and naturally, I did suggest a hybrid.
Now… it does depend on a number of factors – such as what kind of driving do you do, distance, motorway/town driving, where you live (charging points), etc…
Someone who is up and down the motorway, may still be better off with a diesel (dare I say it!). You have to take into account the mpg (miles per gallon). Diesel still provide good value in the miles you can get from the gallon on long distance journeys. This was backed by Gottfried… a colleague who informed me that he’s getting a new 320d (BMW)… because, from where he lives (in Berlin), he drives a very long distance to his second/holiday home and if he had electric or hybrid, he’d need to charge it on the way – and not sure of charging points. A diesel gives you not only good economy but also a very good range (I remember my old diesel giving 600+miles on a tank!)
So back to the question – should you buy an electric car? – In my opinion, it’s a great time to be alive!
We are at a pivot. There’s more and more charging points being installed. There’s more and more cars that need charging being sold. There’s more and more garages and technicians being trained to service electric/hybrid cars.
Personally – I’d thoroughly recommend a hybrid. Part electric. Part combustion engine.
Why?
- It’s a ‘safe’ transition to the world of electric driving! – you’ll have a battery but also an engine. It’s like riding a bike with the stabilizers. If you think you’re going to fall (or run out of battery power) it’s ok… the side wheels stop you and keep your balance (similar, the engine will kick in – and save you…. assuming you’d put some petrol in!)
- New laws coming in soon (2035) which put a ban on only petrol or diesel engines being produced. Yes, i know it’s only a few years away… but time flies… and isn’t it a great time to start thinking about going electric.
- You’ll be surprised – it’s cheaper to charge an electric car, they’re much kinder to the environment and most importantly, it’s your first step… maybe… to a fully electric car.
Most people won’t go for a full electric car because of the mile range (most do around 250 miles – yes, some can do a little more…). This will change over the coming years, as manufacturers are working on longer range batteries.
Again – does depend on your driving needs. If you just drive around town/local driving… then I’d say yes… buy an electric car!
And to charge your car… there’s apps available on your phone to let you know where charging points are!
And if plugging in your car may seem a chore… wait for wireless charging pods… where you drive your car into a space with a wireless charger built into the ground!
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Bal’s Friday Thought…
This week I tweeted, how I was annoyed.. because someone I help, and have helped a lot previously… hasn’t been responsive and not helped me when I needed it!
Lesson learnt…. don’t help them in the future! But in all seriousness… I shouldn’t give all my attention to those who annoy me.
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How strong is your game?
Back in 1988, the computer game Tetris made its first appearance in the US as a PC Game!
A little history…. the company that released the game was Spectrum Holobyte…. which had a dubious licensing right to the game. So when companies became interested in licensing Tetris for other platforms besides the PC, a series of events kicked off a long legal battle!
In the end…. (you probably know this… or can guess!) the big winner was Nintendo… who used the game Tetris to drive sales of its new Game Boy platform.
Compared to other games – it’s done really well….
Well.. it did very well… until recent times…
For a long time – it remained in the number 1 spot!!
It’s all about gamification. People love games!
Anything you do… if you can… add some gamification and people will be more engaged, they’ll try to get more points, more whatever it is that’s on offer… more points might unlock particular levels, etc…
Tetris was huge – and is still played a lot today.
It was simple. Engaging. Gave points. And the best thing… people talked about it. Which meant more and more people wanted to play it.
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Self Driving Cruising…
Last week, I had to take a flight from Heathrow. I usually park at T5 Pod Parking. It’s quick, easy, simple and I like it.
I have often thought – why aren’t these little bad boy pods on the streets?
So, for those who don’t know… these pods are self driving (obviously programmed for the track they have to take), no humans required, electric (saving a lot of tonnes of fuel that buses would have taken to do the same journey!) and quiet – I mean, I can sit there and do a few emails for those few minutes journey.
Back to my question – I did wonder, why aren’t they on the streets? – I’m sure someone like GM (General Motors), Ford or Toyota would do something with their self driving technology and put it into a pod like this. Where’s Tesla….?! – Here’s an idea for you Tesla!
Oh… hold the press. Someone is working on them and they’ll be coming sooner than we thought!
Cruise – the company, with GM… have designed, built and piloted a self driving pod/vehicle called the Cruise Origin!
