The Changing Dynamics of Essential Product Sourcing
The heart of the manufacturing world was the first region to feel the effects of the pandemic. While we have seen some stabilization, many challenges remain in terms of pricing, reliability, and the supply chain itself. Let's take a closer look at these challenges to better understand how best to navigate sourcing essential products from Asia in the current landscape.
Shoppers are starting to come back to their favorite brick and mortar storefronts as the pandemic restrictions allow consumers to exit from lockdown. But the impact of COVID-19 has etched some far-reaching changes in the retail industry that will not set back the strides online shopping has gained since March.
Women in Tech: 20 Trailblazers Share Their Journeys
Successful women in the tech trenches share their insights and tackle subjects ranging from how to search out a strong mentor to how to be one -- from how to advance in a large company to how to start your own firm.
This book is an excellent guide for students considering STEM courses, graduates pondering job choices, and career changers at any stage in life. It's also a useful tool for school and career counselors, recruiters, and HR pros eager to diversify their workplaces.
B2C Marketers Grapple With Personalization Tactics
Marketers at B2C companies realize that personalization is key to business, but they are having problems implementing personalization strategies, according to a recent survey by Adweek Intelligence in association with IBM Watson Advertising.
Website Development Contracts, Part 3: Important Cloud and SLA Considerations
Amazon is rolling out a system that combines artificial intelligence and augmented reality to help workers maintain social distancing in the workplace. The new system has been deployed at a handful of Amazon buildings, but the company plans to deploy hundreds of the units in the coming weeks.
Salesforce continues to define the market for enterprise software, and more, with innovations that few others are stepping up to; the case in point is last week's TrailheaDX 2020 developers event held online.
If you search for "why CRM fails" you get over three million results. Analysts report that close to half of all CRM projects fail and about 40 percent of CRM software purchased goes unused -- because sales teams don't want to use software that makes them glorified data entry clerks and still doesn't "work."
Sellers Prep for Continued Storm of E-Commerce Activity
Online sales are projected to surge even after America reopens for business. One of the first things companies will need to do is make sure their technology infrastructure is equipped to handle the increase in traffic.
The COVID-19 pandemic will be one of the defining events of our lifetime. The economic consequences will last years and forever change consumer behavior. Over the last 30 years, experts have been studying the slow burn of consumer adoption of new ...
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Welcome to the affordable smartphone boom. A combination of factors — whether it's the slowing pace of innovation in phones and how we're holding on to older models longer or the economic uncertainties of now and the near-future — has meant companies are chasing hypothetical new phone budgets with keenly priced devices.
The trickier decision (one we've tried to help with in the past) is figuring out when is the best time to downsize from your flagship phone to something that does the job at possibly half the price.
— Mat
Review: ASUS' ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 is the first good dual-screen laptop
It's blazing fast and the tilting screen is actually useful.
ASUS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 is the first laptop to really make good use of a second display. That gives it not only a strong wow factor but makes it easier to justify the extra expense. ASUS backs it up with top-flight components that help it fly for gaming and content-creation tasks. The downsides are mediocre battery life, a lack of key ports and a high price tag. If you can afford it, though, you'll be the envy of all your friends, whether in a creative or gaming environment. Continue reading.
NASA delays Mars rover launch until at least July 30th
Launch vehicle delays prompted the setback.
JPL / NASA
NASA and United Launch Alliance have delayed blast-off for the Mars 2020 mission from July 22nd to "no earlier than" July 30th. Processing problems with the launch vehicle are to blame, NASA said.
NASA had originally given itself until August 5th, but analysts have extended the window until August 15th and will determine if another extension is possible. The Perseverance rover is expected to land in Mars' Jezero crater on February 18th, 2021. It's some appropriate rover naming, though, by the space agency. Continue reading.
Discord is rebranding to shift away from gaming
The company says it wants to be more inclusive to all of its users.
