Google has announced that it is making its premium video conferencing product, Google Meet, available for free to everyone.
Video conferencing platforms have experienced record growth amid the coronavirus pandemic, as organizations, schools and individuals have turned to them to stay connected and productive. Zoom went from 10 million to 200 million daily users, and 300 million daily meeting participants. Other platforms have also seen stellar growth, although it appears Google would like to experience even more, if its latest blog post is any indication.
“Today, we’re making Google Meet, our premium video conferencing product, free for everyone, with availability rolling out over the coming weeks,” writes Javier Soltero Vice President & GM, G Suite. “We’ve invested years in making Meet a secure and reliable video conferencing solution that’s trusted by schools, governments and enterprises around the world, and in recent months we’ve accelerated the release of top-requested features to make it even more helpful. Starting in early May, anyone with an email address can sign up for Meet and enjoy many of the same features available to our business and education users, such as simple scheduling and screen sharing, real-time captions, and layouts that adapt to your preference, including an expanded tiled view.”
This is a big move for Google, and will likely help it better compete with Zoom and Microsoft’s products, including Skype and Teams. It will be interesting to see if Meet remains free permanently, or just while the pandemic is in full swing.
Until we have a vaccine or a cure for COVID-19, chances are we are all going to be spending a lot of time at home for the foreseeable future. Social distancing is difficult, mainly because no one really agrees on what it actually means. As it turns out, inviting a bunch of friends over for drinks and trying to stay six feet apart doesn’t actually count. But that doesn’t mean you have to socially isolate yourself to stay safe and healthy. There’s a fine line between social distancing and social isolation, and it’s more important than ever to strike that balance for the good of your mental health.
Why Social Distancing?
Because there’s no known cure or vaccine for COVID-19 yet, our best defense is a good offense. Carriers can be infected and spread the virus for up to two weeks before they ever show symptoms. Because of this, staying at home even if you feel healthy is the best way to slow the spread.
Social distancing means staying home as much as possible and only leaving for necessities, like working if you can’t do your job from home, medical emergencies, and groceries once a week or less. When you do have to leave your home, social distancing measures mean that you should stay at least six feet apart from other people and wear a mask.
Preventing Isolation
Some things that are still considered social distancing are actually good for preventing feelings of isolation. Going for a walk or walking your dog in your neighborhood – or even another neighborhood if you need a change of scenery – is a great way to get exercise and help yourself feel better.
Calling people on a regular basis is a great way to stay connected. Right now you will need to nurture your relationships with friends, family, and colleagues so that you have the foundation to start rebuilding your life after all this is over and done.
Set a routine. Get up and go to bed at the same time every day. Eat regular meals. Set aside time for working and do it in a separate space to keep your mind compartmentalized. Make part of your routine exercising either before or after work every day and set a daily time to call people on the telephone – texting just doesn’t cut it.
You can still have a Zoom meet up with your friends, go for a hike in a natural area, and more to prevent feelings of isolation from setting in, and it’s more important than ever to be vigilant about your mental health.
Loneliness Doesn’t Have To Be Part Of The Epidemic
While there was a longstanding epidemic of loneliness before the pandemic began, it doesn’t have to be exacerbated by our need for social distancing. Around half of American adults reported feeling lonely before the pandemic, and that figure has skyrocketed as people struggle to find the appropriate balance in their lives. Learn more about social distancing and preventing feelings of isolation during COVID-19 from the infographic below.
The coronavirus pandemic is a new frontier and tech is rapidly evolving to deal with the new challenges we all are facing. We are now seeing each day how technology is being put to use as a valuable resource to deal with this unprecedented global health crisis. Coronavirus is changing the world as we know it, but tech is hard at work to make the “new normal” safer and more comfortable.
Telemedicine is bridging the gap during quarantine
As mandatory isolation and self-quarantine measures swept the globe, those with pre-existing medical conditions have still needed medical care. Telemedicine has allowed doctors to consult with patients via videoconferencing apps, allowing uninterrupted medical care. TelaDoc has been one of the leaders in telemedicine technology. Technology to connect health care providers and patients has also been used to help those who believe they may be infected with coronavirus.
Technology is being used to track the spread of viral pathogens.
Nextstrain is an open-source project with data sequencing and visualization tools that are updated with current publicly available data on pathogen genomes. The goal of Nextstrain is to help health professionals and the public understand how pathogens evolve and spread so that the response to outbreaks can be improved.
AI technology is searching for antibodies
AbCellera and Lilly are using AI to analyze millions of immune cells in search of antibodies. As these antibodies are found they can be used in COVID-19 therapies to help patients recover faster. They claim they have already found 500 antibodies in cells from recovered coronavirus patients.
3D printing ventilators for COVID-19 patients
As coronavirus patients fill hospital beds, there has been much concern about the number of ventilators needed vs the overwhelming number of patients who need them. To combat the shortage, 3D printer owners are collaborating and sharing open-source designs to print all the components to make ventilators.
All social events are now virtual via video calls
Downloads of video calling apps have seen a huge increase during coronavirus quarantine. As Easter Sunday came and went many families used Skype, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, Zoom and other apps to visit with each other virtually. Many musical artists have also provided free concert streams to help fans stay entertained while in quarantine. While it’s not quite like a live event, these online concerts have provided many with entertainment and a distraction from the boredom of staying at home.
Remote workers attend virtual meetings
Using much of the same technology and apps workers who may have previously been furloughed are now working remotely. Technology allows workers to attend virtual meetings and prepare and deliver work online without interruption. Before this technology was available it would have been impossible for many of these jobs to be done remotely and more people would have become unemployed.
Our lives are changing rapidly these days. The pandemic is threatening our mental health, businesses and jobs, and education. Fortunately, there is a technology that can help mitigate some of the strain.
Covid-19 in Brief
For those still in disbelief as to the seriousness of the situation:
Coronavirus, even in mild cases, causes potentially permanent tissue damage to the lungs.
With the protective lining of the lungs damaged, people become susceptible to bacterial infections that normally wouldn’t pose a threat.
Since the immune system is exhausted from fighting the virus, it has little ability to deal with a bacterial infection, resulting in death without extreme medical intervention.
This is compounded by the alarming rate of the spread of Coronavirus.
