03 Mar 10 Technology (0)
24Feb
When wandering the overly technologically advanced streets of Taiwan, I discovered that USB has become a port for the ridiculous. After buying into the trend and coming back to SA with a USB powered back massaging hand warmer shaped like a cartoon character, I investigated to see just how far this trend extended. And now [...]
24Feb
Grouping together employees that can infect each other with passion will lead to rampaging attitude adjustments.
23Feb
As our world progresses into the future we keep on finding our self with more information coming ever so closer to our fingertips. The world of the cellphones is very much upon us, with more and more people becoming connected to one another just by the touch of a button. Gone are those days of written [...]
23Feb
Did you know that there are 31 billion searches on Google a month and 7 billion text messages are sent daily? Well, did you?
23Feb
Your employee is a STAR that can go the distance…you just need to add a little recognition.
18Feb
In SA a team is a group of people who has to work together to reach a specific goal...so why is it so hard to find?
21Jan
With the amount (and type) of users changing in SA, there are more opportunities out there. Happy customer hunting!
20Jan
So, the wonderfully amazing exciting fantastic world of design! We are surrounded by this amazing thing called design all the time, it’s everywhere and anywhere! For my ilearn I decided to focus on an area in this crazy but wonderfully awesome world of Design! Typography, the art of arranging type, type design and modifying type glyphs, is often [...]
20Jan
Alltop is also the best designed RSS aggregator. It has enough topics to be useful, not so many that you can’t find what you are looking for. The site “remembers” topics you recently visited, making it easy for you to return. Put your mouse over an article title on Alltop and you’ll see an instant preview.
14Jan
Apparently, I am the office Acronym queen! WTF, I have no idea why I was called that! But could have been another name all together so I best settle with this title then! ROFL! So in a world where things are developing at an exponential rate! Who knows, maybe acronyms will form a part of our [...]
“First we sent data through wires, then the air, now the human body is becoming a communications conduit.” So here we have it folks….broadband in your arm! Yip, no more need to e-mail, phone and sms to find out who ranked up the highest 3G bill as it’ll be embedded into you! Or at least, that’s the way the future is looking.
A new article posted by New Scientist magazine reports that electrodes placed on a person’s arm was able to transmit data (10MB/s I might add) to a second electrode 30 cm away. And how is this possible, you might ask, through low-frequency electromagnetic waves. And if this wasn’t cool enough, it’s also energy saving, well compared to a Bluetooth link. Presently, researchers are only able to do this on the skin but as we all know, if there’s money to be made it won’t be long before we can embed such electrodes in our skin.
So until then Charles will have to walk around the office asking for that 3G card!
Check out the article at http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18648-human-arm-transmits-broadband.html
James Cameron’s ground breaking Avatar wowed movie audiences taking 3D cinematography to a new unprecedented level. Although Cameron may have used new and revolutionary technologies to produce Avatar, 3D films themselves are not new and have been around for quite some time.
The golden era of 3D cinematography was in the early 1950’s led by producer Arch Oboler. He lead a second wave with Space-Vision 3D technology in the 1960’s following through to the 1970’s great quality and technological advances were made . Another 3D burst of films followed in the early 1980’s. A continuous small stream of #d movies followed until 2003 when #d re-entered mainstream cinema. Recent big hits such as Avatar, Beowolf, Coraline, Monster vs Aliens and Final Destination.
It would appear that 3D will now be the primary release format for major Hollywood films going forward. Television companies have been quick to acknowledge this new momentum and all the major producers will be bringing out 3D televisions for you to view at home this year.
Panasonic hope to sell 1 million 3D TV’s this year with their 3D full plasma home theatre systems. These start at $3000 and include a 50 inch VT25 plasma 3D TV, 3D capable Blu-ray player and a single pair of active shutter glasses. Alternatively it’s $2500 for the TV on it’s own. This will be officially launched in Manhattan today
Samsung will have 3D capable plasma TV’s but has dropped plasma as it seeks to push it’s LED LCD TV’s. 3D capable LCD TV’s will also be available later this month with a product range rollout to July, including a 46 inch 750series in May for $1700. Samsung 3D LCD’s will initially start start at $2000 but won’t include glasses. However from 21 March starter kits including 2 pairs of glasses, a Blu-ray player and a Monster vs Aliens disc will be available. Such starter kits are seen as essential to kick start an industry that currently only has a limited inventory of movie titles to choose from.
