WEEKLY REVIEW  |  May 10, 2017

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TECH

You can go your own way.

Or at least give your own directions. This week Waze added a Voice Recorder menu to the app. You can record all 39 directional phrases to give directions to…yourself. While the jury’s out on practical applications, this may be the perfect prank for your commuter friends.

The phone you forgot about.

But BlackBerry didn’t forget about its customers’ love for the little buttons, the email-focused UX, and the signature shortcut button. The newest BlackBerry KeyOne has all this to love (if you ever loved it)—and this time with the Google Android operating system.

MARKETING

Wendy’s feeds the trolls...literally.

ICYMI, a teenager bartered retweets for a year of free chicken nuggets with Wendy’s. Though he only reached 3.43 million retweets out of the 18 million Wendy’s requested, he’s still getting a year of free nuggets, $100,000 donated in his name, and he’s officially earned the title of “most retweets.” Ellen DeGeneres wasn’t too happy about giving away her retweet champion title, but we’re sure Wendy’s enjoyed the free marketing.

Amazon has been busy testing.

If you’re a frequent Amazon buyer, then you know the company bumped up its cart total for free shipping to $35 in February. But now it’s back to $25. Though we don’t have insight on this specific test, it seems the online-shopping masters are trying to get those Target and Walmart shoppers who have to buy $35 worth of items for free shipping.

DESIGN

Coffee that’s not even a call away.

Ever think to yourself, “I need coffee RIGHT NOW.” Then Mokase, the smartphone case filled with espresso, is for you. How does it work? According to PSFK: “Simply insert a Makaromi cartridge into the case and launch the Mokase app. In only five to eight seconds, the case, which has a built-in aluminum/silicone alloy resistor, will heat up the water to 60 degrees Celsius.”

When design is better left undesigned.

A pub asked a designer via iMessage to create some flyers for events. So what did he do? Nothing. He took the text message and made it into the poster. Some make call it crazy. We call it genius.

INFLUENCERS

Your agency nemesis has come to life.

Or at least in action figure form. Adobe Stock has just created an action figure of the “Hovering Art Director.” Enter the competition for best lines (“It’s perfect. Do you have other options?” is a contender) and get your own figure now.

EVENTS

The Weekend Report.

Spend any upcoming weekend night at The Speakeasy, a live cabaret-cum-game in downtown SF. Or, in honor of Mother’s Day, attend “Listen to your mother” or the Alameda Spring Festival.

AND JUST FOR FUN

Calm downloads.

If you’ve never watched The Great British Baking Show then you may not be aware: there is in fact TV that calms. Think an eight-hour knitting competition or ocean waves. The new trend in calming videos is called slow TV, and you can find it on the free library called Moodica. Now go get your calm on.


“Easy things should be easy, and hard things should be possible.”

Larry Wall