What We Watched – October 7, 2016

Check out this 5-minute video from Vox (my favorite) that asks the question, “What if we could change the way that cars dominate cities?” Barcelona is implementing an urban mobility plan that relies on superblocks—where the flow of traffic is rerouted around a three-by-three city block to encourage walkability within the superblock. Originally conceived in Barcelona to deal with stricter EU pollution standards, superblocks also aid business in these areas, which surprised me. With five Barcelona superblocks to start, the city also has identified 120+ additional superblocks it can create in the future. The video is smart, slick, quick, and I feel smarter for watching it. Par for the course with Vox.
CJ Powell, Writer

The Google/Apple/Amazon rivalry is in full force, so it’s no surprise that Google just launched a new smartphone (Pixel) or voice-controlled home tasking device (Google Home). To compete in today’s digital space, one is forced to blur the lines between software and hardware for a single end goal: data collection. While some of the initial advertising for the Google Home elicits thoughts of task automation, education on-the-fly, and digital integration within everyday life, one is left to wonder how much Google really cares about hardware sales. When purchasing these types of units, I bet most people very rarely consider themselves players in a much larger digital marketing ecosystem. Physical hardware capabilities are changing virtually every six months, so perhaps data is the new digital currency and one of the sole motivators behind future development efforts. Have your activities, interests, and lifestyles been sold to the highest bidder? Chances are you’re completely engrained in digital marketing after all.
Bart Gottula, Senior Digital Strategist