Natalie Holmes

Ten Ways To Help Save The Net — And Ourselves

Germany's new Wage Transparency Act, which came into force on 6 January, empowers employees to find out the median salary of six colleagues of the opposite sex, in a comparable role. It aims to address the country’s gender pay gap, which, at 21%, is among Europe’s highest.

Finally, a data-driven approach to space utilisation. For our podcast debut, Natalie Holmes chats to the CEO of Density, a new piece of technology that anonymously counts the number of people in a given space, using infrared lasers and computer vision.

Day 1: My atrophied resilience
A few weeks ago, I injured my back. Although it hurt to walk, the doctor advised against complete rest. Apparently your muscles atrophy if you don’t use them — and it happens frighteningly fast. It made me wonder: has my resilience atrophied, in the five years since I got a smartphone?

The forces that sweep over cities are powerful, complex and global. Watching my neighbourhood change so rapidly, I often find it hard to believe anything can stop gentrification.

Vacations are not just fun. They also play a key role in physical and emotional wellbeing, as well as bringing new perspectives to productivity in work and life. Studies have shown that vacations relieve stress, maintain focus, strengthen relationships and even improve your quality of sleep.

The buzz around Smart Buildings has ramped up in recent years, especially with commercial buildings. Given all the hype, it can be tricky to distinguish the truly transformative innovation taking place, how it can be of benefit, and to whom.

Chatbots look set to replace apps, infiltrate our homes and predict our every desire. They might even free us from the trappings of the web.

It’s clear that 2018 is the year of pet tech: Smart, connected and AI-assisted devices that help us communicate with, train, feed and reassure our beloved furry friends. What’s more, these advances are changing the way we relate to and interact with our pets, giving us unprecedented insight into their lives, adventures and even their emotions.

What if you owned a share of your city’s electricity grid? Along with your fellow citizens, you could decide where your energy comes from, how much it costs and even receive a portion of the profits each year. It sounds like a dream, but if the BürgerEnergie Berlin (BBE) initiative has its way, it could become a reality.

The people forced to flee their homes come from all walks of life: teachers, students, doctors, scientists, artists. Their narrative is not a single one, and each individual’s identity transcends that of “refugee,” which is why their voices should not go unheard or be misrepresented.

Constantly connected and predominantly urban, many of today’s workers might agree that we’re all suffering from “nature-deficit disorder.”

Across the world, from Greece to Guatemala; Illinois to Iran, people are assembling life-size humanoid robots. They’re creating a legion of AI-powered clones that anyone with access to a 3D printer can build.

From its timber-clad townhouses to its concrete, post-war residential blocks, Germany has traditionally been a country of low-rise buildings.

Now, all that is changing. Across the country, urban growth and increasing demand for housing – along with rising house prices and rents – are leading local governments, developers and investors to turn their attention to residential high-rises.

Chatbots are already working hard in the hospitality industry, from taking fast food orders to helping travelers plan their trips. While conversational AI is very much in its infancy in the hotel sector, it certainly has plenty of potential.