Issue no.23

Apture – future of storytelling

" You can see it reflected in the ways technical teams at these big news sites usually "contextualize the news" -- the features they think are important that don't take story-telling or editorial taste into account.

They automatically highlight key terms on a page and link to content. When readers see it, they click the link, but instead of getting more information about the thing they clicked on (what the reader wants), they're taken to a page with the last 10 new articles that mentioned the clicked phrase. Computer scientists love that stuff because it's obvious. It's the first thing that comes to your mind, if you think in terms of of computation -- show me stuff related to this, search this word against this body of text. But what the reader wants is: Give me relevant information about what I just clicked, right now. They don't want search results. ...They don't want to be taken away from what they're reading. That's unintuitive. So that's exactly what we went after."

Co-founder Tristan Harris

What does it mean for the rest of the business? This idea is applicable to every aspect of our digital life. User generated content is one thing but reliable edited content from professionals has its unique value that is affecting brands’ credibility and strengthens their position. While treating user like a machine that requires minimum input, puts it in a grave danger. Feeding user with pre-processed, recycled, digested and outdated generic content may make customer to ignore the brand. And there is nothing more scary then silence.

http://www.apture.com/

This week’s special – can you picture that?

“Thousands of UK residents have signed a petition against a law preventing photography and filming in certain public places. Yet this all turned out to be a misunderstanding, and no such law was proposed. Rajesh investigates the way we view the lens and the way it views us.” Interesting to see that what can and can’t be filmed isn’t even clear to the authorities.

Watch it here

Britain's first eco-nightclub powered by pounding feet

Cyclists and walkers get free admission and the dance floor is so high-tech it generates its own electricity when people move on it.

The brainchild of 35-year-old property developer Andrew Charalambous, aka Dr Earth, Surya has its own wind turbine and solar energy system. They plan to donate any surplus electricity to local residents.

The venue has the latest air flush, waterless urinals and low flush toilets and sells drinks in polycarbon cups.

club4climate.com