The Snarchitect

Do you remember that once upon a time, we used to put coins into a telephone, when we actually wanted to speak with someone? Not any more.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said LinkNYC, a plan proposed by a group of companies working together under the name CityBridge, had been selected to replace the old pay phone system. Up to 10,000 column-like devices would be placed in all five boroughs starting next year if the plan is approved by the city’s Franchise and Concession Review Committee.
The devices, along with Wi-Fi, would also have touchscreens for users to access city agencies and digital displays for advertising and announcements.
The devices would replace 8,400 pay phones in 6,452 installations around the city. The only pay phones left would be three booth-style pay phones on the Upper West Side that would be preserved as pieces of New York City history.

PARIS – A few years ago, my husband and I spent Christmas vacation in a big farmhouse in the French countryside near Bergerac with friends. We were four couples, four cute English pre-teens, and a lot of cows and ducks in the back yard.

Noah’s Ark is Alive (and Dead) in Paris — The Fathom Collection — Medium

A lot of time and money is being invested into ways to get ecommerce orders delivered into the hands of consumers. UPS began laying the groundwork for package pickup a few years ago as an alternative to at-home delivery.

UPS Expands Package Pickup Service for Online Shoppers

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) wants to be like America’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.— in size, that is. Amazon.com Amazon.com wants to be like Wal-Mart—in physical store presence that is. In a big shift from Amazon.

Alibaba And Amazon.com Want To Be Like Wal-Mart. What Does It Mean For Margins?

Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, has spent years trying to turn some of its millions of customers into patients, offering a simple menu of medical services that consumers can buy along with everything from a bag of chips to a lawn mower.

Walmart wants to be your doctor’s office