Tag Archives: Future

Interesting Things – 8.31

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Be afraid, be kinda afraid

 

Dattoo

The Dattoo would be a printable tattoo that users would wear for a day and then wash off. This tattoo could be used just like a cell phone or a computer, with users being able to communicate and identify each other with their Dattoos. Five years ago, Frog Design founder Hartmut Esslinger envisioned a technology that “could influence notions of community, identity, and connectivity with minimal impact on the physical environment.” Today, the company is close to making this a reality.

http://www.gizmag.com/datto-concept-from-frog-design/15944/

 

GazeHawk

The GazeHawk eye-tracking service was created to help companies see which areas of their sites were getting the most attention. Finding a number of participants to view the website, the GazeHawk eye-tracking service then sends these results back to the requesting company. With this information, companies can then optimize for the ads which get the most stares and then generate methods to profit accordingly.

http://www.gazehawk.com/

 

Neuromarketing

What people say and what they think is not always the same, and new developments in the world of neuromarketing hope to lessen the gap between those two divides. The goal of neuromarketing is to extract “hidden information” directly from people’s brains by not asking questions at all, but by recording responses at a deep subconscious level with the aid of an electroencephalograph (EEG) machine.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727721.300-mindreading-marketers-have-ways-of-making-you-buy.html

Interesting Things – 8.23

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Sharpie King

Chicago artist Immy Melvin has been producing work for over 30 years now. He describes his work as unique due to its complexity, use of geography and its great use of Sharpie markers. Dubbed the Sharpie King in 2008, Melvin uses nothing but old fashioned Sharpies to produce his work. Claiming that the office staple has vibrant color and long-lasting ink, Melvin’s devotion to the brand is what has earned him the title of Sharpie King.

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sharpie-king

 

 Flying Motorcycles

Designed by Marko Design, The MoonRider is a futuristic hybrid two wheeler which can be driven as a bike, but also acts as a flying machine. The lightweight motorcycle is an electric-powered bike with zero emission as well a plasma jet engine to provide power in flying mode. The MoonRider is made of lightweight composite materials which allows the bike to fly efficiently. The MoonRider features two front tandem wheels that consist of electric motors powered by electric batteries. The batteries are charged up by solar panels placed in the front of the two wheeler.

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/moonrider

 

Cool Conversation

A conversation on cool: Complex Magazine sat down with up and coming style guru’s to discuss staying fresh and clean. Among those interviewed Sean Sullivan the proprietor of “The Impossible Cool” and now his new site, “A Conversation on Cool”. Indeed everything associated with these six up and coming movers and shakers is cooler than a polar bear’s toe nail.

http://www.complex.com/blogs/2010/08/16/augustsept-fashion-feature/

Magic Bus

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Magic Bus
The Chinese company, Shenzhen Huashi Future Car-Parking Equipment is proposing the creation of a giant, road-straddling bus to help ease the traffic due to their booming population and economy.

This super bus will straddle the road above the cars, and carry between 1200 to 1400 riders.  It is powered by solar energy and electricity, so will offer at least 30% energy savings.  Passengers can enter and exit the bus through terminals that span the road allowing for traffic to continue while it is stopped.

The “3D Fast Bus,” it’s current name promises a reduction in traffic jams and will only cost about 10% of what it would cost to build a subway. There is already a pilot for the project being planned in Beijing’s Mentougou District.

Now that is the future of transportation I’d like to see.  Get one out to Los Angeles pronto!

http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/02/china-to-build-ginormous-buses-that-cars-can-drive-under-video/

Ashlye Vaughan

Interesting Things – 8.9

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Bronx Perfume

”Scentbranding” is nothing new for hotel chains, electronics companies, or lingerie lines, but it is new for apartment living. It’s rumored to be part of an experiment in a low-income housing development in the Bronx. In the Bronx, the hope is that by dousing common areas like hallways, lobbies, and shared spaces with perfume, they can make the residents happy, logic being that research shows strong connections between olfactory response and emotion. In shops, that can mean creating a feeling that is conducive to buying lots of stuff. In housing complexes, that can mean creating a feeling of hopefulness in an otherwise unpleasant environment.

http://www.good.is/post/is-it-ethical-to-scent-brand-public-places/

MOBA

While it’s difficult at times to discern “good art,” MOBA (Museum of Bad Art) has made a mission of collecting “bad art.” The works of art range from poor technique such as crayon etching, to lousy subjects like a demented clown. Housed in a pair of basements, has even hosted a hand full of poorly designed knockoffs.  But the question often posed to the curators is whether this collection is meant as a celebration of effort, or a mocking of absence of talent.

http://www.museumofbadart.org/

Careers Reversing Dystopian Future

Many believe the world is changing rapidly and if we want to sustain order and livability on earth we have to adapt.  One of the biggest concerns will be shifting jobs and focusing on new fields or ones that we relied less on in the past.  For example, bees have been disappearing, and because of their importance in the food cycle, there may need to be a rise in the number of beekeepers. Jobs like librarians/archivists might also be important; so much information is stored only on computers, and at risk of being useless if there’s a massive technological failure.

