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 major mobile operators, opened a small section on the lower level in September 2009. According to the company,
The service counter will assist students and business transferees from Japan in applying for cell phone service in the U.S. It will also provide the means for pre-registering for DOCOMO’s cell phone service to allow subscribers to have ready access upon returning to Japan. Also, the service counter will assist in providing support for DOCOMO customers traveling overseas, helping subscribers with DOCOMO’s international roaming services, furnishing free battery charging service and rendering help in the case of stolen or lost cell phones.
So for now, at least, it’s “look but don’t touch” for interested US users. The store is definitely still worth a visit, as you can browse a wide selection of books, manga, gadgets, and more. Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Tokyo office has a blog and even a shop so you can get the latest trends and merchandise direct from Japan.
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 on Crisis Camps perfectly illustrated how digital media can assist those in emergency situations. Before the Internet, people could only help the victims by donating blood or money. But as digital tools and capabilities developed, they enabled people to provide desperately need information and even skills. Josephine Dorado discussed Fractor, an app and social network that combines local news with social activism. Similarly, Cindy Gallop’s new project, If We Ran the World, uses elements of social media and gaming to encourage people to participate in existing volunteer projects or create their own.
Of course, not all presentations dealt with life-or-death matters. Noel Hidalgo discussed Government 2.0 and the New York State Government’s efforts to use the Internet to become more transparent, participatory, and collaborative. He also noted that they will particularly emphasize mobile in 2010. And for those who want to get back to nature without giving up their digital devices, Yasser Ansari presented Project Noah, an app that helps people contribute to scientific research simply by cataloging the flora and fauna they see in their neighborhoods.
If you’re interested in learning more about these or other presentations, all the videos are available online.
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 ClubDam membership card.
Karaoke systems are also starting to integrate gaming and social networking functionality to get people more involved. To enhance the singing experience, a new game/social networking program themed on the popular Gundam series has been integrated into the DAM Station. Using their member cards, players create profiles, and can earn points to upgrade their robotic suits and battle other players in the network through singing ability. It costs about US$1 per track to play, and it’s deducted via Edy.
Taking advantage of RFID integration, the Club Dam membership cards allow users to pay for additional services on the spot…
To read the rest of this article, please visit the Mobile Trendpool (subscription required).
Under the slogan of “analog on the digital technology,” Japanese developers Mobile Art Lab have produced an iPhone application designed to fit into a book and create a convergent reading experience for children.
Sliding the handset into the specially designed “hybrid” book creates a bordered reading window around the touch-screen. Reading the pages then becomes an interactive process, touching the moving animations on the screen directly or tilting the book, but still turning pages to create new borders.
For more information or to watch a video on the app, please visit our Mobile Trendpool (subscription required).
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, Robot Galaxy shows how to create an entertaining retail experience.
Children (or, conceivably, adults who are children at heart) go from station to station to pick each element of their robot—a body here, and arm there. Once the robot is physically put together, it goes to Mission Control, where owners use touchscreens to program the robot with light and sound effects. This step also sends the owner an e-mail invitation to the website, Galaxy Online, where they can create a robot avatar, play games, and download new content to their robot. As a final touch, the robot powers up in an activation chamber, accompanied by flashing lights and dramatic sound effects (see the video below for a demonstration).
Robot Galaxy has refreshed a classic children’s toy by incorporating customization, digital components, and experiential retail. We think it will be interesting to see how this brand develops as these trends move from perks to necessities.
Recently previewed at CEATEC 2009, the “thrown mail” from NTT Docomo is certainly novel. By shaking your phone (”throwing”) towards your partner you can transfer a mail message to their phone. Essentially, this is an application using GPS with a sensor that measures the position of your partner and the speed of movement of their mobile. The more you shake or move your phone, the further you can “throw” the message, and so the activity feels like a game of catch.
It is also possible to leave your “thrown” messages at a designated place, to be read by someone when they happen to be passing through. In this way you can use the service without having to assign a partner at the time of “throwing”. This element of the service will be of more interest commercially, in that messages and information about services and stores in a certain area could be left “floating”, ready to be picked up by willing consumers. Here the application becomes an intuitive search function, offering choices and information tailored to a specific locale and user.
