V2.12TECHTAP

TechTap has been created with technological innovation in mind. Our aim is to provide a snapshot of the latest cool campaigns, future trends in technology and general marketing news. This edition includes some highlights from the recent International CES exhibition and starts with a great solution to entertaining the kids on a long car journey. We’ve also included “in the news” to give a snapshot of stories that are most prevalent in the world of tech.

GM’S SMART WINDOWS

DISNEY VILLAINS

TV ON THE GO

TOUCHLESS SMARTPHONES AND TV

SAMSUNG’S TRANSPARENT SMART WINDOW

BUICk BEST TECH APP

USE YOUR BODY AS A USB CABLE

kLM SEATMATE

BMW VIRTUAL CAR RACING

INTERACTIVE PAINTING

I JUST CONTROLLED WINDOWS 8 WITH MY EYES

RF-ENABLED APP LOCATES LOST OBJECTS OR CHILDREN

CUFFLINkS OFFER USB STORAGE & A WI-FI HOTSPOT

SONY’S CUSTOM NFC TAGS

AUGMENTED REALITY-ENHANCED FASHION GIVEAWAY

BLACkBERRY UNDER SIEGE

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE APP AND WHY?

CONTACTS

CONTENTSTECHTAP // V2.12

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TECHTAP // V2.12

GM’S SMART WINDOWS LET YOU INTERACT WITH THEWORLD FROM YOUR CARSource: PSFK

GM’S SMArT WINdOWS LET YOu INTErACT WITH THE WOrLd FrOM YOur CAr

Long car rides, typically of the road trip variety, can often be exhausting in their monotony and isolation. We don’t often think of car rides as anything more than a means of reaching a destination. We become disassociated with the other people, cars and environments that are inevitably surrounding us.

GM’s new Windows of Opportunity project was begun to explore innovative ways to use interactive technologies to create a more interesting driving experience. The project, which was inspired by psychological studies that show passengers typically feel disconnected from their environments, uses smart glass to generate augmented reality digital layers over passing landscapes.

The company commissioned students from Bezalel Academy of Art and design in Israel to explore unique ways to use the smart glass technology.

They were given full creative control to develop different applications regardless of whether they would be produced. The apps are primarily games but help to cultivate a stronger relationship between their users and their environments.

Otto, for example, is capable of responding in real time to car performance, landscapes and weather. real time interactivity with constantly changing environments then leads to a completely different and unexpected experience during each trip. What’s more, it is as educational as it is engaging. Car trips become more about the actual trip itself as opposed to a simple journey from point A to point B.

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TECHTAP // V2.12 GM’S SMArT WINdOWS LET YOu INTErACT WITH THE WOrLd FrOM YOur CAr

The smart glass operates as a window into the real world giving us a fuller awareness of our surroundings. It is a means of exploiting technologies, that typically might be seen as disassociating us from the real world, to nurture a closer relationship with it.

Similarly, another app, Pond uses the smart glass to generate a veritable social network by connecting passengers of different cars to each other. People can share messages and music with each other between cars. It suggests a means of connecting with people who hitherto were in close proximity to each other yet were completely isolated from one another.

driving in general has always has had the odd effect of surrounding us with people (on highways or high volume roads) or with various environments yet completely isolating us from them. Smart glass takes advantage of this isolation to connect us directly with those people and places that cars already bring us to.

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DISNEY BRINGS TO LIFE 3D VILLAINS IN NEW YORk CITYSource: PSFK

dISNEY BrINGS TO LIFE 3d VILLAINS IN NEW YOrK CITY

Visitors to Times Square in New York got a delightful surprise as infamous disney characters came to life on the big screen. using augmented reality technology, the audience got to interact with the on-screen 3d character and also virtual items on the screen.

The video below demonstrates how the ‘magic’ worked as some people got to have a sword fight with Hook from Peter Pan, interact with the Evil Queen from Snow White and reach out to Cruella de Vil from 101 dalmatians.

