Tag: technology

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Fax me the details

Now, many folk reading this blog post may not remember the old trusted Fax Machine.

Basically, you’d write something on a bit of paper. Feed it through the machine, dial a number and hey presto – the message would be printed onto paper on the other side.

It’s got a brilliant history…

Now – I was very very young when the fax machines were around – and being honest, never really got to use them. Therefore the process I mentioned above is what I think would’ve happened – any older or experienced folk – feel free to correct me.

The great thing is – technology has helped us to transmit messages so much more quickly, easily and being able to save a few trees!

That’s right – the trusted email was introduced to the masses – computers were more available and the fax machine was no longer.

Or was it….

Well, the Health Secretary in the UK has told the NHS – that they have to stop buying fax machines by March 31st 2020.

The Royal College of Surgeons estimated there’s about 8,000 fax machines being used in the NHS! 

I just can’t believe we’re using them! – let alone saying we’ve got to stop buying them!!

In this digital era we live in… there’s so many options… firstly, the trusted email…

There are so many ways to communicate… digitally! 

Yes, there’s Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, so many more… In fact, many are moving away from email and using collaboration tools such as Slack. 

In a way… I’m glad they’ve finally decided to stop buying them. Any guesses on how long before they’re using an online collboration tool? 

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Fold your phone away…

I used to have the Nokia mobile phones. Never ventured with other brands. But admittely I did like the Motorola Flip – a friend of mine used to have it, and I used to love, ‘flipping’ it close – when i’d finished a call.

What a classic. Available in different colours too….. 

How times have changes. Let’s be honest. It’s all got a bit boring…

Don’t get me wrong… I love my Apple iPhone. It’s lovely. But however, that novelty factor that we used to have of sliding, folding, etc… had all gone.

Sliding Bal? – you used to have a phone like that?

Yes – the banana phone, as it was known.

Anyway…. those times might be coming back… Samsung, leading the way.

They’ve designed and bought to life a foldable screen!

What Bal?! A screen that folds?!!!

Yes! Samsung have designed new screen materials, including a flexible OLED layer and backplane, that are then layered beneath an ultra thin polarizer, a new shock-absorbent film, and a more durable (and flexible) polymer cover window on top. And to hold everything together. Clever huh?

What does all this mean? – well…

It’s a phone that you can fold!! – How awesome is that?! I’d buy it just for the novelty factor.

Now… couple of things here, 1) Samsung are doing some great research and bringing to life some fantastic products… 2) We may get some exciting phones again… and 3) What does it mean for Apple?

Samsung haven’t revealed much else – in terms of pricing and availability.

What we do know it’ll be available somewhere in mid-2019. And it’ll be the most expensive phone available.

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Hi Sir, sorry i’m late… Sir?…Sir?….

I went to Coventry University. It was a lovely place…. we had the Planet, Mr.G’s and several other night life amenities. Oh, the actual university was good also!

Times are changing. Where we had actual lectures and real lecturers and professors- that’ll soon change.

How Bal? – you’ll still need people to teach.

Indeed you will. However, do they need to be real?

Imperial College, London – are introducing ‘hologram’ lecturers.

That is correct. Lecturers teaching, whom aren’t really there!

Using the latest technology – they’ll be able to have them presented in such a way, that it looks like a real person.

Yes – you could use a webex/telepresence – but that’s just on a flat screen.

This way – it’s more interactive. It’s more real. It’s more engaging.

So the lecturer will be in New York – but teaching a class in London – with a high definition monitor in front of them so they can see the class and make eye to eye contact.

Holograms have been used before – for elections – remember when the French presidential candidate did it? – he appeared in several cities, at the same time, addressing thousands of people in the crowd… at the same time… in real time!

This new technology is slightly cheaper – easier to move around and can be set up easier than those used a few years ago.

Only a matter of time when… when we’ll see more and more holograms… than real people. Thinking about it, with some of the ‘real people’ I have to deal with recently… it might not be that bad of an idea!

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Humans are best, at being human…

We talk a lot about robots. How they’re eventually going to take over… how they’re taking over some jobs now… how we need to work with robots…

Well… it’s true. Let’s be honest…. they’ve taken over the repetitive jobs, and soon they’ll be taking over your job.

Bal, do I need to find a new job? Should I be worried?

Yes and No.

Yes, find a new profession – look for a new skills, learn something different.

No, don’t be worried. Similar to previous times in history – Humans have been able to re-skill, look for new opportunities and adapt.

Bal, tell me the different times in history.

Okay… better explained with a picture…

As you can see – and I’ll go into detail in another blog post – but from every ‘Industry’ there’s been something new – and humans have been able to adapt.

Now whilst technology is key – and as you can see, Industry 4.0 – introduces ‘smart’ – smart factory, IoT, Big Data, etc… there will obviously be jobs that are no longer required to be done by humans.

So what do humans have, that’ll take a little more time for robots to master?

Emotions and Feelings.

That’s right – Humans are best, at being human.

We can react. We can cry. We can be emotional. We can sense….