An overabundance of cases will put a strain on the healthcare system, which cannot handle such a large volume of patients, leading to untreated deaths.
With no vaccine available for the foreseeable future, the only way to reduce casualties is to slow the spread of the virus. Inhibiting the spread will stagger the number of people infected at the same time, thus giving the healthcare providers a better chance to treat everyone.
To this goal, many have instituted stricter distancing procedures, such as closing public spaces, limiting gatherings, and closing schools. Few have not felt the effects of the pandemic, with virtually everyone’s life turned upside-down highlighted among them are the children.
Outside the Classroom
School closures were one of the first attempts at slowing the spread of Covid-19. As of mid-March, 862 million children were affected. Educators scrambled to adapt to eLearning, but unfortunately, many institutions simply don’t have the infrastructure to support fully off-site learning.
While many are taken off balance, some teachers are addressing this by making use of established online platforms for lectures over mediums like Adobe Connect, BlackBoard, AnyMeeting, GoToMeeting, and MeetingBurner.
There is another glaring hurdle for educators to overcome. Close to 18% of children don’t have access to an internet connection at home, with 44% of low-income households not even owning a computer. In response to this crisis, Comp-U-Dopt, a charity in Housten, TX, provided low-income students with laptops. Internet providers like Spectrum and Comcast have also stepped up to provide free internet for such students.
Overlooked Losses
Unfortunately, access to education isn’t the only thing being impaired by the Coronavirus. 30 million children rely on free or reduced-cost lunches provided in schools. That notwithstanding about 13 million kids deal with hunger in the U.S. adding up to a lot of vulnerable children. Thankfully this is not going unnoticed, a NY business went charity, Soulful Synergy has been working to provide thousands of meals a day to families in need, and the USDA also allowing some schools to continue providing meals for pick up.
A Blessing in Disguise
There are many benefits to eLearning, with Coronavirus forcing educators to upgrade, perhaps there can be previously unattainable gains? Pandemics aside, 98% of teachers think the use of interactive video will be essential in the future because it enhances content consumption and increases retention rates. Interactive video is engaging and easily distributes content, like demos, explainers, and interviews.
93% of teachers view predictive analytics as changing education, allowing the development of personalized learning and efficiency to support the diverse needs of all learners. With AI use in education expected to grow by 48% by 2022, educators can streamline the customization of learning pathways.
Not every educational institution was convinced of the benefits of eLearning, but now those that wouldn’t have, are gearing for distance learning. And with so many focused on online learning, the potentials for innovation and integration are promising. Hopefully, we can see the glass as half full during these difficult times.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is touting the company’s software in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview with CNBC, Nadella talked about the responsibility he felt toward keeping the company’s employees safe, and the wider role the company plays as “digital first responders.”
“I think at this point, the most important thing for us as a company, is to ensure the safety of our own employees,” said Nadella. “That’s, I think, the place where I start from. We have done everything to stay grounded in the public health guidance….
“This pandemic has no borders, and its cure is not going to have any borders. So we have to come together as a global community, and we have to do our part. I sort of describe our role as the ‘digital first responders’ to all the first responders. So, even if you take what’s happening with Microsoft Teams, it’s become critical infrastructure for people who are doing remote work. We’re seeing 60X increase in Teams’ usage, 900 million minutes a day. So, therefore, scaling—I’m very thankful to all the Microsoft employees who are really building all the critical infrastructure and scaling it.
“Similarly, we’re working with CDC in their pre-screening bot. Because one of the other challenges we face right now, is how do we take the load off of the healthcare system. So this pre-screening bot with CDC protocol is being used, even by Providence and others….
“The other thing that’s also happening is education. We have lots of students now with remote learning. And that’s another place where Microsoft is stepping up…how does one conduct remote learning? And one of the things we’re doing even today is taking the lessons we’ve always had in Minecraft Education and making them just part of the base game. Because when kids are at home, and parents are also getting involved in helping them stay with their education lesson plans, I think this can be a step forward.
“So we’re doing everything we can to help us work through this crisis, but it’s going to take all of us.”
With today’s constantly growing tech advances, there are a plethora of amazing applications across many different forums and disciplines. Amid socially connecting people across the globe and lucrative business innovations, it comes as no surprise that there are some new and exciting advances available in the classroom. Educators are looking ahead far into the future to greatly enhance the learning experience of their students.
More than 9 out of 10 educators are interested in, and/or anticipate using technology in their classroom. More specifically, they are using interactive videos, and self-paced curriculum aided by artificial intelligence. Many see these new applications as a way to not only reach more students but as essential to their future success. Increased use of video as a medium is believed by most educational institutions to foster collaboration amongst educators, promote professional development, and most importantly increase student achievement and satisfaction. The most prevalent uses of video focus on enhancing the learning experience for students and freeing more time for teachers to allocate towards other important tasks.
One such enhancement is a new approach to education in the classroom, or more aptly put, outside of the classroom. Flipped instruction is exactly what it sounds like, things traditionally done within and without the classroom are opposite. Historically the teacher reviews homework and then presents new content, which the student then practices at home. In a flipped instruction model, students learn new material before coming into the classroom via video and other technology to teach the teacher, and then in-class time is utilized for the exploration of applications.
This is markedly more student-oriented in comparison to traditional education, which increases student engagement. Another benefit is that students can work more collaboratively, increasing essential soft skills that enable students to effectively interact with the members of their community, future place of employment, and the world at large. One of the potential drawbacks is that in congruence with a collaborative classroom is the potential for a busier and noisier workspace. This makes concentration for some students difficult, let alone acclimating to the entirely foreign learning experience. In addition, flipped instruction must be executed well in order to capitalize on any of the potential benefits. The fact that 18% of school-age children in the U.S. do not have access to the internet at home poses another potential barrier that while glaring, has more remedies than one might think.
Chatbots are an additional advancement in the arsenal of technologically minded educators. Their value as a resource to students and teachers alike has become evident. Chatbots can help with the repeated review, regularly reminding students of previously learned content before they forget using algorithms to predict the point deterioration of short-term memory. They can give students immediate feedback, which helps students greatly improve compared to those who have a delay in feedback. Chatbots can adjust the curriculum to the student’s pace, and even grade papers with a 92% accuracy, removing a huge burden off the educator’s load of work.
