AS THE THERMOMETER tipped over 30°C in the shade, my regular conference combo of jeans and jacket was proving overkill. But this is the problem of a work trip abroad: you’re there for the briefest of times, you’re normally in a mad hurry to pack, and you anticipate spending most of your time in an air-conditioned conference centre.
Instead, I was wandering the sun-scorched New York streets in search of interesting tech and gaudy souvenirs – although I spent almost as much time people-watching. Aside from the tourists, everyone in New York is locked in their own world, cocooned by earphones. Most frequently, the faintly ridiculous Apple AirPods, which at least Londoners have had the good sense to ignore.
Indeed, it’s aptly named the Big Apple. The brand’s dominance was…