You know all the emotions, right?… Well, in the 1970’s Paul Eckman described the six basic emotions.

  1. Happiness
  2. Sadness
  3. Digust
  4. Fear
  5. Surprise
  6. Anger

Now, since then – more have been added, like Contempt, Joy, etc…

Our ability to display these emotions is a phenomenal skill. Something, we humans, can do with ease.

So whilst technology is taking over… let’s not get too emotional about it.

Robots have a while before they can interpret feelings…. and display emotions. Because it’s not always black and white… 0 and 1.

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Debenhams – reporting biggest loss in its 200 year history!

Let’s not be surprised. I keep banging on about – how shopping habits are changing. How we, as individuals have more choice – more flexibility and more influences – that steer us to make certain choices.

So there shouldn’t be any surprise, when Debenhams will report an annual loss of almost £500m for the year to 1st September.

Along with the full year loss – there’ll be store closures – of around one third of it’s 165 stores, over the next five years.

There’ll also be job cuts. Yep – around 5,000 are to be affected with restructuring plans – over five years.

Shares have fallen by more than 80% over the last year.

Bal, that’s not good. Is it because we’re shopping on-line?

Partially, yes. Debenhams digital platforms are said to be trading strongly. So you have to ask the question – why isn’t there more investment in those platforms? – Why isn’t there more money in the ‘Bricks & Clicks’ model?

Bal, what’s the ‘Bricks and Clicks’ model?

It’s a model where you have a strong mix of actual stores – bricks… and a digital presence…clicks. Many stores are doing this very well. Take the retailer Next. They have a good ‘Bricks and Clicks’ model in place. In fact, they started off with the catalogue (back in the day!) – moved that quickly to an on-line platform, made ordering easier and fast forward to today… you can click and collect on the same day!

It just doesn’t seem that young people have the time, to spend in large retail stores… walking around, looking around… when it can be done quickly, easily and efficiently from home…. via the phone or tablet. However, there will be times, maybe around Christmas (seasonal) or Birthdays (occasions) when some ‘retail therapy’ of walking around a stores is needed.

It’s all about using your data. Understanding how your customers are buying. How their habits are changing. Making it easier for them. And then implementing….

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The Cheaters Edition…

So, I was relaxing at home one evening… and watching a bit of TV (I know.. crazy right, how on Earth I get time to watch a bit of TV is beyond me!) but there I was, watching a bit of TV and an advert came on for Monopoly.. The Cheaters Edition!!

We’ve all been there…. at family get-togethers, Christmas, Events, etc…

… and there’s always one, (or two) who cheat! – So this, in my opinion, is a great idea!!! – The Cheaters Edition!

I’m so going to buy this!

But it really got me thinking – I remember, when I was a kid, there was one version of Monopoly.

Today, there’s a few…

And then.. there’s Digital versions – that’s right, you can download a version onto your phone/tablet. You can play it on the computer – you can play against friends… there’s so many options!

Then… there’s the collaboration with McDonalds!

Shows the diversity of the original game.

And that’s only a great thing.

This is exactly what should be happening. Looking at variation to appeal to new customers, crowds and consumers.

Looking at how to engage with different ages. Looking at how to attract more customers. Looking at how to grow the brand – moving it into digital.

If you own a business or work in a company, how are you ensuring you keep growing and keep attracting customers?

By the way… I wasn’t one of the ‘cheaters’ at the traditional Christmas Monopoly game in the Bansal household… honest. 🙂

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Weather Technology…

Who remembers when the weather was simple, and straight to the point? – you know what I mean… Michael Fish on the BBC using those magnetic symbols…

What a throwback! – love the shirt!!

You know where I’m going to go with this… that’s right, why haven’t I got a shirt like that!!

Ok… the magnetic symbols were replaced by TV screens. Why? – because it was easier, quicker and less work for Michael to do.

That’s right – the Screen Technology helped to quickly move around different regions of the country – zoom in and be more specific about weather. Remember the remote control they used to hold – where they’d press the button to move the screen to the next one! – fabulous times….

What technology did… and does today, is improve the process.

The process is – the weather person to share with us what the weather is going to be like. Is it going to rain. Will it be warm. How windy will it be…. etc…  Technology helps the whole process and experience.

With advancements in Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality – combine the two and we now have ‘Mixed Reality’ – there’s so much more you can do.

You can immerse yourself in the weather! – well… we’re getting there.

One weather channel used technology to share what the weather will be like.. but not only what it’d be like, but show what will be happening. In this case, it’s a hurricane. Lots of rain. Lots of wind.

Now we can imagine what it’d be like. But showing it – well, that’s a whole new experience.

Rather than me talking about here… here’s the weather video…

Remember… it’s about the process…. AND the Experience – make it memorable.

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Review of Apple’s Event… and the New iPhones

Yesterday… Apple had their Event. Their main conference.

Some brilliant new items were announced, along with the new operating system… iOS12. Did you follow it? – Have you watched it all? – if not… don’t worry, I’ll summarise it here for you.

