culture vulture: smart living - mindshare world vulture- issue... · communication and working apps...

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ISSUE 09 - 2017

CULTURE VULTURE

Inspiring original thinking

through a deeper understanding

of cultural trends.

2 CULTURE VULTURE / ISSUE 09

6SMART LIVINGTRENDS

08: Homes

13: Wellness

16: Leisure

21: Fashion

24: Work

29: Education

33: Transport

36: Cities

41POINTS OF VIEW

5INTRODUCTION

133METHODOLOGY

63SCOUT REPORTS

66: Africa

72: Asia Pacific

88: Europe

110: Latin America

118: Middle East

122: North America

5SMART LIVING

The emergence of smart technologyis transforming people’s lives. The ability to interact with objects to generate a smarter lifestyle, beyond smart home and connected appliances, includes technologies that range from healthdata-monitoring devices to sensor technology that measures energyand carbon emissions.

The impact of data and algorithm usage from these technologies is propelling unparalleled changes – revolutionising citizens, businesses, the economy and society as a whole, bringing fresh insights, innovation and efficiency into our daily lives. It is estimated that 8.4 billion

The rise of devices and objects connected to the internet – wearables, home appliances, fashion accessories and anything else you can think of with embedded connectivity – is unleashing a wave of possibilities for people to improve their lives and for brands to engage with consumers anytime and in any environment.

We are at an early stage where humans can interact massively with connected objects seamlessly and effortlessly, but we can already glimpse what is coming. The evolution of these intelligent technologies suggests a future with holistic interactions that will radically transform the way we consume, live and interact with theworld around us.

connected things will be in use worldwide in 2017, up 31% from 2016 and reaching 20.4 billion by 2020. It is also expected that the average person will have more conversations with bots than with their spouse (Gartner Research).

At the same time, concerning visionshave arisen of a dystopian and dehumanised future where technology takes over people’s lives in a science-fiction fashion. What is it like to be human in a technological age and how can brands make an impact? What products and services can help the consumers adapt to modern life? How can new technology and connected devices be introduced

seamlessly to provide solutions to people’s problems? Which technologies will help us switch off as well as on?

Digital technology is enabling devices, objects and individuals to communicate virtually with each other, any time and from anywhere. It generates exponential progress in the amount of data that can be captured, stored and analysed. Artificial intelligence, IoT and data powered by connected apps will reshape every facet of our existence. Indeed, they are already presenting the world with challenges, but also with endless opportunities to bring technology to the human level andimprove our lives.

6 7CULTURE VULTURE / ISSUE 09 SMART LIVING

We have identified eight areas in consumers’ lives where connected technologies and its cultural contextare driving smart ways of living.

CITIES

Governments, businesses and citizensare striving to transform cities by digitally enabling residents to interact with their urban environment and, for example, improve public safety and street lighting. Technologies such as air pollution sensors can gather crowdsourced data to create better awareness of environmental concerns.

Growing urban populations demand better infrastructure and systems for greater efficiency throughout the city, plus access to environmental knowledge to make informed decisions.

Page: 36

EDUCATION

Digital and online technologies are transforming the way institutions deliver education, and consumers have increased opportunities to learn from a variety of sources – from open-plan learning tonew devices such as smartboards.

Smart technologies not only are giving teachers and students new tools for connected education, they are also empowering people to keep on learning and acquire new knowledge and skillsat different stages of life.

Page: 29

WORK

Smart technologies are creating a more flexible and always-on working culture – from specialised platforms that make the pursuit of professional networking or talent recruitment easier, to remote communication and working apps that facilitate automated productionprocesses and group collaboration.

More than ever, businesses andemployees are using cutting-edgetools to boost performance and profit. The working environment’s increasingly competitive landscape is shaped by mobility, efficiency and speed, deliveredby new tech to achieve businessand professional objectives.

Page: 24

TRANSPORT

Efficient transport systems are essential to the economy, and there is a pressing need to decrease congestion and improve safety. In addition, innovations are changing the concept of public transport– for example, through the integrationof digital services as well as roadsideand on-vehicle sensors.

Consumers are looking for different ways to improve their journeys. Speed, mobility and convenience are driving connected technology usage to make commuting a safe and hassle-free experience – from driverless vehicles and contactless public transport payments to map apps and beacons.

Page: 33

HOMES

Future visions of the hyperconnected smart home are becoming a reality and promise to change the way we live. Internet-connected appliances that communicate with one another, more efficient energy usage and cloud-enhanced home security are just someof the developments that consumersare starting to enjoy.

Our busy lives and the need for control and efficiency have raised consumer expectations to interact with household devices and objects designed to makelife more comfortable and secure.Page: 8

WELLNESS

A growing number of wearables and devices that look after our wellbeingare targeting tech-savvy consumers seeking to improve their own health, fitness and beauty – from self-tracking fitness routines to meditation apps.

The effects of our modern lifestyle is taking its toll, but people are finding new motivations to counteract its negative effects. Self-improvement such as eating a healthy diet, looking after our skin and working out regularly are becoming easier and quicker to achieve with the help of sophisticated apps, gadgets andwearables technologies.

Page: 13

LEISURE

Leisure time is becoming increasingly enhanced by smart technology. Events, festivals, theme parks, cinemas, museums, bars and restaurants are some of the activities creatively engaging the public with connected devices, giving usersa more relevant, contextualisedand enjoyable experience.

Consumers’ need for instant gratification and their desire to make every moment an enjoyable experience is driving the use of technologies such as IoT devices, mobile apps, beacons, sensors and geolocationto maximise their leisure time.

Page: 16

FASHION

Wearables have evolved from geek to chic. People now want their tech to look good, and even clothing and accessories are incorporating smart technologies offering a functional dimension to the fashion-conscious consumer.

We are now living in a visual world where unique, designed and beautiful items are sought after like never before. In the eraof social media exposure, aesthetics become an added value to connected devices and products.

Page: 21


HOMES

Future visions of the hyperconnected smart home arebecoming a reality and promise to change the way we live. Internet-connected appliances that communicate with one another, more efficient energy usage and cloud-enhancedhome security are just some of the developments that consumers are starting to enjoy.

Concepts of the smart home (and consequently smart lives) have been around since the 1970s, but it is only in the past few years that these technologies have become a reality. From tech giants (such as Google, Samsung and Apple) to start-ups, everyone is investing in smart products and services to position themselves for the next tech revolution, making our homes more efficient, comfortable, secure and smarter in the process.

Our busy lives and the need for control and efficiency have raised consumer expectations to interact with household devices and objects designed to make life more comfortable and secure. Mobile technology is the new driving force and consumers’ lives now revolve around its role as a common user interface that allows multitasking. People increasingly expect to be able to remotely control devices such as thermostats, smart plugs and security systems from their smartphones.

While home-connected appliances are not yet widespread, the smart home is heading towards mass market consumption.It is anticipated that innovation and smart technology will transform the way we live, making it more convenient and environmentally friendly. Households are most likely to embrace smart home technology when the offer is more accessible and included as standard (for example, most TVs now have internet features,which has led to a leap in the number of smart TV purchases).

HOME IS WHERE THE HUB IS

The Samsung SmartThings system allows users to control lights, locks, plugs, thermostats, cameras and speakers from a central hub accessible from the smartphone. A wide range of sensors can be used with SmartThings to create a security solution integrated with all other electronic devices in the home: the system recognises who is at the front door, controls the homewith voice commands, knows who has entered a room, learns occupant preferences and sends alerts if anything happensto the home (for example, if a window is broken).

TAKING THE TEMPERATURE

The Nest thermostat learns users’ routines and automatically adjusts the household temperature based on when somebody is home or away, awake or asleep, hot or cold. It makes the home more efficient and reduces heating and cooling bills. The mobile app allows consumers to edit schedules, change the temperature and receive alerts when it looks like something has gone wrong with the heating or AC.

SAVE YOUR ENERGY

The Neurio Home Energy Monitor provides a smarter way to manage your household, helping you live more comfortably, securely and frugally. It allows users to monitor real-time energy usage, see which appliances are the energy hogs and know what to expect before the bill even arrives.

ONE-STOP SECURITY

Canary connects your home to your phone in HD video, 24/7. When motion is detected, Canary records it and sends it to your phone, with a mobile alert. In an emergency, users can sound the system’s 90-decibel siren or connect with local police from the Canary app. It also monitors air quality, temperature and humidity, and sends alerts if conditions change beyond set parameters.All Canary devices come with the app, so you can easily swipe from room to room and view all recorded activitywithin a single timeline.

ITS MASTER’S VOICE

The voice-controlled Amazon Echo connects to the Alexa Voice Service to play music and provide news, sports scores, weather and more. Prime members can also ask Alexa to re-order eligible products they’ve bought before, plus many other Prime examples.

ROOM WITH A HUE

The Philips Hue personal wireless LED system can change home lighting to any colour the user chooses. It can be turned on and off to schedule from your smartphone, can match the tones in any photo uploaded via the app, and can even be synced withmusic for a sound-and-light party.

PLAYFUL FURNITURE

Lift-Bit is a digitally transformable sofa. Its modular hexagonal seats can be combined in a series of settings; each is motorised, allowing every element to be raised or lowered. Controlled remotely through a tablet app, each stool can double (or halve)in height in seconds, reconfiguring the space in a myriadof combinations.

FEAST FOR THE EYES

FridgeCam takes a snapshot of your fridge every time youopen it. It stores the image for your reference, so you know whether you need to go food shopping or not. The camera can identify and track food inside your fridge, as it knows when you place an item inside. FridgeCam can also alert you whena stored product is about to hit its expiry date.

SMOKE DETECTOR

The Inirv React Smart Stove Sensor is a life-saving system that includes a smoke/flammable gas and motion detector. It enables you to monitor the stove from your smartphone, changing the temperature as required. The knob unit has a timer and a motor:if the sensor detects high levels of smoke or gas, it signals the unit to turn the stove off. In addition, the system can detect if you are away from the stove for too long, automatically turning it off.

DUST-OFF

The LG Hom-Bot Vacuum Cleaner is voice-activated andworks quietly while you rest. Order it to clean and it rids yourhard surfaces and carpets of dirt, dust and pet hair. You canrun a few pre-set patterns, including spot cleaningfor lifting dirt from filthy areas.

HIT THE BUTTON

Amazon Dash is a physical branded button that links to productsin your home. If you run out of washing powder, for example, you can press your Dash button and Amazon will reorder the product for you – no need to sign on to the web, deal with payment methods, or retype credit card numbers.

SKELETON KEY

The August Smart Lock unlocks and locks your door automatically. Users can grant guest keys to friends (and have them expire instantly, as and when required). An optional keypad means that a code can be set up to open the door if you don’t have your smartphone with you. You can even view the activitylog and grant access from your phone remotely.

GARAGE CONTROLLER

The Garageio smart garage door controller is managed by a smartphone app. It sends alerts if you leave the garage door open by mistake and users can grant access to differentpeople as required.

GREEN GUIDANCE

The Parrot Flower Power sensor monitors and analyses four parameters essential to plant health: sunlight, temperature, fertiliser and moisture. Whenever the Flower Power detects that user attention is needed, it sends a smartphone or tablet notification via Bluetooth Smart. Users are told when to waterthe plant in question, add fertiliser or repot it to ensure its wellbeing. The sensor can be placed in a pot or theground, according to user needs.

PET FEEDER

The Petnet SmartFeeder is an automatic food dispenser for cats and dogs, with an app controlling the feeds via smartphone. The SmartFeeder precisely measures portions based on the animal’s age, weight and activity levels, helping them live a happier and healthier life. It also manages feeding times and can havepet food delivered to your door.

FridgeCam helps with the grocery shopping

“Our busy lives and the need for control and efficiency have raised consumer expectations to interact with household devices and objects designedto make life more comfortable and secure”.


STATISTICS

Smart-home device revenues worldwide will increase from $14bn in 2015 to $405bn in 2030. A.T. Kearney, The Battle for the Smart Home: Open to All, 2017

33% of worldwide internet users are very likely to invest in the latest smart home technology; 12% are already using some level of it.

Intel Security, Digital Detox: Unplugging on Summer Vacation, 2016

52% of internet users would be comfortable receiving money in exchange for sharing behavioural information from their smart home (42% would like to receive discounts and 24% coupons for doing so). A significant 34% wouldn’t feel comfortable taking anything in exchange for such information.

Intel, Internet of Things and the Smart Home (nine-market study conducted by Vanson Bourne), 2016

According to internet users worldwide, the leading barriers to adopting smart home technology are: cost (33%); concerns about personal privacy (24%); lack of product knowledge (23%); and concerns about home security (19%).

Digital/smart technologies that internet users worldwide believe will have an effect on their lives are as follows: mobile payments (55%); smart home technology (50%); 3-D printing (41%); wearable technology (35%); driverless cars/autonomous driving (33%); IoT (29%); the connected car (26%); virtual/augmented reality (24%); and smart cities (24%).

GFK, Smart Home: A Global Perspective, 2016

43% of the global population own/usea smart home appliance/smart TV; 22%are more likely to buy one in the nextsix months.

TNS Connected Life, 2016

By 2020, there will be more than 3.1 billion global internet-enabledTVs (up from 1.8 million in 2015).

Cisco VNI Complete Forecast, 2016

HOME SANCTUARY

Providing smart solutions for home management is an opportunity for brands and businesses to offer not just efficiency and comfort, but also a stress and hassle-free space where consumers can relax, unwind and recharge.

PERSONAL CONCIERGE

Once the preserve of the wealthy who could afford the sophisticated technology, the rise of more affordable connected home devices brings opportunities for brands to offer personalisation,simplicity and efficiency.

NO WORRIES

The increase in the number of self-monitored homes through connected technology have a potential to create brand partnerships with tech companiesto reduce vulnerability, not only from theft but also from virtual hacks.

IMPLICATIONS FOR BRANDS


WELLNESS

A growing number of wearables and devices that look afterour wellbeing are targeting tech-savvy consumers seekingto improve their own health, fitness and beauty – from self-tracking fitness routines to meditation apps.

The effects of our modern lifestyle is taking its toll, but people are finding new motivations to counteract its negative effects. Self-improvement such as eating a healthy diet, looking after our skin and working out regularly are becoming easier and quicker to achieve with the help of sophisticated apps, gadgets and wearables technologies. People’s ability to measure vital signs such as sleep, calorie intake and exercise are expandingand becoming more integrated into their daily lives.

The advantages of wearable technology are diverse. It can educate consumers to have greater awareness and control of their health, as it facilitates the constant visualisation of important data. It can also help doctors diagnose certain diseases and help chronic or elderly patients. Mobility sensors and data provide a great opportunity to allow remote collaboration to improve people’s health.

We are at the very beginning of a revolution in innovative wearable tech. The applications and potential benefits wearables could bring are endless and will play a fundamental role in the transformation of health and wellbeing in the years to come.

“The effects of our modern lifestyle is taking its toll, but people are finding new motivations to counteract its negative effects. Self-improvement such as eating a healthy diet, looking after our skin and working out regularly are becoming easier and quicker to achieve with the help of sophisticated apps, gadgetsand wearables technologies”.

MEDICAL ALERT

Lively is a smartwatch that allows you to monitor remotely the health of your loved ones, especially the elderly. The smartwatch can track steps taken, as well as other kinds of daily activity, and provides an emergency button that alerts Lively to call in and check that everything is alright. It also offers sensors that can be placed around the home so that the system can learn users’ normal habits, such as opening the fridge or takingtheir medication.

HAPPY FEET

Siren Smart Socks for Diabetics pairs with an app to give you real-time details about your feet. The built-in sensors can detect and track metrics such as temperature changes (a sign diabetics should seek medical advice to prevent damage). The Siren Socks deliver such information more quickly than the patient can.

TOOTHBRUSH GAME

Kolibree allows children to play games while learning good oral hygiene, and enables parents to monitor and improve their kids’ (and their own) tooth-brushing habits. The children’s interface gamifies the experience of tooth-brushing and engages kids day after day through a fun and educational adventure. The Coach app is designed for adults and allows real-time data capture, interaction and qualitative analysis, teaching grown-ups how to improvetheir oral hygiene.

MIRROR, MIRROR

The Panasonic Smart Mirror analyses skin flaws by using the different ways your skin reflects and absorbs light. Once it has identified your problem areas, the mirror will recommend products to correct every blemish, and even provide customised make-up patches. Panasonic is currently targeting make-up stores and counters, so customers can buy the recommended productson the spot.

Kolibree Toothbrush


MAKING BRAINWAVES

EMOTIV Insight is a five-channel wireless EEG headset that records your brainwaves and translates them into meaningful data. Designed for everyday use, Insight boasts advanced electronics that are optimised to produce clean, robustsignals anytime, anywhere.

WAKING MOMENTS

The Sleep Cycle alarm clock tracks your sleep patterns and wakes you up during light sleep. It uses sound analysis to identify sleep states by tracking users’ movements in bed. It also uses a wake-up phase that ends at your desired alarm time. During this phase, Sleep Cycle will monitor signals from your body to wake yougently when you are in the lightest possible sleep state.

GOOD VIBRATIONS

Doppel works with your body’s natural rhythm to change howyou feel on demand. It creates a rhythmic pulse on the inside of your wrist, a heartbeat-like vibration. A faster rhythm makes you feel more alert and a slower one calms you down. The effect is akin to listening to upbeat or slow-tempo music. Doppel can be used to help users stay calm under pressure, focus on thetask ahead and keep going when they need to.

DOG MONITOR

The FitBark Dog Activity Monitor measures canines’ movement and quality of sleep, providing useful data about their behaviour. The health data are powered not only by other users, but also by more than 20 institutions using the platform for scientific research, including the University of Cambridge, the University ofGlasgow and the Mayo Clinic.

STATISTICS

24% of global marketing executives surveyed said that wearable technologies were among the ones they expected to have the biggest impact on marketing companies by 2020.

The Economist Intelligence Unit, The Path To 2020: Marketers seize the customer experience, 2016

Revenues for connected health will increase from $11 billion in 2014 to $61 billion in 2020.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, My Life, Connected, 2015

11% of the global population own/use wearables and 13% are more likely to buy one in the next six months.

14% own/use a smartwatch/fitness band and 17% are more likely to buy one inthe next six months.

TNS, Connected Life, 2016

The sale of health and fitness wearables is estimated to generate more than $21 billion in 2021.

Juniper Research, 2017

By 2020, there will be more than 600 million global wearables (up from 96.7 million in 2015).

Cisco VNI, Complete Forecast, 2016

HOLISTIC HEALTH

Technology can be a vehicle for integral wellbeing by facilitating a set of personalised solutions to optimise users’ health and fitness, prevent disordersand monitor their diet and nutritionin a simplified way.

CONTROLLED MONITORING

Looking after their wellbeing doesn’t mean consumers will become obsessed to the point of hypochondria, or gain information without real understanding. The focus should be placed not only on smart devices, but also on professional/expert advice, provided to users as added value.

ACTIVE VS PASSIVE

Consumers are purposely using wearables to monitor their wellbeing, but there is potential for brands to implement sensor technologies to capture and inform physical and mental behaviour patterns through passive technologies.

HAIR FEEDBACK

The Hair Coach Smart Brush uses sensors to give you feedbackon your hair. With each stroke, the device captures brushing patterns, identifying wet and dry hair. The brush comes with an in-built microphone that can detect frizziness, dryness, breakage, even split ends. The data link to the app on your device, so you can monitor the quality of your hair. Finally, the app also givesyou tips on brushing technique and care processes.

MUSCLE MEMORY

The Smart Clothing line from Athos has built-in sensors that measure muscle activity using electromyography. This information is relayed to the Iron Man hub, which can be attached to your chest or leg. The hub sends the data back to your smartphone, allowing you to analyse your performance during different exercises and perfect your technique.

BODY AND MIND

Icaros, a VR at-home gym, claims to exercise both mind and body to provide a truly holistic workout. Alongside improving users’ quads, triceps and abs – among numerous other areas – it also claims to improve their concentration, reflexes and balance inthe same way brain training games would.

DRINKS UNDER CONTROL

BACtrack Skyn monitors users’ alcohol consumption in real time via an electrochemical sensor that tracks ethanol molecules escaping through the skin. When synched with a smartphone or smartwatch app, the device will vibrate to notify users they are approaching 0.04% BAC (blood alcohol content) and remind them to slow down their drinking. In the case of sobriety monitoring,a family member can receive a notification when the user’sBAC goes above 0%.

SMART RUNNING

Under Armour has created a pair of smart running shoes. Where most fitness trackers are worn on the wrist, the SpeedForm Gemini 2 has a tracking chip embedded in the midsole of the left shoe. Run data can be viewed automatically in real-time on a smartphone, or reviewed later on Under Armour’s MapMyRun app.


Icaros VR gym

EMOTIV Insight Brainwear®

Doppel keeps you calm and focused


LEISURE

Leisure time is becoming increasingly enhanced by smart technology. Events, festivals, theme parks, cinemas, museums, bars and restaurants are some of the activities creatively engaging the public with connected devices, giving users a more relevant, contextualised and enjoyable experience.

Consumers’ need for instant gratification and their desire to make every moment an enjoyable experience is driving the use of technologies such as IoT devices, mobile apps, beacons, sensors and geolocation to maximise their leisure time. Their implementation is becoming very powerful, creating meaningful and relevant connections between people, places, spaces and objects.

Museums, events, festivals, concerts and theme parks are some of the leisure environments that connect more effectively with consumers via smart tech, enhancing and making their experience more enjoyable, providing opportunities for participation and engaging them more effectively.

With the advent of the mobile age, where seemingly every person goes everywhere with their smartphones, it only seems beneficial for brands and the leisure industry to take advantage of this phenomenon by implementing connected technology and providing better experiences.

LIGHTS, VR, ACTION!

Acura, a seven-year Sundance sponsor, returned to the Festival Village with an activation that leveraged VR and brainwave technology to engage fans in a personalised NSX Supercar experience. The 90-second engagement, named Mood Roads, created a one-of-a-kind experience for each attendee based on emotional, cognitive and physical cues, reinforcing the brand’s position as an innovator.

VIRTUAL CULTURE

The Sydney Opera House has joined forces with Samsung to open a digital lounge that encourages engagement with the space, enabling guests to access art and cultural exhibits through technology. The lounge is open throughout the day and features a range of interactive displays and digital content. The Sails, a VR experience that enables guests to experience the sensation of standing on top of the building’s roof, was the first exhibitionto grace the space.

ROLLERCOASTER + VR

Galactica is a fully dedicated VR rollercoaster at Alton Towers, where visitors can travel to another dimension. Partnering with Air Space Technologies to develop a “multidimensional portal”, Galactica combines the experience of the rollercoaster with cutting-edge virtual reality. Visitors can become astronauts through this unique combination of physical flying, coupled with the breathtakingly emotional journey of travelling through space.

AUGMENTED EXHIBITION

Gamar provides technology to create self-guided tours using 3D augmented reality. The technology and gamification enables players to interact with objects and spaces for an enjoyable experience. When pointing your device at a museum artefact,it will tell you a story and encourage you to engage with it. To access Gamar tours, users can simply download the app on their mobile or tablet and use it in the V&A or the British Museum– for example, you can play A Gift for Athena, a game thatallows visitors to explore the iconic Parthenon.

REAL-TIME EXPERTS

Instant messaging app ASK enables visitors to the Brooklyn Museum to interact with an in-house team of art experts and researchers. It also uses geolocation technology to enhance, personalise and engage the museum visitor, creating an experience that goes beyond the limits of a traditional museum tour or guidebook. The location-aware technology delivers accurate information to the user about the surroundingartworks and suggests nearby areas of interest.

MACHINE CURATION

Recognition, a digital installation at the Tate Britain, helped visitors to understand the thought process of artificial intelligence. In collaboration with Microsoft and JoliBrain, the system matched real-time photojournalism from Reuters with artwork from the museum archive. Recognition used a complex algorithm to compare and match images based on object and facial recognition, composition and context. The installation alsoinvited viewers to create their own image matches.

AUTOMATED EATERY

The Eatsa restaurant chain from San Francisco is almost fully automated, functioning like a vending machine that delivers healthy food. When customers enter Eatsa, they order from an iPad and then wait in front of a wall of glass cabinets, where their food will appear when it’s ready with the name of the customer who ordered it. The entire process requires zero human interaction between customers and workers.

BEYOND THE FESTIVAL

In 2016, US music festival Coachella launched a VR app. All ticket holders received a Google Cardboard VR headset through which they could view performances, engage with 360-degree panoramic video around the grounds and watch VR experiences created by other festival-goers. This enabled Coachella to reach beyond the boundaries of the festival grounds and allow its content to live on beyond the event itself.

UNIVERSAL BEVERAGE

Canadian beer brand Molson and Google’s Speech Recognition API collaborated on a fridge that recognised voice input in up to 40 languages, with the goal of hearing the single phrase “I am Canadian” (Molson’s long-time marketing slogan). Once the fridge recognised that signature phrase in six different languages, the door unlocked and yielded its precious cargo of Molson cans.

SENSITIVE SURFACES

Sony Mobile has introduced an interactive projector that converts any surface into a touch-sensitive interface. Compatible with the PlayStation 4, the Xperia Touch can run any app or game from the Google Play store. The device detects movement via its in-built camera and infra-red light. The Xperia Touch enables family and friends to gather around a table, kitchen island or flat wall to enjoy games, watch online video streaming and communicate using messaging apps and social networks.

Gamar’s augmented reality self-guided tours

“Consumers’ need for instant gratification and their desire to make every moment an enjoyable experience is driving the use of technologies such as IoT devices, mobile apps, beacons, sensors and geolocation to maximisetheir leisure time”.


STATISTICS

The biggest increase in proximity-solution providers has been seen in stadiums and sports, transportation, theme parks and zoos. These verticals, together with concerts and festivals, museums, cafes and restaurants, have grown significantly compared with 2015. This shows the potential of using proximity technology in industries other than the obvious ones (such as retail and shopping malls).

The number of proximity sensors deployed globally in Q4 was 13 million: from this, 8 million are beacons, 2.9 million are Wi-Fi and 2.1 million are NFC sensors. The Proxbook Report – The State of the Proximity Industry, 2016 Q3/Q4

The overall beacon market continues to grow rapidly: the deployment of beacons is set to break 500 million units by 2021.

Beacon deployment for personal tracking, IoT and real-time location systems will easily surpass retail use.

ABI Research, 2016

IMMERSIVE DIMENSION

Enhance events, exhibitions, live experiences and leisure spaces with pop-up branded VR and augmented entertainment to generate additional excitement that can increase brand traffic via social media sharing (and ultimatelygo viral).

GOING DEEP

There is a huge opportunity to provide immersive moments layered with knowledge and learning activities viasmart and connected technologies. Brands can offer experiences beyond leisureand entertainment that make a deepand memorable impact on consumers.

UNIQUE MOMENTS

Personalisation and original experiences that make consumers feel unique and special can increase brand value and bolster perceptions. Smart and creative use of data and algorithms can keep brands ahead of the competitive curve.



FASHION

Wearables have evolved from geek to chic. People now want their tech to look good, and even clothing and accessories are incorporating smart technologies offering a functional dimension to the fashion-conscious consumer.

Smart clothing and accessories are moving beyond mere functionality to bring style and sophistication. The more the fashion and tech industries experiment with smart fashion pieces, the greater the possibilities to layer new dimensions of smart activities into consumers’ lives – from contactless payment glasses to jewellery safety alerts, from sunburn bikini sensors to smart jeans that can charge your phone.

