–The high-concept Westfield World Trade Center, a shopping hub opened in August in Lower Manhattan, is a radical departure from the malls of the 90s, write the New York Times.
–Tommy Hilfiger’s upcoming “Tommy Pier” captures the pressures brands face in a social media-saturated culture: To provide Instagram-ready entertainment, while also showcasing the brand’s lines. Via Glossy.
–Alicia Keys and Alessia Cara are spearheading the makeup-free trend, attending MTV’s Video Music Awards in bare-faced minimal looks, writes Glamour.
–Kate Spade introduced chic new fitness trackers this week, leading The Verge to question why all fashion companies now must develop fitness trackers.
–The Creators Project takes a look inside the Śiṣya, a new installation from a prominent Burning Man artist exploring transformation and grief.
–Don’t miss Wired’s November issue, featuring a very special guest editor: Barack Obama. Via Wired.
–Researchers are experimenting with using VR as a tool to manage pain, particularly as the headsets become increasingly cheaper, writes Bloomberg.
–Google is launching a ride-sharing app through its crowdsourced mapping app Waze, but it’s only available in San Francisco. Via Recode.
–The mobile phone revolution could create a “second digital citizenship,” as mobile viewers are less likely to engage with news, creating a gap between the politically informed and politically disconnected. Via Nieman Lab.
–A 34-year-old from Washington, D. C. is behind EmergencyBnB, an Airbnb that allows individuals to host refugees or victims of domestic violence, the Washington Post reports.
–Despite social pressures to marry and a shortage of Hong Kong men, Hong Kong’s women are are still swearing off dating in their hometown, Quartz writes.
–”Now Be Here” captured 733 female artists at Los Angeles’ Hauser Wirth & Schimmel gallery, the largest group portrait of women artists in the city’s history. Via the New York Times.
–The New York Times tracks the rise of post-gender baby names like Hayden, Emerson, Rowan and Phoenix.
–Areas of Chicago have been fitted with urban sensors, which function as a ‘fitness tracker’ for the city, monitoring traffic and the environment. Via Dezeen.
