Rohit Bhargava's Blog, page 73
October 24, 2017
Why You Can Focus In A Noisy Coffee Shop, But Not A Noisy Office
For years one of my favorite tools for writing is a website called Coffitivity which simulates the background noise of a coffee shop. I find this little tool a perfect backdrop for writing and use it almost every day. In this article, author David Burkus shares some research behind why having this type of “white noise” in the background can be so beneficial for driving creativity and help you be far more productive than demanding quiet. It turns out, you don’t really need silence to concentra...
October 23, 2017
How Diverse Are US Newsrooms? Not Very …
In this data visualization, the shift in diversity of both race and gender in newsroom staff and leadership across the country is analyzed with some interesting results. The newsrooms overall, as you probably expect, are overwhelmingly white and skewed toward men. More interesting is the fact that over the past 15 years the Washington Post and NY Times have come closer to gender equality, while the USA Today has gone the opposite direction. There is lots more food for thought in the visualize...
October 20, 2017
Google’s Cupcake Problem Shows The Dangers Of Tunnel Vision
Recently Google engineers tested a Maps feature that equated the distance you walk to a number of mini-cupcakes you would burn off in equivalent calories. The only problem is, their fun little cupcake idea was a trigger for some people with eating disorders and others were just annoyed at the unsolicited suggestion. The feature and backlash illustrate a common issue when it comes to product or feature design … the people who like it don’t care enough to tell you that, and the people who hate...
October 6, 2017
5 Amazing Examples of the Future of Storytelling
Every year in October, I visit Staten Island to participate in the Future of Storytelling Festival (FoST). This week I tried 3D audio recording headphones, watched a performance with music created by artificial intelligence, played a voice controlled sci-fi game and shared ideas with storytellers from some of the biggest brands in the world. This article is a compilation of some of the most interesting people and storytelling experiences from the #FoST summit.
September 28, 2017
Adidas Launches Beer And Vomit-Proof Oktoberfest Sneakers
Just in time for Oktoberfest, Adidas in Germany launched a new pair of sneakers with a durable leather coated in what Adidas is calling “DPBR” coating: durable puke and beer repellent. You have to love the acronym and the idea behind these shoes. They are affectionately called “the München,” after the home of the biggest Oktoberfest celebration and already on the market considering Oktoberfest gets underway in Germany well before October actually starts.
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September 27, 2017
Utah Ski Resort Embraces Its One Star Rating In Clever Print Ad
This story has made the rounds this week, but it deserves it. The Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah received a one star review, based on how insanely difficult the mountain was … so they embraced it. The original review reads: “I’ve heard Snowbird is a tough mountain, but this is ridiculous. It felt like every trail was a steep chute or littered with tree wells. How is anyone supposed to ride that? Not fun.” You can’t get much better advertising than that review for a resort that prides itself on t...
September 26, 2017
Kingsman 2 Director Is Annoyed Trailer Gives Away Too Much
If you are like me, you’re frequently frustrated by just how much of a film the trailer often gives away. You’re not alone. Kingsman 2 Director Matthew Vaughn is ticked off that the trailer reveals Colin Firth’s character Harry Hart was actually alive. It’s hard to disagree as I suspect we have all had that experience of seeing a film and being disappointed about how much we already knew about what would happen. In this case, handing over content control to the marketers is a bad idea.
September 25, 2017
Uber Lets Drivers Tell You Why You Deserve A 1 Star Ranking
If you are a jerk to your Uber driver, you’re probably a jerk. For some time the ride sharing platform has allowed drivers to rank you, but this week they announced that you will now be able to see that feedback from drivers if you get the same feedback twice in a month. This is part of a host of new announcements the reeling ride-sharing app made this week to improve its relationship with drivers – including increasing what drivers make from UberPool rides and making it easier to get tips. T...
September 23, 2017
French Chef Asks To Be Stripped Of Three Michelin Stars
It is hard to imagine the pressure a chef who has been given 3 coveted stars in the Michelin dining guide for 20 straight years must feel. For the first time, a renowned chef is asking to be let off the hook. Sébastien Bras wants “to be allowed to cook excellent food away from the frenzy of star ratings and the anxiety over Michelin’s anonymous food judges.” Though the guide hasn’t promised to remove him, I can’t help hoping they do. It is a sad thing when a creator has their talent buried un...
September 22, 2017
Panera CEO Dares Fast Food Execs To Eat Their Own Kids Meals
We have all heard the business cliché about eating your own dog food, but Panera CEO Ron Shaich took it a step further by daring execs at McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King to actually eat their own kids meals for a week. The highly effective dare stunt is part of Panera’s ambitious announcement to offer every item on their menu (over 250 items) in a smaller portion for kids. His underlying argument is that companies should not be allowed to market to kids at all because so many brands do it...
