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Articles by Andrew Consky
Multi-device, multi-purpose, one connected consumer: Uncovering the value of multiple screens for online content and advertising
Multi-device, multi-purpose, one connected consumer: Uncovering the value of multiple screens for online content and advertising Cortney Henseler, Andrew Consky and Maureen Dawson This paper reports on research in North America by AOL, the media company, into how consumers access online content via computers, tablets and smartphones.
Hooked on shopping: Understanding what fuels the new daily online shopping habit
This paper shares findings from a study into online shopping behaviour, and argues that online retailers need to adapt their approaches and metrics to meet consumer needs. Purchase behaviour Shopper research & insight Online retail United Kingdom Canada United States Strategy Andrew Consky, Vicki Draper and Steve Payne View the presentation deck for this paper Consider the following objects: Home Sofa TV Bed Toilet These... WARC subscribers can sign in to keep reading Not a subscriber?
Mylo Launches App to Help Millennials Make Smart Investments Automatically
Mylo Financial Technologies this week launched its mobile app. The iOS app offers a personal finance management platform to help Canadians achieve their financial goals. Mylo‘s service automatically rounds up every purchase users make and invests the spare change through a registered portfolio manager into a diversified portfolio of low-cost Exchange-Traded Funds.
Decline of Combustion Engines: Volvo to Stop Making Vehicles Powered Solely by Fossil Fuels
Volvo intends to phase out all vehicles powered solely by fossil fuels, shifting toward a lineup consisting exclusively of electric and hybrid vehicles. The company says that, starting with new models in 2019, only hybrid or full-electric motors will be available. Existing Volvo models will continue to offer combustion engine versions until the generation dies—typically around seven years. Thus, by 2025 the automaker could be producing zero full-gasoline cars.
Is Social Media Good or Bad for Mental Health? For Youth, It’s All Moderation
Social media engagement can benefit children, but overexposure is a slippery slope, suggest the findings of a new study. The report, published by the Education Policy Institute, found that moderate use of social media can possess “a beneficial impact on wellbeing.” However, “extreme internet users”—classified as those spending more than six hours online per day—face increased risk of cyber bullying and exposure to harmful content.
How to Build a Better Website for Your Startup
Canada is a nation of go-getters. Entrepreneurism is in our DNA. In a recent GoDaddy survey, 77% of young Canadians said they would like to be their own boss. Successful businesses all seem to have great websites combined with robust social and digital strategies to help them stand out from the competition, break through the noise, and build a growing company. At the heart of a successful online strategy for any small business is that great website.
Chinese Search Giant Buys AI Startup
The trend of enterprises investing into artificial intelligence is not exclusive to North America. Baidu, a China-based search engine, has acquired Kitt.ai, a Seattle-born startup that offers a platform for developers to create natural language technology services such as chatbots. “Since its inception, the mission of Kitt.ai has been making human machine interaction simple with natural language understanding technologies,” founder Xuchen Yao wrote online.
Serving 80% of US, Lyft Reaches One Million Daily Rides
Uber’s primary rival this week unveiled a new milestone: Lyft now provides more than one million rides each day. The company says the milestone comes after 48 consecutive months of growth. Rides have grown 100% year-over-year. “This year has been especially exciting for Lyft,” the company wrote online. “In January, we set a goal of launching in 100 new communities across the country by the end of 2017.
Baidu Doubles Down on AI Projects Through NVIDIA Partnership
Immediately following the acquisition of a Seattle-based artificial intelligence startup, Chinese software giant Baidu has landed a partnership with chip maker Nvidia. Speaking in the keynote at Baidu’s AI developer conference in Beijing, Baidu COO Qi Lu described his company’s plans to work with Nvidia. Those plans include bringing Volta GPUs to Baidu Cloud, adopting the Drive PX platform for autonomous technology initiatives, and implementing Baidu’s conversational AI system to Nvidia Shield TV.
