Category Archives: apartment living

apartment living, bathroom, bedroom, innovation, internet of things, kitchen, robots, technology, the home, voice technology

Apple to Expand Smart-Home Lineup, Taking On Amazon and Google

The Cupertino, California-based technology giant has struggled in the home space and has ceded much of the market to its rivals. Its current devices remain limited in their functionality, with Apple’s Siri voice-control service lagging behind Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant. The new devices — along with upcoming changes to Siri — are aimed at turning around Apple’s fortunes.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-18/apple-to-expand-smart-home-lineup-taking-on-amazon-and-google
apartment living, culture mapping, forecasting, language, ngram, semiotics, society, the home

Our Homes reveal the story of culture…. Do You Really Want a New Kitchen Counter?

A home plays two essential roles for many people: It’s the place you live your day-to-day life, and it’s the single most important asset you’ll ever have. Housing has served these dual purposes for much of the country’s history, but over the past 50 years in particular, as rising home values have far outpaced wage growth, Americans have begun to stake their financial future even more heavily on their home. If you’re one of the nearly two-thirds of adults in this country who own a home, it’s pretty likely that its potential sale price is a major factor in your long-term financial stability, even if you don’t plan to sell anytime soon.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/11/lifestyle-media-home-improvement-trends-obsession/672168/?utm_source=twitter&utm_term=2022-11-18T12%3A30%3A55&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social

Our homes reveal the story of culture…

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/timstock_culture-mapping-home-activity-6996893104473579520-erMj?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

apartment living, architecture, cities, health, privacy, retail, the home, urban planning, voice technology, work

What Does the Future of Work Sound Like?

Before the pandemic, two-thirds of U.S. office workers were in open office environments filled with bad acoustics and distracting noises from loud group meetings, phone and video calls, watercooler chatter, and the clicking of keyboards. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Made Music Studio’s research shows that companies can improve employees’ workplace experiences — by creating a sense of privacy, masking bad noise, and enhancing mood, focus, and even productivity — through the right use of sound.

https://sloanreview-mit-edu.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/sloanreview.mit.edu/article/what-does-the-future-of-work-sound-like/amp

apartment living, cities, health, living room, robots, surveillance, sustainability, the home

This bird-shaped monitor drops dead when your indoor air is bad

Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, where the air can be 5 to 10 times more polluted than the worst outdoor air. Bad indoor air, including high levels of CO2, has been linked with fatigue, headaches, and even respiratory diseases, all of which could be alleviated by airing out your home. That’s why two designers created Canairi: a minimalist monitor that nudges you to open the window without using blinking lights, warning sounds, or phone notifications. And no, there’s no app; just simple, intuitive design.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90747448/this-bird-shaped-monitor-drops-dead-when-your-indoor-air-is-bad
apartment living, architecture, cities, forecasting, internet of things, the home, urban planning, virtual reality, work

Cities and the Metaverse (National League of Cities)

Cities are the places where people come together, live, love, work and play. Human connection is one of the most critical components of day-to-day life. Much of the world quickly learned how to connect with one another and access services in virtual environments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we lacked the ideal tools for connecting in this way. Zoom meetings, Google Chat and good old fashioned phone calls provide a poor simulation of the physical world. What if a true simulation of our physical world could be recreated in a virtual manner? What value would this bring to people’s lives, what challenges would it present, and would it ultimately prove to be a net positive for cities?

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apartment living, cities, the home, work

Birch and the future of ‘work near home’

Birch’s founders Chris King and Chris Penn have thought long and hard about how the hotel can cater to travellers while embracing the ‘new normal’ after being forced to postpone their initial launch due to the pandemic. Wellness and events have always been at the heart of the pair’s concept for Birch but they are also embracing remote workers seeking a change of scenery at the hotel’s coworking space, The Hub.  Guests can take-part in an expansive range of workshops and experiences – ranging from baking lessons to beekeeping, yoga, foraging and cookery classes. Read more (TheSpaces.com) and https://www.birchcommunity.com/

Also on FT.com https://www.ft.com/content/e919701b-665d-4e53-8eb9-54869b2e9b72