There are three notable applications of chatbots that should be brought to your attention. Snatchbot is a chatbot that is free to be embedded into pre-existing platforms such as Blackboard to answer FACs, help with online course navigation, and give immediate answers. The second is the Summit Learning Project, which has developed chatbots that can adapt learning to each student, finding students’ trouble spots and adjusting accordingly, allowing teachers to focus on lesson planning. Finally, Jill Watson is a chatbot built on IBM’s Watson which uses data from the course’s forum to answer students’ technical questions about the learning platform. With the help of these and more tech in the classroom, students and educators have a bright future in an ever-advancing world.
Along with Apple’s announcement of a new iPad Pro, the company also announced a new MacBook Air with faster specs and a lower price.
Performance
The new MacBook Air offers quad-core processors for the first time ever. The processors are the “latest 10th-generation Intel Core processors up to 1.2GHz quad-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.8GHz.” The new processors give the laptops “up to 80 percent faster graphics performance, letting customers breeze through daily activities and play more games.”
As an added benefit, by using Intel’s 10th-generation processors, the new MacBook Airs should be immune to the CPU flaw that plagues all previous generations of Intels chips.
Keyboard
The new models also include the Magic Keyboard, first introduced on the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The “redesigned scissor mechanism delivers 1mm of key travel for a comfortable and stable key feel,” and should be a major improvement over the problem-plagued keyboard on previous models.
Storage
MacBook Air Performance – Image Credit: Apple
The new models also start with 256GB of storage. Just as important, the MacBook Air offers up to 2TB of SSD storage, double what was previously available.
“From students and consumers buying their first computer to customers looking to upgrade, everyone loves the Mac, and they especially love MacBook Air. Today we’re giving it a huge update, with two times faster performance, the new Magic Keyboard, double the storage, a new lower price of $999 and an even lower price of $899 for education,” said Tom Boger, Apple’s senior director of Mac and iPad Product Marketing. “With its stunning, thin and light design, brilliant Retina display, all-day battery life and the power and ease-of-use of macOS, MacBook Air is the world’s best consumer notebook.”
Taken as a whole, this is a well-rounded upgrade that makes the MacBook Air a powerful computer that has the ability to punch well above its weight. It should appeal to a broad user base, far beyond the students and casual users it is aimed at.
Andy Kessler, a technology writer for the Wall Street Journal, suggests that similar to other world crises events, the coronavirus could spark a new era for business and the world. Notably, will the advent of millions of new people suddenly working remotely from home and being educated online become the norm once the fear and facts of the virus fade?
“Eras change, sometimes overnight,” writes Kessler. “Classes will be online-only until further notice. Smart. But at some point parents will surely ask, “Why again are we paying 78 grand a year?” Is the end of universities far behind?”
Kessler adds, “Similarly, lots of companies are telling employees to work at home. Will an era of telecommuting and no rush-hour traffic finally arrive?”
If people and businesses experience how easy and less expensive it is to work from home using Slack, Zoom, and countless office productivity tools, then why not keep doing it after the crisis subsides?
Slack CEO, Stuart Butterfield, recently noted how the coronavirus is impacting the growth of new executives finally embracing online conversation:
“There are a lot of people who are moving to a remote work or work-from-home situation for the first time. A lot of executives who are struggling to figure out how to manage and maintain operational performance in this kind of environment. They have a lot of questions and a lot of uncertainty. We’ve seen a surge in new teams created and people checking out Slack for the first time.”
It will be interesting to see how this develops and if the coronavirus will change work and education as we know it.
President Trump surprised Google Friday, saying the company was working on a coronavirus web portal. Now the company is scrambling to catch up.
During Friday’s briefing, wherein he declared a national emergency, Trump said that Google was working on a website to assist with coronavirus screening. The President even went so far as to say that some 1,700 Google engineers were hard at work on the project. There was only one problem: it wasn’t entirely true. Both President Trump, and White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Debbie Birx, had mixed up the facts and left out one very important one.
First and foremost, the company working on the site was Verily, Google’s sibling company. Like Google, Verily falls under parent company Alphabet, and is its life science company. Second, the website in question is nowhere near ready for prime time, and was only slated for initial testing in the Bay Area. In addition, according to a statement to The Verge, Verily said the website was aimed at helping healthcare professionals, not the general public as Trump indicated.
In the aftermath of the surprise announcement, however, it seems Google is shifting gears to try to deliver what Trump promised. The company made the announcement via its Google Communications (@Google_Comms) Twitter account:
”We are fully aligned and continue to work with the US Government to contain the spread of COVID-19, inform citizens, and protect the health of our communities.
“Google is partnering with the US Government in developing a nationwide website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk and testing information.
”This is in addition to other measures we are taking, including: a Google “home page promotion” to promote greater awareness of simple measures citizens can take to prevent the spread of the disease;
”Work being done by our sister company Verily to launch a pilot website that will enable individuals to do a risk assessment and be scheduled for testing at sites in the Bay Area;
”Promoting authoritative information through Google Search and YouTube; taking measures to protect users from misinformation, including phishing, conspiracy theories, malware and misinformation;
”Rolling out free access to our advanced Hangouts Meet video-conferencing capabilities to all G Suite and G Suite for Education customers globally until 7/01/20; advancing health research and science; and financially supporting global relief efforts.” – Google Spokesperson
While Google is to be commended for stepping up to the plate, even under confusing circumstances, the company will likely face additional challenges convincing individuals to trust it with their health data. Google recently found itself in hot water over its Project Nightingale, when it was discovered the company partnered with Ascension to collect medical data on millions of Americans without their knowledge. In the wake of that, there may not be many Americans that want to voluntarily give their medical data to the search giant.
Schneider Electric has announced the release of the Uniflair Rack Mounted Cooling Solution, specifically aimed at edge computing and micro data centers.
The solution is aimed at freeing up floor space by using the bottom of an IT rack. This makes it ideal for applications, such as on-premise processing, where space is at a premium.
“Simply put, our new vendor-neutral, rack mounted cooling solution is right-sized for edge micro data centers and provides the right answer for cooling today’s critical edge technology,” said Maurizio Frizziero, Director of Cooling, Schneider Electric. “It offers more cooling in less space and simplifies management and maintenance, making it ideal for industries like retail, finance, health care, light manufacturing, and education.”
