An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth – it’s not the principle that most modern justice systems are founded upon, but it's the basic concept behind a new effort by residents of the St. Pauli nightlife district in Hamburg who are combatting public urination with walls that splash back. Community group IG St. Pauli is coating some of the area's...
We are noticing a trend in which companies across the industrial spectrum are lining up to offer the voice-activated services that futuristic films have been promising us for years. The goal of this technology is to offer us as much functionality as possible, for the least effort imaginable. Just say the word and it's done. One example of this...
While a fad arrives quickly and then disappears just as fast, trends are far more durable. As a musical genre, electronica in general, and danceable techno in particular, is a trend that has now been with us for over 30 years. It’s official: techno is part of the musical establishment. Further proof, if it were needed is evidenced by the new...
Oxygen bars are so last year. Or are they? While they never took off the way regular booze bars have, oxygen bars have persisted as a fun novelty (and pseudo-scientific health treatment) in tourist spots worldwide. Now the trend is getting an upgrade in the form of an underwater oxygen bar in Cozumel, Mexico. Known as the “Clear Lounge,” this...
We are often asked whether trends just happen, or if it is possible to manufacture them. While most unfold organically, without conscious intervention, many others are the result of a concerted effort of a person, company or government. While many food trends may seem to magically appear from nowhere, the truth is that many governments are...
Amazon has long been at the forefront of innovative marketing and shipping ideas, from delivery drones to shipping products to local warehouses when customers are only starting to consider ordering them. However, neither of these novel ideas address one of the most recurrent issues for online retailers – failed deliveries due to "last mile"...
Hotels have been upgrading their fitness facilities for a while now, in response to a demand from travelers who are increasingly looking for top-notch gyms on the road that can compete with the facilities they enjoy at home. Gyms are proving to be such an important amenity with guests that we are now seeing the launch of hotel brands that...
Uber is the darling of the so-called sharing economy, expanding globally and now said to be valued at over $40 billion. Not surprisingly, many other companies are creating similar business models that follow in the company's footsteps. Whether or not Uber itself turns out to be a trend or a fad, it's way of doing business is a trend that will...
In 2015 the New York State Supreme Court granted two chimpanzees a writ of habeas corpus, essentially giving them rights that, until now, have only been accorded to humans. Similar rulings have happened in other places, including the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain, that granted legal personhood rights to all great apes;...
A confluence of unrelated events is resulting in a perfect storm that is funneling large numbers of South Korean grandparents to Europe. General increases in air travel worldwide, a drop in oil prices, shifts that have left the euro struggling and the won reveling in the new order, and a hugely popular TV show about elderly Korean backpackers...