Uber Faces New Battle in Europe
Uber has not had an easy road in Europe. The most recent roadblock to the company’s ambitious expansion plans hails from an advocate general for the Court of Justice of the European Union. The senior adviser to the region’s highest court issued a nonbinding opinion that recommends Uber’s service be forced to abide by the same rules that govern taxi companies. Maciej Szpunar’s recommendation followed a legal battle regarding whether Uber should be considered a tax service in France.
As Kalanick’s Shadow Lingers, Uber Reaches Five Billion Trips
Uber announced recently that it has reached a milestone: five billion trips have been taken through the platform. The company, founded in 2010, hit one billion rides in 2015 and two billion rides in 2016. There was no specific trip that Uber can mark as the five billionth, however—more than 150 trips were started during the same second during which the mark was passed, according to the company, spread across 24 countries.
Kanye West Leaves Tidal, Jay-Z’s Music Streaming Platform, Over Financial Controversy
Jay-Z recently launched his latest album, 4:44, exclusively on Tidal, the rap mogul’s own music streaming service. The album is critically acclaimed, but its launch was mired by a related controversy: fellow rap superstar Kanye West has reportedly ditched Jay’s platform over a money dispute, according to TMZ. Sources cited in TMZ suggest Tidal owes West money in excess of $3 million; the company and musician have been corresponding via lawyer letters for the past month.
Unlock Your iPhone with Your Face: Apple Tests 3D Face Scanning
One of the new features for the next-generation iPhone, due this fall, could be 3D facial scanning technology that allows users to unlock their device with their face, according to a report from Bloomberg. Apple is testing an improved security system that allows users to log in, authenticate payments, and launch secure apps by scanning their face . . . It can scan a user’s face and unlock the iPhone within a few hundred milliseconds.
Tesla Model 3 Enters Mass Production This Week
Come Friday, consumers can at last acquire what is now the most affordable Tesla, according to a tweet from CEO Elon Musk. The five-seater, which starts around $35,000, can surpass 200 miles on a single charge. Musk expects Tesla to be able to produce up to 5,000 Model 3 sedans per week through the end of the year, delivering in hundreds of thousands of preorders. Those placing deposits now could be waiting until the end of 2018, despite production doubling next year, says Musk.
Samsung Working on Bixby-Powered Home Speaker
It seems that Amazon has started quite a trend with Echo, its smart home speaker that uses the company’s Alexa technology to accept voice commands. The most recent major brand to mimic the device was Apple, which unveiled the HomePod at its annual conference in June. Now Samsung is looking to enter the mix with a similar product powered by its digital assistant Bixby, according to sources cited in the Wall Street Journal.
WEEKLY ROUNDUP: Oh, Canada!
Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday this weekend. Happy birthday, Canada! You don’t look a day over 140. And to our readers from Vancouver all the way to the Atlantic coast: pour a little maple syrup in your Tim’s Double Double and indulge in this all-Canadian edition of our Weekly Roundup. The recently launched Global Talent Stream will expedite the immigration process for highly skilled workers.
Canadian Government Invests $3 Million to Launch Two Creative Hubs
The Canadian government this week announced a $3 million investment in support for two new creative hubs in Vancouver. The investment will support construction, infrastructure upgrades and facility expansion activities for the BC Artscape Society and the Vancity Community Foundation, according to The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage. “Our government understands that investments in arts and culture help build strong communities,” said Joly.
Jobber Launches Client Hub for Service Professionals
Jobber, which offers software solutions for service professionals, announced this week the general availability of its new client hub feature. The Jobber Client Hub is a one stop shop for the company’s thousands of home service businesses to provide a single access point for all relevant information pertaining to their clients. Jobber enables clients of service providers to view past work quotes, invoices, and receipts, and pay online.
