Design: 

  • We largely have the wrong people envisioning the future for the rest of us, andthat's a problem. 
  • Quirky has struggled to transition from a crowdsourced invention platform to a company helping big corporations develop and launch products in a more agile, user-led method, all while expanding its own brand of smart home products. Shaky finances led to laying off more than 100 employees, including a total shut down the innovative business strategy firm Undercurrent, which they had acquired a few months ago. A day later, Ben Kaufman stepped down from his role as CEO. 
  • Acclaimed designer, probably best known for her literally iconic work for Apple has taken a product design lead role at Pinterest. We're looking forward to the results. 



Technology as a threat: 

  • The police shut down a hologram. Absurd, funny, and intriguing. Activists of the future (who have used digital tools like twitter to great advantage) could use similar technology to literally project their messages into significant public spaces and amplify the message when conventional access is limited. In the shorter term, watch out for lousy, annoying hologram adverts. 
  • Some consumer tech heavyweights and public science intellectuals have taken a big public stance against autonomous killer robots. Canadian robotics company Clearpath has been talking the talk and walking the walk for awhile now. 
  • Margaret Atwood posted a beautiful and chilling piece on Medium ostensibly about climate change, but really about "everything change." Make some time to dim the distractions and give it a read (it's also maybe the most amazingly crafted Medium post we've seen that pushes the platform in a different direction than we've come to expect). 

 

Behavior: 

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