Hits in the headlines #80
There is a subscription for everything these days: Movies, TV, music, books, food, clothing, and more. In the UK, there has been a fairly popular subscription for a while now – Coffee. Pret A Manger, a popular sandwich shop chain in the UK, has thrown a curveball at its loyal customers by ending its free drinks perk for subscribers. This unexpected move has left many coffee lovers feeling disappointed and frustrated. Who could blame them? The idea of “free coffee” was a major draw for signing up for a subscription. Now, customers are faced with the reality of paying for their daily caffeine fix. While Pret is offering a 50% discount on barista-made drinks as a consolation, it's hardly a fair trade-off for those who were enjoying their free coffee. Social media is abuzz with complaints and angry customers are already looking for alternative coffee spots. It remains to be seen if Pret's decision to ditch free drinks will backfire and lead to a decline in subscribers. Was this doomed to fail? What happens when everything is a subscription?
A recent global tech failure that crippled payment systems worldwide has sparked a renewed interest in cash. When credit cards and digital wallets suddenly stopped working, people were forced to rely on cold, hard cash to make purchases. This unexpected reliance on physical currency has ignited a debate about the potential dangers of a cashless society. While digital payments offer convenience and efficiency, the recent outage has highlighted the risks of becoming overly dependent on technology. Some experts argue that a mix of cash and digital payments is essential for a resilient financial system. As the world becomes increasingly digitised, it's important to strike a balance between innovation and preparedness. The question now is whether this wake-up call will lead to a more cash-friendly future.
In a fairly recent announcement, the IOC has created the official Olympic Esports Games. With the growing audience for esports, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the Olympic commission would cash in on the success. But, the biggest question for a while has been what it would look like. Many of the most popular esports would be considered too violent for the Olympics, and would there need to be special licensing from the developers of big titles? There are many questions still to be answered, but we now know that the inaugural event will take place in Saudi Arabia in 2025. Is this the future for the Olympics? Will this be successful? Will people who aren’t already esports fans even care about it?
Why not use this as a chance to learn some new language?
Try to note some new language that you see or hear in the articles or video and bring it to the class.
Remember, I always encourage you to send in your interesting articles, videos, or podcasts. You can message me directly, or email me here.
Have a great week.
See you in class!