How The Global Talent Stream Will Empower Canadian Innovation
The federal government has taken a crucial step towards making it possible to grow and sustain an innovation company in Canada. The recently launched Global Talent Stream will expedite the immigration process for highly skilled workers. With Canada’s fast-growing tech sector facing a shortage of 220,000 workers by 2020, this initiative arrived not a moment too soon.
Supreme Court Decision Saps Power from Mighty Google, Sets Precedent
The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld a provincial court’s ruling that ordered Silicon Valley giant Google to remove the website of a company from its search results. Network technology manufacturer Equustek Solutions, based in Vancouver, saw its products being illegally resold by another firm. That firm left the province after Equustek sued it, and Google removed its websites from Canadian search results—but not global ones.
Microsoft Acquires Cloud Services Firm Cloudyn
Microsoft has acquired Cloudyn, a company based in Israel helps enterprises and managed service providers optimize their investments in cloud services. “This acquisition fits squarely into our commitment to empower customers with the tools they need to govern their cloud adoption and realize the strategic benefits of a global, trusted, intelligent cloud,” explains Jeremy Winter, Director of Program Management, Azure Security and Operations Management.
New Rules Open Up Drone Use in Canada
The Honorable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, recently announced an update to Transport Canada’s revised Interim Order on drone use. The new Interim Order replaces an earlier version, which players in the drone space argued put unreasonable restrictions on responsible drone use across Canada—more than 2,000 drone advocates across Canada sent messages urging Transport Canada to improve the Interim Order.
At Area 120, Google Experiments with Advertising in Virtual Reality
Area 120 is Google’s internal workshop for experimental ideas. Shrouded in a veil of secrecy, Area 120 tackles early-stage projects and iterates test concepts. Currently, the workshop is looking at native advertising inside of virtual reality.
Instagram Uses Facebook’s Artificial Intelligence to Combat Trolls Online
This week Instagram introduced new tools to keep its platform “a safe place for self-expression.” The popular, photo-based social network has leveraged artificial intelligence to block offensive content and spam. The technology is known as DeepText, which was developed by Facebook, who owns Instagram. “These tools are the next step in our commitment to foster kind, inclusive communities on Instagram,” stated CEO Kevin Systrom.
Concluding Fundica Roadshow, Quote Kong and Vini Split $1 Million Investment Award
The 2017 Fundica Roadshow has concluded. For its fifth edition, the nationwide pitch competition featured 450 pitch applications across 10 Canadian cities. The competition was fierce; only 12 startups out of the 150 selected pitching startups moved onto the final round. The finalists were graded based on market potential, solution, team, pitch and investment readiness for the $1,000,000 FSVP Investment Award.
Airbnb Seeks to Enter Luxury Market
Airbnb has plans to launch a new service targeting the luxury market, a new report suggests. According to sources cited in Bloomberg, Airbnb wants to offer a new rental service featuring high-end mansions and penthouses—one full notch above Select, Airbnb’s upper-midrange tier, for which hosts are expected to maintain a certain standard of quality. It’s known internally as “Airbnb Lux,” but an official name has yet to be determined.
Small Businesses Must Leverage Latest Technology in Order to Compete
It’s a safe bet to assume that most small or mid-sized businesses are are asking the same questions: How can we find and keep new customers? How can we run things more efficiently? How can we plan and scale for the future when the present is keeping us so busy? Technology innovation can help with all these concerns, of course.
Facebook Adds Animated Reactions, Filters to Video Chat in Messenger
Facebook continues to add features to Messenger, its instant messaging platform that has garnered more than one billion active users. The latest round of add-ons includes animated reactions, filters, and masks to video chats, as well as the ability to take screenshots. “Video chats with your friends and family in Messenger just got a whole lot more fun,” says Nora Micheva, product manager for Messenger.
Can Uber Really Be Worth $68 Billion?
It is believed by some that Uber is overvalued, even factoring in future growth. Christopher Mims of the Wall Street Journal argues that, despite the company attempting a major corporate overhaul, it’s actually the company’s business model—not its frequent scandals—that limits Uber.
