2018 - the year that was, and your holiday reading - Ripple Effect Group

Friday Faves is our weekly blog series highlighting a few select pieces from the REG team’s reading lists. You can catch up on past Friday Faves on the archive. This is our final blog for 2018 – see you for more Friday Faves in 2019!

Words that matter – 2018

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Anne says: Last year I introduced Words That Matter in 2017. This year, in keeping with traditions, as we do at Christmas, we have Words That Matter 2018. And what a contrast to 2017!

This year the words include MOMENTS; GRIEVE; TRUST; NATION; RAGE; and TRUTH.

Enjoy exploring the collection over the Christmas break – I hope you have Moments of Truth, that we all learn to Trust each other more, avoid Rage and arguments by Listening, while developing a Nation that can Grieve together for opportunities lost.

Or you could do some 2019 predictions about Words That Matter for next year!!

Read: https://medium.com/wordsthatmatter

Technology trends that will matter a decade from now

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Anne says: And while we’re thinking towards the future – this article from ZDNet takes some of the big trends in technology in 2018 and looks into their crystal ball to imagine what will become of them in 10 years time.

Cloud Computing
2018 was the year the cloud matured and set on a course that’ll resemble electric utilities by 2028.
Artificial Intelligence
AI will be ubiquitous. But – the future is unclear as programming challenges may (or may not) eventuate.
Internet of Things
The IoT will be everywhere and nowhere by 2028. While this will make IoT invisible, the issue of privacy and ownership of our data (as highlighted in last week’s Friday Fave) needs to be resolved.
Quantum Computing
It’s not here yet – but there’s a possibility that within the next decade supercomputing (needed to process large data sets) may have been achieved.
Digital Transformation
“A decade from now digital transformation will still be a thing but will probably get a new, trendier name!”
Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon
The article wasn’t quite prepared to declare the survival (or not) rates of these tech giants – but they did acknowledge they have the funds and culture to reinvent themselves repeatedly if needed.
Facebook
“We… know that it’s highly unlikely we’ll be talking about Facebook in a decade and the folks that dropped the social network in 2018 are just the beginning of a mass exodus. By 2023, Facebook will be renamed Instagram. And by 2028 we won’t remember either.”
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin has had its ups and downs but regardless of that, cryptocurrency will develop further into an alternative to fiat currencies as “…governments and business are cherry-picking ideas from cryptocurrency bubble in the form of private blockchains and smart contracts”.

See you next year with more words that matter and we’ll be sure to keep following more technology and workplace trends!

Read: https://www.zdnet.com/article/2018-technology-trends-thatll-matter-a-decade-from-now/

14 Trends Shaping Tech

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Helen says: This year topics covered in my Friday Faves have been varied – Pub Choir, which I will be attending this week, persuasive technology, liveable cities, workplace design, virtual holidays, fake news and digital innovation. As 2018 draws to an end, I am looking forward to what’s ahead, and what’s predicted is as equally diverse. This month CB Insights published a research paper on what they have identified as the 14 top tech trends for 2019. I found this to be a good read and the full report is free on request.

It anticipates a greater focus on personal data to fine-tune product offerings such as playlists, cosmetics and the food we ‘should’ eat.
We’ll have ‘smarter’ homes thanks to an aging population more conversant with technology.
Retail channels will continue to change – think virtual reality shopping.
Maps will move beyond simply locating places.
Short distance deliveries by autonomous cars are just around the corner.
Technology will try and help us sleep better.
We will see a greater push back on who gets to hold and own data.
More comfortable and intuitive offices will appear.
Buses and truck fleets will become greener.
The idle time spent recharging our electric vehicles will create new business opportunities.
China will take the lead on social networking innovation.
Tech apprenticeships will emerge as a savvy and more affordable alternative to uni.
Digital collectables – think Fortnite – will continue to make its creators money.
Digital home care kits will make medical care more accessible.

Here’s wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year that’s filled with many interesting moments and great innovation.

Read: https://www.cbinsights.com/research/

2018 in review: 8 most-talked about trends in tech

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Joel says: We’ve reached the end of another year and 2018 has offered up no shortage of news when it comes to the technology field. Most of my pieces for this years’ Friday Fave articles were themed around various technology trends that were getting a lot of buzz at the time. These ranged from Artificial Intelligence, new advancements in existing technologies such as drones, robotics, fake news & deep fakes among other things.

