A bi-monthlyA report for idea seekers, brands and executives EXPERIENCE INNOVATION EXPERIENCE

No. 4. 3/2018 ABOUT

Steven Kainth has been helping brands and retailers to think about Innovation for almost 20 years. The heart of what he does is create Human Experiences that deliver results. He works across retail, events, product and digital to express messages that resonate with consumers. His process utilises creative resources, first hand experiences, data and thought leadership to generate valuable insights.

“Steven is truly a rare find. He's a brilliant strategist with a keen ability to stay tuned in to those industry happenings that others seem to miss. He is the consummate dot- connector, making profound observations that tie the current trends to client needs in practical, usable, achievable ways. He is deft and inspiring in his communications with current and prospective clients: they seem to hang on his every word...but it's not just flare. He has the substance to back it up”.

Brian Barthelt General Manager, Marmon, a Berkshire Hathaway Company

Brand experience include

This document is used by FTSE/FORTUNE 100 brands. PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT

To inspire curious minds. To provide intelligence and insights, that drives idea generation, through innovative thinking.

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This issue looks at the the changing fashion space that made headlines in February & March 2018. We look at the new digital influencers to culture makers and trend setters.

We also explore wearables, focusing on innovations around the eyes.

Also included in this edition is Voice assistants and platforms , Drones, New Retail and highlights from Baselworld, the worlds premier watch and jewellery fair.

I hope you find this report insightful and inspiring.

Steven Kainth NEW BEAUTY FASHION SHUDU

The new curated muses taking over editorial and social brand content.

Image: Cameron-James Wilson SHUDU The dawn of the digital supermodel

WHO IS SHE & WHY SHE MATTERS?

Shudu, the model behind the page @shudu.gram and she is being called one of the most beautiful models on Instagram, Shudu has caused controversy, hinging around the fact that she’s not actually real, she’s born as a result of an project by London based photographer Cameron James-Wilson. There’s a concept known as the “uncanny valley”, this describes that eerie feeling that arises when objects ‘look’ human, but don’t quite manage the intended realistic effect, mannequins, dolls, Sophia the Robot etc. are all examples. Shudu is notable for being post-uncanny valley, appearing so human that most people, even with a closer look, wouldn’t suspect that she’s a computer generated model.

INSPIRING IDEAS:

- What we are witnessing is the start of a new curated world where brands are considering how they are perceived and judged, not only in a digital world but also in an augmented human world. - A new discipline of graphic designers and artists are emerging who are pushing the boundaries of creative expression. These individuals are the next generation of UI/UX designers who understand how brands live, communicate and sell in the virtual world.

Image: Cameron-James Wilson WHO IS SHE? Shudu is not alone, virtual influencer Lil’ Miquela is an avatar with a lifestyle. She’s pictured here wearing Balmain is using used her curated celebrity status by taking over “fashion shoots” for many luxury brands including curating stories for Prada on Instagram as seen during AW18 Milan fashion week. Lil Miquela descents from Brazil and lives in L.A., her curators are a mysteriously unknown.

WHY SHE MATTERS:

What sort of a role model is Lil Miquela playing? What does her LIL MIQUELA vision of beauty and fashion say to humans that are influenced by her? This is post feminism and A living avatar humanism. Is it healthy? Expect more avatars like this, driven by the new social media aesthetics and ideals.

Image: Lil Miquela for Balmain VIRGIL ABLOH Creative Polymath

WHO IS HE? Luxury streetwear designer, Virgil Abloh was appointed the new artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear. Born in Rockford, Illinois, Abloh studied engineering and architecture. After he met Kanye West whilst working as DJ, he designed the rapper’s merchandise, propelling him into the limelight. The all round creative polymath’s own label, Off White, is one of fashion’s most in demand new brands.

Abloh is the first black designer to be awarded such a high-profile position at Louis Vuitton, the world’s biggest luxury brand, worth £20.30bn in May 2017. Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton’s chairman and CEO, praised how Abloh’s and commenting, “his innate creativity and disruptive approach has made him very relevant, not just in the world of fashion but also in popular culture today”. It’s this point that's so interesting, fashion’s going through so many changes right now and the biggest one is around culture verses design. “Virgil is one of the few designers who truly marries street culture with high fashion – and the first black designer to be given such a position in the gilded halls of LVMH. His appointment is a step in the right direction for diversity.” Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief at British Vogue.