As 5G technology boosts edge computing, on or near-premise data processing will become far more important for a variety of technologies, such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, self-driving cars and more. Solutions such as Uniflair will become an increasingly critical component, helping ensure the success of those technologies.
Artificial Intelligence is on the rise, as well as the market for people and science composing the technology. To be clear, Data science is the use of math, data, AI, and The Scientific Method. Data science allows data scientists to solve complex problems. Data scientists do a lot and have the reach to change the world- and employers have taken notice. Jobs listings for “data scientists” grew 15,000% between 2011 and 2012; and today, anyone can be a data scientist – you just need a little specialized training.
In a nutshell, data scientists do three things: build artificial intelligence software, create new technology, and change the world. The extrapolations data scientists find provide actionable business intelligence to many different industries, which means that data scientists have the potential to have a greater impact on the economy of the future than many CEOs.
AI software is built easily, all it takes is a data scientist’s combination of creativity and reality. The new technology data scientists create include autonomous vehicles, space exploration, & personalized medication and education tools. This can be to revolutionize the world on a scale beyond social opinion. Data science technology often caters to energy optimization, wildlife migration monitoring, and radical efficiency.
Although artificial intelligence and data science are trends of today, the journey of data science is a 3-century-long story. It all goes back to the 1740s with Bayes’ Theorem, stating that any initial belief, combined with new data, will provide an improved belief. Bayes’ Theorem went on to become the basis for very probability calculations powering today’s AI. Data was completely revolutionized in 1954 when Leonard Jimmie Savage explained the scientific objectivity of data analysis. This went on to become the foundations of statistics, and results began proving more objective with more data.
Today, data science has fully infiltrated the common vernacular. In fact, the bulk of all data in existence today (90%) was created within the last 2 years – reported by IBM in 2013. By 2025, we will be moving at a pace creating 175 billion terabytes of data every day. Going forward, more data will continue to be generated every two years than in all the years prior for quite some time.
To prepare, as well as to understand the world’s surging data, advanced tools are needed. More directly, data scientists are more hireable than ever. Throughout 2020, there will be over 2.7 million data scientist job openings. Data scientists with skills in Python, R, PyTorch, Hadoop, and Spark hold higher chances of finding success. Specifically, data engineers, software engineers, and AI Hardware Specialists are in high demand. In common, all data scientists will need a background in mathematics and computer science – knowing Java, SQL, Scikit-learn, SaaS, AForge.NET, or machine learning techniques puts you ahead of the race.
Data science is the future, and it’s a very cool and in-demand career with great job security and stability, as well as room to grow. To read more on the job economy for data scientists, scroll down.
“Every company is going through a massive digital customer transformation,” says SalesforceCEO Marc Benioff. “When you see this transformation happening it’s just incredible to watch. I mean this is as big as Y2K was for the tech industry. Every company is going through it. Every one of these major transformations is exactly that, it begins and ends with the customer.”
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, discusses their blowout earnings quarter and how the massive digital customer transformation is driving their growth in an interview with Jim Cramer on CNBC:
Massive Digital Customer Transformation
Every customer is going through a massive digital customer transformation. When you see this transformation happening it’s just incredible to watch. I mean this is as big as Y2K was for the tech industry. Every company is going through it. Every one of these major transformations is exactly that, it begins and ends with the customer.
The federal government was one of the most exciting things that happened in the quarter. It wasn’t just the USDA. It was also the Department of Education and the Department of Interior. It was many departments actually. They’re going through a huge digital transformation in the U.S. federal government and Salesforce has been able to offer many of those agencies is the rapid successful digital transformation that they need. We even had a 10,000 person event in Washington, D.C. during the quarter. That continues to be a fantastic growth area for us.
We’re number one in CRM which is the fastest growing part of enterprise software. Every company in every industry and every government is recreating themselves with their customer. This is what’s driving our growth. It’s pure and simple.
Mark Benioff added these comments during the earnings call:
Every Digital Transformation Begins and Ends With the Customer
Just last month, IDC Worldwide Software Tracker ranked Salesforce the number one CRM for the sixth year in a row. And I’ll tell you that is more important than ever, especially so many of our customers are going through these tremendous digital transformations. We all know every digital transformation begins and ends with the customer. And when I’m with these CEOs all over the world, this is really front and center in their mind. It’s probably as exciting to them and it’s important to them as it was to CIOs, who are buying for Y2K, which is almost 20 years ago. I think the digital transformation remains just a huge growth opportunity for our entire industry.
Still In the Early Days of the Digital Transformation
Well, there are many, many companies in the very early days. In fact, if you talk to one of our largest consulting partners, they’ll tell you less than 20% of their strategic customers have been engaged in the digital transformation, but there’s a lot of room for them in the marketplace.
So, we have an opportunity here again around this digital transformation and one of the beauties of a product like Trailhead and My Trailhead is helping these companies through their transformation and scale them up with modern technology because the modern worker has to have modern skills. And that’s what Trailhead and My Trailhead really provide the customers. So we really are coming out with an amazing innovation at the right time to satisfy the needs of these customers
Every Digital Transformation Begins and Ends With the Customer, Says Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff
Wuhan may be known as the first place the new coronavirus was identified, but it’s also a center of transport and manufacturing. Now experts are concerned the former may have significant impacts on the latter, according to Bloomberg.
As of the time of writing, there have been nearly 2,800 cases of the virus across China and 15 cities have been put in lockdown. As the epicenter of the outbreak, “Wuhan itself has been effectively quarantined, with all routes in and out of the city closed or highly regulated,” according to CNN.
As Bloomberg points out, as “the capital of Hubei province, Wuhan is the biggest water, land and air transportation hub in inland China, according to the Ministry of Commerce. It’s also a major rail hub with multiple lines linking it to major cities, and a renowned education center.” The city has also been moving into high-tech industries, including chip-making and biomedicine.
With the city quarantined, experts fear it could have far reaching implications.
“Complicated supply chains and just-in-time production could mean that production outages in Wuhan factories have broader spillover effects,” Shaun Roache, Asia-Pacific chief economist at S&P Global Ratings, told Bloomberg.
With a world economy that is ever more connected, it’s too early to predict just how much impact the virus could have as more cities are quarantined or put in lockdown. But it’s a safe bet that the longer it goes on, the more the effects will be felt across industries.
