David Lidsky's Blog, page 2993
May 1, 2015
Read The Fine Print Before You Use Microsoft's Viral Age-Guessing Tool
If you let Microsoft's viral tool guess your age, you also let Microsoft use your photo for its "Internet businesses."
Microsoft's How-Old.net tool, which guesses a person's age and gender based on a photo of their face, became a viral hit despite (or, more likely, because of) its comically spotty accuracy. But before you submit your own photo, check the fine print: Your face could end up in a future Microsoft advertisement, Twitter user @Waldo points out.
With Elder-Support Service, Apple Moves Deeper Into The Health Care Space
A partnership between Apple, IBM, and Japan Post brings iPads loaded with "quality of life" apps to elderly customers in Japan.
In partnership with a company called Japan Post, IBM and Apple plan to bring an iPad-based service to 4 or 5 million elderly people in the Asian nation by 2020.
The Food Label Gets Smart
Sage teases a healthier way to track your diet, with an interactive take on the standard nutrition label.
The American nutrition label is deeply flawed. Its portions are erratic and difficult to mentally scale (why 20 crackers?). Its ingredients are listed but often written in indiscernible scientific code. And the label has no idea how many calories you burn in a day. Are you a 7-foot-tall weightlifter or a 5-foot-tall couch potato? It doesn't know.
Take The Fast Company News Quiz
What happened this week? Here's our quiz for May 1, 2015.
What happened this week? Research says that one of the best ways to solidify new information is to be tested on it. Here's a chance to bolster your knowledge of current events—and earn a special emoji badge. 
What Is Innovative Design? 7 Designers And Thinkers Weigh In
Jurors for the 2015 Innovation by Design Awards share their critical framework for judging truly creative design.
How do you define innovative design? It it a matter of beauty? It is good form and even better function? We put the question to seven esteemed judges in the 2015 Innovation by Design Awards, our fourth annual celebration of creativity in design. Their responses offer insight into what many of us know instinctively but few can articulate: the recipe for design greatness.
7 Fan-Made Movie Posters That Are Better Than The Originals
Sometimes the remake is better than the original.
Everyone loves fan movie posters. They're a great way for fans to lick their graphic design chops while paying tribute to a much beloved film. They're big business too, with companies like Mondo raking in cash hand over fist selling fans after-market posters for popular cult films.
Visualized: The Complete Hero Roster Of The Mighty Avengers
Going to see the Avengers: Age Of Ultron? Get up to speed with this infographic.
Avengers: Age of Ultron has arrived alas, adding three new superheroes—Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Vision—to the core team of Earthy's Mightiest Heroes: Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Iron Man, and Thor.
Can I Still Accept Severance If I Take Another Job?
Career expert Alison Green answers readers' questions, from "Should I share my résumé?" to "Should I call out a rude hiring manager?"
Sometimes your work-life questions are complex and deserve detailed, nuanced answers. Other times the solution is a little more simple. Here, career expert Alison Green (a.k.a. Ask A Manager) answers five reader dilemmas.
April 30, 2015
Continuing Its Battle With Silicon Valley, The EU Will Probe How Ads Affect Search Results
The probe would start alongside the recently proposed European unified digital market.
The European Union has decided to finally get serious about mitigating Silicon Valley's influence in Europe. It's actions in recent months, including investigations of Facebook and Google, are in part aimed at paving the way for its own companies to be more competitive. Now the EU commission is launching a separate investigation into how online platforms list search results and how they use customer data, says the Financial Times—all as part of a general plan for a "unified digital market" announced last week that could bring stricter rules for Netflix, WhatsApp, and Skype.
What Killed Secret?
The anonymous messaging app, once the darling of Silicon Valley insiders, shut down on Wednesday. Here's what went wrong.
There's only room for so many anonymous messaging apps in the world, it turns out. On Wednesday, just over one year after its launch, Secret, the anonymous gossip-sharing app that went head-to-head against the likes of Whisper and Yik Yak, officially shut down.
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