Image: Eugene Shishkin FASHION A new culture

THOUGHTS Fashion is about change, new ideas, an expression of creativity at a given moment in time. Up until now, its been primarily centred around design and creative influences a designer or fashion house has. Today we seeing a shift away from design alone and much more about culture. Take Supreme, the uber cool American skateboarding clothing brand established in New York City in 1994, the brand caters to the skateboarding, hip hop, and rock audiences, and focuses on youth culture in general. To date its collaborated with many brands, notably Louis Vuitton with whom it enjoyed phenomenal success. Rumours suggest Dolce & Gabbana and Rolex could be the next luxury brands in line to get “hyped”. The appointment of Virgil Abloh, (previous slide) who has been hired by Louis Vuitton, not because he is a master craftsman, but more so because he is a master culture maker. The designer has already collaborated with Nike and Ikea – he understands popular culture and his loyal 2M Instagram followers will create a highly profitable contemporary cultural shift for LVMH owned Louis Vuitton. Fashion “drops” where a brand releases a product in limited numbers via a hyped sales mechanic online, drives a frenzy of both savvy youngsters and their automated bots trying to get their hands on these limited editions pieces which usually end up on trendy fashion resale apps such or Depop or ebay for 3-5 time their original value. Teenagers are not only making 5k per month hustling this gear, but in fact are changing the course of fashion culture and commerce.

Image: Van Gogh by Shusaku Takaoka GUCCI x DAPPER DAN A unique collaboration

WHO IS HE? Dap, (real name Daniel Day), is the Harlem couturier who spent much the 1980’s inventing his own kind of fashion, “remixing” luxury goods from brands like Gucci, Fendi and Louis Vuitton into newer, weirder garments worn by local and visiting hip hop royalty. After legal threats from Fendi, Dan (aka Dapper Dan) found himself pushed out of business.

Fast forward to 2017, Gucci Creative Director, Alessandro Michele (who is currently responsible for the fastest growing established fashion brand in the world today), creates a knockoff of a “knockup” that looks exactly like on of Dan’s creations, and in doing so, brings Dan back into the spotlight. This is no ordinary spotlight however, Gucci announces that they and Dapper Dan would be undertaking a joint venture in a new Harlem atelier, a space for Dan to work his sartorial magic with a free hand and raw materials supplied by Gucci. The new Harlem boutique has made-to-order garments and will carry limited edition items and accessories available for purchase by appointment.

WHY THIS MATTERS & HOW IT CAN INSPIRE NEW IDEAS? This collaboration is about culture, a way for a Gucci to play in a space that may otherwise be inaccessible. Fashion is about reinvention, about individuality, for Gucci its also about craft and what Dapper Dan delivers for Gucci is not only aligned, but also unique, fresh and cool beyond the mainstream.

As individuals build communities, these communities have the potential to be incredibly influential and collaborations like this is something that will become more common.

Image: GQ Images: Dapper Dan D&G Runway drones

WHAT HAPPENEND? Dolce & Gabbana was beyond trend at this years A/W Milan Fashion Week in March. The designers sent quadcopter drones carrying handbags down the runway, surprising the audience who created a frenzy on social media. You may ask why? Is this just a new way of entertaining the audience? I would say not. It was a very calculated move that was centred on the audience and how they would react seeing this unusual spectacle. They beamed live streams, and uploaded photos via their social channels to their vast followings. That’s how to amplify a show and make use of influencers without paying anyone a penny.

Image: Dolce & Gabbana BARBIE The Shero: Inspiring and influential women

WHAT IS IT? 86% of U.S. mothers are worried about the role models their daughters are exposed to. Barbie is inspiring and celebrated International Women’s Day (March 8th) by honouring female role models by giving them their own "Shero" and “Inspirational Women” dolls. The "Shero" collection already has dolls modelled after ballerina Misty Copeland, Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, model Ashley Graham, and gymnast Gabby Douglas. But with so many inspiring women making history, Barbie wants to honour more role models with its popular dolls.

