Consumer Electronics Archives

The Four Horsemen of Facebook’s Apocalypse

Facebook’s new threats: four rising social media apps

The election and claims that Facebook is censoring the conservative voice has led to a re-shuffling of the social media hierarchy. The disruptors include TikTok, which, having sidestepped the Trump ban, continues to pick up steam with 980 million users. Others are Parler, which has doubled to nearly 8 million, acting as the network for conservative voices, positioning itself as the Fox against the CNN of social media Facebook. Discord is a site that appeals to gamers, and caters to nearly 100 million users. OnlyFans is a social media site catering to the porn industry, and therefore not permitted by Apple to have an app. While numbers are unknown, it is estimated to have more than 75 million users. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: The social media industry is beginning to look like the cable TV industry: specialized sites that offer the content and point of view most valuable to you. Facebook created the space, but now has spawned alternatives and isn’t sure how to put the Genie back in the Facebook bottle. Does the social media giant try to be all things to all people, or is it forced to better define its position to hold on to a core audience? Clearly it has to take a position and the company is being forced to define its position by either having an editorial position, or being the global bulletin board for all speech — ugly or not. The company is still trying to find its identity and, in the meantime, competitors are feasting on the uncertainty.

Airbnb rises from the ashes to go public

IPO filing shows that the fractional home rental company experienced a 19% drop in revenues over the past quarter. The offering was first planned for last August, but delayed so that it could further trim payroll and shore up the listing ship. The company has never been profitable and the prospectus warns that it may never reach profitability, but like Uber, it is the elephant in a new industry it is mostly responsible for creating. The Verge

dis-rup-shun: The pioneers of the industry, such as Uber and Amazon, decades before, are able to hold off profits until far down the road — instead, successfully changing the dynamics of their industries. With scale comes dominance, followed by profits. As the days of COVID-19 may be numbered, Airbnb could be ready to steadily grow into the next Amazon.

Space X has done it again — with three (and a half) astronauts

Space X sent another manned probe to the International Space Station on Sunday, and this time the crew is joined by a Baby Yoda that floats when zero gravity is reached. The Verge

dis-rup-shun: Elon Musk’s Space X continues to take the front and center position in the space race — safely lifting astronauts into space not once, but twice. The frequency and reusability of the company’s space craft suggest that the future of space exploration and space commerce is here, perhaps offering civilians an opportunity to travel through space in a couple of short years.

It’s (Ring) doorbell season, sings Underwood

Amazon has leveraged Carrie Underwood to promote her new album available on Amazon Music by creating an ad in which Underwood entertains people through their Ring doorbell camera. The advertisement then captures a host of happy holiday people as seen through their doorbell camera. AdWeek

dis-rup-shun: Surprisingly, Amazon does not go for a “three-fer” by having a Prime delivery truck and person roll into the screen to deliver more holiday stuff. Seems that during a congressional investigation on anti-competitive practices, a company wouldn’t remind consumers that it not only owns the smart doorbell company, but also owns the music service used to purchase one of the most popular artists of the time. Cross-selling across owned companies is smart and not against the law, but is a reminder that Amazon owned companies are increasingly surrounding consumers.

Consumer Electronics, IOT, Smart Home

Walmart.com crashes on PS5 launch day

November 13, 2020by sbsikesLeave a Comment

Playstation orders crash Walmart.com

Walmart, in an effort not to be completely cleaned out of the new Sony PlayStation 5 on launch day, staggered sales in waves every couple of hours. Demand for the product, however, crashed the site not once but twice. CNET

dis-rup-shun: The world’s largest retailer, working overtime to close the gap with online retailer leader Amazon.com, would, you think, be prepared for the onslaught of release day orders for the PS5. But not even giant Walmart anticipated the pent up demand for the latest game console during COVID-19.

Amazon’s Care Hub enables Echo Show to monitor seniors

Amazon Echo powered devices can now run the Care Hub skill which, with permission from both parties, enables family members to receive information about a senior’s activities, and can enable family members to “drop in” if the senior requests help. TechCrunch

dis-rup-shun: Care Hub is a truly valuable and inexpensive way to address the yawning need for technologies to facilitate aging in place, however privacy concerns will likely keep many seniors from embracing the device. The trust level of seniors in technology is often lower than average ages, potential causing the device to be unplugged or rejected, despite the great potential for keeping family members in touch.

