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Here are five technology things that happened in the past week and how they’re impacting your business. Did you miss them?
1 – The iPhone 14 Pro gets major upgrades in battery life.
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be released on September 16, and battery life is expected to improve significantly over the iPhone 13, likely due to the new 5G chip. The battery percentage icon is also expected to make a comeback. Aside from battery life, some other new features are believed to include an upgrade to the 48MP camera lens, satellite connectivity, and an ultra-wide camera option. (Source: Laptop Mag)
Why this is important for your business:
I can’t think of a better feature to add to a smartphone for business travelers like me than increased battery life. Will we ever be able to travel for two or three days without recharging? Let’s hope so one day.
2 – Instagram plans to call back their store features.
Meta-owned social media company Instagram will retire from shopping tabs to shift their focus to e-commerce companies that drive advertising. Instagram will first transition users to the platform’s “Tab Lite” page — which is less of a personalized store page – with the goal of eventually replacing the store tab altogether. (Source: Reuters)
Why this is important for your business:
Wasn’t it just a few months ago that I told people to check out Instagram to sell products and services? Oh, scratch that. The platform still has its business purposes: you can build an audience, offer useful content or advertise. But selling your products directly from Instagram seems less of an option in the future.
3 – Android 13 launches a new feature that allows you to separate your work and leisure data on your phone.
Android 13 has a new, redesigned feature under “work profiles” to keep consumers’ personal data separate from their work-related data. The update includes two separate profiles and allows users to open an app and specify which profile they want it under. Apps that will use this feature include – but are not limited to – photo and email apps. Android also adds smart diction that can dictate job-specific jargon and keep it separate from personal spaces. More features for this new update will be announced soon. (Source: The edge)
Why this is important for your business:
This can be useful for people who carry multiple smartphones for work and personal use. But will security be improved in such a way that corporate security managers will bless its use? When we get to that point, there could be significant cost savings for businesses that need multiple devices, let alone more productivity.
4— Microsoft will not allow partners to pay by check as of December 1.
Microsoft has released a statement to North American partners that — as of December 1 —st – they will not be able to pay with checks, but will instead have to pay via bank transfers or a bank-to-bank transfer such as ACH. There is no official reason why Microsoft made this change, although some speculate it is to improve efficiency as it takes much longer to deposit checks. (Source: The register)
Why this is important for your business:
The slow death of check writing continues, though too slow for me. That’s because too many of my customers still pay their bills with checks. Switching to online banking and electronic payments takes effort and is not worth it for many small businesses. Unless, of course, their biggest partners/suppliers/customers (ie Microsoft) are going to demand it of them.
5 – Some restaurants apply a customer-owned loyalty program to increase customer retention.
Rubio’s Restaurant – a fast-casual chain restaurant on the West Coast – has spearheaded a loyalty program at more than 150 of their restaurants. The program allows customers to choose where their points go instead of a pre-determined program. This is partly to counter the rising food and service prices. Some have suggested that a subscription-based restaurant is the best way to tackle this problem, even if it’s a fairly new concept. (Source: PYMNT)
Why this is important for your business:
If you run a store or restaurant, you must have a loyalty program. Simple as that. There are many great apps and online services that can easily — and affordably — provide this much-needed way to keep your customers coming back.