Image: Barbie/Mattel Inc. RETAIL AMERICAN EAGLE Community retail

Image: American Eagle WHAT IS IT? American Eagle Outfitters has opened a new concept store in Manhattan’s Union Square, called AE Creative Studio. It’s a collaborative social space designed to promote community and connections between the brand and consumer. It’s aimed at younger urban consumer and features many amenities that will appeal to this demographics lifestyle. The changing rooms feature iPads, there is a free laundrette, a study-friendly studio bar and a lounge. This is a smart move by the brand who also houses its social media team inside the store, this way they are at the heart of what's happening and able to generate, great, engaging content in real-time.

HOW IT CAN INSPIRE NEW IDEAS:

City living is getting so concentrated that its almost impractical across the global for many young, single city dwellers, to own their own homes. A home for many has become simply a place to rest their heads. Employers are offering so much to encourage extended working hours and retailers are starting to take note of the ”hustle” culture, providing amenities that create repeat visits. Think about the store as a third space, not a sales outlet. Its also worth pointing out that Apple has been doing this for over a decade in its stores, encouraging students to work on projects and essays in-store.

Image: American Eagle MEDLEY A painless pharmacy experience

Architectural design practice Sergio Mannino Studio, as created Brooklyn based Medley’s new retail space. Its a pharmaceutical store comprising of an app and a physical space, that collates the online and offline pharmacy experience. The Brooklyn-based pharmacy recently launched the app, which aims to ease the prescription process by allowing consumers to order medication online and have it delivered to their home. Alternatively, those that still want to come into store, can choose to collect their prescription at the Brooklyn store and organise a face- to-face consultation with health professionals through the app. This store caters to very well to its consumers lifestyle, taking away friction.

Image: Sergio Mannino Studio WHOLESOME CUTS A butchers story of origin

WHAT IT’S SPECIAL? Keen home cooks expect to understand the journey of their food from farm to plate, Wholesome Cuts in Williamsburg, New York have embraced technology that helps customers understand a detailed history of each locally-sourced organic product inside this stylish butchers. While this storytelling technology isn’t new, retailers’ attempts to make the educational experience attractive to customers has not always been successful. The store’s experimental interior emphasises what is unique about the brand. “We made the space connect with the overall philosophy of the brand and made sure customers would be happy in the process” says its owners. By serving natural, ethically-aware products in a place where customers will feel at home, this experience this store is sure to drive return visits and lasting loyalty.

Image: Wholesome Cuts HOME AWAY FROM HOME

11% of millennials feel more at home at work, or in school than in their own homes.

Ikea Life at home report 2017 GLOSSIER x REA’S CAFE Fried chicken & lipstick

WHAT IS IT? Beauty brand Glossier has took over Rhea’s Cafe in San Francisco in April. Guests were able to enjoy a special menu (served in compostable to-go packaging designed specifically for the collaboration). The menus included buttermilk fried chicken sandwich Korean steak sandwich, chicken katsu sandwich, etc. Glossier products are displayed throughout, available for testing and for purchase. Glossier has done food collaborations with NYC food destinations like Morgenstern’s Ice Cream and Momofuku Milk Bar before.

WHY IT MATTERS? This is not just about cosmetics, food or lifestyle, its about Instagram. For beauty bloggers curating that perfect “Instagramable” shot that accumulates likes and followers its everything, and where better to marry Glossier’s pretty pastel shades than a fabulous pretty café that generates beautiful photos.

Image: Eater, San Francisco WEARABLES SIREN Subscription diabetes socks

WHAT IS IT? A new startup called Siren has developed a textile that’s with embedded with micro sensors, they make socks for people with diabetes. The neurofabric technology can monitor foot temperatures which can help detect potential foot injuries in diabetic patients. “If you get injured and have diabetic nerve damage, it’s hard to feel pain. The pain can go unnoticed, become infected, turn into an ulcer and lead to an amputation.” These socks can prevent this from happening. They’re also machine- washable and don’t need to be charged. Siren offers a subscription model that cost $19.95 a month, for a pack of five pairs of socks, customers are sent fresh socks every six months along with access to the Siren Hub for monitoring. The company plans to scale its business with additional health monitoring products using its proprietary technology.

WHY IT MATTERS?

Digital Therapeutics (a health discipline that utilises digital health technologies to diagnose or treat a medical conditions) is on the rise, expect more subscription based health monitoring across the whole body.