The interactive screen was part of a campaign to promote disney Parks in the u.S. It was a success as the event and video generated lots of buzz and discussions online, with people wanting this as a permanent fixture in their city.

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TECHTAP // V2.12

WATCH TV ON THE GO WITH 3D GLASSESSource: PSFK

WATCH TV ON THE GO WITH 3d GLASSES

Lumus have released a new pair of glasses that lets the wearer view video content from the internet, movies and TV with their large, high-resolution virtual screen. The eyewear is see-through, providing simultaneous connectivity to what you want to watch and your surroundings.

The glasses project an 87-inch screen about 10 feet in front of the wearer that can only be viewed by them, passers-by will just see a pair of unusual specs. The video image is overlayed onto reality, allowing them to watch without obscuring visibility. The glasses project a 720p image and a full-Hd version is in the works.

The lenses, which can be adjusted for those with poor eyesight, have a unique see-through display that allows for situational awareness while viewing content. So you can perform real-world tasks while watching TV, a movie, browsing the internet, playing a video game, viewing GPS information or checking your emails. When you turn them off, the picture disappears completely, and you can use them just like normal glasses.

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TOUCHLESS SMARTPHONES AND TVS COULD BE ON SALE IN 2012Source: BBC

TOuCHLESS SMArTPHONES ANd TVS COuLd BE ON SALE IN 2012

Soon you’ll be able to flick through channels and adjust the volume using only... your hand.

You’ll just have to turn your palm towards the screen, and zap away without ever getting off the couch. And no need for under-the-skin electronics or fancy microchips. Instead, the TV - or rather gesture recognition software installed inside - will “read” your moves and execute appropriate commands, without any need for physically pressing any buttons.

Based in Tel Aviv, XTr3d is one of the developers of such motion capture technology, and it has just received $8m (£5m) investment bound to give “touchless” tech another push - and according to the firm, bring the first motion control smartphone into the market as early as next year.

Although the Israeli firm follows in the footsteps of Microsoft’s Kinect, its technology is quite different. The Kinect has depth sensors, multi-array microphones and rGB cameras that provide the software with the information it needs to track both voice and gestures.

XTr3d, on the other hand, uses ordinary 2d cameras - such as a webcam of a computer or the one in your smartphone - to extract 3d out of a 2d image.

This creates the same three-dimensional effect as on the Kinect.

According to the Tel Aviv start-up’s spokesman roy ramati, XTr3d’s technology has all the advantages of a 3d camera without any of the disadvantages - it can work in broad daylight, is much cheaper and uses a lot less power.

“And it can be installed into any consumer electronics device,” adds Mr ramati.

dor Givon, XTr3d’s founder and chief technical officer, adds that it is even possible to play a proper Kinect game on a regular laptop that has the software, touchlessly controlling the device from a distance of a few centimetres to up to 5m away.

And, he says, anyone will be able to afford it.

Besides gaming and switching TV channels, the existing prototypes include a PC where it is possible to flip through a PowerPoint presentation just by waving your hand, a tablet and a smartphone that have features such as using gestures to create the effect of a joystick, to click, swipe, zoom in and out with a pinch gesture, and a GPS device that can be controlled touchlessly while driving.

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SAMSUNG’S TRANSPARENT SMART WINDOWSource: PSFK

Samsung revealed a transparent LCd screen in the Consumer Electronics Show, winning the CES 2012 Innovation Award. The 46-inch touchscreen turns what were once boring window displays into interactive experiences that draw attention to retailers’ storefront windows. Samsung introduced a 22-inch version last year that is just beginning to make it into stores such as jewelry and luxury vendors. And this year, it is taking the reigns in the transparent display market, which is expected to grow from $900 million in 2015 to $87 billion by 2025, according to display Bank.

