MAC Cosmetics, a company famed for its collaborations with celebrities (and even a few fictional characters) and its bold, striking makeup looks, announced yesterday that it would fittingly release a line of cosmetics in honor of the late Tejano pop star Selena, who was known to many as “the Latina Madonna” for her style and her domination of the Latin music scene in the ’90s.

However, the most noteworthy aspect of this collection is that not only is it inspired by one of the Mexican-American community’s biggest pop icons, but it had a grassroots origin: a Change.org petition. The petition, started by Patty Rodriguez, asked for 5,000 signatures, which it earned in less than 24 hours. After just three months, the petition had garnered over 37,000 signatures.

MAC posted an Instagram picture announcing the collaboration with the caption: “Like the legend herself, Selena Quintanilla’s fans are an inspiration to us all for their love and enthusiasm. It’s happening! We are excited to announce the M•A•C Selena Quintanilla collection, available in 2016. @SelenaQOfficial#MACSelena”

In an age where social media rules consumer communication, the brand’s decision to honor the late pop star shows that it is truly built around its consumer’s preferences. Change.org boasts hundreds of thousands of victorious petitions, ranging from local government to nationwide legislation, but the announcement was seen as a direct response from the makeup company; the success of the petition has been attributed to both Selena’s loyal fans, and the brand’s willingness to listen to its customers’ demands, a pragmatic business tactic that companies like Urban Decay have found effective in the past.

The Mac + Selena collection will debut in late 2016.

What Sparks Our Fire: A brand that stays consistent with its image and caters to its consumers

With streaming services like Netflix and Hulu Plus on the rise (such as Netflix announcing that its second-quarter revenue exceeded estimates at $1.64 billion), tech giants are competing to enhance the streaming experience, revolutionizing the way we watch TV.

It’s clear that this is a step in the right direction, according to a report from Google regarding engagement via Chromecast that revealed users transmitting media to their TVs watch 50% more video than the average mobile app user. Chromecast, along with competitors such as Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV, represents another huge push toward digital streaming over regularly scheduled programming, which could mean the end of TV as we know it now.

Earlier this year, The Artifice reported that more than 40% of American homes used a streaming service as of the fall of 2014, which shows that the demand for “on-demand” services has increased dramatically and is becoming rapidly integrated with the average consumer lifestyle.

What Sparks Our Fire: Data that shows how a consumer preference shift and new technology is changing the traditional pastime of watching television

Following in the footsteps of some of the world’s most popular museums, music festivals are beginning to ban the ubiquitous selfie stick from their events. Earlier this week Coachella posted a list of banned items to its website, including “selfie sticks/narcissists.” Lollapalooza similarly announced that it would not allow selfie sticks into Grant Park, where the Chicago-based music festival will take place this summer. Both of these announcements arrive on the heels of last weekend’s Ultra Music Festival, where selfie sticks were also banned.

These decisions have sparked a lot of controversy online and prompted strong reactions all around. Some have been upset with the festivals’ decisions to ban what they see as a useful tool to engage with the environment and event, while others have rejoiced at the idea of one less distraction from the music.

From the festivals’ perspectives, there are many risks involved with allowing selfie sticks. Aside from the fact that they can potentially be used as weapons, they can also cause physical risks simply due to their size and functionality. Dropping, walking into, or tripping over selfie sticks are very real risks that music festivals have a duty to curb, due to their large audiences.

But it’s also interesting to consider some of the business implications that these festivals might face by allowing selfie sticks. If selfie sticks were allowed into the concert spaces, users would be able to capture unobstructed high quality videos from their devices to share content or even stream live.  Though this is not cited by any festival as a reason for the ban, we suspect that any threat to the festivals profit margins, or legal agreements with their artists adds yet another reason why selfie sticks won’t be making an appearance at this year’s hottest music festivals.

What Sparks Our Fire: An interesting debate on how technology can impact our real life experiences.

