Windows of Opportunity
Got backseat boredom? DVD players and Game Boys are so five years ago, but a new concept in rear seat entertainment technology that uses the windows themselves could replace squirminess and snoozing with interactive scribbling, sweeping and pinching. 
General Motors Research and Development put up a challenge before researchers and students from the Future Lab at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel. Their task was to conceptualize new ways to help rear seat passengers, particularly children, have a richer experience on the road.
Here is the outcome even though GM has no immediate plans to put the smart glass technology into their vehicles…
Samsung Smart Window
CES is the world's largest consumer technology trade show, at which this year Samsung has unveiled a new "transparent" window screen called "Samsung Smart Window". With this new window Samsung has brought the whole "Minority Report" experience straight into the real world!
The "Samsung Smart Window" is about to go into mass production and we should be able to buy one pretty soon.
Toyota Scion “Microsoft Surface Experience”
Auto Shows are known for innovative implementations of "todays" cutting edge technologies. In fact I experienced some of the cutting edge technologies first hand at the 2011 International Motor Show in Frankfurt.
If you are headed to any of the upcoming Auto Shows late this year or in 2012, chances are you'll get to play with the "Scion Surface Experience" showcasing Toyota's new all electric brand of cars on the latest Microsoft Surface tables.
Toyota's agency, Juxt Interactive has created the "Scion Surface Experience" to enable exploration of the brand's product, racing and cultural affiliations in an unexpected way. A deck of eight "collectible" cards have been created that when placed on the surface reveal photos, video content, regional sales info, and localized events.
When the cards are flipped over, they trigger a piece of a song (e.g. beats, bass or vocals). Placing all eight cards on the Surface at the same time plays the full song and gives guests a chance to remix the song in their own way, reinforcing the self-expression that is core to the Scion brand. Guests can also take their cards home and use them to download digital content related to the Auto Show experience.
The Volkswagen Beetle. Juiced Up.
Volkswagen has made their biggest ever re-vamp of their classic Volkswagen Beetle. With the help of their agency Red Urban, they launched the new VW Beetle through a series of standard billboards, bus shelters and just about every other traditional print-based media property that they could buy. So whats the big deal about that? Well, the twist was that every ad was an Augmented Reality marker that unlocked a 3D experience to the users who downloaded and pointed the custom VW Juiced Up app at the various ads.
The future of Augmented Reality
The Augmented Reality technology has come a long way over the last couple of years. Brands from around the world have been actively using it in their campaigns to engage their target audience. Still we are yet to see it play an everyday role in our life's.
A recent video released by Hidden Creative shows how cellphones or a digital devices can be used to scan ones surrounding and get live information on the spot. The video also demonstrates how augmented reality can overlay objects in a real-life space to help users with renovations by virtually rearranging furniture or configuring the colors virtually...
But before we even get to a future like this, companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft/Nokia, along with their developers, will need to standardize the Augmented Reality experience on their respective platforms. One master app that runs across all the platforms could be the start as right now the app stores are cluttered with a large number of Augmented Reality apps.
Augmented Reality – Hyperlinking the real world
Is the end near for the QR code? It has been put to good use in countless innovative projects, but recently I am starting to see a drift towards technology that can produce similar results without the codes.
French company Capturio, lets users turn their t-shirts into a business card! Now Blippar in UK is creating augmented reality effects from printed images without any activation from a QR code. All the users needs to do is:
- download a custom app...in this case its from Blippar
- scan a Blippar enabled printed image (identifiable by a small Blippar logo) with their iPhone, iPad or Android device
- and begin interaction with the augmented reality 3D overlay seen on the screen...
In India I have seen Telibrahma using the same technology to increase the experiential engagements of brands via traditional mediums i.e. newspapers, posters etc.
The Airwalk Invisible Pop Up Store
GoldRun and Young & Rubicam have created the world's first invisible pop-up store, bringing limited edition Airwalk sneakers directly to the biggest skate & surf spots in the country. Sneakerheads and skaters alike visited the virtual store at Washington Square Park in NYC and Venice Beach in LA.
Disney Appmates “the next toy revolution”
Disney recently announced a new line of toys called Disney Appmates. These new toys and the iPad work in tandem to create a very new age play experience. Featuring the likenesses of characters from Cars 2, the Appmates are miniature figures with special sensors mounted on the bottom. The sensors work with the Cars 2 Appmates app to identify each figure when put against the iPad screen...
The Apple and Disney Stores will start selling Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Finn McMissile, and Holley Shiftwell in October. Francesco Bernoulli and Shu Todoroki will be launched in November and will made available exclusively through the Apple Store.
The Future of Shopping & Money
Shopping is 24×7 and it happens everywhere – not just in a store or website. The intersection of smartphones, social media, online and offline shopping has put the consumer squarely in control. Hence PayPal has released the below hype video depicting what the future of shopping might look like with the introduction of PayPal's next generation payment platforms, as they aim to re-imagine money...
This new payment platform will be a one-stop shop for merchants to engage their customers directly during every part of the shopping lifecycle...
I can't wait to start using it! 
IAA Walk of Innovations
This Saturday I was at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt. It was truly awe inspiring to see where the automobile industry is headed - almost all electric, fully computerized with interactive dashboards and window displays.
But while I looked at all the cars with amazement, I kept a close look out for innovative implementations of "todays" cutting edge technologies. I was curious to see how cars makers would use Touch Displays, Social Media, QR Codes, Augmented Reality etc to engage visitors at such a humongous event.
My photo report of the above is now available at "revo.BUZZ!"...an innovations and technology blog that I co-author for my current company in Cologne, Germany.
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