New York held its new annual Digital Downtown, a consumer technology showcase at the World Financial Center Winter Garden this past weekend. It featured the latest innovative trends on consumer electronics, from high definition televisions, mobile devices, audio, to energy saving and gaming devices.
Flat screen HDTV’s dominated the majority of the atrium with the new ultra thin 1.5 inch Hitachi standing out. The images were so clear, consumers stood for minutes admiring the image quality. But, Roland, the world’s leading manufacturer of electronic musical instruments had the most amazing demonstrations of what the future brings. One demonstration that stood out is known as “the parent’s dream” the silent drum set made of rubber, is attached to headphones that allow each hit, tap, snare to be translated to the original instrumental sound. Another demonstration that stood out was the double keyboard with a microphone attachment that allowed you to sing into the microphone out of tune as it translates your tone perfectly into pitch. The instrument allowed the demonstrator to sing orchestral back up to Mariah Carey’s a cappella. With this new product soon to be in consumer hands, can anyone be the next Mariah Carey?
Technology is redefining our future and the way we communicate. New York, now being apart of the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) can now spread the innovative developments through its global entertainment and media. HANNA
The Renegade Craft Fair was held in Brooklyn this past weekend, showcasing the talents of various arts-and-crafts vendors, and promoting the increasingly popular form of “do-it-yourself” design. Fashion companies, such as Threadless (http://threadless.com) and Urban Tailor (http://urbantailor.com) are jumping on the DIY bandwagon by allowing customers to design their own garments or create their own graphic tees online. User-friendly web pages allow customers to click and create customized clothing based on provided styles and textiles. With the help of Internet technology, customers can instantly create and preview their own customized clothing.
Sneaker goliath, Nike, takes this trend one step further with their latest creation: Nike PhotoID. Combining mobile technology with the DIY trend, Nike PhotoID allows fans to create sneakers based on snapshots taken by their cell phones. The new program analyzes dominant colors in the photograph and then transfers those colors into a sneaker template. An image of the shoe is sent back to the mobile phone, and users have the option to save it as a wallpaper or order the actual footwear. The customized color-ways are available on Nike’s classic 1985 Dunk high-top basketball sneakers. Currently, Nike PhotoID is only available in Europe. WU
Social networks such as Acoolworld.com and Asmallworld.net are private online communities. Actors, fashion designers, royals, and media makers are only a small percentage of what make up these networking sites. If Facebook is Democratic, they are Republican.
Asmallworld.net is an exclusive social network that only sends out invites to qualified individuals. It provides insight on global events, marketplace, forums on various topics, fashion, and city guides.
Acoolworld.com has brought design to exclusive social networking through the clandestine nature of its members only website. It is a social networking website for strategic connections to the most elite and private hideaways and adventures. Great power people gather here.
These networks provide people with the opportunity to view your profile and your company information in order to set out possible connections. It also acts as a guide to high-end travel, fashion, shops, sports, and nightlife.
So what is the difference between Asmallworld and Acoolworld? Both promote exclusive online interactivity for the privileged, but Acoolworld emphasizes the visual more, it was designed to be graphically chic and arresting, dare we say cool. Then there is the Diamond Lounge, a recent addition to the field. A new market for members only is forming. HANNA
In 2007, tech giant Google caused quite a stir by announcing the development of a new open-source software for mobile devices, called Android. Google’s new project was dubbed the gPhone and has been eagerly anticipated as a better alternative to Apple’s iPhone.
However, Google does not actually intend on releasing an exclusive gPhone. Instead, they are offering their new Android software to existing cell phone companies, such as Samsung (picture above). Google hopes to compete against software companies that utilize Microsoft and Macintosh operating systems, the predominant choice for mobile devices. Android powered phones will run on 3G wireless networks, which allow for high-speed internet connections. They will be seamlessly integrated with Google’s computer-based communication services, and offer GPS and a seamless interface. Most importantly, they will be affordable, and available outside of the US.
This week, Apple officially unveiled its own new iPhone, which has all the features that Google advertises for Android. The iPhone 3G is also fast, features GPS, a new MobileMe system, is relatively affordable, and will be available in over 70 countries.
