Future Edition
Apple is introducing a new feature this fall that will let people “unsend” texts for up to 15 minutes after they first fire them off. It could be a game changer for Apple users, and bad news for the tabloids and Hollywood trades. Think of all of the scandals that will be averted and relationships potentially saved.
Apple isn’t the only company whose engineers were busy dreaming up new products while the rest of us were stuck on Zoom calls during the pandemic. With the economy wide open again, companies are now rolling out some of the next big breakthroughs they cooked up when things were slow.
With many Americans seriously weary of takeout from the same four or five restaurants, Uber Eats is introducing a new, long-distance gourmet food delivery service. In most states, you’ll soon be able to order from specialty eateries in cities like New York, Miami and Los Angeles. If you’re willing to plan ahead—orders must be placed five to seven days in advance—this could be a good way to break out of a rut. And impress the heck out of your dinner company, as long as the food arrives in packaging that’s sturdy enough to survive the trip.
Amazon is on a hiring spree for a new Local Ads division. They are targeting mom-and-pop businesses and local chains seeking new revenue streams. If I ran Google or Facebook, I’d be getting worried right about now.
With gas prices in the stratosphere, Ford Motor Company has introduced the F-15 Lightning electric truck to rescue Teslas that have run out of juice, and their CEO says he’s not doing it to taunt Elon Musk. The new pickup comes with a charging adapter that allows it to send power to Teslas that somehow drove past the gazillion charging stations popping up all over the place. Next thing you know, someone will probably introduce roadside gas delivery.
Amidst all the tech one-upmanship, one type of tech-driven business hasn’t gotten any better—call centers. Wait times have supposedly ballooned to two or three times what they once were. The culprit isn’t the robo-technology these companies use—it’s the isolated customers who’ve been tying up the lines. Maybe it’s time to give call center operators a raise—or reinvent the business model and certify them as therapists. As I’ve often said, some problems can only be solved by humans.
Today is the last day of school for Lily and Max, and Kate finishes next week. I’m sure many of you with school-age children realize that irrespective of the daily weather fluctuations, school’s out and summer is here. Let’s enjoy all that the upcoming months have to offer because before you know it, Labor Day will be upon us.
Have a great weekend everybody.
