(This article originally appeared in Forbes)
Here are five things in technology that happened this past week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
1 — Apple is reporting significant MacBook shortages.
Thanks to supply chain issues, war in Ukraine and lockdowns in China, Apple is reporting shortages across their distribution chain. Only three MacBooks are immediately available in the U.S. at this time — the 13-in. MacBook Pro, Mac mini and iMac 24 — and they’re all older models. There’s a two month wait for the M1 Ultra Mac Studio. (Source: Computerworld)
Why this is important for your business:
According to Jonny Evans at Computerworld “this is the perfect storm within which this year’s enterprise and education purchasing cycle is taking place. It’s a scenario that suggests tech purchasers will be facing unanticipated headwinds as they seek to fulfil larger procurements, and this challenge seems set to be a multiplatform one.” If you’re running a small business you’re going to find it even tougher to get your hands on this hardware.
2 — Segway Robots introduces indoor and outdoor food services via robots.
Segway Robots announced their new collection of delivery service robots at the 2022 National Restaurant Convention. Due to the labor shortage, indoor robots have become popular among restaurant owners and goers. The robots will act as staff by collecting plates, refilling water, meeting, greeting, and serving customers. Segway also unveiled their plan for expanding their outdoor delivery robots that became popular in multiple urban neighborhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Source: PR Newswire)
Why this is important for your business:
As this technology becomes more affordable, many small businesses across all industries are investing in robotics and other automation tools like this to address labor shortages and rising costs.
3 — Protonmail changes its name and privacy options in a new rebranding plan.
Protonmail — now Proton — has revamped its payment plan options with three different levels. The free plan includes 1GB of storage — upped from the previous 500MG — as well as a myriad of basic VPN tools and minute access to the Proton calendar and messages. The Mail Plus plan costs €5 / month with 15GB of storage and unlimited access to messages and usage of over 20 folders. Lastly, the Unlimited plan costs €12 / month with 500GB of storage with 10 VPN connections and access to over 1,700+ servers across 63 different countries. The new update will appear on users’ mobile apps later this year. (Source: Engadget)
Why this is important for your business:
When it comes to email are we stuck with Microsoft and Google? No, not at all. There are plenty of great email options for small businesses and Proton has become an enormously popular choice, and a great alternative to the more well-known platforms. I have many clients who use the free service but upgrading also makes sense. The service is definitely a consideration for your business.
4 — Microsoft invests in a new way to fix digital repairs through virtual reality.
Microsoft has partnered with Kawasaki to help fix problems and repair issues by using their virtual reality product Hololens. Microsoft hopes that by using virtual reality, their existing supply chain issue can start to become resolved by overlaying digitally made scenarios in real world time. Unlike virtual reality, mixed reality headsets have become a topic of interest in the business world and Microsoft has been the first to take advantage of the new technology. (Source: CNBC)
Why this is important for your business:
I frequently speak about the Hololens to clients and at conferences. It’s less than $4K and, with a little programming, can enable your company to provide virtual reality solutions for everything from training to field services. Here are other great uses of the device.
5 — Updating your iPhone may be required if you need to use WhatsApp.
According to Tech Radar, there are unconfirmed reports that the popular messaging service WhatsApp will stop messages to users who have iOS 10 and 11 after October 24th, 2022. (Source: Techradar)
Why this is important for your business:
This is a common occurrence within many apps. However, iPhone 5 and 5c users may want to consider getting a more recent Apple product since both cannot run past iOS 11. For those with an iPhone 5s or higher, updating your software may be the best way to secure this popular app.