Image: Siren TUFTS UNIVERSITY Food tracking wearable

WHAT IS IT?

Researchers at Tufts University, Massachusetts have created a wearable food tracker that can be mounted to a tooth. The tooth-mounted sensor tracks every bite (and what it contains). The sensor-like device is two square millimetres in size and sticks to the surface of a tooth. The sensor is ingeniously simple, when its central layer encounters different chemicals (salt, ethanol), its electrical properties shift, transmitting a different spectrum of radio waves. Currently, the patch is set up to wirelessly transmit information about glucose, salt, and alcohol to a mobile device; its creators think it could be adapted to monitor even more metrics, including “a wide range of nutrients, chemicals and physiological states,”

WHY IT MATTERS?

Just think what this could do for the fitness based apps like My Fitness Pal, taking away all that friction of manual entry. Or how about gastronomic experiences, linking physiological sensations with experiential visual data! This is one to watch!

Image: Fio Omenetto, Ph.D., Tufts University LEVEL x VSP Eyewear fitness tracker

WHAT IS IT? Eye insurance company Vision Service Plan (VSP) and Level Smart glasses are bringing their smart glasses to market. The frames contain a magnetometer, an accelerometer and a gyroscope. compactly located inside the left temple, these technological features track your steps, calories burned, distance travelled and activity time. All data output and measures are monitored via a companion app which is linked via bluetooth. Battery life is approximately five days in between charges with a magnetic port concealed inside the left hinge. Users can also connect with friends via the app, encouraging healthy competition in similar ways as other popular wearables do. There’s also a charitable component, which syncs up with VSP’s Eyes of Hope initiative where a point system awards those who achieve their daily step goals. Once users reach 50 points, VSP will give away a comprehensive eye exam and eyewear to someone in need.

WHY IT MATTERS?

The theory behind these frames is simple, that people are potentially more likely to wear eyewear everyday versus a wrist based wearable. Could smart eyewear fix that long term adoption problem? The human face is the most expensive piece of real estate on the body and fashion plays a vital role here. This tech has potential if big brands integrate it into stylish frames, brand and status matters more than a technology around the eyes.

Image: Level Smart Glasses BOSE Augmented Reality smartglasses

WHAT IS IT? Bose has showed off its own pair of (concept) augmented reality smart glasses at SXSW in Austin TX. Bose's AR concept focuses on audio – adding an “audible layer of information and experiences” to the real world. The headphones don’t actually sit inside the ear but instead point towards the ear, (assuming its a cross between bone conduction and directional audio, something the company is known for). Bose is releasing a Bose AR SDK and setting up a $50 million fund to invest in companies that want to build new wearable products that feature high end audio, motion and location tracking with Bose AR. The company sees the platform in a very open way with products not being limited to headphones and other eyewear but also helmets and more. I think this is a smart move and a clear point of difference away from its competitors. Bose hasn't announced any immediate plans to commercialise these glasses or given any indication costs yet.

Image: BOSE PANASONIC x KRONOSYS Augmented Reality smartglasses

WHAT IS IT? Panasonic has showcased a number of future technologies at this years SXSW interactive festival in Austin. Together with Kronosys (an enterprise management services company), Panasonic demonstrated how training and guidance can be given to aspiring chefs using smart glasses. The glasses augment step by step information providing graphical, video and audio information. This is not new tech as Google was doing this with Glass a number of years ago however, using smart eyewear like this in a commercial environment has many benefits including improving efficiency, confidence of the wearer carrying out their tasks and quality.

Image: Kronosys THIRD EYE Augmented Reality smartglasses to help Alzheimer's patients

WHAT IS IT?

US based ThirdEye is working on a product called the X1 Smart Glasses that’s helping patients address Alzheimer's disease. “AR technology has reached a point where it can be miniaturised enough to be able to fit on people’s faces, but it is also powerful enough to have features that make a difference,” says founder and CEO Nick Cherukuri at this years CES in Las Vegas. The company has fitted its headset with a neural network that can be trained to recognise human faces. The headset can process several pictures of an Alzheimer’s patient’s loved ones and learn to label those people every time they are in front of the glasses. The glasses will show name tags of relatives’ when they are close by, a label would say: ‘This is Steve, your husband…

Image: ThirdEye VVFLY Anti snoring eye mask

WHAT IS IT?