Sony launches in July and LG in April, Toshiba and Phillips also have plans for this year but dates are unspecified. So it would seem all the major manufacturers have pinned the sights of 3D to push sales this year, however with competition hotting up before the first manufacturers even launches, we as consumers are sure to benefit from the already reasonable prices. Not sure when they’ll be hitting our shores, but I for one can’t wait!!
Google will soon be bringing their awesome search engine capabilities and targeted advertising to your television.
Google teamed up with Dish Network in a project that has been hush-hush for a while. Some lucky Google employees have been testing the new ground breaking service which enables customized TV schedules, advertising packages and web video via You Tube to a television set using the Android set-top box.
This Android box is powered by Android OS, which also runs Google’s smartphones and large number of tablet devices.
This means that you will be able to search for web clips and shows using a keyboard and mouse. The idea is also to customize advertising based on your searches.
At this point there is no real commercial launch date, but check out these links in the meantime: http://mashable.com/2010/03/08/google-tv-search/
http://www.google.com/adwords/tvads/
FACEBOOK… a beauty or a curse…
Each and every day I check my Facebook profile, my virtual persona. The beauty about Facebook is that you can control your image somewhat which you can’t really do in real life. If you have a big night, dapple too much with the tequila bottle or have that glass of wine that tips you over the edge and to your horror end up behaving like a chimp your image is somewhat tarnished as your behavior is in full view of your company. The photographs from that rather embarrassing evening will inevitably find their way onto your profile but no problem…it’s called UNTAG a word I have come to love and have saved my reputation from my occasional mishaps.
The problem of course arises when you do not have access to FACEBOOK, when you are with your family at some game reserve chilling out, waking up at 5 to go on early morning game drives, detoxing…relaxing..Reviving your spirit! It is times like these when you do not monitor your virtual persona that the curse of face book arises. I once came back from a holiday and started a new job on the Monday. You quite quickly become friends with your colleges…Big mistake … HUGE! I walked into work, the epitome of a hard working no nonsense type of girl, only to hear my voice bellowing out of our media room… I stopped. Dead. My eyes the size of saucers, my mind racing back to that fateful night. There was my company watching myself in a video, jumping up and down singing “I’m a little penguin penguin penguin, I’m a little doggie woof woof woof,) bottle of wine in one hand, a cigarette in the other black eye makeup under my eyes… I was the laughing stock of the office, every time I brought up a pressing issue at work my boss would laugh in my face, he said that every time he looked at me he expected me to break out in song. He ended up giving me the nickname of wild child my virtual and real persona forever shattered. You can’t always hide from the truth I suppose.
But all in all Facebook is a gem, a way to connect with friends and family that have made their way around the globe. It makes saying goodbye at the airport a little less hard and sharing their experience that much easier. The perks out way the cons 10 to 1. So yes Facebook is definitely a beauty, you can only imagine how quickly I shared my embarrassing story with all my friends far and wide through, of course, FACEBOOK.
So, I read this story on Physorg.com about the latest tech developed for creating 3D for television. The idea is to render 3D images without you having to wear those silly glasses – I mean really, instead of cool Oakley look alikes, they dish out something straight out of the ‘Nerds R Us’ catalogue! Alas, it seems that they have finally cracked it using cameras. I’m starting to smell a conspiracy theory cooking here but more on that later.
Who is? Go http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/elviscostello/bio/
The idea is, multiple cameras (in or on your TV) track your face and, even as you move around and eat popcorn, present a 3D image – unique to you! There are limitations, due to a restriction on the number of cameras, only four people can watch any given TV at the same time. Okay, this might restrict how many kids you have or who you invite to movie night but at least you can watch the movie in all three known dimensions without Elvis Costello glasses! The question is now, who is watching you – in the privacy of your home?
From the same article it seems the future in touch screen technology is no longer in touch. Hmmm. Apparently, cameras can now track all your movements and actions allowing you to stand up to 2 meters from the screen and still interact with the application. This has plenty of positive implications, including extending office and shop hours by allowing customers to browse, select and buy products and services, all while standing outside the window of a locked shop. Back home again, imagine flipping through TV and web channels without getting off your couch or wrestling the remote away from your rotweiller. Given some thought, the opportunities begin to unfold.
However, what about the down side? How about who’s watching you? That wonderful thing we call the internet has allowed us to connect almost any device, from your phone to your fridge to your TV. Enter my friends, not the one’s who cracked the nod for movie night but rather the bunch of theorists speculating who’s on the other side of all those cameras pointing at my ugly face so I can see Southpark 3D! Are we finally adding to Orwell’s Big Brother or Ben Elton’s Blind Faith, or were they true visionaries? I’m not sure but I think I will cling to my ‘old’ 42 inch HD LCD television for a while longer, thanks. Rather the nerd glasses for me, methinks. At least I can go as Elvis Costello to my next fancy dress party!
