the Web has become the leading platform for harnessing collective intelligence. Wikipedia is a virtual city. Connected smart phones have become our “outboard brain.” Through device automation, Apple has imbued retail clerks with superpowers in its stores. Watson, the AI that beat human champions at “Jeopardy,” is now being deployed to advise doctors in real time, having read ALL the scientific papers. YouTube has mastered the attention economy. Humanity has a shared memory in the cloud. Data scientists rule. The global mind is not an artificial intelligence.

Orlando now has a tech and startup community directory: Orlando.io. Created by Orrett Davis, the directory lets users add their own names, a brief bio, photo and list of skills. As of this writing there were 39 members, but with the February 18th screening of the documentary Orlando Rising and the coming of the SXSW-like Orlando Interactive Digital Conference in 2015, one can only assume this list will grow.

Orlando is known for its tourism and service industries, but there's another side to "The City Beautiful" that's picking up national attention: the tech industry. CNBC called Orlando a "turnaround town" for its efforts to bounce back after the recession. Now, the city is embarking on a rebranding campaign to bring attention to its business and technology potential. This week, the Orange County Commission is scheduled to vote on funding for that campaign.

art, energy, and community. It’s an open-air art environment in the heart of an urban community on Detroit’s East Side. Tyree Guyton, founder and artistic director, uses everyday, discarded objects to create a two block area full of color, symbolism, and intrigue. Now in its 27th year, the Heidelberg Project is recognized around the world as a demonstration of the power of creativity to transform lives.

McKinney knows the magnitude of the work left to do. An adult GED program is supposed to start soon. The school, now kindergarten through eighth grade, is expected to double in enrollment this fall — if a new septic system is finished in time. There are plans for a hair salon, commercial kitchen, laundry facility and community hydroponic garden, all before year's end. And he has barely begun on Bithlo's two biggest problems: unemployment and the dilapidated trailers that are home for hundreds of its residents.