Zoom’s next coup? Taking sci-fi’s favorite interface to the office

Presented by   In the Mexican region of Jalisco, two brick buildings are about to break ground—only 145 miles from a distillery operated by Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila brand. The connection to 818 doesn’t end there because the buildings’ bricks are made with the company’s post-production agave waste. And if your weekend included a margarita or two, then you should know that, for every bottle of tequila produced, there are 11 pounds of agave wasted—or 2.7 billion pounds, based on last year’s sales in the U.S. alone. For today’s story, I spoke with the architect who’s turning that waste into bricks. Read it here. —Elissaveta M. Brandon, @elissavetam   co.design Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila brand is turning agave waste into bricks The first batch of bricks will be used to build a school library and a tasting room for a family-run distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. READ MORE   return to office The gulf between workers and managers is growing, amid the return to office Many managers are considering cutting pay, reducing benefits, or even firing employees who don’t want to return to the office, says a new study. READ MORE   remote work Zoom’s next coup? Taking sci-fi’s favorite interface to the office Zoom seems poised to take gesture control mainstream by not trying too hard. READ MORE

a message from dept®  The world’s first 24hr Metaverse festival is coming soon Global digital agency DEPT® is hosting a 24-hour Meta Festival on June 28th. Bringing together innovators, technologists, brands, and consumers for hundreds of talks, music, workshops and more. Register now.

As Polaroid’s SX-70 turns 50, instant photography is booming Digital cameras and smartphones are great. But photo prints that develop before your eyes? That was downright magical in 1972—and still meaningful today. READ MORE

impact Microplastics are everywhere. These sponges could help capture them As billions of tons of plastic waste have accumulated in the environment, microplastics are getting even harder to remove. READ MORE   tech The Smithsonian and Meta are teaming up to let you experience the moon in VR Stitching together thousands of archival photos and audio samples, the exhibit will let visitors walk in the Apollo astronauts’ shoes. READ MORE   architecture Look inside the best green buildings of 2022 The American Institute of Architects chose the 10 most sustainable buildings of the year, factoring in their environmental and social impacts. READ MORE   productivity This service helps you link your favorite apps together Meet IFTTT, a digital assistant that saves you time. READ MORE   impact Despite recent pay hikes, many American workers are still a long way from a living wage Even at the current rate of pay increases, it would take a full 10 years for a worker in the 20th percentile of the wage distribution to earn a living wage of $20 an hour. READ MORE   work life How to be better at saying ‘no’ to extra work There are a lot of reasons why it’s hard to refuse additional assignments, but it’s often critical to avoid burnout. READ MORE   NEWS Musk closes in on Twitter: What you need to know The merry-go-round drama between Elon Musk and Twitter continues. Musk and Twitter are now in discussions again for the world’s richest man to take over the social media platform, according to several reports. Twitter shareholders reportedly became more interested in a Musk takeover after the billionaire Tesla CEO assembled a $46.5 billion funding package from financiers. Musk has called $54.20 a share his “best and final” offer. However, Reuters says some active longhorn Twitter shareholders want to give Twitter some time to raise the value of Twitter’s stock. Bloomberg is reporting that a deal between Musk and Twitter could come as soon as today. Check out the latest news stories here.   FAST COMPANY EVENTS Join the Most Innovative Companies Virtual Summit Tomorrow The multi-day virtual event explores the most innovative companies shaping trends across multiple sectors. You’ll gain thoughtful insight from the leaders, makers, and creators inside these MIC-honored businesses to inspire your path forward in 2022.  GET TICKETS     FREE SPONSORED E-BOOK OF THE DAY 17 Anti-Procrastination Hacks Book Summary Limited Time Offer - expires 4/29/2022. Click here to download your free e-book.     Thanks for reading! Have questions or comments? Email us at newsletters@fastcompany.com. SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER   Help Support Our Journalism Join Fast Company Premium   If you don’t want to receive Compass anymore, unsubscribe here If you were forwarded Compass and like it, subscribe here View this newsletter online 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10007-2195

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