Futurist Thomas Frey: Fifteen years ago in an article I wrote for The Futurist Magazine, I made the prediction that once we had talking computers, we would soon have downloadable personalities to create a more human-like experience. I went on to suggest that most of us would actually download multiple personalities so we could interact with the right persona at any given moment.
Continue reading… “Downloadable Personalities for Your Computer”
One of the blast sites on Boylston Street near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon.
There is a lot of restless energy surging through the web.A legion of Internet investigators are scrutinizing every available photo of the Boston Marathon finish line, searching for clues that will help nab a killer. At Reddit, Imgur and a zillion blogs, notes are being shared, theories propounded — and, without question, innocent people are getting slandered.
Santiago Swallow
One of the most famous people that no one has heard of is Santiago Swallow. His Twitter profile shows a handsome man with high cheekbones and dirty blond, collar-length hair. Next to his name is one of social media’s most prized possessions, Twitter’s blue “verified account” checkmark. Underneath it are numbers to make many in the online world jealous: Santiago Swallow has tens of thousands of followers. Swallow sends tweets that are cryptic nuggets of wisdom that unroll like scrolls from digital fortune cookies: “Before you lose weight, find hope,” says one. Another: “To write is to live endlessly.”
Facebook fans have jumped almost 30 percent in value since 2010. In fact, social marketing firm Syncapse says they could be worth hundreds of dollars each, depending on the industry and company.
Continue reading… “Facebook fans jump up 30% in value since 2010”
The Delight
It’s a hard job in developed countries to maintain a safe, clean network of public toilets is where most people have other places to go to the bathroom. In countries like India, with limited facilities and a big “floating population,” it’s doubly difficult. Facilities easily get damaged and misused, and quickly become no-go places. (Video)
Continue reading… “The Delight – an automated public toilet system being installed throughout India”
Demand for gourmet cupcakes exploded in the early 2000’s.
The gourmet cupcake became a cultural and economic phenomenon over the last ten years, with gourmet cupcake shops proliferating across the country, selling increasingly elaborate and expensive concoctions.
Hollywood’s scripts always call for a protagonist. Margin Call has none.
Raymond Alvarez: The film Margin Call has to be regarded as a distorted reflection of reality. Just as Michael Douglas stood before a soon-to-be-fired audience in Oliver Stone’s Wall Street, declared greed good, rationalization has become a mainstay. At the end of the day, we’re just cannon fodder.
Continue reading… “The dark hours before the storm: “Margin Call””
Comparing salaries among colleagues has long been a taboo of workplace chatter,
Brian Bader said at the orientation for a tech-support job with Apple Inc. that human-resources managers ran down the list of guidelines workers were expected to follow. Don’t use explicit language on calls with customers. Treat other employees with respect. And, he says, they told the assembled recruits, don’t discuss your pay with co-workers.
An artist’s rendition of a Mars One colony.
Martian colonization non-profit, Mars One, will begin accepting applications in July from people who want to colonize Mars, Space.com reports. The applications must be in video form and applicants have to pay a fee (the company told Space.com that it was to weed out insincere candidates).
Continue reading… “Mars One to begin accepting applications in July for 2023 mission”
How we pay taxes.
Taxes are complicated. There are a lot of numbers involved. But that’s where graphs help answer the biggest questions: Where do our tax dollars come from? Where do they go? Who pays how much? How has it changed over time?
What does “I’m busy” really mean?
Janet Choi, CCO of iDone This, writes on her company blog, “going on about how busy you are isn’t conversation and doesn’t lead anywhere except making your conversation partner bored, or worse, peeved.”
Minister Marco Antonio Raupp releases the Start-up Brazil program.
The government in Brazil is offering foreign companies visas and funding to relocate to South America. Startup Brasil is a new program offering up to $78 million in investment for domestic and foreign high-tech companies. Firms that participate would have to relocate to Brazil and hire local employees; disbursement of funds would take place through a series of government-subsidized accelerators concentrated in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero. One of the participating accelerators, 21212, also has a New York office.
Continue reading… “Startup Brasil – Brazil offers foreign startups visas and funding”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
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