Bill Beaton, senior manager for LCd marketing at Samsung, commented in an interview: “We look at it as a smart window. You can think of jewelry displays with it or freezer windows at the grocery store that tell you where to find the ice cream.”

The revolutionary screen has a contrast ratio of 4,500:1 with high-definition resolution and a 70 percent color gamut, making it is as vivid as a lot of TVs in displaying colour. Weighing only 10 pounds and with a thickness of only 9 millimeters, Samsung says it could be used in product showcases, commercial freezer doors in grocery stores, and platform doors of subway stations. It can also be used in other work or home applications including electronic boards, information windows, medical equipment, electronic signs, and, once the displays get smaller, mobile devices. Check out a video of the display below.

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SAMSuNG’S TrANSPArENT SMArT WINdOW

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BUICk BEST TECH APP AT WIRED STORE IN TIMES SqUARE Source: Pr News Wire

BuICK BEST TECH APP AT WIrEd STOrE IN TIMES SQuArE

Buick, the fastest growing auto brand in the united States, has joined forces with Aurasma, the world’s first visual browser, to create the “Buick Best Tech” app that seamlessly combines in-store browsing with online shopping - an experience exclusively available at the WIrEd Store in New York’s Times Square.

The consumer launches the app and points the viewer at the featured products to instantaneously unlock interactive digital content including product videos, 3d models and entry into a sweepstakes contest.

“Buick has re-invented its brand to become synonymous with innovation and modern luxury. By creating the Buick Best Tech app, the brand engages tech-hungry consumers to experience cutting-edge technology in a way that also enhances their shopping experience,” said Aurasma’s General Manager, Jennifer rapp.

Complementing Buick’s progressive marketing initiatives, the Buick Best Tech app gives WIrEd store visitors all the benefits of holiday shopping without the hassle of long lines or heavy shopping bags. Those wishing to purchase the item, simply click “Add to Cart” and the product is instantly deposited into their virtual cart.

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TECHTAP // V2.12

kLM PASSENGERS CAN PICk THEIR SEATMATE USING FACEBOOk Source: Mashable

ErICSSON WANTS TO uSE YOur BOdY AS A uSB CABLE

ERICSSON WANTS TO USE YOUR BODY AS A USB CABLESource: Gizmodo

Ericsson’s new technology will allow you to transfer data between two gadgets by sending it directly through your body. The demonstrations of the technology are really cool, but what will it actually be good for in real life?

during the Ericksson keynote (CES) the “capacitive coupling” tech was demoed as a way to easily transfer photos from a phone to a big screen. usually, you’d use an HdMI cable or some kind

of wireless conection to get this done, but in this case CEO Hans Vestberg was used as the link. His colleague was holding a smartphone with the picture on it, and Vestberg touched his hand with a transmitter connected to a screen and poof, there was the photo. It was pretty impressive.

The technology is not unlike what everyone from Samsung to Apple are trying to do for you with Wi-Fi sync and NFC chip technology.

KLM Airlines is giving passengers the power to pick who they sit next to via social media. The opt-in system will display the Facebook and Linkedin profile pages of each passenger on the flight.

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TECHTAP // V2.12

BMW LETS YOU RACE A VIRTUAL CAR UP THE SIDEOF A BUILDING Source: PSFK

BMW LETS YOu rACE A VIrTuAL CAr uP THE SIdE OF A BuILdING

This recent campaign for BMW South Africa used interactive gaming as a public installation to encourage community.

It allowed consumers to engage with the brand in a new way, by racing a virtual car on the side of a building. The large-scale video projection with Facebook integration was featured in the busy main streets of major cities acros South Africa over eight nights.

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INTERACTIVE PAINTING LETS VIEWERS MOVE SEEMINGLYSTATIC OBJECTS Source: Vimeo

digital artist and developer, Scott Garner gives traditional art a new spin with his interactive installation, Still Life. Built using unity 3d, Garner connected a custom-framed flat screen television with a motion-sensitive screen to a rotating mount. The scene itself features a spatial sensor attached to the mount, so the objects rotate in unison.

