The Drum’s top ten tech disruptions of the week - Adidas talks wearables, Clinton's social-first presidency push & EU's Google grievance
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. Adidas is experimenting with implementing near field communications (NFC) technology in its sportswear to offer greater connectivity and data for users – and be granted a fuller picture of who is using its goods. One such NFC-based offering is a football shirt which serves up team information or statistics of a specific player when the logo was tapped.
2. Hilary Clinton launched her presidential push with a primary focus on social media exposure. After making an announcement video on YouTube, Clinton shared major life events from her and her husband, former president Bill Clinton's past, on her Facebook timeline giving viewers a chance to enjoy some truly retro images – a move which could add a human side to her campaign.
3. Apple launched its Apple Watch, resulting in pre-order sales topping 1m as the wearable out-performed Android Wear’s 970k 2014 sales in a mere 24 hours. The numbers reportedly fell way short of analysts' expectations however, which sat as high as 22m.
4. Google got behind the scenes at iconic music studio Abbey Road, giving web users the chance to explore the birthplace of essential albums such as the Beatles' aptly titled Abbey Road. On the initiative, Tom Seymour, head of project at Google’s Creative Labs said: “We’re always looking at how we can use technology to bring people closer to cultural icons and institutions around the world.”
5. HBO has taken a swing at Twitter’s live-streaming app Periscope, as the platform was reportedly abused by pirates sharing Game of Thrones content as it was broadcast live on TV.
Such action could be seen as closing the stable door after the horse has bolted however as the first four episodes of the show leaked on pirate sites on file-sharing sites 24 hours before the show had aired worldwide.
6. Twitter has opened up its rich wellspring of tweets to non-subscribers on a newly refurbished home page. Web users can browse through categorised tweets on the site. The feature could prove an aid in tempting people to create accounts with the service as its growth stagnates.
7. Snapchat upped its game in its Silicon Valley recruitment drive, bombarding users of the app in digital rivals’ headquarters, including Uber, with messages urging them to work instead for the photo-messaging app. The company used geo-tagging to hit users at selected GPS coordinates with specific messages.
8. Jay Z's music platform Tidal has launched a revamped homepage putting video content at front and centre of the offering. The upstart start-up looks to promote up-and-coming artists with its ‘Tidal Rising’ widget, supplemented with easier-than-ever sharing options as it intensifies its battle against Spotify.
9. Tinder has entered a partnership with Instagram enabling users to link their images to their dating profile to give potential matches a little more insight. The move adds more depth to the service which has been criticised for its somewhat superficial nature - with users often selecting potential partners on appearances alone.
10. The EU has accused Google of rigging its search results to give prime positioning to its Google Shopping service ahead of rivals “irrespective of its merits”. On the decision, the EU Commission ruled: “Google's conduct may therefore artificially divert traffic from rival comparison shopping services and hinder their ability to compete, to the detriment of consumers, as well as stifling innovation.”