Is tea still the most popular drink in China? And do logo-centric brands still dominate luxury? In our 2014 / 15 cultural snapshot of China, we demystify cultural myths, shed light on the country’s economic outlook, and explore the emerging and established trends across eleven sectors.

While the immediate future is unlikely to yield AI pseudo-human carers, the notion of robots aiding the elderly is closer than ever. All over the world – especially in Japan, where more than a quarter of the population is over 65 – technology and healthcare are starting to overlap.

Alex is a Linux-based operating system that helps users to stay connected and independent through a simple, secure interface managed via the cloud. But would anyone other than the elderly use it?

Chinese people are going online to buy anything from handbags to cars. In 2013, the value of the country’s e-retail was $300 billion. The automotive industry is embracing these changes by being creative in their e-commerce strategies.