TREND REPORTS
(Infographic) 3 Reasons Why AI Enthusiasm Differs from the Dot-Com Bubble
[Business]
2023/12/05 09:07
Artificial intelligence, like the internet during the dot-com bubble, is getting a lot of attention these days. In the second quarter of 2023, 177 S&P 500 companies mentioned “AI” during their earnings call, nearly triple the five-year average.Not only that, companies that mentioned “AI” saw their stock price rise 13.3% from December 2022 to September 2023, compared to 1.5% for those th...
First Commercial-scale Ocean Thermal Energy Generator Slated for 2025
[Tech]
2023/12/05 09:06
Global OTEC's clean energy barge, Dominique, harvests power from the temperature differential between deep water and surface water.In an average day, tropical oceans absorb about 278 petawatt-hours of solar energy. Harvesting just 1/4000th of that energy would supply the entire world's daily electricity – and ocean thermal energy conversion provides a possible method.Harvesting energy from the...
Fast Rise of Buy Now, Pay Later Needs Close Monitoring, BIS Says
[Investing]
2023/12/05 09:05
The growing popularity of “buy now, pay later” plans poses a potential risk both to consumers and financial stability, according to the Bank for International Settlements.“Since BNPL platforms suffer from high delinquency rates, a sustained growth of these platforms would warrant monitoring of their direct and indirect links with the rest of the financial system,” researchers Giulio Cornell...
ArmorCode Raises $40M to Consolidate Security Data in One Place
[Investing]
2023/12/05 09:04
ArmorCode, a cybersecurity platform that gathers vulnerability data from connected apps and software infrastructure, consolidating the data into a single location and standardizing it for analysis, has raised $40 million in a Series B round led by HighlandX with participation from NGP Capital, Ballistic Ventures, Sierra Ventures and Cervin.Bringing ArmorCode’s total raised to $65 million, the...
From Loewe to Swarovski, hand-painted murals get a luxury upgrade
[Design]
2023/12/05 09:03
3D and anamorphic billboards have made their mark in advertising this year. But luxury brands like Loewe, Gucci, and Hermès aren’t ready to let go of the human touch. The advent of anamorphic advertising hails exciting prospects for brands. But where does it leave age-old crafts like hand-painting murals?“Hand-painted advertising has experienced a global resurgence, and its momentum, further...
(PDF) Accenture - Life Trends 2024 Report
[Consumer]
2023/12/04 09:10
The visible and invisible mediators between people and their world are changing.The harmony between people, tech and business is showing tensions, and society is in flux.Five trends explore the decline of customer obsession, the influence of generative AI, the stagnation of creativity, the balance of tech benefits and burden, and people’s new life goals.Opportunity abounds for business and bra...
A Self-Service TSA Screening Model May be Making Its Way to an Airport Near You
[Tech]
2023/12/04 09:09
A pilot program will roll out in January at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The programs are meant to expedite screening while improving safety, the DHS said in a press release.As officials at the Transportation Security Administration grapple with air travel resuming at pre-pandemic levels, the Department of Homeland Security is testing out self-service screening options.Of...
(IPO) Fashion Retailer Shein Files Confidentially for US IPO
[Investing]
2023/12/04 09:08
Fast-fashion giant Shein has filed confidential paperwork for a potential public listing in early 2024, seeking a valuation of up to $90 billion (per Bloomberg), which would make the 15-year-old company more valuable than Lululemon and H&M combined.Established in China in 2008 as ZZKKO, Shein puts the fast in fast fashion: dropping as many as 10,000 new items on its website every day, produ...
AI Could Change How Blind People See the World
[Tech]
2023/12/04 09:07
Assistive technology services are integrating OpenAI's GPT-4, using artificial intelligence to help describe objects and people.FOR HER 38TH birthday, Chela Robles and her family made a trek to One House, her favorite bakery in Benicia, California, for a brisket sandwich and brownies. On the car ride home, she tapped a small touchscreen on her temple and asked for a description of the world out...
Global Tourism Rebounds to Pre-Pandemic Levels
[Business]
2023/12/04 09:06
A time series chart showing the number of foreign visitors across regions, indexed to December 2019 levels, indicating global tourism has rebounded.Charted: Global Tourism Rebounds to 2019 LevelsLove them or hate them, tourists are back.Global tourism has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels according to data sourced from the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Report (2023)We visualize m...
(Video) Arma vs Honda : Japanese e-Scooters are Poised to Scrap Walking to Work
[Product]
2023/12/04 09:05
Arma unveils a groundbreaking foldable e-scooter, redefining urban mobility with swappable batteries and A4 paper-sized design.Arma, a Japanese personal mobility company, has unveiled its latest innovation in urban commuting with the world's smallest and lightest foldable electric scooter, the Arma. Weighing approximately 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms), the Arma is a suitcase-sized marvel that redef...
Just How Bad Is the US Cost-of-Living Squeeze? We Did the Math
[Consumer]
2023/12/04 09:04
After years of inflation, US consumers are shouldering a burden unlike anything seen in decades — even as the pace of price increases has slowed.It now requires $119.27 to buy the same goods and services a family could afford with $100 before the pandemic. Since early 2020, prices have risen about as much as they had in the full 10 years preceding the health emergency.It’s hard to find an are...
