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The 10 most innovative companies in video

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In 2020, people’s reliance on video for communication and entertainment skyrocketed due to the pandemic. Companies from all areas of the spectrum—livestreaming, video communication, shopping, as well as TV and movie platforms—all found ways not only to exploit this growing demand, but lean into it in ways that improved its users quality of life in new and unexpected ways. 1. Apple For proving that the streaming race is a marathon not a sprint The company’s, $5.99-a-month streaming service, Apple TV Plus , was slow out of the gate when it launched in late 2019. But in 2020 it picked up speed, launching an aggressive, event film strategy with Greyhound , the Tom Hanks WWII film that it bought from Sony and turned into summer water-cooler chatter. On the TV side, the company got past its initial stage of shows with glossy sheens that didn’t ultimately deliver and moved into a much more satisfying era of truly original-feeling shows like Ted Lasso and the Israeli thriller Tehran . Strong word of mouth and critical acclaim for these and other titles helped the service reportedly grow to about 35 million subscribers and nab eight Emmy nominations. The streamer took home one for Billy Crudup’s performance in The Morning Show , the flagship series when Apple TV Plus launched, but now a footnote in the streamer’s well-stocked portfolio. 2. Tubi For giving viewers the Netflix experience for free In response to Black Lives Matter, Tubi created a vertical called United Against Inequality showcasing movies and TV shows from the free, ad-supported streaming service’s library of 23,000 titles. None of them were Tubi originals—there’s no such thing—but the move showed how Tubi cleverly curates content from its vast library in order to draw users, which now number 33 million. In 2020 the company was acquired by Fox Corp. for $440 million, giving Tubi access to yet more content and ammunition with advertisers. This combined fire power, along with Tubi’s new, Advanced Frequency Management tool, which lessens ad repetition and improves frequency management of commercials, solved one of the biggest problems with ad-supported streaming and has helped make Tubi the streaming service you most need. Read More …

The 10 most innovative transportation companies of 2021

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This year’s most innovative transportation companies continue to push back on the carbon-heavy transportation industry with electric alternatives—for driving, biking, freight hauling, and even flying. Also losing traction: Human operators, with advances in cars, taxis, trailers, and planes that pilot themselves. 1. Tesla For powering a global movement toward electric vehicles Last March, the leader in high-performance electric vehicles, Tesla , made its 1 millionth car. The January prior, it became the most valuable American automaker of all time, and by July the most valuable in the world. After reaching profitability for the first time in 2019, Tesla remained profitable in 2020, rolled out the Model Y SUV, announced a new factory in Texas, and became a major player in the Chinese electric car market. 2. Rad Power Bikes For electrifying the pandemic biking experience This was the year that Americans finally, really embraced e-bikes. The successful launch of new budgeted-minded e-bikes and surging sales of its $1,500 RadRover electric fat tire bikes helped Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes —which sells directly to consumers through its website—grab the lion’s share of the market, and roughly tripling its 2019 sales. [Illustration: Jacob Pinson ] 3. RepairSmith For calling the mechanic to your driveway On-demand mechanic RepairSmith launched in August 2019. The Daimler AG–backed service deploys a fleet of specially equipped Mercedes Sprinter vans to make house calls in metropolitan areas of California, Nevada, Arizona, and more, and uses data-driven logistics to ensure that most customers can get repairs within two to three days of booking. Offering no-contact repairs throughout the pandemic, RepairSmith expanded service from two to 325-plus locations in 2020. 4. Read More …

Why this AI engineer is using sci-fi to unpack tech’s biggest problems

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S.B. Divya’s new science fiction thriller, Machinehood , is set in a not-too-distant future when people have access to tabletop biotech labs that churn out everything from cures for new diseases to performance-enhancing drugs. But they find that taking such drugs is all but mandatory as they compete for paying gig work in an economy where more and more jobs can be done by artificial intelligence. Before she was a published author, Divya was an engineer with a background in computational neuroscience and data science, as well as computing hardware and software. She talked to Fast Company about how her work has shaped her writing, the not-quite-dystopian world she envisions in Machinehood , and why she’s still optimistic about the future. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. How did your tech career inform your writing? Read More …

3 ways to build an equitable health system, according to a Black doctor

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While the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our daily lives for one year, it has also further illuminated the inequities in our healthcare system experienced daily by racial and ethnic minorities. When we look at a past pandemic, the 1918 Flu, and compare it to the COVID-19 pandemic today, it’s clear there are still health disparities for Black Americans today—even 100 years later. It is critical that doctors like myself, as well as healthcare innovators and policymakers, work to break down these barriers and improve care for members of the Black community. While experts believe racial segregation may have contributed to Black Americans contracting the 1918 Flu at lower rates than white Americans, Black patients were more likely to die from the flu if they did become ill compared to white patients. Beyond the pandemic, Black Americans were suffering from higher rates of illness and death compared to white people. Reports in 1900 assert that Black communities were experiencing a 69% higher death rate from a number of diseases, such as tuberculosis and pneumonia, compared to white people. And now, more than 100 years later, Black Americans are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, dying at 2.4 times the rate of white Americans. In several states across the country, the difference in mortality is shocking. For instance, in Chicago, it has been reported that Black people account for nearly 60% of COVID-19 deaths while only making up 30% of the population. Several major cities across the country have the same disproportionate trend. In 1918, Black people were often disbarred from care , leading to local and decentralized efforts to provide care within the community. We see these same disparities today. Read More …