Chinese-based VVFLY Electronics has created an anti-snoring eye mask that features advanced bone conduction and sound recognition technologies. The intelligent mask identifies snoring sounds which it then intervenes with micro vibrations at 36 levels to stop snoring and make you sleep better. There is also an accompanying smartphone app which can be used to adjust the sensitivity and intensity of vibration. The mask is also a basic sleep tracker, the app will show your sleep duration, when snoring stopped, snore level and more. This is the fourth version of the product VVFLY has created since the company came into being in 2015. The first three generations are used by more than 200,000 customers worldwide.

Image: VVFLY OMEGA OPTHALMICS Augmented Reality Eye Implants

Image: Omega Opththalmics WHAT IS IT? Omega Ophthalmics could just be developing the future of Augmented Reality. For anyone that has used an AR/VR headset, you’ll know how uncomfortable and sweaty they can become. Omega Ophthalmics propose to surgically implant AR lenses inside the eye. Eye implants are not new, many degenerative eye diseases that mostly affect senior citizens are treated with implants. The inventors of these lens see an opportunity to offer not just a lens but a platform to which other manufacturers could add different interactive sensors, drug delivery devices and the inclusion of AR/VR integration. You may think this is something young people may choose adopt however, the creators think this platform has a much broader application for 70-somethings wanting to maintain independence. Creating a platform for the elderly to get around or to alert them if something is wrong medically would be useful. As global populations age and are expected to live longer, the core audience for this type of product could be vast. The company also see the application being useful to “super soldiers”.

Image: Omega Ophthalmics SHAARE ZEDEK x BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY Nanoparticle Eye drops

WHAT IS IT? A Shaare Zedek Medical Centre in Israel and Bar-Ilan University ophthalmologist has invented and patented “nanodrops”. When tested on pig’ corneas, they have produced improvements in short and long sightedness eye conditions. If tests on humans prove successful, it would mean the elimination of eyeglasses and contact lens. Dr David Smadja has said this breakthrough could revolutionise ophthalmological and optometry treatment of patients with myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far- sightedness) and other refractory conditions. Dr Smadia has suggested that patients would use a smartphone app to scan their eyes, measure their refraction, create a laser pattern then apply a “laser corneal stamp” of an optical pattern onto the corneal surface of their eyes. This has already been done successfully on fresh pig eyes. Drops with a synthetic nanoparticles solution can correct the vision problem. He did not say how often the drops would have to be applied to replace glasses.

WHY IT MATTERS?

As we become reliant on looking at screens and become increasingly immersed in VR & AR, eye health will become ever more important and breakthroughs like this could be that magic pill consumers are looking for.

Source: The Jerusalem Post TECH ELON’S WARNING

“Mark my words, A.I. is far more dangerous than nukes”

Elon Musk at SXSW, Austin TX March 2018 AMAZON PATENT: Human responsive drones

WHAT IS IT?

Amazon has filed a patent for a delivery drone that has the ability to be responsive to humans around it. The drone would be equipped with technology that would enable it to understand frantic calls and hand-waving of nearby humans. To do this, a drone would have to be equipped with a host of sensors, from depth sensors and infrared, along with extremely sensitive microphones. There are concerns, what if, when you flail your arms to get the drone to back off, it kept going and injures someone instead? Could the drone be intercepted or stolen?

There are lots of questions around delivery but drone such as could the drone still deliver to your home when you’re not there, how would it handle theft, rain proof of delivery etc.. However its great to see that Amazon are aware of some of the issues and are working towards doing something about it. Note, as with many other patents of this kind, there’s a chance this technology will never see the light of day.

Image: Amazon via United States Patents & Trademark Office FLYING KILLING MACHINES

In an interview with Futurism at the World Government Summit futurist Michio Kaku has been warning of the dangers of militarised drone systems for years. The threat of military drones, he says, is absolute.

“We have drones that a human supervises and says, ‘kill that target.’ In the future, the drone will recognize the human form and have permission to kill the target. It may go crazy one day—a mistake, a short circuit could take place—and it just keeps shooting that human form independent of any instructions. Automatic killing machines are the one thing we have to worry about today, not tomorrow. But other than that, we really don’t have to worry about the robots taking over”.