Digital Identity: Our Most Valuable Asset
Today, many Canadians are hosting the majority of their lives online—from posting images of their vacations, families and day-to-day activities on social media, to supplying multiple websites with personal information in the form of account security answers, to creating profiles with financial institutions and government websites containing highly-confidential and sensitive information. The amount of personal information that is available online is alarming.
Waymo to Have Avis Manage Autonomous Fleet in Arizona
Alphabet’s self-driving car unit has agreed to a multi-year partnership with Avis Budget Group. The deal, which is not exclusive, will see Avis manage Waymo’s fleet of autonomous vehicles. Waymo will retain full ownership of its self-driving vehicles. Financial terms of the deal, which is limited to Arizona, were not disclosed; regardless, shares of Avis jumped on the news. While Avis is a traditional car rental company, it is also the owner of Zipcar, an on-demand rental service similar to Car2go.
Function Over Form: The Importance of Data-Driven Decisions in Design
In order to be effective, design decisions need to be informed by data, not trends. Sounds simple, right? Well, it is, conceptually. But it’s also a lot easier said than done. Oli Gardner, a cofounder of Unbounce, this week spoke at his company’s 2017 Call to Action Conference, an annual marketing event in Vancouver. Speaking to a full audience at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Gardner lamented design for the sake of artistic vision over conversion rates.
This Drone Startup is Flying into the Medical Market
Drone Delivery Canada has entered into a partnership with Peel Regional Paramedic Services to develop a first-of-a-kind Automatic External Defibrillator delivery by drone program for the Region of Peel in Southern Ontario. “We are delighted to be working with the Region of Peel,” said Tony Di Benedetto, CEO of Drone Delivery Canada.
Employees to Uber Board: Travis Kalanick is ‘Critical to Our Future Success’
Investors pressured Travis Kalanick into resigning from his role as CEO of Uber, but many employees feel strongly that, despite the many scandals the company has endured under Kalanick’s reign, he is a necessary component of Uber’s DNA.
Founding Sponsors Contribute $1.3 Million to Ottawa’s Flagship Innovation Hub
An accelerator in Ottawa has gathered the forces of eight founding sponsors, who are injecting a combined $1.3 million into the innovation hub. “Today, we celebrate an important milestone for Bayview Yards, and the innovation community we serve,” said Steve West, Chair of the Board of Bayview Yards.
Empowering Youth to Innovate: Our Future Depends on It
It’s impossible to comprehend how fast the world is changing. Advancements in technology and the proliferation of information available are enabling an incredible pace of innovation, transforming the way we live and interact with one another. New careers are being created, while other careers are being automated or omitted. But this isn’t happening magically on its own.
Does Tesla Have Plans to Launch a Music Streaming Service?
Tesla is considering launching a music streaming services, according to industry insiders. The rumor, first reported by Recode, suggests that Tesla has been in touch with “all of the major labels about licensing a proprietary music service.” The service would be included with car purchases.
Showbie Named Award Finalist for Best Education Cloud-Based Solution Category
Showbie, a paperless classroom management platform, has been named a 2017 SIIA CODiE Award finalist in the Best Education Cloud-Based Solution category. “Showbie helps teachers collect and organize students’ work, streamlining their essential classroom workflows,” said Colin Bramm, cofounder of Showbie. Showbie, based in Edmonton, is one of four finalists in its category.
How Technology Can Help Us Manage the World’s Exploding Population
With the world’s population set to increase from 7.5 billion today to 10 billion by the year 2056, according to the United Nations, this growth will no doubt have a major impact on our planet, especially when looking at five key areas: water, energy, human health, food, and air.
Regulations are Failing to Keep Up with Healthcare Tech. That Needs to Change
Technology has advanced in the last few years so much that many companies are having a hard time keeping up. This falling behind in up-to-date technology is an issue when it comes to healthcare technology and the regulations established to keep patients safe. In the healthcare industry, tech can help with tasks such as ACLS recertification, patient admission rates, and faster test results.