Yes, it’s true. The time has come. If you thought you were running out of space on your desk with all the screens, mice, keyboards, iPhones etc .. well, now you can use your body as a tool!
Skinput is a conceptual technology that recognises your finger taps on skin. So far it is only limited to the hand and arm, but the clever geeks at Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft are developing further enhancements. This technology requires the user to wear a specific arm band which measures the pressure, acceleration and force of your tapping. Skinput also uses a pico-projector to create menu-like images on your arm, so that you know where you’re going.
Looks like Apple’s iPhone technology is starting to get a bit old … imagine dialing your phone or accessing iTunes off your palm. Hmmm, something to think about!!
Check out this video. Here come the cyborgs 
Busted! If you’re at work and reading this article you’re a culprit of “cyberslacking”. I bet you even have a work assignment minimized on your bottom tab just in case someone walks past. Then you sneakily open your document and pretend to be awfully consumed and utterly intrigued by your work.
Wikipedia, the mother of all information, explains that cyberslacking refers to staff that use their work internet access for personal reasons while maintaining the appearance of working. Sound familiar?
Like any good topic there are pro’s and con’s. There are those who argue that facebook’ing, tweeting and other similar activities done at the office are “an exploitation of company resources for personal gain”. Yikes! And that using your working hours to arrange your mid-week social engagements aren’t exactly contributing to your company’s productivity or bottom line. Then there are those that argue that employees who cyberslack are more productive since they take time off to relax.
If you’re still reading this then I’m safely assuming that you are an avid supporter of the latter argument. But what if you’re like me and completely over the facebook hype and dumb-ass status reports? Where can the surf take you to indulge in some form of relaxation?
Well, I recommend checking out www.annoyingcoworker.com. Here you can bitch and moan about those in the office who have lead to you taking high-blood pressure meds! And hey, you might even realise that your life isn’t that bad. Listen to these:
“Shut up already about your so called diet, which you’ve been on at least as long as you’ve worked here (5 years). You’re still as disproportioned as you were on your first day so obviously the “diet” is not working. And the loud noises from the vending machine alert us all that you’re not sticking to your “diet”.”
“Could you possibly be the biggest moron on the planet? I just heard you, through my headphones, no less, shouting out your credit card number to someone over the phone. Next time this happens, I will copy down the number and order you some gay porn, OK?”
But I bet you have a better story to tell! So go check it out, no point in denying you’re a cyberslacker. Atleast this time you’ll get a good laugh out of it!
According to the New York Times Condé Nast is preparing to jump into a new platform
The first magazines for which it will create iPad versions are Wired, GQ, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and Glamour, the company plans to announce in an internal memorandum on Monday.
They already have a iPhone version for GQ that seems to be selling quite well
I suppose the question become when you relate this to the South African market will iPad (and other reading devices like Kindle and all the non-aligned ones) grab enough of a market share to justify the content re-purposing, will the market be large enough or shouldn’t marketers really focus on first time buyers getting small efficient lap top that they can brwose the web on. BUT what happens to our dear friends in the publishing game, how oh how do they monetize (sufficiently) the websites.
There is a chap called David Armano. He talks a visual language.
I would describe him as the man that takes really complex concepts and makes them clear and understandable, using pictures.
His blog is here – http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion
He describes himself as
I’m the product of Italian immigrants who made their way to this country to find a better life—and I consider myself to be living proof of the realization of that dream. Originally from the New York area (I grew up on Long Island) I had the privilege of attending the Pratt Institute where I studied computer graphics, minoring in visual communications.
I am currently a senior vice president at Edelman Digital, the interactive arm of global communications firm Edelman. I have 14 years experience in the industry with the majority of my time spent in digital marketing and user experience design. An active participant in the industry, I write Logic + Emotion which is ranked in the top media + marketing blogs according to Advertising Age. My writing and visual thinking has been cited by Forrester, The Boston Globe and has landed me in BusinessWeek on several occasions including their “Best of 2006”. I also write at the Harvard Business Review.
Augmented reality. Is this the way forward? Is this the future? Do we have a choice?
Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated imagery
So as you may or may not know, many companies have been experiencing with this, using it as marketing tool, running campaigns around it basically trying to bring their products to life.
