Twisting the news – 39th edition

If you are trying to reach millenials, be that to buy your product, engage them, convince them to vote for you, you should see the infographic Goldman Sachs made. This is the largest generation in the US, more numerous than baby boomers and chances are that at a certain point in your life you will have to talk to this generation. They are things we knew more or less: millenials do not like to commit, they prefer access to ownership, they like technology because they grew up with it. I will continue with my usual warning: be ware, not all millenials all born equal and with the same preferences, use the data in order to profile them.

Following the scandal at Volkswagen and the problems with Renault, the EU wants to change its policies that regulate the auto sector for better control.  Remaining in the auto industry, Hyundai, the world’s fifth biggest car manufacturer, reported the lowest profit in 5 years. 

Twisting the news – 37th edition

Let’s skip the fact that it’s Monday again, let’s go directly to the news: what happened during the weekend, which are the announcements and predictions for this week. It looks like we’re finally accepting that we’re back on track and we stopped summarizing what happened last year and finally moving on, eager or less eager to see what awaits in 2016.

It is the widespread general opinion that Uber belongs to a niche of tech aware millenials but it now seems that Uber is becoming mainstream, being more popular than taxis even among businessmen.

Twisting the news – 28th edition

I’m not yet done discussing trends, but first, I’m going to leave you with a few examples of how the trends mentioned yesterday are already happening, and later on we’re going to discuss some other trends.

We’ve previously mentioned AI, and this is what is already happening at CES 2016: “Machine learning systems are getting upgraded with personalized interfaces that enable people to naturally communicate to accomplish tasks and even have simulated conversations. AIpowered algorithms and contextual understanding allow these platforms to more intimately know their users over time, enabling responsive recommendations and predictive actions. ” (source: PSFK report). Also, I’ve been playing with this which is an AI algorithm that predicts your age, etc. There’s one from Microsoft too: Project Oxford. It seems humans have a new toy, and they are invisible robots, algorithms as we call them.

Twisting the news – 27th edition

So, welcome 2016. Not in my best shape as I’m struggling with a cold, but there’s fun in the struggle. So, with my face almost entirely covered in tissues, with my red eyes, I present you the news, the history and the prognosis for 2016.

What will happen in tech? I’ll sum it up for you: sensors will be more and more present in our day to day life. They will gather even more data about us, which will make AI even more intuitive and relevant. Not necessarily in 2016,

Twisting the news – 26th edition

In the early days of my childhood we used to play a game called ducks and hunters, will kids in 5 years time play humans and robots? Not necessarily, we could make friends with robots, we already do, AI keeps us company in our smartphones. A percentage of our work is already automated, we use algorithms, we use some of the big data, but there’s more:

source: hbr.org

Look what’s happening in the banking sector: Banks are starting to look at Marijuana.  How come?

The Infrastructure will be online

China is a bubble. No, China is actually the world bank now. No, China is stagnating. No, China is becoming the world’s leading economy. Arguments on whether China is or will be the dominant economy. Long before China was even the topic for this discussion, one could see the course of action: China was to become an important economy, while the next developing countries would be African. I’m still willing to make this bet. I know about that hypothesis in which India will be the next boom, but I see Africa as being more dynamic, and I see both China and the US cooperating into creating Africa as the next market. Let’s move on to our topic today: Facebook will deliver internet access to sub Saharan Africa. 

Designed in San Francisco, sold in Africa

While Apple and Samsung have relied on the Chinese growth, some other companies are looking for other markets. I have previously explained that China is a tough market: half government controlled, so called free market where the massive state PR machine can interfere at any moment. It happened to Apple and many other companies. Meanwhile, some other companies are looking towards the African horizon.

Meet Obi. Obi is a company founded by former Apple CEO John Sculley

Internet.org

Today is about Facebook again. Today Facebook announced a new app: Internet.org. Internet.org was first announced as Facebook’s plan to deliver internet to third world countries and isolated territories. Back then it was about drones. Drones were to be used as satellites offering internet to secluded areas with no access to information. However, the plan changed. Internet.org became an app that makes the internet accesible to more people. It will be first launched in Zambia. It offers free access to health, employment and local information and, of course, Facebook (AccuWeather, Airtel, EZeLibrary, Facebook, Facts for Life, Google Search, Go Zambia jobs, Kokoliko, MAMA, Mesenger, Wikipedia, WRAPP and ZAmbia uReport are the places where free online access is granted. This is how it looks like.

China and Africa, win-win

Despite all skeptics, China will soon be recognized as world’s new leading economy. In some aspects first, in others second, we could all agree, China is rising and making its way to the top. China has been learning how to act like a world leading economy. Take the new Sudanese crisis. Sudan is the source for an important percentage of China’s natural resources supplies. The African matters, very difficult matters I might add considering UN’s numerous failures, are a good training camp for China’s new role regarding the world order.

China’s economy is very much based on manufacturing. However, for the last 4 months China manufacturing has been constantly falling. There are some, somewhat crazy, somewhat interesting correlations being made between skyscrapers and financial crisis.  Some of the world’s tallest buildings are being built right now. Also, China’s wealthiest man sold all his businesses in China. China reported its official PMI (Purchase Manager’s Index)

I (don’t) hate to say it, but…I told you so! (on world economy)

It has been here for years, but now we’re acknowledging it. I saw it coming and I have to brag. No, I’m no Nostradamus or other fortuneteller. So I’ll say it again, so that, when it is go actually going to happen,  I can tell you: “but I told you so, so many times”. So, China will become the world leading economy which means manufacturing in China for mass consumption will be too expensive which means many companies will have moved their manufacturing units to Africa. No, you will not wake up tomorrow and see it happening, but it will happen. Forbes  Magazine features and entitled: Africa the New Asia? No, it is not a prediction, it a fact: Marriott International is planning to buy Protea Hospitality of Cape Town, South Africa which holds units in South Africa, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, thus investing $200 million.