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| Apple Mini-Stores Coming to Target | | Friday, January 13, 2012 10:18 PM | Samantha Murphy |
|  Target has confirmed that it will be introducing 25 Apple mini-shops within its stores this year. Last week, rumors that the discount retailer might be partnering with Apple started to circulate, but the company revealed to the New York Times on Thursday that it will officially test the store-within-a-store concept at various locations. The news came after Target announced it will be partnering with several specialty stores to attract more shoppers to its locations. Starting May 6, participating boutiques will come to Target for a six-week trial period and then be replaced by another participating brand. Stores involved in the program -- called The Shops at Target -- include the Candy Store, Polka Dog Bakery and home goods retailer Privet House. However, Apple is not a part of the program. "One of the reasons our guests love shopping at Target is our design partnerships. They create excitement and leave even the most loyal Target shoppers wondering what we'll do next," Brian Robinson, Target's director of fashion and design partnerships, said in a statement. "With The Shops at Target, we're building on that sense of discovery by offering our guests a chance to experience one-of-a-kind specialty stores and boutiques through collections that have been specifically tailored to their wants and needs." Although Target is already carrying some Apple products, the store-within-a-store concept will be an extension of that and likely feature floor space and signs dedicated to the brand. Will you be checking out the Apple mini-stores in Target? Let us know in the comments. |
| Bang & Olufsen Launches New 'Accessible' Brand, B&O Play [VIDEO] | | Friday, January 13, 2012 7:25 PM | Peter Pachal |
|  This CES Video is presented by Wendy's, where $1 gets you more. Show what you can do with $1 on Facebook during the Wendy's Value Challenge! No purchase necessary. Enter by 1/22/12. To enter and for Official Rules, visit www.facebook.com/wendys. LAS VEGAS -- Bang & Olufsen wants some attention from the digital generation. That's the message clearly conveyed in its CES launch of B&O Play, a new sub-brand dedicated to making standalone electronics at affordable prices for a younger audience. The first B&O Play product is a wireless iPod speaker, the BeoLit 12. For the unfamiliar, Bang & Olufsen is a Danish company that makes high-performing gear that looks like it was designed by Apple, if Apple designed gear for spaceships in the year 2085. It's also highly expensive -- the company's latest TV, for example, is a 65-inch 3D plasma set called the BeoVision 12 that sells for a little more than $11,000. Want to throw in a speaker system? That'll bring your total to $20,000. Although reports say the business of luxury goods is going well, that's not good enough for Bang & Olufsen. The company has an aggressive plan to at least triple the size of the company by 2015, and it can't do that just by finding more people who want to shell out $11k for a television. With B&O Play, the company hopes to find a whole different audience in the mass market. Or at least the higher end of it. The BeoLit 12, priced at $799, isn't exactly cheap. But the point of B&O Play isn't to produce cheaper versions of its traditional gear, the company says, but to bring Bang & Olufsen's reputation for design to more "playful" products. In turn, the new line will give the company access to whole new audience. Think DKNY vs. Donna Karan. At least that's the theory. The BeoLit 12 will be the first test of the new brand, and it's got some solid design choices that might help it ace that test. First is the integration of Apple's AirPlay tech, letting users easily stream music from any iDevice. Next is the back panel that lets you hide the charging cord when you're out and about (the speaker has a built-in battery rated at 8 hours of playback, or 4 while using AirPlay). And the perforated panel design looks great. In a CES demo, the BeoLit 12 capably filled a hotel suite with powerful sound. It has a design that's less head-turning than traditional Bang & Olufsen gear, resembling a solid gray handbag. The top is a solid, flat surface for resting your iPhone or iPod, though the design consciously eschews the traditional charging dock. Of course, there's also a minijack for direct connection of a device as well as an Ethernet port. What do you think of the BeoLit 12 and Bang & Olufsen's play to appeal to a wider audience? Are you looking forward to more gear from them, or does it leave you cold? Browse some shots of the speaker and watch B&O's promo video below, and give your take in the comments. Series presented by Wendy's
This CES Video is presented by Wendy's, where $1 gets you more. Show what you can do with $1 on Facebook during the Wendy's Value Challenge! No purchase necessary. Enter by 1/22/12. To enter and for Official Rules, visit www.facebook.com/wendys. |
