Vivahouse is effectively making use of the booming millennial nomad market that have a hard time finding a home. They turn empty malls, office buildings, hospitals and other types of real estate into livable spaces by building modular prefab rooms. One of the first locations can be found on London’s High Street and Vivahouse aims to expand all across London. The company was founded by one of WeWork’s early employees, which is visible by the focus on the flexibility and co-experience: all residents share amenities like the kitchen and bathroom. Besides creating a sustainable and adaptable way of creating living space, Vivahouse wants to promote a community vibe with these shared spaces. Living in a Vivahouse costs approximately $770 a month or $75 a night.
Read more at Curbed.
Image from Vivahouse via Dezeen
Hospitals, offices and hotels in Beijing have the possibility to employ robots for 650$ a month. The robots take care of the last mile of lunch delivery. The robots, leased from Yunji Technology Co., welcome the delivery company at the front door and independently navigate to the right floor, opening lobby gates and elevator doors through a wireless connection. Customers enter the last four digits of their phone number to unlock the box holding their lunch.
Read more at Wall Street Journal
Govtech, the Singapore government agency will equip 110,000 lamp posts with various kinds of sensors including cameras that can support backend facial recognition capabilities. Camera surveillance isn’t new, but Singapore’s system will be closer to China’s surveillance tech. Speaking of which… China is taking the implementation of facial recognition to a new level by setting up 200 million cameras in its capital city. After piloting its social credit system in Hangzhou (9.5 million inhabitants) since late 2017, China hopes to incorporate it in Beijing, giving home to 22 million people, by 2021. The program will collect data from government agencies and transit authorities, using tracking technology linked to citizens who are increasingly part of a technological network comprised of cell phones and social apps. People who follow the government’s rules and exhibit pro-social behaviors, such as donating blood, will earn a good social credit and be rewarded with so-called “green channel” benefits, such as easier access to job applications and gyms. Those who violate laws can risk being blocked from services such as ordering plane and train tickets. Both programs are subject of major privacy concerns by local and foreign governments and citizens.
Read more about Singapore’s lamp posts here and about China’s social credit system here.
