After a fantastic 2017, Amazon has overtaken Apple and Google as the world’s most valuable brand, Facebook is going to extreme lengths to win you back, and Google updates Google Flights to predict flight delays before airlines do.
From Reddit – After a huge 2017 that saw Amazon acquire Whole Foods, the tech giant has now leapfrogged both Apple and Google to become the world’s most valuable brand. According to the latest Brand Finance Global 500 rankings, the Amazon brand is now valued at 150 billion – a 42 per cent increase year-over-year. The entire top 5 was rounded out with tech companies, with Apple, Google, Samsung, and Facebook following Amazon. Other highlights from the report include suggesting that Apple’s future ‘looks bleak’ due to a ‘failure to diversify’ and having ‘grown over-dependent on sales of its flagship iPhones’, and the fact that Chinese brands such as Alibaba and the China Construction Bank continue to rise, just barely missing out on the top 10.
From Reddit – Facebook really, really wants you back. Reports from former Facebook users have been making the rounds this week stating that Facebook has been getting fairly aggressive in trying to win back customers who have deleted its app or stopped logging into the platform. Apparently it starts with new emails alerting users about friends posting photos or making comments, to prompts from a Facebook security customer-service address that says, “It looks like you’re having trouble logging into Facebook. Just click the button below and we’ll log you in. If you weren’t trying to log in, let us know”. In a statement to Bloomberg, Facebook insisted that the method wasn’t a re-engagement tactic. While these emails may be annoying, it still works, with various users admitting these emails get them to click everyone once in a while.
And from Reddit once more – Google’s AI can now predict airline delays before even the airlines do. The tech giant has been rolling out new features to its Google Flights search engine in order to help with aspects of air travel such as delays. To do this, Google Flights won’t just be pulling information from the airlines directly. Through its understanding of historical data that Google has collected, and its machine learning algorithms, the app will be able to predict delays that haven’t been flagged yet by airlines. Google says that it won’t actually flag a delayed flight unless it is at least 80 per cent sure, and if a flight is delayed, it will provide a reason such as weather or a previous flight arriving later. While this is neat, Google does insist that you still get to the airport on time.
That’s what’s trending today. Hashtag Trending is produced by IT World Canada. Today’s episode is brought to you by SAS, the world leader in advanced analytics and the Official Analytics Partner of the Canadian Olympic Team.