| iPad 3 to Have High-Def Screen, LTE Compatibility [REPORT] | | Friday, January 13, 2012 6:18 PM | Samantha Murphy |
|  Another day, another rumor about the iPad 3. On Friday, Bloomberg reported that the next-generation iPad will feature a high-definition screen and be compatible with long-term evolution (LTE), a wireless network that gives users access to data more quickly. It will also allow users to move from app to app more quickly, as it will be running on a quad-core chip, according to the report. More than three sources confirmed the news, Bloomberg tweeted. SEE ALSO: 8 iPad 3 Rumors: What It Could Look Like, When It Could Arrive The report says that Apple's manufacturing partners have increased production in Asia and will ramp up production even further in February. Production in Chinese factories is currently running on a 24-hour schedule. The next-generation iPad will also be compatible with LTE networks. The move is part of a larger trend among smartphone companies that are rolling out devices to the faster wireless network. For a look at other iPad 3 rumors, check out the gallery below. |
| This Web-Connected Robot Gives Your Tweets and Facebook Comments a Smell | | Friday, January 13, 2012 5:56 PM | Joann Pan |
|  A company has found a way to incorporate smells into the Internet. Imagine, your significant other mentions you on Twitter and magically you smell his/her perfume. If someone tags you in a Facebook video, the scent of buttered popcorn or fruit fills the room. Olly makes an Internet with smell possible. Olly -- a web-connected smelly robot -- created by London and New York-based company called Mint Foundry will give all your online notifications a scent. The creators figured since the web incorporates sight and sound, it's time to experience it in a different way. Olly would scent anything from a tweet on Twitter, Like on Instagram, to a photo tag on Facebook. As seen in the video, Olly is a compact white box that has a removable space in the back that can be filled with any scent you desire. The company suggests essential oils, fruit, perfume, cologne or a drop of gin. They can be stacked, so you can give all your online accounts a different smell. The process would involve downloading an application, signing in with a username and password into the Olly app and having the physical Olly reader. Olly is not available for purchase yet. The company is working to garner backers for the project. Would you want to experience the web with smell? Leave your thoughts in the comments. |
| 5 Digital Publishing App Trends to Watch in 2012 | | Friday, January 13, 2012 5:34 PM | Erik Loehfelm |
|  Erik Loehfelm is the executive director of user experience at Universal Mind, where he leads the design team in developing new, immersive app experiences for a variety of devices. He is also a leading voice in the digital publishing industry. Follow Erik @eloehfelm and read his blog. Digital publishing grew tremendously in 2011. With the unveiling of new technologies such as the iPad 2, the iPhone 4S and Amazon's Kindle Fire, we've dramatically changed the way companies will disseminate information for years to come. But we've only begun to scratch the surface of what's possible in this space. While many industries have dipped a tentative toe in the water, most have yet to take full advantage of all the capabilities of mobile technology, and make the move from paper to digital, from passive to interactive. We predict that 2012 will see a wave of new digital publishing apps across a wide range of industries. Here are five new types of "digi-pubs" to watch for in 2012. 1. Movie Tie-Ins There are already apps and games that build on the characters and storyline of films; however, a huge amount of film content has yet to be tapped by a mobile framework. But this is just around the corner. For example, books based on children's films essentially contain stills of the movie. With a relatively small effort, studios may start to turn children's films into interactive picture books enhanced with games and clips from the films. And considering the amount of work that goes into creating the bonus materials for a DVD, can the "making of" digi-pub for every major film be far behind? Unlike a book or a DVD, this content can also be made interactive and social. For example, an app could enable you to see all the actors' tweets or to follow them on Facebook. 2. Music Appumentaries Several musicians and labels have really started to embrace mobile technology to tell a deeper story and share directly with fans, and we've seen the early emergence of what some are calling the "appumentary." For example, the Jimi Hendrix - The Complete Experience app showcases pivotal moments in Jimi's life and career, streams his music and offers an interactive approach to storytelling. The This Day in Pink Floyd app contains thousands of music facts, a guide to every one of the 167 studio tracks the band officially released, as well as Pink Floyd images, quiz questions, video footage and more. The Sting 25 app offers access to Sting's seminal performances, rare photos and personal stories over the past 25 years of his music career. I anticipate that as more artists and labels embrace this new medium, we'll see an increase in digital music downloads and an explosion in new types of artist content, maybe even a new fan club paradigm with advanced and/or exclusive access to media or artist-driven content. 