While working on a previous brief for a client of mine, the idea of VR struck us in the midst of our brainstorming session. Some cringe while others embrace it passionately. Consumer VR experience in today’s context revolves greatly in a ‘controlled’ interactive environment. Why is that so? It becomes extremely challenging to bridge that level of experience into consumer retail, exhibition or even online. Brands are riding on the technology wave but are always skeptical about its outcome and especially for those who are cautious of the perceptions from their target audience. So, we have always had a conservative approach to emerging technologies. Have a look at Parrot’s new Drone plane. The drone offers real time flight experience by allowing the user to navigate the flight from a first person view. The “Disco” drone is no mediocre technology. It ramps up to 80km/hr and its glide trajectory is almost impeccable. Running at 45mins per flight, it allows consumers now to own a piece of technology that brings drone flights to a whole new experience. VR is no longer just a novelty experience used to boost brand’s ego but a usable technology that consumers can indulge in.
A case that bends
This article from digitaltrends leaves me wondering if Kickstarter is starting to get diluted with weird projects, almost like a dumping ground of ideas. But this idea, a flexible casing for the notorious case for bending iPhones is one that intrigued me. At least we now have a solution for it? This new parody attempts to rectify the problem by being a flexible yet protective case to your phone. Bendifone, an accessory that seeks to protect your iPhone is started by Amberlee Donahue of Marietta. I love how she describes the Bendifone will bend together with your iPhone almost seamlessly. Check out more of this article at digitatrends here.
Phone payments
An article on Mashable reports the recent partnership between Apple, Visa, Mastercard and American Express to formulate a digital mobile platform for all phone users to make purchase through their iPhones while they shop in stores. I guess its about time that this would happen considering there have been numerous digital wallet applications that have hit the market but yet to gain enough traction from their applications. Quite expectedly, the new iPhone come with NFC chips, creating the possibility for digital payments. While a lot have little success in this area, Apple has a considerably high change of gaining success. I do see a lot of innovative opportunities to tap on. Will you be comfortable to try out mobile payment through your phone?
Wall hugging?
Im sure this isn’t something new to all of us. Especially iPhone users out there, you KNOW it. The fact that we need to constantly plug in for battery power is beyond frustration. Somehow this video seemed to depict Samsung mitigating this issue. The new Samsung S5 with lesser power issues? Really? While I highly doubt so, I do think the commercial resonates with a lot of people out there. Most of us suffering from the mediocre battery performance from smartphones are compelled to make a switch to another brand often promising us longer, more robust battery performance. Well, i do think this is a rather amusing commercial of how Samsung would sell through benefit but at the expense of Apple.
Anki Drive!!!
Most of your might not have heard of them, nor even know of their existence. Anki, a San Francisco startup, has been working in the background, helping us bring robots into our everyday life. Now, they have developed a racing game which is powered by our iPhone. Amazing. With Anki Drive, we now control toy vehicles that resembles our metal die cast toy cars from Hot Wheels. But now these lovely toys come packed with unrivaled technology and artificial intelligence. The end product is an awesome game with lots of challenge and excitement. I believe there is so much potential for us in the future to come. Gamers, rejoice! We have a new evolved sport, where technology meets hobby. The current package, valued at $199, comes with a game mat, two racers, charging pods for the batteries as well as an interesting cleaning kit for the tires. The race allows up to four racers at one go. Each additional racer would cost $69 and right now there are altogether four of them for sale. More are expected to be release. This is so exciting!
What is interesting is that the toys could automatically locate their relative position from the race track at 500 times per second! They provide themselves with the logic and strategy to race ahead of the other racers. At such speed, it is comparable to racing cars dashing at 250 mph! Very impressive! While the racers appear to be lightweight, it is very robust in construction. For example, they are filled with motion sensors as well a rather interesting processing device that would detect the players’ instructions through their iPhones as they played the race. Brilliant technology and work. Looking forward to own one!
LEGO rocks!
When I first saw this news, I literally jumped. I told myself I wanted this real bad. What can you expect from a LEGO fan whose probably just as hardcore as I would to decorate or ‘pixelize’ my mobile phone? Man, these iPhone casings by Belkin are so badass. They are OFFICIAL licensed casings from LEGO and are fully functional where you can literally stack the bricks and do lots of fun with it. Watching the video made me want to purchase the casing right on the spot! Check it out!
Colors from your ice cold drink
The things that people do to their phone can be incredibly bizarre. I have seen iphones dipping the toilet bowls, used as a remote control for drones, some even used it as a frisbee for their dogs. We now have an iphone as a coaster. Placing your ice cold glass with condensing water droplets on top of your iphone. How cool is that? Oh yeah, it is going to be cool. Bradley Simpson created Blinkdrink, a simple yet very thought provoking way of interacting with screen-based technologies. A new experience of how 2 dimensional screen experience could be extended to the 3 dimensional space. While you place your drink on top of your iPhone, the built-in microphone listens to the ambient audio through the surrounding conversation or music, and would visualize it through the refraction of glass and liquid inside it. Very cool interaction between the two mediums. On the app itself, you can choose the color as well. Check this out.
The Making of our part
I remembered the time when I had an opportunity to work with a client who is running a vegan business. He is one with a huge love for nature and a great vision to realize the need to keep sustainability for mother earth. There are tons of opportunities for us to do our part in helping to shape mother nature. Today, sportswear company Nike is taking up this role by means of a mobile app, Making. It is a free app which provides details of the sustainability for all the clothing materials relevant for your making. Nike has placed sustainable design as one of their top priority and has since developed a very extensive databse of materials over the course of eight years.
I personally love the app interface and it’s simplistic design. There is a nice infographic touch to the way the information is communicated. Very interactive and comes with rather smooth navigation. Check it out.
The Reading ‘Tray’
Ever thought you could eat while you read your favorite magazine without any crumbles or spills from your morning breakfast? Well, now you can! I spotted a tray that allows you to browse your book and still enjoy your coffee.
“Although many people habitually do several tasks at once, they do not realize that they are multitasking”, unless a “mistake” is made. Yuhun Kim.
Rando? Interesting…
Have you heard of the app, Rando? London-based app design studio ustwo has recently launched an experimental app that is rather interesting. This app eschews all creative and design conventions that you would actually find in most apps. Upon reading up more about ustwo, I develop a keen interest in the work they have produced so far. A rather edgy and unique agency with a good combination of creativity and a nonconformist attitude. Rando allows users to take a picture and have it sent across another part of the globe without knowing who you have actually sent to. Your only hint is that your picture has been mysteriously viewed by somebody in another part of the world! Here is a description of the app taken from their web:
“Rando is an experimental photo exchange platform. Give, receive and collect unique photos from random people from all over the world. A rando must be sent for one to be received. It’s about gifting rather than sharing. You will never know who received the rando, they will never know who sent it. You will know the location of where it landed, the receiver will know where in the world it was taken. Build your rando collection with unique cultural sights from around the world. We deliberately haven’t incorporated social features into the application. No likes, no comments, no direct communication.
Just Rando.”
I often had the opportunity to work with great brilliant junior creative teams who are hungry and aspires a lot to do really unique work. One of the few pointers to note when coming out with such ideas is to create controversy and debate among your audience. And through that, you would inevitably provoke and spark their debate. Amazingly, ustwo not only developed such an interesting ‘anti-social’ app, they also rolled a campaign that sparks controversy and creates topics among the community. And their creative message? A very provocative claim to the public: You have no friends and No one likes you. Check out the video below:
Well, I am all pumped up to download this app and start experimenting this quirky app!
Zack Chia 