–Airbnb has created Samara, a futures division. Its first project: Design, architecture and urban planning in a Japanese town. Via Fast Company.
–Can big banks compete with instant payment services like PayPal and Apple Pay? According to the New York Times, they’re going to try.
–Bye, Felipe: Meet the women who are turning the spotlight on the creeps of sexual dating sites. Via Fast Company.
–Hugo Boss unveils Boss on Demand, a partnership with Uber that delivers VIPs straight to the store’s stylists. Via WWD.
–”Instagram is really brand friendly, so that’s a huge opportunity”: Why marketers prefer Instagram’s new story feature to Snapchat, according to Ad Age.
–This Indian startup aims to connect women seeking flexibility in their jobs with companies that are open to the idea, The Atlantic reports.
–CRWNMAG is on a mission to celebrate the beauty of black women, starting with hair. Via Dazed.
–“An experiment in activist automation”: A Black Lives Matter Twitter bot has been engineered to be a political influencer, and Fast Company has the details.
–Will Apple’s new water pistol emoji do anything to deter gun violence? Slate investigates.
–Now any news outlet can use Buzzfeed’s chatbot to automatically gather background and context for stories, according to Nieman Lab.
–British supermarket Waitrose kills two trend-forward birds with one stone: gluten-free pasta in packaging made from food waste. Via FoodBev.
–The London Design Festival 2016 highlighted dyslexic designers who believe the unique condition influences their style, according to Dezeen.
–Meet the hotel chains that are hacking wellness travel. From Well + Good.
