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AI tries to save the publishing industry
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Hollywood gets caught up in IP
The Future. Buzzy books, articles, comics, and podcasts were hot commodities all summer, with film and TV rights (especially TV) being the only dealmaking that could happen while writers and actors were (and still are on, as far as actors go) strike. Some believe all the dealmaking is a strike bubble that could pop as […]
Apple may use its Vision Pro headset to track mental health
The Future. Company insiders say Apple is working on using the mixed-reality device’s cameras and sensors to diagnose mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. That’s a major leap in functionality that still needs to undergo significant clinical testing, governmental approval, and privacy assurances before it can be used that way. But with mental […]
BeReal is real dead
The Future. BeReal’s moment seems to already be over, with usage cratering 61% this year (which BeReal disputes). BeReal was what many expected it to be: a trend. And that’s because social media is really good at three things: connection, entertainment, and stalking. BeReal’s sidestepping of those three tenants may have built an expiration date […]
Automattic wants to be the king of texts
The Future. Software company Automattic has acquired message-aggregation platform Texts, making messaging a central part of its business. With support for DMs becoming the hottest new trend in social media, Automattic could provide both an easy solution for managing various apps and a potential way to actually monetize private communication. Universal messageThe company behind WordPress, […]
Normal Phenomena of Life debuts a jacket made with bacteria
The Future. Biotech fashion brand Normal Phenomena of Life (NPOL) is using synthetic biology to create one-of-a-kind clothing. It’s not just a greener way to make luxury pieces but also a comment on the indistinguishability of mass-produced clothing. As the fashion industry wrestles with its emissions, products from cutting-edge companies like NPOL or innovative mainstays […]
Gen Z goes rural
The Future. Gen Z is increasingly moving to the Midwest and mountainous states in search of cheaper homes, more opportunities, and a simpler life. While much of the migration of the last century was focused on filling up industry center metros and suburban sprawl, the next century may be all about building up the frontier […]
Power Trip amps up a fancy Coachella
The Future. Power Trip, a heavy metal and hard rock music festival featuring bands like Metallica, AC/DC, and Guns N’ Roses, rocked Indio, California (the home of Coachella and Stagecoach) earlier this month. By many accounts, it was a hit — both musically and logistically. With recent festival disasters clogging up the headlines, no-drama weekends […]
Haunted houses scare up good business
The Future. Haunted houses — from the state-of-the-art professionals to the mom-and-pop bootstraps — are getting bigger and better. And audiences are showing up in droves. The phenomenon speaks volumes about the power of horror entertainment and the desire for people to have communal experiences. And with Universal starting Halloween Horror Nights earlier in the […]
Customers want to return self-checkout
The Future. Self-checkout kiosks haven’t turned out to be the time-and-cost-saving wonder they were hailed to be, reflecting the larger disinvestment in the shopping experience. The problem is, the technology exists between traditional customer service and future tech-powered optimization. So, the future of retail may be just walking out of the store with items à […]