WHAT THIS MATTERS When a leading physicist talks about dangers like this and you have for profit companies looking at innovative ways to cash in on its technology, you have to think twice. I believe the use of drones in controlled military or disaster recovery/aid scenarios is brilliant, however its only a matter of time until we start seeing death caused by drones.

Image: Leila Mendez/Contour by Getty Images AMAZON PATENT: Drone fulfilment tower

WHAT IS IT? Last year Amazon applied to patent a multi-level beehive-like tower that would deploy and receive delivery drones. In the patent, Amazon describes the tower as a "multi-level fulfilment centre for unmanned aerial vehicles". It's likely that the tower would be particularly useful to Amazon in densely populated areas, such as Manhattan, London, and Tokyo.

Image: Amazon OPEN MEALS Teleported food

Image: Open Meals YouTube captions WHAT IS IT? Teleportation is here thanks to edible pixels, an idea being explored by the startup Open Meals. The Japanese based concept could revolutionise the food of the future. The way it works is by breaking down food into three phases: Digital Oden, which consists of scanning and breaking down a food, Food Base, a kind of database listing all the dishes and foods of the world, and finally Pixel Food Printer, a 3D printer capable of printing food pixel by pixel. Open Meals has presented a prototype of its Pixel Food Printer with “Sushi Teleportation”. A project that consists of printing a sushi in 3D after having scanned it. This 3D printer is capable of printing food, where each pixel has a different taste, color, texture and nutrients. For now, the printer is only capable of generating a big 8-bit sushi. Open Meals hopes to offer more precise food printers, reproducing tastes and textures more accurately, and of course a database of various dishes from around the world.

Image: Open Meals YouTube captions VOICE VOICE The new interface platform

FACTS: Almost 20% of Americans (47.3 million people) own a smart speaker and this number is expected to increase to 50% by the end of 2018. Amazon has 67% share of the market and Google has 33%. (Apple’s HomePod has just been released, no available data yet).

WHY THIS MATTERS?

Brands and organisations without a voice strategy will be left behind. Consumers expect brands to be available on this platform and failure to do present will cause frustration.

INSPIRING IDEAS:

Other than the obvious “skills” and “briefings”, brands should think about how they can offer valuable related voice content. - A wearable technology company for example should think about health and nutritional advice or provide audible prompts to move or drink water. - Brands could consider sponsoring an entertainment series or a show that engages target audiences. - Voice naturally strategies tie into other audio platforms such as podcasts (also a rapidly growing platform). Could this be made native to smart home voice interfaces? - Having a voice strategy is important because it saves users time. It enables multitasking as its ultra mobile/portable.

Image: Apple Data source: voicebot.ai NEW PATENTS: VOICE & DRONES

A series of patents filed by Google & Amazon 'outline an array of possibilities' for how their smart speakers could be used to better listen in on users. The illustration shows Google’s version for a system that uses its smart speakers and camera to spy on a user's mood or medical condition. The devices could listen to the 'volume of the user's voice, detected breathing rate, and even if they are crying'. They could also detect a user's coughing and sneezing. It’s obvious there is huge potential to market services with ailments or complications.

Image: Google

As highlighted earlier in this report, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent to Amazon for a delivery drone that responds to human gestures, such as flailing arms as well as screaming voices. I believe the company could be using the same ultra sensitive microphones from their drones inside future versions of in home assistants such as Echo. New devices will likely not only include intelligent voice analysis technology, but also intelligent cameras that have the ability to make real time decisions without human intervention. In Image: Amazon effect what we will end up seeing are another version of a robot. SONDE Company watch: Voice based health diagnosis

WHO ARE THEY:

Sonde Health is a digital medicine company developing a voice-based technology platform that it claims has the potential to transform the way we monitor and diagnose mental and physical health. The company is already working with Amazon. As we know digital therapeutics is a major new emerging industry and over the next decade we see billions R&D spend being transferred from traditional chemical and protein based drugs to digital. Voice could play a major role as analysis of subtle but characteristic changes in the human voice can accurately reveal important aspects of health.

