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Almost as soon as the first iPad was announced, a range of competitors sprung up in an attempt to become the iPad killer. Devices like the Motorola Xoom, BlackBerry PlayBook, and HP TouchPad all put another spin on the formula but couldnt come close to the iPads blend of performance and App Store dominance. Android tablets are still around today, of course, but most manufacturers dont push them too hard. Theyre all fine at doing tablet things like watching videos, and theyre all worse than the iPad when it comes to the app ecosystem. In recent years Ive used some great hardware from Xiaomi in particular that I still wouldnt outright recommend over an iPad. Xiaomis latest, though, is straight-up better than its Apple equivalent. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/multicore_logo.jpg","headline":"Multicore","description":"Multicore is about technology hardware and design. It's written from Tokyo by Sam Byford. To learn more visit multicore.blog","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.multicore.blog","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}} The Xiaomi Pad Mini feels like an exercise in picking low-hanging fruit: in this case, the iPad mini. Apples smallest tablet is often neglected and rarely updated, leaving several open goals for competitors. In this case, Xiaomi has turned in a better design with better performance, and critically in a form factor where Apples software advantages are less relevant. Added ports This tablet isnt going to stun anyone with its originalityit pretty much looks like an iPad mini. It does have one neat trick, though, by placing USB-C ports along both the bottom edge and one of the sides you can easily charge it in a dock or while using it for video. (Apple apparently considered the same idea for the original iPad before deciding against it.) [Photo: Xiaomi] The Xiaomi Pad Mini runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 9400 processor, the chipmakers current top-end mobile system on a chip (SoC) and one thats at least in the same ballpark as the two-year-old A17 Pro in the iPad mini, if not faster. Performance is excellent, and Xiaomi also offers up to 12GB of RAM while the iPad mini is stuck on 8GB. Superior screen The screen is where Xiaomi really pulls away from Apple. This is an 8.8-inch 3008-by-1880-pixel LCD with a 16:10 aspect ratio; the difference in size to the 8.3-inch iPad mini is mostly that the Xiaomi has thinner bezels and is slightly wider in landscape. Critically, it refreshes at up to 165Hz while the iPad mini is still stuck on 60Hz, which is very jarring for anyone whos gotten used to the much smoother frame rates on the iPhone and almost every Android phone in recent years. That was the main reason I sold my own iPad mini a while back. [Photo: Xiaomi] HyperOS, which is Xiaomis custom version of Android, looks and works similarly to iOS, but Apple actually moved in the direction of its system of multitasking and resizing windows with this years iPadOS 26. While Android apps still cant compete with the iPad in terms of quantity or quality, how much productivity are you planning to get out of an 8-inch tablet in the first place? Like a really big phone The Xiaomi Pad Mini handles simple multitasking with ease, and its aspect ratio is well-suited for most Android apps. Since you can hold it in one hand and the screen is relatively tall, apps like Instagram work fine in portrait orientationits basically like using a really big phone. The aspect ratio is also better suited to most video content than the 3:2 iPad mini, meaning youll get a bigger picture with smaller black borders. Overall, this is a great tablet for watching videos, reading ebooks, scrolling social media, and browsing the web. You know, tablet things. It handles all of these tasks at least as well as the iPad mini unless you have a need for a very specific iPad app. A caveat There is one slightly bizarre caveat, which is the lack of any true biometric authentication. You can use your face to unlock the tablet through the selfie camera, which works better than it used to and didnt get fooled when I tried to use a picture of my face, but thats still not as secure as a fingerprint reader and doesnt work in the dark. That could be a deal-breaker for many. Touch ID isnt exactly a great experience on the iPad mini, but surely a fingerprint scanner would have been a low-cost, worthwhile inclusion here for convenience and peace of mind. [Photo: Xiaomi] Still, I can put up with sometimes needing to enter a PIN in exchange for all the ways that this is simply a better product. I would rather use this than the iPad its competing with, which is the first time Ive ever been able to say that about an Android tablet. And thats before I even mention the pricing, which starts at $429 for a mdel with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The iPad mini, on the other hand, costs $499 for 8GB of RAM and half the amount of storage; the 256GB model is $599. Its not like Apple isnt capable of making the iPad mini better value for the moneyit just doesnt particularly care to. This is what can happen when companies keep outdated devices on shelves at high prices. Mini tablets clearly arent the most critical product category in the world, but for the first time in a long while, Apple doesnt make the best one. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/multicore_logo.jpg","headline":"Multicore","description":"Multicore is about technology hardware and design. It's written from Tokyo by Sam Byford. To learn more visit multicore.blog","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.multicore.blog","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}}
Category:
E-Commerce
