Seven Must-Read Stories (Week ending October 3, 2015)

Another chance to catch the most interesting and important articles from the previous week on MIT Technology Review.

October 2, 2015

The Measured Worker
The technology that illuminates worker productivity and value also contributes to wage inequality, Tyler Cowen argues.
On the Edge of Automation
Five hundred years from now, says venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson, less than 10 percent of people on the planet will be doing paid work. And next year?
Fighting ISIS Online
The Islamic State is an Internet phenomenon as much as a military one. Counteracting it will require better tactics on the battlefield of social media.
Work in Transition
Digital technologies are changing the nature of the jobs we do. What does that mean for the future of work?
The Troubles of “Bitcoin’s PayPal” Show Why the Cryptocurrency Is Not a Good Payment Mechanism
Leading Bitcoin startup BitPay is cutting costs, suggesting that the currency won’t be catching on soon.
Moon-Landing Equivalent for Robots: Assembling an IKEA Chair
Robots are poor at many activities that humans find simple. Now roboticists are making progress on a task that exemplifies them all: the automated assembly of an IKEA chair.
Trick That Doubles Wireless Data Capacity Stands Up in Cell Network Tests
Major wireless carriers have begun testing a technology that can double the capacity of any wireless data connection.