Wearables that take the form of bracelets and watches currently dominate the market, but we are seeing ground-breaking innovations in clothing, jewellery and other accessories, too – they become more desirable as demand for more personalised technology grows. We are now living in a visual world where unique, designed and beautiful items are sought after like never before. In the era of social media exposure, aesthetics becomean added value to connected devices and products.

Fashion-embedded technology needs to be seamless and have a purpose (functional, social or cultural) to succeed. Brands can tap into the emerging smart fashion trend by embedding technology in existing products, enabling IoT and connected objects to open the door to new opportunities with unlimited connected fashion items.

HIGH-TECH TATTOO

DuoSkin is a smart on-skin interface that can turn into a touchpad, control devices or share data. The tattoo can be designed using any desktop graphics software and applied like a regular temporary tattoo. The aim is to converge functionality and design to make routine behaviour more accessible.

CONFIDENT JEWELLERY

The Socialite Collection, WiseWear’s luxury smart jewellery, was created to inspire women to be safe, connected and in tune with their health and wellbeing. By concealing advanced technology inside casual yet luxurious jewellery, Socialite allows women to feel confident inside and outside in effortless style.It provides useful features such as mobile notifications,distress messaging and detailed activity tracking.

RING ALERTS

Ringly designs wearables that look exactly like real jewellery. Its latest creation is Aries, a smart ring available in 18k gold or gunmetal-plated stainless steel varieties with semi-precious stones. The ring charges up in its jewellery box and offers customisable notifications for more than 100 apps. It also tracks your activity and can be set in different vibrations and coloursfor each notification type.

CONNECTED CUFFS

The Beacon & Lively Cuff is a smart bracelet that combines fashion and tech. Equipped with Bluetooth technology, it can be connected to a smartphone to give its wearer notifications of incoming messages and calls. Alert options can be set with custom coloured lights and vibration patterns. With a proximity sensor, the cuff will also alert its wearer if they happen to wander too far away from the phone.

NAILED IT!

A London fashion student has invented the world’s first Oyster card nails. Lucie Davis created the ingenious wearable tech as part of her BA in jewellery design at Central Saint Martins. Not only is the nail art inspired by the Oyster design, you can even use the press-on nails instead of your travel card.

“We are now living in a visualworld where unique, designed and beautiful items are sought after likenever before. In the era of social media exposure, aestheticsbecome an added value toconnected devices and products”.


STATISTICS

Sales of smart garments are expected to rise from 1 million units in 2016 to 5.3 million in 2017.

An estimated 18 million smart clothing items will be sold annually by 2021.

21% of British people say that appearance and design are important when buying a wearable, behind battery life (39%) and waterproof protection (22%).

Canvas 8 – How is technology changing the waywe dress?, 2016

BEAUTY + TECH FUSION

The symbiosis of beauty and technology – where technology becomes beautiful and beautiful items become useful – is now a reality, it increases the brand value and the meaning of products and objects with both aesthetic and functional attributes.

FRICTIONLESS FASHION

One of the advantages of connected fashion exists in in the idea that not only provides functionality and seamless experiences, it can also reduce and simplify certain activities. Wearing instead of carrying everyday objects is an addition that many consumers would benefit from.

FUN CULTURE

Fashion can be used as a medium for fun. It is a way to express ourselves, project our identity and culture. Possibilities for brands to create moments of collective culture and fun are limitless with smart connected clothing and accessories.

SUNGLASSES + CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS

WaveShades – a partnership between Australian payments platform Inamo, sunglasses brand Local Supply and Visa – are sunglasses with a secure NFC contactless payment system built into their arms. The glasses can be loaded with funds, much like a pre-paid card. The waterproof wearables can be used to make purchases at any terminal that accepts contactless payments.

140 CHARACTERS DRESS

CuteCircuit has introduced many ground-breaking ideas to the fashion world by integrating design and functionality via smart tech. One famous design is the Twitter Dress – embellished with Hematite Swarovski elements that create edgy and sophisticated decorative patterns and animations – which receives tweets in real time. It was worn by US popstar Nicole Scherzinger during an EE launch event; fans used the hashtag #tweetthedress while shewas on the red carpet during the live stream.

WEARABLE CULTURE

Neurocouture combines brainwaves with digital projection on a cape to let people dress themselves in their favourite animated files. This experiment is an exploration of what wearable technology can be in the post-digital age – a living piece of content and a cultural object. It was presented as part of NewYork Fashion Week in 2016: Neurocouture’s models were fitted with EEG sensors via headgear to measure their emotions and body temperature; the projections were then set to reflectthe model’s mood via animated GIFs.

BIKINI SUNSCREEN

Spinali Design is a French fashion tech company specialising in connected clothing, including jeans, dresses and bikinis. Its Neviano UV Protect swimsuit collection is equipped with a removable waterproof sensor that prevents users from staying in the sun too long. Once you’ve entered your skin type in the smartphone app, it will send out warnings when it’s time toapply more sunscreen or get into the shade.

JEAN GENIE

Joe’s Jeans has created denims that can charge your phone in its pocket. The #Hello jeans conceal a small battery pack that connects to your phone via a USB hidden along the seams. It will charge an iPhone 5 and 5s from 0 to 85%, and an iPhone 6from 0 to 70%.

ICONIC CONNECTIVITY

Project Jacquard is a Google initiative on textile touch and gesture interactivity and connectivity – transforming objects such as clothes and furniture into interactive surfaces. In collaboration with Levi’s, it created the Commuter Trucker Jacket, its first smart clothing piece. The iconic fashion item with seamless digital functionality is aimed at commuting cyclists and allows them to control music, maps and calls via interactive yarn in the sleeveand a detachable tag.

SCREENS ON SHOES

ShiftWear, a personalised smart trainers brand, has an embedded screen that can display any image, static or moving, as well as animations or photographs taken by the wearer. The images are easily uploaded via a mobile app. ShiftWear also includes a social network featuring a global design community,so users can share their designs and create new connections.


Commuter Trucker Jacket with embedded technology

CuteCircuit’s Twitter Dress


WORK

Smart technologies are creating a more flexible and always-on working culture – from specialised platforms that make the pursuit of professional networking or talent recruitment easier, to remote communication and working apps that facilitate automated production processes and group collaboration.

The fourth industrial revolution is here to stay. New business models and sectors are pioneering the use of connected devices, networks, automated processes, advanced robotics and sensor technologies. Intelligent machines and programmes automating mundane tasks are giving workers more time to perform more creatively and collaboratively, redefining working culture.

Workforces are adapting to the next generation of connected technology by augmenting skills, redesigning tasks and extending their engagement. More than ever, businesses and employees are using cutting-edge tools to boost performance and profit. The working environment’s increasingly competitive landscape is shaped by mobility, efficiency and speed, delivered by new techto achieve business and professional objectives.

The always-connected labour market is also changing consumer mindsets and working experiences, empowered by smart devices and applications. The work-life divide is becoming blurry and in many cases non-existent. Brands must be prepared to take advantage of this opportunity by finding the spaces to connect with consumer segments in the always-on work environment.

“More than ever, businesses and employees are using cutting-edge tools to boost performance and profit. The working environment’s increasingly competitive landscape is shaped by mobility, efficiency and speed, delivered by new tech to achieve business and professional objectives”.

WIRELESS SCANNER

The IRISPen Air 7 types what you scan efficiently and accurately wherever you go. Compatible with Mac, PC, iOS and Android, it relies on bluetooth connection and delivers scans directly to your device in real time. It can easily recognise letters and numbers, so you can use it with magazines, newspapers, textbooks, letters or anything else with text in more than 130 languages. The text-to-speech feature allows you to hear the text spoken out loud.

SINGULAR DRIVE

The Synology DiskStation is a single-drive, network-attached storage system with a variety of capabilities that can serve as a low-cost storage backbone for your smart office. You can hook it up to your internal IP cameras as a security device, use it as a storage server for sharing files with co-workers in the office, and synchronise it with your favourite cloud storage service.

REMOTE (OFFICE) CONTROL

The Logitech Harmony Elite smart remote control can manage all the connected gadgets in your office. Harmony Elite’s two IR mini-blasters enable you to store the equipment in cupboards and it will still receive signal. The Harmony Hub extends the capability to your smartphone and can control smart devices working on ZigBee and Z-Wave technologies.

SMART WRITING

Some of us prefer to work with pen and paper, but find it hard to transfer this on to the digital platform. With the Equil Smartpen 2, you can sketch, doodle and draw, write notes or plot novels on a piece of paper, then transfer your scribbles into digital form via Bluetooth or the pen and its receiver’s built-in memory.

JUST MY TYPE

The Microsoft Surface Ergonomic Keyboard is designed fortyping comfort. It connects via bluetooth for instant functionality and features a cushioned palm rest as well as a split space bar. The natural arch shake and keytop geometry also aid thefluid ergonomic design.

MOBILE PRINTER

The ZUtA Pocket Printer is a portable device that prints the content you need on any piece of paper – no more wasting time figuring out how to set up the correct paper size. With a working Wi-Fi connection, the Pocket Printer can process documents you send to it from your smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop,no matter where you are.

VOICE WORK

Dragon Drive is a hands-free voice recognition technology from Nuance Communications that lets users dictate messages and emails while on the road. Dragon Drive puts safety first with intuitive, contextual interaction that leverages big data andvehicle sensors while making sure users stay safe.

GO WITH THE FLOW

Flow is an example of collaborative task customisation. It organises team projects and takes an overarching view of everyone’s progress and tasks. Teams can plan ahead, set priorities, balance workloads and discuss specific requests. Flow also allows sensitive tasks to be secured privately, viewable by invite-only.

CUTTING EDGE

The Edge building in Amsterdam was designed for Deloitte, the global financial firm (and the building’s main tenant). Rated the world’s greenest office building, it was designed to consolidate Deloitte’s employees from multiple sites into a single environment, and create a ‘smart building’ to aid the firm’s transition into the digital age. As such, it is the testing ground for a radical, highly connected way of working, where employees have no set workspace, but can dial in their individual climate and lighting preferences via an app.

The Edge, Amsterdamovgrealestate.com

Logitech Harmony Elite

ZUtA Pocket Printer


STATISTICS

8% of businesspeople were usingcloud office systems in 2013: this willgrow to 60% by 2020, which represents695 million users.

By 2018, 45% of the fastest-growing companies will have more smart devices than employees. Gartner Research, 2016

The Industrial IoT could add $14.2 trillion to the global economy by 2030.

Accenture, Winning with the Industrial Internetof Things, 2015

Business IP traffic will grow at a CAGR of 18% from 2015 to 2020. Increased adoption of advanced video communications in the enterprise segment will cause business IP traffic to grow bya factor of 2 between 2015 and 2020.

Cisco VNI, Complete Forecast, 2016

MOBILE OFFICE

People who work in multiple sites need to be empowered and equipped when travelling or in public settings. A new range of wearable gadgets, virtual applications, collaborative tools and clouds are creating a more flexible, effective working culture, anytime and anywhere.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Smart working can positively affect people’s lives. They can have more time, greater autonomy and increased opportunities to lead a more balanced, healthy life. The more control people feel they have over their working lives,the better they feel about work.

TRANSFORMING MINDSETS

Physical robots and intelligent systems are aiding decision-making and negotiations. Smart technologies are generating new collaborative and leadership strategies, changing work and business mindsets.In this context, brands have the chance to enforce the importance of the humantouch in everything we do.



EDUCATION

Digital and online technologies are transforming the way institutions deliver education, and consumers have increasing opportunities to learn from a variety of sources – fromopen-plan learning to new devices such as smartboards.

New technology is delivering a connected world via smart tools and apps to students, teachers and educational institutions – from gamified learning apps and connected classrooms to virtual reality experiences. New educational models are still being tested, but they are already changing and shaping how learning will lookin the future.

Schools can now keep track of important resources, create smarter lesson plans and more personalised assignments, as well as improving access to information. Smart technologies have the potential to affect every aspect of student learning via enriched experiences and powerful educational interaction. They are enabling organisations to make more informed decisions in an effort to improve education and boost operational efficiency.

Smart technologies not only are giving teachers and studentsnew tools for connected education, they are also empowering people to keep on learning and acquire new knowledge and skills at different stages of life. In this context, there is great potentialfor business and brands alike to get involved in learning initiatives and maximise their contribution to society and people’spersonal development.

“Smart technologies not only aregiving teachers and students new tools for connected education, they are also empowering people to keep on learning and acquire new knowledge and skills at different stages of life”.

INTERACTIVE LESSONS

Wacom pen-input products help teachers and students communicate visually and share ideas more effectively through handwritten drawings, diagrams, annotations and notes in real time, even while using computers and mobile devices. The digital product range can be used in a variety of educational settings: presenting in a traditional classroom, using a flipped classroom model, conducting remote learning or having students work on a group project.

TOP OF THE CLASS

Google Classroom is an app designed for everyone involved in education. Teachers and students use it to teach and learn together, as do administrators who oversee how the tool is used across classrooms, and developers who are building educational technology for the next generation. It makes it easier for teachers to assign work to students and groups based on their unique needs. Teachers can choose whether to share assignments, posts or questions with the entire class, or just with a subset of students.

MARKING PROGRESS

Facebook has been working with a group of public schools to improve the software they use to monitor students’ progress.The social network’s dedicated team partnered with Summit Public Schools – a non-profit organisation whose members rank among the best in California – to rebuild their Personalised Learning Plan software for monitoring students’ efforts towards attaining their short and long-term goals.

GAMIFIED LEARNING

Minecraft, where players can construct everything from simple houses to complex mechanical computers, is now much more than just a game. It not only sparks children’s imagination, it is also an engaging classroom tool with the recent addition of MinecraftEdu – which teaches everything from languages to scienceand mathematics.


STATISTICS

The smart education and learning market is estimated to grow from $193 billion in 2016 to $586 billion by 2021, a compound annual growth rate of 24.8%. Some of the factors driving the market include the improving connectivity of handheld devices; increased collaboration between hardware vendors and educational content providers; the growing significance of e-learning in the corporate and academic spheres; technological advancement;and widespread government backing.

Research and Markets, Smart Education andLearning Market – Global Forecast to 2021

Research conducted with more than400 education professionals in a variety of roles shows that success comes from great teaching practices, complemented by software and hardware: 70% achieved positive results when using collaborative software frequently; and respondentswere 3.4 times more likely to succeed when using best practice teachingand technology frequently.

Filigree Consulting for Smart Technologies – Teaching, Technology and Learning, 2016

IMMERSIVE LEARNING

The power of image can affect students’ education positively, and with the help of immersive and gamified technology, learning can be more entertaining. Brands can participate in education by creating physical and virtual extracurricular educational experiences to leverage consumer engagement.

SNACKING KNOWLEDGE

Access to knowledge and information anytime, anywhere is empoweringstudents and the public alike. Producingor sponsoring, for example, brain-trainingactivities or even short pieces of interestingand digestible knowledge for consumers can give brands and businesses an educational role beyond productsand services.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Personalisation is extending into the learning realm. Each student is a unique individual and as such deserves tailored education for their specific skills and aptitudes. There is great potential here for brands to inspire and support the cultural values associated with personal development and individuality.

VR EDUCATION

Immersive VR Education is a virtual reality software company dedicated to creating quality educational experiences. For example, Apollo 11 VR allows students to relive the historic Moon landing from start to finish. The Engage platform gives teachers the opportunity to create their own virtual lessons, along with social features for students. And the ERVR app – created in conjunction with the Royal College of Surgeons – puts medical students’ knowledge to the test when dealing witha road accident victim.

BITE-SIZED SKILLS

Google’s Primer app is a fast, easy way to learn new marketing skills. You can take bite-sized lessons wherever and wheneveryou have five minutes free. Each lesson ends with personalised next steps that are automatically saved for the user. A key factor driving micro-learning’s adoption is that the average human hasan attention span of eight seconds in a world where weconsume rapid status updates and character-limited tweets.

WEARABLE LEARNING

The Curiscope app provides learning experiences througha T-shirt. It unlocks a portal into the body and transforms the clothing into an awesome learning experience. Users can explore the anatomy in fully animated 3D that lets you teleport inside the body. The app allows pupils to investigate different physiological elements such as the circulatory and respiratory systems. Youcan tap an option to have a voiceover and share interesting factsand information about the body. It works in 360 degrees withyour mobile or tablet, but with a VR headset, users can havean even more immersive experience.

INTERNET OF SCHOOL

The Internet of (School) Things project brings together a series of web-connected objects to enhance the classroom experience and transform the way students learn about our world. Its partners include tech companies such as Intel Science Scope and Explorer HQ, educational bodies such as The Open University and the University of Birmingham, plus teachers and students. The project aims to design connected devices and learning materialsthat encourage people to explore IoT.

CONNECTED EXPERIENCES

Canadian company SMART Technologies is a leading provider of collaborative solutions and has developed several products designed to help students and educators transform learning via collaboration. Its interactive displays and suite of learning software work seamlessly together to create one connected classroom experience, bringing ideas to life without geographicalor technological limitations.


Apollo 11 VR Experience


TRANSPORT

Efficient transport systems are essential to the economy, and there is a pressing need to decrease congestion and improve safety. In addition, innovations are changing the concept of public transport – for example, through the integration ofdigital services as well as roadside and on-vehicle sensors.

Most big urban areas face transport and traffic management problems, including excessive traffic jams delaying the journey to the workplace and back (thus creating stressed commuters and raging motorists). Consumers are looking for different ways to improve their journeys. Speed, mobility and convenience are driving the usage of technology to make commuting a safe and hassle-free experience – from driverless vehicles and contactless public transport payments to map apps and beacons.

Over half of the world’s population live in cities. In such crowded conditions, even simple tasks such as finding a parking space can be time-consuming (and increase congestion). To avoid such scenarios, navigation, combined with traffic signal control systems that integrate live data and feedback from a number of sources (such as parking availability, weather condition or road information systems) are some of the innovative solutions to the problem.

Transport systems, including trains and air travel, have complex infrastructure: connecting these networks can provide regular status updates, improving traffic flow to the benefit of operators and passengers. Advanced apps and technologies provide state-of-the-art services for better transport and traffic management, making commuters better informed, safer and more connected.

“Consumers are looking fordifferent ways to improve their journeys. Speed, mobility and convenience are driving connected technology usage to makecommuting a safe and hassle-free experience – from driverlessvehicles and contactless public transport payments to mapapps and beacons”.

CONTACTLESS FARES

Transport for London has introduced contactless cards and smartphones enabled with NFC (Near Field Communications) as additional payment methods to paper tickets and Oyster cards.

AIRPORT BEACONS

British Airways has introduced beacon technology to London’s Heathrow Airport. Customers immediately receive a customised welcome message, which includes the Wi-Fi password. Those with BA’s iPhone app receive push notifications upon their arrival at the airport, updating them on crucial details such as when their gate opens and when their flight is boarding.

DRIVERLESS BOATS

The Roboats trial, a five-year programme involving theAmsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions andthe Massachusetts Institute of Technology, aims to transport products, passengers and even waste on Amsterdam’s canalsvia autonomous vessels. The project is being used asa global case study.

FLYING TAXIS

Dubai will be launching this year a fleet of flying taxis,a pioneering initiative based on drone technology. Ehang 184,the one-seater passenger drone made by Chinese company Ehang can be folded up and is small enough to fit into a car parking space. Referred as Autonomous Aerial Vehicles (AAV), the taxi drones are an easy-to-use innovation powered by eight propellers that can cruise at around a hundred kilometres per hour. The routes will be programmed by a ground control centrethrough an encrypted 4G network which will monitor the flight.

BEST ROUTE FINDER

Whim is an app that reveals the best way to travel around Helsinki via public and private transport. Once users have selected their desired route, they can make any bookings needed, check hirecar availability and view public transport timetables. Customers can buy one-off journeys via the app, as well as monthly contracts.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE RIDES

Rejseplanen.dk, Denmark’s government-run travel planner, integrates ridesharing and taxi companies into its website. Rejseplanen, a popular Copenhagen-based site, had previously displayed only travel information for buses, trains and metro services. The initiative will be trialled over a two-year period,as public transport needs to be made more accessible, and more visible carpooling will be particularly useful for those travelingto remote areas.

COLLABORATIVE SOLUTIONS

Transport for Cairo (TfC) is an Egypt-based start-up that aims to make it easier for people to navigate the city by public transport. Using data collated by the World Bank, TfC worked with the public and university students to verify information through geotagged photos of buses. The data were shared in community workshops, where participants created Cairo’s ‘ideal’ transport map, with the aim of creating commuter apps or sharing the information with local authorities to design a more efficient and accessible system.


LEADING THE BLIND

The UK’s Royal London Society for Blind People discovered that about half of young users polled were uncomfortable using the Tube. In response, the organisation partnered with design firm ustwo to create Wayfindr, a system that uses a combination of Bluetooth beacons, an app and special bone-conduction headphones to guide users through the Underground. The beacon-based modules are placed at strategic locations around the Tube’s system and can notify nearby iOS mobilesof their presence.

BABIES ON BOARD

Pregnant women in Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city,can register with its Pink Light Campaign and receive a free Bluetooth-enabled disc that causes the light near the seat ofpublic transport to blink as they draw near. The light switchesoff again once they are seated. The campaign was the resultof a collaboration between Busan Metropolitan City andDaehong Communications, a marketing services company.

RIGHT TRACK

TrackR, a California-based start-up, has created a small state-of-the-art device to keep track of many objects, particularly vehicles, without the need to spend a fortune on GPS services. TrackR Bravo works with smartphones by simply installing a free app.The device can also be attached to your keys, briefcase, wallet, tech gadgets or anything else you don’t want to lose: the appcan locate the missing item in seconds.

INTELLIGENT LUGGAGE

Few travel experiences are as frustrating as losing a bag, but Silicon Valley start-up Bluesmart thinks its connected luggage will help when luggage goes missing. The company takes an IoT approach to the suitcase, integrating sensors that allow travellers to track their bag’s location on a map. In addition, the luggage has a smart handle that instantly calculates its weight, plus a built-in battery that charges a smartphone up to six times.

SMART HELMET

Designed to make motorcycle riding safer, the Skully smart helmet is equipped with a heads-up display with GPS navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and a full 180-degree rear view camera– all voice-controlled.

FAIR EXCHANGE

WelectGo is a mobile app that provides people with free transport in exchange for watching ads on their phones. Operating in the German city of Düsseldorf, the free app asks users to watch four 20-second ads and then delivers a transport pass directly to their phone. The tickets are worth €2.60 each and offer up to90 minutes of bus or train travel across Düsseldorf.

PLANNING TRANSPORT

Uber Movement is a website that uses Uber’s data to help urban planners make informed decisions about our cities. Uber trips occur all over cities, so by analysing a lot of trips over time, it can estimate how long it takes to get from one area to another. Since Uber is available 24/7, it can compare travel conditions across different times and days, and how travel times are impacted by big events, road closures or other things happening in a city. This data is anonymised and aggregated into the same types of geographic zones that transportation planners use to evaluate which partsof cities need expanded infrastructure.

CONNECTED CARS

With today’s Wi-Fi networks powering navigation devices, traffic alerts, streaming video and music to in-vehicle entertainment systems, as well as voice-activated access to social media and sensor functionalities, the connected car is already a reality for millions of consumers – i.e. Microsoft has historically partnered directly with car manufacturers to provide special versions of Windows for vehicle brands such as Ford, Kia, BMW, Nissan and Fiat. Ultimately, the autonomous car will drive the rapid growth of the IoT over the next years and beyond. Drivers can already experience self-driving features in their cars – for instance,the all-new Volvo XC90 has automatic braking at intersections– so if you turn in front of an oncoming vehicle, the car willapply the brakes for you.

STATISTICS

“Historical data shows that traffic congestion is up by 13% globallysince 2008”.

“Mexico City is at the top of the most congested cities in the world. Drivers in the Mexican capital can expect to spend an average of 59% extra travel time stuck in traffic anytime of the day, and up to 103% in the evening peak periods versus a free flow, or uncongested, situation – adding up to 219 hours of extra traveltime per year”.

TomTom Traffic Index 2016

“By 2020, there will be a quarter-billion connected vehicles on the road, providing more opportunities for drivers to access information, their content and stay productive while in the car”.

Gartner Research, 2016

“23% of the cities with a metro network have at least one fully automated metro line in operation. By 2025, there will be over 2,300km of automated metro linesin operation”.

“Fully automated metro lines offer increased safety, unrivalled reliability and the capacity to respond flexibly to surges in demand. For operators, automation has the potential to be a lever of change to develop new organisational models, enriching job profiles and delivering more efficient maintenance and operation. Building on these strengths, metro operating companies are able to offer better service to their customers and respond efficiently to their increasingly changing mobility needs, raising the attractiveness of public transport and ultimately contributing to improvingthe quality of life in our cities”.

International Association of Public Transport, Statistics Brief – World Report on MetroAutomation, 2016

SAFETY FIRST

Rush hour, stressed commuters and transport delays can be a formula fortraffic disaster. Brand implementation of strategic partnerships with smart technologies can provide safety and peace of mind to consumers by seamlessly integrating transport updates and personalised journeys.

FLOW AND UNWIND

Brands can engage with consumersby sponsoring the implementation of digital technologies to decrease congestion and create relaxing experiences during travellers’ downtime, thus making commuting a more enjoyable experience.

NICE JOURNEY

Commuting is typically associated with frustration and road rage. Mindful approaches to bring back ‘niceness’ to commuters’ interactions not only elevate brand perception and awareness, but also introduce friendlier and more pleasant transport experiences for travellers.

Bluesmart luggage

TrackR Bravo app



CITIES

Governments, businesses and citizens are striving to transform cities by digitally enabling residents to interact with their urban environment and, for example, improve public safety and street lighting. Technologies such as air pollution sensors can gather crowdsourced data to create better awareness ofenvironmental concerns.

Connected solutions are evolving and so are cities. Citizens are starting to interact with our urban environment in a technologically enhanced way, and are also connecting with their peers and service providers. Growing urban populations are demanding better infrastructure and systems for greater efficiency throughout the city, plus access to environmental knowledge to make informed decisions. Technology solutions provided by the IoT can help citizens’ lives in an urban environment, as well as addressing their needs for personal security and wellbeing.

Over time, more of how we live and what we do will become interlinked and highly interactive with our local environment, forming the next generation of connected solutions. Smart technologies can help cities reduce costs and improve services– from monitoring waste levels in bins to checking airand water quality.

Increasingly, urban environments are bringing challenges and opportunities for the modern community. Brands, businesses and governments working together with interconnected technology can create value for residents using services (and for providers delivering them), ultimately improving citizen engagement and making city life more efficient. However, consumer data protection and privacy also need to be addressed, as greater engagement could be switched off if people feel a lack of trust and control,and are concerned that smart services are too invasive.

ENVIRONMENTALLY CONNECTED

Smart Citizen is a geolocation-based platform to generate participatory processes among city populations. Connecting data, people and knowledge, the platform’s objective is to collect and share information. It connects people with their environment and their city to create more effective and optimised relationships between resources, technology, communities, services andevents in the urban environment.

PROMISING SIGNS

Walk [Your City] helps boost the community’s walkability,linking street signs with data collection to complement traditional approaches. The smart signage can be attached to lamp posts or other structures, and have QR codes that bring up walking directions on Google Maps when scanned with a smartphone. In most cities, street signs are aimed at drivers, and often don’t show pedestrians the quickest way to a destination. Digital technologies offer people a way to campaign for city streets built for them, not just cars. Walk [Your City] in the US produces signs that explain how long it will take to walk between popular destinations.