OK, so how it works is that you download a small program (or get it with your product) and install it to your computer, baring in mind that you have to have a web cam, in order for it to work. Then what they do is ask you to print out a logo, picture or whatever it is they have chosen, so that the web cam recognizes the design. Then it tells you to place the piece of paper in front of the web cam so that the image that has be printed is facing the web cam and is visible on your computer screen. Then what happens is magic!
Here are some videos to see it working in action…
Here we see the Adidas campaign they have run, check it out, pretty cool.
Next we have the BMWs augmented campaign featuring their new Z4, very cool I must say.
Now lastly what I would like to show you, is what LEGO did with it, they set up kiosks inside their shops and customers, while using the augmented technology were able to take their LEGO box of choice and hold it in front of the kiosk and see exactly what the final build of that product looked like.
Check it out….
So is this going to be the way forward when we shop, is our reality going to eventually be entwined into the digital world. Are we heading towards the matrix? It seems very much so!
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“First we sent data through wires, then the air, now the human body is becoming a communications conduit.” So here we have it folks….broadband in your arm! Yip, no more need to e-mail, phone and sms to find out who ranked up the highest 3G bill as it’ll be embedded into you! Or at least, that’s the way the future is looking.
A new article posted by New Scientist magazine reports that electrodes placed on a person’s arm was able to transmit data (10MB/s I might add) to a second electrode 30 cm away. And how is this possible, you might ask, through low-frequency electromagnetic waves. And if this wasn’t cool enough, it’s also energy saving, well compared to a Bluetooth link. Presently, researchers are only able to do this on the skin but as we all know, if there’s money to be made it won’t be long before we can embed such electrodes in our skin.
So until then Charles will have to walk around the office asking for that 3G card!
Check out the article at http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18648-human-arm-transmits-broadband.html
James Cameron’s ground breaking Avatar wowed movie audiences taking 3D cinematography to a new unprecedented level. Although Cameron may have used new and revolutionary technologies to produce Avatar, 3D films themselves are not new and have been around for quite some time.
The golden era of 3D cinematography was in the early 1950’s led by producer Arch Oboler. He lead a second wave with Space-Vision 3D technology in the 1960’s following through to the 1970’s great quality and technological advances were made . Another 3D burst of films followed in the early 1980’s. A continuous small stream of #d movies followed until 2003 when #d re-entered mainstream cinema. Recent big hits such as Avatar, Beowolf, Coraline, Monster vs Aliens and Final Destination.
It would appear that 3D will now be the primary release format for major Hollywood films going forward. Television companies have been quick to acknowledge this new momentum and all the major producers will be bringing out 3D televisions for you to view at home this year.
Panasonic hope to sell 1 million 3D TV’s this year with their 3D full plasma home theatre systems. These start at $3000 and include a 50 inch VT25 plasma 3D TV, 3D capable Blu-ray player and a single pair of active shutter glasses. Alternatively it’s $2500 for the TV on it’s own. This will be officially launched in Manhattan today
Samsung will have 3D capable plasma TV’s but has dropped plasma as it seeks to push it’s LED LCD TV’s. 3D capable LCD TV’s will also be available later this month with a product range rollout to July, including a 46 inch 750series in May for $1700. Samsung 3D LCD’s will initially start start at $2000 but won’t include glasses. However from 21 March starter kits including 2 pairs of glasses, a Blu-ray player and a Monster vs Aliens disc will be available. Such starter kits are seen as essential to kick start an industry that currently only has a limited inventory of movie titles to choose from.
Sony launches in July and LG in April, Toshiba and Phillips also have plans for this year but dates are unspecified. So it would seem all the major manufacturers have pinned the sights of 3D to push sales this year, however with competition hotting up before the first manufacturers even launches, we as consumers are sure to benefit from the already reasonable prices. Not sure when they’ll be hitting our shores, but I for one can’t wait!!
Google will soon be bringing their awesome search engine capabilities and targeted advertising to your television.
Google teamed up with Dish Network in a project that has been hush-hush for a while. Some lucky Google employees have been testing the new ground breaking service which enables customized TV schedules, advertising packages and web video via You Tube to a television set using the Android set-top box.
This Android box is powered by Android OS, which also runs Google’s smartphones and large number of tablet devices.
This means that you will be able to search for web clips and shows using a keyboard and mouse. The idea is also to customize advertising based on your searches.
