As an editor, I read constantly. It’s an integral part of my job and one that I happen to adore. An inevitable consequence of this practice is that I happen upon a lot of exceptional content. More importantly, I discover stories that speak to larger trends or issues within the manufacturing industry—stories that I believe readers could and should also benefit from.
So, in this new weekly series titled “Editor’s Picks,” I’ll be sharing with you my list of the Internet’s top reads, and I encourage you to take a look.
This week the theme is long-form reads.
“Disney’s $1 Billion Bet On A Magical Wristband” from Wired
In this piece, writer Cliff Kuang explores Disney’s latest nifty device: the MagicBand. These rubber wristbands look simple enough, but the tech inside packs a powerful punch.
Two years of battery life. A radio. An RFID chip. A fine piece of engineering to be sure, but Disney’s investment accentuates larger trends in manufacturing consumer electronics: personalization, invisible design and the influence of IoT.
Here’s a taste of what I mean:
“What people call the Internet of Things is just a technological underpinning that misses the point,” says Franklin. “This is about experiential Internet. The guest doesn’t need to know how it happened.”
“The Demolition of Worker’s Comp” from ProPublica and NPR
This first-rate report examines how states have cut worker’s comp benefits significantly. At an astounding 19 pages in total, this piece uses narrative storytelling, graphics and personal accounts from workers to highlight the findings unearthed from Michael Grabell and Howard Berkes.
On Manufacturing.net, we also published a shorter article that breaks down the report’s data.
“What the History of the Wristwatch Can Teach Us About the Future of Smartwatches” from The Verge
This past week, Apple dominated the tech news world with their #AppleWatchEvent. The would-be success of the Apple Watch has been hotly debated across the Internet and via Twitter, but this piece takes a different approach by investigating the history of the original wristwatch to foresee the fate of Apple’s version. I won’t give away the writer’s conclusion, but I will say that it was one of the more insightful pieces I read on this contentious topic. Give it a read, and you’ll see what I mean.
What Internet reads most enticed you this week? Comment below or tweet me @MNetAbbey.