ACCESSIBLE DIRECTIONS

Wheelmap, developed by the German NGO Sozialhelden, enables people to share information about how accessible places are by wheelchair. The map has two functions: one is to let people know how accessible the city is, the other is to change the way local government thinks about accessibility by giving NGOs and

activists a tool to lobby for improvements. Users have already mapped 500,000 locations across the world.

WI-FI PAVEMENTS

Chesham is a Buckinghamshire town typical of the Home Counties, with a high street, a clock tower and a mid-sized station sending commuters into London. And now, thanks to a collaboration between Virgin Media and Chiltern District Council, it’s also home to the UK’s first ‘smart Wi-Fi pavement’. The brand has installed wireless routers underneath manhole covers in Chesham, bringing free public Wi-Fi to the town with speeds up to 166Mbps– around seven times the average UK broadband speed.

PARKING APP

Westminster Council has become the first UK local authority to release an app to help drivers find and negotiate free parking bays. Infrared sensors, embedded in the road, detect empty spaces and guide drivers through their smartphones to thenearest available bay. Westminster says the technologyis helping to reduce traffic.

SMART BINS

Clean Cube is a smart waste-compacting bin powered by solar energy. It has a built-in sensor that detects when the bin is full and swiftly compacts the contents, allowing it to hold up to eight times more rubbish – considerably reducing overflow and waste collection by up to 85%. In addition, Clean Cube can generate fresh income streams: its backlit LED or plain panel can be used for advertising placement, giving owners the opportunity totarget ideal local businesses and organisations.

WALK THIS WAY

Urbanflow is an advanced kiosk in Helsinki that aims to make the city more accessible and enjoyable for residents and visitors through an interactive location service. The kiosk offers real-time data on traffic, weather and local news. It also offers a journey planner and wayfinder function to assist people who havelost their way.

FORWARD CHARGE

Strawberry Tree is the world’s first public solar-powered charging station. Installed in parks and squares across Serbia, each station contains 16 chargers for a variety of mobile phones and tablets,as well as its own Wi-Fi and USB sockets.

CITIZEN POWER

MySociety, a decade-old non-profit organisation based in the UK, is a world leader in creating digital platforms that seek to “meaningfully lower the barriers to taking the first civic or democratic steps in a citizen’s life, at scale”. It has created tools to scrutinise Parliament, make freedom of information requests, demand street repairs, track mass transit, and more.

SAFE ZONES

Plan International Australia has launched an interactive map allowing young women to mark areas of Melbourne where they feel particularly unsafe. Created in partnership with digital map-makers CrowdSpot, the Free to Be campaign has attracted more than 1,300 responses. Data from the initiative have been presented to key decision-makers such as the city counciland transport providers.

“Growing urban populationsdemand better infrastructureand systems for greater efficiency throughout the city, plus accessto environmental knowledge tomake informed decisions”.

Wheelmap users share locations with wheelchair access

Smart Citizen collaborative data


STATISTICS

Increasing urbanisation is challenging resources and environmental sustainability: by 2020, 9.7 billion connected things will be used bysmart cities. Gartner Research, 2015

Smart industrial automation (25%),smart power supply system (18%) and smart security (17%) will be the largest smart city market segments in 2019 and will remain the leading smart city segments over the next five years. Technavio, Global Smart Cities Market, 2015-2019

Over half of the world population (54% – 4 billion) lives in urban areas. In the next decades, 95% of urban expansion will take place in thedeveloping world. Rapid urbanization isexerting pressure on fresh water supplies,sewage, the living environment and publichealth. But the high density of cities canbring efficiency gains and technologicalinnovation while reducing resourceand energy consumption.

UN-Habitat – Urbanization and Development: Emerging Futures, World Cities Reports, 2016

“A city that has an advanced model of technology but is badly planned, with outdated legal frameworks or lacking a good financial model, will only aggravate the dysfunction in the city. A ‘smart city’ is a city that uses technology in a ‘smart’ way to reinforce the pillars of urbanization”.

Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director, UN-Habitat

INNER-CITY LIFE

Technologies that can help synchronise interactions, reduce the pace of city living and facilitate access to information will not only generate better quality of life, but also benefit citizens’ interactions with their surroundings. Brands can tap into this idea by starting initiatives to sponsor and develop intelligent infrastructure toengage with connected citizenry.

CREATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE

An improved and connected city doesn’t need to have a clinical or pragmatic infrastructure: arts and culture can also inspire creativity in urban spaces. Brands can get involved by setting up creative, connected infrastructure to inspire and interact with consumers, and bring enjoyment as well as cultural contextto our connected cities.

COLLECTIVE GOOD

Brands and businesses have the opportunity to support crowdsourcedsmart solutions to shape cities into an integral part of citizens’ connected living. People want to make things happenand participate in urban innovation, and backing collective initiatives can create brand purpose for the common good and engagement with collective users.



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MERGING BODY, EMOTION AND CONTEXT

HOW DO YOU SEE SMART BEHAVIOUR AND TECHNOLOGY EVOLVING OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? DO YOU FORESEE ANY RADICAL CHANGES?

Wearable devices, cameras and microphones can help us understand bodily, behavioural and emotional responses. Market research, stress management, self-driving cars, sports and performance are the early adopters for this kind of understanding: whether it’s mobile measurement or online, technologies such as fitness bands, smartwatches, facial coding and eye-tracking are integrated in these industries.

While each of the various data streams offer insights into parts of us we haven’t quantified before, it’s when you aggregate the information and provide additional context data that they become very powerful learning tools. With more context, we can gain better understanding, paint a more accurate picture andprovide more benefits from the data.

Looking forward to the upcoming five years, the next big step will be marrying quantified bodily and emotional information with context data, and developing industry-specific use models that have real value and personal benefit. Not only will this provide a richer palette of insight, it will also help technology further predict what we need and how we feel.

With big players in the technology industry such as Apple and Microsoft already investing in bodily, behavioural and emotional data companies, the usefulness and relevance of these technologies will only grow. And if expert predictions are correct, they will develop so far as to do incredible things for the human body. Given that technology and health industry leaders such as Google and GlaxoSmithKline have come together to tackle chronic conditions with bio-electronic medicines (for example, implants), there is a strong indication that body augmentation will grow and the gap between human and machine will narrow in the future.

WHAT ARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS REGARDING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WAY PEOPLE CONSUME SMART TECHNOLOGIES?

No matter where we are when measuring emotional responses, bodies will react the same way across the planet. But what offends people, what makes them laugh and what makes them happy will differ from culture to culture. Why bodies respond to stimulus the way they do could be down to personal reasons, but also global perceptions – it is all to do with the context. Looking at it from a cultural perspective, the way in which people consume smart technologies won’t differ much between countries, as we all generally use them for the same reasons and benefits. So, the biggest factor for determining different consumption of smart technology is its usefulness.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OR DISADVANTAGES OFUSING THESE TECHNOLOGIES?

At Sensum, we understand the value that smart technologiescan bring to market research, sports and entertainment, as wellas people’s lives. But most importantly, we understandthe responsibility that comes with this – for example, protecting consumers’ data. Nowadays, the usage of phones and smartwatches is only growing and people forget that these devices are ‘on’ 24/7 – meaning that data can be gathered at all times. Ourselves, product manufacturers, brands, neuroscientists and marketers have a duty of care to make sure smart technologies are used for the right reasons, and we all must put consumer privacy at the forefront of business values.

GAWAIN MORRISON

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER

SENSUM RESEARCH

“The gap between human and machine will narrow in the future”

Wearable devices an biometric sensors to monitor emotional evidence


Technology Adoption Curve, Everett Rogers, Diffusion of Innovation. “With smart living, we are in the ‘early adopters’ stage, particularly for the connected home”.

A FASCINATING JOURNEYFOR OUR INDUSTRY

ALEX KOZLOFF

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT

IAB UK

HOW DO YOU SEE SMART BEHAVIOUR AND TECHNOLOGY EVOLVING OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? DO YOU FORESEE ANY RADICAL CHANGES?

To understand what is going to happen, it’s important to understand what is happening now. The ‘innovators’, representing 2.5% of the population in Rogers’ Technology Adoption Curve model, will accept new technology as soon as it is launched. With smart living, we are in the ‘early adopters’ stage, particularly for the connected home: with Alexa having a penetration of 4% in the UK (according to Speak Easy, The Future of Voice Technology), it means that in the next five years, we will move into the ‘majority’ stages. The radical change will be mass adoption. There areareas that have crept up, such as smart homes, and that’s howit will progress in the years to come.

HOW WILL PEOPLE INTERACT WITH THESE TECHNOLOGIES?

Predictions centre on how machine learning will affect every industry. We always see the same examples: for instance, when thinking about AI and the automobile industry, we talk about the driverless car, but actually there are certain features integrated into cars today that are considered the norm, such as driver assistants – they are creeping in and becoming integrated into our daily lives. In healthcare, people are looking for a diagnostic app: although that major change is not here yet, the NHS is using AI for creating drugs. So, rather than substantial changes, there are fractions of these new technologies creeping into our lives. Every month, technology gets smoother and slicker without us realising it.

WHAT ARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS REGARDING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WAY PEOPLE CONSUME SMART TECHNOLOGIES?

The UK is advanced in technology and has been one of the

pioneers when it comes to the mobile: however, there are studies that show some areas of reluctance, such as the move towards a cashless society. It’s no longer us versus the rest of Europe, and there is an internal political break within the UK, too. We often see real differences in behaviour between London and the rest of the UK. Generally speaking, the country has been very accepting of new technologies and while countries such as Germany worry about data privacy, the UK is more concerned with theconsumer experience.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OR DISADVANTAGES OF USING THESE TECHNOLOGIES?

As consumers there are no disadvantages, but there is concern about privacy and being overconnected, though this can be overstated by the media. We can see people moving certain activities from their desktop to their mobile, increasing future opportunities in this area. For brands, it is still early days. However, with these new technologies, we will be able to see what is key, understand people better and subsequently personalise more effectively. Data coming from these technologies will enable brands to do just that. That’s not to say it is poor now,but it could be better.

It does mean that brands have to get the balance right and in context. It’s challenging, but overall very positive. Labelling isreally important: for instance, there are more than 30,000 Facebook bots, and brands need to understand what people want from them, how this will affect their strategies and how they can get involved – there are different opportunities for each industry in picking apart the new movement of smart, connected technology. It’s a fascinating journey for our industry to go through.

Voice assistant weekly usage has already reached an average of 31% globally, and 18% in the UK. “In the next five years, we will move into the ‘majority’ stages. The radical change will be mass adoption”.


Intimacy fashion project explores technology and social interaction ‘Studio Roosegaarde’ www.studioroosegaarde.net

MENTAL MAPS FOR THE FUTURE

The essence of design is reforming things and making a truly sustainable environment that connects people. When we look at highways, we ask: why is so much money spent on cars when the actual roads are stuck in the Middle Ages? Why can’t we develop innovative roads that don’t need traditional street lamps and give drivers more information about the condition of the road?

ROAD OF TOMORROW

In partnership with Heijmans Infrastructure, we designed the Smart Highway, an interactive and sustainable road of tomorrow – a template for smart roads using light, energy and information that interact with the traffic situation. The road’s Glowing Lines are charged during daytime and glow at night for eight hours. The first road has been constructed and more will be launched internationally. The collaboration is a true example of innovative industry. The design and interactivity by Studio Roosegaarde and the craftsmanship of Heijmans are fused into one common goal: making the Dutch landscape more innovative.

Continuing this mission, we have also created the Van Gogh bicycle path, which is made of thousands of twinkling stones inspired by ‘The Starry Night’ (1889). Its surface is coated with a special paint that uses energy gathered during the day to glow after dark. The path combines innovation with the cultural heritage of Nuenen, the town where Van Gogh lived from 1883 to 1885.

SENSORIAL URBAN ENVIRONMENT

The Rainbow Station artwork connects the 128-year-old Amsterdam Central Station with modern-day astronomy to create a site-specific prism of light. It can be seen every day for a moment within the hour after sunset. The light and colour allow 50 million travellers a year to experience a magical moment at night.

Dune is a public interactive landscape, situated on Rotterdam’s Maas River that interacts with human behaviour. This hybrid of nature and technology is composed of many fibres that brighten according to the noise and motion of passing visitors. With hundreds of interactive lights and sounds, Dune explores nature in a futuristic relation to urban space.

The Sustainable Dance Floor generates electricity through the kinetic energy of dancing. We believe sustainability is about doing more, not less. Via smart technologies, a sensorial and interactive environment is created where dancers engage directly with the sustainable experience.

TECHNOLOGICAL INTIMACY

Intimacy is a fashion project that explores the relationship between intimacy and technology. Its hi-tech garments, entitled ‘Intimacy White’ and ‘Intimacy Black’, are made from opaque smart e-foils that become increasingly transparent according to the wearer’s social interactions with people. These determine the garments’ level of transparency, creating a sensual play of disclosure.

These are just some examples of ideas that are not just about new technology and design, but rather about inspiring people to think creatively about the future. That is the role of the makers– to come up with new proposals and new dreams.

DAAN ROOSEGAARDE

ARTIST AND INNOVATOR

STUDIO ROOSEGAARDE

Dune, a public interactive landscape

Rainbow Station, a magical moment at night


THE SHIFT FROM CONSCIOUS TO UNCONSCIOUS DATA

We can expect a dramatic increase in the quantity, kinds and temporal resolution of the sensors our embedded smart technologies will use. In many cases, these sensors will be aimed directly at us, the users. Most significantly, we will see a shift from technologies that solely use symbolic, rational-level data that we consciously provide (our purchasing history, our stated preferences, the pages we ‘like’, etc.) to the ones that also use information about us that is even more revealing, not despite, but because it is unconscious and not under our control. It will start with extant, ubiquitous input devices used in novel ways (such as probing your emotional state or unexpressed preferences by monitoring the dynamics of your mouse trajectories over a web page), but will quickly move to an uptake and exploitation of sensors that more directly measure our bio-indicators, such as eye trackers, heart rate monitors, pupillometry, etc.

We can also anticipate an initial phase of applications and systems that are designed to shift users into purchasing/adopting, becoming proficient with, and actively using these technologies. Entertainment will no doubt lead the way, but other uses of the collected data (perhaps buried in end-user license agreements – EULAs) will initially piggyback on them. Any intrusiveness or inconvenience of these sensors, initially tolerated for the sake of the game or interactive cinematic experience, will give way to familiarity and acceptance, allowing other applications to follow.

PRECISE USER MODELLING

The intimate, sub-rational, continuous, dynamic and temporally specific data provided by these sensors, will enable exquisitely precise user modelling (or monitoring) of a kind previously unimaginable. This in turn will enable technologies (or at least seem) to understand our intentions and anticipate our needs and wants. Key issues will involve ownership, sharing, selling and anonymisation of these data, the technologies for and rights to shielding oneself from such sensing (eg, in public spaces), the related use of decoys (technologies designed to provide false readings to these sensors), and delimiting the boundaries of responsibility and informed consent in cases where technologies can side-step rational choice and directly manipulate preferences and attitudes.

The engine behind this embedded intelligence will of course be artificial intelligence. While the recent rise of machine learning (ML) has been mainly to do with giant increases in the amount of available training data and hardware speeds, we can expect further advances to be the result of novel ML systems that move beyond the simple, feedforward architectures of the 90s to ones that develop expectations on what they will sense and do, and the use these expectations as a way to manage information overload by attending only to the important/relevant parts of the data.

This will yield unprecedented degrees of dynamic integration between us and our technology. What is often neglected in thinking about the pros and cons of such technologies is the way we will adapt to them. It is our own plasticity that will allow many of these developments to work. This will be the source of smart living’s most exciting prospects but also of unforeseen risks, and needs to be thought through carefully, which in turn requires the immediate development of new conceptual tools.

DR. RON CHRISLEY

DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR COGNITIVE SCIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX

“Any intrusiveness or inconvenience of these sensors, initially tolerated for the sake of the game or interactive cinematic experience, will give way to familiarity and acceptance, allowing other applications to follow”

“We can expect a dramatic increase in the quantity, kinds and temporal resolution of the sensors our embedded smart technologies will use.”


OUTSOURCING OURBRAINS TO APPS

Want to outsource your thinking and lose some cognitive functions? There’s an app for that! And it’s a growing concern for business. Increasing evidence says that apps may be bad for us. Shocker! Recently, US current affairs show 60 Minutes even covered how Silicon Valley leverages neuroscience to intentionally create addictive experiences. Beyond this growing addiction, the average person is outsourcing more of their brain functionsto apps.

Forget about driving directions: GPS apps give us perfect directions (or close enough, Apple Maps – harrumph!) to anywhere. Social apps mean we no longer have to remember phone numbers, addresses or birthdays. Foodie apps eliminate the need to track good restaurants. New apps let us set our feeds for whatever topics, headlines and POVs we want – semi-informedis the new well-read. And soon, you can outsource commutingto a self-driving car. The list goes on.

The good news? Presumably, all these experiences have freed up time (and brain space) for higher-purpose cognitive endeavours. The bad news? Most of us have filled it with more apps, feeds and games. Goodbye to exercising spatial skills, analytical thinking, relational memory and comprehension.And it’s impacting our health.

Science suggests we become better at what we do most. We’re exercising our brains’ focus and awareness abilities less and less, and we’re worrying more. The average person spends 47% of their time with their mind wandering, mostly in a constant state of low-level worry. And a Microsoft study found that our attention span has decreased from 12 to 8 seconds (less than a goldfish!). Combine this with the fact that 83% say that work is their greatest source of stress and you’ve got a great place for people to use their apps to avoid stressful distractions(such as work). The table stakes in today’s business world are high. Disruption and transformation are the norm. We expect employees to thrive under pressure. We need their thinking brains alert. Addictive technologies take them offline while rewarding them with dopamine and adrenaline fixes. It’s hard to compete.

HOW DOES MINDFULNESS HELP?

Mindfulness is attention training for focus and awareness of what’s happening in the moment. Decades of research show that mindfulness has tremendous health and performance benefits, including keeping our brains functioning for memory, creativity and emotional control. As we continue to outsource more of our cognitive abilities, mindfulness exercises our minds to keep them

JOE BURTON

FOUNDER AND CEO

WHIL CONCEPTS, INC (WHIL)

active. It helps the thinking brain (prefrontal cortex) work with and manage the emotional brain (amygdala), so people can be calm and focused to perform under pressure – today’s norm.

Whil was created to help employees reduce stress and improve their wellbeing, performance, relationships and sleep. We provide 200+ one-week digital programmes (audio/video) with dozens of training elements and common sense names such as Calm Anxiety, Sleep Better and Manage Back Pain. In just five to ten minutes a day, employees can learn the skills needed to become healthier, happier and more engaged.

We now have six case studies working with global brands. Mindfulness provides a major competitive advantage for high-performance companies. Our customers experience the benefits of focus, awareness, empathy and compassion – all antidotes to a toxic culture. And the average company experiences game-changing results for practising workers compared with those stuck on the treadmill. Over a year, that includes reductions in absenteeism (two days), turnover (46%) and healthcare costs, as well as increases in employee satisfaction (26%). These results are in line with decades of research and our eBook, Mindfulness as Competitive Advantage: the Science Behind Mindfulness Training. At the end of the day, we’re training our brains all the time. Why not be intentional about it?

“Disruption and transformation are the norm.We expect employees to thrive under pressure.

We need their thinking brains alert”.

Whil, digital mindfulness training and wellness programme.


THE SMARTWATCH: A NATURALEXTENSION OF OUR CONNECTED CULTURE

I’ve always felt that the smartwatch is the logical extension of the traditional watch. Wearing something on your wrist as a tool that helps you access valuable information is extremely natural. It makes sense that people’s hunger for data and communication is satiated not by something hidden in their pocket, but rather by technology accessible on their wrist. The smartwatch, in my opinion, will become a natural extension of our ‘connected culture’, where access to digital information is not only desirable, but also necessary. People will continue to adapt to the increasing extentof information that must be parsed on a daily basis.

IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

Smartwatches will not replace the full-screen experience for now, but they have the potential to make data simpler to manage and funnel what we need for our immediate attention. The reality is that when notifications of new things become available, most people want to know about them immediately, but also conveniently. I see the smartwatch as being a tool, which if properly designed, can help reduce the distraction of information notification and messaging, allowing people to adapt to an information-rich existence while still interacting with the world around them. Given the more personal and focused nature of a watch (for example, its size limitations), wearable devices will become one of many tools we use to cope with an existence richer with data, messages and other attention-grabbing instances.

IMPLICIT VS EXPLICIT EXPERIENCE

What many people fail to consider when discussing smartwatches is the implicit versus the explicit experience of wearing them. The explicit experience is glancing at the device for information, using its tools and features for daily needs, as well as the fashion element that will come with greater and more personalised

options. The implicit experience in this context is the information that is collected and delivered to the device without the user’s intervention. This can include elements such as health and activity data, location and travel, shopping and consumer preferences, etc. Smartwatches will expand personal data collection beyond what smartphones currently gather – and consumers will want it. They will want it because data collection will eventually allow software to make valuable predictions or offer insights about people’s lives. As long as the data collection practices are transparent, the consumer will be in prime position to choose how this can enhance their lives.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Smartwatches give brands a unique opportunity to deliver highly accurate messaging at highly relevant times, based on the growing level of data that smartwatches can and will be able to collect.If smartwatches monitor the lives of their owners, then such data should make it possible for advertisers to share their messages while preserving and even fostering consumer relationships. This is all possible with the technology available today, and intime the consumer backlash against current distracting advertisingpractices (and an increase in subtlety), will make these moresophisticated marketing scenarios much more possible.

Today’s consumer is only now beginning to understand what smartwatches can become. Nascent use is mostly limited to fitness and activity, as well as travel and messaging. The real opportunity today is in the data collected by the devices that smartwatch producers and software makers now collect. The real point of interest for me isn’t what hardware comes next, but rather the innovative use of data on the horizon, for both brands and consumers.

ARIEL ADAMS

FOUNDER

ABLOGTOWATCH.COM

The smartwatch screen takes our immediate attention

“Highly accurate messaging at highly relevant times”


SERVICES WILL COME TO US

New smart platforms will generate collaborative relationships and economies for citizens in a more efficient way. By radically changing the urban dynamic, people won’t need to travel to buy products or services to meet their daily needs (big supermarket shops will decrease in the short term, for example). Take Rappi, a personal shopping service that constantly communicates with users through chats or calls, exchanging information that allows consumers to specify even the smallest details of their purchases.

TIME IS KING

The most successful smart technologies are those that identify and meet the needs of consumers beyond cultural or geographic differences. One example of this is time: people never have enough of it, turning it into an intangible, highly valuable good. With this in mind, consumers increasingly look to take advantage of immediacy and practicality: queuing up to buy a concert ticket or spending hours walking around the supermarket filling up a trolley seems illogical. People want to invest their time in activities that improve their quality of life: convenience is no longera luxury, but a necessity.

JUST A CLICK AWAY

In today’s world, marketing and media face significant challenges. There are two big players standing between brands and consumers: retailers and mass media. In this non-linear model,

it is impossible to collect full information about the consumer’s journey, purchase behaviour, usage, etc. It is also difficult to measure accurately returns on investment or the effectivenessof marketing communications. With Rappi, we break these barriers, allowing brands to sit just a click away from consumers. Thanks to our platform’s design, we can segment in a precise way messages for brand-defined targets, improving the cost per impact: once the consumer receives the message, they can start buying products or services immediately. Our platform registers every stage of the consumer’s purchases, so we offer not only invaluable first-hand data, but also ways to measure the effectiveness ofconversion and marketing.

RELEASING VALUE

Nowadays, one of the strongest trends is the disappearance of the ‘middle man’ who doesn’t generate value. That’s why our business model is designed to release value to everyone in our sphere: the consumers whose lives we make easier and more convenient; the Rappitenderos, the staff who work flexibly to meet their needs; the retailers, whose incomes we boost by capturing the sales that otherwise wouldn’t be completed because of consumers’ lack of time; and finally the brands, which we helpto reach the right consumers at the right time, making their marketing more efficient.

SEBASTIÁN MEJÍA

CO-FOUNDER

RAPPI (LATIN AMERICA)

“People want to invest their time in activities that improve theirquality of life: convenience is no longer a luxury, but a necessity”


HEALTH CONCERNS AREDRIVING SMART CITIZENS

Health is an area of great concern to individuals, companies and societies alike. The new generation of connected health technologies will create a new type of smart citizen and fundamentally impact our lives and way of thinking.

SELF-REALISATION AND HOLISTIC WELLBEING

Personal wellbeing is more important than ever in today’s culture, where individuals are driven by self-realisation. In recent years, the approach to health has become more holistic. It is not only a matter of diet and exercise, but also reflected in all aspects of lifestyle, including sleep quality, work-life balance and mental wellbeing. This is echoed in the myriad of personal health-tracking technologies brought to the market, from activity trackers to diet logs, sleep monitors and meditation apps. With new intelligent technologies that combine all our personal data, we will see a shift towards more holistic analysis and effective recommendations to improve personal wellbeing.

CORPORATE WELLBEING AND STRESS PREVENTION

In the workplace, employers are increasingly concerned with employees’ health. This is driven by greater awareness of the impact of physical and mental issues on work satisfaction, performance and costs, yielded by individual lifestyle choices as much as cultural changes such as the blurred boundaries between work and leisure. Stress prevention is the predominant priority of Danish employers today and innovative workplaces are experimenting with fitness during office hours and 30-hour working weeks to improve wellbeing and work-life balance. Some have already introduced corporate wellness programmes

that engage employees to reach health goals via smart devices. This approach will become widespread and with the next generation of health technologies, companies will gain biometrical insights into their employees to detect and prevent stress.

A PREDICTIVE APPROACH TO HEALTH

At the societal level, the health of all citizens is a growing concern. In the Nordic countries, a larger share of elderly people and growth in chronic and lifestyle-related diseases has put pressure on the Scandinavian welfare model, which is deep-rooted in the culture and a key reason for Nordic citizens being ranked among the happiest people on Earth. More intelligent and connected health technology is vital for meeting these massive health challenges. In the near future, chips and sensors injected into the body will make citizens’ biometrical and physiological information available to doctors, medical services and other stakeholders. This will create a shift from today’s reactive approach, where symptoms are diagnosed and treated, to a predictive approach, where a variety of health-related data are monitored, analysed and used to alert citizens of unhealthy behaviour and prevent diseases at an early stage.

Personalisation becomes central when treatments, services and incentives are tailored to the individual. The role of medical professionals will change radically. Doctors will become coaches who guide and motivate the smart citizen to change their habits and reach personal health goals in their everyday lives. This will improve the individual’s quality and ease of life, saving lives, optimising medical resources and reducing disease-related costs for society as a whole.

CAMILLA WRANG

MANAGER, BUSINESS PLANNING

MINDSHARE DENMARK

FROM IOP TO IOT: CONSUMERS,MARKETERS AND THE CONNECTED FUTURE

From the Internet of People to the Internet of Things, we are at the cynosure of behavioural change and technology. Asia Pacific, known for its heterogeneity, is a motley of sub-cultures and mindsets, yet consumers in the region unvaryingly are relinquishing control to technology. The Asian consumer is appraising connected living as an evolution mandated by their reliance on technology and need for convenience. The adoption rates for smart technologies in APAC has been slow yet steady. According to GlobalWebIndex (Q4, 2016), the most popular connected object is the smart TV, followed by smart wristbands and smartwatches. In terms of market appetite for connected objects, China is ahead of the curve, followed by Thailand and Japan.