Naturally privacy will be a major concern, Sonde say its platform is designed with the privacy of the user in mind however, what will users of new hardware that contains this technology be agreeing to? This technology will work on devices most people already own, preventing users from having to wear something new or add anything to their busy routines. In other words it will discretely collect data that hardware makers such as Amazon, Google, Apple and many others will decide what to do with. Snode’s goal is to build new ways to follow mental and physical health, to help users, doctors and carers to understand health more completely so they know when and how to get the right help.

Logo: Sonde Heath OTHER TECH THRIVE GLOBAL x SMASUNG

WHAT IS IT? THRIVE, the organisation created by Take back control Huffington Post’s founder Arianna Huffington has created a focus app together with Samsung. Its designed to of your time provide users with the first step toward living a more focused and fulfilling life. It does this by blocking all apps, notifications, calls and texts from everyone except your VIP list. It has an Auto Reply function that allows others to understand that your taking time away from your phone and when they can expect you to be available. The App Control helps users to set goals on how much time they spend on specific apps, THRIVE will monitor usage. This app is available on the Galaxy Apps store and is designed specifically for Samsung devices. For additional THRIVE apps, for smartphones, desktop’s and Alexa visit: https://www.thriveglobal.com/apps

Image: THRIVE Global Express delivery GOOGLE

WHAT IS IT? Google is taking on Amazon by offering its own express same day/overnight delivery service. Google will allow retailers to list their products across Google Search, in its Google Express shopping service, on the Google Assistant app for smartphones and on smart speakers, like the Google Home. Apart from the obvious business case for Google, what interesting are the channels this service will be available on. This is further evidence that brands should have a voice (and audio) product marketing strategy in order to stay ahead whilst offering consumers time-saving, frictionless shopping experiences

Image: Google CHURCHIX

Facial recognition

WHAT IS IT?

Biometric software created by Churchix identifies people in videos and photos. Originally designed as an attendance system for Churches, its able to identify members, suspects, employees, students and or you have interest in. Set-up is surprisingly simple - upload photos of your members/customers into the software, then connect a live video USB and/or IP camera and Churchix facial recognition software and it will identify your members. (Note depending on the country, there are laws and regulations around using recording equipment in public spaces along with consent to have your image stored by an organisation). For retail, the system can be used to gather data and intelligence covering: Footfall, Dwell/Gazing time, Age, Gender & Ethnicity Analysis, VIP’s Recognition, Repeated Clients Recognition and Shoplifters Recognition. Scary, simple and incredibly powerful! Just wait until Facebook joins this party, there is no more hiding!

Image: Shutterstock SCRIP Feeling digital money

Image: New Deal Design WHAT IS IT?

If you could feel your digital money the way you can feel the metal of a coin or the paper of a £10 bill, would you spend it more wisely? This is the question behind Scrip, a product concept developed a couple years ago from studio NewDealDesign. Firstly Scrip looks incredible! The copper shaped tablet has a tiny screen but also features bumps across the surface that would act like a braille display, rising and receding to create numbers for what you are about to spend. The way it works is simple, users load the device with credit, so an amount has been set, thus reducing overspend or any given allowance. When paying for something, simply move your thumb over Scrip’s surface away from the body, (in the same way you would when counting out paper bills). The higher the value, the more times a user has to swipe. This interaction is designed to slow down transactions highlighting the feeling of gaining or losing money. Once a payment has been made the device shows the remaining balance.

WHY THIS MATTERS: Though this is not an actual product I think something like Scip could be very relevant in a future world of digital and cryptocurrency. How can we teach children the value of money, budgeting and have conscious awareness of what's being spent and what's left over? According to the lead designer of Scrip, spending cash is actually painful to people, it triggers pain receptors in our bodies (some more than others…). There are numerous studies including in 2007 the Montreal Neurological Institute carried out a survey that asked subjects to make hypothetical spending decisions inside an MRI machine using different modes of payment. It showed using credit cards or digital transfers of money promoted irresponsible spending, while using cash prompted pro-social behaviour. Scrip is supposed to reproduce the positive effects of cash in a digital world.