As a result, the fruit and vase of the seemingly ordinary still life painting begin to tumble when the frame is tilted. Watch the video below to see how the static still life comes alive.

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TECHTAP // V2.12 INTErACTIVE PAINTING LETS VIEWErS MOVE SEEMINGLY STATIC OBJECTS

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TECHTAP // V2.12

I JUST CONTROLLED WINDOWS 8 WITH MY EYES Source: Gizmodo

I JuST CONTrOLLEd WINdOWS 8 WITH MY EYES

Tobii’s eye control device, which looks like a horizontal rectangle glass obelisk attached to the hinge of the laptop, is incredibly accurate.

The system requires a personal calibration test before you use it and some unique finger movements (akin to a smartphone), but once you get settled in, it’s simply stunning. It’s sniper accurate, Tobii never missed my target by more than a few pixels. It’s lightning quick, I couldn’t even say my next move fast enough because Tobii had recognized my eyesight already glanced away. And it can control all the swipe gestures available in Windows 8.

There was also an option to play an Asteroids-like game with Tobii and everything that’s impressive about Tobii translates there too. The head movement tracking aspect of the game was a little odd but I can’t get over how accurate its eye tracking ability was. Look and zap. Look and zap.

Tobii is as amazing as multitouch once was, as impressive as the Wii once was and the Kinect is now and a natural evolution of “the future”.

View Video

We’ve recently seen rFId technology used to help farmers track cows and locate children. Now, recently launched Bikn enables consumers to find lost objects, pets or children with a system consisting of an rF-enabled iPhone case, multiple tags and an app.

The case — designed for iPhone4/4S, but also available for the iPhone 3GS — clips on to the phone, and its built-in battery keeps the locator system connected even when the phone is off. users download the MyBikn app and can attach up to 256 Bikn tags to items they don’t wish to lose — for example, keys, a briefcase or even pets and children. Once the case, app and tags are synced they operate on their own wireless network.

The app allows users to “find”, “leash” or “page” tagged items. “Find” is a visual meter and audio signal to recover a misplaced item, “leash” will sound an alarm on the phone and tag if an item is moved beyond a specified range, and “page” will sound an alert on a chosen tag. If users lose their phone, they can push a button on a tag to emit the “page” alarm from that phone’s Bikn case.

The system can detect tagged objects within a 250,000 square foot area.

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TECHTAP // V2.12

RF-ENABLED APP LOCATES LOST OBJECTS OR CHILDRENSource:Springwise

rF-ENABLEd APP LOCATES LOST OBJECTS Or CHILdrEN

This cool new use of a fashion accessory from Brookstone aims to improve the lives of those in the business community by offering them the convenience of a Wi-Fi hotspot and 2GB of uSB storage housed in a pair of cufflinks.

The polished silver oval cufflinks can be used to share data and internet access between multiple wireless devices.

After downloading the accompanying software, the cufflinks can be used as a high-speed Wi-Fi hotspot by nearby smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers. They can also hold up to 2GB for files and pictures.

This luxury item is described as “perfect for business meetings, travel and techies everywhere.” One pair will set you back $249.99.

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TECHTAP // V2.12

CUFFLINkS OFFER USB STORAGE & A WI-FI HOTSPOTSource: PSFK

CuFFLINKS OFFEr uSB STOrAGE & A WI-FI HOTSPOT

WE ♥ THIS!

Sony Experia SmartTags could revolutionize the way we interact with our smartphones and simplify our daily routines. using wireless near field communication (NFC) technology, these colorful tags can be programmed with a series of commands that could change a phone setting with just one swipe or tap. This technology could allow users to better separate work and leisure time on a single device seamlessly. A tag could be placed on your work desk so that by swiping your NFC-equipped phone across it, the phone will automatically launch the to-do-list app, activate the silent mode and let you know of your next meeting. A SmartTag placed at home could instead disable Bluetooth, turn off the work e-mail and post your current location to your social network.

