Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am a guest contributor on CHOM 97.7 FM radio broadcasting out of Montreal (home base). It’s not a long segment – about 5 to 10 minutes every week – about everything that is happening in the world of technology and digital media. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly to SoundCloud, if you’re interested in hearing more of me blathering away. I’m really excited about this opportunity, because this is the radio station that I grew up on listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry and Heather B. morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.
This week we discussed:
We all carry the latest and greatest in technology in the palm of our hands, and yet we often find ourselves walking around trying to find somewhere to plug it into, like a heroin addict trying to find their next fix. The battery technology hasn’t advanced as fast as everything else. That could all change. A company called StoreDot has claimed to have cracked the code. How about being able to charge your smartphone in 30 seconds. Would that be fast enough?
We have often discussed businesses like Uber. It’s a new marketplace where people can now have customers pay to access stuff in its downtime… when it’s not typically being used. Right now, all of those black town cars that are always waiting for their next call from their airport can offer their services to anyone using Uber. Cabs and other professional drivers are using this platform too. A friend once told me that cars are just the beginning. Soon, we’re going to see the Uber-izaiton of almost everything. Maybe that friend was right. Last week, Uber raised $1.2 billion in funding. What does that mean? The company now have a valuation of $40+ billion. Sounds crazy, right?
This one makes perfect sense. If Amazon knows everything about the customer. And, they do. Why would they not go into business and directly compete with the brands that they sell. They’ve done it with book publishing, now they’re doing it with diapers. Yes, diapers, Amazon Elements is the brand, and they’re starting by selling diapers and wipes to their Amazon Prime Members. Something tells me that diapers are just the beginning.
Think that brands are annoying when it comes to advertising on social media networks? Even though Twitter must still be considered a nascent advertising platform for brands, check this out this piece of data: 500 million brand tweets are sent every day!