Author: Willoughby Avenue

Here comes another Apple product announcement. Stop salivating.

Steve Jobs fueled the mania for Apple’s product releases in two important ways. First, he brought showmanship to the events, a combination of prestidigitation and circus blarney that Apple’s new leadership can’t match. Second, and more importantly, on more than one occasion Jobs delivered products that truly changed our world. As a result, Apple product announcements are preceded by dozens of frothy articles explaining why this or that predicted feature will alter—sorry, revolutionize—our lives.

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See if your data’s out there, shut down old accounts, send self-destructing messages, and more.

There’s nothing wrong with having a high profile on the web, but too much of a good thing can lead to plenty of bad things. These tools can help you get stuff done without revealing too much to hackers, marketers, and other assorted snoops.

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Shigeru Miyamoto talks about the original Super Mario Bros., and how Mario has evolved since.

The first level of Super Mario Bros. is a masterclass in game design. And now Shigeru Miyamoto—the genius game designer who gave us some of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises—explains why. Within the first few seconds of the game, a player is enticed to jump and hit that question mark block, learns how to stomp a goomba, and eats a mushroom to become super.

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Elizabeth II has officially become the U.K.’s longest-reigning monarch. Here’s how she’s managed one of the world’s most high-profile brands.

On September 9, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch in Britain’s history, surpassing her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria’s record that’s been held for more than a century. Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952 at the young age of 25 and has since been leading what is, essentially, one of Britain’s most valuable brands now for more than six decades. Although the Queen’s longevity at the head of the family business is mainly the result of her just staying alive all these years, she has managed to steer her country through postwar depression, oversee the formation of the Commonwealth of Nations, act as a patron to over 600 charities and organizations, and watch a staggering amount of U.S. presidents come and go—just to highlight a few lines on her resume.

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Whatever your religious convictions might be, a job’s still a job.

Kim Davis is a clerk in Kentucky who refused to sign marriage licenses for same-sex couples, based on her religious convictions. Fast Company Senior Editor Kim Last addresses this by pointing out that if we take out the moral implications, this is about an elected official not carrying out the duties of her position. In simple terms, this is an issue where an employee is not doing his or her job. Do you agree? Should Kim Davis resign her position? What do you think should be done? Tell us at #29thFloor!

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WeWork’s coliving initiative, WeLive, is betting entrepreneurs will want to play where they work—but it may not make a splash right away.

Last year, it was revealed that coworking company WeWork was making an ambitious jump into the coliving space. New documents obtained by The Information show that WeWork’s plans to offer combined live-work spaces for small startups and solo entrepreneurs are further along than expected, and that a seamless meeting of work and personal life could be a future profit generator for WeWork.

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Get an up-close look at the brand’s Fall 2015 runway show with a fashion-friendly spin on Google Cardboard.

Rebecca Minkoff, one of Fast Company‘s Most Innovative Companies in Fashion this year, has just introduced virtual reality (VR) headsets into its product line, along with clothes, bags, and accessories. The headset requires some assembly—it’s a fashion-friendly spin on Google’s VR platform, Cardboard—but allows consumers to pop their iOS or Android phones into the box and watch a stream of VR content.

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New iPads? What does Apple have up its sleeve?

The Apple rumor mill is hell-bent on ruining the surprise for all of us.

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It might sound self-indulgent, but “me time” may be more critical to your success than you think.

Taking some “me time” may sound like a luxury reserved for self-indulgent celebrities. In today’s hyperbusy world, demands of work and family often supersede spending time doing the things you actually enjoy doing. Perhaps you even feel guilty about taking some time out for yourself, but taking time to rest and recharge are as critical to your success as responding to an urgent email from your boss.

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Get ready: Your emails are about to come with a lot more bells and whistles.

Like many tech-conference organizers, the people behind The Email Design Conference made sure to email attendees well ahead of time with the Twitter hashtag for the event.

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