12 December 2013

Radar7 is our recurring feature where we’ll highlight the top seven pieces of thought-provoking industry commentary that should be on your radar.

1. 4 Reasons Why Apple’s iBeacon Is About to Disrupt Interaction Design

Bluetooth is soooo last year, right? Well according to this fascinating Wired piece, wrong. With new, low-energy protocols now in place and an intuitive app from Apple, the daddy of device connectivity looks set to play a key role in the Internet of Things.

2. Britain takes the lead in mobile advertising

The UK has finally overtaken Japan as the world’s most active mobile advertising market. Advertisers spent an average of £8.04 in 2012 on mobile ads according to regulator Ofcom. This represented a year-on-year rise of £5 and kept Japan from the top spot for the first time.

3. Miners spend $17 million a day for a shot at $4.4 million of bitcoin

2013 has been the year of the Bitcoin. The virtual currency has exploded from niche internet tool into the global tech story of the year as its value, and acceptance, grew. But as Quartz discovers, the online gold rush is not without its issues.

4. Why Are Upworthy Headlines Suddenly Everywhere?

Even if you haven’t heard of Upworthy yet, this Atlantic article is a must read. It explains how tiny tweaks to the Facebook algorithms earlier this year have completely changed the dynamics of how traffic is directed to publishers’ content, and reveals just how important the social network is to brands and consumers alike.

5. Goliath vs. Goliath: Why tech giants can’t break the surveillance state

The who’s who of Silicon Valley put aside their differences this week to unite in their condemnation of the NSA scandal which looks set to rumble on well into next year. However, as this Salon article highlights, mass surveillance will not end any time soon.

6. Can WeChat?

Traditionally, Chinese websites and apps have not made a massive mark on Western consumers. This is in part because of the language hurdles, and part because they don’t generally do anything hugely different to their Silicon Valley counterparts. But this is about to change as Tencent, owner of WeChat – a social networking programme with almost as many users as Facebook – announces plans to opens a US office. Slate finds out more.

7. Secret Weapon in the Mall Battle: Parking Apps

Don’t let the headline fool you – yes, this New York Times piece is ostensibly about how malls are embracing smart parking apps that help busy shoppers find a parking space fast. But actually this is a deeper dive into the future of connected devices, smart apps and how they all fit into the Internet of Things.