Keeping up with the ever-changing world of technology and innovation is no easy task. Here are some of the interesting developments that grabbed my attention this week.
Walmart’s Digital Transformation
If you shop at Walmart you may notice some changes in the near future. The retail giant is doing away with paper price tags in favor of digital shelf labels.
The company says employees can update prices on some 120,000 products on store shelves through a mobile app.
Walmart calls it a win-win because associates can save two days of work that used to go to updating prices and spend more time improving the customer experience.
The switch has some wondering if Walmart could implement dynamic pricing in the future. That means adjusting the price of goods based in different factors or circumstances in real-time.
Walmart says there are no plans for that. It hopes to digitize all its stores in the next year and a half.
Gaming PCs for Disabled Veterans
A Garner man who owns a technology services company is paying it forward through his charity. “Always Give Back” donates gaming PCs to disabled veterans.
The idea sprung during the COVID-19 pandemic when he connected with some veterans while live-streaming. His nonprofit was recently granted 501(c)(3) status.
The man, who goes by the streamer name OldPeeps, assembles the computers during the streams, giving away at least one a month. With new partnerships and collaborations in the works he hopes to raise that number.
Some of the veterans he’s given PCs to will jump onto his stream to say hello. Any money he makes off views from the streams goes right back to the charity.
New York’s Social Media Legislation
The governor of New York signed a first in the nation bill this week to protect kids on social media.
It bans apps like Instagram and TikTok from using algorithms to recommend content to people under 18. It would also ban platforms from sending notifications to minors between midnight and 6 a.m. without parental consent. Social media companies would also be banned from selling their data.
“We can tell companies that you are not allowed to do this,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “Parents should have say over their children’s lives and their health, not you.”
Nothing will change immediately. State Attorney General Letitia James has to come up with a framework for how this could be enforced. The rules would go into effect six months after that, though legal experts expect tech companies to challenge the bill in court.