Weekly Rewind: October 27
A look back at some of the more unusual stories of the week, including Terry Richardson, 3D zebra crossings & Amazon Key.
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5. Terry Richardson: Why did it take so long?
This week, the Evening Standard exposed the actions of yet another male media predator who preyed on young women keen to make their names in the fashion world. But the biggest shock in all this was how many people knew about the accusations of sexual harrassment against fashion photographer Terry Richardson. And how little had actually been done about it... until now. This week, Condé Nast International - the publishing body behind Vogue, GQ, Glamour and Vanity Fair - announced that the company would no longer work with the photographer. Richardson's responsed by claiming he was "disappointed" with the decision according to a later article by the publication, as he believes he has addressed these queries in the past. No further action has been taken.
4. Would you let Amazon into your home?
What lengths would you go to avoid visiting the local post office or interacting with your neighbours to collect your delivery? Amazon is offering a new service according to The Verge that claims to make your life a hell of a lot easier so long as you're willing to give them access to your house. Amazon Key is essentially a smart lock that allows people of your choosing gain entry inside your home. Working together with the brand's Cloud Cam, which records footage, you will be able to see how Amazon couriers let themselves in to your house while they deliver your packages or watch the cleaners as they mop up your mess. Creepy or incredibly convenient? We're not sure...
3. Innovation in Icelandic Road Safety 
If you were driving a car and you saw a kid levitating above a zebra crossing, would you stop? Hopefully you would, as this is what Icelandic environmental commissioner Ralf Trylla is counting on when he installed a 3D street painting in the small fishing town of Ísafjörður, says Bored Panda. Street painting company Vegmálun GÍH carried out the job and it does look pretty convincing, we must say!
2. Instagram unveil new zoom tool
If you've been frustrated by the lack of zoom on Instagram, you can breathe a sigh of relief as the company has just added Superzoom to its creative toolkit [Tech Crunch]. Now users can easily zoom in on objects and record a 3-second Superzoom effect. But beware: before long, your feed is sure to be filled with scary close-ups.
1. China aims to score civilians
Worried about the effects of social media on society and where we're destined to go? This week WIRED featured an extract from Who Can You Trust? How Technology Brought Us Together and Why It Might Drive Us Apart from Rachel Botsman, which discussed some of the challenges we may face in the future. In it, the scary realities of China's Planning Outline for the Construction of a Social Credit System document were presented, which aims to constantly monitor and evaluate civilians based on their purchases, their activities and their finances, to produce an individual score. It might seem like a terrifying prospect but as the extract rightly points out, China is a country without a national credit system - therefore this programme, could help to regulate the market and reduce counterfeit and substandard products. It's a long article but definitely worth a read for more thorough analysis.
