Author: Bal Bansal

Categories
Uncategorized

Why (& how) Technology has made shopping easier…

Technology has revolutionized the way we shop. From online stores to virtual assistants, technology has made shopping easier and more convenient than ever before.

Online stores have made it possible to shop from the comfort of your own home. You can browse through thousands of products, compare prices, and make purchases without ever leaving your house. Online stores also offer a variety of payment options, making it easy to pay for your purchases.

Virtual assistants are another way technology has changed the way we shop. Virtual assistants can help you find the best deals, compare prices, and even make recommendations based on your preferences. They can also help you manage your shopping list and keep track of your purchases. They can come in many forms – even Smart Home devices such as the Amazon Echo can act as a virtual assitant… by putting items in your shopping basket for you to review later.

Technology has also made it easier to find the perfect gift. With online stores, you can search for the perfect gift for any occasion. You can also use virtual assistants to help you find the perfect gift for someone special.

Finally, technology has made it easier to stay informed about the latest trends in shopping. You can follow your favorite stores on social media to stay up to date on the latest products and promotions. You can also use apps to get notifications when new products are released or when sales are happening.

Technology has made shopping easier and more convenient than ever before. Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift or just want to stay informed about the latest trends, technology has you covered.

Categories
Bal's Friday Thought

Bal’s Friday Thought…

When was the last time you wanted something and you went for it?

When was the last time you asked for something, and got it?

In life, we have so many opportunities missed. Don’t miss them. Ask the question, go after what you want, do what you want – move forward… life is short. Enjoy it.

Categories
Uncategorized

2023 Technology Trends

Happy New Year!

So… what’s big for 2023?

Well… technically, there’s nothing ‘big’ for 2023 – but alot of progress and enhancements of what is already out there.

I thought I’d share my Top Five Big Things for 2023!

  1. Artifical Intelligence (AI) Everywhere
    • Spoken about AI before but in 2023, it’s going to take a major leap. Why is that? – because it will become real in organizations. No-code AI, with its easy drag-and-drop interfaces, will enable any business to leverage its power to create more intelligent products and services.
    • AI will also augment nearly every job in every business process across industries. More retailers will use AI to manage and automate the complex inventory management processes that happen behind the scenes, so convenience trends like buy-online-pickup-at-curbside (BOPAC), buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS), and buy-online-return-in-store (BORIS), will become standard.
    • AI will also be the engine behind the newest autonomous delivery initiatives that retailers are piloting and rolling out, and more and more retail workers will need to get used to working alongside machines to do their jobs.
  2. Digital and Physical Worlds coming closer
    • We’re already seeing an emerging bridge between the digital and physical worlds, and this trend will continue in 2023. There are two components of this merger: digital twin technology and 3D printing.
    • Digital twins are virtual simulations of real-world processes, operations, or products that can be used to test new ideas in a safe digital environment. Designers and engineers are using digital twins to recreate physical objects inside virtual worlds, so they can test under every conceivable condition without the high costs of real-life experiments. In 2023, we’ll see even more digital twins, from factories to machinery to cars to precision healthcare.
    • After testing in the virtual world, engineers can tweak and edit components, then create them in the real world using 3D printing technology.
    • For example, Formula 1 teams currently collect data transmitted from sensors during races, as well as race track temperatures and weather conditions, to see how cars change during races. Then they stream the data from the sensors to digital twins of the engines and car components and run scenarios to make design changes on the fly. The teams then 3D print car parts based on the results of their testing.
  3. Green Technology
    • One of the biggest challenges the world is facing right now is putting the brakes on our carbon emissions so we can tackle the climate crisis.
    • In 2023, look for continued progress around green hydrogen, a new clean-burning source of energy that produces close to zero greenhouse gas emissions. Shell and RWE, two major European energy companies, are creating the first major green pipeline from wind plants in the North Sea.
  4. Robots more Human-like
    • In 2023, robots will become even more like humans — in appearance and capability. These types of robots will be used in the real world as event greeters, bartenders, concierges, and companions for older adults. They’ll also perform complex tasks in warehouses and factories as they work alongside humans in manufacturing and logistics.
    • One company is working hard to create a human-like robot that will work in our homes. At Tesla AI Day in September 2022, Elon Musk revealed two Optimus humanoid robot prototypes, and said the company would be ready to take orders within the next 3 to 5 years. The robot can perform simple tasks like lifting items and watering plants — so perhaps soon we’ll be able to have “robot butlers” that help around in the house.
  5. Sustainable Technology
    • Finally, we’ll see a push toward more sustainable technology in 2023. Many (if not most) of us are addicted to technology like our smartphones, tablets, and computers — but where are the components coming from to manufacture our favorite gadgets? People will be thinking more about where rare earth components for things like computer chips originate and how we’re consuming them.
    • And moreso, where can we use/upgrade/renew technology to further it’s life. Even the Head of Sustainability at BMW said we should look at using older cars – and have a mechanism in place to update and renew parts quickly and cost effectively.

So there you go – my Top Five.

Any things you’re thinking that in 2023 will hit us from a Technology perspective?

Off course… I left out some obvious items, such as what Elon is doing over at Twitter and a few other items because they’re more specific and all depends how much some of these billionaires throw at their projects.

For me – Point 5, sustainability is key. That’s the most important one. And in one of my up and coming blogs – I’ll talk about repair cafe’s that are popping up, and ways to be more concious about the environment when it comes to tech.

Categories
Uncategorized

2022… What a year!

Hasn’t it gone so quick!

Time just seems to be flying!!