Electronic parole keeps tabs using smartphone

New apps designed for parolees provides constant updates via GPS of a parolee’s daily patterns, activities, and if he or she has approached off limits establishments such as liquor stores. The app also provides simplified communications between parole officer and parolee. Wired

dis-rup-shun: Critics of the technology note that what parolees need most is support from human interaction. After all, isn’t lack of positive attention the root of most rebellious behavior? If this is the case, substituting technology for human interaction completely misses the opportunity for rehabilitation.

Breathing device helps lower dangerous alcohol levels

Thornhill Medical has gained FDA clearance with the ClearMate oxygen machine that helps the lungs expel alcohol through controlled hyperventilation. During acute alcohol poisoning, the liver sometimes cannot process blood alcohol quickly enough, leading to serious injury or death. Gizmodo

dis-rup-shun: Lifesaving technologies at low costs are game changers — every college clinic should invest in the ClearMate.

Consumer Electronics, IOT, Smart Home

Vaccine news deals blow to stay-at-home tech

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Vaccine news deals blow to stay-at-home stocks

On the good news from Pfizer that a Coronavirus vaccine candidate from Pfizer and BioNTech appears 90% effective, shares of tech stocks that have flourished during the pandemic saw an immediate drop. Zoom, Amazon, Netflix, and Teledoc are some of the biggest Covid-19 winners that were immediately impacted by the announcement, losing up to 5% of their value in pre-market trading. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: The idea of a post-pandemic economic recovery, with a new President-elect, could be great for everyone. Most agree that life after pandemic will remain different, but the question is how different? New lifestyles and work habits should remain viable options, and expect these pandemic winners to continue to be strong alternatives in a more online economy.

Next generation ADT Google smart home

ADT, in its quarterly earnings announcement, revealed that it will work with investor and partner Google to develop a next generation home automation and security platform that will leverage machine learning, intelligent alarm and video verification. ADT.com

dis-rup-shun: What is the future of an ADT/Google partnership? How long will development of such a platform take? The good news for consumers is that apparently ADT recognizes that the traditional security system that relies on calling the police in case of a problem is growing long in the tooth. Law enforcement in many cities is stretched thin. Consumers want immediate feedback of exactly what is happening in their homes. Doorbell cameras are offering a deeper sense of engagement with the home. Consumers are increasingly investing in home systems for comfort and convenience. The partnership could raise the bar for home systems, but in the meantime, advanced technology firms such as Alarm.com, Vivint and Honeywell (among others) will not be resting, but will be offering enhanced solutions — but likely with a cloud partner other than Google.

Why you should use Apple Pay or Google Pay

Despite being available since 2014, mobile pay apps have caught on slowly in North America. Today, nearly 50% of iPhone users use Apple Pay at least occasionally, with Google Pay rising as well. Global Apple Pay transactions are 10% of credit card transactions. Wired makes the case for using mobile pay more, as it is convenient, faster, doesn’t require your wallet, and is actually more secure as each separate transaction requires facial recognition, your security code, and or facial recognition. Credit cards in the U.S. mostly do not require a PIN, meaning a thief with your card can buys things with it.

dis-rup-shun: Why U.S. consumers have been slow to adopt mobile payments is a curiosity, as more convenience and more security are great motivators. Less contact during Covid-19 should motivate us to hold up our phones rather than press PINs into a keypad. Near field communications will improve such that the point of sale device may soon display our names as soon as we approach the check out stand and simply ask us to confirm the purchase by looking into our phones. So simple.

Virgin Hyperloop conducts first human transport test

Virgin Hyperloop, the Elon Musk concept later purchased and branded Virgin by Richard Branson, has completed its first trip at speeds over one hundred miles per hour with people on board. The 500 meter test tube in the desert outside of Las Vegas sends the compartment through an air vacuum tube. The vision of hyperloop is to transport people at speeds over 600 mph. To date its top speed has been 240 mph. TheVerge

dis-rup-shun: It is difficult to predict how long it will take for this technology to become reality, but if speeds well over those of a bullet train can be attained, the attractiveness of this mode of travel increase quickly. Traveling from San Francisco to L.A. in 30 minutes could be a game-changer, and could be a great alternative to overnight delivery of specialized cargo. Acquiring the land, or digging the tunnels or elevated rails, however, is a daunting infrastructure project.