The possibilities of the Sony SmartTags are endless and the release date of these NFC tokens could be as soon as the second-quarter of this year. A Sony representative stated that the retail price will be around $30 for four tags.

Watch the promotional video below to see how the SmartTags work.

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TECHTAP // V2.12

SONY’S CUSTOM NFC TAGS CAN SIMPLIFY YOUR WORk/LIFE BALANCESource: PSFK

SONY’S CuSTOM NFC TAGS CAN SIMPLIFY YOur WOrK/LIFE BALANCE

Online luxury retailer Net-a-Porter is heralding the launch of a new collection Wednesday with five augmented reality-enhanced shopping events across the globe.

Crowds have gathered at window locations in Paris, New York, London, Berlin and Sydney for the chance to witness the spectacle and nab some free merchandise from the collection, which was designed by Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld and announced on stage at Le Web in Paris.

using an augmented reality app [iTunes link] specially created for the occasion, users can use their iPhones or iPads to scan product images from a storefront to shop — and possibly win — those products. The retailer also handed out leather gloves and collars from the collection to the first 50 arrivals, and is handing out free t-shirts and goodie bags to those who come later.

The “Window Shop” concept was first premiered in September 2011 as part of Fashion’s Night Out celebrations in London and New York. It gave the company, which retails exclusively online, an opportunity to participate in what was primarily a brick-and-mortar shopping event, and drew significant attention for the novelty of the experience and the quality of the merchandise it distributed. Likewise, the five simultaneous events on Wednesday allow the retailer to generate offline as well as online buzz for the Karl collection launch.

Those who are unable to attend one of the five events can still play a ball-in-maze game in the app for a chance to win a £1000 pound shopping spree to Net-a-Porter, and, of course, shop the collection online.

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TECHTAP // V2.12

AUGMENTED REALITY-ENHANCED FASHION GIVEAWAY DRAWS CROWDSAROUND THE WORLD

AuGMENTEd rEALITY-ENHANCEd FASHION GIVEAWAY drAWS CrOWdS ArOuNd THE WOrLd

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TECHTAP // V2.12

IN THE NEWS BLACkBERRY UNDER SIEGEIN EUROPE Source:NY Times

The iPhone has taken a big bite out of the BlackBerry in a market where the older phone once dominated: business customers in North America.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Samsung is poised to do the same to research in Motion, BlackBerry’s maker, as a growing number of businesses are buying, or plan to buy, phones using the Android operating system.

Although BlackBerry is a must-have accessory for the growing business class in the developing economies of the world and rIM is adding customers there at a healthy clip, the company faces a problem in its established markets. Businesses are looking for another option besides the BlackBerry.

rIM, Apple and Android phones now equally share the workplace market. In a recent global survey of

information workers — people who use a computer or another smart device for at least an hour a day — Forrester research found that 27 percent of smartphone users said they had an Android phone; 26 percent, a BlackBerry; and 24 percent, an iPhone. “Android and Apple together are eating BlackBerry’s lunch,” said Frank Gillett, a Forrester analyst.

While some companies are cautious about allowing employees to use Android phones in the office because of security concerns, more businesses that let employees bring their own devices have approved Android devices. Apple’s iPhone continues to be popular. Samsung Electronics sold 300 million handsets in 2011, almost all of them Android phones, and became the biggest phone manufacturer in the world. It appears to be in the best position to profit from a shift in the market.

