Angry Birds are everywhere!
For nearly two years, the casual game market has belonged to Angry Birds. The megahit app has been downloaded over 400 million times and boasts 30 million daily active users.
For Rovio, the developers behind the juggernaut, the success of Angry Birds has led to movie deals, increased funding and rumors of IPO plans.
Continue reading… “How Angry Birds conquered casual gaming”
Yes, cell phone radiation is a problem, but the damage will stop after the flesh is gone
“Life’s greatest question…. which I have not been able to answer… is, “What does a woman want?” – – Sigmund Freud
Continue reading… “Top 10 Photos of the Week”
Crowdsourcing for innovation.
Numerous studies demonstrate that 70-80% of all new products fail. Lack of relevance, lack of differentiation, inappropriate pricing and muddled messaging all factor into a brand’s struggle when launching a new product.
However, the ultimate judgment of new products falls to consumers, who, ironically, are often absent from the development process. That development stage stands the greatest chance of generating transformative new ideas early on, before the brand has made a significant investment…
Continue reading… “The rise of Customer-Driven innovation”
A new cultural perspective of time.
A huge early Celtic calendar construction has been discovered in the royal tomb of Magdalenenberg, nearby Villingen-Schwenningen in Germany’s Black Forest. This discovery was made by researchers at the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum at Mainz in Germany when they evaluated old excavation plans. The order of the burials around the central royal tomb fits exactly with the sky constellations of the Northern hemisphere…
Continue reading… “Early Celtic ‘Stonehenge’ discovered in Germany’s Black Forest”
A real walk about.
This week Der Spiegel has an article commemorating the 50th anniversary of the introduction of pedestrian Don’t Walk/Walk signals to East Germany…
Continue reading… “Pedestrian signals from around the world”
Using corn as fuel is Madness! And not the British band…
The corn ethanol supporters are probably not very familiar with the concept of opportunity cost. Either that, or the subsidies and high corn prices are just to juicy to give up. Only about 20% of all the corn grown in the U.S. now goes to feed humans directly, and more than half of what remains is now being turned into ethanol fuel while the other half goes to feed livestock. The problem is that life-cycle studies show that corn ethanol ranges from barely better than fossil-fuel gasoline to significantly worse, especially if you take into account land use issues and the impact of higher food prices on the poor. Many would agree that corn ethanol is a net loss for society, yet this industry keeps growing…
Continue reading… “The U.S. now uses more corn for fuel than feed!”
Yes, I knew coffee would get me wired, but not like this
“Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia.” – – Charles Schulz
Continue reading… “Top 10 Photos of the Week”
Paris is innovating again.
When Paris’ now famous bike share system Velib’ in 2007, it was a pioneer in the field. Now similar programs are popping up in major cities all over the world, and Paris is looking to break the mold again. This week the City launched Autolib’ – a car sharing system that works the same way…
Continue reading… “Paris launches a vehicle sharing program with 3,000 electric cars”
A growing problem.
Reclamations, a journal published by University of California students, has published a special, timely pamphlet called “Generation of Debt,” on the trap of student debt in America. Young people in America are bombarded with the message that they won’t find meaningful employment without a degree (and sometimes a graduate degree).
Meanwhile, universities have increased their fees to astronomical levels, far ahead of inflation, and lenders (including the universities themselves) offer easy credit to students as a means of paying these sums (for all the money they’re charging, universities are also slashing wages for their staff, mostly by sticking grad students and desperate “adjuncts” into positions that used to pay professorial wages; naturally, the austerity doesn’t extend to the CEO-class administrators, who draw CEO-grade pay).
Continue reading… “Essays on the trap of US student debt”
A virus? Really?
Wired’s Danger Room has learned that a computer virus has infected the United States’ Predator and Reaper drones. The virus is a keylogger that keeps track of every pilots’ keystroke as they perform missions over Afghanistan and other locations…
Continue reading… “US Drone Fleet infected with a virus”
Netherlands has a new outlook on alcohol.
Starting December 1st, the Netherlands will be giving their drunk drivers a holiday gift. Drivers who have been pulled over with high blood alcohol content will be given “alcolocks” to install into their cars. The device acts as a breathalyzer that can keep an engine turned off…
Continue reading… “Dutch mandates alcolocks”
Hundreds of Chinese twins, triplets and quadruplets dressed in matching outfits celebrated their rare brother-and-sisterhood over the weekend in a country where most people grew up as the only child in the family.
In a bustling park decorated with gigantic red lanterns, the Beijing Eighth Annual Twins Festival featured a parade as well as music and dance performances. At least 500 pairs of twins attended the event on the second day of China’s week-long National Day holidays…
Continue reading… “Hundreds celebrate annual Twins Festival in Beijing”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.