If there is anything that humanity has brought to Earth, it is continuous and ever-improving innovation. We have built cities from the ground up. We are on the brink of the transition into an era driven almost-entirely by technology of all kinds. As technology continues to propel forward as we search for ways to introduce more of it into our everyday lives, it is becoming increasingly clear that we are relying on digitisation more and more. As humanity begins to store more of our data and information online, the risks are becoming more evident and more common. Thankfully, there are entire teams dedicated to the cause, but even they rely on continuous technological connection. It is the ultimate paradox.

Every time it seems that technology is reaching its peak for a while, yet another innovation explodes into the scene and sends the bar soaring ever-higher once again. The future of cyber technology rests on concepts and realities such as artificial intelligence and online identity and privacy. As the bar gets higher and higher, we are continuously introduced to new and meaningful innovations that seek to improve our lives and increase efficiency and speed.

Appliances that help us in the kitchen currently, such as food processors and juicers, are likely to be replaced by fully-functioning robotic machines that cook for us and then clean up after themselves in the kitchen. Similarly, while we typically store little to no personal data or information digitally, there will come a time that practically everything about us is online. As this increased integration with real life and the digital plane evolves, there are bound to be risks, but the good news is that there are already individuals who have dedicated their professional lives to the cybersecurity and privacy control of individuals that have already begun to make that digital leap – the individuals working the front line in digital forensics.

Cybersecurity is a function that, to work entirely and to its full potential, must always be on and functioning to its full capacity. As with anything, however, this is not always the case. Human error and the question of time are consistent themes in the cyber industry (as in any industry) but the biggest difference is the increasing number of online attacks that are happening, stealing data and information and using it for anything from identity fraud to financial fraud. As we make the move to digitisation, it is not an unfair question to wonder if the convenience of making the switch outweighs the potential risk factors.

Regardless of how we each feel about the situation, the reality is that complete digitisation is inevitable. The technology is improving at an astounding rate, and sooner rather than later having our data and information will be the norm, whether we like it or not. Despite the reservations, there is a line of defence in place for systems such as these. Technology and criminal justice come together to form the basis of digital security and, subsequently, digital forensics. Individuals that work in digital forensics are charged with the responsibility to recover stolen or lost data information, to put in place protective measures, and to trace cyberattacks back to the source, effectively finding those responsible for the misuse and theft of online intellectual and personal information. It is a defence that is, frankly, absolutely necessary and not at all early – it is better to be overly prepared than caught off guard.

Every single business goes through a period in its initial stages of trying to figure out the face of their brand and who they want to present themselves as to their consumer base. Regardless of which industry the business fits into, at the core of every business idea should be the voice that drives it and makes it thrive. There are two particular investments that are the face of every business. The first – the website – is the virtual and global face of the business. The second – the people – are the internal face of the business. Both investments in a business are the epitome of the values and morals that a company has.

Having a website is honestly a legitimate necessity for businesses today. Regardless of what kind of business you own, having a website significantly increases brand awareness and overall exposure. Additionally, having a website is quite literally the way to engage with an international pool of prospective consumers. The landing page of a website tells prospective customers everything they need to know about a business. In the first five seconds, most consumers have already made the decision of further engagement with a brand. That means that the website’s landing page has to perfectly encapsulate what the business is about, what it offers, and what it can do for the customer. Customers want convenience and carefree engagement, they do not want to have to work hard to navigate a virtual business page. The whole point of a website is to make the customer experience easier, faster, and more convenient than ever before. The website is quite literally the face of any business that operates partially or wholly online.

The other massive indicator of a business doing all the right things is the people that work at the business. There are many spinning wheels that make the people of a company such an important part of its success, such as having to have at least a basic understanding of cryptocurrency for beginners. In an increasingly digital world, understanding digital currency is vital, particularly when one considers the likelihood of websites gravitating towards allowing cryptocurrency spending via their website. As well as understanding the current trends and market that the business operates around, the people keeping the business floating are the first point of contact for all customer queries, meaning that the smooth operations of the business rely on those employees being able to handle customer engagement appropriately and efficiently. Without the people, the business ceases to exist, much less run appropriately.

Every business must invest heavily in two key business aspects for it to flourish in the current (and future) economy. The website and the people that work at the business are the two biggest and most important influences in the longevity and overall success of the business. Without either one of them – and especially without both of them – even the best, most influential business can fall flat and begin to shut down. It is all about connectivity and active engagement, ease and convenience. Anything else is doing your business a disservice.

The booming industry of online marketplaces has given life to e-commerce. Today, you can get anything from handmade trinkets, personalized to one’s liking, to doing something like Paid Surveys. There’s no doubt that 2017 was a huge year for innovation across the board. As artificial intelligence, augmented reality and machine learning disrupted industries as diverse as fashion and finance.
But of course not all of last year’s creations were winners.