Most Canadian CEOs View Disruption as Opportunity, Not Threat
Canadian CEOs are preparing for the future by setting strategic priorities, addressing emerging business risks and laying the groundwork for future growth, suggest the results of a recent KPMG survey.
Wealthsimple Crosses the Pond with UK Expansion
Canada’s leading digital investing service is crossing the pond. Wealthsimple is expanding its digital investing service to the United Kingdom. A beta version of Wealthsimple’s investing service will be launching this summer, followed by a public launch in September. “Our mission is to make smart financial services accessible to everyone in the world.
Tipping is Coming to Uber
Uber, whose transportation platform became famous for its low-friction experience, is now toying with tips. The lack of tipping has long appealed to users, who praise the simple and seamless experience in contrast to traditional taxi trips. But Uber pays drivers less than ever, and in a saturated market, the company seems to be looking for new ways to retain its fleet of behind-the-wheel workers.
Now That It’s Established, Apple Music Wants a Bigger Slice of the Pie
Apple is working to lessen the revenue share record labels get from the company’s streaming service. According to sources cited in Bloomberg, the record labels’ deals with Apple expire at the end of June, and Apple wants to “revise [its] overall relationship with the music industry.” The negotiations would bring Apple closer to the rate Spotify pays labels, and allow both sides to adjust to the new realities of the music industry.
Imagination Technologies For Sale After Losing Apple as Customer
After losing its largest customer, Imagination Technologies watched its market value plunge by more than two-thirds. Now, the once-great British firm—founded in 1985—is up for grabs. The company, which develops computer components and software for mobile and embedded devices, has less than two years before Apple stops using its graphics chips and switches to using in-house chips.
Indochino Continues Showroom Expansion with Four New US Locations
Indochino announced this week that it will open showrooms in four cities in the US this summer, continuing to scale its omnichannel business. The Vancouver-born company also announced it experienced 57% year-over-year net revenue growth over the past six months. Indochino is opening second showrooms in New York and Philadelphia, and first stores in Chicago and Washington, DC.
Wattpad Launches Innovation Lab to Develop Next Breakthrough in Storytelling
Wattpad this week announced the launch of Wattpad Labs, an innovation lab for emerging products. The Toronto-based company says its lab will invite teams outside of Wattpad to help develop “the next breakthrough storytelling product.” Wattpad’s head of product, Seema Lakhani, will lead the new initiative. “I rarely talk about the amazing things happening in the Toronto technology and innovation sector without mentioning Wattpad,” says Mayor John Tory.
Facebook Giving Users More Control Over Their Profile Picture
Based on feedback Facebook says it has been receiving from users, the social network plans to give people more control over their profile picture. “Part of our goal in building global community is understanding the needs of people who use Facebook how we can better serve them,” explains Aarati Soman, Product Manager for Facebook.
Overpowered by Investors, Travis Kalanick Relinquishes Control of Uber
Travis Kalanick was blindsided by an abrupt investor mutiny. He probably also saw it coming from a mile away. The infamous 40-year-old Uber founder was this week effectively removed from his throne as CEO, the end result of a secret campaign established by key investors who had grown tired of Kalanick’s constant missteps. Kalanick’s temporary leave—in part spurred by the death of his mother in May—quickly devolved into a permanent resignation, despite having voting power to hold his position.
Snapchat Adds Snap Map, a New Way to See What Friends are Doing
Snap has added a new feature to its app, Snapchat. “Snap Map” allows you to see your friends’ location in the form of their Bitmoji. The cartoon-like map allows users to show off where they are, as well as what they are doing—their Stories will be accessible from the map, too. “We’ve built a whole new way to explore the world,” says Snapchat. “In a lot of ways, we’re taking what a map is and turning it upside down,” Jack Brody, a product designer at Snap, told Refinery29.
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