7 stories to read this weekend

It has been a hectic week, thanks to the release of the new iPhone 5 and, more importantly, our Mobilize 2012 conference. As a result I had to limit the scope of my readings this week. Nevertheless, here are some fun reads for you to enjoy this weekend.

• The Birth of Bond… James Bond that is! The world’s smoothest spy is a $5 billion franchise. Here is a story of how it all came about. (Plus James Bond film locations around Britain.)
• We’ve always been deadbeats: Provocative piece by Scott Reynolds Nelson on the role of debt in American society and how all are part of the problem — if you think that is a problem.
• Stone Age brains in a modern world: Human brains have evolved with changing times and technologies. How are our brains adapting to the fast-changing society of today? Find out.
• Whoa, dude are we inside a computer right now?: Rich Terrile believes that thanks to Moore’s Law we will soon be living inside the machine. Well, virtually living!
• Reverse network effects: Is Twitter losing its mojo? Good question. And the follow up to that: Is federated Twitter even possible?
• My father’s fashion tips: Tom Junod’s essay about men’s style and what personal style means in terms of fashion.
• Not an article, but a fun little timeline of  web history.