Consumer Electronics, IOT, Smart Home

Smart toaster for perfect results

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The smart toaster is here for $300

If you are really into toast, the Revolution Cooking R180 is the product for you. It’s touch screen interface enables you to specify exactly how you like your bread, and provides accurate timing and progress reports. The pricey device, however, does not connect to the cloud, so Google or Facebook can’t tell when you are making breakfast or cannot send ads for bread to your toaster screen. TechCrunch

dis-rup-shun: The smart kitchen is slowly arriving, with many devices offering smarts of questionable value. Is a smart kitchen smart because of intelligence built-in to the appliance, or because it uses cloud-based resources to help prepare meals? Smart kitchen appliances bring value when they enable control remotely, like from the bedroom, home office, or remote office, and when they provide guidance or insights based on recipes or knowledge of what supplies are on hand in the pantry or refrigerator. So expect high-end kitchen appliances to increasingly have their own touch screens and be called “smart,” though smarts require remote control and, for better or worse, connections to the cloud.

Did you leave your garage door open?

No more guessing if you left the door open, as a number of inexpensive garage controller add-ons make it simple to see if the door is open or closed or to open it for someone else. Chamberlain’s MyQue is simple and inexpensive and works with Apple’s HomeKit (for an additional fee), meaning you don’t have to use a separate app for the garage door. The more expensive Tailwind can be voice controlled through Alexa and works with Amazon Key, if you are a frequent buyer through Amazon. You do need to have a strong Wi-Fi signal in the garage. CNET

dis-rup-shun: It is exceedingly affordable to transform home systems into smart devices. Doing so, however, introduces “app fatigue” which is the frustration of having to dig through your smartphone to find an app in order to control a device — often resulting in a decision to not use that device often. Apple and Google hope to overcome this barrier with a “do-all-smart home operations” app. Apple’s is Homekit and Android offers a number of options including an app called Gideon. When our cars are outfitted with Alexa on -board (many new ones are), then we can talk to our smartphone in our car to control the garage doors.

Sony Playstation controller “game changer”

New consoles will arrive next week, and gamers are anxious to get their hands on them. Sony’s new controller, DualSense, is packed with new features including better haptic feedback, a headphone jack, a USB-C connection, adaptive resistance triggers, speaker, microphone and touch pad. CNET

dis-rup-shun: The world is now awash with gaming options across any platform, so the console experience must be quite special in order to justify the investment. “Real gamers,” as some like to call themselves, will not settle for less than a high performance gaming PC or top end console, or both, and Sony and Microsoft are racing to provide that premium experience.

Alibaba cloud growth outpaces Amazon

Chinese tech giant Alibaba reported growth of its cloud computing division that dwarfed that of larger cloud providers Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Both U.S. based cloud providers grew, in the same timeframe, 29% and 48% respectively. Alibaba’s growth in the September quarter was 60%, further affirming that the future of computing is in the cloud. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: 5G has arrived, making the vision of super fast access, from mobile devices, of cloud-based content, a reality. The implications for this new model are vast, from shopping, to entertainment, to mobile commerce. Expect Alibaba to catch up in revenue size to AWS and Azure very quickly.

Consumer Electronics, IOT, Smart Home

Gig economy bolstered by California voters

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California vote gives gig economy green light

Hanging in the balance yesterday was California Proposition 22, which would require gig workers such as Uber and Lyft drivers to be considered employees and receive benefits. The defeat of the proposition was a green light for emerging gig economy companies, including DoorDash, Instacart and Postmates which rely on hourly contractors to provide new services at low prices. Other states will likely see the California vote as an indication of consumer sentiment. CNet

dis-rup-shun: The gig economy, defined as using the Internet to temporarily employ under-used resources, such as cars, people or homes, make up 1% of the U.S. workforce and rising, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While a small percentage, the ability to reduce the unemployment rate by 1% is a big deal. Expect new and innovative ideas, such as Task Rabbit and Wag!, to continue to pop up and help supply meet demand.

Even AT&T is ready to cut the cord

AT&T is in talks to sell up to 50% of its legacy DirecTV, AT&T Now and Uverse units to private investors. The potential transaction values the DirecTV business, for which AT&T paid $67 billion, at somewhere in the range of $15 billion. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: The startling decline in value of the DirecTV business unit in just five years is hard to fathom, but is a reminder of why Randall Stephenson, former AT&T CEO, rode off into the sunset earlier this year. The company is now in a position to hastily remake its video strategy to compete with a much more nimble Netflix that does not have the baggage of wireless services or legacy telecommunications and satellite TV services to deal with.

