arc news

In this July summer edition of ARC Reads we continue to share the latest tech and business articles that have piqued our interest.

What We're Reading This Month

6 Strategic Concepts That Set High-Performing Companies Apart - Strategic concepts come in and out of fashion as the needs and dynamics of the marketplace change. Research and analysis of today’s landscape identifies six key strategic concepts that set outperforming companies apart: Borrow someone’s road, partner with a third party, reveal your strategy, be good, let the competition go, and adopt small scale attacks. Get the article here.

Don’t Work on Vacation. Seriously. - As more and more employees shift to flexible work schedules, it’s become increasingly common for people to work during time off. But new research shows that working on weekends or holidays can have a significant impact on intrinsic motivation, leading to both lower employee satisfaction rates and lower quality work product. To combat this, the authors suggest a simple but effective strategy for situations in which working during time off is unavoidable: by mentally reframing time off as “work time,” you’re likely to feel more motivated, find your work more meaningful, and put more effort into your work. Managing Yourself.

How to Make Beautiful QR Codes Using AI - I think we can all agree that the classic black-and-white QR codes are convenient, but they're ugly. For designers, it’s hard to integrate without breaking the color scheme of the whole design. And to the audience, they just look plain and boring. Happily, you can let AI generate stunning QR codes in a way that humans just cannot. More here.

Emerging Challenges and Solutions in Underwater Drone Technology - Under the world's contested waters, unmanned vehicles now occupy the critical space from deep sea to surface. The unique challenges of underwater environments, such as hostile conditions and limited communication, demand advanced technology solutions. Article.

Geothermal Power Heats Up - On the whole, it’s an important moment for geothermal energy — and not just for providing carbon-free electricity, Robertson-Tait says. Geothermal brines hauled out of the Earth are rich in lithium and other critical minerals that can be used to build green technologies like solar panels and EV batteries. There’s a growing push to use direct geothermal heat to warm buildings, either through shallow heat pumps for residential buildings or larger systems designed for entire districts — like Paris and Munich already have.  Some oil and gas companies, recognizing that a change is coming, are increasingly interested in building geothermal systems of various kinds, says Robertson-Tait. “Our Earth is geothermal,” she says, “and so I think we owe it to ourselves to do everything we can to use it.” More.

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