http://io9.com/5562433/20-careers-that-will-make-the-future-less-dystopian

Interesting Things – 8.2

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Mobile Fish Farms

A new generation of fishers and scientists has been developing a new era of sustainable green fish farming with the mobile fish farms.  These massive spherical cages contain the fish in the open ocean but what makes them unique is they’re designed to flow with the ocean currents, keeping them from causing damage by stagnating in one area.  The cages also have computer controlled propellers to help direct the cage if it gets too near reefs, or currents are not enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCz1KNBI60I

Robin Rhode

There is something irresistibly playful and mischievous about Robin Rhode’s artwork due to this youthful interactions with each piece. By becoming part of his art, the South African artist brings it to a whole new level. Based in Berlin, Germany, Robin Rhode pushes the boundaries of stationary art, bringing life to an otherwise static creation.

http://www.perryrubenstein.com/artists/robin-rhode/

Tattoo Crowdsourcing

Caisa Ederyd crowdsourced her first tattoo, and allowed complete strangers to design and vote on a tattoo to cover the left side of her rib cage. The Wellcome Collection provided sponsorship as part of their Skin exhibition. She put a lot of energy into describing what she wanted from the design on Facebook, Twitter and on her own blog. In the end, she got a “reworked” version of a design that she chose herself. The design chosen by the community was totally different, and didn’t feature any pigs.

http://www.newscientist.com

Aston Martin Resort

MVRDV plans to build a luxury holiday resort that seems to have pulled up a lush green hilltop like a blanket and hidden itself under it. To be located in Montenegro and designed for Aston Martin, the grass-clad hotel seems to blend in seamlessly with its surroundings. Dubbed “Galije” and located on a parcel of untouched coastline land, the resort is envisioned as a way to combine exclusivity with a responsible, sustainable embedding of the structure in its surrounding landscape.

http://inhabitat.com/2010/07/20/aston-martin-resort-disguised-as-a-giant-mountain-of-lush-green/

NYC Digital Chief Officer

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WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT –

Now here is a job with real reach.  Bloomberg has been at the forefront of turning NYC into the leader in digital data and harnessing new technologies.  This tech focus has helped foster an improved metric system for the police as well as help guide the city into thought provoking policies such as the Times Square pedestrian initiative.  I can only imagine how well connected the candidates for this position will be.   What an amazing job!  NYC is like a laboratory for digital initiatives given the rat maze nature of the landscape and participants.  And yet there is so much more that can be done – imagine a 311 video helpline, VOD business initiatives, picture library to chronicle what infrastructure elements need repairing.  So many ideas and one fun place to implement.

Serious Brand Love

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WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT-

Brands are a way to define ourselves. In hoops, its Nike or Reebok, In technology, its famously PC or Mac. As we continue to associated ourselves with brands in deeper more personal ways and as those brands find more sophisticated ways of relating to their consumers – its only inevitable for brands to become more encompassing of our lives. And the brands with the most fervent followings? Well, love and dating are not too far behind. Check out Cupidtino for Apple fans. If you really really love Apple – do you think you might get along with someone who also does? If our brands tell better and richer stories about what they represent – its only logical that those stories connect to a deeper part of ourselves – to our values and beliefs. I wonder what other brands could form their own dating websites?

Niche is Cool

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WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT –

I am fond of saying at Headsets events – ‘it’s not how many people show up but rather it’s about the same people showing up over and over’.  The same goes for blogs.  The niche culture we are in makes a lot of sense.  While there will still be over-arching hits that cross all kinds of demographics, the key these days is how rabid your base is.  I would much rather have a million die hard users than ten million passive ones.  People who are die hard help improve your product, are more commercially active and will be better brand ambassadors.  They key is what niches are the most lucrative.  Early returns have technology and entertainment as the front runners.  But really I think as long as there are ways for consumers to purchase items – then the there are plenty of niches out there to be explored with big returns.

Customized Learning

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WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

A couple things stand out to me about this article.  First, is Netflix continuing to find new businesses that incorporate into their company.  They realize that the DVD business is slowly becoming extinct and they are preparing themselves by diversifying.  Very smart.  Also, very smart is the field in which they are venturing.  Pretty much  text books are dead.  Soon all our students will have tablets that teach their lessons.  The most fascinating part is that teaching will no longer be a one size fits all scenario.  These interactive games will cater to each students learning patterns and provide the ideal learning scenario for that student.  If you are a more visual learner that’s how your lessons will be conveyed.  If you are an aural learner then that will be your learning process.  Customized learning.  Love it – well done Netflix.

Porn and Innovation

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WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Our innovation does not always come from the morally superior.  Innovation has become this buzz word for all that is good and pure about business.  But let’s not kid ourselves – there are plenty of areas (porn, gambling etc) where the massive fortunes create some of the largest investors in research and innovation this side of Apple.  Porn has always been a front runner when it comes to new technologies and there is no reason to think that trend won’t continue.  So let us celebrate for a moment – the contributions of the porn industry to our collective pursuit of exploring new technologies.  Progress tends not to care what your reasoning or cause is – it’s just a relentless push to see what is possible and what is next.