Social Media Count: Why our digital work matters

Posted by Jeordan on May 1, 2013

Check out Gary´s Social Media Count. One of my favorite things lately. Thanks to Jörg Corsten for sharing this.

 

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Smart content from GE: ‘Brilliant Brunch’ video series at SXSW 2013

Posted by Jeordan on March 18, 2013

Really enjoyed this series of videos about innovation, risk taking and creativity. Smart positioning of the GE brand.

Here’s how GE describes this video in a recent LinkedIn post: “Innovation is a process. It’s finding new combinations and taking risks. These thought leaders joined us for a ‘Brilliant Brunch’ to explore the drive to making something great.”

Brilliant content marketing.

 

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Gadgets galore: More devices this year at SXSWi

Posted by Jeordan on March 13, 2013

Here are a few of the devices I found at South by Southwest Interactive Conference this year. The big trends for gadgets this year centered on: augmented reality, 3-D printing, and health. Check these out.

Higi

These folks either have a lot of funding or they spent their entire marketing budget making a splash at SXSW.

Higi has an app that makes a game/competition out of good health. The more actions you take to take care of your health the higher your score.

And they also have the Higi Station, where you receive stats on your weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure and pulse. It’s basically a modern version of those old-fashioned blood pressure reading machines you’ve seen at some drug stores. Higi’s CEO says there are millions of those still out there and he wants to replace all of them with a Higi Station.

The app can also be set up to take readings directly from your digital scale at home for example.

It’s an ambitious project. We’ll have to wait and see if it takes off.

Telepathy One

Launched here in prototype is the Telepathy One “wearable communication device” whose inventor says will be cheaper than Google glass — if it ever makes it to market. The silver piece of head gear has a camera, headphones and a micro projection display unit. It connects to smartphones and tablets, letting you get get additional facts about the world around you. It’s still very buggy (remember it’s a prototype), but interesting to see that Google Glass already is inspiring  competitors.

Necomimi

Necomimi falls somewhere between the freaky cool department and the just plain weird. You decide.

Made by the folks at Zen Tunes, these cat eared style devices monitor your brainwaves and then the cat ears express your emotional state.

If you are concentrating, the cat’s ear s rise and if you are relaxed, your new ears lie down. If you are concentrating and relaxing at the same time, your new ears will move up and down.

 

Google’s Talking Shoe

Moving on from Google Glass, the tech giant introduced a talking shoe at this year’s SXSWi.

In partnership with Adidas, the talking shoe has a custom-made microcontroller on the tongue of the high-top sneaker. Above that is a round speaker that provides feedback based on your movement. There are accelometers and gyroscopes inside the shoe to detect what you’re doing.

The shoes also use Bluetooth to sync up to your smartphone. And Google says you can set the personality type you desire for the shoe. So depending on what you want, the shoe can give you props for being active or encourage you to take it easy.

Alas, don’t be running to your Adidas store to try to buy these anytime soon. A Google spokeswoman told CNET that this is “an experiment, as part of a broader marketing program, to spark conversations with brand marketers and agencies.”

Cubify

Cubiby offers apps that you can use to design and create your own masterpieces.

Then have those masterpieces made and shipped to you. Or you can buy your own 3D printer ($1299) and do it yourself at home.

3D printing isn’t new. It’s been around for about 30 years, but the technology is becoming much more accessible and at SXSW there were a bunch of companies pitching its potential.

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