3. Medical Exam Apps How many times have you been to the doctor and had them bring a laptop into the exam room? Probably not very many. While some medical practices have begun introducing some of these basic tools into their patient interactions, there's still a shocking lack of mobile technology usage in the medical industry. In 2012, the medical industry will have the opportunity to create a new paradigm for doctor/patient interaction using tablet technology. With the presentation of digital publications and apps that can distill complex medical theories and procedures into consumable bites, our understanding of conditions and treatment options will expand. Imagine your doctor sitting with you to go over some test results. With a digital records application, she could display your results on an interactive comparative chart that displays the averages of people in your area by age, race, gender, occupation or lifestyle. It could contain embedded videos of procedure descriptions. Your doctor could share access with you, enabling you to request other opinions from physicians across the world. You could tie in social experiences on community boards with people that have undergone similar procedures. All of this could be presented in an interactive and personal publication that embodies your entire medical history. 4. The Digital Textbook In some ways, the foundational paradigms of education are in transition. There are opportunities in the education market that are huge and potentially transformative. Should students be carrying four or five textbooks to school each day? Could students purchase only certain chapters of books? Could books include text that is updated by authors in real-time? Could the concept of a "textbook" be a compilation of Wikipedia entries, content queried from Wolfram|Alpha, a professor's thoughts and musings and social network contributions? Not only is the content of today's textbooks ready to be challenged; the way this content is consumed is already in a state of transition. The introduction of e-text and Amazon's early versions of the Kindle changed how we read. No longer do we need to consume "printed" text in one form. Kindle devices and Kindle applications allow today's readers to enjoy published works in their choice of context - Kindle device, desktop, mobile app - and seamlessly switch between them. With Amazon's latest Kindle Fire tablet, consumers are now empowered with the Kindle experience on top of a mature Android platform. This platform of power and functionality will allow for new types of content presentation: interactive charts and graphs, embedded media, embedded discussions, sharing and borrowing, live discussions, etc. 5. Interactive Retail Catalogs Using mobile technology in retail is practically a no-brainer, since investing in tech to reach consumers can pay off quickly. Brands like IKEA and Lands' End have already begun to embrace the functionality of interacting with consumers on their mobile devices. In fact, many big-box and online retailers have begun to offer catalog apps that allow you to browse content on your iPad. However, most have simply taken their existing materials and published them in a similar form to their print counterparts. In 2012, there is a huge opportunity for retailers to bring their catalog experiences to life on the iPad. For example, shoppers should be able to build avatars and virtually try on clothes, making mobile shopping an interactive, enjoyable and functional experience. Homeowners should be able to take pictures of their living rooms and upload them to the catalog app, then "decorate" rooms with the items from the catalog. And forget paint swatches - soon you will be able to take a picture of a room, choose and try different paint colors on the walls, click to buy, and have it ready to pick up at a nearby store in 15 minutes. What are some digital publishing applications you'd like to see this year? |
| Self-Balancing, Bike-Riding Robot Makes Us Believe in Magic [VIDEO] | | Friday, January 13, 2012 5:14 PM | Lance Ulanoff |
