With the shift from gas-powered to electric cars there’s the very real risk of the expansion of EVs leading to overpowering the energy grid, resulting in a shortage of energy at peak times. In response, a new opportunity for innovation and new business models has emerged: bi-directional charging. But what is it exactly, how does it all work, and how can I get involved? Let’s take a look. What is bi-directional charging? Bi-directional charging is the ability for your car battery to receive en
More often than not, it feels like UX research is under-appreciated and under-resourced in tech companies. Despite being a valuable activity, there is an overarching feeling that research can also be very time-consuming and expensive to conduct. Hence, product owners, whether at an established tech giant or an early-stage startup, may shy away from engaging in multi-month qualitative studies costing tens of thousands of dollars and instead jump straight to product building. Prioritizing design a
Google’s effort to get everyone behind RCS — or Rich Communication Services, the standard attempting to replace SMS and MMS — is admirable. Sure, RCS isn’t really better than the myriad messaging apps people already use, but it’s a dramatic improvement over plain-old text messaging, adding features we’ve come to expect from modern communication services, including encryption, read receipts, reactions, and high-quality images. The problem is: not every phone actually supports RCS out of the box —
Update (February 17, 2022): Twitter’s now allowing all automated accounts to put a label — so you can identify them as bot accounts. The company began experimenting with this feature last September, and making it available to a wider audience starting today. Get your bots in here! Remember when we chatted about all things, #GoodBots? Well now we are celebrating the bots who make a positive contribution to Twitter, all over the world. pic.twitter.com/e1OqJjRZiG — Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety)
If you thought the Meta rebrand was merely trying to salvage a tarnished reputation, Mark Zuckerberg has conclusive evidence that you’re wrong. The Facebook founder has unveiled a new set of “values” to reflect the profound transformation of his beleaguered baby. But can the new slogans transform the company’s fortunes? We asked branding experts and metaverse veterans. 1. Live in the Future The social media — sorry, metaverse — juggernaut has ditched its old motto of “be bold.” In its place is t
Drive-throughs – services that let people order and collect food and drink without needing to leave their cars – are designed with convenience in mind. Whether it’s oppressively hot, uncomfortably cold, or we’re just in a hurry, drive-throughs have become very appealing in an era characterised by a desire for immediacy. In the UK, where there are around 2,000 drive-throughs, it’s not unusual to see snaking queues of vehicles whose drivers are waiting for their turn to make, pay for, and collect
The UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called for the government to create an independent regulator to oversee the country’s public EV chargers. Specifically, the SSMT has suggested the creation of a dedicated Office of Charging, called “Ofcharge,” to ensure that public charging infrastructure will efficiently support the transition to electric vehicles. And you know what? It’s an amazing idea — and something the whole world should adopt. According to the agency’s findi
For more than a decade we’ve been deeply immersed in a love affair with social media. And the thought of ending things can be painful. But like any relationship, if social media is no longer making you happy – and if curating your online persona is exhausting instead of fun – it might be time to say goodbye. Late last year, Meta (previously Facebook) came under intense scrutiny after leaked documents revealed the company was fully aware of the negative impact its products, Instagram in particula
Think that old computer sitting in your drawer is useless? Think again, buster — because Google just announced Chrome OS Flex. This is an operating system designed to run on bygone PCs and, making it perfect for small businesses and educational institutes. Google hopes it’ll also have a positive impact on reducing global eWaste. You can run Chrome OS Flex using only a USB drive, with setup taking a few minutes. This development comes after Google acquired Neverware in 2020, a company that enable
Global domination, headquarters in exotic locations around the world, exciting business trips, and client meetings at sushi bars in Tokyo or paella in Madrid. Growing your startupinternationally has plenty of benefits and earns you the title of Global CEO — but getting there is no easy feat. When your home market is locked in and you start looking further afield for your next target, it can be easy to think you have your playbook setup already. However, once the reality of having to select the R