“Innovation is the key,” says Honeywell CEO Darius Adamczyk. “Anything we do in Honeywell, innovation is always the key. Whether it’s expanding into Europe, driving more robotics, a connected warehouse offering which we are bringing to customers and having a broader play, are the key technology levers for that business.”
Darius Adamczyk, CEO and Chairman at Honeywell, discusses how the company is using innovation and technology to drive growth in an interview on Bloomberg:
Honeywell Digital Makes Us a More Contemporary Digital Company
As we always said my number one priority as CEO was to drive organic growth, but we never say we’re going to give up on our margin expansion. We do it through a combination, both commercial levers, which is managing our mix, and always introducing new products, which bring more value to customers. But also not forgetting our roots, which is driving productivity. With the number of ERPs we have and the kind of complexity we have in our supply chain, Honeywell Digital, which is going to make us a much more contemporary digital company, we have plenty of levers for productivity as well.
Honeywell Digital really has three primary elements. First is data governance, which is standard across all our various businesses. We’ve done over 80 acquisitions in the last 15 years so we have a lot of disparity. Then there are common processes, which is we want to run our businesses the same way in a very consistent manner. We have some pockets of excellence, but those have some inconsistency. Finally, all integrated into a common IT platform. Just to give an example, we had well over 1,500 different software applications before we started. We had over 150 ERP systems. It’s just very difficult to run a company efficiently and enable us to really make good data-based decisions. Honeywell digital is really all about enabling that.
Anything We Do In Honeywell, Innovation is Always the Key
Warehouse automation, which we started in 2016 with our Intelligrated acquisition. It’s been just a terrific business growing strong double-digit. We also made another acquisition called Transnorm which added to that technology in Europe in Q4 last year. We were planning on growing it organically, but also we’re looking to enhance our offerings, so we’re looking for inorganic opportunities as well. Innovation is the key. Anything we do in Honeywell, innovation is always the key. Whether it’s expanding into Europe, driving more robotics, a connected warehouse offering which we are bringing to customers and having a broader play, are the key technology levers for that business.
Amazon is a big customer but we have a lot of big customers. I wouldn’t say it’s a predominant customer in that business. Just about everybody is looking into ecommerce because with a lot today’s retail you really have basically two options. One option is to enhance the in-store experience which a lot of retailers are doing. The other one is to drive ecommerce. We think that this trend is going to continue. Although I would say it’s in the middle innings in the US, it’s just beginning in Europe. We think we have a huge opportunity in Europe, India, and some of the other overseas markets.
We have a very active venture capital fund and we’ve made about six investments in the last six months which is augmenting our technology plays. So although we haven’t made any big acquisitions, other than Transnorm in Q4, we are continuing to invest through our venture fund and we’re deploying capital that way. It’s been a terrific story for us in 3D printing for instance, particularly for our aerospace business. For a lot of the slow-moving parts we’re trying to basically get a new part certified and three printing per day. That’s our objective. Our aerospace businesses have made tremendous progress in achieving that and it’s really helping both for our inventory and on-time delivery for a lot of our aftermarket customers.
It’s Important For Teachers To Be More Effective in STEM Education
Regarding the workforce, education is the key and particularly STEM education. Honeywell is a big believer in that. Not only do we develop a lot of our young people that we bring into the company but we also spend a lot of money and time on developing teachers. It’s important for teachers to be more effective in STEM education. It’s something that we’re going to be supporting going forward even on a broader scale because that’s the way to differentiate our company.
We’re always going to be differentiated by technology and we want to bring the brightest and the best. We want to make sure that it’s a competitive issue, not just here in the US, but everywhere we hire people, and we hire people just about everywhere. We have engineers in the US, China, India, everywhere around the globe. I would say lately we’ve actually been very much on the hiring string. When you grow 8% that creates a lot of opportunities to hire a lot of people particularly in the area of technology and engineering and software.
At Honeywell Innovation is Always the Key, Says CEO
“I hope not, because one of the beauties of this industry is that we’ve done standardization, which means that you can bring your phone from whichever country you’re in and go to another country and it works.”
Verizon Chairman & CEO Hans Vestberg when asked if the 5G industry is headed for a ‘cold war’ between Chinese and American 5G standards.
Mr. Vestberg was being interviewed in the wake of a recent tear down of Huawei’s latest 5G phone. The tear down revealed no components within in the phone that were compatible with 5G technology and spectrum being used in the U.S.
“That has been the most accessible sort of technology in the world. And in today’s world, with so many challenges, the platform of 4G and 5G is the most important.
“Hopefully people understand that this is an industry that actually share their patents, they share their innovations, in order to get so many people as possible on this Earth to use this technology. Some things we’re combating in the world—education, healthcare, etc.—can be enabled on mobile phones.”
Success is an important reward for our hard work, and many people feel that it is part of their identities as a person. But recent generations are having to redefine what it means to be successful, and even what it means to be an adult. The economy and the job market are changing and with it our definition of growing and building a successful career and life.
Gen Z is starting to define themselves by their achievements in school and their work, as compared to most adults who say it is their family and upbringing that defines who they are. Today’s young adults also don’t think that growing up is just about how old they have become, or about getting married, having children, or owning a home as-is thought traditionally. Young adults today are saying that adulthood is marked by financial independence from those who raised them, full-time employment, and some are simply saying moving out of their parents’ home and being able to maintain living on their own makes them an adult.
Success is another thing that is being redefined by the younger generations. Gen Zers say that by the age of 30, they want to finish all of their education, start a career, gain financial independence, and to follow their dreams. But 58% of young adults can’t afford the lifestyle they are used to without parental support or some other external help.
Many are looking at the education and student loan debt trap and reconsidering things. 41% of young Americans would choose a trade school over college because learning a specific trade leads to a better chance at career opportunities and higher earning potential among other reasons. Compared to a Bachelor’s degree, trade school can be better in many ways. The average annual salary for trade school graduates is $65,000 a year and trade school graduates experience a lower unemployment rate than college graduates. While lifetime earnings for those with college degrees are still higher, those gains are often offset by crippling student loan debt.
Jobs that you can get from trade school have higher job security and trade school graduates have less than half of the unemployment that regular college graduates experience. This is caused by the fact that the cost of trade school is significantly less and even after paying off nearly 3 times the debt, most college grads are still making the same as their trade school counterparts.
