Bits & Bytes | China's Taobao Villages, Amazon Leading the Way in Innovation

"Once Poverty-Stricken, China's 'Taobao Villages' Have Found a Lifeline Making Trinkets for the Internet" (Quartz)
"Alibaba says that, nationwide, 18 villages considered to be in poverty by the national government are now Taobao villages, selling more than 10 million yuan ($1.45 million) worth of goods online per year."

"Why Amazon Is The World's Most Innovative Company Of 2017" (Fast Company)
"Unlike Apple, Google, and Microsoft, Amazon is not fixated on a tightly designed ecosystem of interlocking apps and services. Bezos instead emphasises platforms that each serves its own customers in the best and fastest possible way."

"'We Will Become a Ferrari' - Federico Marchetti on His Yoox Net-A-Porter Ambitions" (The Telegraph)
"In order to keep striding beyond its rivals, the company is constantly ramping up its investment in facilities, including a fully robotic, low-oxygen warehouse that will require the occasional human worker to undergo altitude training."

"Pinterest Deepens Retail Integrations with New Visual Search Tech" (Retail Dive)
"The Pinterest Lens visual search tech also allows users to point their smartphone cameras at items to get search results with related styles or ideas on how to use or pair the product, simplifying how users discover new products and ideas on the platform."