Google started with a great concept, but Apple beat them to the execution. Currently, Android powered phones are in the works for 2009, while Apple’s new iPhone will be available in stores July 11th. WU
Dior’s new line of luxury will be put to the test when they follow along with Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and Prada, in fusing the ubiquitous cell phone with an exclusive luxury brand.
Does a newly diamond-studded alligator casing capture the idea of luxury? Cell phones are a mainstream item that everyone owns. Whether or not it is encased in diamonds or uses alligator skin, they all have the same functionality.
Dior will maintain exclusivity by selling the cell phones at a higher price than its competitors. The company expects the phones to sell best in brand hungry Russia and China. The starting price is $5,100, priced to rival Nokia’s Vertu phone.
Dior is expecting to sell between 30,000 to 60,000 units within the next year; however, competing designer luxury brands sold around 500,000 units. We found that many thought the Dior design resembles floor tiles.
There is a new market being created, one very similar to the high-end industry of sunglasses and handbags. Which ubiquitous item will be next in-line for a brand upgrade. HANNA
Tiffany Tuttle, a California native, founded LD Tuttle in 2005. A shoe and handbag designer, Tiffany Tuttle has managed to take classic favorites and bring about a sexy twist to create a contemporary rock ‘n’ roll flare. Her Spring/Summer line for 2008 takes on metallic and layers it with matted tonal colors, juxtaposed with colors like poppy red and yellow. Tiffany Tuttle’s collection of flats and heels uses elements of architecture with geometrical shapes. Her subtle details of lace, belted straps, and zippers closures at the heel add feminine detail and definition.
Her Fall/Winter line for 2008 takes on dark greys and blacks. Snow white, olive, fuchsia and metallic is added to the line to help break up the monochromatic color scheme. Her collection of boots has created a softer elegance of the male counterpoint. Her leather boots tightly wrap around the legs and when unbuckled or unzipped the boot gently drapes down.
Tiffany Tuttle places great emphasis on recognizable pieces that she brings about through her creative elements – cut outs, contrasting textures, and subtle detail. Her designs are being sold internationally and online. (http://www.ldtuttle.com/home.html). HANNA
Sneaker goliath Nike released Sphere, a new fabric that keeps the wearer cool. How? Dimples across the surface of the fabric act as pockets for the air. The trapped air surrounds the skin and lowers the body temperature by a few degrees.
CuteCircuit, a wearable technology company, developed the Hug Shirt. It is a form fitting shirt that contains sensor pads, activated through external pressure and temperature. The sensor pads send the strength of the hug to your phone through Bluetooth, which then sends the hug to your respected other wearing the Hug Shirt. The US military sees value in the Hug Shirt because it allows soldiers to exchange hugs with their loved ones at home from far away.
(http://www.crunchwear.com/cutecircuit-hug-shirt/).
Also interesting are color-changing fabrics made possible through flexible electro-chromic polymers. They are already becoming popular with performance companies and the US military. I believe the options for the colorful fabric technology will increase with the invention of better wearable and washable batteries.
There are endless possibilities for the future of apparel because of innovative textile technology. Our designers are hard at work ensuring the best of the concepts become great products. NATALIA
In our ever-evolving virtual world there are few borders. Technology and innovation learned in the first year of college, become obsolete after graduation. “Let us be the generation that reshapes our economy to compete in the digital age,” says Barack Obama.
Barack Obama is the youngest presidential candidate and is greatly aware of the value of creativity, technology and innovation. He uses websites such as Facebook and Myspace to capture and liase with supporting citizens. His campaign has broken records (40 million in a month) by raising funds through small online donations.
“We know that innovation tools like broadband are essential to the economy of the 21st century. We should not be satisfied with our standings slipping year by year. We are the birthplace of the Internet, but our broadband infrastructure is stuck in adolescence,” says Hilary Clinton.
