Editor’s note: Technology is playing an increasing role in the day-to-day business of sales reps. In this department, Repertoire will profile the latest developments in software and gadgets that reps can use for work and play.
Technology news
YouTube expanding its reach to patients
YouTube is unveiling a program to address the digital health needs of consumers and the desire for clinicians to communicate with them. With more than 2 billion signed-in monthly users, YouTube believes it offers a unique opportunity for clinicians to expand their reach. The company is working with several healthcare organizations, including the American Public Health Association, Cleveland Clinic, The Forum at the Harvard School of Public Health, Mayo Clinic, Osmosis, Psych Hub, and the National Academy of Medicine, to create high quality health content for viewers around the world.
Not bad for $200
Over the past several years, OnePlus has grown from a niche brand to a powerhouse in the U.S. market, according to PC Magazine. Its strategy is simple: Affordable prices. The OnePlus Nord N10 5G and OnePlus Nord N100 were scheduled to be available at T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile in late January. With a 6.49-inch display and 90Hz refresh rate, the $300 Nord N10 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 chipset, and sports 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. If you’re not worried about 5G or simply want to save money, the OnePlus Nord N100 is a pared-down version of Nord N10 5G, and costs under $200. It features a 6.52-inch display, stereo speakers, and a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging.
Straitlaced business laptops
Many Americans changed the way they work in 2020, leaving the office and working primarily from home. The idea of having a work computer at the office and a personal computer at home also went out the window, according to CNET. But because of the long development cycle of new laptops, desktops and tablets, no PC maker could realistically take these shifts and engineer them into new products in time for CES 2021, the big consumer technology show. So they have shifted the narrative and emphasized new or updated products that are more appropriate for the current reality. Instead of first-generation folding screens and colorful gaming rigs, much of the attention in 2021 will be on laptops with better webcams, better microphones, better security features – basically, the things your company IT department looks for in a new work laptop.
Not so long ago …
Speaking of CES, the consumer technology show, organizers compiled a timeline of landmark technologies from shows between 1970 and 2015:
1970: Videocassette recorder (VCR)
1974: Laserdisc player
1981: Camcorder and compact disc player
1990: Digital audio technology
1991: Compact disc – interactive
1994: Digital satellite system (DSS)
1996: Digital versatile disk (DVD)
1998: High definition television (HDTV)
1999: Hard-disc VCR (PVR)
2000: Satellite radio
2001: Microsoft Xbox and plasma TV
2002: Home media server
2003: Blu-Ray DVD and HDTV PVR
2004: HD radio
2005: IP TV
2007: Convergence of content and technology
2008: OLED TV
2009: 3D HDTV
2010: Tablets, netbooks and Android devices
2011: Connected TV, smart appliances, Android Honeycomb, Ford’s Electric Focus, Motorola Atrix, Microsoft Avatar Kinect, 2011
2012: Ultrabooks, 3D OLED, Android 4.0 tablets
2013: Ultra HDTV, Flexible OLED, driverless car technology,
2014: 3D printers, sensor technology, curved UHD, wearable technologies
2015: 4K UHD, virtual reality, unmanned systems