Here are five things in tech that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
(This column originally appeared in Forbes)
1 — TikTok tells advertisers it won’t back down as U.S. ban looms.
TikTok’s president of global business solutions Blake Chandlee has vowed the company “won’t back down after announcements of a potential ban were made official last month. Advertisers and small business owners expressed concerns about the impact on their ad revenue. The platform is increasing available tools for marketers and promoting ad campaigns to entice user participation. This year U.S. ad sales will reach $8.66 billion, accounting for 2.8% of all digital ad “spend, the Journal reported. (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Why this is important for your business:
TikTok can take this ban to the courts and that may delay things. Or it could be sold. But if you’re an influencer or an advertiser on the platform you need to be considering alternatives because the possibility of a complete shutdown in the U.S. is real.
2 — Apple’s new iPad Pro should turn device into true laptop replacement.
At an event last week the 13-inch iPad Pro was debuted. “The new model is thinner, includes a crisper Ultra Retina XDR screen with OLED technology,” Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman described. “The main improvement is the so-called neural engine, which the company says is 60 times faster than its original from 2017. That will help the iPad Pro handle AI tasks on the device itself.” (Source: Bloomberg)
Why this is important for your business:
Would you use the iPad instead of a laptop. Apple is making it easier to do so with it’s latest offering.
3 — Chromebook owners are getting a much-wanted feature — a central hub to find all the best apps for their laptop.
Chromebook users will now be able to access all of their applications in the App Mall — which will include apps available in Android, Linux, or a Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). (Source: TechRadar)
Why this is important for your business:
More details about how it works can be found on the Chrome Unboxed YouTube channel. Past feedback from users have shared it can be a time-consuming task when searching for a specific app. That’s been resolved with App Mall which is available for preview. No specifics on when it will be activated on ChromeOS.
4 — The best new browser for Windows.
The Verge rated Arc for Windows as the best new browser. Users have said they prefer it to Chrome as it’s a refreshing alternative for the browsing experience while functioning as an organizational tool. (Source: The Verge)
Why this is important for your business:
According to the authors, the Spaces feature in Arc organizes your tabs. Rather than having multiple windows with multiple tabs open on your desktop, they can be designated to a “Space.” Each Space is named by the user (e.g., work, travel, music, research). Folders and Notes are included in each. You can also move tabs between spaces. Arc is available on Windows 11.
5 — Ford launches AI-driven ‘University’ to fix dealership employee knowledge gaps.
The second largest automaker in the U.S., Ford is making strides in both customer service and technology with the launch of Ford University. “Many dealers have expressed the challenge of managing the swift pace of new products,” the company stated. With a team of video producers and content creators, the program is designed to train employees on advanced technologies that are used in “software defined” vehicles. The end-goal is to educate employees so they can engage with customers on an informative and meaningful level based on the material they’ve absorbed. As of May 1, the training program was rolled out to dealerships across the country with plans to expand further. (Source: HR Grapevine)
Why this is important for your business:
As new AI driven applications come to market more companies will realize that training will be a factor in learning how to best leverage their benefits. Training should continue to be part of your budget when making use of these tools.
