A story about high-pressure sales tactics at a Toronto consumer electronics store gains national attention, Apple invests a few more millions into glassmaker Corning, and guess who’s suffering from Zoom fatigue? It’s Zoom’s CEO.
It’s all the tech news that’s popular right now. Welcome to Hashtag Trending! It’s Tuesday, May 11 and I’m your host Alex Coop.
A story from the CBC about an 85-year-old man’s recent trip to a consumer electronics store owned by Bell Canada got a ton of attention Monday. It goes like this: Ross Miller paid a visit to The Source last October seeking a new TV. But according to Miller, he left the store with everything but a TV. He told CBC that a sales rep at the store signed him to a two-year contract for Bell Fibe TV and a new cell phone plan. They sold him a cordless phone, landline and tablet, and even signed him to another two-year contract for high-speed home internet. Miller has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and told the publication he wasn’t sure what happened. Bell declined an interview request with the CBC, but eventually refunded Miller and waived the contracts. A follow-up statement to the publication noted that an internal investigation into Miller’s experience is underway.
Apple says it’s awarding $45 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund to glass supplier Corning. The roughly 1 hour’s worth of Apple revenue – someone on Reddit did the math – will expand Corning’s manufacturing capacity in the U.S. And while Apple’s statement doesn’t exactly say how Corning will use the $45 million investment, the announcement does line up with recent reports that Apple could launch a foldable iPhone in 2023.
And lastly, Zoom’s CEO Eric Yuan recently admitted to the Wall Street Journal that he’s been hit with that “meeting fatigue” also known by the rest of the world as “Zoom fatigue.” The quote garnered a ton of responses from social media. Entrepreneurs on LinkedIn chimed in saying the one thing they’re looking forward to the most when they return to an office is getting inspired by face-to-face conversations. In a reference to Zoom meetings, JPMorgan’s CEO Jamie Dimon said he’s “done with it.” He might be tired of Zoom meetings but I’m sure the company’s CEO isn’t tired of the money it’s making. For the fiscal year 2020, Zoom reported a profit of nearly $1 billion.
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