Below is a realistic prediction of APAC’s ‘smart’ future from a consumer and marketer perspective.

THE CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE

ONSET OF DIGITAL GLASS WALLS

With the multitude of solutions that smart objects provide, more consumers could fall prey to the ‘ostrich effect’ – the tendency to bury their head in the sand and intentionally avoid or reject information. Smart living could construct glass walls between individuals who could communicate with each other but choose otherwise. We could be rewiring ourselves to function better online than offline.

UNIVERSAL CONTENT

Connected living freeing up more time in consumers’ lives could boost ‘couch culture’, which could spell the comeback of TV time. But this might not just be linear or streamed, but content rendered on any surface in a smart home – content that is intuitive and customised, based on feeds from other smart objects (suchas mood data transmitted from smart clothes). TV that transcends user interface.

FRAYING CIRCLE OF TRUST

Privacy concerns will reach an all-time high because of connected objects. Consumers will become more mindful of the type of information being collected and shared, and these conversations will play a pivotal role in sculpting data housekeeping rules.

THE MARKETER PERSPECTIVE

REAL-TIME INSIGHTS

Smart objects will present marketers with a plethora of new sources for observed consumer behavioural data, feeding faster insights into product performance, consumer trends and purchasing behaviour – insights that also present great opportunities for targeted marketing.

SMART ACCELERATION

Richer diversity in the ‘devices’ and ‘skills’ that can integrate with AI systems will emerge, accelerated by an open source model. For example, C by GE is a table lamp that incorporates the Alexa Voice Service, a microphone and a speaker, and consumers can use it without owning an Amazon Echo – or even a smartphone.

ADVERTISING SHIFT

There will be a transformation in the way low-involvement products are purchased (for example, the replenishment of detergent stock by smart washing machines through e-commerce partnerships). The categories and brands bought frequently such as FMCGs will be the biggest beneficiaries of smart living, forcing marketers to focus on brand-building efforts. A breakthrough example of connected objects used as a marketing tool to deliver sales is the case of Rexona Deodorant in Malaysia. We used wearables to communicate the concept of MotionSense technology – smart capsules that respond directly to body movement. This was a notable example of media integrating with smart objects to deliver business results, delivering a 2% increase in penetration.

Undoubtedly, adrenaline times are here! As marketers aiming to future-proof businesses in the connected landscape, we need to win both hearts and minds: the mantra must be ‘user first and technology second’.

APARNA KRISHNAN

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PLANNING

MINDSHARE MALAYSIA


SMART LATIN FLAVOUR

In Latin America, most cities are rapidly developing withouta sustainable growth plan: unsurprisingly, they are chaotic, highly polluted, congested and dangerous. With more than 80% of the region’s population living in urban areas, local governments can no longer turn a blind eye to the sprawling problems. But not all is doom and gloom, as we are seeing efforts to make the cities smarter and more sustainable, with overall regional investment of around $100 billion a year (however, this is still much less than developed countries’ spending). But as with all revolutions, the people have taken it into their own hands, using the technologyin their reach to improve their lives. In response, many brandsand institutions have jumped on the bandwagon.

THERE’S THE RUB

Traffic is the main plague facing city dwellers and one of themost discussed topics on social media. So not surprisingly, we have seen many brand activations in this area delivering overdue relief to stressed commuters. Bogota is one of the worse cities in the world for traffic, so Kit Kat encouraged busy bus travellers to take a break, bringing to life the brand’s “Give Me a Break” tagline. The 2015 campaign equipped more than 20 bus shelters in Colombia’s capital with motorised devices that offered mini back massages to people whenever they leaned against them. Billboards featuring an image of a broken Kit Kat bar displayed the line, “Come, I’ll give you a massage”, and commuters could locate the nearest example via Google Maps or social media activity. Every time someone tweeted words such as “tired”or “stressed”, an instant alert gave them the location ofthe nearest massage billboard.

COFFEE JAMS

Mexico City is not far behind Bogota when it comes to terrible traffic – it is the most commented upon topic during early commuting hours, with a 25% share of social buzz comments. Coffee Mate was one of the brands that decided to take advantage of that moment when the brand is very relevant toa captive audience: when stuck in traffic, most commuters yearn for a second cup of coffee. The brand used live Waze data to identify congested areas and pinpoint where to send its coffee trucks, treating frustrated commuters to delicious java creamed with Coffee Mate. In addition, it used popular radio broadcasters, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to amplify the story, and people very quickly braved the jams to get their Coffee Mate. This is unheard of in Mexico City, where people have become adeptat avoiding the traffic!

VULTURE BRIGADE

Pollution is one of Latin American cities’ most pressing problems, so last year the local government in Lima, Peru’s capital, decided to use simple technology to equip vultures – yes, you read that correctly, real-life vultures – to identify illegal waste dumps and other highly polluted areas in the city. Under the Gallinazo Avisa (Vultures Warn) initiative, ten birds equipped with ultra-lightweight cameras and GPS are already revealing the most intensely affected parts of the capital through a dedicated website and social media. Via photos and video, the initiative makes it possible to document the enormous amount of rubbish dumped on Lima’s streets, informing the public about the garbage produced and how it should be handled. It also encourages citizens to tackle the problems themselves by joining the Vulture Brigade, becoming “vultures on the ground” to report fly-tipping, cut back on theirown waste and recycle.

EARTHQUAKE SOS

Another area where Latin America has proved to be quite ingenious is disaster relief. The western part of the continent is affected by earthquakes and when disaster strikes, all networks shut down, making communication impossible. Life Signal is a free app that allows people in disaster areas to pinpoint the exact GPS location of the members in their ‘safe group’ – a list of up to ten contacts that can be preconfigured on any smartphone, even when the networks are down. The app reunites families and helps first responders to look for survivors with greater precision. In conclusion, we know that much still needs to be done in Latin America so that our cities can deliver on the smart living promise, but the people are not waiting for governments to get their act together. The technology already in reach is being utilised to improve the lives of city dwellers in innovative and intelligent ways.

SONIA LE LOUARN

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER

MINDSHARE LATAM

WILL CONNECTED LIVES LEAD US TO BECOME MORE CONNECTED AS PEOPLE?

VICTORIA COOK

PARTNER, BUSINESS PLANNING

MINDSHARE WW

Everything we use now has the potential to be connected to the internet to give us extra services and products. This is an exciting time for us, but how will different types of consumer react to this new technology and what will be its human impact?

Mindshare’s study on the Future of Behaviour has identified four key attitudes towards technology and media. These future behaviours represent different consumers who will choose to use the available technology based on their environment, wealth, needs and concerns. For each of these categories, we can identify the core behaviours that will guide consumers’ smart technology and media choices.

I WANT IT NOW

This group is always looking for hyper personalised offers – exactly what they want and as long as they gain something.They demand the latest technology without worrying about the data they share.

They will always be the first to consume it, without always having the income to achieve what they want. Anything that allows them to become more connected with their peers will interest them. Leisure and fashion products will work well with this group, as it is the one most likely to embrace augmented and virtual realities to take its experiences to the next level.

I WANT IT ON MY TERMS

These consumers are the new privacy guards – free initiatives won’t seduce them and they won’t compromise.

They want all the benefits of connected lives, but don’t want their privacy hampered by technology. These consumers also tend to be wealthier. Technologies that will help them blend work and home life will be of particular interest, as increasing numbers of this group will work for themselves.

I AM NOT SURE I WANT IT

These people aspire to a simpler life without technology, often due to privacy concerns. Their acceptance of new technology is very slow (especially for elderly groups). However, when connected technology becomes seamless, their uptake will be faster.

This group wants technology, but is either unsure how to use it or worried about data sharing. Here, home and wellness technologies will be of greatest use. In particular, anything that is voice controlled and sensor-based will be utilised, as such technology feels more natural and less intrusive.

I WANT WHATEVER I CAN GET

Internet and technology providers won’t be questioned by this group, they will be prepared to give up personal data for free connection and services.

This group’s key issue is wanting access to technology it doesn’t necessarily possess. Its members tend to hail from emerging markets. Here, infrastructure-based technologies will have the greatest impact as these markets start to invest in city planning.

All these groups need technology, not only to make their lives simpler, but also to bring them closer together as people. There is a concern with all these products that they encourage consumers to become isolated as a result of the more personalised and anonymous experiences on offer. This has raised fears that the world might become more sterile, one ultimately controlled by technology rather than people. As media agencies, we need to remember to bring the human into our ideas to answer these concerns.


THE SYMBIOSIS OF HERITAGE BRANDSAND SMARTWATCHES

Consumers will no longer have to choose between the heritageof a Swiss-made watch and the technology of the Silicon Valley.A new middle ground is starting to emerge, where consumers can strike a balance between the prestige and status of a Swiss-made watch with the technological capabilities of their smartphone.

When the Apple Watch was announced in 2014, many commentators speculated that the smartwatch would prove to have the same disastrous effect on the industry as the first battery-powered watch did 45 years earlier (ie, in 1969, when the Japanese brand Seiko launched the Astron). Within 10 years, such watches became more popular than mechanical ones thanks to their accuracy, reliability and affordability. As a result, the Swiss watch industry largely collapsed (the so-called ‘quartz crisis’): the workforce declined by around 70%, with countless brands closing down for good due to their failure to adapt to a new form of competition.

THE SILICON VALLEY EFFECT

So how have Swiss watch brands responded to technology penetrating their industry, and given how much the landscape shifted in the 1970s, how will things change this time around? The brand that has made the biggest response so far is Tag Heuer, which in 2015 announced its first smartwatch through a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Google and Intel. A year later, Tag Heuer opened an office in Silicon Valley with Intel, solidifying its commitment to smart technologies. This was a huge response by a major brand looking to steal a march on its competitors. Not only did Tag Heuer acknowledge the huge threat of the

smartwatch, but it also embraced it like no other Swiss watch brand has dared to do so far. By investing in technology, Tag Heuer is committing to a future where smartwatches will be the rule rather than the exception.

SWISS OPERATING SYSTEM

Other Swiss watch brands have decided to steer clear of Silicon Valley by opting to create not only their own smartwatches, but also their own operating systems. For example, Frederique Constant has created a new brand to develop its own software and plans to sell it to its peers. Swatch Group, the parent company of major Swiss brands such as Omega, Breguet and Longines, has taken a similar approach by developing its own software (also with an eye on distribution). This could be seen as an effort to maintain control by keeping all aspects of production in Switzerland (and in opposition to the Californian competition). However, challenging industry-leading brands that already have widely used software with years of research behind them could prove futile.

Much like the ‘quartz crisis’ of the 1970s, the emergence of smartwatches and the threat they pose to the industry will have the biggest impact on lower and middle-tier brands fighting for differentiation in a crowded market. Any Swiss watch brand that decides to compete directly with smartwatch brands will need to act quickly and with precision, so the operating system they choose to use, whether in-house or not, will prove pivotal. Alternatively, brands would be wise to stand their ground and both reinforce and emphasise fine watchmaking’s values and traditions that make it uniquely attractive.

ANDREW TRIGG

LUXURY, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

MINDSHARE WW

SEAMLESS CONNECTION IS THE NEW FASHION STATEMENT

GIORGINA CLAVARINO

LUXURY, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

MINDSHARE WW

Forget wearables, the Internet of Things is improving the fashion industry by connecting clothes to the internet and delivering seamless experiences. The real opportunity for fashion brands is not to create wearable products, but to integrate digitaland smart technology within apparel.

In 2016, it was announced that more than 10 billion appareland footwear products will be produced thanks to the partnership between EVRYTHING and Avery Dennison RBIS (a global leader in labelling and tags for such items). Their vision is to have every product we wear connected to the web, making them part of the digital app ecosystem we use daily to simplify and coordinateour lives.

CONNECTED APPAREL FOR AN EXTENDED REACH

The Internet of Things will not only improve your shopping experience, but also simplify your life. For example, you decide to buy a pair of jeans from your favourite store: you walk into the shop, choose the pair you like the most and then scan the embedded tag inside the product with your smartphone. On your mobile screen, you will be shown your size, the colours available in that design, along with other items to wear with the jeans. Cool, isn’t it?

However, that’s not all. Connected apparel will provide an opportunity for brands to extend their reach and our experiences with them. Imagine that once you purchase a connected pair of jeans, you automatically unlock exclusive content that your favourite brand has created for its buyers. You have access tothe playlist it put together, exclusive invites to cocktail parties,new collection previews, product launches, sample salesand much more.

‘SWITCHING ON’ THE FASHION INDUSTRY

This is not just a dream, it’s the futuristic vision that Avery Denninson will bring to us in the coming years. The ‘switching on’ of the fashion industry is happening and plenty of brands, such as Hugo Boss, Nike and M&S, have already pressed the button. The outcomes will not only be positive for consumers by making our clothes more interactive, informative and personalised, but will also allow brands to use real-time data analytics to tackle problems and make their supply chains more efficient.

Most wearable tech to date in the fashion industry has revolved around gimmicky and eye-catching features, but what consumers want is utility – so how can what we wear help us lead a more seamless life? This clearly underlines that we do not need LED-light dresses that tweet on your behalf. However, I would buy in the Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket, the first connected apparel released by the brand (and developed in partnership with Google), which allows cyclists to interact with a variety of services such as music and maps. Or OMsignal, which supplied the tech behind Ralph Lauren’s smart shirt at the US Open and the OMbra that tracks wearers’ heartbeat and performance.

This is the time for fashion brands and media agencies to figure out how they can implement this technology to improve the user experience. However, they will not be able to do so alone: theywill need customers to join them strategically to producemutually valued experiences. This means that all parties will have to understand thetechnology behind connectivity, transforming the fashion supply chain into a supply web, allowing the audience to feel part ofa brand while retaining some control.


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SCOUT CITY REGION

01 JAMES CAPE TOWN AFRICA

02 UDOEYO LAGOS AFRICA

03 JUDE NAIROBI AFRICA

04 JIA DELHI ASIA PACIFIC

05 KESHIA HONG KONG ASIA PACIFIC

06 SHIKHA MUMBAI ASIA PACIFIC

07 LEA SEOUL ASIA PACIFIC

08 AILSE SHENZHEN ASIA PACIFIC

09 DANIEL SINGAPORE ASIA PACIFIC

10 KELSEY SYDNEY ASIA PACIFIC

11 ALISA TOYKO ASIA PACIFIC

12 HELENA BARCELONA EUROPE

13 CAMILLE BERLIN EUROPE

14 MORTEN COPENHAGEN EUROPE

15 AYTEN ISTANBUL EUROPE

16 CHARLOTTE LONDON EUROPE

17 PETER MANCHESTER EUROPE

18 MARCO MILAN EUROPE

19 NADIA MOSCOW EUROPE

20 ANAIS MUNICH EUROPE

21 SOPHIE PARIS EUROPE

22 SARA STOCKHOLM EUROPE

23 DANIEL BOGOTA LATIN AMERICA

24 SOFIA BUENOS AIRES LATIN AMERICA

25 LUZ MEXICO CITY LATIN AMERICA

26 RENATA RIO DE JANEIRO LATIN AMERICA

27 LAURA ABU DHABI MIDDLE EAST

28 FATIMA DUBAI MIDDLE EAST

29 KRISTIN LOS ANGELES NORTH AMERICA

30 MICHAEL MIAMI NORTH AMERICA

31 OLIVIER MONTREAL NORTH AMERICA

32 PIETER NEW YORK NORTH AMERICA

33 LIZ TORONTO NORTH AMERICA

SCOUT REPORTS

The Scout Network is a group of individualsliving in key cities all over the world, whoselives are immersed in the latest consumertrends, technologies and brands.

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TRANSPORT

SMART ERRANDS

PicUp is a programme running through WeChat that allows its users to request deliveries and pick-ups through the app, instantly. For example, if you were stuck outside your house having left your keys at the office, you could request PicUp to bring them. I feel like this is a great app in Cape Town, as we often have a lot of traffic over the summer months and it proves to be extremely convenient having someone on a bike or bicycle doing all your running around.

WELLNESS

HEALTH SENSOR

I personally make use of an application on my mobile phone called S Health. This is a built-in app on most Samsung Galaxy smartphones that allows you to track your heart rate via a sensor located on the back of your phone. The app also allows you to fill in the details of what you have consumed throughout the day (including how many cups of coffee you’ve had, how many calories you’ve eaten, how many hours of sleep you’ve had and how many steps you take on average per day).

CONTRASTING SCENES

Living in Cape Town really does offer two worlds apart in a single city. On one hand, we have millions of people living in absolute poverty who would not use a single device or even a hint of smart technology. On the other, we are known as the cosmopolitan capital of Africa.

The likes of Uber, Fitbit and Apple Watch have become very popular among the affluent individuals residing in our city. Uber has affected it dramatically, as Cape Town is relatively small and the cost of taking an Uber to go about your daily activities is cheaper than buying a car. There is a lot that hasn’t been affected at all, but for the people in the suburb where I live and those I am connected to, things have changed dramatically.

SCOUT: JAMES

CITY: CAPE TOWN

REGION: AFRICA

“On the positive side, we are able to better manage staff through vehicle tracking, online teamwork programmes, the use of Uber to transport clients and staff from one place to another, plus courier apps that make the way we work a lot more efficient. In some of the houses we manage, we are able to check the camera systems, open doors, switch on lights, change the temperature, access apps such as the Deezer music programme and all the media players throughout the house via our phones from anywhere in the world”.

“On the negative side, being in the short-term villa rental market, the likes of Airbnb and booking.com have taken a lot of business away from us, as it is more convenient for clients to do everything through an application on their phones”.

Pieter, 45, estate agency CEO, Cape Town

HOMES

UCOOK

Nowadays our lives are often so busy that we don’t get around to doing simple tasks such as buying groceries. UCOOK is a company that has recently popped up in Cape Town. Basically, you sign a monthly subscription and it will deliver a well put together healthy meal recipe, along with all of the ingredients.

WORK

PRODUCTIVITY PLUS

In my workplace, we make use of software called TeamWorkPM. This is a project management system that allows our admin staff to post projects that need to be attended to on a live platform. We then receive these tasks in the form of notifications directly to our emails and smartphones. This has increased our productivity dramatically, as the jobs get assigned to individuals who can then comment, delegate and mark them off once they have been completed.

TeamWorkPM, remote project management


WELLNESS

HEALTHY AID

Mylfit is a customised health and fitness solution that helps people live more healthily. The app is designed to allow users to track their food intake, exercise and weight. In Lagos, where people go through a lot of stress from waking up in the morning, facing the traffic, at work and even on their way back home, most do not have the time to exercise properly, if at all. The app has gone a long way to incorporating the database of Nigerian food, with familiar metrics of measurement. It counts the calories of different meals and even allows you to purchase gym equipment for your home. Using the app has really helped users live healthier lives.

LESS STRESS

In Lagos, people use connected technology to improve their wellbeing and better manage their time because it is a busy and stressful place for one to live. Connected technology adds great value to life. Some advantages include stress reduction, time management, knowledge development, easy access to information and process optimisation. Connected technology has gone a long way to helping Lagosians plan their lives, bring about smart living in communities and also expose people to the world around them.

However, Lagosians find it difficult to make use of connected technology due to the high cost of data bundles, which you have to work hard to afford. Most people buy as little as 500mb or 1,000mb, which may not be enough to carry out projects or read the news online, so they would rather use the little access they have to chat with friends, check social media or get information from work groups via WhatsApp or BBM. The Government is working with network providers to see how the issue can be resolved to give people access to the internet at a low cost and even via Wi-Fi in hotels, supermarkets and hospitals.

SCOUT: UDOEYO

CITY: LAGOS

REGION: AFRICA

TRANSPORT

FUELLING LAGOSIANS

Due to the fuel scarcity experienced in Lagos, which leads to long queues and even people sleeping at the petrol station for days, the FueledUp app has been designed to spare Lagosians the trouble. The device and app is still an ongoing project, but will be available to users soon. The design shows how easy it will be for consumers to get fuel at the click of a button. Users are required to enter their car information, the amount of petrol needed and the delivery place and time. They then get a notification on their device that they have been refilled and are ready to go. Users are allowed to purchase 20 to 40 litres of fuel. Payments are made on the device, which makes it cashless. With the introduction of FueledUp, Lagosians will be freed from the stress of endless queues and black market solutions.

HOMES

SMART METERS

The wCBU(09)RANGE is a wireless smart meter recently introduced into the Lagos market by an organisation called Conlog to reduce the challenge of paying electricity bills. Before we had to wait in long queues to pay and most users were unable to pay them before the due date, which led to the distribution companies disconnecting them. With the introduction of the smart meter, users can pay their bills from the comfort of their homes, offices and on the go. It is cost-effective, easy to install and has a large screen and integrated keypad for ease of use. Consumers can monitor consumption, and the keypad can be used to input credit tokens as well as meter short codes. The introduction of the smart meter has gone a long way to reducing stress for Lagosians.

EDUCATION

KNOWLEDGE BRIDGE

Prepa is an education app that has bridged the gap between urban and rural educational quality at the secondary level in Nigeria. The app creates a platform for students preparing to go to university and enables them to take standard tests with their mobile phones or smart devices. It has made learning easy and all from the comfort of your home. Until now, students needed to attend tutorials and pay more to acquire the knowledge needed for entrance to university, but with the Prepa app, over 20 thousand past questions and answers are available to practice. One student I spoke to told me that it has transformed his life: now, if he wants to carry on learning after school hours, he barely needs to leave the house.

“Since I introduced connected technology to my business, there have been great changes and customer service has improved – from archiving clients’ records and tracking incoming vessels from other countries, to getting directions on where to deliver client goods. Connected technology is really improving the life and culture of people in Lagos”.

Duke, 30, logistics and transport company owner, Lagos

FueledUp app for petrol delivery

Mylfit, health and fitness solution


MOBILE WALLETS

SCOUT: JUDE

CITY: NAIROBI

REGION: AFRICA

TRANSPORT

CROWDSOURCE SOLUTION

Ma3Route is a mobile, web and SMS platform that crowdsources transport data and provides users with information on traffic, matatu directions and driving reports. Matatus are Nairobi’s main form of public transport – vans that seat between fourteen to thirty people.Given the city’s huge traffic congestion problem, this solution is a welcomeaddition to the digital space.

WORK

M-FARM

For many low-volume Kenyan farmers, the only source of information about the market rate for crops comes from the very people who are trying to buy them. The lack of pricing transparency means that farmers don’t always get the best deal. M-Farm seeks to solve this by providing up-to-date market prices via an app or SMS direct to farmers. It also connects them with buyers directly, cutting out the middleman.

The technologies that are used every day in Nairobi city are improving people’s lives. They are connected and work in tandem to deliver services or products. Although Kenya is not big on connected technologies, over half of the population use the M-Pesa mobile payments system, making the country a leader in mobile wallets.

This innovation touches on all areas of people’s lives, given its incredible impact. It was started because a lot of people within and outside Nairobi did not have access to financial services. This has changed now thanks to M-Pesa, which is accessible via any mobile – even basic feature phones. It works simply: users go to an M-Pesa agent and load money into a digital wallet, from which they can send money to others or purchase services.

HOMES

ELECTRICITY PAYMENTS

This innovation is related to the M-Pesa payment solution. In Nairobi, there have been problems with electricity payments, with many discrepancies regarding the amounts owed and unwarranted disconnections. The solution was to have houses built with electricity meters that can be topped up with credits using mobile money (M-Pesa). This way, accountability and transparency were introduced to an industry that had previously lacked them.

“My business involves buying or importing clothes and textiles from India and China, and selling them here in Nairobi. Clients normally contact me via WhatsApp, at which point I send them photos of what is in stock. They then book items they’re interested in by sending a reserve deposit using M-Pesa. I don’t know how I would have done my business if it wasn’t for M-Pesa”.

“Given the horrible traffic congestion that creates a logistical nightmare when it comes to movement and travel, M-Pesa allows people to book what they’re interested in, and business managers and owners to coordinate one or two days to meet customers”.

Paul, 26, clothing and textile retailer, Nairobi Ma3Route, crowdsourced transport data


TRANSPORT

EASY CABS

Ola Cabs is a great option that has made commuting so much easier. If you are looking for a budget vehicle or a three-wheeler, you can schedule your ride, estimate your cost and book it for functions, dinner or a trip to the airport. It is easy, convenient and available for free on multiple platforms. You can choose to pay via Ola Money or cash if you so wish, and can keep track of all your conveyancing bills in case you need to show them to your employer or accountant for reimbursements. Ola Money is like Paytm or a mobile wallet that works on a credit system. You deposit some money and it deducts fares automatically with each ride, so you don’t have to worry about carrying the exact change or cards around. It is also a lot cheaper than hiring your own driver or buying a car, so it is easier on the wallet.

SAFETY AND SUPPORT

As Delhi is overtaking Beijing to become the most polluted city in the world, it is only prudent to have smart technology such as air-quality monitors that give you warnings and tell you when the pollution is above normal levels. Meanwhile, wearables and smart devices are being used to keep the solo female traveller safe and in touch with her loved ones in case of an emergency. Crime against women is steadily on the rise in metropolitan cities across India, with Delhi being particularly unsafe. The disadvantage with using connected technology is that it constitutes an invasion of privacy to constantly have location services enabled on your smartphone, because it means people can know where you are at the time.

Older people are becoming more tech-savvy, ordering groceries online or booking cabs and paying via Flipkart. This is great because it makes them less reliant on others for help and support, particularly if there is an emergency, but I do also think it is making us more anti-social and more dependent on technology. The downside to this is that people no longer want to make the effort to perform tasks that they can now do with ease because of technology. I personally use quite a few apps that help me maximise productivityat work, save time while commutingand improve my health.

SCOUT: JIA

CITY: DELHI

REGION: ASIA PACIFIC

FASHION

SAFETY JEWELLERY

Leaf Wearables is an Indian start-up that is making life safer for woman. The UN states that around the globe, a woman is molest-ed every 12.5 seconds. The company has launched a wearable tech device, SAFER, that looks like costume jewellery. The technology sends SOS alerts to friends and family to let them know the wearer’s exact location, leaving them in safer hands. It comes in a beautiful pendant design that a lot of people are opting for. The device syncs to your phone via Bluetooth and doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket. I think it’s a great development for India because its cities aren’t safe for women, particularly if they travel on their own late in the evenings. SAFER costs $40 as a standalone piece and $60 as a pendant.

WELLNESS

AIR MONITOR

The pollution in Delhi is a real cause for concern, particularly for children, the elderly and people who engage in intensive physical activity outdoors. It might be possible to combat the ill effects of air pollution by employing several air purifiers, but it is important to be able to measure the PM2.5 readings to know if it’s safe to move around. Crusaders has come up with an air-quality monitor that can be used to check the levels outside, in the home or in the car. The device is easy to assembleand read, and costs about INR5,999.

LEISURE

CURATED LIFESTYLE

LBB is a fantastic app that started off as a Tumblr account around six years ago. It was funded recently and has become the city’s largest lifestyle-curated platform for the best restaurants and date-night spots; it also has the lowdown on all the events listed in your area, so you can pick the activity that suits you best. The appis fantastic for us Delhi citizens because it lets you download and save stories, share them with your friends, make recommendations about a place where you ate and participate in contests and giveaways. The app is available forfree on Android and iOS.

