I’ve been a big fan of John Biggs for a long time now. He’s the East Coast Editor for TechCrunch. John is also a fellow geek, global speaker and prolific writer on emerging tech and also fiction and non-fiction books. on top of it all, he’s the host of the popular Technotopia podcast. Recently, John and I were speaking about the future of AI, autonomous driving and other disruptive technologies. As a result, we turned it into an episode for…
SnapChat Changes Name and Focus; Snap, Inc. Now a Digital Lifestyle Company
SnapChat officially changed its name to Snap, Inc. as the company restyles itself from a one-[major] hit app company into a digital lifestyle brand. To mark the occasion, Snap, Inc. introduced Spectacles, fashion and tech-forward sunglasses that record 10-second clips, which can then be uploaded to SnapChat Memories via wifi. Following the Apple playbook, Snap, Inc. also designed a fashionable case that doubles as a charger. Spectacles will be available this Fall and will cost $130. Spectacles are the result…
Uber Loses $1.2 Billion by Q2 2016: The Hard Costs of Innovation and Disruption
Goodbye sharing economy, hello to the on-demand economy… Bloomberg’s Eric Newcomer reported that on a recently Uber quarterly call with shareholders, the company’s head of finance, Guatam Gupta announced that Uber’s losses continue to escalate. Total losses in the first half of 2016 totaled an astounding $1.2 billion. According to Bloomberg’s sources, there are several reasons for this. For one, subsidies for Uber’s drivers are responsible for the majority of the company’s losses globally. On top of that, Uber has been investing billions…
Why I Study Disruptive Technology AND People
Sometimes I struggle with trying to stay present and relevant. There are so many thought leaders and personalities with exceptional marketing behind them. All I can do is share my work and hope it finds and helps you in your work. Every now and then, I open my door to personal interviews. I did just that for Kimberly McSweeney. I wanted to share that discussion with you here… Why do you study technology and its impact on society? What first sparked your…
Where the Streets Have No Drivers: Mercedes-Benz and Its Autonomous Future
As part of my ongoing research on innovation, I’ve been on a quest to visit as many innovation centers in Silicon Valley and around the hen weorld as possible. Outside of my reports with Capgemini, I’m going to share those experiences with you as they happen. The list already includes Westfield, Levi’s, Target, Walmart, Sephora, among many others. So, there’s a backlog of experiences to publish. In this post, I wanted to share two recent experiences with Mercedes-Benz and my introduction to…
The Opposite of Change is Conformity: A framework for driving meaningful digital transformation
Digital transformation is a buzzword. On top of that, the term digital transformation causes debate amongst those working in or studying the field and confusion among everyone else. But at the same time, digital transformation is also one of the most promising and impactful trends in business (r)evolution today. Why? It carries with it the ability to modernize how businesses work, market and serve. And more so, digital transformation offers a unique glimpse into how disruptive technologies are affecting human behavior, expectations and values. It has…
26 Disruptive Tech Trends for 2016 – 2018
Each year at this time, I read all of the predictions for the new year plus the “top X” lists wrapping out the previous year. Add to that the first week of chaos that is CES and all of the new tech debuting in Las Vegas. And each year, I’m left wanting more substance as I plan my research. So, in 2015, I officially threw my hat into the mix with my inaugural look at “25 Disruptive Technology Trends in 2015 –…
The Twitter Diaries: Wall St. vs. Main St. and Why an Algorithm isn’t the Problem
Twitter is automating (part of) its timeline via an algorithm. Cue the panic! Signal the backlash. Twitter’s new timeline is making investor buy and sell, inciting a media storm and ironically thousands of Tweets questioning the future of social media’s loveable yet difficult-to-categorize social/broadcast network. This has culminated into a ominous theme #RIPTwitter with many citing that the “end is near.” What Twitter is Introducing Twitter introduced an upgrade to its beloved (and oft misunderstood) timeline that is rolling out to all users…
The Internet of Things Connects the Future of Business
The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most incredible feats of modern technology. With the right vision and architecture, IoT will bring to life new possibilities and experiences. It’s also one of the most confusing and ambiguous. To make sense of it all and specifically understand how IoT applies to business, I assembled a short list of examples of companies successfully employing this new web in interesting applications. Why is IoT so mystifying? First, it’s the name. The…
The Future of Retail: Stop Iterating and Start Innovating
The team at OneStop invited me to Los Angeles to speak to a wonderful group of digital marketers, etailer/retailer, search and commerce strategists. Among the many things I’m studying and speaking about these days, the future of retail is fascinating to me personally and professionally. The future of retail isn’t just about new technology, the latest gadgets and all of the incredible startups that are pushing retail, commerce and everything else forward. It’s also shaped by connected/mobile customers who are more…