What a year 2022 was. Busy on all fronts. For me in particular, so much happened in 2022, it’ll definitely be a year to remember. I remember, when I worked on a major project once, and Kim Azerski (who was head of the department at the time) was with me and I asked her for key success criteria. She replied – ‘no surprises and uneventful’.

Wouldn’t we love everything to be ‘event-free’. All just calm. Unfortunately, there’s things we can control and things we can’t and it’s those that we can’t control that really get us… but we can build some mechanisms to deal with them.

As I take a moment to reflect on 2022… there’s a lot that I’m grateful for and lessons I’ve put into practice.

  1. Friends and Family – It’s all about your circles, the people you are with and those who build you up. your circle of friends can change over time – and that is absolutely ok. As you grow as a person or start doing things differently (picking up new hobbies etc..) it’s ok to find new friends. New circles. But overall – the important thing is… make sure you surround yourself with those who want you to do better.
  2. Take calculated risks – I started a new role this year. After having spent 13years at my previous job… I was very hesitant in moving. Andy why should I?… I was comfortable, knew everyone… but then, I re-read one of my all time favourite books… Who Moved My Cheese. I did some calculations and thought – I’ll give it a go. And I’ll admit, I’m enjoying it, met some wonderful people – and learnt a lot.
  3. Don’t care about others – If you’ve not already, I thoroughly recommend for you to read the book – Think Like a Monk. Fantastic book. For those who know me – I love food! And I’ve spent a considerable time cooking with a local charity who serve food to the homeless. Not only giving back – but enjoying my hobby and passion of food. I’d suggest the same for you – whatever your passion is, whatever brings a smile to your face – go do more of it (as long as it’s legal and safe!).

I could continue with this list. But what I will be doing is listing all the good things I achieved in 2022… and what do I want to do in 2023. For sure, there’s a book I’ve been trying to write for the past few years and this is one thing I want to complete in 2023!

But honestly speaking – after a very eventful 2022… and looking at what’s in my control… I’m taking the words of Kim Azerski as my main motto for 2023 – ‘uneventful’.

(Famous last words I guess)

Hope you have a fantastic start to 2023 and all your dreams and ambitions come true.

Categories
Bal's Friday Thought

Bal’s Friday Thought…

There’ll always be a time or moment when we fall low on the scale for motivation and inspiration.

Great thing is, there’s ways to move up that scale…

Categories
Uncategorized

Have a Merry Christmas!

So it’s nearly Christmas time… hope y’all have something nice and festive planned.

I’ll be disconnecting for a while. It’s been a very busy 6 months! you can probably notice from the lack of blog posts – thought recently I have managed to get the Friday Thoughts back up and running… which I know many people missed!

I need some time to disconnect, and reflect. Not only the past 6 months, but the past few years have been super busy. Enjoyable but busy. And this got me thinking… is it sustainable?

So with that.. I really hope you have a lovely festive break (if you have one). I’ll be cooking with Guru Nanak’s Mission – it’s a local charity that serves food to the homeless, but on Christmas Day, they’re cooking food for the emergency services – so I thought I’ll pop down, help where I can and give something back.

If you have the opportunity – I would say, get involved with local charities. With the cost of living, inflation, prices rising… anything we can do collectively to help each other is only a good thing.

So with that… Merry Christmas!

Categories
Bal's Friday Thought

Bal’s Friday Thought…

Feeling tired?

Burnt out?

Done a lot of work?

Battery nearly empty?

Time for a re-charge?

Most people leave it till they’re in the red. You know… red being, battery empty. Need a break. Need to re-charge.

Don’t.

When you start to feel low. When you start to know, I’m not 100%… take a break. It only takes longer to recover if you leave it too late.

Categories
Bal's Friday Thought

Bal’s Friday Thought…

I’ve shared previously… about how, when looking at those at the top, most people think they got there very easily with the minimum amount of sacrifices.

Not true.

What happens in the background, the years of hard work… no one notices that. Only when they’ve made it, do people realise.

Similar is the path getting there.

If you’re someone working hard, but have set backs… don’t worry… it’s not linear. It’s quite the opposite. You’ll have setbacks. You’ll have all sorts of knock backs.

The important thing is you keep learning from those.

It’s the moment you don’t learn that you don’t progress.

Categories
Bal's Friday Thought

Bal’s Friday Thought…

You’ve probably heard the phrase, it’s hard to say sorry.

It’s even harder to say no.

Especially in particular settings such as work, home, etc..

Don’t let indecision ruin progress. If it’s a no, it’s a no. Be honest. Be straight. Be clear. People will respect you more.

Early(ish) in my career, there was a Vice President. He had a role in his organisation. I expressed an interest. He approached me. I was like.. wow! This guy, (senior) has approached me!! This is awesome!!

But on reflection – there were a lot of maybe’s. And as I was walking to his office to say, I’ll maybe consider it… I said no. I said, no… I don’t want to take this opportunity right now.

He said he was disappointed. I was too – for feeling like I’d let him down.

Then a few weeks later, he messaged me – Bal, I have a lot of respect for you, you said no. You didn’t mess me around.

Categories
Bal's Friday Thought

Bal’s Friday Thought…

Failure is a scary thing.

I coach/mentor a few folk. And was having a conversation with one of them recently about the fear of failure.

I usually ask them, regarding a particular situation, what is the worse that could happen?

You see, how we perceive failure today will be big. If something happened today – it’ll be huge. BUT… in a week?… in a month?… in a year?….

That’s because we learn from our failures. And that’s what makes us stronger and better.