BLACKBErrY uNdEr SIEGE IN EurOPE

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TECHTAP // V2.12 BLACKBErrY uNdEr SIEGE IN EurOPE

“We’ve seen quite a huge growth of Android in the enterprise over the last 18 months,” said Nick McQuire, research director of enterprise mobility strategies at the International data Corporation. “We see it as being neck and neck with Apple to be a top mobile enterprise platform in Europe.”

rIM’s answer to the increasing popularity of Android handsets and the iPhone is a new version of the BlackBerry software, called BlackBerry 10. But phones based on the new software system have been delayed several times and are now not expected until late 2012. Thorsten Heins, the company’s new chief executive, said the new software would address the “consumerization of I.T.,” referring to the growing trend of businesses letting their employees choose which devices they bring to work.

Mr. Heins believes that rIM’s advantage in the business market remains the company’s focus on security. He said that rIM regularly speaks to chief information officers, who say they do not like that Android devices and iPhones have become prominent in the work place.

“They are in a pickle. Their pickle is security,” Mr. Heins said in an interview. “When the first big security flaw even happens in one of the large enterprises, you will see this turn around. Wait for the day this happens.”

But waiting is not something people in businesses are doing. I.d.C. recently surveyed business managers and information technology managers

at 728 businesses across seven Western European countries and found that Android was the fastest-growing mobile operating system for business customers in 2011.

Chief information officers at big enterprises said they were not yet formally supporting Android, though all of them have said they had plans to do so in the next 18 months. They are probably hesitating because they need to plan security measures to protect corporate devices, Mr. McQuire said.

Still, the general acceptance of Android in European businesses is a harbinger of rIM’s continued struggles. The Tieto Corporation, a European firm that provides information technology services to large companies, said it had seen strong and increasing demand from customers for Android-based business software. Ville Virtanen, an enterprise mobility marketing director at Tieto, said that customers found Android phones to be cheaper and that the software was the least complicated for distributing work-related apps to employees.

And security concerns are being addressed. Some of Samsung’s new phones, like the Galaxy S II, include extra security features for enterprise customers. The newest version of Google’s Android operating system, called Ice Cream Sandwich, has built-in encryption. In October, Samsung introduced a program called Samsung Approved for Enterprise, which includes a suite of tools tailored specifically for businesses.

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TECHTAP // V2.12 WHAT’S YOur FAVOurITE APP ANd WHY?

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE APPAND WHY?

STAR WALkFor the past year or two I have carried around a live guide to the entire night sky in my pocket. A simple walk home from the station becomes an opportunity to blow my mind a little.

Simon Parker, Managing Partner, Digital

RUNkEEPER AND SHAPEUPAt this time of year, it’s a combination of 2 apps – runKeeper and Shapeup. The latter allows me to track my food intake and my measurements, allowing me to see if I’m meeting my targets for healthy eating. The first is a running and training app, that allows me to track exercise, uses GPS to see how far I have run and has a good coaching mode, letting me set up plans for interval runs etc. The associated web page lets me share my activities with friends for extra motivation.

Rachel Clarke, Head of Engagement Intelligence

INSTAGRAMI’m obsessed with Instagram simply because it never ceases to be interesting. As well as empowering uses to be creative and share the world around them, it allows users to follow friends and contacts and to look at everyday things through completely different eyes. Whether it’s creative and arty shots, or simply a photo journal of everyday occurrences, Instagram is a classic example of technology that empowers its users. It’s also a wonderful app that mobilises users around certain passions and interests, with the clever use of tags. Whether you want to check out all ‘#blackandwhite’ shots for artistic inspiration, or simply keep tabs on what’s going on at #Starbucks, Instagram is a beautifully-crafted app that allows us to share the world in all its colours.

Callum Saunders, Digital Strategist

WUNDERLISTI’m trying to live up to my New Year’s resolution to be more organized and decided to try Wunderlist. I’m really enjoying the simplicity of the uI and all the features you expect are still there when you need them. All the versions are free, web, iOS or Android. I used “remember The Milk” for a long time and was reluctant to make the switch but I’m really enjoying it so far.

Arni Maack, Technology Director

TECHTAP // V2.12 GETTING IN TOuCH

GETTINGIN TOUCH

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