|  This CES Video is presented by Wendy's, where $1 gets you more. Show what you can do with $1 on Facebook during the Wendy's Value Challenge! No purchase necessary. Enter by 1/22/12. To enter and for Official Rules, visit www.facebook.com/wendys. LAS VEGAS -- Sure, Murata Boy -- the pint-sized, self-balancing, bike-riding robot -- isn't new. In fact, this edition is almost six years old. That doesn't change the fact that he's something of a technological achievement, and when he makes a rare appearance in the U.S., as he did this week at CES 2012, we can't help but get excited. Murata Boy is really a tech demonstration, cooked up by electronics and component manufacturer muRata as way of showing off the company's various products and technologies. Inside the 50 cm tall, 5 kilogram bot is everything from Bluetooth, to gyro-, ultrasonic- and shock sensors. Murata Boy not only balances his fully functional bicycle, he can peddle it forward at up to 2 kilometers per hour (backward or forward), make turns and ride up small inclines. The balancing act comes courtesy of an in-seat gyroscope, which communicates with a large fly wheel in Murata Boy's chest that keeps him perfectly balanced whether he's moving or not. As a result, Murata Boy not only balances when in motion, he can do just as well when the bike is perfectly still. Murata Boy balances autonomously, but his ride is mostly guided via a remote connection to the PC. Those controlling the robot can see what it sees through a tiny camera in Murata Boy's head. Since Murata Boy serves primarily as a PR vehicle for muRata, the bicycle bot isn't for sale. Although, if it were, it would likely cost as much as your average car. There is something wonderful about seeing the cheerful-looking Murata Boy robot in action. See for yourself in the video (above). Series presented by Wendy's
This CES Video is presented by Wendy's, where $1 gets you more. Show what you can do with $1 on Facebook during the Wendy's Value Challenge! No purchase necessary. Enter by 1/22/12. To enter and for Official Rules, visit www.facebook.com/wendys. |
| Tri Cascade System Lets You Monitor Your Home's Energy Wirelessly [VIDEO] | | Friday, January 13, 2012 4:55 PM | Mashable Video |
|  This CES Video is presented by Wendy's, where $1 gets you more. Show what you can do with $1 on Facebook during the Wendy's Value Challenge! No purchase necessary. Enter by 1/22/12. To enter and for Official Rules, visit www.facebook.com/wendys. Tri Cascade introduced its smart home energy system at CES, including a smart thermostat that allows you to monitor and control your house's energy consumption with the tap of your finger. You can also access the system even when you're not home, through the iPhone app. The technology could help cut down on monthly bills. Check out the video above to learn more. Series presented by Wendy's
This CES Video is presented by Wendy's, where $1 gets you more. Show what you can do with $1 on Facebook during the Wendy's Value Challenge! No purchase necessary. Enter by 1/22/12. To enter and for Official Rules, visit www.facebook.com/wendys. |
| A Street View for Mars: App Showcases Rover Snaps from Red Planet [PICS] | | Friday, January 13, 2012 4:32 PM | Samantha Murphy |
|  A new app that provides stunning images of the Martian surface taken by a NASA rover currently exploring the planet has been released for iPhone and Android devices. The free Mars Images app - created by computer scientist Mark Powell of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory - allows users to browse archived and new pictures taken from The Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover, which has been on Mars since 2004. The rover has been snapping pictures of the surface and making big discoveries, such as finding evidence that water was once on the planet, since its arrival. NASA plans to add images to the archive of Opportunity's sister rover, The Spirit. Both Spirit and Opportunity were put on Mars in January 2004 to conduct a 90-day mission of exploration, but the rovers stayed well past their mission time. Although the Spirit's mission ended in mid-2011, Opportunity continues to explore Mars's surface today. The six-wheeled vehicles - which are controlled by NASA employees on Earth - feature various cameras to take images of Mars and its surface, such as navigation, panoramic, hazard-avoidance and microscopic imager cameras to take pictures of small rocks. The app will also send pictures to directly to mobile devices once new ones become available. Image courtesy of NASA via Powellware.com |
| Ion's Apprentice Guitar Teaches You to Shred With Your iPad [VIDEO] | | Friday, January 13, 2012 4:01 PM | Mashable Video |
|  This CES Video is presented by Wendy's, where $1 gets you more. Show what you can do with $1 on Facebook during the Wendy's Value Challenge! No purchase necessary. Enter by 1/22/12. To enter and for Official Rules, visit www.facebook.com/wendys. For those who want to learn to rock, check out Ion's Apprentice Guitar, which debuted at CES this week. It looks like a modified iPad case, but transforms an iPad into a full-sized guitar to help teach new players. The Apprentice Guitar is available for $99 online, and will be available in stores this June. Check out the video above to see this iPad instrument in action. Is this a toy you'd like to have? Series presented by Wendy's
This CES Video is presented by Wendy's, where $1 gets you more. Show what you can do with $1 on Facebook during the Wendy's Value Challenge! No purchase necessary. Enter by 1/22/12. To enter and for Official Rules, visit www.facebook.com/wendys. |
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