“There are a lot of new trends where technology is making our lives easier and more convenient. Cell phones are more reasonably priced, so the average Delhi citizen has more access to education, videos and productivity apps at the click of a button. A lot of public spaces and hotels have unlimited Wi-Fi access or zones that allow you to check your emails, book an Uber and post photographs onto social media without using up all your mobile data. Dating apps such as Hinge, Aisle, Tinder and Happn are becoming increasingly popular in big cities where people lead stressful and busy lives, because they allow you to filter prospective dates based on location and common interests. They have decided

to give free Wi-Fi on public buses and in shopping malls because they realise just how reliant we have become on technology. They make announcements regarding events and special rates in the malls so people browsing the internet can also be made aware when their favourite brand goes on sale. IoT or more specifically connected technology has made my life a lot easier, as I can stay in touch with friends who are overseas on the phone, buy groceries online, order a cab via Uber, track expenses and book workout classes on an app called Fitpass”.

Gayatri, 25, software solutions manager,Kommlabs, Delhi

Ola Cabs, easyand affordable rides


URBAN TRANSFORMATION

SCOUT: KESHIA

CITY: HONG KONG


CITIES

LEADING IOT

Thinxtra, a company that currently operates in Australia and New Zealand, will roll out an Internet of Things network in Hong Kong this year, making it among the first to do so, and indicating the growing demand for such interrelated services in the city. Supporting Hong Kong’s ongoing “transformation into a smart city and a leader in IoT adoption and development” is something that spurred the company to focus on it. Working particularly closely with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation on research and development, Thinxtra believes the IoT network in Hong Kong could be deployed for a variety of markets: for example, buildings, the environment, utilities and even in scenarios such as car parks to monitor the number of available parking lots, or to check water and electricity usage.

TRANSPORT

LOGISTICAL SUCCESS

GoGoVan is an online logistics platform in Hong Kong that provides professional delivery services 24/7. You can hire a van in 30 seconds by using GoGoVan, which has proved extremely effective, again due to the transient nature of Hong Kong’s expat community and the close proximity of the city. Established in 2013, GoGoVan was the first app-based platform for transporting goods in Asia. The app was created to connect drivers and customers, and redefine the everyday logistics experience. The GoGoVan network currently comprises over 20,000 commercial vehicles and 70,000 registered drivers. Because major logistics companies such as DHL or TNT have trouble operating in Hong Kong, GoGoVan has experiencedunprecedented success.

Hong Kong is a place where the fastest internet in the world operates alongside organisations and institutions that still issue cheques. In saying this, it has identified a distinct need to become a smart city, integrating innovation and technologyto greater effect.

Hong Kongers are used to international entities landing in the region and fusing their new offerings with an already established practice – for example, the Octopus system with Apple and Android Pay. The city is a leader when it comes to urban systems such as the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and smart ID cards for travel, but weakest when it comes to sustainable and educational technologies.

“I am originally from Hungary, which is fairly behind from a smart living point of view. As a consequence, having an Octopus card is a major benefit of living in Hong Kong. Having travelled in China recently however, where you can pay for everything through AliPay and WeChat Pay, it has become annoying that you cannot use such channels in Hong Kong to pay for a taxi, for example. As a major fan of such technologies, the introduction of Apple Pay in many stores is welcome”.

“Smart living has had two major impacts for businesses. First, as people get used to more smart living technologies and the ease of doing anything, businesses need to stay up to speed. Second, applying smart living technologies, such as smart payment and air-conditioning systems, make work easier, creating more space for productivity”.

Tony, 33, start-up employee, Hong Kong

WORK

TANGIBLE BUSINESS

Mettā is a global co-innovation platform, founded and headquartered in Hong Kong. Drawing on the city’s international connections, the digital network is complemented by a physical space in Central Hong Kong (Lan Kwai Fong) and membership is invite-only. Part meeting space, part events space, the curated people and content that emerge from Mettā serve to build a living, engaged community, focused on collaboration to source new thinking and drive tangible business value. This expert network, driven by unique events and speakers, has formed a new way for all members of the community – from start-up founder to student, and from corporate to government – to crowdsource fresh ideas that push the city to be more efficient, creative and sustainable.

WELLNESS

PREDICTIVE MOBILITY

Simply Wearables is a Hong Kong-born start-up that tackles the rapidly increasing issue of the city’s aged population. The evolving wearable platform goes beyond reacting to a crisis by using a system of predictive mobility tracking, which analyses changes in daily activity patterns to predict a fall, alerting the appropriate parties. Because personal emergency response systems currently rely on a button being pressed, Simply Wearables was able to innovate using an automatic detection function, enhanced by impact analysis, which integrates into a one-touch immediate voice call to any number you choose from your mobile phone. The app is trackable by smartphones for family members outside the home, ensuringHong Kong’s elderly are far bettercared for.

HOMES

AIR COMFORT

Ambi Climate lets you manage all your air conditioners from your smartphone, learns what AC settings you prefer and builds a tailored profile based on your preferences. It records the big picture with the Historical Graphs feature and users can see what personalised indoor comfort feels like, how Ambi Climate is working to keep them comfortable and how to gain a deeper understanding of your air conditioning usage over time. When you’re away, Ambi Climate can help you protect your property and belongings from changing conditions. Set thresholds make sure your air conditioning turns on at the right time and specific temperaturesare maintained.

GoGoVan connects drivers and consumersThinxtra, leading smart cities initiatives


SMART ESSENTIALS

SCOUT: SHIKHA

CITY: MUMBAI


TRANSPORT

E-FINES

The Maharashtra state government is planning to introduce e-challans, or e-fines, for breaking traffic rules. For the first time, traffic police will be given devices that have access to data about offenders. The plan hasn’t been rolled out yet, but given the general apathetic attitude towards road safety, this system could create greater accountability if people were worried that their offences were on record and could be called up in the future. Right now, you’ll just get a fine and can usually bribe the policeman to let you go if you haven’t committed a serious crime. But once speeding and CCTV cameras replace cops, it will be harder to escape the consequences of breaking the law. I haven’t seen this function yet, but I have seen a few posters trying to make people aware of the concept of e-challans.

EDUCATION

HOMEWORK TRACKING

One of South Mumbai’s premier new schools, BD Somani, has its own app for parents to monitor their children’s homework. Instructions for daily tasks are uploaded by teachers and then downloaded by parents. Alongside this, the school provides WhatsApp groups to keep parents informed of any special activities, events and last-minute changes to plans. This way they are always aware of what has been assigned and can follow up with their children to make sure it is done. I’m sure we’ll see more examples of smart education developing in the years to come. However, for now, we see this as a small step towards a directly digital way of communicating with parents (as opposed to the analogue way of writing notes inthe children’s diaries).

Mumbai, and indeed the rest of India, has still to see the widespread use of connected technology. There is great potential for increased transparency, accountability and efficiency. While it is mostly young tech-savvy people using such technology, there is a determined effort to bring more people into the fold of technology and make it mainstream.

In general, people will use this kind of technology to manage their time better (especially in Mumbai, where famously time is money) and handle the city’s poor transport infrastructure. Government bodies, usually slow and lumbering, are embracing digital technologies more and more. The Mumbai Suburban Railway has its own app, for example, which provides train timings. Being the financial capital of the country, when ‘smart living’ does come to India, Mumbai will be one of the first places to accept it. Right now, our version of the smart city still includes what would be considered basic amenities elsewhere, such as the water supply and sanitation.

LEISURE

MORE THAN DRIVE

Ola is a local version of Uber, which we also have in India. It will soon be rolling out a new infotainment system that will allow customers to watch or listen to HD movies and music – a first of its kind in the country. This will almost be like an in-flight entertainment system, and it might give Ola a distinct edge over Uber, which is its closest rival. We’ve also seen innovations such as uberPOOL, the app matches youto another rider to share your costsand reducing them by almost half.

Deepak, 60, is vaguely aware of the idea of smart living, but isn’t exactly sure what it means practically. Phrases that come up include “the living of thefuture”, “more environmentallyfriendly”, “more efficient”, but without having seen too many practical examples, he is not sure how this is going to play out on a large scale.

“In rural communities – and in some parts of the country where we are still facing shortages of electricity and water, and people are not even getting an education – the effects of smart living will take time to trickle down. There is also a sense that smart living may make us too dependent on technology, more isolated from our peers, friends

and society. In an Indian family, many people are involved in running the house, and there is a small extended society of maids, drivers, vegetable sellers and florists who are involved in keeping it running smoothly. These are relationships with individuals, so too much smart living may not be such a smart idea in the Indian context after all. Smarter devices replacing human labour in an Indian context could mean an even sharper divide between the rich leading more cushy lives and the poor being even more left out from the new economy”.

Deepak, 60, businessconsultant, Mumbai

HOMES

FUTURE HOMES

Lodha, a high-end builder, is planning new projects in several suburban areas such as Thane. These promise flats that are automated to a degree, with sensitive systems that enable you to regulate lighting, AC, electronic appliances, security gadgets and even curtains at the simple push of a button, from within your homes or through your mobile phones ‘on the go’. However, these new flats, and how homeowners respond to them, will only be revealed in the next two to five years.

CITIES

CASHLESS POPULARITY

Paytm is an e-wallet app gaining huge popularity after the government decided to demonetise 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in a bid to stop counterfeit money. This has caused great hardship for many poor people, who have to wait in extraordinarily long queues to exchange their rupee notes. This has pushed a lot of middle-class people, with smartphones and bank accounts, to go cashless. Most are using Paytm, which also offers cashback when you use it regularly to make payments. Paytm is connected to my Uber account,so I keep topping it up as my e-wallet. Paytm is also increasing the number of vendors, from rickshaw drivers to milk booth owners, going cashless. Switching to cashless forms of payment is a significant first step in our increasing dependenceon technology and devices.

Lodha, automated apartments Paytm e-wallet app BD Somani school app


MIND AND BODY

SCOUT: LEA

CITY: SEOUL


HOMES

HOME TECH HOME

Korean consumers are tech-savvy andinterested in products and services that can improve the quality of their lives. In South Korea, smart homes have become a reality. In partnership with Hyundai Engineering & Construction, SK Telecom unveiled its first IoT-integrated apartment in November 2016. The smart home not only allows users to control IoT functions by voice command, it also lets them connect their smartphones to the enhanced security system so that they can lock and unlock doors remotely. In addition, it provides real-time energy and water monitoring, and lets users check on the availability of parking spaces and the status of elevators.

LEISURE

RESTAURANTS + BEACONS

Korean consumers have fully embraced beacon-enabled technology as it makes the shopping or restaurant experience more pleasant, speedy and convenient. In collaboration with SM Entertainment, SK Telecom designed an app that utilises IoT technology at an upscale restaurant called SMT Seoul. Through the app, users can receive menu recommendations and place orders, which are then sent to the kitchen. The app notifies users about the waiting time and provides music and videos in the meantime. The company also plans to offer tailored services for returning customers.

Seoul is a very dynamic, fast-paced and constantly evolving city with a high regard for tradition. In South Korea, where modernity and tradition go hand in hand, consumers are tech-savvy and quick adopters. They are more than ready to embrace new technologies in everyday life.

The country is also known for being a highly competitive society. Success is a must and failure is not an option. As South Koreans are so preoccupied with their careers, they strive to have a more streamlined and stress-free life. Not only is it important to save time, we are now also concerned about improving their wellbeing. As these consumers become more health-conscious, integrating physical and mental health is developing into a trend. Thus, we welcome technology with open arms. The era of IoT has arrived and for many consumers, the smart living experience has become a necessity.

WELLNESS

MAGIC MIRROR

In collaboration with furniture maker Hanssem, LG Uplus unveiled the LTE Magic Mirror, a mirror that analyses the user’s skin condition using high-definition cameras. Combining design with IoT, the smart mirror allows consumers to self-diagnose their skin problems at home, and provides beauty tips and expert skincare advice based on the diagnosis. Consumers can currently try out and purchase the mirror at one of the six Hanssem stores. Despite the fact that it comes with a price tag of KRW999,000, the company believes the Magic Mirror will appeal to the beauty-conscious Korean consumer, who may consider this an affordable alternative to expensive skincare treatments.

SMART SENSORS

Converting to a smart home may still seem like a big step for many households. To help facilitate the switch, LG Electronics has launched the SmartThinQ sensor and SmartThinQ Hub. The former is a device that can turn a conventional home appliance into a connected one, while the latter works as a central control system for all connected sensors. When placed on an air conditioner, for example, the sensor can detect the indoor temperature. It can also be attached to a door and act as an emergency alarm system. And with a washing machine, the sensor can detect vibrations and notify the cycle’s progress.

FASHION

UNDERWEAR + BIOMETRICS

Now that smart clothing has entered the market, companies are trying to grab consumers’ attention by releasing unusual and innovative products. In South Korea, product innovation can sometimes be summed up as the weirder, the better. For example, smart underwear brand Good People and IoT company HandySoft have launched a collaborative product called Gearbits. The smart underwear is designed to track biometric data such as heart rate and body temperature. Through an embedded sensor, the device processes biometric data sent from the body and notifies the user of sudden changes via smartphone.

“I recently moved into a big apartment complex in the Gangnam area of Seoul. My new home is equipped with a smart energy-saving system that allows me to monitor our consumption. My husband often needs to travel overseas for work and I happen to be alone for long periods of time. In addition to a built-in alarm, I use one of the SmartThinQ sensors as an extra security system. Working full-time as an office worker and having to take care of the house by myself, I would say that smart living has really helped me to better manage my time. My main priority is to have a healthy and stress-free life. I have zero interest in purchasing smart wellness products, but I believe that smart home solutions are necessary in this day and age”.

Minjoo, 32, office worker, Seoul

SMT Seoul, IoT restaurant experience LTE Magic Mirror analyses skin conditions


TRANSPORT

BIKE RENTAL

Mobike is a smart bike-rental system. A GPS device on each bike can trace their location. Users download an app and create their own account. After paying a deposit, they can check where there are Mobike bicycles nearby on the app’s map. Compared with other bike-sharing systems, they don’t have to be returned to a dedicated location – you can leave them almost anywhere and you can also reserve them through the app.

POSITIVE EXPERIENCES

Shenzhen, a city formed in 1980, is full of young people from all over the country, and it is famous for its high-tech IT start-ups. People here are very open-minded about new tech. Connected technologies make life more convenient: for example, when you cannot get a cab on the street, you can call one from your phone; and when you want to get food delivered, you can search on an app instead of calling phone numbers on flyers.

The negative aspect is that your personal information is not that private any more, because you have to provide it to different apps to register your accounts. However, so far people still have more positive smart living experiences than negative ones, and they are still willing to try more new technologies. One tradition that has totally changed because of connected technology is the Spring Festival. Elders used to put money in a red envelope and give it to kids to wish them good luck in the coming year: nowadays they just pay them through WeChat’s Red Packet function.

SCOUT: AILSE

CITY: SHENZHEN


HOMES

FOOD DELIVERY

Baidu, a Chinese-American web services company, has developed an app to provide users with food deliveries from restaurants that don’t usually offer takeaways. Baidu hires staff to ferry orders to users and charges for delivery. Once the staff pick up the food from the restaurant, users can check their location on the app. It is very convenient and also provides consumers with greater choice, allowing them to order from restaurants outside their neighbourhood.

“Smart living has changed people’s daily lives in a gradual way. Didi and Uber have taken over almost half the cab business. Food delivery services such as Baidu, Meituan and Elma are booming, and consumers can pay for everything through WeChat wallet or AliPay on their phone”.

“WeChat changed everyone’s lives in China. People can use it to pay for a cab, buy snacks at the grocery store, pay bills in

restaurants, send files to clients and more – all consumers need is their smartphone. These connected services have made living much easier, but people have become addicted to their phones. They will freak out if their phone dies. Even though smart living makes our lives more convenient, we should still learn how to live in real life, not virtual reality”.

Jack, 28, teacher, Shenzhen

CAR SHARING

The concept of car sharing – an idea originally introduced here by Uber – is very popular. Users can share a ride with someone heading in the same direction. A local Chinese version is called Didi Chuxing, which recently bought Uber in China – effectively taking over the whole market. Users can call a taxi, share a ride with strangers, rent a car, call fora designated driver and book a testvia the app.

WELLNESS

PAY AS YOU GO FITNESS

Shenzhen has a very innovative gym and fitness concept called SuperMonkey. The idea is to avoid membership subscriptions by allowing people to make class reservations and pay for them by WeChat.

Mobike, smart bike-rental system


HOMES

UTILITIES + SENSORS

Neighbourhoods will soon be equipped with sensors that log all sorts of data from municipal services, including the provision of utilities such as electricity, gas and water. These sensors will transmit data to central servers for aggregation and analysis, which would give the authorities a clearer picture of how resources are being consumed, thus allowing them to make better informed policy decisions to economise and increase efficiency. For households, personalised data on their own consumption patterns will be accessible on the cloud through their smart devices, with programmable alerts to help them reduce waste, such as when abnormal events arise, like leakages or taps left on by accident.

TECH DIVIDE

The Singapore government is unrelenting in its pursuit of technological advancement. As an ordinary citizen living in the country, it is therefore hard for me to resist the innovations and changes that continually flows through our social fabric. This environment places the majority of Singaporeans in a position where failure to adapt to the latest trends would threaten our quality of life, making us less efficient and effective in our day-to-day living. People hate to be left out of conversations about the latest hit game or e-shopping fad, and we often share new apps or devices we think have promise.

There are negative aspects to this change in behaviour, though. Much has been discussed recently about our newfound dependence on mobile devices, and movements have arisen to encourage people to strike a balance between looking down at their phones and looking up at the world around them. Bricks-and-mortar stores have taken a hit and are desperately trying to attract customers by providing experiences. Also, there is now a tech divide, with the tech-savvy class enjoying the fruits of smart living, while the low-tech class (usually the older and/or lower-education demographic) gets left behind somewhat. Technology is here to stay in

SCOUT: DANIEL

CITY: SINGAPORE


WELLNESS

PANIC BUTTON

One prominent application of smart connected devices that has been attracting attention is the use of wireless sensor technology to monitor the wellbeing of the elderly and other vulnerable individuals. As our population ages, many families have to care for members who need constant supervision. With always-on sensors installed around the house, caregivers are now enabled to keep a virtual eye on things at all times through their smart devices. Handheld panic buttons allow the user to send distress calls, while movement sensors are programmed to send an alert if they fail to detect movement within reasonable time frames during the usual active hours. New technological applications like this will most likely replace conventional video surveillance.

WORK

PAGE ADVISOR

An emerging trend in Singapore’s work culture is the rise of the so-called ‘gig economy’. In an age when corporate employment is not what it was, more people – especially the young – are becoming their own bosses. This has been facilitated in part by the emergence of the cloud, the proliferation of smart mobile devices, and an awareness of the power of crowdsourcing. Page Advisor is a home-grown app that provides a platform for independent service providers to reach out to consumers and B2B clients in a competitive and connected way. For consumers, having such one-stop marketplaces increases efficiency and transparency, while for the service providers, it saves them the time and money that conventional advertising would have cost.

TRANSPORT

GPS TRACKING

Singapore has a distinctive road toll system, the ERP (Electronic Road Pricing). Since its inception, it has been operated through massive metal gantries arching across our roads. With the maturation of technologies such as GPS, the government is developing a cloud-based GPS tracking system that would greatly economise the operation of ERP. The proof of concept already exists: just as Uber relies completely on the accuracy of GPS tracking to calculate ride fares, we can track whether or not a vehicle has passed through any ERP toll gantries. Improvements to citizens’ lives delivered by this new system include not having to maintain credit in a physical pre-paid card, and having toll reports sent to users’ email and/or smart devices for easier monitoring of expenses.

“New technology, like smart devices and mobile apps, aren’t that difficult for anyone to learn to use, actually. All it takes is a healthy amount of curiosity and a willingness to embrace improvement. At home, I am in the process of installing wireless, cloud-connected smart switches for lighting and air conditioning, so that I can turn them on before arriving at my doorstep. At work, I use cloud storage services and web apps such as Dropbox to keep all my

documents at my fingertips, no matter what device I am on at the moment. One of my insurance agency partners provides a smartphone app that allows me to upload images of policy documents that clients have signed to servers officially. This enables both the signing by the client and the submission by the agent to be done remotely, saving everyone the commute”.

Peklyn, 29, financial advisor, Singapore

Singapore, but this is ultimately driven by the capriciousness of social behaviour.The key to success is discovering the ways in which technology can best benefit people while mitigating any negativeside-effects.

Electronic Road Pricing uses cloud-based GPS tracking


BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

SCOUT: KELSEY

CITY: SYDNEY


HOMES

SAVE YOUR ENERGY

Wattcost is a meter-to-mobile devicethat brings together home appliances to help consumers save money on their electricity. The device analyses their energy use, sends it via the cloud, analyses it in real time, then sends mobile alerts when power savings are identified. It can even provide contextual messages by major appliance and user location. Wattcost claims that its device and alert system can save consumers as much as 30% on their energy bills. Living in Sydney is expensive enough and this device can help Sydneysiders save a bit of that cost.

WORK

DIGITAL PEN

The Neo Smartpen was originallycreated and designed by the NeoLAB Sydney Studio, and funded via Kickstarter. The system connects pen and paper to the digital world through an accompanying app. It is comprised of three parts: a pen (N2), paper (the N notebook) and an app (Neo Notes). These products allow consumers to write or draw on paper, using what looks and feels like a regular pen, and duplicates it to the app – in essence, digitising one’s work. Through the app one can edit, transcribe, text or connect to Google Drive and auto-sync with Evernote. Everyone can use this system: professionals, students and creatives– and Sydney has plenty of these.

Sydney is still young when it comes to smart living. You’ve got separate groups doing cool things, plus a few events bringing it all together, but nothingpushing everyone collectively forward. There are certainly hubs in the city, primarily Surry Hills and Pyrmont, which promote innovative technology businesses. These areas are more affordable in rental terms, something that Sydney struggles with as prices continue to rise.

Sydneysiders continue to be pulled between our laidback, simple beach culture and our home’s status as a thriving major world city. It seems we like to use technology to get our food delivered, but haven’t found anything that takes smart living to the next, innovative level. But the tides are changing, with major Australian companies (such as Telstra) releasingsmart home products.

TRANSPORT

LEAN AND GREEN

GOFAR sprung from the idea that every car has a place where it runs best and is most efficient. It is comprised of a device that sits on the dashboard, takes readings and reports back to an app. It claims to help people save 15% of their fuel costs, as well as reduce carbon emissions. GOFAR even summarises a car’s data into trends – e-keeping an eye on fuel costs, distances, time in traffic and fill-ups. While Sydney has a decent public transport system, beyond its central business district it is quite large, with many electing to drive and traffic always being an issue. I think this device will help and save money – so beneficialin such an expensive city.

“Sydney is quick to adopt technological innovation, though struggles in its implementation. Smart living is in its infancy in Sydney, but it is getting there. It is in transportation that this movement has had a great impact on my life – from facilitating the ‘always connected’ idea with free Wi-Fi on Sydney ferries to hotspots where payphones used to be”.

Karl, 31, system administrator, Sydney

FASHION

VIBRATING UNDERWEAR

Wearable X is a company based inSydney that specialises in wearable technology, prototyping products that don’t bypass function for style (and vice versa). Its first prototype was a promotion for Durex Australia called Fundawear – underwear made from bamboo fabric, with vibrators controlled by mobile app. Since then, Wearable X has prototyped jerseys that connect to a person’s phone to receive real-time tactual vibrations from a game, plus a line of tights that correct the user’s form using an accompanying app. This brand puts Sydney on the map for fashion and technology, both of which the cityis pushing.

CITIES

TOUCHING MOMENTS

The City of Sydney has teamed up with JCDecaux to create Australia’s first out-of-home touch screens, Live Touch. Stationed around Sydney’s CBD, these interactive signs feature three key apps: photos (with images and information for major Sydney attractions), maps (with points of interest, retail directions and transport links) and weather forecasts. Since its roll-out in May 2016, the screens have received more than 1,500 hours of usage and more than 55,000 app starts. With this strong showing, Sydneysiders are embracingthe technology, paving the way formore out-of-home tech.

Neo Smartpen connects pen and paper to the digital world

Energy bill savings with Wattcost GOFAR, all car data in one place Wearable X, real-time tactual vibrations


MONITORED WELLBEING

SCOUT: ALISA

CITY: TOKYO


WELLNESS

EYE ON HEALTH

JINS MEME is an eyewear line from the Japanese glasses company Jins that links smartphone apps to your spectacles, monitoring your mental and physical state. Through JINS MEME’s apps, users can check their concentration and stress levels, as well as monitor the way they walk and run. JINS MEME aims to promote a personalised health monitoring system as a way to support Japan’s aging population and bridge the gap between fitness and medicine.

WORK

PAPER JAM

Canon’s Neteye connects printers directly to an online support system, making it easy to fix jams and order parts. Companies can save time because Canon’s maintenance team will come and fix a malfunctioning printer as soon as the machine sends an automatic message to the firm. Offices don’t have to order paper or ink either, because Canon will send stock over when the printer is running low. Printer problems are a hassle and this saves the painof dealing with them.

A very high proportion of Japanese people use the internet through their smartphones instead of computers. Connected technology could be easily introduced through the Internet of Things linked to smartphone apps, but it hasn’t truly taken off yet here. There are many aspects of Japanese society that are not quite digital (for example, companies will still fax documents instead of emailing PDFs).

However, connected technology has been somewhat successful in the health and safety sectors. People find it helpful in monitoring their children or their aging parents’ activities. I think that personalised healthcare is going to become important because more than a quarter of Japan’s population is aged over 65. Connected and wearable technology could greatly improve people’s lives by promoting healthy lifestyles.

HOMES

PARENTS’ TEA TIME

Mimamori Hotline by Zojirushi is a popular service in Japan among adults with aging parents. It allows children who are living away from their elderly parents to monitor how many times they use their hot water pot each day. The iPot will send updates to the children’s smartphones about their parents’ usage, accompanied by a graph. Drinking tea is an important routine for Japanese people (especially the elderly), so the Mimamori Hotline is an easy and effective way for children to monitor their parents’ health.

LEISURE

FULL GLASS

The Okawari Coaster makes it easy for customers to order drinks by simply placing their empty cups on it. Japanese people love to drink at pubs or Izakaya, and it always gets very crowded and hard to order another round: this makes it simple. The coaster is linked to an app that businesses can use to tally up orders and manage their budgets.

TRANSPORT

CROWDED PARKING

Ecopa is a system that allows people to monitor how crowded parking lots are and reserve spots. Ecopa is efficient for businesses and customers, because businesses can avoid large crowds and customers can time their visits. This system is appealing to people who live in suburban areas of Japan and has been successful at sports stadiums.

“I don’t really own a lot of technology, but I’d be interested in incorporating it into my life. Instead of improving my productivity or tracking my daily activities, I’d be more interested in having connected technology for wellness benefits. I’d like connected technology to do this in a subtle, emotionally

intuitive manner. I thought the Moodstone by Google was a really interesting approach to addressing mental health with connected technology”.

Jack, 27, advertising agency planner, Tokyo

Canon Neteye, hassle-free printer service

JINS MEME monitors your mental and physical state Okawari Coaster, the smart way to order drinks Ecopa monitors parking lots


SMART CONFIDENCE

SCOUT: HELENA

CITY: BARCELONA

REGION: EUROPE

Step by step, technology is being integrated into our daily lives. People in Barcelona are addicted to technology and smart living: it seems like people’s digital lives are becoming more important than their real ones. If you are connected to the network, you are able to know, whenever and wherever you are, what other people are doing; you can save time, manage things and connect with your peers everywhere; control more things in your life, from your diet to home security; and find out things you don’t know in a matter of seconds.

