Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Info-Currents August-September Issue: Apple's gesture OS, Social Headphones, Massive Open Online Courses


Emerging trend: Gesture controlled operating systems are coming to Apple. Rumors of Apple acquiring Israeli firm PrimeSense are abound.       

Implication: Apple’s next generation products will work with the snap of a finger and respond to body movements. The new i-Series will offer stiff competition to Microsoft Kinect and Nintendo’s Wii.

Action: Embed your brand in lifestyle and entertainment apps that can help users manage their health, household and free time with such 3D technology.
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Emerging trend:  Smart companies are embedding sharing technology into gear. Miami-based Muzik has released headphones with share buttons that allow consumers to send their song choices to their friends on Facebook, Twitter and beyond.  

Implication: Social networking will bleed into everyday devices, bringing a new dimension to location-based marketing.

Action: Create experiences around alternative communication platforms – glasses, bookcases, frames, or windows – where consumers can send messages about their observations. 

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Emerging trend: MOOCs – massive open online courses – are generating new revenue streams for traditional education institutions, such as Georgia Tech, University of Texas, University of Virgina, among many others.
           
Implication: Affordable education will be available to upwardly mobile segments. Online US universities’ student body will be increasingly global.

Action: Training is the new branding. Offer expert content through online education platforms to spend quality time with your target audiences.