Trade school graduates are also getting jobs after school more quickly as Baby Boomers are retiring and leaving job openings that need filling. 80% of contractors are struggling to find skilled enough workers to do the jobs that Baby Boomers used to fill such as plumbing, roofing, HVAC, electrical, and many more. 60% of metal workers say labor shortages are their biggest concern. Other manufacturing shortages include CNC operators, industrial maintenance techs, and most general skilled workers. And 30% of hospitals are having trouble finding suitable workers for important jobs such as lab techs, LPNs, CNAs, and more.
“We pride ourselves with the best network,” says Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg. “We have had that all the time in 4G and we’re going to have it on 5G. We’ve invested very prudently with our network, but network is our strategy and it has been that since the inception of the company. At Verizon, we’re proud of it. I just want every American to have a 5G phone in their hands and see the huge impact it will have in a transformative way that 5G will make in this country.”
Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon, discusses his desire for every American to soon experience the huge transformative impact that 5G will have in an interview on CNBC at The Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference:
I Want Every American To See The Transformative Impact Of 5G
We have been on to 5G for seven years now. We were first in the world to launch 5G Home broadband. We were first in the world with 5G mobility. We now have four cities up and we’re going to have 30 cities this year. We have three 5G phones already out. So we, of course, are ahead of the game but we respect all the competition. We pride ourselves with the best network. We have had that all the time in 4G and we’re going to have it on 5G.
We’ve invested very prudently with our network, but network is our strategy and it has been that since the inception of the company. At Verizon, we’re proud of it. That’s important to us. I just want every American to have a 5G phone in their hands and see the huge impact it will have in a transformative way that 5G will make in this country.
We’re In the Middle Of a Very Big Transformation
It’s always been a competitive market. I mean the wireless market in the US is extremely competitive. It’s nothing new to us and we are prepared. We’re in the middle of a very big transformation of the company. We have changed the network, we have a new go-to-market, and we have a voluntary offering where almost 10,400 people are leaving us. So we are prepared. Whatever comes up Verizon will respond quickly and we will manage our shareholders or customers or employees and society in general. That’s our work.
It’s a very exciting market to be in with mobility and broadband and 5G and all of that. Of course, there is a lot of hype and discussion about it and the US is in the lead with it. It’s an exciting time to be here and work. We will compete. I think that we already have the best 4G network and we’re ready with being first in word with 5G. We will just hammer on and execute. I have a great team that is doing that every day. Our main focus is really to execute right now and then a lot of things will happen around us.
Regulation Of Tech Is Difficult
First of all, we understand the concerns (around big tech) and all of that. Ultimately, we need to remember that mobility, broadband, and cloud, that combination is a 21st-century infrastructure. If you can scale that you can actually solve problems in the rest of the world that you have never thought about. If we start to chop that up by regulation we cannot give the same opportunities for everyone in this world. So that’s very important.
Secondly, I think the technology is moving so fast that if you do regulation, it’s just moving so fast that it’s hard. I think it’s up to responsible leaders and ultimately the customer will be after you if you do stupid things. We’re building our brand on trust and innovation. We know that we need to fight every day to get that trust and one thing you do wrong you lose the trust. That has to regulate and that’s more important in the end.
I think that regulation is difficult in the tech sector and customers will ultimately judge them. I’m worried that if you’re going to have different regulations all around the world for platforms, for example, which means that the officials that were getting from them today, that people can get digital health care and digital educational platforms, we’re going to lose that. With the sustainable goals that we have in the world, we want everybody to have the same chance. I think that would be bad.
I Want Every American To See The Transformative Impact Of 5G, Says Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced it is planning on opening data centers in Spain, making it AWS’ seventh infrastructure region in Europe.
Having a local infrastructure region will be a boon to Spanish companies, giving them the ability to address data residency issues and keep complete control over sensitive data. Similarly, the new data centers will provide customers creating applications that comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) another EU-based, secure infrastructure region.
“Cloud computing is already powering innovation within businesses, educational institutions, public administrations, and government agencies across Spain, and with this AWS infrastructure region, we look forward to helping accelerate this transformation,” said Peter DeSantis, Vice President of Global Infrastructure and Customer Support, Amazon Web Services. “Opening an AWS Region in Spain will drive more technology jobs and businesses, boosting the local economy, while enabling organizations across all industries to lower costs, increase security, and improve agility. We’re excited to have AWS contribute to the future growth of Spain.”
The announcement follows years of AWS investing in Spain, with their first in-country presence dating back to 2012. In the intervening years, AWS has continued to build its presence in the country, reflecting the growth it has experienced in the region.
The announcement was welcomed as great news for the country by Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. “This investment from AWS will allow Spain to fully adapt to the digital transformation and develop as an international center of innovation and technology. Cloud computing, in addition to promoting technological progress in the private sector, will enable the Public Administration to improve the services it provides to citizens. A secure cloud is an essential tool for the development of our economy, as well as for the generation of jobs in our country. We highly value AWS’s commitment to the technological development of Spain and the upskilling of our citizens.”
“We’re in rarefied atmosphere,” says Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen. “We’re focused on delivering an incredible innovation roadmap across all three of our clouds. We look forward to sharing more about our forward-looking strategy at the analyst meeting at MAX. We do look forward to the FA meeting. That’s when we lay out the growth opportunities that are ahead of us. We talked last year about how we had a greater than a $100 billion addressable market opportunity.”
Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe, discusses how the company’s incredible innovation is driving its growth and how Adobe Sensei AI is embedded into every one of their products. Narayen was interviewed by Jim Cramer on CNBC:
Every Enterprise Must Engage Digitally With Customers
We actually experienced growth across all three of our segments. When you look at Creative Cloud and the net new ARR that we got in that segment of the business, that was a record for a Q3. Many years after the introduction of the product Document Cloud had an exceedingly strong quarter and we’re seeing tremendous adoption of our paper to digital initiatives. On the Experience Cloud again 34 percent revenue growth.
Every single enterprise needs to understand how you can engage digitally with customers. I think what’s unique about Adobe is that every customer from a K-12 student to an individual freelancer all the way to the largest enterprises in the world, the breadth of our offerings and our customers is truly fueling this success.