Game console strategies summarized

With new consoles on the verge of release, The Verge summarizes Microsoft and Sony’s future in gaming. Microsoft is out to create, maintain and grow new game customers regardless of platform — providing solutions for PCs, for mobile from the cloud, for discount consoles and for serious consoles. As Microsoft will not release its new consoles with new blockbuster game titles, it will lean heavily on compatibility with legacy games to excite users. Sony’s Playstation strategy is focused on providing a premium console experience with some brand new titles and with a new haptic feedback readied controller, the DualSense.

dis-rup-shun: The differing strategies will be exciting to watch, as it appears that Microsoft is hard at work to fend off newcomers to the gaming space such as Amazon and Apple who are seeking to convert everyone to a game subscription. Sony, on the other hand, may further engage the traditional core gamer — a specialized but profitable niche market — and extract additional dollars per unit by rewarding loyalty and honoring the exclusive experience sought after by serious gamers.

The best smart home products

Gizmodo provides the latest of frequent lists of best smart home devices. Gizmodo’s list has a few dark horses. The picks include:

Best Wi-Fi mesh router: Netgear Orbi. Best smart speaker: Nest Audio. Best robotic vacuum cleaner: Neato Botvac D7 Connected. Best smart display hub: Google Nest Hub Max. Best smart lock: August Wi-Fi Smart Lock. Best smart plug: Belkin Wemo Mini. Best connected lightbulb: Philips Hue. Best connected security camera: Logitech Circle 2. Best in-home exercise system: Peloton Bike.

dis-rup-shun: Most of us are spending a LOT more time at home, and investing in smart products for entertainment, convenience and security makes more sense than ever before. Fortunately the industry keeps cranking out better and more affordable smart home products.

Consumer Electronics, IOT, Smart Home

In-game campaigning further blurs reality

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Politicians turn to in-game campaigning

Biden’s campaign has released a “Build Back Better with Biden” roadmap within the popular computer game, Fortnite. This placement follows an in-game voting station and Biden yard signs found in Animal Crossing New Horizons. The Verge

dis-rup-shun: Meeting your target market on its own turf remains a timeless saw within marketing, and the Biden crew has done just that, further blurring the borders of real life with the alternative realities of gaming. Just when you retreated to computer and console games to escape the barrage of political ads — you find yourself back to reality.

Ford hints of $20,000 electric car

The future of the auto industry is electric, and with Gen Alpha’s less likely to own cars, Ford is gearing up for a new kind of car experience. Current electric vehicles (sedans and trucks) are targeted to a luxury buyer, but the future calls for highly affordable electric vehicles, according to Ford’s new CEO, Jim Farley. CNET

dis-rup-shun: Car makers are scrambling to reinvent themselves as it appears that the industry will revolve around fractional use (transportation-as-a-service) of autonomous, electric vehicles — three key elements that are missing from the majority of offerings today. Electric vehicles require little maintenance and few moving parts, threatening the service revenues of the auto dealership. Given that many consumers will give up auto ownership for transportation service subscriptions, the sales department of the dealership also faces an uncertain future. Which elephantine auto maker can tap dance the best to avoid the endangered species list?

Netflix strategy — increase price and value indefinitely

Last week’s increase in subscription prices for Netflix is baked into the long term strategy of raising prices each year, along with increasing the value of the service each year. The company has veered away from its strategy of becoming a low-cost HBO replacement, to one of becoming a low-cost replacement of the entire cable package. As the quality of the cable bundle degrades, given that providers will reserve the best content for streaming services, Netflix will increase the quality and price of its offerings. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: Netflix continues to create a new price tier for streaming services in the range of $13 to $20 per month. Because the company is not seeking price parity with cable bundles that easily average $100 per month, it leaves room for consumers to add 2 or 3 services to the household mix. Even with several streaming services, the new bundle is priced far below cable, forcing traditional cable providers to meet streaming TV packages such as Hulu, Sling and YouTube TV at a $50 to $60 per month price level. If you haven’t already, it’s time to restructure your TV bundle.

