We’re back with our weekly recap of the interesting and inspiring, with a particular eye for what shifts and ideas brands should be tracking, evaluating and acting on. This is a collection of  some standout business strategy, brand-building and digital media stories catching our attention.

Discussions Shaping Strategy, Creativity & Innovation 

• Has Innovation Lost Its Meaning? Percolate’s Noah Brier On Its True Definition (hint: invention and innovation may be different)
• Why the Idea of ‘Ideas’ is Killing Innovation
• 6 Habits of True Strategic Thinkers
• Invisible Children’s Web Strategist Gives a Crash Course in Going Viral
• Crowdsourcing Innovation: How to Make Sure You Spot the Best Ideas
• And Here’s the Secret Reason Apple Is Crushing Google
• Want to Hook Your Users? Drive Them Crazy
• 4 Ways Big Data Can Trick You
• Former Cybersecurity Czar: Every US Company Has Been Hacked By China (stealing commercial secrets)
• Gareth Kay Tells Agencies to Be ‘Truly Radical’
• Counterpoint: WTF Makes You Too Good for Advertising?

Notable Ideas: New Products, Platforms and Projects 

• TechCrunch’s Picks: The 10 Best Startups From Y Combinator Demo Day
• Attack of the Pinterest Clones
• Just How Much Is Your Privacy Worth? (a new study explores the monetary value of personal info shared online)
• Stripping Branded Objects to Their Most Basic Form (and what they mean)
• Google Consumer Surveys
• To Seek Jobs, French Students Create Provocative Site
• Jeff Koons Brings Back Train to New York’s High Line

Brands, Companies and Entities of Note (some more obvious than others)

• Over 50% of US Homes Own At Least One Apple Product
• The Power of Keynote
• A Big Survey of JCPenney Customers Says the New Model Is A Hit
• Zynga’s New Headquarters Is Like a Playful Fantasy Land
• Chipotle Recycles Old Billboards Into Eco-Friendly Lunch Bags
• Kraft Mac & Cheese Baconizer Behind the Scenes

Digital & Social Media News and Resources

• Social Media Keeps Us Connected, But e-Mail Main Form of Communication
• Instagram Unveils a Signup Page for Android Users, Still No Launch Date
• Flickr’s Digital Camera of Choice? iPhone
• The Future of Mobile: It took AOL 9 years to get to 1MM users, Facebook 9 months, and Draw Something 9 days
• I Quit Path
• Why Facebook Is Hiring Ad Agency Creatives
• Google Pushes Play Front and Center: Is Selling Content Now King?
• How to Make Images Stand Out on Pinterest