Technology makes people feel smarter, more sure of themselves, more modern, so behaviour is changing in favour of smart living. However, at the same time we are becoming more dependent and less autonomous. Young people are the demographic group most addicted to technology, it’s almost become silly: you don’t memorise things because you can always find it on the internet; we trust that technology will save us all the time. What happens when our smartphone runs out of battery? Panic! I think people are not really living their own lives. They pretend on social networks, only to make others think they lead an interesting life. This has changed the way we relate and talk to each other.

SMART CHALLENGE

WeFitter is a Spanish site where you can connect your favourite sport devices and apps (for example, Strava, Nike+, etc.) to set challenges and win prizes. Running in Spain is a huge trend. People like to register their sports efforts and usually run with their smartphone on their arm to record how far they go, the calories they burn, etc. Some of them only use the smartphone to track these things through apps. The more professional ones, however, use a chip in their trainers to provide more precise measurement – pulsometers are also very popular.

FASHION

INTELLIGENT CLOTHES

Technology is merging with the fashion world. At first, some bought an Apple Watch, others went with Google Glass: now we’re seeing the arrival of intelligent clothes. Smart clothing hasn’t taken off in Barcelona yet, but the Eurecat – Technology Centre of Catalonia, based here in the city, is developing new wearable technologies. I foresee this being incredibly useful in the sports world, while also creating bold new concepts in fashion.

“I’m not very comfortable with technology. I don’t trust social networks, I prefer real life and managing things on my own. I use smart technology when I go running – I like to see how far I have run, but I don’t share it. I use NikeFuel to keep me motivated and challenge myself to constantly improve. I also

use apps for selling and buying things. I’m a fan of Wallapop, an app that connects you with other people to sell and buy things you have at home”.

Oscar, 31, film director, Barcelona

WELLNESS

INSULINE MONITOR

SocialDiabetes is an app that helps diabetics monitor their insulin dosage. People enter their sugar levels and food intake information, and the app tells them how much insulin to administer. This app allows diabetics to consume a varied diet because it manages their medicine according to whatever they eat. People can check their information from anywhere: laptops, smartphones, smart TVs, and the system personalises the service based on each user’s data. It also lets you connect to doctors and other diabetics going through the same thing, building a sense of community.

TRANSPORT

STOP CODE

TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona) is the main public transport service of Barcelona, including metro, bus and tram. Some years ago, it created a very useful app where you can check the transport lines, timetables and service interruptions in real time. What I find particularly useful about it is that when you’re waiting at a bus stop, you can enter the stop code into the app and check when the bus will arrive. It’s also very useful for people who don’t know the city very well because, through using GPS and maps, the app can recommend the closest stop or the best way to get to your destination.

LEISURE

PRIMAVERA SOUND

The most famous music festival in Barcelona is getting bigger every year and loads of people attend. Last year, Primavera Sound created an app and it’s been really successful. It has an event map, you can make a schedule for all the concerts you want to attend and the app can send you live notifications before each one starts. Last year, when there was a cancellation and the artist was substituted with another musician, the organisers could warn the fans thanks to most of them being connected via the app on their smartphones.

WeFitter, one place to set up all the challenges

SocialDiabetes app helps monitor insulin dosage

TMB app for real time transport tracking

Primavera Sound music festival is getting smarter


CONNECTED PRIVACY

SCOUT: CAMILLE

CITY: BERLIN

REGION: EUROPE

FASHION

SMART FABRIC

ElektroCouture is a Berlin-based brand founded by Lisa Lang. She focuses on releasing fashion apparel featuring smart fabric or connected devices while paying attention to the aesthetic value of her product and trying to make smart fashion sexier. A nice example is her yoga range, which optimises the fabric used to make the clothes. Each product features three different types of smart fabric. To me, these products are interesting because they match Berlin’s aesthetic and specificities (many Berliners practise yoga, for example).

WORK

VIRTUAL HANDS

Sixtyone Business is a Berlin-based company that offers AI services for its clients or their employees. In the case of the latter, the app aims to make their work easier, for example by providing them with a powerful virtual personal assistant able to book meetings, plan business trips, complete courier-style tasks and more. As opposed to other PA apps, Sixtyone’s tool is truly powerful and helps employees save time at work. I like this example because it seems more advanced than what we are used to and would integrate well with the various PA services Berlin start-ups offer.

TRANSPORT

RIGHT TRACK

Beaconinside Proximity DMP is a Berlin-based company producing beacons that allow tracking and an improved user experience. It has already teamed up with major companies such as McDonald’s and recently collaborated with Connexxion, a Dutch public transport company, by providing it with beacons allowing passengers to request that their next bus waits for them. Moreover, it allows clients to track passenger activity, thereby gathering useful data. Beaconinside is the best known company offering beacons in Germany, which makes it a pioneer in the country’s landscape. The fruits of the collaboration are being tested in the Netherlands, which I find interesting because it shows that Berlin is good at fostering innovation, but maybe not so good at implementing it.

The use of connected technology is strongly influenced by the fact that Germans are wary of the way their personal data is used. Therefore, as an example, beacons need to ensure anonymity.

Connected technology is mostly used to simplify processes by making them more seamless and less time-consuming. It needs to be easy to use and functional, as German consumers’ appetite for smart living isn’t as great as in other countries. In Berlin, it is mostly expats and young professionals who are into it. For older people, it is seen as unnecessary and even dangerous, especially in terms of data safety.

HOMES

SENIOR INDEPENDENCE

Following experiments conducted in Japan to deal with the country’s aging population, Panasonic is launching a smart living project in Berlin aimed at seniors. The project includes homes with smart appliances (for example, fridges that order groceries automatically, health monitors able to call for help if needed, etc.) and aims to give older people greater independence. The programme is cutting-edge as it will learn from previous experiments to make its Berlin iteration the most advanced to date. This project is interesting for Berlin because Germany suffers from an aging population and a low fertility rate. Therefore, it is especially relevant to the specificities of the country’s capital city.

WELLNESS

CYCLE CLUE

Clue is an app conceived in Berlin that helps women track their menstrual cycle. The app is free and available for both iPhone and Android. It aims to help women get pregnant, understand their mood swings better or prepare for PMS. It also has an educational aspect, with a section that answers questions about periods, cycles and more. Clue is designed in a neutral way and wishes to provide a user experience that is “empathetic and positive, not filled with butterflies or euphemisms”. Berlin is known for being a place where questions about sexual orientation and gender have long been raised, so it’s no wonder that Clue would be created here. I especially find its ‘gender-neutral’ branding interesting as it demonstrates awareness towards transgenderism issues.

“Smart living is still a thing of the future in Berlin. While companies working in this field do exist here, their products aren’t successful and well-known enough for them to truly affect people’s lives, at least here. Due to concerns around privacy and data, smart living still hasn’t been able to truly make an impact in Berlin, although a number of experiments are being conducted, especially by bigger companies. While Berlin is a city where innovation happens and exciting business ideas are being conceived, its population needs to be better educated regarding the real-life benefits of smart living and the Internet of Things. Connected technology is something clients might request or be interested in in the future, in which case the strong network of Berlin companies researching that field would definitely be useful”.

Danilo, 28, digital and creative agency director, Berlin

ElektroCouture for sexier smart fashion

Clue, women’s cycle without euphemisms


CITIES

GARDEN CITY

The Byhøst (City Harvest) app provides an interactive map that allows consumers to search for and find vegetables, fruit and herbs growing wild in the city, and set location beacons at specific spots. Copenhageners are never far from green areas, as the city is relatively small. Combined with a still rising interest in organic and fresh produce, the application has proved very popular since its release. Cooking at home is still very common in Denmark and buying organic produce is widespread within the middle and upper classes, especially in Copenhagen. Its inhabitants are keen to leave the home when the weather is good, so the use of an app such as Byhøst seems like a natural step to Copenhageners.

EASY RIDERS

Copenhagen is at the forefront of technology usage. As the small capital of a small country, our greatest strengths are knowledge and creativity. Copenhagen is a hyper connected capital in which cash currency has been replaced by mobile transactions and touch-sensitive credit cards. It pioneered so-called ‘mobile pay’, which is so widespread today that you can pay with your mobile phone in kebab shops.

Copenhageners want to be at the frontier: in fact, they strive for it. People in the city use connected technology because it makes life easier and generates a sense of being cutting-edge through performing simple everyday tasks from your smartphone. This in turn brings a certain hip factor to connected technology that Copenhageners love, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. Some feel the use of such technology creates a barrier between individuals, but given the speed of development and the adaptive mentality of Copenhageners, the pace of adoption is unlikely to slow down.

SCOUT: MORTEN

CITY: COPENHAGEN

REGION: EUROPE

WELLNESS

HEALTHY COMMUNITY

With the introduction of the fitness company CrossFit Copenhagen in 2007, the hugely popular crossfit fad brought with it an interconnected training platform in the form of smartphone applications connected to the company’s website. Here, users are able to book sessions, chat with trainers and members, track their progress, set specific goals and compete with each other. Other companies have launched similar apps, with varying success. The highly community-driven CrossFit Copenhagen seems to engage members in a very direct way through the connected platforms, thus motivating each member individually.

CITY BIKE

The local government introduced Bycyklen (City Bike) in 2014. The part-electric bike is fitted with a motor, automated lights and a tablet on the handlebar. Reserving, booking and paying for the bike can be done via app. The tablet provides a high-quality GPS system, along with a beacon that tracks your current location and distance to major attractions. It also allows users to adjust the amount of help they want from the motor. When launched, the Bycyklen budget was overshot by millions and it seemed like a complete misfire. Lately, however, the popularity of the bikes has increased dramatically. Besides the obvious help from tourists wanting to tour the city by bike, locals have begun using them as spares when they have forgotten their own bike or it is in the shop.

TRANSPORT

DATA HUB

Copenhagen has seen a number of local government initiatives to improve the life of its cyclists, including tracking devices located at the Dronning Louises Bridge, the busiest cycle lane in the world. The so-called ‘bike barometer’ collects data, which are then used to help traffic flow more easily. It tracks how cyclists are affected by rush hour, traffic flows and weather patterns. The data from the bike barometers have birthed a “bike-sensitive” traffic stop, which effectively counts the number of bicycles waiting to cross, triggering a green light for greater numbers. Some bike lanes have also been fitted with lamps that count down the time left before the signal switches from red to green, allowing a better flow of cyclists.

“With a smartphone I can hire a car, book a private dinner or pay for groceries. I believe the advance in connected technologies is genius, it’s worth booking a car via the GoMore app for private hire and rides”.

Anders, 24, freelance videographer, copywriter, scriptwriter and actor, Copenhagen

CrossFit Copenhagen community-driven app

Byhøst’s fresh produce interactive map Bycyklen government programme for bike rentalByhøst’s fresh produce interactive map


TRANSPORT

TRAFFIC VISUALISATION

İBB CepTrafik is one of the best ways to understand traffic density in the city. The mobile app and website, provided by the Municipality of Istanbul, show congestion on a colour-coded map, plus live traffic on the roads via cameras in the city.

SOLVING PROBLEMS

For the people of Istanbul, technology is pretty important. First and foremost, it turns disadvantages into advantages – in traffic, shopping or just saving money. Most of the biggest smart-city projects are born here, even though they are not as advanced as those in some cities around the world. I think we are pretty open to advancement. As far as I know, Istanbul will invest in more tech to solve traffic, parking, weather and health problems. However, most of the things we use are not offered by the government, but private companies.

The young are most open to usingconnected tech, but if it proves to bevaluable, older people will use it, too. Most of the people I know underline the practicality of smart tech. However, Turkish people (especially women) really care about their privacy and security. At the same time, people are complaining about heavy tech use killing face-to-face time, which makes up an important part of our culture.

SCOUT: AYTUN

CITY: ISTANBUL

REGION: EUROPE

HOMES

COMBI CASHBACK

Cosa is a smart home device built by Nuvia, an Istanbul-based start-up. The device initially offered smart combi features and then provided smart air conditioner support as well (it works with most devices on the market). Cosa allows you to control them from your mobile and save money on your bills (up to 30% for combi, up to 40% for air conditioning). It is innovative because most Turkish people earn low to medium-sized incomes and are keen to figure out how to save more money.

FIRST CAB OFF THE RANK

BiTaksi is an app created by an Istanbul start-up (now also available in Ankara, Turkey’s capital) that allows users to order cabs wherever they are. The app checks the user’s location, shows the closest cabs and with one click from the user, sends one to their address. It has other cool features, too, such as calculating the fare, allowing payment with cash or credit card, interacting with the driver beforehand and the capacity to rate them. It saves you from waiting for a taxi, which in some cases can take up to an hour.

“By using smart tech, I can travel from one location to another faster and can meet my daily needs quickly, such as rapid food delivery. With personal banking, I can handle my finances in a more secure way. Alarm systems and sensors provide a safe environment in homes or businesses. And gadgets such as Android TV,

a wireless hard drive ora Bluetooth speaker can increase the entertainment value in our lives. But I am a little bit worried about my privacy, because a lot of data are saved during the process”.

Pelin, 25, psychologist, Istanbul

DIRECTION OF TRAVEL

Although mobile navigation apps help, Istanbul is still a big and complicated city. Even for Istanbulites, it is hard to figure out how to go from one location to the next using the various transport options. Nasıl Giderim is an app in which you specify your location at the start of your journey and your destination: it then shows you the possible routes by bus, ferry, tram, subway, minibus, train or a combination of them. You can always ask people for guidance, of course, but the app is far better because most locals are unaware of all the available options. The app also has a chatbot to give you travel advice in real time.

Cosa: smart rooms, smart savings

İBB CepTrafik, colour-coded traffic

Nasıl Giderim, the way to go

BiTaksi, quick and easy cabs service


TIME TRAVELLERS

SCOUT: CHARLOTTE

CITY: LONDON

REGION: EUROPE

CITIES

BREATH OF FRESH AIR

CleanSpace is a portable air-pollution sensor that connects to an app on your phone – and never needs changing. It tracks air quality indoors and outdoors, particularly helpful in a pollution-rich city such as London. For example, you can monitor the carbon monoxide levels in different rooms of your house, check your exposure to the deadly substance and receive tips on how to reduce or avoid pollution exposure. Additionally, you can earn CleanMiles by making small changes in the way you travel – walking, running or cycling when possible – which you can use towards rewards such as pay-as-you-go gym passes or bike locks from Halfords.

TRANSPORT

CONVENIENT PARKING

London has been trialling parking technology in some of its boroughs, with a view to helping drivers find spaces more quickly and easily – always a tricky and frustrating problem in the capital, especially with its one-way systems. Drivers can use an app – developed by Smart Parking firm – to find and pay for the spaces which are monitored by sensors. This is also convenient as it means no hunting about for change to pay for parking meters. There are a lot of families living in London with cars, so this will be extra useful for them – sometimes even parking near your own house can be a hassle if you don’t have an allocated spot.

The thing that makes London different is the pace. We do everything at 100mph and are constantly looking for things to either help us calm down, or get things done more efficiently or quickly. We do everything from our smartphones while we are travelling – and because we often have longer commutes than our peers in other cities, we have the time to multitask. If we can remotely do a load of washing, get parcels delivered by drones, have dinner waiting for us when we return from our post-work gym session (analysed by Runkeeper and our Fitbits), then find a date while we are on the sofa, then we will do it! We use connected tech as a way to get everything done that our busy lives require of us – essentially, it’s a way of buying back time, but that potentially is a vicious cycle as we simply demand more and more of ourselves. When it comes to wellbeing, I feel like Londoners often try to step away from the tech, at least temporarily: we’ve seen it with the rise of colouring books,

LEISURE

IMMERSIVE WORKOUT

Coinciding with the closing weekend of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, Nike put together a three-day high-intensity immersive workout experience in Brick Lane, East London (2.5 hours per session). The experience played to all the senses: lighting and video designed by Artisan responded directly to a bespoke workout soundtrack by musicians Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard of English band Hot Chip, performed by a live orchestra. The video animation corresponded with what users’ bodies were being asked to do (eg, appropriate animations played while guests entered the sprint section of the workout). This experience was linked to London culture because as a city we are obsessed with keeping fit, but are constantly looking for more innovative and interesting ways to do so; we also love a pop-up experience that makes us feel like we are getting involved in something that others won’t be able to access.

CleanSpace, air-pollution sensor and app

days without social media or yoga retreats where phones are banned.

The younger you are, the more likely you are to be constantly connected. Most people – let’s say Generation X, Y and Z – are connected to something digital from the moment they wake up (and even while they sleep). Smart living has entered our lives and we are engaging with it almost subconsciously. People are open to all things that minimise waste, streamline our lives, keep us better connected and save us money.

“Smart living involves being able to do everything I want from my phone. Uber and Halo have made a massive difference to the way I live – I love that I no longer have to plan. It’s really valuable for me to be able to do things in the most efficient way, getting mundane things like booking a cab to fit around my life and not the other way around. I have just upgraded my car (a BMW) and I love that I can, for example, put the heating on from my phone when it is cold outside, so when I get in to go to work, it is already warm. Additionally, if I go to a large car park, I can find my car with my phone. If someone else borrows the car and loses the keys, I can unlock it

from wherever I am in the world. Things like this allow me to be more efficient, less dependent and I can think less in advance – it’s almost like the boring steps have been cut out. I think this is key to London life, as we are always in a rush, always running from A to B. Smart living allows us to live more easily at this pace and with less frustrations”.

Alex, 35, technology consultant, London

FASHION

SMARTLY DRESSED

Barclaycard’s bPay teamed up with Lyle & Scott and Topshop Accessories to design a contactless way of paying for goods with the clothing and accessories users are wearing, using the same chip found in contactless cards. The designs (including a contactless jacket with a smart chip in the cuff of the right-hand sleeve) allowed consumers to pay for items worth up to £30 across 300,000 shops, bars, restaurants and petrol stations across the UK. bPay puts users in control of their money on the go that can also be accessed via the smartphone app and website.

Barclaycard’s bPay contactless payments via fashion items


NORTHERN SOUL

SCOUT: PETER

CITY: MANCHESTER

REGION: EUROPE

WELLNESS

E-BILL OF HEALTH

Push Doctor is an online GP consultation service founded in Manchester in 2013. It has more than 7,000 registered UK GPs available to connect to patients via video link on computers or mobile devices. After consultation, patients can either be referred, declared fit or issued with a pre-scription. Push Doctor offers a pay-as-you-go service for £20 per consultation or a £20 per month subscription. The company has also begun to offer home testing kits, allowing customers to deal with even more advanced issues digitally.

LEISURE

OUT AND PROUD

At Manchester Pride 2016, IoT company Sparta Digital installed Bluetooth micro-location sensors at various places around the city, including the festival’s wristband exchange area, and bars and restaurants in the Gay Village. As users of the firm’s Buzzin app approached the sensors, they were notified of opportunities to interact, given information or offered deals for local businesses.

Manchester has a large population of young people and a history of innovation. This filters through to locals who are open-minded and keen to embrace any technology that may improve their lives, or make day to day tasks more efficient. Primarily, I think Mancunians are more likely to use connected technology they find fun or interesting, or improve their social life and leisure time, rather than those associated with more mundane jobs. This in part stems from the culture of the city, which is creative and outgoing. However, this might be changing. The city’s population is expanding and living in Manchester is becoming more expensive. As a result, I think the demand for technologies that help to save time or money is increasing.

FASHION

SIGNS OF LIFE

SmartLife is a manufacturer of garments embedded with high-tech textile sensors that can read various biometric signals while not compromising movement or feel. Data gathered from the garments are synced to the cloud and delivered to a smartphone app. The company originates from a partnership of the University of Manchester’s biomedical engineering department and UMIST’s textile department.

CITIES

INTELLIGENT DESIGN

As part of Manchester’s CityVerve initiative, start-up Asset Mapping has connected Citylabs, a 100,000 square feet biomedical centre of excellence located in the heart of the city’s Innovation District, with Internet of Things technology. The IoT sensors collect data on various aspects of the building, including energy usage, occupancy and security, with the aim of improving efficiency and the tenant experience.

TRANSPORT

GIMME SHELTER

In summer 2016, Manchester City Council unveiled its first smart bus stop, located near Piccadilly Station in the city centre. The bus stop, intended to increase use of public transport in the city, features built-in USB and wireless charging points, as well as acting as a Wi-Fi hotspot. Transport for Greater Manchester employed artist Peter Saville to help design the shelter, a Mancunian heavily involved in designing artwork for the legendary Factory Records. The shelter was developed by Transport for Greater Manchester with JCDecaux and RATP.

“I feel positive about the way connected technology has been affecting my life; however, I don’t consider myself particularly ahead of the curve in discovering new tech. The tech I use, I use it frequently – primarily ‘wellness’ apps, which I can use passively to help me get fitter, such as Fitbit and sleep trackers. Using them has encouraged me to act more healthily in other aspects of my life, such as my diet, and I’d be keen to use any tech that could help me in this respect.

This mentality is shared by other people in my region, too, especially within the younger demographic. There is an open-minded attitude to experiment with technology and increase the role it plays in our lives”.

Josh, 23, affiliate executive, Manchester

Push Doctor, pay-as-you-go online consultation

Buzzin app and sensors help visitors to explore Manchester Bus stops Wi-Fi hotspot and USB charging points Citylabs, intelligent building with IoT sensors SmartLife, textile sensors and biometric signals


CHANGING CULTURE

SCOUT: MARCO

CITY: MILAN

REGION: EUROPE

EDUCATION

VIRTUAL LESSONS

Manabu is an Italian platform that connects students with teachers, aiming to offer private lessons with better tuition without geographical boundaries.Classes are held in a virtual classroom(with an interface similar to Skype butmore ‘protected’) that allows studentsand teachers to interact simply using a PC or smartphone. Students and parents can look for the best teacher on the basis of curriculum, cost, availability and feedback received from other users. Manabu is useful because it makes iteasier for parents to manage private lessons and helps teachers to reach students throughout Italy.

Milan is the most international city in Italy.It is the capital of business and fashion, and is usually considered to be the economic engine of the country. Every year it attracts millions of travellers, so it needs to offer advanced standards of service. Local public transport company ATM (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi) provides a dedicated app to inform users about waiting times, delays, incidents and alternative routes. The Bike Sharing Service (BikeMi) and car sharing (Enjoy, created by Eni, the Italian oil and gas multinational) are very advanced (used by 60 thousand citizens a year) and continuously expanding to wider areasof the city.

The advantages of connected technologies are many, such as a simpler life and time saving, while the disadvantages mainly relate to lack of awareness of your surroundings. The use of smart technology is slowly changing behaviour: more and more people between the ages of 20 and 50 are opting to use mobile apps to optimise their lives; those over 50 change their behaviour more slowly. People using smart technology are very satisfied because their needs and desires are quickly fulfilled. This type of technology is changing Italian culture, especially in leisure activities related to tourismand free time.

LEISURE

CONNECTED FOODIES

Gnammo is a new experience that allows all lovers of cooking to open the doors of their home and host guests for dinner (with visitors paying between €6 and €80 for the privilege). During the culinary experience, participants can enjoy good food and meet new people. The system is very easy: just register and decide your role, host or ‘gnammer’ (guest). The chef creates the event, sets the menu, the price and the number of participants (four to twelve). The ‘gnammer’ chooses the event to attend and sends a request. Once the host agrees, the ‘gnammer’ makes payment through PayPal and receives the event address. Afterwards, everyone leaves feedback on the site about the quality of the food, hospitality, location, cleanliness and behaviourof the guests.

HOMES

REMOTE HEATING

Rialto is a wireless digital timer thermostat connected through an app to manage home heating via smartphones and tablets. The system is 100% designed and manufactured in Italy, with hardware and software all made by Italian professionals. In operating mode, the app allows you to manage your home thermostat and remotely adjust the temperature. It is easy to install, configure and use, and it saves energy because your home is heated only when you really need it to be.

TRANSPORT

TOUR GUIDE

YAMGU (You Are My Guide) is a social travelling app made in Italy, which allows you to easily organise a tourist route in the city you want to visit. I was able to use this app on more than one occasion and found it really useful and simple. You start by selecting the city of interest. For each city there are suggested itineraries, pointing out the most famous places. YAMGU allows you to explore maps, itineraries, photos, distances, time and weather, and above all shows major local events such as exhibitions, concerts, shows and the opening hours of each place of interest. The app also provides the opportunityto buy e-tickets to jump the queues.

“Technology has become an important element of my job: it makes learning faster and more interesting. At school, we use smartboards that help to catch the attention of students. They are also allowed, under the guidance of the teacher, to research on the web, use specific social networks for education where learning is shared and interactive, and to answer quizzes and polls directly using their smartphones as a remote control. Italy has a deep

and strong humanistic culture that could greatly benefit from the use of new technologies in education. Smartphones are seen by teachers as disturbing devices at school because they are often used in the wrong way by students. However, they may offer new learning opportunities if teachers were properly trained in their use”.

Roberto, 32, teacher, Milan

WELLNESS

MEDITERRANEAN DIET

Mela Rossa is an app developed by Italian nutritionists and dieticians under the supervision of the Italian Society of Food Science, which offers a personalised diet based on Mediterranean food. It promises to make you lose up to one kilogram of body fat per week in a scientific and safe way. Personalisation is a key feature for anydiet: every single user inserts their own data and receives daily information on what they should eat and on weight control. This app is revolutionary because it takes into account our food culture, recommending healthy and familiar menus every day. It has also been supervised by a scientific team and this reassures users, contributingto its spread.

Mela Rossa, personalised diets for and by Italians

Rialto controls home heating remotely

YAMGU provides simple and connected tourism


TRANSPORT

TIRED DRIVER

Neuro-cap is made by a local start-up and aims to reduce the number of traffic incidents. Special sensors measure brain activity and track when the driver is tired. Future versions will have a Wi-Fi connection feature to store and upload data for further analysis. It is one of the few existing examples of local smart tech. The first prototype was assembled in September 2016.

SMART NICHE

Smart living is evolving quickly inMoscow, with numerous start-ups and major tech companies driving new products to the market. Key developments across the sectors are connected to major problems: for example, traffic jams, poor-quality healthcare and environmental damage. For now, there is no device witha blockbuster appeal. Connected devices are mainly used by geeks, who often practise a do-it-yourself approach by making their homes smart. Most people don’t see the rationale for using connected technologies as there are no user-friendly solutions available on the market.

Smart technology’s impact on Moscow culture remains minimal – for now, only people who readily adopt everything new use connected devices. Among geeks, the main controversy around such technology is caused by privacy issues. There is a hot debate behind every new story concerning smart tech’s ability to differentiate people by their behavioural patterns. International companies are at the forefront of this,using smart technologies to improve employee effectiveness, but in Moscow they lag behind their European officesin implementation.

SCOUT: NADIA

CITY: MOSCOW

REGION: EUROPE

CARDIOGRAM CLOUDS

ECG Dongle is a local start-updesigned to help people monitor their heart conditions. Heart problems remain the primary cause of death in Russia, but quick, accurate diagnosis is inaccessible for the majority of the population. ECG Dongle creates cardiograms that are sent from smartphones to the cloud, where they can be reviewed by doctors. There is also the potential to add new devices and services, such as blood sugar measurementsfor diabetics.

