(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 — A new Twitter policy now forbids the posting of photos of other people.
Wait, what? Yes, it’s true. New CEO Parag Agarwal has issued a new policy aimed particularly at people that post photos of other people that are used to harass or intimidate individuals, especially women, activists, and members of minority communities. The new policy adds to its current policy which disallows users from sharing other private information like email addresses and phone numbers on the platform without prior permission. (Source: The Next Web)
Why this is important for your business:
Before you freak out about this know that there are many exclusions such as public figures, images tweeted to help someone, and newsworthy “events that are being unpacked in real-time.” Plus, in order to run afoul of the policy, someone must report you. There is confusion and many unanswered questions so I predict further clarifications to this policy. But in the meantime if your business is using Twitter you need to more careful about the photos you’re posting as it could land you in some PR trouble.
2 — Black Friday spending in the U.S. fell to $8.9 billion since shoppers started earlier in November, according to a new report.
According to new information released by Adobe Analytics’ Digital Economy Index, Thanksgiving and Black Friday spending fell this year when compared to the same days in 2020. This year, Black Friday shoppers spent $8.9 billion as compared to $9 billion last year. Adobe shared that early shopping was part of the reason that spending was down, with a 13.6% year over year increase from November 1 stto November 28 th. According to the data, $99.1 billion was spent by shoppers during that time. (Source: ZDNet)
Why this is important for your business:
It’s because people shopped earlier. Maybe it’s supply chain. Maybe it’s forward thinking. Maybe it’s just a desire for a normal holiday season! But I do think this will be part of a trend going forward as ecommerce becomes a standard way to buy holiday gifts and ecommerce sellers offer promotions well before the traditional holiday season begins.
3 — This new Microsoft Teams feature could save you from project overload.
Microsoft recently introduced its new feature coming to Microsoft Teams called Loop. The goal of Loop is to help transform the way employees plan and think during collaborative assignments and tasks with big teams working remotely. Loop is now available as its own app known as Microsoft Loop, although it was previously a part of the rebrand of Microsoft’s Fluid framework. The new standalone app will help with collaboration and project management and can also be integrated with Whiteboard, OneNote, Outlook, and Teams. (Source: ZDNet)
Why this is important for your business:
Read this great piece by Imad Khan on Tom’s Guide to better understand how to use Loop in your business.
4 -CloudTrucks raised $115 million in Series B funding to help truck entrepreneurs manage their business.
CloudTrucks recently raised $115 million in Series B funding. The startup is looking to assist trucking entrepreneurs with operating their businesses using technology. (Source: Tech Crunch)
Why this is important for your business:
According to the company, CloudTrucks-which is based in California-provides businesses with software that can help owners and operators handle costs and cash flow, manage insurance, and generate revenue, among other things. The company plans to use the money to hire more employees in all areas-with a focus on data scientists and engineers-as it works to grow the business.
5 — AWS aims for automation with a new robotics service and accelerator.
AWS (Amazon Web Services) is focusing in on its cloud computing sector by paying special attention to robotics with two new programs. AWS IoT RoboRunner will help companies and businesses create apps that will assist robot fleets to work cohesively. The new service will help businesses connect their management systems and robots in a single location, regardless of whether hardware and software come from different locations. AWS will also be rolling out an accelerator program focused on robotics software and hardware startups all over the world, helping participants gain mentorship, networking, and training opportunities.
Why this is important for your business:
If you’re a small business then don’t do anything about this. Just wait. As you invest more and more in robotic technology — as so many smaller companies are now doing — to increase productive and decrease headcount, you’ll find many of these systems using these new tools from AWS to better connect their hardware and software across platforms and locations.