According to a recent study conducted by the global consulting firm, EY, 97% of respondents reported that it is important for companies to act with integrity. Many companies tout integrity as a core principle of their organizations in an attempt to reassure customers, employees, and the wider public that their organization plays by the rules. By some estimates, integrity is ranked as one of the most cited corporate core values, with over 80% of companies listing integrity as a core value. But simply including integrity on your list of core values and mounting that list on a plaque on a wall (as many companies do) wont positively influence your culture unless your core values are fully embraced and lived by employees each and every day. After all, Enron was once the darling of corporate America and a supposedly stellar business success storyuntil news broke that Enron had engaged in what would turn out to be one of the biggest accounting scandals in U.S. history. Here’s why listing integrity as a core value and getting employees to live with integrity in the workplace can pose a challengeeven for companies with the best of intentions. A few years ago, the CEO and chairperson of a large financial institution were caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar, engaged in what could be described, at best, as questionable behavior. When the media asked the chairperson if what she and the CEO had done was aligned with the companys core value of integrity, the chairperson replied, Integrity means different things to different people. The media and the public were outraged by the response. But, yknow what? The chairperson was right! Integrity does mean different things to different people when it comes to business practices. Here are three steps to take if you want to build a company where everyone understands exactly what integrity means to the organization and exactly how to demonstrate integrity in the workplace. 1. Define what integrity means for your company An organizations perspective on the topic of integrity most often comes from the leadership of that organization, and their various versions of integrity are often reflected in corporate policies. For instance, ice cream chain Ben and Jerrys version of integrity is reflected in their policy to only use fair tradecertified ingredients, ensuring that farmers along their supply chain are paid a fair price for their products. Chipmakers like Intel demonstrate their version of integrity by avoiding using conflict minerals that are mined under conditions that could be considered to be abuses of human rights. The Body Shop demonstrates its version of integrity by committing to never testing its products on animals. Some companies whose very business models, products, services, or waste may be viewed by others as causing harm to the communities in which they operate try to demonstrate integrity by engaging in acts of restitution. For instance, timber company Hampton Lumber plants three trees for every tree it harvests. Outdoor clothing company Patagonia, known not only for the quality of its products, but also for its efforts to minimize damage to the environment, donates 1% of revenue to environmental groups. (Despite these actions, some critics insist that the acts of restitution pale in comparison to the destruction caused by the companies and even accuse these companies of greenwashinga deceptive practice designed to paint organizations as being more environmentally conscious than they are.) But, demonstrating boardroom integrity through corporate policies isnt enough to qualify a company as being one that acts with integrity. Companies also need to demonstrate integrity at the grassroots level. It makes little sense to list integrity as a company core value unless that commitment to integrity permeates every corner of the organization on an individual, team or departmental level. 2. Clarify what integrity means for your employees So, since integrity may mean different things to different people, how can a companys employees truly commit to integrity as a core value? Theres no easy answer to that question, but one way to stay within the boundaries of ethical behavior is to use the social media test where you instruct your employees to ask themselves, would I be comfortable if this behavior, action, or decision were to be reported on social media (or in the newspaper) for everyone to see? If the answer is no to this litmus test, then deep down in their hearts, they probably recognize that whatever they are considering probably isnt aligned with the principle of integrity. Another way to clarify to your employees how to act with integrity in the workplace is to articulate clear behavioral expectations expressed not in abstract concepts but in clear, crisp, and concise language, using what I refer to as the even if principle to make it crystal clear that your organization values integrity over the potential short-term benefits of acting unethically. For instance, members of your organizations sales department might be told: Integrity means never misrepresenting a product to close a deal, even if it means losing a sale. Consultants that provide services on an hourly rate to clients might be instructed to never overestimate or bill clients for time not spent on the accounteven if that means not hitting monthly billing targets. Quality control managers at a company that manufacture parts may be told in no uncertain terms to never ship faulty productseven if a customer might never notice the defects. 3. Take Accountability Seriously Next, its important to hold employees (especially leadership) accountable for these standards. One way to hold people accountable is through the use of independent oversightsuch as an empowered board of directors, ethics committees, or external auditors. To be effective, these bodies must have the authority to investigate ethical concerns, insist on transparency, reward employees for acting with integrity, and apply consequences to those who violate their companys standards for acting with integrity. Most importantly, these bodies must not be influenced by internal politics and should not be able to be fired on the whims of the leadership team who they are holding accountable. Ideally, these oversight bodies should be proactive, with audits that identify potential conflicts early enough to prevent ethical mischief. Another way to hold leaders accountable is to create a culture where employees at all levels feel safe reporting ethical concerns without fear of reprisal. Anonymous reporting and whistleblowing channels can help identify problems that leadership might otherwise missor wose, knowingly condone. The desire to operate a company that acts with integrity is a noble onebut, as we have seen, one that is fraught with challengesparticularly because acting with integrity means different things to different people. No wonder research shows that just 23% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they can apply their organizations values to their work every day! If you want your organization to be one in which employees can apply integrity to their work every day, follow the three steps above. Define what living with integrity means for your organization, drill down to the employee level and remove any ambiguity about how employees can live with integrity, and hold everyone in your organization (especially the leadership team) accountable for living with integrity. Once youve done this, you will be in a much better position to lead with integrity, maintain your reputation in the marketplace, and navigate complex ethical challenges.