At this point there is no real commercial launch date, but check out these links in the meantime: http://mashable.com/2010/03/08/google-tv-search/
http://www.google.com/adwords/tvads/
FACEBOOK… a beauty or a curse…
Each and every day I check my Facebook profile, my virtual persona. The beauty about Facebook is that you can control your image somewhat which you can’t really do in real life. If you have a big night, dapple too much with the tequila bottle or have that glass of wine that tips you over the edge and to your horror end up behaving like a chimp your image is somewhat tarnished as your behavior is in full view of your company. The photographs from that rather embarrassing evening will inevitably find their way onto your profile but no problem…it’s called UNTAG a word I have come to love and have saved my reputation from my occasional mishaps.
The problem of course arises when you do not have access to FACEBOOK, when you are with your family at some game reserve chilling out, waking up at 5 to go on early morning game drives, detoxing…relaxing..Reviving your spirit! It is times like these when you do not monitor your virtual persona that the curse of face book arises. I once came back from a holiday and started a new job on the Monday. You quite quickly become friends with your colleges…Big mistake … HUGE! I walked into work, the epitome of a hard working no nonsense type of girl, only to hear my voice bellowing out of our media room… I stopped. Dead. My eyes the size of saucers, my mind racing back to that fateful night. There was my company watching myself in a video, jumping up and down singing “I’m a little penguin penguin penguin, I’m a little doggie woof woof woof,) bottle of wine in one hand, a cigarette in the other black eye makeup under my eyes… I was the laughing stock of the office, every time I brought up a pressing issue at work my boss would laugh in my face, he said that every time he looked at me he expected me to break out in song. He ended up giving me the nickname of wild child my virtual and real persona forever shattered. You can’t always hide from the truth I suppose.
But all in all Facebook is a gem, a way to connect with friends and family that have made their way around the globe. It makes saying goodbye at the airport a little less hard and sharing their experience that much easier. The perks out way the cons 10 to 1. So yes Facebook is definitely a beauty, you can only imagine how quickly I shared my embarrassing story with all my friends far and wide through, of course, FACEBOOK.
So, I read this story on Physorg.com about the latest tech developed for creating 3D for television. The idea is to render 3D images without you having to wear those silly glasses – I mean really, instead of cool Oakley look alikes, they dish out something straight out of the ‘Nerds R Us’ catalogue! Alas, it seems that they have finally cracked it using cameras. I’m starting to smell a conspiracy theory cooking here but more on that later.
Who is? Go http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/elviscostello/bio/
The idea is, multiple cameras (in or on your TV) track your face and, even as you move around and eat popcorn, present a 3D image – unique to you! There are limitations, due to a restriction on the number of cameras, only four people can watch any given TV at the same time. Okay, this might restrict how many kids you have or who you invite to movie night but at least you can watch the movie in all three known dimensions without Elvis Costello glasses! The question is now, who is watching you – in the privacy of your home?
From the same article it seems the future in touch screen technology is no longer in touch. Hmmm. Apparently, cameras can now track all your movements and actions allowing you to stand up to 2 meters from the screen and still interact with the application. This has plenty of positive implications, including extending office and shop hours by allowing customers to browse, select and buy products and services, all while standing outside the window of a locked shop. Back home again, imagine flipping through TV and web channels without getting off your couch or wrestling the remote away from your rotweiller. Given some thought, the opportunities begin to unfold.
However, what about the down side? How about who’s watching you? That wonderful thing we call the internet has allowed us to connect almost any device, from your phone to your fridge to your TV. Enter my friends, not the one’s who cracked the nod for movie night but rather the bunch of theorists speculating who’s on the other side of all those cameras pointing at my ugly face so I can see Southpark 3D! Are we finally adding to Orwell’s Big Brother or Ben Elton’s Blind Faith, or were they true visionaries? I’m not sure but I think I will cling to my ‘old’ 42 inch HD LCD television for a while longer, thanks. Rather the nerd glasses for me, methinks. At least I can go as Elvis Costello to my next fancy dress party!
Yes, it’s true. The time has come. If you thought you were running out of space on your desk with all the screens, mice, keyboards, iPhones etc .. well, now you can use your body as a tool!
Skinput is a conceptual technology that recognises your finger taps on skin. So far it is only limited to the hand and arm, but the clever geeks at Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft are developing further enhancements. This technology requires the user to wear a specific arm band which measures the pressure, acceleration and force of your tapping. Skinput also uses a pico-projector to create menu-like images on your arm, so that you know where you’re going.
Looks like Apple’s iPhone technology is starting to get a bit old … imagine dialing your phone or accessing iTunes off your palm. Hmmm, something to think about!!
