Object sensors, arctic power, and wind phones
June 7, 2024
Welcome to this 128th issue of our newsletter “Weak Signals and other Trends”.
Each week, I personally 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.
You can subscribe to this (roughly) bi-weekly newsletter here to get it directly by mail.
I have prepared this newsletter this week from Vancouver, Canada. This is what I noticed this week, thank you for sharing with those who look into the future.
Estelle.
Competitive Intelligence
Using bets to gather market/hive intelligence. Wi-Fi devices set to become object sensors by 2024. analysis. Arc, a new browser. Using machine learning to assess the livelihood impact of electricity access. Enumerate and gain access to IP cameras. Google is overhauling its search results page. Data Visualization of the Most Common PIN Numbers.
Strategic blindspots and business models
Looking at the familiar with “alien eyes” allows you to unlock new business model opportunities while avoiding risks stemming from strategic blindspots. This section also is about the risks we miss.
Amazon makes GrubHub+ a permanent Prime subscription benefit. Homeowners Face Rising Insurance Rates Amid Costly Climate Change Disasters. Five ways criminals are using AI. Insurers make record-breaking loss as space gets cramped. The Floating Traffic Jam. Nestle to launch Vital Pursuit frozen-food brand targeting GLP-1 users.
Our future
Gen-Z students are choosing a trade over college. Older Venezuelans turn to online gig work amid economic crisis. How New Science Fiction Could Help Us Improve AI. Quiet Vacationing. Europe’s New Power Map. ‘Digital Twin’ Technology Harnesses Biology and Computing to Power Personalized Medicine. The Ministry of Low Birth Rate.
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?
Banning junk fees. Alzheimer’s Takes a Financial Toll Long Before Diagnosis. Nike signs boxer Cindy Ngamba as its first refugee athlete. Lead in Beethoven’s Hair . Selling Her Bathwater. Bracelet of silence. Nike ISPA’s futuristic new poncho doubles as a tent. Uber's lost-and-found items. In Amsterdam, green grocery baskets indicate shoppers are open to chatting with strangers. Wind phones.
Book a speaking engagement about weak signals and emerging trends.
On our radar
I will be wrapping up my mandate as the chair of the board of Nortera this month, but will still try to figure out what is happening to the future of agro and food: The next food marketing blitz is aimed at people on new weight-loss drugs. AI in Precision Agriculture: Optimizing Crop Yield Through Data-Driven Insights. Vegetables are losing their nutrients. Can the decline be reversed? What If Ozempic Cost $1.00? Will Billions More in New Aid Save Family Farms? Underfunded & overlooked? Ag startups need govt support. Target looks to keep up with faster food and beverage trends. Store Brands Are Filling Up More of Your Shopping Cart. Feeling Consumers’ Pain, Retailers Bring Back Discounts. Legumes have a high return on investment in terms of protein per dollar spent: $0.50-1 for 20-30g of protein.
Down the rabbit hole
This section highlights a subject that led me to many useful threads, or a single site, that opened many doors: “A rabbit hole is not a distraction. A rabbit hole is your brain trying to tell you to pay attention to something you’re curious about. Ignore algorithmic rabbit holes” ( by are.na):
This week, I explored this pepiniere of weak signals.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths
Chinese Keyboards: A Forgotten History. What is pink noise? The Meaning of the Word ‘Nostalgia’ Traced in The Times. The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world. Advancing Engineered Plant Living Materials.
Meaningful numbers
7- Prospective data centres in the US wait as long as seven years to get the supply of power they need.
1.54- Finnish tech firm Metroc uses prison labor for data labeling to train a language model, paying prisoners 1.54 euros an hour due to the shortage of affordable Finnish-speaking workers.
Feeling good
An Instagram account full of the amazing, designed-for-hiding-stains fabric patterns for public transportation seating. Listening to sand. Relaxing Short Stories to Help You Sleep.
Share your favorite issues of the newsletter, or send friends - or random strangers…
And do not miss the next issue:
Thanks for reading Weak signals and other trends!
Contact me at Competia with your feedback or ideas. Thank you for reading.