A man’s hatred of printers

Wired’s Simon Hill asks why, in the 2020s, do printers still suck? Describing the awkward relationship most homes have with their inexpensive devices that consume semi-precious ink cartridges and the ferocity of ink subscription services at insisting the printer stay on and connected, Hill hits home.

dis-rup-shun: The cost of printing, unlike the rest of consumer technology, seems to have hit a floor beyond which it will not fall, despite the ridiculously low prices of printing devices. Leave it to Amazon to deliver printed documents to our doors in about an hour after hitting the “Print to Amazon Prime” button.

Consumer Electronics, IOT, Smart Home

Rivian transforms the pickup truck experience

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Rivian R1T is the shape of trucks to come

What’s a Rivian? It is an all electric pickup truck that is larger than a Ford Ranger and smaller than an F-150. Like the future of electric vehicles, it is powered not by one central engine and drive train, but by four electric motors linked directly to each wheel, resulting in a simpler design, more space in the cockpit, and regenerative breaking which means that the vehicle progressively slows as you back off the accelerator. The Rivian comes in three different battery range options, adjusting price and time between charges to meet particular needs. CNET

dis-rup-shun: The electric future is arriving quickly, with many exciting offerings arriving in 2021. It seems like the most excitement is with trucks, including the new Electric Hummer, the Rivian, and the Tesla Cybertruck. But trucks are where auto makers earn a profit and where many electric options will be offered.

Netflix implements price increase

Netflix announced a price increase of around $1 for each of its plans. These new prices will show up on customer bills in the next two months. Shares of Netflix and competitor Disney were up on the news. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: It has been discussed many times that the current streaming economy doesn’t add up — to win more subscribers, streamers have to create and acquire very expensive premium content — which must be subsidized by other profitable business units. Unlike Disney, CBSViacom, AT&T and others, Netflix does not have theme parks, wireless services or a large catalog of syndicated shows. Expect Netflix to continue to raise prices and live in the area defined as “cheaper than cable, but more than it used to be.”

Advertising recovery buoys Alphabet, Pinterest and Snap

Google parent Alphabet posted better than expected earnings across all of its operating concerns, driving its share price up 7%, and confirming that advertising has rebounded from its early-COVID-19 pullback. Meanwhile, other Big Tech failed to impress Wall Street, resulting in a decline across the tech sector. Apple’s sales figures for the iPhone 12 are not included in the past quarter’s less than interesting results. Twitter’s stock was down on strong performance but disappointing new user acquisition. Facebook stock was also lower on a decline in users, and Amazon’s growth expectations did not exceed what has already been recognized as the target range of up to 38%. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: In what continues to be two sides to the same COVID-19 coin, online sales and advertising continue to surge, even as retail, restaurant and service businesses gasp for life. Cash continues to flow through the online economy, creating demand for knowledge-worker jobs and providing disposable income to be spent on food and consumables, if not the latest fashions and hottest new restaurants.

Bose Tempo audio frames: sunglasses that talk

For $250, you can own Bose’s Tenor, Soprano or Tempo audio framed- sunglasses. These stylish sunglasses enable you to listen to music, take calls or talk to Siri without fumbling for AirPods or extracting your phone from your pocket. For those times, like riding a bike, when you want entertainment but don’t want to block outside noise, an audio sunglass frame may be the solution. CNET

dis-rup-shun: What could be better than discreetly listening to music, conference calls, or podcasts while running, walking, biking or skiing? As we humans continue to believe in the myth of multi-tasking, tools that help us be two places at once are invaluable, and at this price, these frames are worth a try.

Consumer Electronics, IOT, Smart Home

SpaceX global internet service ready for beta

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SpaceX prices Starlink satellite Internet beta at $99 per month

SpaceX, the company that has been pumping hundreds of satellites into low orbit for the past year, is now ready to do business. The company is offering a beta version of its satellite internet service for a $499 kit fee and $99 per month. Speed expectations are low at first, says the company. The service will provide possibly intermittent speeds of 50 to 150 Mbps during its first months as it builds up infrastructure. While this service may be lacking in speed and economy, it may be the best available in many parts of the world. Forbes

dis-rup-shun: SpaceX’s promise is to provide internet access across the globe — enabling a truly global service and one that connects very remote places to the world wide web. With the diaspora of urban workers heading to the hills in the time of COVID-19, connecting urban outposts to the rest of the world is critical, and certainly worth a premium. The philanthropic possibilities of the StarLink service are also exciting — connecting people who had neither the funds nor the infrastructure to the rest of the web can transform economically depressed communities.