1. New iWatch

That’s right – there’s a new iWatch.

Packed with many new features – like it detects when you fall over, and has much more going on the watch face – but the one feature that really stands out is that it’s got the ability to carry out an ECG! Detecting low and high heart rates, shows Apple is leading the way with wrist worn health care technology.

2. New iPhone XS

Let’s be honest, the iPhone X has been a major success. It’s features (face recognition and much more) has been well recieved by customers. And now… well, there’s been an upgrade! You can now have the iPhone XS.

In fact, you can have an XS or an XS Max! The Max has a bigger screen… bigger screen than what you’d look at on an iPhone 8 Plus!

We were expecting it… and oh boy, doesn’t it look impressive!!

And it’s packed with some brilliant features…

One of the main features which i’m personally looking forward to is the Dual Sim!- that’s right… the iPhones will be able to accommodate 2 sims!!

3. …and one more thing.

The iPhone XR!

That’s right… a ‘lesser version’ of the X. It’ll be available in several colours… and therefore, here’s the full iPhone line up…

iOS12 will also have some great features…grouping messages and notifications on the home screen…. and much more. So much, I’ll have to test it out, and share it with you in an up and coming blog post.

One thing I did like about the Apple Event, was that they announced it on Twitter… and if you ‘liked’ it… then they notified you when it started. Ensuring no-one missed it. Brilliant marketing. But then… wouldn’t expect anything less. It’s all about having the ability to Think Differently.

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WiFi Enabled Door…

Recently I was sent a brilliant video – of a chap who had some issues with his smart, voice enabled, home.

In case you haven’t seen it – here it is…

Now, the funny thing is – we’re heading in that direction.

Most of us have the Amazon Alexa in our homes, or the Google Home. Both of which carry out commands when we talk to them – and if you don’t have either of them, then I think it’s time you looked at investing in one.

More and more items are becoming ‘connected’ and more and more, we’ll be doing by just talking. Because it’s the easiest thing to do.

To tell someone… or in this case, something… to do something… it easy. Why have to lift the arm, raise the finger and exert that pressure to turn the light off switch off.

Yes – we are becoming more lazy – but you can’t blame it all on technology.

The part of the video that is brilliant, is when he’s trying to get into his house. The voice command doesn’t understand him.

So the door must be connected to the WiFi – and voice controlled. I know I’m beginning to analyse this – but the door should have some feature to open it via an app.

Now this has got me thinking – why aren’t our doors and windows wifi-enabled? When can we have the Next Generation of doors?

Why would you want to have a wifi enabled door? – why not just the lock?

Great point – and yes! – there are wifi (& bluetooth) enabled smart locks you can purchase to attach onto your front door. However there are limitations on what type of doors they’ll work on – maybe I’ll share more on my ‘What Tech items to buy for Christmas’ blog.

But you can see where all this is going… not only plugged in devices –  will be connected to your wifi… but doors, windows (anything… you can power via a battery)…. the possibilities are endless.

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Toyota & Uber… Could be quite Super!

Yesterday, it was announced that Toyota would invest $500m into Uber.

Was does this mean?

Well, firstly… It means, Uber is now estimated to be worth around $72bn. Quite a jump from the recent valuation of $62bn.

Secondly, It means… Toyota are certain this is the future because they also invested $1bn in Grab (Uber equivalent/competitor/rival in South Asia).

Thirdly, It means.. self-driving cars will be on your roads sooner than we think.

Yes there have been problems, especially when one of Uber’s self-driving SUV’s killed a pedestrian in Arizona, USA. You could call that a big problem.

Uber have been investing… but, being honest, it’s been a struggle for them. Expensive lawsuits… the fatal accident… etc… and sometimes, what you need is, someone to come along – to confirm what you’re doing is right… to ensure you keep going… keep experimenting.

Toyota is doing that. They know that car ownership will be a thing of the past. We can see trends of that in certain cities… where it’s easier, cheaper and quicker to use the train/underground/subway… or even a bike. Why own a car? – there’s so much expense that goes with it… the insurance, road tax, MOT, etc…

It’s very much similar to the ‘Estate Agent’ industry. They’re going through a massive shake-up. Country-wide, who own 50 Estate Agent brands and employ over 8,000 people, have about £200m debt and yesterday had to raise £140m ’emergency funds’ – which they did, with the help of their board.

Go back 3 years… and look how their share price has tumbled….

Why? well… On-line estate agencies have become more popular and more and more people are using them. They’re less and less going to the high street. Countrywide own all the high street estate agents.

Technology is enabling customers to do things quicker and easier.

Toyota know this. They know self-driving technology will, one day, be the norm. We’ll have self-driving cars. There’ll be phases of it… as the technology gets better and better. People won’t want to own cars. They’ll just summon a vehicle to them… use it to get from Point A to Point B.

We kind of do that with taxi’s, right? Summon them to pick us up from Point A and take us to Point B.

Uber made it easier via an App.

Toyota know a thing or two about cars.

Combine the two together…

It’s all about collaboration.