Winner, winner, no chicken in this dinner.
Today on Up To Speed: KFC goes meatless, a full charge in just six minutes, and underwater robots in the rundown.
Prepping for Dorian.
Our teams are keeping a close eye on Dorian. The storm is making its way through the Caribbean and could impact Florida into the weekend. Our teams are ready to make sure our customers, businesses and first responders have the communication tools in place when needed most. As we continue into hurricane season, remember that VtoV, our employee relief fund, is available and ready to help V Teamers. Donate today.
Robots help collect data on toxic algae in Lake Erie.
As this summer sees continued reports of toxic algae blooms across the country, scientists working on Lake Erie in New York are getting assistance from underwater robots to tackle the problem. The robots, which can work autonomously for up to three weeks at a time, allow scientists to study the toxicity of the algae blooms for a complete period of their lifecycle. The toxic blooms are harmful to humans, and even more harmful to animals. Last week, three dogs were killed after coming in contact with toxic algae from a pond in North Carolina. Although these robots do not directly combat the algae, they are providing scientists with the data needed to better understand how they grow in the environment.
British company works toward six-minute charge for phones and cars.
Echion Technologies is getting ready to release its new lithium-ion battery technology which boasts a full battery charge in just six minutes. This is exciting news for anyone who uses a smartphone, but the new technology sees its most potential in the electric car industry. Drivers with electric cars may soon be able to charge up their battery in the same amount of time it takes to fuel up a gas tank, as opposed to having to leave their car charging overnight.
Kentucky Fried plant-based nuggets: An international chain goes meatless.
“Where’s the chicken?” That’s what customers at a KFC in Atlanta have been asking today. Starting August 27th, KFC partnered with Beyond Meat to offer a trial run of Beyond Fried Chicken, a new plant-based fried chicken nugget. The Atlanta location will be giving out free samples of the new nuggets and asking for customer feedback as KFC explores new meatless options. Earlier this summer, Burger King released the Impossible Whopper across the country, and Subway has now announced its plan to release the Beyond Meatball Marinara, as national food chains are following the growing trend of offering meatless alternatives to its customers.
