Zone’s Ross Basham handpicks and shares the five best new stories on digital trends, experiences and technologies…
1. Snapchat hailed as most innovative company
Influential US business magazine Fast Company has revealed its 50 most innovative companies in the world for 2020. Top of the pile is Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, which was thought to be ailing in 2018 but recovered dramatically last year (despite Facebook basically copying all of Snapchat’s innovations).
In second place is Microsoft, thanks to the success of workplace messaging app Teams, which has overtaken Slack and is used by 91 of the US’s 100 largest companies. Rounding off the top three is Tesla, which broke into the mass-market last year with its electric cars and is now going after the Chinese market.
2. Web not working for women, says founder
Web founder Tim Berners-Lee has said that “the web isn’t working for women and girls” in his annual open letter. Berners-Lee warned that lack of access and the threat of online harassment was fuelling abuse and discrimination against women and girls, particularly those of colour, from LGBTQ+ communities and other minority groups.
Research by the Web Foundation has found that over half of young women have experienced violence online, including being sexually harassed and sent threatening messages. Berners-Lee has urged governments and tech companies to engage more deeply with the work done by women’s rights organisations.
3. Implants could charge using sound waves
Electronic implants such as pacemakers are already a big part of modern medicine. But charging these devices isn’t simple, when it potentially involves a surgical procedure to locate the implant and replace the battery. Researchers in a Saudi Arabian university are developing a new method of charging implants through the skin using sound waves.
They are using a soft, biocompatible hydrogel material that’s able to absorb sound waves passed through the body from the outside. Early tests have shown it is possible to use a range of ultrasonic devices to rapidly charge an electrical device buried within several centimetres of tissue in the form of beef.
4. Chrome tool shows devs visual deficiencies
Google has launched a new accessibility tool to help Chrome developers fine-tune their websites for users with visual deficiencies such as colour-blindness and blurred vision. Devs can now use the tool to simulate how these users experience their site and adjust their code accordingly to resolve contrast issues.
Last November a study by Accessibe.com found that 98% of 10 million web pages failed to comply with the World Wide Web Consortium’s accessibility guidelines. So, given that Chrome accounts for about two-thirds of the world’s browser market, this is certainly a step in the right direction.
5. Amazon offers till-less tech to rival stores
Two years after launching till-less technology in its own Go Grocery chain, Amazon is offering it to other high street shops. In Go Grocery, shoppers scan a smartphone app when they arrive and are charged to their Amazon accounts. For other retailers, they will register a payment card on entry and their Amazon account isn’t involved.
The system involves hundreds of cameras and sensors that track shoppers around the store, and can distinguish between browsing and keeping products for purchase. According to Amazon: “We only collect the data needed to provide shoppers with an accurate receipt.” Probably best to screenshot that quote…