So – they say, “When we got rid of all that human-driver stuff, we traded it for something precious: space.
The Cruise Origin looks big. But in fact, it’s no bigger than your average car. It’s just more efficient, making full use of the space it takes up on the road.
The doors don’t hinge outward. They slide open, so bikers are safer.
The entry is low to the ground, and three times larger than that of an average car — wide enough to make room for one person to step in while another person steps out.
Every seat is extra-legroom. And they all face each other, so you can have a conversation with family or friends.”
Very similar to the T5 Pod!
Personally, I think this is awesome!
It’s also, quite safe….
“When human beings drive, we rely on our eyes and ears. But even in simple suburban environments, with 20/20 vision and perfect hearing, we can only look in one direction, and we can only see and hear so much.
The Cruise Origin is powered by a brand-new, all-electric platform built by General Motors. It’s got what’s called redundancy, meaning there are no single points of failure across sensing, compute, networking, or power — because there’s no backup human driver.
Its multi-layered sensor suite is designed to keep track of multiple people and objects — even if they’re far away, in pitch-black, or hidden by rain or fog.”
Cruise Origin is currently in San Fran being tested 24/7 by the Cruise employees…. but they’ll start to invite members of the public and then look to roll it out around the States and me personally…. I can’t wait till it hits the UK!
That’s right – one of these on your street…very soon!
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Bal’s Friday Thought…
Recently, I’ve been looking and thinking about my social media channels… my Twitter and my Insta, and decided… I need to pay a little more attention to my Insta (@mrbalbansal)
I’ll be honest, my Insta was just for fun… for me. But speaking to a good friend (who has nearly 15,000 followers) reminded me about purpose! What’s the purpose of your Insta…
So with that purpose, I have a little extra passion for my Insta.
Whatever it is you do… have a purpose…. then the passion will come.
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Bal’s Friday Thought…
Times are changing. And don’t fear change… embrace it! Comments once upon a time, will not be applicable today, or the future… because there can be increase security with the use of technology.
Obviously, above all… use your common sense. Please. 🙂
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CES 2020
Every year, the biggest electronics show that takes place in January, in the USA and is written up by yours truly, every year.
But this year – I thought, there’s alot of great reviews – and there’s alot of subjects – such as best tech cars, best tech wearable, etc… so I’d leave it for this year.
Until… someone actually asked me…’Bal, when are you writing your review for CES 2020?’ – wow! someone reads my CES updates! lol – ok, here it is… it’s short, it’s simple… with my top takeaways!
First up…. Cars!
Mercedes stole the show away with their Avatar themed car
The German automaker’s Avatar-inspired concept car, the Vision AVTR, is one of the biggest things at CES.
Outlandish design? Check.
Futuristic tech that doesn’t actually work right now? Check.
Striking a partnership with a popular entertainment company in order to use its intellectual property to help prop up the messaging behind a concept car? Check and check.
Check the below video….
Right – next up, the reverse microwave!
That’s right – it does the opposite to a microwave… it cools! and quickly!
The start-up involved hopes to launch Juno later this year to cool cans and bottles of drink at point of use, meaning they do not need to be stored in refrigerators in advance.
I personally think this will be awesome – I’ve personally seen and tested something similar in the coke labs…. glad this is becoming more mainstream!
Now… the last one – I’m going for the top 3… is around gaming, and no surprise… it’s the PS5
I bet it must have taken ages to design the logo…
Actually – it wasn’t even the console that was shared… it was just the logo! That’s right folks – Sony know they’re at the top of the game (excuse the pun), that they just walked out, announced the logo and dropped the mic.
To be fair – it’s a warning signal to everyone else – watch out… watch out what’s coming… it’s going to be big…. bigger than before.
My Top 3 Moments from CES 2020…. some of the other highlights?
Well… Uber and Hyundai are going to be offering flying taxi rides by 2023.
Nuraloops could be the best headphones. Ever.
A robot that brings you toilet paper when you’ve run out. (We’ve all been there!)
And finally… Samsung is really going to release robotic kitchen arms – that’ll do the cooking for you!
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Bal’s Friday Thought…
When was the last time you spent quality time with your customer or key stakeholder? – really got to know what they want and what they are really after?
In Lean… everything starts and ends with the customer. Because, at the end of the day – it’s those customers who’ll be parting with their hard earned money….
