The Drum’s top ten tech disruptions of the week: Coca-Cola's plant bottle, Netflix tests ads & a man vs robot katana showdown
It’s been a busy week in technology. Here The Drum has rounded up 10 of the top tech innovations that have been touted this week as capable of disrupting the world as we know it.
1. Coca-Cola has developed a new bottle solely from plant materials. In conjunction with a number of biotech firms, the soft drinks giant looks to move away from environmentally damaging plastic products.
2. Facebook has acknowledged that social media users in developing countries are likely to have data limits or poor connectivity with the launch of Facebook Lite – a bare-to-the-bones Facebook experience which locks out video and prioritises text on the newsfeed.
3. The Motoman-MH24 industrial robot had a katana showdown with Japanese sword master Machii Isao in a stunning new video. The machine was able to replicate Isao’s movements using 3D analysis technology – opening up a world of possibilities for engineers across the world.
4. Google’s Sergey Brin looked to defend the record of the company’s driverless cars, which have suffered 21 minor accidents during the 1.7 million miles of testing they have endured. He said the accidents all occurred while the motors were manually operated, adding “We don't claim that the cars are going to be perfect, our goal is to beat human drivers”.
5. UK supermarket Tesco and FareShare have announced a scheme to help feed the needy using soon-to-expire food which legally can no longer be sold by the retailer. Using the FoodCloud app, 10 Tesco outlets in the UK will redistribute 30,000 tonnes of annual food waste to homeless hostels, women’s refuges and breakfast clubs for disadvantaged children.
6. Yahoo live-streamed an NHL game globally for free as part of the firm’s digital push. The rights to record-breaking viewing between the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars, reportedly cost the search giant $20m.
7. Google and Levi’s partnered to release the world’s first pair of ‘smart’ jeans, interwoven with conductive material capable of issuing commands to smartphones and other devices. The wearables will go on sale in 2016, for those wanting to get their hands on a pair.
8. Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings made the argument that piracy helped change TV consumption habits which precipitated the rise of the streaming giant. He said: “We can think of this as the bottled water business. Tap water can be drunk and is free, but there is still a public that demands bottled water."
9. On the other hand, Netflix has commenced testing pre and post-roll in-house adverts on some users’ accounts. Bringing ads to the platform would turn the streaming on its head and could taint Hasting’s “bottled water” service.
10. And finally, take a look at the 21 tech start-ups getting John Lewis excited in 2015. The retailer has tasked the firms with pitching retail disrupting ideas in pursuit of a £100,000 prize.