Each week, we share the top five articles that caught our attention. Here are your must-reads, published here and abroad, for the week of November 7th 2016.
Trump and the Internetz
How will the Trump presidency impact the online behaviours and freedoms of Americans on the web? If the new Commander in Chief sticks to his promises, he will increase government surveillance and deregulate the telecommunications industry. Our neighbours to the south may quickly have to adapt to a new era in cybersecurity.
→ Read it on Gizmodo Pocket
Free shipping: true or false?
Does anything ever really come for free? If we’re talking about free shipping, the answer is no. Although many online shoppers now expect free shipping (Amazon Prime-style), the consequences of e-commerce businesses (especially smaller ones) having to absorb these costs is simply unsustainable. How can online shops compete with larger retailers (many of which can easily absorb the cost) on the thorny question of free shipping?
→ Read it on Fast Company Pocket
IKEA for President
In the midst of all this political unrest, IKEA has stepped forward to reassure the weary masses. The new campaign from the giant Swedish retailer shifts the focus away from furniture to making the American dream come true. “No matter who you are, what you do, or how much you make, you can still make the dream yours.” A slogan worthy of a future presidential candidate?
→ Read it on The New York Times Pocket
MacBook Pro, minus the “pro”
For many, perceived as always being on the cutting edge, the new MacBook Pro from Apple has a Touch Bar, which helps users access shortcuts for completing their tasks. Not everyone is raving about this Bar, however. Writer and developer Owen Williams explains how the company made a mistake, demographically speaking, and why the “Pro” status is now being questioned. The updates may have made this computer more accessible, but where does it leave creative professionals?
→ Read it on Charged Pocket
The future of your Netflix recommendations
There is a complex algorithm behind every film recommendation, playlist and even OKCupid profile that you’re fed online. In this article, writer, researcher and consultant Danielle Desjardins addresses the rampant development of systems that can predict our preferences. Although increasingly more accurate, can machines really predict everything that we’d like?
→ Read it on CMF Trends Pocket
Global uncertainty: opportunities for your brand
#Sponsored
This week, more than ever, political news confirms that we are living in a complex world. Americans chose nationalism, a wave identified in the last Prosumer report, Pride and Prejudice: Shifting Mindsets in an Age of Uncertainty. Will your brand benefit from this new reality?
→ Read it on our blog
In your earbuds: An Experiment Shows How Quickly The Internet Of Things Can Be Hacked
On October 21, the Internet of Things (web-connected devices) was used to hack various websites, including Twitter, Spotify and Pinterest. In order to better understand how easy it is for hackers to hack everyday objects, Andrew McGill, a journalist at The Atlantic, conducted his own experiment with an Internet-enabled toaster.
→ Listen to it on NPR
This week’s favourite thing
The Swedish agency SNASK, which specializes in branding, has refreshed North Korea’s visual identity, with a complete overhaul that includes the country’s name, flag, currency and national colours. What’s at the heart of the concept? Love… of course! #LoveKorea #LoveIsKorea