It doesn't have a new name (presumably saving itself thousands of dollars), but Discord is effectively rebranding itself. The aim is to shift from a chat platform dedicated to gamers towards a place with broader topics and appeal. Practically speaking, what the rebranding means for current and new Discord users is a more "streamlined" onboarding experience and updated templates that make it easier to set up a server and start new discussions. There will also be fewer jokes within the app referencing games "to make sure everyone can take part in the fun." Continue reading.
Shareable electric scooters will trial in the UK starting July 4th
For now, it's unclear which companies will be involved.
The UK's Department for Transport announced it will allow select trials for shareable electric scooters beginning on July 4th. For now, it's unclear which regions will decide to offer an e-scooter service. The government confirmed, however, that the first pilots will likely start next week and run for 12 months. Continue reading.
OnePlus's next phone will be the sub-$500 Nord
We're waiting to learn pretty much everything else.
OnePlus
OnePlus made its name launching affordable flagship devices that made more established rivals look greedy by comparison. In recent years, however, its prices have crept closer towards the high end in the same territory as its ostensible rivals. That's why the company is making such a big song and dance about the OnePlus Nord, a "product line" of lower-priced devices that recaptures the original OnePlus spirit.
After a lot of hype and a large number of leaks, OnePlus confirmed it would sell devices under a new OnePlus Nord banner. Beyond that, however, the only firm detail we have is a comment from OnePlus CEO Pete Lau saying "Nord will be our first product below $500 in recent years." It looks as if there will be a gentle split in OnePlus' strategy between its high-end flagships and these more modest Nord devices. Continue reading.
In many places, plans to reopen movie theaters have been pushed back, so right now, this is about as close as we can safely get to the theater experience outside of a Fortnite event.
— Richard
Apple Watch Series 3 discounted to $169 on Amazon
That's its cheapest price yet.
Engadget
If you're almost ready to try out an Apple wearable, Amazon is tempting you further. It's priced the GPS model of the Apple Watch Series 3 at its cheapest yet — $169 — and the device will be compatible with the just-announced watchOS 7 we saw at the WWDC keynote last week. Continue reading.
Facebook envisions using holographics for super-slim VR glasses
Come for the AR shades, stay for the Matrix-like monochrome output.
Facebook Research
Facebook's Reality Labs has developed a proof-of-concept device that uses holographics with flat films for the optics, leading to displays that are less than 0.35 inches thick — much smaller than the usual LCD or OLED shining through glass. This is helped in part by polarization-based optical folding that moves the light forward and back multiple times, shrinking it well below its original volume. Continue reading.
Impossible Sausage will be available to any restaurant that wants it
It'll also be on the menu of all of Yelp's Top 30 American diners.
Impossible Meat
Impossible Foods announced that the company is expanding sales of Impossible Sausage to all restaurants nationwide. This follows up on some aggressive moves from the company: Earlier this year, it announced it would sell its Impossible Burger in over 1,000 grocery stores. Then just last week, Starbucks said it was going to start selling an Impossible Sausage sandwich. Now, the Impossible Sausage is available to any restaurant looking to order it. Continue reading.
Mercedes halts its car subscription service due to lack of demand
Not everyone wants to pay hundreds a month to switch cars.
Mercedes has halted its Collection subscription pilot after what it says was "just okay" uptake. The company had hoped to expand the drive-what-you-want service if demand had surged, but the service only ever reached Atlanta, Nashville and Philadelphia.
There were problems, though. Sales Chief Adam Chamberlain noted that the novelty of switching cars became a hassle for some customers as they were tired of constantly moving personal items between cars. The service could easily become too costly to run without frequent swaps. Continue reading.
LG's Velvet makes a case for midrange, dual-screen phones
It's the best dual-screen design from the company yet.
Engadget
It's no secret that LG's been struggling with its smartphones for some time; now, it's betting on a new strategy. That's the Velvet. It's a midrange 5G phone with a new look and some flagship qualities that it inherited from the V60 — like a second-screen accessory that attaches like a folio case. Is LG getting closer to making dual-screen phones something we'd actually want to use? Continue reading.