Below we look at some of the best and worst invention ideas that 2017 had to offer.

The Best

GreenWave 3D Ocean Farm

Aiming to tackle the environmental effects of land farming, Connecticut based GreenWave made Time’s list of the 25 Best Inventions of 2017 for their innovative ocean farming initiatives. The Not-For-Profit has established 14 underwater farms since 2013, growing shellfish and seaweed crops on ropes anchored to the ocean floor. The farms are self-sustainable, and help tackle climate change, feeding on carbon trapped in our oceans as they grow. According to GreenWave director, Bren Smith, a former commercial fisherman, the organization’s mission is to train a generation of ocean farmers and help restore ocean ecosystems.

Petit Pil

Last year saw the unveiling of a product set to change the lives of new parent’s everywhere. Petit Pil is a fabric that will stretch and grow with your kids. London based designer, Ryan Mario Yasin, decided to apply his background in aeronautical engineering and love of origami, to try and save parents money while reducing waste in the fashion industry. The revolutionary fabric is designed to grow up to six sizes and works by folding and unfolding with kids as they move and play, and eliminates discrepancies in sizes, which means they’re always the perfect fit. Garments made with Petit Pil will fit children as they grow from four to thirty-six months.

The Worst

Pause Pod: Literally a tent.

Last year we saw the introduction of the Pause Pod. Described by its creators as a “private pop-up space free from stressful moments” the idea behind it is a portable space you can use in the office when you need a moment to relax and unwind. But Pause Pod received a royal roasting on twitter as users pointed out the team of Swedish inventors had simply designed a tent. The online commentary even prompted one of the team, Adam Mikkelsen, to speak out telling critics “We never claimed that it’s not a tent… But we wanted to shine a light on a problem in today’s society you never think about.”

Juicero: Not that different from any other juicer.

Perhaps the top spot for the worst invention in 2017 goes to Juicero. The $400 cold-press juicer is different to other juicers on the market, the internet-connected device will transform a single-serving packet of chopped fruit and vegetables into a beverage. You could be forgiven if you were wondering what really makes the Juicero any different from any other juicer on the market. Well to start with, you’ll have to buy those fruit and vegetables from Juicero too, and you might find that squeezing the packets with your hands is just as effective as using the machine.

The world is evolving very rapidly, our attention spans are much shorter and training sessions have become obsolete. Companies today  are looking into using online courses and searching for the best innovative and efficient methods to train their employees. The main challenge that companies are face today with digital transformation is with the organization and people, not technology.

Learning has become extremely easy and quick, employees now expect learning to be intuitive, pretty much like the intuition you see with those online medium that perform the medium readings. Nowadays, let’s say someone living in Toronto needs to set up Canadian VPN, the first thing he or she does is quickly watch a Youtube tutorial to educate themselves. Employees at work expect the same thing.

A successful learning strategy must keep employees motivated to learn and balancing impact from time spent outside of work. It is imperative that a digital learning strategy adapt a swift pace of change and make the time spent learning business outcome focused.

Traditional classrooms are becoming outdated and many employers are embracing new teaching methods. Most recently, Disney introduced a program, which helps them move away from traditional classrooms. By getting rid of classroom learning, not only it saves time but also content can be accessed whenever it is required or needed.

A lifetime learning experience

Access to data has turned into a ware with a quick pace of progress. The data and information we access or learn can rapidly end up obsolete or out of date. In the meantime, expanding many-sided quality and abundance of information expects us to be more particular in what we choose to realize. It is consequently vital that leaders cultivate a culture of long lasting figuring out how to stay away from out of date quality in their employees.

We know humans never stop learning, most companies are adapting to the mindset of lifelong learning. Most recently, a research conducted by MIT reports that nearly 90% of C suite executives surveyed indicated that they upgrade their skills annually, and half of them said that they need to upgrade their skills constantly to evolve.

Just-in-Time Learning

Having the capacity to provide just-in-time mediations, with an assortment of approaches to use the content is a great way to spread information with the least amount of time invested by the employee.

With the tremendous amounts of data obtainable, not every employee needs to be trained on everything. Be that as it may, rather we need to provide the right information to at the purpose of need.

The development of Augmented Reality technology provides more chances for Just-in-time context sensitive learning beyond the basic applications. There are huge benefits of having AR in a workplace context.

Scenario-based and Active Learning

As humans we learn more efficiently by practicing more action-oriented methods. Active learning is known to be more effective than passive modes such as reading, listening or watching. Organizations can use active learning and scenario-based practices to accomplish higher outcomes from learning endeavours.

Organizations believe that fruitful digital transformation entails a shift in their workforce, including its aptitudes and abilities. While a portion of these capacities can be employed or acquired for the time being, the whole workforce should be empowered via digital education.