Happy Friday! To end the week, we’d like to mix it up. Instagram filters depression, Zuckerberg news, creative wall decor, tips to evade cyber hacks, and Google’s long overdue travel app.
MACHINE LEARNING
Your choice of Instagram filter says more about you than you think – according to a recent study by Harvard University’s Andrew Reece and the University of Vermont’s Chris Danforth. The two crafted an algorithm that can correctly diagnose depression, with up to 70% accuracy, using Instagram as a source of data. Why does this matter? Well, for one, this study suggests the future of detecting mental health issues is changing. Likewise, social media will become a more reliable resource.
BUSINESS
Last year Facebook couple Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan said they’d donate 99% of their shares for charities. Now they’re putting their words to action by enlisting a ‘dream team’ of scientific leaders to spearhead a $3 billion effort to prevent, cure, and manage disease.
DESIGN
Art is transformative and has the power to soothe and distract in intense situations. This article showcases creative collaborations from hospitals in the UK and US, where sterile walls are transformed into playful, fun, and beautiful creations. We especially liked Chris O’Shea’s Kinect-based installation at the Royal London Hospital’s redeveloped play space called Woodland Wiggle—the game is designed to be played on a giant TV screen within a playroom of oversized furniture and stuffed toys. You totally forget you’re in a hospital.
CYBERSECURITY
Did you know that someone can access your online accounts, delete personal data, and destroy your digital life. This, all without having to write a single line of code? It’s called social engineering hacks, and the most famous example was done by teenagers who managed to delete all the data from Mat Honan’s Twitter, Amazon, Google, and even Apple ID accounts. Ok—so the likelihood this will happen to you is slim. But it’s still a good idea to be smart about the way we share data, and this article runs through 6 useful tips for how we can protect ourselves.
APPS
Google’s new vacation app was 280 years in the making, and it’s called Google Trips. The goal of the app is to “create a personalized tour guide in your pocket.” It’s free, it’s customizable, and… it’s creepy (kind of). It pulls information from your Gmail account, so it knows things like which hotels you stayed in. It also knows where you rented a car from, even if you didn’t share that information. Creepy or not, it’s a powerful app that will make planning your next trip a much smoother, stress-free experience.
Have an idea on machine learning, thinking about building a product, or simply want to chat about innovative tech?—we’d love to hear your thoughts, get in touch!