The Dash is this year’s winner of the CES 2015 Innovation Award, and for good reason! The bluetooth component eliminates the need to carry your phone with you. The microphone picks up mechanical vibration generated by your voice from the ear bone. 

Did we mention these earbuds also serve as activity trackers? It tracks pace, steps, heart rate, oxygen saturation, energy spent, etc. all the while real time acoustic feedback is provided.  On the train, in your car, at the gym or running to your next meeting, these wireless buds keep  you tangle-free, connected and on target to meet your fitness goals.

What Sparks our Fire: a device that synchs music, phone calls, and fitness tracking… wirelessly.

Would you use these earbuds?

In one way or another we are all becoming smart phone addicts. But if you think about it, we use our devices for the same functions most of the time. For instance, we listen to music, text the same people, check our social media feed, and the list goes on and on. So, if you are just like everyone, then you are constantly doing the same thing on your phone. And maybe you wish there was something that could make it easier, like a button you could press instead getting your phone out for every little thing. Well, you’re in luck. Flic will be your new gadget to cherish and to pet. Especially if you appreciate a little ‘real-world’ interaction.

As far as smart gadgets go, Flic is about as simple as it gets. It’s a stylish magnetic button that communicates wirelessly with a smartphone to carry out certain favorite actions, such as launching GPS navigation, controlling lights, snoozing a phone alarm, playing music, controlling the camera’s shutter and even allowing hands-free texting. The button can also be programmed to access the controls of a smart home, with different ‘clicks’ (long hold, double-click, single click) activating certain functions. And you can have as many buttons as you wish. Check out the video below to get an idea of how this tiny device works.

What Sparks Our Fire: A simple and stylish wireless button that can change the way we live every day.

Are you ready to create a button for anything? If so, hurry and check out Flic’s Indiegogo to snatch great deals before they fade away.

With a $58 USD price tag, the gadget is easy to carry around and comes in multiple colors. All you have to do is stick one end of the device against anything you think will make a nice sound and the other end into your phone or tablet to enjoy the unique tunes that emit.

What Sparks Our fire: A handy little piece of technology that can set the mood.

What are your favorite music accessories? Could this become part of your list?

We so heavily rely on our cell phones that it has become impossible to live without them, and signal outages can cause major issues. For example, during Hurricane Sandy, many family members were unable to contact with their loved ones to let them know they were safe because of downed cell towers. Or sometimes, although less serious, it’s SO important for you to get that video of Jay Z and Beyonce to all of your friends from their crowded concert.

goTenna is an awesome device that allows you to send text messages without Wi-Fi or cell service. The device can connect to your cell phone via bluetooth, and by using the associated app, allows you to send a text from anywhere. So now, when you go to text your friends while at a crowded venue, you won’t have any problems. It also allows you to easily share your location in the event of an emergency, and has a “Shout” feature that allows you to contact anyone within range.

If you preorder now, it is available for $149.99, which is 50% off. Check it out, and never have issues getting out a message again.

What Sparks our Fire: Being able to text anyone, from anywhere, no matter what.

Will you buy a goTenna?

Okay, so maybe this only applies to those attending Lollapalooza this summer. It isn’t officially time to rid ourselves of those green bills just yet. But, that does seem like a reality we are getting even closer to.

It was just announced that attendees of the three day music festival will be given wristbands to replace their wallets. Festival attendees will log their credit card information into a system and receive a bracelet using near-field connectivity technology allowing them to touch their wrist to the screen, enter a pin number and make a payment at all vendors. The wristband also function as the entry ticket for attendees so there is no way around not having one.

This is a great move forward for mobile payment systems. Not only does it make it easier for concert goers not to have to worry about carrying cash and credit cards around with them, but it’s a great sign for the future uses of devices like smartwatches. We could be approaching a time where something like a wristband will completely replace the credit card and leave cash even further behind in the dust.

What Sparks our Fire: Seeing an organization take advantage of new technologies and paving the way for innovative payment gateways at music festivals.

Where do you see the future of payments going?

Canopy Playlists – World Cup | Listen for free at bop.fm