Category:
E-Commerce
The latest wave of tech layoffs doesnt have to be a step backwardit can be a launchpad. If youve spent years shipping products, debugging systems, and partnering with go-to-market teams, you already have what many founders dont: domain insight and a network. Pair that with AI employees, (role-specific software agents trained on your companys data that can perform defined tasks like drafting on-brand content, qualifying leads, and updating CRMs) and your severance becomes seed capital for a lean, scalable company. Whats different now is that the traditional barriers to starting a business have collapsed. The math is transformative: What once required $500,000 in annual salaries can now be achieved for less than $500 a month. Beyond cost, theres leveragethose complex migrations you managed, the customer insights you unearthed, the systems you architectedthats IP AI can now operationalize at scale. The most successful builders arent just venture-backed startupstheyre experienced operators who realized AI employees can handle everything from customer research to financial analysis, all trained on their specific expertise and methods. Former Google engineers, Meta product managers, and Amazon developers are spinning up businesses with the capacity of a 10-person startup, run solo. Take Todd Krise, who launched Mercenary Marketing after two decades in agencies and now teaches others to run lean, AI-powered businesses without traditional overhead. Or Jenna Ahern of Guardian Owl Digital, who is transforming a decade-old agency into an AI-first marketing firm. Tech professionals have a unique edge here: You understand system architecture, data flows, and automation logic, and you know what good looks like from UX to code qualityknowledge that becomes exponentially more valuable when deployed through AI agents working 24/7. While I didnt lose my job, I did choose to leave my job at TikTok when changing inoffice requirements and a fading worklife balance told me it was time to rethink my path. I realized companies were being asked to deliver more with leaner teams, and AI was finally capable of helping. I started Parallel AI soon after with a simple goal to turn anxiety about headcount into AI tools that could help teams automate content, sales workflows, and operations without burning out. Building is messy and setbacks happen, even now. The steps below aim to reduce risk and improve your odds. Start with a real problem Write one sentence that states the outcome a buyer wants. Test it with 10 buyer conversations before you build. Ask: What have you tried? What did it cost? What would make this a yes in 30 days? A former marketing agency leader, Todd Krise, mapped out how artificial intelligence could replace the bloated, outdated agency model he worked in before launching Mercenary Marketing. He pressure-tested the plan with real clients and deadlines at the start of 2025 to prove that the systems, prices, and deliverables worked before he scaled. If you cannot find 10 people who would pay, change the outcome and try again. What to prioritize in the first 30 to 90 days Aim to land two or three paid pilots and validate one repeatable way to get customers. Divide your runway into two or three time blocks (for example, 30, 60, and 90 days) with clear milestones. Sell clear outcomes you can deliver in two to six weeks. Use them to confirm the right customers, the right price, and the value you create. Create a simple brand: Think a clear oneline promise, a basic landing page, and two or three proof pieces (short case example, short demonstration, testimonial). Building trust matters more than polish. Measurement: Pick one main goal (revenue or active pilots) to focus on, and three early signs (qualified talks each week, proposals sent, share of proposals that become sales). Careful spending: Cap monthly spending, and pay yourself a modest paycheck. Platform choice: Prefer a measurable, custom AI agent platform over many singlepurpose tools. Fewer vendors means lower cost, less setup, and a clearer view of what works. How to land and execute your first paid pilot Define a tight offer Who: one target customer with a clear problem (for example, software companies that sell to businesses but have a weak sales outreach, or agencies that need brandsafe content in larger amounts). What: a named pilot (for example, 30Day Artificial Intelligence Sales Outreach Boost or Content in Context Sprint) with three to five deliverables and success measures. Why now: a clear trigger (new product launch, missed sales target, hiring freeze, a backlog of content). Use your own relationships to find your first pilot clients Use a short, specific outreach Subject or opener: Quick pilot to achieve [outcome] in 30 daysBody (three lines): We help [customer type] achieve [outcome] without [main headache].Proposed fourweek pilot: [deliverables] success = [measure]. Price: [$X], 50% upfront, applied to ongoing work if it delivers.Worth a 20minute fit call next week? If not you, who is best? Include one proof point, a short case example, a short demonstration clip, or a measured personal example. Reduce friction Apply the pilot fee to a monthly agreement or offer a partial refund if success measures are not met. Keep paperwork simple with a onepage work plan with clear data rules and weekly cadence. Make onboarding quick with a startup checklist, access you will need, and a dayone plan. Execute to convert Measure everything! Record starting levels, send weekly updates with a simple measures checklist, and deliver early quick wins. At your midpoint review show progress, confirm success measures, and discuss the followon now. During the final week, present a short results deck and a onepage decision plan with a yes or no choice and a start date for the monthly agreement. This is the moment to turn your experience into a scalable business with artificial intelligence on your terms.
Category:
E-Commerce
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