It’s About Getting These Customers Young
We’ve always talked about the fact that instead of just a focus on STEM we love STEAM because the world without arts would be an exceedingly boring place. One of the things we actually did this quarter was introduce a new ambassador network in educational institutions. We’re targeting over a hundred colleges. These students are actually being the evangelists for explaining why creative needs to be part of the curricula. Getting that younger generation excited about expressing themselves we certainly believe that’s going to fuel our growth.
In addition to that, as we come up on MAX, which is the largest creativity conference in the world in November, I think what you’re going to see from our innovation roadmap across new areas like immersive content, what’s happening with gaming, what’s happening across devices that now have styluses, we announced a new product called Fresco for art and illustration, so the breadth of our products is amazing. It’s about getting these customers young and enabling them to tell their story.
Focused On Delivering Innovation Across All Three Of Our Clouds
What is really unique right now about our digital experience solutions is that we have the first mile. The first mile is content management, it’s the web infrastructure, it’s mobile applications that people use to engage with enterprises. We also have the last mile in commerce. That’s the Magento acquisition that we did a while ago which enables you to make every experience shoppable. Magento had a great quarter. We grew their bookings 40 percent year-over-year in Q3. When you talk about the rule of 40, we’re blowing that away when you think about our growth rates as well as our margin.
We do look forward to the FA meeting. That’s when we lay out the growth opportunities that are ahead of us. We talked last year about how we had a greater than a $100 billion addressable market opportunity. Were growing the top-line at 20 percent. Our Q4 targets show that revenue growth will be north of 20 percent with EPS growth accelerating even above that. We’re in rarefied atmosphere. We’re focused on delivering an incredible innovation roadmap across all three of our clouds. We look forward to sharing more about our forward-looking strategy at the analyst meeting at MAX.
The AI of Adobe Sensei Is A Fabric Of All Our Innovation
Our artificial intelligence framework is called Adobe Sensei and it’s embedded across every one of our products. It’s when you look at a piece of content and say, how did they do that? There’s probably an aspect of Adobe Sensei in that. We have hundreds of trillions of transactions that we’re processing on behalf of high enterprise customers and we can predict in real-time. Our Adobe Digital Index which talks about shopping patterns globally, that’s coming from Adobe Sensei. It’s a part and it’s a fabric of all of our innovation and we’re excited to unveil new innovation soon.
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen Focused On Delivering Innovation
INBOUND 2019 is on the books and it was probably the best year yet. This marketing event has changed over the years, and there were more than 26,000 people attending this year, up from just a few thousand in the first year. There were two main things I really liked at this conference. One was that Alexis Ohanian talked about fatherhood and how men aren’t a babysitter, a theme that constantly comes up in my own life as a father. The second was when Sal Khan, Founder of the popular online school Khan Academy, talked about what it was like to hear that his company was being talked about by Bill Gates and further showed the power of being excited about education, showing videos from all over the country and the world with students celebrating their grades. INBOUND2019 was full of inspirational moments and real, valuable connections.
There are always new ideas and products to learn about at INBOUND, and sometimes that interaction is what gets people there in the first place.
“This was the first year that we were able to let our customers pick what was on the announcement list,” says Meghan Keaney Anderson, VP of Marketing at HubSpot. “We were able to announce a slew of improvements like attribution reporting for marketers — the thing that allows you to say that this social media post or this video or this email actually contributed to revenue — you are able to draw the line down all the way to dollars. You’re able to justify your work and to get credit for it.”
“Then there was advocacy automation,” says Anderson. “Our customers are our best marketers. You go out there and trust a friend for a recommendation on what to buy, and this helps you to surface customers who are really happy. Then you can ask those customers to share their experiences on review sites. On the inverse, you can also find customers who are less happy and reach out to find why they aren’t happy and try to turn that around. Customers are what really build momentum for your business, and by getting really smart and tailored around who’s doing well and who’s not we can then empower those people.”
LinkedIn and Customer Experience at INBOUND
Bringing marketing inline with sales is a key feature of this event. These are often two parts of a business that don’t always agree, so forming new channels to keep them in line with each other can lead to greater business success. In the LinkedIn Lounge, this was the top priority.
“At a high level we are really talking about how sales and marketing come together to create better customer experiences to drive business growth forward,” says Kelly Mcettrick Head of Adtech Channel Sales for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. “On the marketing side, it’s really about getting started with your page and business presence on LinkedIn to establish that foundation. Then, how do you really get started with ads to accelerate that foundation that you have built. So we have a lot of programming about lead generation, branding, and all those important parts for building successful long-term sustainable businesses. Then we talk about how to tie that back to your sales team to make those things work together as core pillars of business.”
“I particularly like our lounge space that we have created, but I also like how when Inbound creates their content and you look at the sessions they have created they are doing a really great job of bringing in practitioners on the marketing front but also inspirational speakers to talk about how marketing can better connect with their customers,” says Kaitlin Stich, Partner Marketing Lead for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. “That’s incredibly valuable and they bring all types of industry experts to do that — my favorite is Chip and Joanna Gaines on Friday — I think bringing in speakers like that highlights the opportunity for businesses to be more conversational with their customers. That is really what this conference is about and that’s some of the value that LinkedIn is bringing with the products we are demonstrating here.”
Lessons From INBOUND 2019
This conference has proven to be especially valuable to marketers and general businesspeople over the years, and each year’s offerings seem to increase in value. Here’s what some other participants had to say about INBOUND 2019:
“There is so much new technology being rolled out every single day and sometimes it’s overwhelming,” says Tayla Andrè, Speaker, Media personality, and Real estate agent.
“These past four days really put in perspective how to properly roll out content that will increase my productivity visibility and connectivity to my followers.”
“The value of INBOUND for us is multifaceted,” says Nili Molvin Zaharony, Co-Founder and CMO of Penguin Strategies, HubSpot Diamond Agency Partner. “Over the course of four days, we are able to expand our agency’s offerings with new partnerships, share knowledge with other marketers as speakers, learn from our peers, and meet 1:1 with members of HubSpot’s executive staff to share ideas that directly translate into action and improvements. It is a truly unique opportunity for us to grow our business and share with the marketing community.”
