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Sure, CScout has a Tokyo office to cover mobile trends, but every now and then, you need to stay within the same time zone. If you’re in the NYC area, you can swing by the Kinokuniya near Bryant Park for your fix of Japanese culture and now, mobile phones. NTT DoCoMo, one of the country’s [...]
Last week, we attended Ignite NYC, an event in which speakers have five minutes to present on anything in the world of “geek culture.” Even though Ignite sets no overarching theme, one topic seemed to run through most of the presentations: the trend towards shared digital experiences that benefit the public.
In fact, Andy Carvin’s presentation [...]
Karaoke rooms are about much more than simply singing with friends — they are multimedia entertainment centers. Karaoke centers have been pushing more digital features by enhancing the capabilities of the touchscreen tablets available in each room. Daiichikosho, the maker of the popular Dam Station karaoke system, integrates the RFID Edy payment card into its [...]
Even though it competes with Star Wars paraphernalia and a moving, life-size T. Rex, the Robot Galaxy shop in the Times Square Toys R’ Us manages to stand out. Its futuristic decor is littered with robot parts waiting to be created into a customized robot: think Build-a-Bear, but in space. Part robot workshop, part game, [...]
Gone are the days of your typical tourism center, littered with out-of-date brochures and cumbersome fold-out maps: the NYC tourist center was renovated in 2009 with the needs of the modern traveler in mind. Even the center itself boasts a modern aesthetic, with huge glass windows looking in on a minimalistic interior. The space centers [...]
Police in several UK cities have started using handheld scanners to find stolen mobile phones. The scanner picks up the phone’s IMEI (serial number) and compares it to a national database of stolen phones. The program has been put in place not so much to recover stolen phones but to dissuade theft, especially as stolen [...]
Fujitsu has developed an interactive digital signage system that includes image and speech recognition.
The faces and locations of multiple users can be simultaneously recognized and likewise, using a microphone array unit (including directional microphones), the identity of a speaker can be determined. The screen shows pictures and content incorporating the users’ input, and the system [...]
New beauty apps are letting consumers experience virtual makeovers right on their smartphones. App developer ModiFace, for instance, has released a line of apps that lets users take a picture of themselves and envision a new look: they can apply make up, try a new hair color, or even see their body shape after weight [...]
Recession is the mother of invention these days, and new businesses are developing to fill market niches. In the case of pop-up stores like Organicoa, it’s a physical niche: the hot chocolate vendor has set up shop in an otherwise empty storefront. (In fact, signs advertising the space for lease are still in the windows.) [...]
Chinese designer Daizi Zheng recently created a concept mobile phone that runs off of Coca-Cola. The Chinese ex-pat, who new resides in London, designed the phone as a proof of concept for Nokia. It uses the soda’s sugar to create a “bio battery” that powers the phone for potentially three to four times longer than [...]