Image: New Deal Design RYOKAN MOUNT FUJI Self parking slippers

WHAT IS IT? A Ryokan (traditional Japanese guesthouse) located in the Mount Fuji resort town of Hakone has partnered with Nissan in a joint venture to promote automated driving technology and hands-free hospitality with self-driving slippers. Nissan developed a system for slippers to “park” themselves at the entrance of the ryokan at the push of a button, ready for guests to use upon arrival. Each slipper is equipped with two tiny wheels, a motor and sensors to “drive” across the wooden lobby floor using Nissan’s ProPilot Park technology (the same technology in the latest version of its all-battery electric Leaf vehicle). It’s is not just the slippers that autonomously move around the ryokan’s floors, tatami-matted guest rooms feature floor cushions and chabudai (traditional low tables) that also wheel themselves into place. The campaign runs during March only.

Image: Nissan Motor Co. NEW MATERIALS BEFORE Magnified images of untreated wood SUPERWOOD

AFTER The same wood treated by a new process shows compressed structures of the treated material that's five times thinner.

WHAT IS IT? Engineers at the University of Maryland have found a way to make wood more than 10 times stronger and tougher than before, creating a natural substance that is stronger than many titanium alloys. "This new way to treat wood makes it 12 times stronger than natural wood and 10 times tougher," said Liangbing Hu, the leader of the team that did the research, published in the journal Nature. "This could be a competitor to steel or even titanium alloys, it is so strong and durable. It's also comparable to carbon fibre, but much less expensive." Hu is an associate professor of materials science and engineering and a member of the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute.

Image: University of Maryland https://www.nature.com/articles/nature25476 TIME HUBLOT A new luxury smartwatch

WHAT IS IT? Luxury Swiss brand Hublot has announced its high end Google Wear OS powered smartwatch called the ”Big Bang Referee” and is based on the companies popular range of big statement watches.. Hublot has a strong affiliation with football and is the official timekeeper for this year's World Cup in Russia.

This smartwatch will be used by referees in conjunction with video assisted referees (VAR), a new football technology planned to be used for the world cup tournament for the first time. The tech allows referees to communicate with the video assistants, which are used to confirm whether or not the ball crossed the goal line. Hublot have said the referees watches will be connected to goal-line technology, an electronic video assistance system for refereeing which follows all the trajectories of the ball and determines for certain if the ball did or did not entirely cross the goal line. For regular owners the watch will announce matches 15 minutes before kick off as well as keep the wearer up-to date with the game including vibrations when a goal is scored. The watch is limited to 2018 pieces and will cot $5000. Hubot recognise this is a niche luxury product, but one that has appeal.

Image: Hublot URWERK Atomic watch

WHAT IS IT? It’s called the AMC or Atomic Mechanical Control from Swiss based URWERK. An atomic clock which interacts with a watch in 3 different ways. 1) Regulating the watch, 2) Setting the time to atomic standard and 3) Fully winding the 80 hours power reserve. It’s URWERK’s homage to Breguet’s Sympathique Clock. Separated by over 200 years but sharing the same passion to watchmaking and chronometry.

WHAT IS IT IN THIS REPORT?

Because it’s freekin beautiful! It’s also an insight into what's regarded as “smart” in Switzerland. I can’t verify this but the estimated cost is around $3M USD.

Image: URWERK MB&F Intergalactic weather station

WHAT IS IT? This was one of the wildest time pieces Baselworld. Geneva based MB&F’s, Fifth Element is an “intergalactic horological weather station” enabling accurate weather forecasting even when the power goes down. Four (UFO) elements: clock, barometer, hygrometer, and thermometer combine in a mother ship with Ross, (the hand carved white gold alien pilot), to create an entity much larger than the sum of its parts: The Fifth Element.

Image: MB&F THANK YOU PROF. HAWKING

The passing of Professor Stephen Hawking had a real impact on me. His mind and brilliance was clear for anyone to see however despite his unforgiving disease, Prof. Hawking had an extraordinary career. It inspires that he had so many reasons to give up, and most people in his position would have done so. They’d complain about how unfair life was. They’d accept what life has dished out putting it down to fate, but Prof. Hawking did not give up, he struggled tbut was driven to give to others. He was bound to a wheelchair, only able to speak through a voice synthesiser but had courage, persistence and his passion. I thank Prof. Hawking for the strength he showed and he inspiration to be the best I can be, no matter what.

Image: The University of Cambridge THANKS

I appreciate your attention and hope you found this report valuable.

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