5 November 2018

H:F Newsletter 5 November 2018

Drop it like it’s hot – Coal Drops Yard now open

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1. Time of the signs: Starbucks opens deaf-friendly store

When they’re not busy being the poster child of excessive sugar consumption and tax avoidance, Starbucks is doing something really grande. The coffee giant has opened its first signing store in Washington DC this month. All employees are fluent in sign language, the interior is designed to celebrate deaf culture and ease navigation, and employees even have Starbucks embroidered on their aprons in ASL. Another beverage giant that’s upping the inclusivity is Johnnie Walker, redesigning its iconic Striding Man logo to feature some diverse striding people. Stride on Johnnie.

2. Something you'll never want to see the low battery sign on

Remember when people used to scoff at electric cars? “It’ll never catch on!”, they guffawed between sips of gasoline and cigars made of Brazilian rainforest. The future has officially arrived as EasyJet announced they will launch the first commercial electric planes by 2019. Supposedly 50% quieter and 10% cheaper, the announcement comes at a time when fossil fuels are set to fall out of fashion and rise in cost. Transport that’s trying a bit too hard? Pizza Hut’s hydrogen delivery truck with robotic kitchen. Pizza no-no.

3. Beam me up proffy

What does £9,250 a year cover for university students these days? Apparently not even a lecturer. Imperial College London announced they will be the first academic body to invest in hologram tech so speakers can be beamed into lecture halls from afar. As well as being a less disruptive means to get worldwide talent to the masses, it also means lecturers can be beamed into several halls at once and be recorded for later use. However, students hoping to beam themselves out of bed will have to keep dreaming as the tech still costs a few thousands pounds for each run of streaming. Looks like Grandma died again.

4. Some art that probably won't shred itself

Love might be in the bin but fear not, a new controversial art sale is here to take its place in the spotlight. Edmond de Belamy is the first algorithmically generated painting to be sold at auction for a cool $432,000. Obvious Agency are the proud parents of the work created using the GAN algorithm and raw data from 15,000 portraits from the 14^th and 20^th centuries. The tech comprises of a generator that creates the new image from input, and a discriminator that reviews the end result till it can’t be distinguished from the real deal. Leads to an algorithmically generated newsletter bot will be rewarded.

5. Don't leave me: retail's new habitat

Is it a restaurant? Is it a supermarket? Retail innovation lab? Third space community? Multi-sensory tech-enabled experience? If you selected all the above, consider yourself the recipient of some good old-fashioned self-congratulation. Habitat by Honestbee is a 60,000 square foot space in Panjang, Indonesia that’ll make your Sunday morning trip to Morrisons look like watching paint dry. Some of the nifty features include a scan-and-go app that allows shoppers to choose their groceries, auto-pay and even have them auto-packed. Meaning they’re free to enjoy one of the restaurants, bars or workshops whilst their order is fulfilled (by overhead conveyor belts no less), and sent a text when ready. Just don’t have too much of a good time – Vienetta waits for no man.

6. At least someone in London can find housing

The dreary commute, lack of affordable housing, disparate sources of pollen. It’s tough being a city bee. MaliArts has designed a series of mini-hives for solitary city bees who, despite not belonging to a colony, are potentially the most efficient pollinators in nature. Refugio is something of an insect hotel, consisting of a shelter, waterer and feeder (Premier Inn eat your heart out) designed for 90% of bees who are urbanised. Another helping hand for nature comes in the form of the TP Project (abbreviated for obscenity). Bio-artist Kuang-Yi Ku creates lab-grown animal parts typically used in traditional Chinese medicine, in a bid to stop the endangerment of wild and exotic species. Poachers eat your heart out.