Here are five things in technology that happened this past week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?

1 – Google’s new feature may be a problem for bars and restaurants.

The new tool, which will be included in both Search and Maps, will alert users as to how crowded your bar or restaurant is in real time. The technology will use aggregated, anonymous location history data. (Source: The Verge)

Why this is important for your business:

If your restaurant or bar is popular – and crowded – potential customers may decide to just stay away. And no business owner I know wants to turn away customers, regardless of how busy they are. If your business is popular enough to generate a buzz because of the crowds it attracts, your numbers may be affected by this new feature.

2 – A startup can help make it easier to listen to group conversations.

Ava will allow deaf and hearing-challenged people to better follow group conversations by using a “threaded speech-to-text application.” Each participant must download the app and set up a profile, and then the technology is able to follow the conversation. The company says that deaf people who can only understand 20 percent of a conversation will see their comprehension levels rise to 80 or 90 percent. (Source: TechCrunch)

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