T-Mobile pushes into the streaming video business

T-Mobile, always the uncarrier, has been offering its subscribers a companion streaming video (TV replacement business) for as low at $10. Now the carrier is opening up the service to non-subscribers, who can add premium channels to TVision for $40 and up per month. CNET

dis-rup-shun: Thanks to T-Mobile for keeping the playing field competitive and differentiated. Now that Sprint is part of T-Mobile, the company that people liked to ignore is putting a dent in the establishment. And think of a wireless carrier also being your TV provider? That sounds like a company called AT&T, but priced at half of what you used to pay for your TV + wireless bundle.

The demise of cable TV inevitable

Leaders of traditional cable operators are preparing for the nuclear winter that awaits further defection by cord cutters. Cable operators are expected to lose another 25 million households over the next 5 years, calling into question the sustainability of the infrastructure, including financial (debt) structure supporting the industry. Shifting assets to streaming services will have to happen quickly and is already reshuffling the leaders of the pay TV industry, with companies such as Netflix, Apple and Disney joining the incumbents as the power brokers. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: Outgoing and departed cable execs, including AT&T’s Randall Stephenson, placed huge bets on keeping enough subscribers onboard to keep the ship afloat, but the the pay TV tide is turning more quickly than some expected, and there is question if revenues from streaming subscriptions will be sufficient to fund the over the top services. Leadership in the streaming industry requires premium content, and producing premium content, either in the form of great shows or live sports is extremely expensive and may require subsidies from other business units, as Disney, AT&T, CBS Viacom and some have, but Netflix does not. In a tough spot, potentially, are owners of sports franchises who will find it increasingly difficult to get enormous TV contracts that they and their players have become so accustomed.

Nest discontinues DIY home security system

Nest has confirmed the discontinuation of its Nest Secure DIY home security system in a box. The kit, released in 2017, sold most recently for $399. The decision to shut down the product comes a few months after Google invested $450 million in professional security leader ADT. The Verge

dis-rup-shun: The discontinuation of Nest Secure is a surprise, and yet no surprise at all. It is a surprise, because it appears that smart device makers like Amazon, it’s Ring division, and Google’s Nest are marching from making popular and well-priced devices, to making well-priced integrated systems consisting of more and more components. It is a surprise in that Google has a vast war chest, and, having made a large investment in ADT, seems to be in position to play the long game in smart home. It is not a surprise in that Google’s hardware strategy is continuously perplexing — seemingly designed by players of musical chairs who don’t stick to a plan for more than a few months. And not a surprise in that buyers of smart home products don’t appear to be buyers of integrated security systems. Security systems buyers appear to be different animals, and where the two meet is still hard to discern. One thing for certain: someone at SimpliSafe has cracked a bottle of champagne on the Nest news.

Consumer Electronics, IOT, Smart Home

Facebook amps up the cloud gaming race

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Facebook launches cloud games but not on IOS

Facebook is joining Google, Microsoft and others with a cloud gaming offering. Facebook’s offering, however, does not require controllers and does not offer a console-like experience. The offering will likely increase the appeal of gaming within Facebook, but is not supported on IOS, given Apple’s app policies. The feud between Facebook and Apple originated with Tim Cook’s remarks about Facebook’s privacy policies, and continues as Facebook joins the growing parties of companies objecting to Apple’s control of commerce via the App Store. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: Companies are jumping on the anti-trust bandwagon, trying to seize an opportunity to crack Apple and Google’s hold on all things app. The situation, however, is more interesting when Facebook, one of Congress’ targets for reform, is adding fuel to the fire. Will Apple escalate issues by furthering its criticism of Facebook’s security policies, and will the feud accelerate legislative actions? The infighting among BigTech companies will hasten needed legislative actions. Meanwhile, every tech giant will soon have its cloud gaming offering, making it difficult for customers, regardless of their price/performance preferences, to resist playing games at some point in their week.

London Tube deploys UV technology to clean surfaces

London’s Transit for London authorities have outfitted multiple locations with UV-light based cleaning devices that sanitize handrails on escalators. The authority states that trials of the technology show that it reduces germs on handrails by 50%. UV light is projected on handrails at one point in their circular rotation, keeping them constantly treated. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: Public spaces will never be the same after COVID-19, and London is taking action to make spaces safer — not just from COVID-19 — but from germs carried and transmitted through touch.

