Tech in the Commons is less than a month away.

To prepare for the four-part tech tools bootcamp for nonprofits, we wanted to dive deep into the topics to be covered by the series: augmented and virtual reality (April 28), data storytelling (May 2), live video (May 9) and social communication trends (May 16).

Here are the articles and reports we’re reading now.

Augmented and virtual reality

• “New apps help you do Philly, virtually and actually,” Philly.com — Fun stuff from GoPhillyGo and VisitPhilly
• “What you don’t know about VR and AR that you should: 5 Brooklyn experts weight in,” Technical.ly Brooklyn — Perhaps most surprisingly, it’s pretty cheap to use
• “Go Pokémon Go!: The social life of virtual urban spaces,” Project for Public Spaces — Maybe that gaming app that took over the world last summer wasn’t so bad
• “This ad guy says augmented reality is the future of storytelling,” Technical.ly Philly — As simple as a Snapchat filter
• “How virtual reality is changing the way we tell stories,” WHQR — It’ll be more like a “choose your own adventure” game
• “Why some experts worry about VR dangers,” Polygon — Ever more convincing fault environments can be used for bad, too.
• “Explained: How does VR actually work?” Wareable — Full-motion tracking!
• “Stop calling Google Cardboard’s 360-degree videos ‘VR,’” Wired — There’s technically a difference between 360-degree platforms and true virtual reality.

Data storytelling

• “Data storytelling: The essential data science skill everyone needs,” Forbes — Essential read for anyone wondering why they’d bother
• “A vanishing aquifer,” National Geographic — A gorgeous interactive map with the article woven throughout
• “The beauty of data visualization,” TED — Hear from a data journalist about making complicated things simple

Live video

• “Facebook live video for nonprofits,” HuffPo — Easy step-by-step tips
• “Three major nonprofits trends for 2017,” Forbes — Including how to “humanize” your organization’s marketing with live video

Social communication trends

• “Using social media to organize? Here’s advice from the guy who runs the ACLU-PA’s Facebook,” Technical.ly Philly — Tips from ACLU-PA and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
• “5 social media trends that will dominate 2017,” Forbes — Such as live video and augmented reality!
• “4 social media trends for nonprofits you need to know,” Nonprofit Hub — For one, be purposeful with your use of it

Additional resources

• “Digital technology as one pathway to social inclusion in placemaking,” Cities for People — Wise words: “Digital placemaking must begin from listening to how people understand and use a particular place, then humanizing technology to enable these multiple feelings, stories, and connections to be surfaced and communicated”
• “Connecting communities through unexpected pairings,” Knight Foundation — Like technology and public spaces
• “Harnessing technology and innovation to save the world’s cities,” Newsweek — Innovative fixes to our biggest urban problems
• “Innovation and the City,” report by Center for an Urban Future — Lessons from city managers across the world
• “What It Means to Get Engaged: A Roadmap for Cities,” report by Governing — A playbook from the municipal participants of Governing’s City Accelerator program