In order to combat issues of privacy NTT has made the system so that you must have been accepted by your partner to participate (receiving, sending).
This is a fun and playful development of phone communication. But not just a game, it could have wider commercial implications, in that stores could provide members with special services and information when they pass nearby to an outlet. NTT is offering users a service that carries over into current mobile navigation services but in a very user-tailored (users give permission to certain stores or chains to receive their data) and instantaneous way.
To read more posts like this, please visit our Mobile Trendpool (subscription required).
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 around large touchscreens that display maps of New York City and discs that serve as impromptu storage devices. As visitors navigate around the map, exploring local restaurants, points of interest, and events, they can save information about each item to their disc. They can send their personalized brochure to their phone or e-mail, or print it out right at the center. If they move their disc to the wall panel, they’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the city as Google maps zooms in on their selected locations.
In addition, smaller touchscreens on the walls provide information on the city’s top attractions, which can be sent directly to the visitor’s phone or email. And, fittingly for such an international city, information is available in nine different languages. A great resource for visitors, the NYC and Company center also shows how mobile phones have become a mandatory tool in the traveler’s fanny pack. Now visitors can customize their trips to an unprecedented degree, and a quick glance at their exact location on Google maps will prevent even the most clueless tourist from getting lost.
Check out the videos below for a demonstration of how the touchscreen and disc system works. If you’re interested in exploring the city (or just really like giant touchscreens), you can visit the center at 810 7th Avenue, just north of Times Square near 52nd Street. CScout also offers trend tours highlighting the most innovative people and places in New York and Tokyo, so please contact us if you’d like to arrange a personalized tour.
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 phones are often re-sold in Pakistan and Afghanistan to raise money for terrorist groups. As a result of the scanning, phone robberies dropped 18.5% in the last year.
Sometimes, though, criminals aren’t on the go–they’re right next door….
To read more about mobile phones and security, please visit our Mobile Trendpool (subscription required).
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 can also recognize pre-set key words, which then trigger activity on the display.
Fujitsu is marketing this technology as a tool for informing users, such as at museums, or for promoting products, such as at a shopping mall. It could also simply be for entertainment, such as at a theme park.
The highly interactive system can be a fun and efficient way to inform many, varied users. It can be customized to certain spaces to reflect the style of the place and also the type of interactivity (music, sentences, words, quizzes) required, or the information to be conveyed (product selling points/prices, educational information).
For more posts like this, please visit the Mobile Trendpool (subscription required).
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 loss.
Beauty gurus and cosmetics companies are also creating apps in order to connect with customers. Make-up artist Carmindy, known for her work on TLC’s show “What Not to Wear,” will release a beauty app along with her new book. And Lancome, L’Oreal, and Avon have released apps featuring everything from application techniques to information on seasonal looks…
To learn more about this and other trends, please visit the Mobile Trendpool (subscription required).
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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 major mobile operators, opened a small section on the lower level in September 2009. According to the company,
Last week, we attended 
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 ClubDam membership card.
Under the slogan of “analog on the digital technology,” Japanese developers Mobile Art Lab have produced an iPhone application designed to fit into a book and create a convergent reading experience for children.
Even though it competes with Star Wars paraphernalia and a moving, life-size T. Rex, the 
Recently previewed at CEATEC 2009, the “thrown mail” from NTT Docomo is certainly novel. By shaking your phone (”throwing”) towards your partner you can transfer a mail message to their phone. Essentially, this is an application using GPS with a sensor that measures the position of your partner and the speed of movement of their mobile. The more you shake or move your phone, the further you can “throw” the message, and so the activity feels like a game of catch.
Gone are the days of your typical tourism center, littered with out-of-date brochures and cumbersome fold-out maps: the 
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 phones are often re-sold in Pakistan and Afghanistan to raise money for terrorist groups. As a result of the scanning, phone robberies dropped 18.5% in the last year.
Fujitsu has developed an interactive digital signage system that includes image and speech recognition.
