On the 30th of April 1993, the source code for the ‘World Wide Web’ was released by computer scientist, Tim Berners-Lee. Over time, the internet has developed into what we know, and rely on, today. Whilst initially feared, shunned, and approached with caution, now almost three decades later, our dependence on the internet is greater than ever.
The pandemic has, without a doubt, sped up this process with even the wary now downloading apps, uploading content, and conducting everyday business from home without the institutionalised office premise. This major shift in attitude worldwide has, of course, birthed more innovative services recently than the combination of such work over the past 10 years.
Services range from on-demand entertainment, DIY kits, virtual classes, business-enabling through outsourced reach, and dozens of downloadable applications to make your life easier.
Whilst the app side of the conversation will require an article or two that is separate from this one, we have decided to look at some of the other innovative services that are trending in the UK, such as:
Meal delivery kits
Staying indoors started a culinary revolution of sorts, with the absence, or rather the inability to visit favoured eateries. This has led to a rise in supermarkets putting together and selling meal kits for the DIY crowd. These packs include the necessary ingredients in the exact quantities and the method. A consumer simply ought to pan or pot the contents, heat, and then eat.
Like microwave meals, the kits are focused on those who wish to cook but don’t have the time or the experience yet for a culinary delight.
As the quality of supermarket foods has proven to be questionable, more and more online vendors are filling in this niche with promised quality and individual customer focus.
Gardening kits
For the consumer who is more focused on the ingredients side of cooking, herb garden kits have been established and promoted. Much like the meal deliveries, these gardening kits provide a customer with everything that they may need to start their own gardens.
With extreme interest in green-walls, balcony gardens, herb patches and rooftop farming, the innovative gardening kits can turn any thumb green.
Of course, with so many new offerings on the market, it can be difficult to decide which is best for you. The Independent has put together a list for you to persue here.
Virtual business services
After food, and gardening comes work. And as much as food and gardening are brought to you via innovation and the internet, so too are a wide range of business services.
From consulting to content creation, businesses are turning to talented outsourced individuals, regardless of their location, to provide efficient services without the need for office space, vicinity, or pension plans. Meetings are conducted across the globe by video-calling apps, schedules and projects are set, all from the comforts of home.
One of these innovative offerings in the business field is, undoubtedly, virtual assistance. Companies like AVirtual UK provide such a service with a dedicated and highly trained outsourced team.
On-demand video subscription services
Regarding homely comforts, the rise in video subscription services has turned our understanding of television into something so much more. No longer do we need to patiently wait for adverts to finish or wait a full week to find out what happens next in our favourite dramas, or for that matter, wait to save up for a trip to the cinema. We can now stream our series and movies, and then binge-watch until the cows come home.
On-demand subscription is becoming more and more affordable as the competition among the providers continues to grow at unprecedented rates.
Online gym classes
After the popcorn, munchies, and leftovers thanks to the binge-watching, another innovative service is the online gym class. With companies like My-VT offering at-home virtual gym classes, meal plans and group activities, scheduling a guilt-ridden workout is as easy as 1-2-3.
The wide variety of classes, not just gym-focused, for that matter, has assisted us in improving all facets of our lives with interesting and entertaining knowledge sharing. Universities, too, due to the pandemic, have taken on the role of providing students with virtual lectures in an effort to close the learning gap carved out by COVID-19.
In conclusion, whilst the internet created the first inter-communicative splash in the world, we are still feeling the ripples of this gigantic step for mankind. As the years’ progress, so too will our innovation. And as this plague has ripped through our societies, taking more than its fair share, tearing communities apart and destroying our very fabric of social interactions, we can honestly state that we have gained so much more in return and that we will continue to do so for we, as a people, do not go gently into the night.