Check out this video. Here come the cyborgs
Busted! If you’re at work and reading this article you’re a culprit of “cyberslacking”. I bet you even have a work assignment minimized on your bottom tab just in case someone walks past. Then you sneakily open your document and pretend to be awfully consumed and utterly intrigued by your work.
Wikipedia, the mother of all information, explains that cyberslacking refers to staff that use their work internet access for personal reasons while maintaining the appearance of working. Sound familiar?
Like any good topic there are pro’s and con’s. There are those who argue that facebook’ing, tweeting and other similar activities done at the office are “an exploitation of company resources for personal gain”. Yikes! And that using your working hours to arrange your mid-week social engagements aren’t exactly contributing to your company’s productivity or bottom line. Then there are those that argue that employees who cyberslack are more productive since they take time off to relax.
If you’re still reading this then I’m safely assuming that you are an avid supporter of the latter argument. But what if you’re like me and completely over the facebook hype and dumb-ass status reports? Where can the surf take you to indulge in some form of relaxation?
Well, I recommend checking out www.annoyingcoworker.com. Here you can bitch and moan about those in the office who have lead to you taking high-blood pressure meds! And hey, you might even realise that your life isn’t that bad. Listen to these:
“Shut up already about your so called diet, which you’ve been on at least as long as you’ve worked here (5 years). You’re still as disproportioned as you were on your first day so obviously the “diet” is not working. And the loud noises from the vending machine alert us all that you’re not sticking to your “diet”.”
“Could you possibly be the biggest moron on the planet? I just heard you, through my headphones, no less, shouting out your credit card number to someone over the phone. Next time this happens, I will copy down the number and order you some gay porn, OK?”
But I bet you have a better story to tell! So go check it out, no point in denying you’re a cyberslacker. Atleast this time you’ll get a good laugh out of it!
According to the New York Times Condé Nast is preparing to jump into a new platform
The first magazines for which it will create iPad versions are Wired, GQ, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and Glamour, the company plans to announce in an internal memorandum on Monday.
They already have a iPhone version for GQ that seems to be selling quite well
I suppose the question become when you relate this to the South African market will iPad (and other reading devices like Kindle and all the non-aligned ones) grab enough of a market share to justify the content re-purposing, will the market be large enough or shouldn’t marketers really focus on first time buyers getting small efficient lap top that they can brwose the web on. BUT what happens to our dear friends in the publishing game, how oh how do they monetize (sufficiently) the websites.
There is a chap called David Armano. He talks a visual language.
I would describe him as the man that takes really complex concepts and makes them clear and understandable, using pictures.
His blog is here – http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion
He describes himself as
I’m the product of Italian immigrants who made their way to this country to find a better life—and I consider myself to be living proof of the realization of that dream. Originally from the New York area (I grew up on Long Island) I had the privilege of attending the Pratt Institute where I studied computer graphics, minoring in visual communications.
I am currently a senior vice president at Edelman Digital, the interactive arm of global communications firm Edelman. I have 14 years experience in the industry with the majority of my time spent in digital marketing and user experience design. An active participant in the industry, I write Logic + Emotion which is ranked in the top media + marketing blogs according to Advertising Age. My writing and visual thinking has been cited by Forrester, The Boston Globe and has landed me in BusinessWeek on several occasions including their “Best of 2006”. I also write at the Harvard Business Review.
Augmented reality. Is this the way forward? Is this the future? Do we have a choice?
Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated imagery
So as you may or may not know, many companies have been experiencing with this, using it as marketing tool, running campaigns around it basically trying to bring their products to life.
OK, so how it works is that you download a small program (or get it with your product) and install it to your computer, baring in mind that you have to have a web cam, in order for it to work. Then what they do is ask you to print out a logo, picture or whatever it is they have chosen, so that the web cam recognizes the design. Then it tells you to place the piece of paper in front of the web cam so that the image that has be printed is facing the web cam and is visible on your computer screen. Then what happens is magic!
Here are some videos to see it working in action…
Here we see the Adidas campaign they have run, check it out, pretty cool.
Next we have the BMWs augmented campaign featuring their new Z4, very cool I must say.
Now lastly what I would like to show you, is what LEGO did with it, they set up kiosks inside their shops and customers, while using the augmented technology were able to take their LEGO box of choice and hold it in front of the kiosk and see exactly what the final build of that product looked like.
Check it out….
So is this going to be the way forward when we shop, is our reality going to eventually be entwined into the digital world. Are we heading towards the matrix? It seems very much so!
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