I am not usually in favor of the argument that technological advancements have made us lazy. I believe that it always depends on our approach. Most of the technologies are driven by needs, they can make us lazy but they can also make us more productive as well.
The same concept applies to the new, apparently booming market of grocery delivery applications.
Yes, It may feel weird that you would lie back on your sofa, and order a couple of milk bottles, some tomatoes and a bag of chips through a mobile application instead of visiting the nearest supermarket.
It might be surprising to know that the idea is not that new. Service or delivery companies were part of the early 2000s dot-com bubble.
One of the companies that are cited as examples of failure in that era was Kozmo, a venture capital funded online company that promised a free, one-hour delivery of videos, DVDs, games, music and books. The company’s business model came under huge criticism.
Analysts cried that its strategy was not sustainable and it was doubtful if it will make any profits to cover the high costs of delivery in such a short period of time. Analysts’ prediction were spot on, and the company went out of business in about three years; it started in 1998, and was out of business by 2001.
Now, the wave of new delivery companies whether in the United States or in our local market are resurrecting the same debate about how profitable this type of businesses are and whether they could survive and grow in the long run.
Shipt, which is working in yet a small scale in certain cities in the United States is reporting a huge demand. “Our biggest challenge was trying to meet the demand,” said Shipt CEO, Bill Smith, to Tampa Bay Times. Here in the local market, such companies are still struggling to consolidate their positions.
The noticeable change compared to the bubble time is that there is a slight shift in the business model, they are demanding a fee for the delivery now, and employing part-timers instead of full-time staff. Nevertheless, analysts are still skeptical.
Venture capitalist Fred Wilson, who lost money on Kozmo in 2001 “is not confident the numbers are in favor of (delivery) startups,” as reported by The New York Times.
“It’s exactly that fear keeping Wilson from investing in more delivery startups. No one quite knows how much people will pay to be lazy, and if they’ll pay enough for delivery apps to turn a profit. I wish we knew the answers to these questions,” he told the paper. “But we don’t.”
Now as everything is turning into an app or taking social media platforms as a market, we can only wait and see how things will turn out to be.
Is technology making us lazy?
Is technology making us lazy?
Apple to update EU browser options, make more apps deletable
- iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7
- Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options
STOCKHOLM: Apple will change how users choose browser options in the European Union, add a dedicated section for changing default apps, and make more apps deletable, the company said on Thursday.
The iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7, forcing big tech companies to offer mobile users the ability to select from a list of available web browsers on a “choice screen.”
The new rules require mobile software makers to show the choice screen where users can select a browser, search engine and virtual assistant as they set up their phones, which earlier came with preferred options from Apple and Google.
In an update later this year, Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options.
A randomly ordered list of 12 browsers per EU country will be shown to the user with short descriptions, and the chosen one will be automatically downloaded, Apple said. The choice screen will also be available on iPads through an update later this year.
Apple released a previous update in response to the new rules in March, but browser companies criticized the design of its choice screen, and the Commission opened an investigation on March 25 saying it suspected that the measures fell short of effective compliance.
The company said it has been in dialogue with the European Commission and believes the new changes will address regulators’ concerns.
It also plans to introduce a dedicated area for default apps where a user will be able to set defaults for messaging, phone calls, spam filters, password managers and keyboards.
Users will also be able to delete certain Apple-made apps such as App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos and Safari. Only Settings and Phone apps would not be deletable.