Tips for a telemedicine future

Telemedicine is likely a part of your future. While most people will continue in-person doctor visits, these visits will likely be augmented by telemedicine appointments. Telemedicine provides an opportunity for patients to centralize their care information in one place, as providing a list of medications, contacts and health history will increasingly be the responsibility of the patient, not the doctor. This information will enable different care professionals and specialists, to be included in a remote care model. Wired

dis-rup-shun: Telemedicine will enable participation by multiple specialists, in many parts of the world, to be involved in the care process, and moving from a model in which a primary physician is the central point of one’s health care journey to one in which the patient is his or her own advocate will not happen for some. But for the masses who will be challenged with ever rising prices for shrinking coverage, movement to more cost effective care models will likely involve shopping for telemedicine suppliers and presenting one’s own case to chosen providers.

Bissell SpinWave is a robotic mop and vacuum

The evolution of robot vacuums continues, and Bissell’s $250 SpinWave combines mopping capabilities with vacuuming. The device looks much like a Roomba but includes two spinning cloth mops and a water tank in the unit. CNET

dis-rup-shun: For the price, these devices are helpful with regular maintenance, but technology has a way to go before replacing elbow grease. Expect robotic home cleaners to be a household mainstay in five years, but until then, they are nice-to-have additions to heavy duty vacuum cleaners, mops and brooms.

Consumer Electronics, IOT, Smart Home

Quibi: a spectacular failure

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Quibi is one of the more spectacular tech flops of the decade

Quibi will be shutting down before end of year, terminating its contracts with a long list of movie stars, athletes and celebrities who were featured in the mobile only short form videos. Quibi was original and bold. In a time when lives were far more mobile, would people become so fascinated with premium content that this fad would have been a hit? Former Disney CEO and Quibi leader, Katzenberg, along with Meg Whitman of eBay fame, have issued an apology for blowing $1.75 billion in a little over a year, and will go on to other creative projects. CNET

dis-rup-shun: Perhaps Katzenberg and Whitman saw themselves as the next Steve Jobs, creating something radically different and of high quality, that people would love. Speaking of Jobs, if Apple acquired Quibi and branded it Apple iPhone TV, or something similar, initially giving a few hours of content to every Apple device owner, then migrating them to paid plans, the service would likely be a smash hit. Consumers, however, are not in the mood for another monthly charge that only lives on a mobile device, especially when spending most all of their time at home.

The surge of electric pickup trucks

Overnight, the world is faced with a number of electric pickup truck choices, even though the pickup truck audience has not been asking for one. GM’s electric Hummer, an electric F-150, Tesla’s Cybertruck, join startups Rivian, Bollinger and Lordstown on the truck scene. Wired

dis-rup-shun: Pickups and SUVs are the growth engines of the auto market, and the vehicles that are sold at higher margins. Electric pickups, however, come at higher prices, in some cases, prices over $100K. So the automakers are counting on tapping a luxury truck buyer, not the average pool man. Time will tell if the market will bear a glut of expensive, luxury electric trucks, but GM and Tesla are betting yes.

Large percentage of Apple’s service revenues paid by Google

Google is paying rent to Apple. The search company pays Apple to be the default search engine of the Safari browser, resulting in revenues attributed to Apple Services in the amount of $8 to $12 billion per year, or 17% to 26% of Apple’s services revenues last year. CNBC

dis-rup-shun: The number of Safari users who would likely select Google to be the default browser would likely be near the same figure even if the search engine was not associated with Safari. The red flag, however, is that Apple has touted the early success of its services business, implying that people were lining up in droves to pay a monthly fee for games, music, news or other content. It turns out that a quarter of that success is attributable to Google’s rent payment.

Smart vents may fix your HVAC woes

Getting the right amount of air conditioned air to the right room at the right time is a challenge in many homes, and a problem that vexes many homeowners. One application of smart home technology that addresses this problem, well, smartly, is the smart vent. Smart vents open and close based on sensor readings in each room indicating temperature imbalances, and determining which rooms are occupied. Flair’s smart vents draw power from two small C cell batteries and can be connected to popular smart thermostats to “just work.” TechCrunch

dis-rup-shun: Smart vents should be a standard issue in any home and certainly will be in the future. Using sensor technology to measure and adjust in the background not only is a simple application of technology, it is more efficient and far simpler than climbing into attics to attempt to adjust ducts to change air flow.