Cycle to work
AcerThe Memo is Forbes’ global weekly newsletter curating the latest in future trends, entrepreneurship and sustainability.
Sent on Saturdays, it also includes everything you need to start your weekend, from must-listen podcasts to new book releases and much more. Sign up here.
Bring on 2023
Happy New Year and welcome to your first 2023 edition of The Memo.
Wishing you a prosperous, sustainable and (hopefully) more balanced year, from all the team at Forbes.
Five Things We Learned
One company gave the ultimate New Year gift by canceling all group meetings. Shopify employees returned this week to find all their meetings with more than 2 employees would automatically be deleted, as part of a drive to be “a better operating company”. Fewer Zoom meetings in 2023? Sign me up.
Women undergoing chemotherapy can keep their hair. Scalp-cooling technology can protect up to 90% of hair follicles, sparing patients from hair loss. One doctor was so-impressed with the technique she developed her own low-cost system that can be self-administered at home.
There’s a new $1,000 exercise bike desk that can charge your laptop while you work. Looking for a new year exercise fix and points for going green? Look no further than the snappily-named Acer eKinekt BD 3 Bike Desk. As our contributor notes, it isn’t clear if the energy you generate will satisfy the needs of today’s energy-hungry devices.
Travel in 2023 will be transformative, ethical and lower cost. Why relax on holiday when you can take ‘a journey of self-discovery’, a continuation of the so-called ‘wellness’ trend with retreats and ‘radical sabbaticals’. Namaste.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is getting straighter. The iconic tower has righted itself by an impressive 4 cm since 2001, following efforts to prevent the structure from falling down. Some engineers predict the tower could straighten out completely in the future.
The Good
Electric cars will go from strength-to-strength in 2023. Contributor James Morris predicts Chinese and Vietnamese low-cost EVs will grab significant market share across Europe, Asia and Australia. China’s BYD (Build Your Dreams), is already the global bestseller of plug-in vehicles.
The Bad
Europe’s top ski resorts are too warm this winter. With temperatures reaching the warmest on record since 1997, low-altitude slopes across France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria have turned green. Experts predict many alpine resorts could lose up to 70% of snow cover by the end of the century.
Watch
Emily in Paris. Don’t take this super saccharine show too seriously. The latest series offers more romantic twists and turns alongside a highly stylised backdrop across Paris. January escapism at its finest. Netflix, available worldwide.
Listen
A guide to the morning after. Learn what really happens to our bodies after a heavy night out and discover a promising new alternative to alcohol that could offer all the pluses without the heavy price to pay the next day. The Food Programme, BBC, free to listen worldwide.
Read
Atlas of the Heart. Dr Brené Brown takes the reader of a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what is means to be human. Random House, from $14.99.
Taste
The coolest restaurants to eat at in 2023. Forbes spoke to a panel of hand-picked experts to get their tips for this year’s up-and-coming restaurants including London’s Ikoyi, Bangkok’s Haoma and La Villa Madie, in Cassis, France.
Sign up here to get the The Memo newsletter delivered to your inbox every Saturday.