Presidential candidates Obama, Clinton and McCain agree on the value of innovation for the United States. Each candidate has presented a policy to:
Restore government’s commitment to science research and space
Allow full exchanges of information through the Open Internet
Invest in new ideas to provide solutions such as
o Eco-Friendly alternatives
o Lowering Health Care Costs
o Providing New Jobs
(http://www.usinnovation.org/pres_track/pres_tracking.asp)
That said, which leader do you think will take us successfully into the twenty-first century? I have my vote. NATALIA ALLEN
We were eagerly awaiting the G-Phone. Instead Google surprised us with Android, an operating system for mobile devices (http://code.google.com/android/).
More than 30 technology and mobile companies including T-Mobile and Motorola have come together with Google to create an innovative mobile platform that is more user-friendly. The new platform allows for seamless access and movement of data.
Android is an open-source software and runs on Linux version 2.6 and Java. It includes typical applications such as: contacts, maps and a web browser, but with more of the Internet’s efficiency and usefulness.
Android software stack
1, Optimizes multiple virtual machines to run at once with Dalvik
2, Accelerates graphics by combining both 2D and 3D graphics based on OpenGLS
3, Faster Internet with 3G networking and WiFi technology
4, Streets views, pan around, and zoom in with GPS
5, Open source WebKit, enables you to view a screen as it would appear on a desktop
Researchers are expected to improve and add to the Android Software Development Kit (SDK), leaving the possibility for endless innovation. Phones containing the Android platform will be available later this year.
Google does not want to sell us a phone, they want to revolutionize the way phones operate. They won’t sell us an operating system, they want to provide it to every phone for free. So how will Google make its investment back? Ad revenue of course. Now that’s clever. NATALIA ALLEN
In this age of computers and technology people often try and find the shortest and easiest way to accomplish tasks. Recently, a group of Japanese researchers led by Kazuhiro Taniguchi (http://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/eng/) have taken this idea to a whole new level. They developed a wink-based system for controlling devices suchs as MP3 players. The system being used will allow people to play their iPod with just the blink of an eye. The wink remote is a single chip computer system that uses infrared sensors to monitor movement in your temples. The temple switch is small enough to be built into a pair of glasses. Imagine being able to fast-forward, skip or backtrack to a song through eye movement. The system is advanced enough to distinguish between a one-second wink and a natural blink. The temple switch is also able to control many other household appliances. The device is underway and will be made available within the next two to three years. Researchers have also begun developing a sister to the wink-based technology, the teeth-clench method. NATALIA ALLEN
After being homesick for New York’s small-scale boutiques among San Francisco’s downtown skyscrapers, Scott Lee conceptualized Wunderbloc.com, a website that allows viewers to discover, browse, and review the myriad of New York boutiques by neighborhood. With this website, Lee gives boutiques a uniform platform to represent themselves—to announce store news, display products, and receive consumer feedback. Furthermore, Wunderbloc offers an opportunity for the privately owned boutiques to collectivize and organize community events with one another and others within their area, creating a personal feel and space. Lee gives the boutiques an opportunity to counter the Internet marketing campaigns of chain stores. Because the website organizes by neighborhood, the boutiques have a community feel, resonating with the indie ideals of localism. More than just a list of individual stores, each boutique is a personality, an attribute to the distinct areas of New York. With pictures of storefronts and neighborhood landmarks, the website catalogues the different areas of the city through fashion. Moreover, the snapshots of random streetwalkers (examples featured above) of each neighborhood, labeled fashionistas, give a distinctly human picture of NoLita, SoHo, UWS, etc. The website showcases fashion in a unique way, as an exhibition of authentic lifestyles and communities defined by creatively dressed pedestrians, famed neighborhood blocks, and most importantly small-scale, local boutiques. All in all, Wunderbloc is a counter to the pre-packaged, singular and generic fashion chains across the country. YAO
My synthesis of the most significant trends impacting design, commerce and the success of global brands.
1 Internet- the Wild West of the First-World
Approximately 2 Billion users and growing. The World Wide Web is the future of interaction. Brands must develop intelligent and creative strategies for how to effectively utilize the Internet.
2 Diversity- the Second-World is gaining
Cities such as Sao Paolo, Buenos Aires and Qatar are rapidly rearing a middle-class eager for aspirational products.