“I have attended many conferences in social media marketing,” Says Adobe Education Leader and Founder of Classroom Without Walls, Dr. Ai-Addyson Zhang. “However, few truly create a wow-experience. Inbound is such an exceptional conference that educates, entertains, and inspires! I love the diverse range of speakers that come from a variety of backgrounds. You learn a lot about social media and digital marketing, but you also feel so inspired by the individuals who have made a mark in their industry. I especially love how HubSpot and HubSpot Academy are making an effort to diversify their selection of speakers and to walk their talk of the importance of diversity. Kudos to INBOUND19. I cannot wait for INBOUND20.”
Apple held its much-anticipated “By Invitation Only” event today, with Tim Cook promising a “huge” morning of news and updates. Over the course of two hours, Apple delivered on the promise with updates to both hardware and software.
Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade was first out of the gate, with one of Apple highlighting the soon-to-be-released gaming platform. Apple has partnered with some of the world’s best game developers to deliver over 100 exclusive games on launch day, something no gaming service has ever done.
Rather than paying for each game individually, a subscription service will provide access to all the games in the new Arcade tab of the App Store. Users will also be able to access game guides and sneak peeks.
Unlimited access will cost $4.99 per month, with a one-month free trial, and will be available September 19 in over 150 countries.
Apple Arcade
Apple TV+
It’s no secret Apple has been working on disrupting the television market with their upcoming Apple TV+ service. Mr. Cook said Apple’s ‘mission is to bring the best original stories from the most creative minds in film and television.’
Trailers for Apple’s first three series in production have been viewed over 100 million times, with The Morning Show trailer being one of the most viewed trailers of all time.
Apple took the opportunity to introduce their latest show, See, starring Jason Momoa. The series is set hundreds of years in the future when virtually all of humanity has lost its sight. Apple enlisted the help of blind and low-sight cast, crew and consultants to help set an authentic tone for the series. If the audience’s reaction was any indication, Apple may well have another hit on their hands.
The platform’s first shows will be available on November 1 in over 100 countries, for $4.99 per month for a family subscription. In addition, anyone purchasing a Mac, iPhone, iPad or Apple TV will receive the first year for free.
Apple TV+
iPad
Switching gears to the iPad, Mr. Cook said Apple’s original goal for the iPad was to ‘set out to design something truly unique, something you could take with you, transforming how we work, live and play.’ After highlighting the existing iPad models, he turned the stage over to Apple Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller.
Mr. Schiller said the 9.7-inch iPad continues to be the most popular model, with 60% of first-time buyers opting for it. With the 7th generation of the
product, it was time for Apple to improve it with modern features and abilities.
The 7th generation iPad moves to the A10 Fusion chip, making it up to 2X faster than the current top-selling PC. The iPad moves to a 10.2-inch form factor, giving users slightly more screen real estate. The new model includes the Smart Connector found on the Pro models, allowing it to be paired with the Smart Keyboard, as well as support for the Apple Pencil.
Mr. Schiller briefly touched on some of the added functionality the upcoming iPadOS will bring, including improved multitasking, multiple app instances, more powerful Slide Over, SD card support and more.
The new iPad features an enclosure made from 100% recycled aluminum and starts at $329, or $299 for education customers.
iPad
Apple Watch
Before announcing updates to the Apple Watch, Mr. Cook introduced a video where several existing users described how the Apple Watch had saved their life or had a profound impact on their overall quality of life.
The announced Apple Watch Series 5 promises to build on that reputation with a number of new features. The biggest of these is an always-on display that no longer requires a wrist raise or tap to see the time or complications. Another big addition is a compass, similar to that on the iPhone.
Apple is also expanding the capabilities of the Apple Watch with various studies designed to monitor a user’s health and use that data to improve the overall experience. Initial studies include the Apple Hearing, Heart & Movement and Women’s Health Studies. Via the Apple Research app, users will be able to opt-in and control exactly what data is shared.
Despite the new features, the Series 5 maintains the same all-day, 18-hour battery life and will retail for $399 for the GPS model and $499 for cellular.
Apple Watch
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max
The event’s last act was reserved for the unveiling of the new iPhone. The Apple rumor mill has been in overdrive in the months leading up to this event, but Apple still managed to spring a few surprises.
The new iPhone is split into three models: the base iPhone 11, the iPhone 11 Pro and the biggest iPhone 11 Pro Max. Hopefully, Apple keeps this simple naming scheme for the iPhone 12, 13 and beyond, as it’s much easier and more logical than the X, XS, XR, and XS Max.
The iPhone 11 is clearly a replacement for the XR as Apple’s entry-level phone. Based on the specs and features, however, it’s a safe bet the base 11 will likely be the most popular model, much as the XR currently is.
The 11 sports the toughest glass on a smartphone for both the front and back, with aluminum making up the rest of the enclosure. It’s available in black, white, red, purple, yellow and green and features a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD LCD display.
The dual-camera system was front-and-center among the new phone’s features, with 12 megapixels Wide and Ultra-Wide lens. The Phone is powered by the newest A-series chip, the A13 Bionic, providing the fastest CPU and GPU performance on a smartphone. The iPhone 11 will have an hour longer battery life than the current champion, the XR.
The iPhone Pro and Pro Max models build on the same features as the 11, but with a Pro twist. The aluminum is upgraded to surgical-grade stainless steel available in midnight green, space gray, silver, and gold.
The camera adds a third lens for telephoto zoom and the display is a Super Retina XDR OLED in either 5.8 or 6.5-inch. Water-resistance is rated at a full four meters for up to 30 minutes, up from the two-meter rating of the base 11. Apple promises up to four more hours of battery with the 11 Pro and five hours more with the Pro Max. All versions of the iPhone 11 include improved sound, featuring Dolby Atmos.
Apple’s presentation included examples of professional photographers’ work with the iPhone, as well as the creators of FiLMiC Pro highlighting some of the game-changing filmmaking capabilities of the Pro and Pro Max’s camera system.
The iPhone 11 starts at $699, while the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max start at $999 and $1099 respectively. Apple is also continuing to sell the iPhone 8 for $449 and the XR for $599.
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max
Wrapping Up
Apple promised a “huge” morning of announcements and, without a doubt, they delivered. Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ demonstrate Apple’s commitment to expanding their services, while the 7th generation iPad, Series 5 Apple Watch and iPhone 11 show they still have plenty to offer in the hard-ware department.
Apple “By Invitation Only” Event – September 10, 2019
