Global Scans · Lifestyles · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Digital lifestyles are on the rise around the world and AR and VR will likely see us all using wearables, head-mounted displays and smartphones in almost everything we do. And, most of us will be living in cities too with full amenities close by.

• [New] The growth of online shopping shows no signs of slowing, with e-commerce sales projected to reach 23% of total retail sales globally by 2027. Passle
• [New] The global tech industry is projected to reach a staggering value of $15.8 trillion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.9% during the forecast period. Smartphone Magazine
• [New] The evolution of store of value assets will likely continue to mirror changes in technology, society, and the global economy. Quant Matter
• [New] For repair shops, Apple writes that service providers will no longer need to provide a device's serial number when ordering parts from the Self Service Repair Store for repairs not involving replacement of the logic board. Gizmodo
• [New] The loss of approximately 850,000 Bitcoins, valued at $473 million at the time, created a wave of fear and skepticism towards digital assets and tokenization. StarPEDIA
• The global content creator economy is expected to grow at a compounding annual rate of 10-20% over the following 5 years and could reach a total value of $500 billion by 2027. Lumenova AI
• A broader war involving Iran could draw Western nations to Israel's side at a time when Israel is becoming increasingly isolated on the world stage because of its behaviour in Gaza. The Limited Times
• Avendus Capital's latest report on green hydrogen estimates cumulative investments of $125 billion by 2030, across the value chain spanning electrolyzer production, renewable energy generation, and green hydrogen and green ammonia production in India. pv magazine India
• The MENA region is rapidly shifting towards dominance in mobile commerce, with expectations of a substantial double-digit portion of total online transaction value being generated through mobile platforms by 2025. Yahoo Finance
• The value of the specialty coffee sector is expected to reach US$ 152.69 billion by 2030, representing a growth rate of 12.32% over the forecast period. Global Coffee Report
• A greener form of development could generate 400 million jobs and US$8 × 10^12 in business value annually by 2030. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Financial institutions around the world recognize the value of tailoring their efforts to address specific risks in their operations. Global Compliance Institute
• Wartsila's flexible gas engines have the potential to add significant value to the green transition of Polish district heating. Wartsila.com
• The technology sector is projected to exceed $5.3 trillion in value this year, as there are already more than 585,000 tech companies in the United States alone. Bold.org
• By 2028, local payment methods will account for 58% of ecommerce transaction values (up from 47% in 2023), accounting for a majority of transaction value online for the first time. The Fintech Times
• U.S. is projected to occupy a major share in the North America outbound medical tourism services markets in terms of value. FMIBlog
• Generative AI could add trillions in value to the worldwide economy as it automates activities that presently take up much of workers' time. AXA IM Corporate
• Using a more conservative value of $7 million per life, the economic cost of premature deaths expected through the next year is estimated at $4.4 trillion. PubMed Central (PMC)
• A complete ban imposed by a giant economy such as China has the potential to cause significant drops in the value of cryptocurrencies and discourage investors. Robotics & Automation News

Last updated: 18 April 2024