Sell this house fast

The Ralph Lauren store was created by Obsess, whose other retail clients include Tommy Hilfiger, Sam’s Club (with a National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation theme), and Charlotte Tilbury. Obsess CEO Neha Singh told me that the company’s mission is to replace the typical online shopping experience, which consists of “an endless scroll of every product looking the same size on a white background.” To that end, the Ralph Lauren Virtual Experience is successful. Still, while it isn’t boring, it’s kind of lonely. What’s missing in all of the virtual shopping environments I explored were other people walking by, talking, offering to help, looking at and touching things. … [Read more...] about These virtual stores are a joyful twist on e-commerce

MagSafe moves beyond the charger When Apple added magnetic charging to the iPhone 12 under the MagSafe brand, it seemed obvious that an ecosystem of interesting MagSafe accessories would follow. CES brought several new examples, including a snap-on battery pack from Anker, a wallet that doubles as a kickstand from Moft, and a car cupholder mount from Scosche with a slot for Apple’s official MagSafe charger. PopSockets, meanwhile, has released a sliding mechanism for its phone grips so they can move out of the way for wireless charging. … [Read more...] about CES 2021: The smartest ideas from the scaled-down virtual show

We’ve seen the U.K.’s Department for Transport announce a 2 billion pound package to encourage active travel and aimed at doubling cycling and increasing walking to work by 2025. Similarly, Paris rolled out 650 kilometers of cycleways, Milan revealed that it will transform 35 km to support cycling and walking infrastructure, and Germany decided to expand its cycle lanes to meet the demand of active travelers. … [Read more...] about The pandemic created a biking explosion. How can cities make it permanent?

In December, the U.S. Commerce Department put DJI on its banned-entities list for allegedly enabling human-rights abuses. That may complicate WCK’s work even if it hasn’t yet stopped DJI from continuing U.S. operations. Either way, this organization already knows the value of having alternatives ready. … [Read more...] about The tech that keeps World Central Kitchen cooking in times of disaster

Erik Larson’s recent book, The Splendid and the Vile, shows Churchill’s use of many of the same tools that Shackleton exhibited. During the Battle of Britain, the English prime minister also faced impossible odds in a time of crisis, but his leadership acumen helped guide the country through its “Darkest Hour.” The lessons in the book – ones of optimism, honesty, and grit – are relevant for present-day managers; you don’t have to be running a country to apply them. Whatever tools you consider using to sharpen your crisis management skills, rest assured that the ability to coolly and confidently make decisions and encourage others along a given path is a skill that is in short supply and is hugely valued. … [Read more...] about These are the 3 skills you need to succeed in 2021