“I was aware of smart living, even while studying at school. All school diaries were kept online for everybody to see. Some of our teachers also used online apps and services to give us homework. Now I’m at university and it’s even more connected – we are supposed to do projects together using cloud-based software. New tech devices can be funny and have a romantic flavour – I have seen a special wristband that measures the heart rate of your

partner and sends it to you.All in all, I expect major changes to happen in this area before I graduate, but it is not always an improvement: for example, with online diaries you always feel as though you’re under a microscope”.

Nina, 20, art student, Moscow

EDUCATION

KNOWLEDGE ENGINE

Stepik.org is a Russian onlineeducation platform. Its main difference from multinational competitors is that it concentrates on ordinary teachers, not universities. Stepik provides the opportunity to create lessons easily witha special lesson constructor and the freedom to share them with students. Thousands of teachers use Stepik for homework and online learning.

WORK

DIY APP

iBuildApp is a service for fast and easyapp creation. Some 1.5 million people use it already, partly to create business solutions. iBuildApp makes it easy for small business to create customised mobile applications, revolutionising their interaction with customers. A large proportion of internal apps for companies’ employees aremade with this service.

WELLNESS

HEALTH CHANNEL

Yandex, the Russian technology multinational, has launched a service that may change the health industry. Its telemedicine service allows doctors to provide advice to patients via video, based on real-time data. For this purpose, the company has introduced a new app: Yandex Health. However, to get the best out of the programme, Yandex needs the Russian government to pass legislation allowing the use of telemedicine: a bill on the matter was introduced to the lower house of the Russian Parliament in May 2016, but has yet to become law.

Stepik’s online education platform

Yandex Health, diagnosis at a distance

ECG Dongle monitors heart conditions


START-UP SCENE

SCOUT: ANAIS

CITY: MUNICH

REGION: EUROPE

Munich is Germany’s technology capital. Not only are big companies such as BMW and Siemens based here, but the city also has a flourishing start-up scene. From car sharing to food delivery, the most successful start-ups are from Munich. And while the city is known for being conservative and cultural in a classical sense, people really do use the technology.

Generation X and Y are often professionally and privately involved in this constant technological development, but older people are very sceptical about the use of their data (and the changes in general). However, I think the positive aspects of a connected city outweigh the negatives. Through social media, peopleget better access to cultural activities – paper doesn’t have to be wasted thanks to mobile ticket systems – and with car sharing, locals don’t even need their own ride.

PARK LIFE

Parkpocket offers an internet-based search that allows drivers to find free parking spaces. The app collects data provided by car park operators in real time and feeds the information to users, helping reduce traffic and carbon emissions. The city and people of Munich are traditionally very open to environmentally friendly solutions. There have been several initiatives to reduce traffic in the inner city, which can also be supported by apps such as Parkpocket. There is a lot of congestion in Munich, so people enjoy finding parking spots via the app – they might otherwise have had to drive around for hoursto find a spot.

TRANSPORT

PREMIUM CARS

DriveNow is a car-sharing operator based in Munich, but also operates in most major German cities. A joint venture by BMW and Sixt, it provides high-end cars by the former and Mini, which can be rented for short time slots (charged on a per-minute basis). Users can find, drive and return the cars via a mobile app. There are no fixed rent and return stations, but vehicles can be accessed across the city. Munich is overpopulated, so there is not enough parking space for everyone: with DriveNow, people don’t need to own a car. Munich citizens are also very conscious about the environment, another reason why the car-sharing system works so well here.

HOMES

DEGREES OF SEPARATION

tado° is a manufacturer of devices that control and reduce costs for heating and air conditioning. The devices are manageable via app and this approach allows users to reduce energy costs by up to 30%. Users may either actively manage the temperature manually or the process can be automated. Three of the four founders of tado° studied at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Munich is one of Europe’s top technology hubs and the city’s universities have produced a couple of rather successful tech companies. As a result, Munich’s citizens integrate new technologies quickly into their daily lives. Furthermore, they are conscious of the environment and like to reduce costs,as Munich is the most expensive cityin Germany.

“Smart living starts with the use of internet-connected devices. I use two iPhones (one for work and one for home), a fitness-tracking wristband and a body scale, both of which have a WLAN API. I use the iPhones for various purposes, in particular geolocation services, which allows me to find interesting places for food and accommodation when I am travelling, or when I need to use car or bike-sharing products. I used to wear a fitness-tracking wristband and I believe that fitness and health-tracking devices have great value if you work out and train for sport competitions, marathons and the like. Also, I use regularly a body scale connected to an app, which shows the development of my body weight, BMI, etc”.

Johannes, 36, IT and technology lawyer, Munich

tado° reduces costs for heating and air conditioning

FASHION

MATCHING OUTFIT

Combyne offers an app allowing consumers to create and share their favourite outfits. They can ‘swipe’ and thereby virtually match clothes uploadedto the Combyne platform, either by retailers or users themselves. People can take pictures of their fashion items with their smartphones, which are automatically rendered to fit items uploaded by retailers. Munich is a very fashionable city with avibrant start-up hub. In general, people consume a lot and most labels havetheir German headquarters in the city.Furthermore, it is wealthy – people here often dress expensively and care more about clothes and brands than theirpeers in other German cities.

Combyne makes clothing dynamic and interactive


LA VIE EN TECH

Paris is a very dynamic city – you canfeel it with its huge number of peopleand vehicles. Parisians have a strong need to optimise their time, as they want to be able to enjoy their city on top of their job. Transportation optimisation is key to this, so the mayor of the city invested in a plan to make Paris connected to provide more fluidity and comfort when in transit. We also developed Vélib’ and Autolib’, the world’s first self-service bicycle and car fleets, respectively, which come with dedicated apps. The French capital is also now equipped with connected bus shelters, from which you can access a range of services, from transportation advice tolocal tips.

Recently, 3G and 4G have been installed in the main metro stations, plus Wi-Fi on the main stations for regional trains (RER). Wireless connections are also available on big avenues such as the Champs-Elysées. I would say that Paris is smartly and smoothly integrating technology to facilitate the life of Parisians. I wouldn’t define the capital as a smart city yet,but we are heading in that direction.

SCOUT: SOPHIE

CITY: PARIS

REGION: EUROPE

CITIES

VOX POPULI

Voxe.org is a platform to get all the information you need on national electoral campaigns. It collects data on the election, presents the programmes of all parties and compares them according to certain themes. People are given the opportunity to pose questions directly to candidates, and you can share their answers on social networks. You can also schedule meetings and debates through the platform. What is great about Voxe is that all the information is in one place, and its connection to social media is an effective way to engage the public and raise awareness ofpolitical topics.

LEISURE

LUCKY IN LOVE

Happn is a great dating app originating in Paris based on geolocation. The app is predicated on the idea that your next big love could be the person you just saw at the bakery – it’s about replicating the serendipity of life. The app tells you who you crossed paths with throughout the day and shows you the other ‘happn’ profiles within a 250-meter radius. As with other dating apps, if you like the profile of one of the people you’ve passed in the street and they like you back, it’s a crush! The usage of this dating app is different from others of this type. You can open it to check the profiles of those you’ve seen along the way, but you also go on Happn in the hope that a person you’ve seen on the street has a profile, giving you the chance to get to know them if you were too shy or ina hurry to talk to them.

“In Paris, people are connected all the time, whether to get transportation information (Google Maps, Citymapper) or to find a great place to go (Mapster). To get advice on specific topics, for example what wine we should buy, we check Vivino, then to order food, we look at Foodora or Deliveroo. To connect with people, we go on Happn, the French slow-dating app, or Tinder. We are constantly using apps! So it’s great to see that our Parisian town is trying

to align with the evolution of our way of life. I think that the connected bus shelters with plugs to charge smartphones are just great. We also now have more Wi-Fi in the city. These are small things, butlife is changing. The only thing I worry about is being invaded and overwhelmed by technology”.

Marie, 27, account manager, Paris

HOMES

OPEN HOMES

Due to the refugee crisis, Parisian associations have partnered with the French housing ministry to develop a digital platform on which anyone can offer to host a refugee. The platform is called CALM, an acronym of the French for “just like home”. The idea is to connect refugees and local people willing to help them and host them. More than just giving shelter to refugees, it also offers them the chance to integrate and to think of a long-term plan for their future in the country. I think thisis a great example of modern solidarity!It shows that more and more people want to have a personal and tangible impact on their city, community and surroundings.

TRANSPORT

BETTER SHELTER

The city of Paris has been equipped with new smart bus shelters. There are universal plugs for everyone to charge their smartphones. Basic information on the bus line is displayed, but is also accessible with NFC or QR codes. The shelters have digital touch screens on which people can access information on transportation, traffic and local tips on the neighbourhood. They also promote environmental awareness: the energy of the bus shelter is managed by sensors and the light intensity changes depending on user activity. These shelters are great! I’m very proud to see that Paris is willing to be open to digital change by integrating valuable technology intoour daily lives.

CALM connects refugees and local people

Happn, serendipity dates


EASY AND EFFICIENT

People in my city like smart living and it makes their daily lives much easier and much more efficient. I would say that people are using smart-living solutions in all sorts of ways today, at home, at work and in their private lives, often using apps to manage their wellbeing and their time. Broadly speaking, connected appliances are growing in popularity here since Sweden is one of the most Wi-Fi-friendly countries in the world. A Swedish company that has innovated a great deal is Electrolux, which was the first to create the ‘smart kitchen’. All their appliances are connected to the internet and gather data about how to perform and adapt tothe customer’s needs.

One change I have noticed is growing awareness of how addicted we are to technology and smart living. This makes people a bit ‘sick’ and they often want to get away from the tech for a weekend. People see it as cool to be without it for 24 hours – it’s almost something they brag about. The only negative thing about smart living is that you are connected 24/7. I think Swedish people are more susceptible to ‘tech neck’ than others around the world: for example, when travelling on the bus or subway in Stockholm, all the passengers – and I mean all – are staring down attheir smartphones.

SCOUT: SARA

CITY: STOCKHOLM

REGION: EUROPE

HOMES

DOUBLE SMART

People are increasingly worriedabout strangers breaking into their homes. As a consequence, smart security solutions are growing in popularity because they are a lot easier to install and handle, and much cheaper, too (for example, cameras, on-and-off-systems, etc). Consumers think the security, price and ease of use make them worth it. Companies such as Verisure install cameras in homes that people can control with their phones. It also provides an app for turning on music, lamps, heating, etc. This scares away burglars from breaking into your home, but it’s also a cheap and effective way to control the heating.

TRANSPORT

HIRE PURPOSE

Cars, trains, subways and buses are becoming more expensive in Stockholm. Locals are getting rid of their cars since taxes are rising, congestion is getting worse and the government is pedestrianising roads and shutting down car parks. As a result, they are now turning to other methods of transport. Uber is very popular, as is ‘fast car hiring’ company DriveNow. There are a few of these firms around the city, but this is the most popular one. You download the DriveNow app and can see where its cars are available. You unlock the vehicle from your phone, or via a DriveNow card. You can drive the vehicle anywhere you want to go but it can only be returned to the allocated areas, in the city or at the airport, or you get fined.

WELLNESS

WORK IT OUT

People in Stockholm are very focused on health and food. Apps regarding wellbeing and workouts are very popular: a lot of people are using activity armbands or watches to keep track of their diet and exercise regimes. People see this as a hobby, keeping track of how many steps they have taken that day, how many calories burned, etc. Before now, it has been expensive to get all the information you want. However, there is now a great app called Wellmo, which tracks all of the above, while also measuring your blood pressure and the quality of your sleep. People like stats about themselves and are happy to share what they have achieved during the week, or set goals for the future.

“Wireless services are the greatest smart living component. All the functions or applications that can handle valuable information fast are really important to me. Some examples of that would be TiVo by Comhem and Apple TV, which I use at home. Avanza is another service I use regularly, an economic forum app where you can handle your private investments, read annual reports and business news, etc. Another valuable smart-living aid is my workout app. The gym I go to is

called SATS and it has its own app, which is great for planning your upcoming workouts and for looking back at what you’ve achieved over time. You can also use it to register your own gym sessions and book different classes in different gyms allover the city”.

Marcus, 31, sales manager, Stockholm

WORK

PIN-UP PAYMENTS

iZettle is a Swedish company thatproduces a mobile app and card reader allowing small businesses to accept payments by phone and tablet, just as Square does in the US. iZettle differs, however, because it supports chip and pin technology, an extra security measure that requires cardholders to enter a pin, which hasn’t been widely rolled out in the US yet. After consumers pay via the system, the receipt is sent to their email addresses. iZettle is used throughout Swedenand makes small business paymentsmuch easier to process.

LEISURE

HANGOUT HEAVEN

People in my city are pretty stressedand highly critical. They always want the best café, restaurant, shop, hairdresser, etc. If you are visiting Stockholm and want to get the most out of your time, you can go to the reco.se app for information about the best places, based on others’ recommendations. My friends, my parents’ friends and I use it when we don’t want to visit the same old places. You can make specific selections to find the perfect spot for you. You can also select how close you want it to your location and specify your budget, too. It’s a great app for visitorsand Stockholm natives.

reco.se finds the perfect spot in StockholmiZettle card reader and mobile appVerisure, smart home security system


TRANSPORT

RISK-FREE RIDES

Tappsi is an app developed to maketaking a taxi in Bogota safer and more efficient. A few years ago, hailing a cab was risky: you needed to go out into the street, wait for an empty one and flag it down. Criminals were using fake taxis to pick up passengers with criminal intent. With Tappsi, that risk is almost zero for two reasons: first, all its drivers are certified and trained, and second, all information about each driver is stored in a centralised database, which is used to identify and track any who commit crime. Now people have no fear of taking a taxi as long as they order it through the app. Due to its initial success, nowadays Tappsi operates in many cities across Colombia and beyond.

SAFETY FIRST

Bogota has always had problems related to mobility and security, but connected technology has helped to improve these issues. Before it, the only way to take a trip in the city by public transport was by asking around: nowadays, there are mobile apps that help you plan your journey, either beforehand or on the way. They identify the most efficient route, tell you the right bus numbers and notify you when it’s time to get off. By doing so you waste less time, improving yourquality of life.

Connected technology has also made Bogota a safer place to live. For example, taxis have always been popular, but sometimes dangerous to take (some drivers robbed their passengers). In response, the Tappsi app was developed to help Bogota’s citizens by allowingthem to order cabs safely and efficiently.

SCOUT: DANIEL

CITY: BOGOTA

REGION: LATIN AMERICA

CITIES

REPORTED CRIME

Seguridad en Linea is a recently launched app, created and promoted by the Bogota government, which aims to encourage citizens to take action and report any kind of criminality and safety issues. With an easy-to-use interface, locals are empowered to report anything from noisy neighbours and potholes in the streets to robberies, even murders. With this app, the Mayor of Bogota wants to create a centralised place for all citizens to report their issues, allowing the authorities to take faster action. As a result, impunity ratesdue to inefficient judicial processes (whichare quite high in Bogota) are expected

to go down.

WORK

SMALL BUSINESS BACKING

Lately, the requirements for running a legal business have become a lot stricter, but most small business owners in the city do not have the resources or the knowledge to keep up with all the new requirements. Alegra is an accounting software programme that helps small businesses organise their bills, receipts, accounts, bank conciliations, tax payments and more. The software includes a mobile app so that users can register any transaction on a day to day basis in a very easy way. Additionally, it generates the reports required for declaring and paying taxes, and gives businesses a lot of useful real-time information about their progress.

WELLNESS

EASY CARE

ICare Web is a mobile app that connects patients with healthcare providers such as nutritionists, therapists and psychologists in an easy and cheap manner. With the app, users can easily find a doctor, analyse their profile and background, see reviews from other patients and check their availability. If the doctor is available, the patient can start a video call or a live chat with just a few clicks. If not, the user can book a video meeting or look for another doctor. ICare Web has been quite successful in Bogota: transport can be a real nightmare, so a doctor´s visit might end up taking half a day or more. This is solved by having virtual consultations with specialists, mainly in the wellness field, as it is very difficult to secure them via the traditional healthcare system.

“Smart living has made my life a lot easier because I don’t even have to leave my house any more to take care of many things. If I am hungry, I can order food from any restaurant or supermarket and have it delivered. It’s the same when I get sick and need a doctor’s opinion or medicine. I can even get someone to organise a party or decorate my terrace without leaving the house. Many of us

don’t like to spend our time in traffic jams or queuing while doing our errands. It makes people feel safe and they don’t mind paying extra if it makes their lives easier”.

Juan Camilo, 31, telecom director, Bogota

Seguridad en Linea, citizens crime watch app

Tappsi, safer and more efficient taxis


MAXIMUM SPEED

SCOUT: SOFIA

CITY: BUENOS AIRES


LEISURE

PARTY BEFORE YOU PARTY

Buenos Aires is very well known for its nightlife. We usually gather with friendsat 11pm in what we call previa (usually ata friend’s house), where you drink and eat together, before finally going out at around 1am. The Previa app was created to allow users to meet people organising a previa. It is like Tinder but not just for dates. The app includes drinking games and music playlists, and also shows you nightclubs and parties near you.

HOMES

REMOTE (HOME) CONTROL

La Casa Inteligente is a company that makes smart houses in Buenos Aires. Many vital buildings and private neighbourhoods are using its services. It allows users to control their homes via mobile or tablet: they can activate the alarm and set the temperature at home (even the swimming pool) remotely. They can also check home security, since the system is connected to gas, smoke and fire detectors. I’ve never been to any of these houses or apartments, but the idea sounds great – for example, remotely controlling your house whileyou are travelling would be excellent.

CITIES

NO MORE QUEUES

Carrefour, the multinational hypermarket retailer, is adopting a new smart system. Customers are given a device, which they take to a smart sensor that assigns them a cashier. Consumers pick the items they need and when the assigned cashier is free, the device alerts them. They can skip their turn up to four times if they haven’t finished shopping, after which they must return to the sensor so it can assign them a new cashier. There are also screens that display approximate queuing times. It isa great system, but still largely unknownas it hasn’t received much coverageon social media or TV.

EDUCATION

LEARNING SUPPORT

Educatina is a digital educationalplatform that offers thousands of videos and interactive lessons to complement what students learn in class. The videos are organised by subject, such as maths, literature, social sciences, arts and more. The development of these materials is overseen by specialised teachers in each subject. You can also request private online teachers to prepare for exams. I wish I’d had this app when I was at school, as things would have been easier and cheaper: the subscription to the platform costs just $408 (around £20) a month.

In my city, connected technology ismostly used by young people to manage our time more effectively. It makes many things far simpler (for example, paying services and completing administrative procedures from your mobile). This is great, as last time I went to pay bills in person, I had to queue for two hours. Then they said the system wasn’t working and to come back another day. Unfortunately, this is pretty common here in Buenos Aires, and super annoying! Now, you can do this sort of chore with just a click from your computer or through your smartphone.

This kind of technology also makesit easier to save money: for example, you can learn any language for free via podcast. However, there are downsides. Generally speaking, we are becoming more impatient. If something requiresa little bit more time and effort, peoplewill often give up.

TRANSPORT

GETTING AROUND

The BA CómoLlego, developed by the government of Buenos Aires, is an innovative and helpful app. You can look for the best way to get around the city by foot, bike, car, train, underground and bus. It shows you how much time it would approximately take to get to your destination and the different combinations of transport you can use. In addition, you can search for nearby ATMs, service stations, hospitals, pharmacies, theatres, museums, restaurants and more. You can also check for traffic jams so you canavoid them.

“My favourite app is WebEx, since it allows me to keep up with meetings, even if I am here in Argentina (I am now working in Guatemala). I love technology and I don’t think it has a negative side. My dogs and cats don’t come on my annual trip to Buenos Aires, so I use a webcam controlled by Wi-Fi, which I can turn on from anywhere as long as I have access to a Wi-Fi connection. This allows me to see how everything is back home via smartphone and I can even talk to my pets because the webcam also has speakers. The negative side of smart technology is not technology’s fault, but our own in how we use it”.

Carlos, 56, sales director, Buenos Aires

Educatina, interactive and video lessonsLa Casa Inteligente, home control

via smartphone or tablet


EDUCATION

VR HEALTH

Vivoxie is a Mexican start-up that has created the first virtual reality glove, PowerClaw, giving students a way to simulate surgical operations in real time.It is making a huge contribution to Mexico’s universities in the area of medicine and signals a great advance for our society – ground-breaking technology being developed in Mexico by Mexicans.

LIFESTYLE SOLUTIONS

Mexico City is chaotic. A normal working day is full of traffic, high levels of pollution and people in a hurry because they arelate for work, leaving them little time to care for their own health. In search of solutions to this problem, there is a strong trend for buying wearable technology that measures health behaviour, sport habits, etc. Indeed, Mexico City has a major obesity problem, so it’s important to find connected technology solutions thathelp combat problems generated bythe Mexican lifestyle.

It is also interesting to note that moreand more people are seeking to solve social problems with technological solutions (eg, fashion brand Machina). These innovations are gathering strength, but are currently restricted to families with higher incomes. If the government develops more programmes that support the use of connected technology in the right way, I believe we can grow economically, culturally, educationallyand in terms of health.

SCOUT: LUZ

CITY: MEXICO CITY


TRANSPORT

KICK OUT THE (TRAFFIC) JAMS

It feels like there is no room for morecars on our streets. Every day, more than five million inhabitants travel around the city and the traffic jams are increasing. Carrot is an app used in Mexico City to share cars, where you only pay for the hours you use. The platform is built ona crucial insight: public services in the city are deficient, so this type of alternative appeals to us. It seems to me that social platforms are showing a growing trend towards creating shared experiences,and connected technologies are providing ones that unite us as a society, save us money and generate less pollution.

“I use connected technology at home. My parents contracted a system that allows us to measure the temperature of my room, as well as regulate the intensity of light and control the security cameras with my smartphone. I think I am one of the few examples of how people in Mexico are acquiring connected tech to improve our lifestyles”.

María José, 24, strategic planner, Mexico City

FASHION

MACHINA AGE

Machina is a disruptive brand that fuses wearable technology with men’s fashion. It was created through collaboration between Mexican programmers and electronic artists, who found motivation in technological, political and cultural disruption. This innovation is the firstmen’s clothing brand incorporating wearable technology in Mexico City, something that even a few years agowe didn’t imagine would be possible.

WELLNESS

BLOOD SIMPLE

In Mexico City, someone needs a blood donor every four seconds, but only 3% of donations come from outside patients’ friends and acquaintances. In this context, the Blooders platform, developed by entrepreneur and former biomedical engineer César Esquivel, is very innovative and important for our culture. This digital platform connects anonymous donors with patients who need transfusions, reduces waiting times and facilitates the donation process. In just one year, the app received 2,000 donations benefiting more than 6,000 patients.

PowerClaw, VR gloves to simulate surgical operations

Machina merges men’s fashion with wearable technology


SOCIAL AND COLLABORATIVE

SCOUT: RENATA

CITY: RIO DE JANEIRO


WORK

WHISPERS AND DRONES

The Smartx HUB IoT solution is an enterprise cloud application of physical networks (including unmanned aerial vehicles) that contain embedded technology (such as RFID, beacons and sensors) to communicate and perform tracking, inventory and product localisation. Its use of connected drones has wide-ranging benefits including soil, infrastructure and water-quality monitoring.

The Internet of Things is still not a reality for most people and connected appliances are a distant prospect for the average Brazilian consumer. As a whole, we are hungry for technology, especially if it’s connected to social networks, but are still some years off seamless connectivity.

People from Rio are plugged in all the time to social networks. Currently, the use of apps is becoming more and more popular, and many services are already offered through this type of technology. Often, the most used are those that offer location services for bars and restaurants, or track local government information and keep users informed of any important developments. Public safety is another area where connected technology is helping to improve lives. One example is the Fogo Cruzado app, which maps shootings taking place in the city in a collaborative way, with information provided by the users themselves.

CITIES

PLOTTING THE CITY

Rio de Janeiro was recently voted themost intelligent and connected city in Brazil by the Connected Smart Cities Ranking. The Rio Operations Centre (COR) is an example of what makes Rio de Janeiro the frontrunner. It gathers and integrates data from 30 agencies to optimise the city’s running, and monitor attendance at events such as football matches, even last year’s Olympics. Its mapping is widely used by the media to provide information on traffic and security issues, which is very usefulfor residents, too.

TRANSPORT

ALL BUS, NO FUSS

Cadê o Ônibus is a travel-tracking app that shows real-time information on the location of buses, departure times, traffic and nearby stops. The app is a useful solution for those who need public transport. It allows them to plan their journeys more effectively and avoid taking unnecessary risks by waiting a long time for buseson the street.

“I need to use public transport to go to work, so apps that show information about schedules and transit are very important and useful. I’ve also had surgery to lose weight and am looking for apps that can help me with my diet. Smart living helps organise my schedule and makes day to day living more practical. I really need more information to make my days easier”.

Livia, 35, airport supervisor,Rio de Janeiro

WELLNESS

SLEEP PATTERN

Carenet is a domestic pioneer in the fieldof monitoring and tracking consumer health. The clip-on device monitors the sleep and movement of wearers, allowing them to plan for a healthier life. It is an important innovation because it’s very easy to use and useful for those who want to evaluate the quality of their sleep before taking medicines or making further interventions. Tracking devices open up the possibility of consumers keeping up-to-date with their health and better understanding their own wellbeing.

LEISURE

BEER FINDER

Easybeer is a collaborative service where users input information about where to buy the best beers at the best prices. Easybeer also informs users on the origin of the beer, with a brief on-screen description of the drink. Beer lovers can choose the geographical radius of where they want to drink, or search for the brand they want to consume. The app, only available on IOS, is becoming very popular with consumers looking for drinks and nightlife.

COR, integrated and optimised city data Easybeer, collaborative beer information Carenet quality sleep tracker


HOMES

SMOOTH OPERATOR

Both Arabs and expats living in the Middle East often have the most innovative gadgets to make life as smooth and modern as possible. UTech is a prime example of something for people who can afford a high-end budget to maximise the technology in their home. The firm sells smart systems for residential villas, businesses and educational institutes.

QUICK EXPANSION

The UAE thrives on rapid growth and having the biggest and most modern buildings. These innovative ways of thinking have allowed it to become well established with regards to connected tech, which is expanding quickly. Whether it be in our homes using products such as UTech, or travelling using carpool websites, this 46-year-old country will carry on being one step ahead of the rest of the world.

SCOUT: LAURA

CITY: ABU DHABI

REGION: MIDDLE EAST

CARPOOL CONNECTION

Compared with Western pricing, petrol and cars in UAE are extremely cheap, but not everyone drives a Ferrari like they make out in the media. There is no minimum wage bracket, which means some wages are lower than in the West. Meanwhile, expats of some trades are offered very financially rewarding packages. The Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport website allows people to connect and carpool so they can live here as cheaply as possible.

“Smart technology has allowed me to work a lot more efficiently. As someone who runs a growing international business, I must get off the plane and go straight into meetings. Avoiding queues at Abu Dhabi International Airport thanks to the new residency

thumbprint check in system allows me to land and get to a meeting in the same hour. It is a true sign of the future and I hope it continues to develop in such a positive way”.

