Intelligent In-Ear Personal Assistants —
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Intelligent In-Ear Personal Assistants —
The Next Wave
First came mobile-centric assistants , like Siri and Cortana , followed soon after by in-home versions , like Amazon ’ s Alexa . Now , companies around the globe — such as Sony , Bragi , and Motorola — are bringing in-ear virtual assistants to life .
From Doing Good to Being Good
With heightened consumer expectations that companies also act as upstanding citizens , a number of businesses — in recent years — have shifted to actually addressing environmental , social , and charitable concerns as part of their business . Even so , questions remain regarding both the true impact of such directives and the motivation behind this shift . Out of this , progressive companies have emerged , known as Benefit Corporations , or B Corps , which are corporate entities that aim to benefit society and their shareholders . Committed to generating positive impact rather than shareholder return , these businesses are rooted in transparency and accountable to a broader range of stakeholders — essentially anyone their product or service touches or affects . Naturally , they ’ re also attracting a new brand of investor — one that takes a longer-term view and expects direct , personal , and collaborative involvement in the business .
The Rise of Benefit Corporations
ÎCURRENTLY Î
NUMBER OVER 1,600
ÎBLEND Î PROFIT AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
ÎLEGALLY Î BOUND TO SOCIAL MISSION
ÎDRIVEN Î BY ENTREPRENEURS WITH SOCIAL SENSIBILITIES
Imagine conducting business meetings with a knowledgeable-yet-discreet assistant who guides you through your talking points or takes notes for you so that you can focus on the conversation . That vision is now . The next wave of artificial intelligence is arriving in the form of concealed earbuds that do more than transmit sound . These in-ear personal assistants respond to your voice and provide you with the information you need — helping you to be even more effective in your day-to-day business activities . Soon , this innovative technology will be as common as the smartphones we depend on for daily tasks — delivering easily accessible information and the structured organization you need to get ahead of your competition .
Farm-to-Counter Goes Fast-Casual
A Manhattan fast-casual restaurant chain is preparing to purchase its own farm to educate chefs and connect with consumers . Dig Inn — calling itself a farm-to-counter experience — offers locally-sourced , organic dining at a fraction of the cost commanded by many of the city ’ s fine restaurants . Adam Eskin , Dig Inn ‘ s founder , says the farm will be a “ living lab ” to help chefs understand how much work goes into growing the produce used in their creations , and experiment with various seeds and planting methods . In addition , it will give chefs a chance to step away from the fast-paced environment of the restaurant . Dig Inn also plans to connect with the community and share benefits of the farmto-table movement in unique ways — including hosting dinners and tours of the farm for the general public . Eskin and team plan to purchase the farm later this year and expect to begin harvesting crops in 2017 .
IMAGES COURTESY BRAGI . COM
2 | SNB . COM // CONNECT INNOVATION SUMMER 2016