Now the crew over at Hackernoon have put together a 2018 in-review article discussing the most talked about trends in tech which I found to be a good wrap up of the kinds of things I’ve posted about this year and will provide you a great overview or refresher for the biggest trends in the technology space that occurred this year. Who could forget:

Fake News – It’s more than just Trump’s favourite phrase.
Tech and Elections – Strongly linked to fake news is the relationship between tech and politics.
The Cambridge Analytica Data Privacy Scandal – At least it’s made users more aware of how their data is used across social media.
Blockchain – The next big revolution in IT security.
Artificial Intelligence For Good – Combating concerns about the repercussions of AI on society and human activity.
GPDR – One of the most famous — and infamous — acronym of 2018
Shareable Bikes and Scooters – The love-hate relationship cities and commuters have with dock-less electric scooter and bike sharing startups
AirBnB Launching the Office of Healthy Tourism – “an initiative to drive local, authentic and sustainable tourism in countries and cities across the globe.”

Every year things in our field continue to grow bigger and better. I’m excited to see where things go next year and hopefully there’s plenty of great Friday Fave articles to be written in 2019.

Read: https://hackernoon.com/2018-in-review-8-most-talked-about-in-tech-e6a60df7f838

So long 2018, hello 2019

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Jakkii says: 2018 has been another big year. Amongst many others, we lost a President and a First Lady, a Brief History of Time, a famous moustache, a legend of comics, & the Queen of Soul. We saw how much power science has to make a real impact. We watched excellent movies (and some dreadful ones), and brilliant television shows and episodes with some outstanding performances. We heard beautiful music and fascinating podcasts. We read incredible books.

And there were big stories, as well. 2017 was the year #MeToo dominated, the year of Facebook scandals, and the year a bunch of kids in a cave in Thailand captured the world’s attention. In the shared article, Insider shares their 10 biggest stories of 2018. You can also check out the AP Poll’s top stories video (US-focused), stuff.co.nz’s biggest entertainment stories, the New Yorker’s 25 most read stories, or the Financial Times’ 10 most read stories. To finish it all up on a more positive angle, check out the ABC’s good news stories you might’ve missed in 2018.

Happy reading, and happy holidays, everyone! See you in 2019.

Read: https://www.thisisinsider.com/big-world-news-top-headlines-2018-11#facebooks-cambridge-analytica-scandal-revealed-that-more-than-50-million-peoples-personal-information-was-compromised-for-research-2

The year we said goodbye

Photo: Natalie Hardwicke

Jakkii says: In 2018 we also lost our talented, incredibly intelligent and beautiful friend and colleague Natalie Hardwicke. It’s been a tough time for the Ripple Effect Group team learning to adjust to our ‘new normal’ without Nat’s positive, kind and funny presence, and a tough time for me personally mourning the loss of a great friend and amazing person. We were lucky to know her and learn from her, and it’s only fitting she be part of our 2018 wrap. We will never forget her and she’ll always be part of the Ripple Effect Group team.

To that end, I’d like to share an article on Nat’s behalf. Between my current favourite show, The Good Place, and the influence of Nat, I’ve certainly thought more about philosophy over the last couple of years than I had in all my years prior combined, and I’d like to think Nat’s contributions on Friday Faves spread a little more philosophy out into the world, as well. For those who’ve missed her philosophical musings, here are 2018’s best philosophy books as recommended by philosopher Nigel Warburton to help you get your fix.

Down Girl, by Kate Manne
Aristotle’s Way: How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life, by Edith Hall
I Am Dynamite!: A Life of Nietzsche, by Sue Prideaux
Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are, by John Kaag
Being and Nothingness, by Jean-Paul Sartre

Although the list of books is above, the article is a great interview-type piece in which Nigel explains why he suggests each book, and is well worth a read. Here’s to a philosophical Christmas and a thought-provoking new year!

Read: https://fivebooks.com/best-books/best-philosophy-books-2018/

2018 – the year that was in social media

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2019 – the year to come in social media

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Sydney Business Insights – The Future This Week Podcast

In 2018 we produced our 100th podcast which includes both ‘The Future, This Week’ series and ‘In conversation’. To celebrate this milestone and the closing of a successful year please find a collection of our favourite podcasts from 2018.

Read and Listen: http://sbi.sydney.edu.au/our-must-listen-podcasts-from-2018/