We pulled together some of the most interesting articles we’ve read recently—and included the quotes that got us talking the most.
Get Ready For Office Ikea Furniture Hacks
From Gizmodo
“IKEA knows that its customers are already modifying furniture they buy at the stores. In some cases, sellers on Etsy and so forth are selling custom-built parts for IKEA furniture. IKEA tried to take a swipe at this burgeoning market last year by shutting down IKEAhackers.net, however the company relented after a massive backlash from fans. Now, it appears that IKEA is taking a more aggressive grab at the market.”
The Hidden Benefits of Daydreaming
From Fast Company
“Research suggests that mind wandering may not be a flaw after all. It may have important benefits when it comes to our performing the kinds of tasks that are among the most cognitively challenging to professionals: creative problem solving and long-term planning.”
Google Partners with Levi’s to Create Interactive Clothing
From Mashable
“Google’s Advanced Technology And Projects (ATAP) division announced it is partnering with Levi’s to create “interactive textiles” — wearable technology built into regular clothing.”
“‘If there’s a chance to enable the clothing we already love… to give us access to our digital world — while maintaining eye contact with the person you’re having dinner with — then that’s a project worth doing,’ [Paul Dillinger, Levi’s Head of Global Production] said.”
Attention White Collar Workers: The Robots Are Coming For Your Jobs
From NPR
“Right now it’s the more routine formulaic jobs — jobs that are predictable, the kinds of jobs where you tend to do the same kinds of things again and again — those jobs are really being heavily impacted. But it’s important to realize that that could change in the future. We already see a number of areas, like a program that was able to produce a symphony, where computers are beginning to exhibit creativity — they can actually create new things from scratch.”