Cities
Can politics keep up with the rise of high-tech cities? (via The New Scientist)
New technologies are fast changing urban living. We're questioning what we can do to ensure that government and citizen-run projects keep up with the pace of private firms.
Mobile banking & payments
2015 Gates annual letter (via The Gates Foundation)
Bill and Melinda Gates have made a 'big bet' on mobile banking. The ubiquity of mobile phones and the marginal cost of processing digital transactions continues make financial services more efficient.
Mobile app payments now represent 16 of all Starbucks transactions (via Fast Company)
Starbucks is leading the mobile payment pack, now averaging more than 7 million mobile transactions in store each week, and soon to roll out their mobile ordering service.
Big Data
Counting better does not always mean knowing better (via Sci Dev Net)
How big data can help bridge gaps where national statistical offices fail to respond to the growing need for data in developing countries.
How big data battles human trafficking (via U.S. News)
From services for victims to prosecuting offenders, new technologies are being utilised to address exploitation. But the power of big data for social impact is really predicting the crisis.
Sharing Economy
How the sharing economy will impact marketing (via Tech Crunch)
The rise of a marketing marketplace, which introduces brands to a diversity of professionals, in house, at scale .
The internet
Google's Eric Schmidt predicts the Internet will disappear (via Tech Times)
Feels like we're not far away from the Internet being a "part of your presence all the time..."