3 Environment- Green is the color of choice from fashion to fuel
Sustainable products and practices are top of mind with consumers. From luxury to mass-market the audience is aware and choosing to side with the environmentally conscious.
4 Innovation- New is never new for long
A buzz-word with real meaning. Global corporations shall look to technology and creative ideas to distinguish and revitalize sluggish performance. Studies show that consumers continue to choose technologically enhanced products at retail 2 to 1.
5 Travel- Mobility is key
Increased space travel, domestic and international flights are a big part of our future. An emerging foreign middle-class that demands inexpensive travel coupled with a new wealthy-class that is willing to pay for on-demand jet service has created a boom, here to stay.
6 Super Luxury- Personalized exclusivity for the exclusive
Traditionally high-end designers frequent collaborations with mainstream retailers have led to over accessibility of luxury branded products. In response, a new category called Super Luxury is the future. Brands will reclaim ownership and focus on core customer specific designer products.
7 Egalitarianism- the most accessible is best
While luxury brands strive to be most luxurious, mass-market brands are becoming more accessible. Providing style and taste to the majority at a low price point will continue to be important for retailers and designers.
8 Alternative- Anti-mainstream and extreme everything
The popularity of dance movements such as Techtonik and sports such as snowboarding are a small example of the power of the underdog. Many customers identify with lifestyle brands that provide the feel of being emerging and alternative.
9 Slow Fashion- the anti-thesis to Fast Fashion
A classical approach to purchasing, dressing and selling apparel, where time is not sacrificed and permanence is the goal.
10 Wellness- Healthcare outside of the hospital
A promise of longevity and prosperity influence what consumers choose to buy, from fashion to food. Products that genuinely promote balance and healthfulness shall continue to be popular in global markets.
Please email innovate@designfuturist.com for more information.
Imagine watching television or your desktop in the lens of your glasses while walking around. Citizen Technology Center recently introduced a prototype of their new LCD sunglasses. The design of the sunglasses uses plastic film to interpose liquid crystals on the lens portion where glass is normally used. This drastically reduces the weight of the glasses along with the width of the lens to under 400um. Touch sensors on the side of the glasses allow the wearer to change the tint of the lens. Although there are some kinks in need of review, these new glasses will definitely released with high expectations. NATALIA
The future of television is online. Increasingly, audiences are viewing programs from their computer and mobile phones. SQUAR.RE TV (www.squa.re) has plans to launch an Internet platform starring life in luxury. SQUA.RE is the luxury-oriented TV & social networking site for people “showcasing their glamorous lifestyles” all around the world. SQUA.RE will mix user-generated and professionally produced content, to showcase unique and new lifestyle trends and allow you to program your very own TV channel. Not the first to make this venture, SQUA.RE will join LX TV (formerly Code TV) and Conde Nast to capture online viewers interested in exclusive lifestyles and brands. NATALIA
Rest assured, the fashion super-site of the future has arrived. Couture Lab (www.couturelab.com) founder Venezuelan-born Carmen Busquets has curated an e-commerce website of luxurious fashion and accessories for men and woman with taste. Each item was selected for its unique craftsmanship, beauty and design. Balancing the fine line of accessibility and exclusivity, Couture Lab sells products in limited quality. Furthermore, some items are available by invitation only. Invited members have the privilege of shopping the entire innovative collection. Not dependent on celebrity endorsement or fleeting trends, Couture lab is a refreshing experience here to stay. NATALIA
While keeping pace with the hectic schedule of London Fashion Week and The London Design Festival, I hurried into a myriad of shops. Compelled by the sharp window displays, warm atmosphere and level of taste, one shop left a keen impression. As a creative and professional, it is very difficult to find laptop bags that marry grace and functionality. For me, a level of protection, sophistication and cool factor is required. While Tumi is producing interesting technical bags, they are a bit bulky and lack a sex appeal. Alternatively, most women’s designer handbags do not have sufficient protection or the appropriate sizing. As the workingwomen whisks from site-to-site, what can she use to carry her documents, computer and necessities? I vote Bill Amberg. NATALIA
NATALIA