APPLE OFFERS IDEA FOR PREDICTING WHAT AUTONOMOUS CARS ARE ABOUT TO DO
A new Apple patent spotted by Patently Apple describes a system in which a car can tell riders the route that it is to take en route to your destination along with any changes, which means riders won’t be surprised by any sudden changes en route as the rider might be able to see that it is about to happen on a display before the car changes direction or pulls off of the road. This is very similar to technology that exists today with Google Maps and Apple Maps. As most smart phone users are aware this apps allows you to get directions, allowing users to see the route ahead as well as see the future moves that you’ll need to make. Like GPS directions, Apple's patent will tell you the time it will take before it makes its next move.
Rumours last year suggested the tech giant had pulled back on its plans to develop a self-driving car, but it seems that Apple’s autonomous car initiative is still very active with Apple continuing to invest in the project.
INSTAGRAM STORIES DOUBLES POPULARITY OF SNAPCHAT Instagram Stories, owned by Facebook, announced that more than 400 million people use the popular feature each day, up from 250 million one year ago, making Stories more than twice as popular as Snapchat, which saw only 191 million active users in the last quarter, according to the parent company SNAP. When Instagram launched Stories in 2016, many demised it as just a clone of SNAP’s Snapchat platform with users being able to share photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. Stories also lets users add Snapchat-like filters that add things to the user’s posts. Well it did not take long for the follower to become the leaders as within eight months, Instagram Stories surpassed Snapchat’s daily active user count. Instagram continues adding features, such the ability to add GIFs and mention friends in posts, with Snapchat fol- lowing suit and adding similar features to its platform also, but it seems for the time being with its 1 billion monthly active users that Instagram is leading the industry, but remember it was not too long ago that Facebook was in the same position.
BRAND LOOKS TO REBUILD WITH BETTER LID AND ALL-DAY BREAKFAST
Tim Hortons is looking to rebuild a brand one lid at a time. For the past 20 years customers of the coffee chain have seen the plastic lids atop double-double evolve to include closable spouts and increasing more recyclable materials but more or less the same type of lid that was prone to leak.
Well, that is all about to change according to Tim Horton’s Alex Macedo.
Six of the Tim Hortons’ locations begun piloting more envi- ronmentally friendly lids emblazoned with a maple leaf that have been rigorously tested and designed to cut down on leaking. The lid is just one aspect of the company’s plan to focus on innovation. That says it has been behind that of their com- petitors, but that they are now ready to make significant changes to win over consumers and franchisees alike. Macedo and Duncan Fulton, the chief corporate officer at Tim Hortons' parent company, Restaurant Brands International have said that customers will soon see new packaging, marketing campaigns and an emphasis on being environmentally friendly. The initiatives are part of a raft of changes the company recently announced including all-day breakfast, a menu for kids, delivery, digital kiosks and a loyalty program.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • AUGUST 2018
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