Matthew, 25, fitness professional, Abu Dhabi

TRANSPORT

AIRPORT EFFICIENCY

Abu Dhabi is building the biggest airport terminal in the world, scheduled for completion in 2020. As it stands, I can now enter the country with just my ID and thumbprint to bypass tourist queues. Since last summer, e-registration has been made compulsory, making the entry process for residents safer and much more efficient. It is part of a wider smart travel initiative, which aims to enhance the passenger experience by decreasing airport processing times by up to 70%.

CITIES

DIGITAL SIGNATURE

In the UAE, there are only two telephone networks, DU and Etisalat. Both are government-owned and the state is famous for going the extra mile when it comes to innovation: for example, the Etisalat store at Yas Mall now has electronic signature pads that capture customers’ signatures to use on digital documents, which can be stored electronically.

UTech high-end smart systems

The Etisalat store at Yas Mall


HAPPY CITY

SCOUT: FATIMA

CITY: DUBAI

REGION: MIDDLE EAST

WELLNESS

FITNESS REWARD

Styck is a fitness and rewards-based app launched by two Dubai residents. Each of its goals equate to a reward and can be achieved with any physical activity. Once a goal is reached, the rewards, such as a free coffee, can be unlocked. The app is innovative, not just in that it links goals with rewards, but also because it pushes sedentary people to become active and healthy. Obesity in Dubai is on the rise and this app provides users with an incentive to move. Incentive-based apps have become popular in the country and Styck is tying users’ love for incentives to fitness goals.

CITIES

ONE-CLICK SERVICES

DubaiNow, the city government’s award-winning app, is an integrated platform featuring more than 50 services. It offers easy access to various ones, such as paying municipality bills, fines and public transport top-ups, plus others such as tracking the status of residency visas and trade licenses, locating nearby health centres and finding government-registered schools. This app is innovative because it saves time for customers, removing the need to make a trip to various governmental and non-governmental centres. Services can be accessed anytime, anywhere through this app in just one click.

Dubai is a continuously evolving city, making life easier for residents andtourists. The government is now focusing on improving inhabitants’ satisfactionand happiness levels by implementingthe Smart Dubai initiative. Home, business, transportation, health and education are part of Smart Dubai, which aims to bring all the city’s services and facilities to the smartphone. Benefits include not just a happier Dubai, but also less stress, productive time management in personal and business matters, and an improved way of life that this fast-pacedenvironment currently lacks.

This initiative and smart living arerelatively new, but people are slowly accepting and adopting the change.One area where connected technology is on the rise is the transport sector, as managing and easing traffic is a top priority. In other sectors, smart tech is being adopted, but at a comparativelyslower pace.

TRANSPORT

EASING CONGESTION

Launched by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Sharekni is a carpool management mobile app for residents of Dubai. In recent years, the city has witnessed steep population growth: withits high standard of living, people can afford more than one car, which has resulted in an increase in traffic and congestion. The objectives of this concept are to reduce congestion, cut commuting times, decrease CO2 emissions and improve the environment. Through Sharekni, drivers and passengers can connect with each other and share ridesin a specific area or neighbourhood, allowing them to share costs andreduce traffic-related stress.

“Smart living is now more of a need than a want, making everything easier in work and one’s personal life. Being an active user of the Road Transport Authority Dubai app, I find it a great convenience, as my commute to and from work takes almost an hour. I have an interest in fashion,

HOMES

PEACE OF MIND

Home automation, energy management and security form the basis of Makook Smart Living. The service allows devicesto be connected and interacted through an app or TV interface. Whether it’s ensuring all doors are locked, seeing who’s at the door or having sensors automatically adjust the temperature in a room, Makook offers all this and more. It’s innovative in the UAE market as no such technology featuring a wide number of home services has previously been available. Dubai is a safe city, but this service provides a higher degree of security and peace of mind, even when users are away from home.

so I use the Shedd app to sell off any unwanted clothes and accessories. In this fast-paced environment, without such widely available connected technologies, everyday life can become overwhelming and hectic”.

Huma, 32, researcher, Dubai

Makook Smart Living app and devices for full home automation

Styck, fitness challenges and incentives

Sharekni, carpool to improve the environment

DubaiNow offers easy access to city services


TRANSPORT

FREE RIDE

WaiveCar allows users to drive for free for up to two hours in a vehicle that sells advertising space throughout Santa Monica. Users simply download an app and locate where a vehicle is available. Once they reserve it via their phone using the app, they have 15 minutes to get to it and put it in use. If they use the car for more than the allotted time, they are charged $5.99 per excess hour. The vehicles are electric cars that are easy to charge throughout Santa Monica. They get 80 miles per charge, making them a great eco-friendly way to get around the city. They are perfect for the Santa Monica lifestyle because they are efficient and environmentally friendly, which the coastal city is all about. Santa Monica is the most expensive place to live in LA, so this isan affordable transportation option.

PRIME MOVER

Smart living has truly evolved in Santa Monica and Los Angeles. When I first moved to LA about four years ago, many of the current technologies did not exist. We are now using our phones even more readily to control our daily activity and various devices in our homes. Using intelligent mobile apps, we can connectto security cameras, cars, appliances,solar panels, etc.

Behaviour is always changing and nowthe biggest focus in the LA market is fitness: connected technology helps us achieve our goals and track our daily activities. However, you definitely need tobe part of the middle or upper class totake advantage of it. I also don’t thinkmany baby boomers use it because they like things the way they have alwaysbeen - it is harder to sell connectedtechnology to them.

The biggest cultural change I have seenis that people are interacting less with one another. We rely on connected technology for more and more solutions, which means we are less likely to engage with actual humans. I think LA is unique compared with other cities because we have many start-up companies here such as Snapchat and Uber, which introduce their productsand updates to our market first.

SCOUT: KRISTIN

CITY: LOS ANGELES

REGION: NORTH AMERICA

“Smart living has impacted my day to day life. I rely on it to operate various features within my home. I recently purchased voice-controlled Amazon Echo. I use this device to play music using apps such as Spotify and Pandora, and to control lighting and temperature. It has made my life easier and I feel it’s very helpful, although sometimes the device does not understand me, so I have to repeat myself from time to time. I also educated my children on how to use it – they are only five and seven – because I feel it is important

for them to understand new technology and how it can help them”.

“Our culture is all about the newest technologies. We want to make things easier for ourselves since we are always on the go. We want quick answers as well, which Amazon Echo helps us with. It helps us stay organised and you can ask it about the weather, latest news, phone numbers, recipes, etc. It’s almost like having a personal assistant!”

Hollie, 38, mother, Los Angeles

BIKE CULTURE

Recently, Santa Monica introduced the use of Santa Monica City bikes. There are now many locations throughout the city where you can rent a bicycle for the day or week. These are easy to use and a quick way to get around. They are controlled by an interactive mobile app called SoBi, Social Bicycles. Within the app, users can pay for the time they use the bike, review routes they have taken and see pick-up or drop-off points. This app is a great way to track your spending and routes throughout Santa Monica. The city has a great culture for cyclists, with bike lanes throughout and many people trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Residents are also striving to ‘go green’, so cycling is perfect for that.

WELLNESS

ON TRACK

Apple’s latest endeavour, the Apple Watch Series 2, is like no other. It is a wearable that allows users to track their daily activities, such as text messages, phone calls, emails, calendar notifications and exercise goals. They can also listen to their favourite music using the watch. Series 2 is water-resistant to 50m, has built-in GPS and a heart rate sensor, too. It is the perfect workout partner, which is what the LA lifestyle is all about. This watch is perfect for the local market because we have an ‘on the go’ lifestyle – we’re constantly commuting and exercising. In Santa Monica, people are very much into fitness, so this device allows them to stay ontrack with their daily activity goals.

LEISURE

VISION THING

In November 2016, Snapchat introduced Snapchat Spectacles to the market. The spectacles allow users to take photos or videos using the glasses, which are then saved to their memories on Snapchat. You can make up to a 10-second ‘snap’ using the glasses. They won’t run out of power easily, either: users simply charge them in their carry cases. This technology is perfect for the LA lifestyle, because we always want to be ‘on trend’ in terms of technology and wearables. We’re constantly on the go and love to share what we are doing with our friends and family – it makes us feel busy and alive.

Spectacles are sunglasses that snap!SoBi bicycle sharing systemApple Watch Series 2 for ‘on the go’ lifestyles

WaiveCar exchanges free ride for advertising


VIRTUES AND VICES

SCOUT: MICHAEL

CITY: MIAMI


HOMES

FAIR-WEATHER FRIEND

The Insteon Thermostat allows you to adjust your air conditioning from outside the home. When you install the thermostat, you link it to the Insteon Hub, an app you can download on your smartphone or tablet that allows you to adjust the temperature at home from anywhere in the world. This tech is very innovative because, living in Miami, you don’t know what the weather might be like in an hour or two – you need to always be in control of your home when you are at work or travelling. Having the app on your phone saves you a lot of time and effort. For instance, before returning from work, you can go on the app and adjust the temperature according to your needs.

TRAFFIC BLISS

SunPass is an electronic toll system used in the State of Florida on roads, bridges and turnpikes. Having the SunPass app allows you to manage your account, check your balance, update your vehicle details and add funds. You can pass the toll without waiting in line to pay, ultimately saving you time. You also save 50% when you use SunPass (if you don’t, you pay the full toll amount, up to $2.50). When I first moved to Miami I didn’t know about SunPass, so I used to stay in the lane to pay my toll, something I found very frustrating since I didn’t understand the concept of slowing down on the freeway. Having it now is bliss: I just drive through and sensors capture my SunPass on the windshield.

Smart living is evolving every day in Miami and across the world, and it has definitely affected our daily lives. I have noticed that everyone here uses some sort of connected technology, whether for education, home or work. We now depend so much on connected tech that I believe we’d struggle to do anything without it.

There are so many advantages to smart living, but in particular, it gives you the opportunity to manage your day more effectively. For instance, I don’t need to go to the bank to deposit a cheque: I can easily scan it on to an app and it will go through.

TRANSPORT

METRO TRACKER

The Miami-Dade Transit Tracker app allows you to trace the movements of your metrobus, metrorail and metromover, while making it easier to purchase your ticket. This app gives you access to arrival times at your stop/station and shows you all the bus, rail and mover routes. It helps me plan my trips based on my location and where I need to be. It saves me a lot of time because I can plan ahead and depart when the bus is arriving instead of waiting outside for it. When I’m running on a tight schedule and dealing with the Miamitraffic, the MDT Tracker is very useful.

“Smart living has positively affected my life in several ways. First, it helps me save on my monthly energy bills, such as using the app on my mobile device to control the temperature in my home while I am away. Second, the Taxfyle app helps me file taxes sitting at home, rather than going to a tax office and meeting an associate. It doesn’t just save time – it also saves $150 per tax season”.

Raquel, 26, biomedical engineer, Miami

Insteon Thermostat app adjusts home temperature from anywhere in the world

MDT Tracker offers real-time information on transit services

SunPass electronic toll collection system


LEISURE

PROJECTED HISTORY

Montréal en Histoire is a historical trail seen by night in the Old Port with the help of an app. Along the way, visitors see projections of key moments in the city’s rich history. The app is geo-referenced and provides information at different points of the path in relation to the projections. This activity embodies Montreal’s lofty status in the projection industry, with festivals such as Luminothérapie and the work of world-renowned multimedia company, Moment Factory.

HOMES

COLD COMFORT

Quebec’s harsh winters can be very expensive in terms of heating, but CaSA Connect allows users to remotely control the thermostat at home and reduce their power consumption. The company’s smart technology controls an electric baseboard via a Wi-Fi network without the need for additional equipment or wiring. It comes with an app for iPhone or Android, so you keep control of the heating, even whenat work.

SMART VISIONS

I do not feel that Montreal is a leader in smart living. International apps are generally late to arrive in the local market, perhaps due to the city’s linguistic particularity. This may lead to some apps that are more adapted to local needs, but overall (and just like everywhere else), the most used ones remain the big international brands, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Netflix, Google Maps, Tinder, Apple Health, Grindr, Uber and Foodora.

The city itself is also slow to modernise: for example, Wi-Fi is only partially accessible from Montreal’s underground system. Nevertheless, the city has positioned itself advantageously in several global digital fields, such as video games and software engineering. In addition, Montreal tends to define itself as creative and smart, and has set up an office to support technological innovation, suggesting that it might become a frontrunner in this field in the coming years.

SCOUT: OLIVIER

CITY: MONTREAL


“My use of smart technology on a daily basis remains limited. I use it regularly in two ways. First, getting around – ordering a taxi or looking up the bus schedule, figuring out the fastest route

and using the phone’s location services. Second, interacting on social media, through apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Tinder”.

Elizabeth, 25, architecture student, Montreal

WELLNESS

TEXTILE SENSORS

As an Olympic city with four major universities, Montreal expertly combines sport and research. Hexoskin is a smart clothing company that designs shirts with integrated biometric sensors in the textile. The data gathered are transferred to an app that monitors the wearer’s performance. For athletes who want to improve, health researchers and members of the public, Hexoskin is advanced butstill accessible for everyone.

TRANSPORT

RESPONSIBLE RIDE

Téo Taxi is Uber’s main opponent in Montreal. The company was created in response to the ethical issues Uber has raised, but also to the old monopoly of the Montreal taxi industry, which does not seek to enter the 21st century nor change its too often rude attitudes towards clients. The Téo Taxi fleet is electric, the company pays its taxes, its drivers have a code of conduct, as well as a salary higher than the minimum wage. Its app, like Uber’s, allows you to order and pay with your phone. As a Montrealer, taking Téo Taxi is still a little more expensive than Uber, but it’smore socially responsible.

The Old Port in Montréal en Histoire app

Téo Taxi, socially responsible electric cars


EASE AND FLEXIBILITY

SCOUT: PIETER

CITY: NEW YORK


HOMES

DIGITAL ASSISTANT

Amazon Echo is a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speaker with voice recognition, which uses Amazon’s Alexa voice software to become a ‘digital assistant’ at home: it can play music, share weather forecasts, make internet searches, order a pizza, call an Uber and more. It’s great for New York City because it’s a tiny and very cheap product that can easily turn your entire apartment into a smart home. It partners with other apps that are very popular in this market, such as Uber, Domino’s Pizza, Fitbit and banking apps, which are also incredibly useful.

CITIES

TAKE A BIKE Citi Bike is a bike-sharing programme available throughout New York, with bicycles that are available 24/7 and all year round. It’s expensive for single day use ($12), but annual membership is only $150, which makes it a cheap and easy way to get around the city (a single subway ride is $2.75). The great thing about the system is that the bikes are well maintained by the city, they can be found everywhere and be connected through the useful Citi Bike app (which shows users where the stations are and how many bikes are available). It’s safe, fairly cheap and easy – one of the best ways to get around the Big Apple.

LEISURE

PERSONALISED MUSEUM

The Brooklyn Museum has created an app, ASK, that lets visitors pose questions in real time to a team of specialists. The app lets you chat with an expert for as long as you want, with questions about specific artwork or even general enquiries about art history, the museum itself, directions and more – every museum experience can be interactive and personalised. It is great because large museums such as Brooklyn can feel overwhelming and impersonal, and the info provided on signage often does not address the things I am interested in.

New Yorkers are some of the most smartphone-dependent people in the world. There is an app for every aspect of city life – whether it’s hailing a cab, ordering groceries, buying tickets, using the subway, paying in stores, and so on. But what makes New York unique is the wide range of technological possibilities: for example, Amazon has a service that delivers products to you in Manhattan within two hours; when ordering lunch at work, you can use apps such as GrubHub or Seamless for quick delivery from hundreds of local restaurants, or a food delivery service such as Maple or MealPal with custom menus and food plans.

Connected tech has made people more dependent on technology. When I go running, I never go without my smartphone, because I want to track my progress and listen to music/podcasts while I run. It has made people less likely to interact with strangers, even though it has made it easier to stay in touch and make plans with your friends. While connected tech has affected people’s private lives, changed their homes and altered the way they think about technology, it has not entirely penetrated public life, as it is not really visible in their daily city life and therefore not a big influence on culture – yet.

WELLNESS

EVERY STEP WE TAKE

The Fitbit Charge 2 is a wearable fitness tracker for daily use that also has extra smartwatch capabilities. Besides being a step tracker, it can also monitor a variety of other activities and includes a heart-rate monitor and GPS tracking for when you go for a run. It looks fairly fashionable and you can swap its bands to customise it. It is great for the city because it tracks daily activity (eg, steps taken, how many flights of stairs climbed, sleep tracking as well as specific workouts. It gives users detailed health information in the accompanying app – all very appealing to generally health-conscious New Yorkers.

WORK

SOCIAL NET(WORK)

Slack is an incredibly popular work chat app – almost everyone I know in New York uses it in the office. It lets you talk to colleagues (privately or in groups, via customised channels you can create), which helps eliminate endless email chains. I think the reason it has become so popular is its extremely user-friendly interface, making it easy to share attachments and links. It also has plug-ins with other often used apps (for example, Twitter, Dropbox). I have even started using it with friend groups for chatting and planning stuff, as it’s so much easier to oversee than the classic group text.

“I don’t use a lot of smart living technology in my apartment because I feel it is too expensive and I don’t really see the added value of something like Amazon Echo Dot, for example. I do have a smart TV, which I absolutely love because I can watch live and on-demand TV and films via streaming apps, and use it as my sound system (Spotify) and for other things (eg, YouTube and internet services)”.

“I had a Fitbit for a while (it was a gift), but the band broke and I did not care to replace it because the information I got from it was not really adding anything to my life. I do have an iPhone, which I use constantly and for a wide variety of services”.

Kelly, 26, business development, New YorkSlack, user-friendly work chat app Citi Bike sharing programme


RISING TECH

SCOUT: LIZ

CITY: TORONTO


Toronto is rich in history and a city that thrives on its sense of culture and community. The use of connected technology here is unique, because it makes these aspects even more accessible to residents while giving tourists an opportunity to access them in a quick and interactive way.

People in Toronto are always on the go, and smart technology lets them stay organised, helps them be on time, supports them to connect with friends and family here and around the world, and helps businesses reach customers more efficiently. The city is growing and expanding rapidly, and its technology is definitely rising at an equally fast rate, making it more interactive and accessible.

TRANSPORT

ROCKET TRIPS

The RocketMan app helps users plan trips and shows when public transit vehicles are arriving in real time via GPS software. It is used by many Torontonians to plan their journeys, as it is more reliable than similar services. The Toronto Transit Commission’s bus and streetcar schedules are often disrupted by delays, but this tool shows users exactly when a vehicle is arriving and which route is best to take – especially useful in the cold winter months when passengers don’t want to be waiting outside for extended periods. It also has a map that shows city bikes and dock locations, which is especially helpful in Toronto where a lot of people cycle as their main mode of transport.

WELLNESS

ZEN WAVES

Muse is a brain-sensing meditation headband developed in Toronto by InteraXon Inc. It is worn around the forehead and connects to an accompanying app, which measures brainwaves, senses when the brain is becoming distracted and gives the user feedback. It is highly innovative because it uses smart technology to measure how effective the user’s meditation techniques and experiences are in real time. When the user is calm they hear gentle weather sounds, which intensify as they become distracted. The app also offers various guided meditation exercises and tools, which can be used withouta Muse headband.

EDUCATION

VIRTUAL BROWSER

BookMyne is a tool used to access local libraries quickly and easily. By using one’s library number and user code, users can search catalogues at specific locations, manage their accounts and download items on the go. This makes libraries more accessible, and with so many of them in Toronto, it makes it easier to find books or resources without having to enter each location. By connecting libraries directly with users through the app, people can access their services more efficiently – appropriate in a city so connected by technology.

PRIDE, NOT PREJUDICE

Queerstory is a free app that lets users explore Toronto’s bright and colourful queer history. It uses an interactive map that marks significant locations in the city, which can be expanded to tell their stories. Toronto has a large LGBTQ community, which is an important part of its history, culture and tourism. This app is innovative in that locals can learn more about their own community and tourists can enjoy a meaningful experience that shares an important part of the city’s history.

CITIES

MODERN BARTERING

Bunz Trading Zone is a community started through a Toronto Facebook group for trading and bartering. The group gained in popularity and began to expand, eventually leading to the Bunz app. The app is a testament to Toronto culture, which is unique in that a concept such as Bunz can thrive here. It makes it easier for users to create a profile, list items, homes, jobs and skills for trade, as well as find what they are ’in search of’ (‘ISO’). A real community, created through an online medium, now uses smart technology to facilitate and update bartering, a traditional mode of cultural and economic participation.

“I use smart technology in my daily life, which has affected me in real and tangible ways. For example, I was using the GO Transit app to help me commute, but when the app started malfunctioning, it felt like a nightmare and I realised how dependent I had become on it. I started to drive to work more, just to avoid having to wait for public transport as I would have done in the past. I also downloaded a meditation app called Calm, which has guided meditations that have significantly improved my mood and anxiety management. It has improved my daily life in a real and measurable way”.

Fanny, 30, actress, Toronto

LEISURE

CULTURE HUB

Indie88 is a radio station in Toronto, and the Indie88 app is the station’s way of using smart technology to connect with its listeners. It enhances the user experience by offering them more than just songs. The interactive app also lets them read top stories on music and local news, and listen to a live radio stream. It also shares lifestyle stories about Toronto, and lists upcoming concerts in the city. This app is innovative because it turns the radio station into a news and culture hub, keeping it relevant and interactive for listeners.

Planned trips with RocketMan app

Queerstory app to explore LGBTQ city history

Indie88, more than a radio app Muse meditation headband


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8 SMART LIVING CONSUMER CATEGORIES VIEWED THROUGH THE LENS OF CULTURE VULTURE’S 10 GLOBAL CONSUMER TRENDS

SMART LIVING SOLUTIONS

HOMES WELLNESS LEISURE

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ME NATION VOICE ACTIVATED Amazon Echo

GOOD VIBRATIONS Doppel

PERSONALISED MUSEUMBrooklyn Museum’s ASK

MAXIMISING MOMENTS MOOD ROOMPhilips Hue

ZEN WAVES Muse Headband

BEYOND THE FESTIVALCoachella VR

POWER PLAY PLAYFUL FURNITURELift-Bit Sofa

TOOTHBRUSH GAMEKolibree

MULTIDIMENSIONAL PORTAL Alton Towers’ Galactica

VISUALISATION FOOD TRACKINGFridgeCam

PERFECT SKIN Panasonic Smart Mirror

MACHINE CURATION Tate Britain’s Recognition

SEEKING AUTHENTICITY REMOTE SECURITYCanary System

PANIC BUTTON ConnectedLife Sensors

BEER FINDEREasybeer

SIMPLIFICATION HOME HUB Samsung SmartThings

TELEMEDICINEPush Doctor

SENSITIVE SURFACESSony’s Xperia Touch

SNACKING TEA TIME ALERTiPot App

CARDIOGRAMS CLOUDS ECG Dongle

EPHEMERAL SNAPSSnapchat Spectacles

NEW NETWORKINGFAMILY SYNC Samsung’s FamilyHub Refrigerator

HEALTH MONITOR Lively Safety Watch

PROXIMITY DATINGHappn App

NATIONAL CELEBRATIONSENIOR INDEPENDENCEPanasonic AGE-FREE

HEALTHY COMMUNITYCrossFit Copenhagen

UNIVERSAL BEVERAGEMolson’s ‘I am Canadian’

NEW WORLD ORDER OPEN HOMES CALM Shelter

BLOOD SIMPLE Blooders Platform

AUTOMATED EATERYEatsa

FASHION WORK EDUCATION TRANSPORT CITIES

HIGH-TECH TATOO DuoSkin

VIRTUAL PASixtyone Business

UNIQUE ASSIGNMENTSGoogle Classroom

TIRED DRIVERNeuro-cap

VOX POPULIVoxe.org

WEARABLE CULTURE Neurocouture

MULTITASKING + SOCIALSlack App

WEARABLE LEARNINGCuriscope App + T-Shirt

DRIVERLESS BOATSRoboats

TOUCHING MOMENTSSydney’s Live Touch

INTERACTION + TRANSPARENCIESRoosegaarde’sIntimacy Project

CONNECTED SCRIBBLES Neo Smartpen

GAMIFIED LEARNINGMinecraftEdu

FAIR EXCHANGEWelectGo

TELEPORTINGTO PLACESGoogle Earth VR

SCREENS ON SHOESShiftWear

PAINTING IN 3D Google Tilt Brush

VISUAL COMMUNICATION Wacom Interactive Pen

INTERACTIVE LIGHTSRoosegaarde’s ‘Starry Night’

PROMISING SIGNSWalk [Your City]

CONFIDENT JEWELLERY WiseWear’sSocialite Collection

INTELLIGENT + GREEN The Edge Building

PRIVATE AND VIRTUALEducatina

LEADING THE BLINDWayfindr

SAFE ZONESFree To Be

STYLISH PAYMENTSBarclays’ bPay+ Topshop

VOICE WORKDragon Drive

HOMEWORK TRACKINGBD Somani School

CONNECTED CARSVolvo XC90

SMART BINS Clean Cube

MATCHING OUTFIT Combyne App

QUICK APPSiBuildApp

BITE-SIZED SKILLSGoogle Premier App

PRE-PAIDOla Cabs

MODERN BARTERINGBunz App

140 CHARACTERS DRESS CuteCircuit’sTwitter Dress

TEAM SYNC Flow

COLLABORATIVE+ CONNECTEDInternet of(School) Things

PREMIUM CARS SHARINGDriveNow

CITIZEN POWERmySociety

ICONIC CONNECTIVITYLevi’s CommuterTrucker Jacket

B2B CONNECTIONS Mettā

LOCAL LIBRARIES BookMyne

THE TOURIST ROUTEYAMGU – You Are My Guide

WI-FI PAVEMENTSVirgin Media + Chiltern District Council

SAFETY JEWELLERY Leaf Wearables

BEST DEALS M-Farm

KNOWLEDGE BRIDGEPrepa App

BABIES ON BOARDPink Light

LGBTQ LANDMARKSQueerstory App

Culture Vulture’s Framework is our approach to explore andapply cultural trends. It serves as an inspiration to understand the wider cultural context which we live in and for creating new strategies and ideas for business and communications.

The Smart Living dossier has identified eight consumercategories – where smart technologies are evolving rapidly – through an extensive research and curation process of trendsand manifestations from all over the world. They reflect the waywe consume connected technologies today and how we reactand adapt to the always changing and evolving cultural forces.


THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS:

Gawain Morrison (Sensum Research), Joe Burton (Whil),Daan Roosegaarde (Studio Roosegaarde), Alex Kozloff (IAB UK),Dr. Ron Chrisley (Centre for Cognitive Science - University of Sussex), Ariel Adams (ABlogtoWatch.com), Sebastián Mejía (Rappi),Foresight Factory for the contribution to our Scout Network

THE MINDSHARE GLOBAL NETWORK:

Aparna Krishnan, Alison Ashworth, Victoria Cook, Camilla Wrang, Sonia Le Louarn, Saúl HernándezMariana Sánchez Peregrina, Giorgina Clavarino,Marcela Mendoza, Andrew Trigg, Silvia Santos

RESEARCH AND EDITION:

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CULTURE VULTURE GLOBAL TRENDS PLEASE CONTACT:

Rita Ibarra

Rita IbarraDirector, Business Planning, Insights [email protected]

Victoria CookPartner, Business Planning, [email protected]

Central Saint Giles1 St Giles High Street

London WC2H 8AR

+44 (0)20 7969 4040www.mindshareworld.com

138 CULTURE VULTURE / ISSUE 09

culture vulture: smart living - mindshare world vulture- issue... · communication and working apps...

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