1. Joe Biden officially declared winner
We know he’s the President Elect, but it’s just been further confirmed by the Electoral College.
Biden called for unity while denouncing the president and his allies for their assault on the nation’s voting system.
After Hawaii cast its four votes for Biden, he finished with 306 Electoral College votes. His victory is now official and it’s time to turn the page.
2. London’s Christmas lockdown begins
Not so festive news before Christmas, but London has been moved up to tier 3 alert this week, which means all restaurants, bars & cafes will close (apart from delivery & takeaway). This is the time where venues cash in on festivities, too.
London joins regions including much of northern and central England, Kent in the southeast, and Bristol in the southwest in Tier 3.
The government however, is allowing ‘Christmas bubbles’ of two-three household gatherings between December 23-27.
3. Apple launches Fitness+
Apple has launched “Fitness +”, its new app that connects to iPad, iPhone & Apple TV as long as you own an Apple Watch.
The on-demand fitness platform will have a variation of fitness classes, giving the likes of Peloton a run for their money.
The bottom line? If people use it, it’s another way to keep users in the ecosystem, and proves the stickiness of the watch. Everything is connected, from your notifications, to your classes to your heart rate.
4. Singapore pushes for work travel
Singapore will start a new travel lane for “business, official and high economic value travellers” via Connect@Changi, which will start off with over 670 guestrooms and almost 170 meeting rooms.
Since the travel bubble with Hong Kong fell through, they need some traction, fast.
The arrangement is primarily aimed at official and multinational business meetings, or meetings that don’t take more than a few days. Think of it as a very productive staycation.