Welcome to this 54th issue of our newsletter “Weak Signals and other Trends”. Each week, I sift through hundreds of sources of inspiration to track where we’re heading. If you are a new subscriber to this newsletter, take the time to send me a note and introduce yourself, I love to understand who is reading.
Join us on Clubhouse to discuss how to interpret some of those trends and weak signals most Saturdays at 9 am EST (we’re on tomorrow).
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This is what I noticed this week, thank you for sharing this newsletter to those who look into the future.
Competitive Search and Analysis
Custom search engines. Reddit-only Google Search. Best public Google docs. de🔸digger find public files in Google Drive.
Strategic blindspots
Looking at the familiar with “alien eyes” allows you to unlock new business model opportunities while avoiding risks stemming from strategic blindspots.
The threatcasting lab. Can Uber become a travel superapp? Should government take over Baseball? Kroger launches restaurant supply business. A world of few children. Why Is NYC Kellogg’s Diner Selling Food Under 18 Different Restaurant Names ? Art as an investment class. CNN+ Streaming Service Will Shut Down Weeks After Its Start. 'Martha Stewart Living' Ends 32-Year Run In Print. The size of the metaverse. In a Junk Funk. These net-zero, backyard tiny houses generate extra power to help pay for themselves.
We have scheduled the dates for 2022 for our “Advanced Analysis”course . Our next course will be offered in an hybrid format on June 9-10 ( online - or in person in Montreal). Registrations are now open.
Our future
Could high-flying kites power your home? United Nations Advances Strategic Foresight. Funding the Third Horizon. Ancestry will tell you which genetics came from which parent. Funding for long-term-oriented people and projects. Foundation models. Hospital Robots Are Helping Combat a Wave of Nurse Burnout. Ceilings & Walls that Achieve the Extraordinary. Smart mirror can guess your size. U.K. regulators will allow autonomous cars to become living rooms. What is "cleanical" skincare? Scientists hope to broadcast DNA and Earth’s location for curious aliens. The holographic doctor.
We keep you updated on those trends and more on Twitter.
Weak signals
Weak signals are indicators of a change, a trend or an emerging risk that might become significant for the future. They allow us to run hypothesis, expand our thinking, and challenge assumptions. How will you interpret those in your industry or field of expertise?
'Finfluencers' could face up to 5 years in prison. Emotional escape rooms. Ed Sheeran ‘Films Songwriting Sessions’ After Shape Of You’ Lawsuit. New demand for personal chefs. Snoop Dogg is becoming a streaming mogul. Last year, vinyl records surpassed CD sales for the first time in a very long time. The gig workers fighting back against the algorithms. Why are dolls so pervasive in popular culture right now? In-depth analysis. Amazon faces shareholder vote on treatment of warehouse workers. Metaverse Company to Offer Immortality Through ‘Live Forever’ Mode.
Join us to discuss those trends and signals every Saturday at 9am EST on Clubhouse. We have a panel of futurists that illustrate what those signals might mean, and a fantastic group of curious minds in the room.
Down the rabbit hole
This section highlights a subject that lead me to many useful threads, or a single site, that opened many doors.
This week, I went down the rabbit hole into this site that covers computer security guidelines purported to be written for the Department of Defense from the 1980's to the 1990's and various hacking techniques : Colorbooks.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths …
Why do ships get stuck? A day in the life of (almost) every vending machine in the world. The Vibe Shift. A Retrospective of Science Fiction Prototyping. The Legend of the Music Tree. Mechanical engineers put an Oreo’s cream filling through a battery of tests to understand what happens when two wafers are twisted apart. Use the keyboard. Zoom’s thumbs-up and now works in its desktop apps. Micronations. What to listen to if you want to focus.
Feeling Good
Where are planes flying? Gear generators. How much time has passed. Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe. The kettle companion. Parking your Millenium Falcon. Aerobrowse Mars. Worldpress winners. Type hunting.
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Contact me at Competia with your feedback or ideas. Thank you for reading.