BRAND INFECTION » Products

Apple’s Attention To Detail

Nader — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:36:54 +0000

…shows best with this picture: a miniscule but still significant change from OS X 10.7.2 to 10.7.3. I just wonder why they had to bend the pointing hand, it now looks a little bit like Mickey Mouse’s hand to me.

[via fscklog]

iPod Air Fresheners By W5 Carcare

JVC’s Nightstand Might Finally Replace Your Oldschool Radio Alarm Clock

Toni — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00:59 +0000

This newly introduced nightstand might be another cool addition to your ever-growing gadget collection. JVC’s nightstand N-BX3 makes a beautiful nightstand that plays tunes from your iPod or iPhone. It comes in both black and white colours. With a weight of approximately 20kg and measurement of 500 x 300 x 110 millimetres, find all the comfort of having a multi-functional iPhone/iPod speaker dock equipped with a FM tuner and SRS StudioSound HD at a price of less than $525. I guess I just found a reason to bid goodbye to my old school radio alarm clock that I have been using to wake up to for more than 10 years.

Smart Bins: When Recycling Goes Digital

Toni — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:04:07 +0000

Just when you thought that digital screen technology is limited at homes and offices, think again. Introducing “smart bins,” the newest digital screen network invades the streets of London in time before the Olympics 2012. Smart bins are more than just instalments slapped on the sidewalks. These futuristic, multi-functional recycling stations come equipped with a couple of massive LCD screens attached to every side, making them interesting for pedestrians as well as advertisers.

Its screens display impressive stock market infographics, current news from the Economist, and London underground service conditions and weather. It may sound quite costly but seems to be promising if its maker, Renew plans to pump up its features such as being Wifi-equipped as well as for notifying emergencies.

I’m not sure how most people including myself would consider this application in terms of usefulness versus cost. Let’s just hope this technology as seen on the Smart Bins is a smart investment. While 25 of these Smart Bins fetch a total cost of $47,000, the cost to actually maintain them in one piece both physically and internally is another story.

I mean putting out a form of technology out in the streets calls far more extensive measures to keep this application safe. If this Smart Bin happens to be in a corner at New York City where riots are rampant, it sure has a higher rate of mortality of either being peed on or totally annihilated.

Another 75 bins are set to be deployed as soon as the 2012 Olympics starts.

It will be interesting to see if and how fast these smart bins spread across other cities and how high the real maintenance costs will be. Also this might be great for advertisers with some sort of self-booking mechanism in place, extending the typical multimedia billboards.

[Image credit: Getty]

Kodak’s Moment(um) Is Over

Nader — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:36:15 +0000

This sales chart of Kodak says it all. While camera phones and digital photography in general took off and were climbing endlessly, Kodak’s business continually degraded. The company who used to stand for a whole generation of photographers, consumers and artists is dead. Interestingly enough it was Kodak who invented the first digital camera in 1975, but it was Sony who first introduced one (Sony Mavica) in 1981. Kodak was focused too much on high-end, niche markets instead the mass of consumers.

A Kodak Moment: a rare, one-time moment that is captured by a picture, or should have been captured by a picture

Kodak: 1892 – 2012 (120 years!)

Reminiscing the good old times, here is a post about Kodak’s rebranding from a couple years ago.

Full story at TechCrunch

Malcom Gladwell Collected: “Intellectual Adventure Stories”

Nader — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:17:52 +0000

I remember sitting on a train from Vienna to Berlin a long time ago and reading “The Tipping Point” for the first time. This book not only introduced me to a lot of new concepts and dramatically increased my knowledge, it was also one of the books I really enjoyed reading. Now, Gladwell’s best-selling pieces are collected together in a beautifully redesigned and repackaged set.

Malcolm Gladwell has this power to transport facts in an easy-to-read and entertaining format. It basically got me started with all this, then I read “Blink” and the only book left would be “Outliers”.

Designed by Paul Sahre and Brian Rea, Malcolm Gladwell: collected is Gladwell’s three best-selling books combined and packed with interesting information to push you forward, radically change your understanding, and, a set that is looking great on your bookshelf.

“During our initial meeting with Malcolm, he referred to the three books as ‘intellectual adventure stories,” Sahre says, and “Brian and I really responded to that, as it suggested a specific and interesting way to think about how the books could be designed. We wanted the books to feel like first editions of Moby-Dick or Treasure Island or The Wizard of Oz.”

Samsung Demonstrates Transparent Smart Window

Nader — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:00:57 +0000

Korean conglomerate Samsung must be smiling after winning an Innovation Award at 2012 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) for its 46 inch TFT – LCD Smart window. This can get confusing because the prototype is a new concept. The idea is this. It’s sort of a high tech window that you would install in a wall. However, and this is where it gets very interesting, it doubles as a 1336x 768 side lit (presumably capacitance-based) touch screen monitor.

In effect, a giant touch panel monitor that you can look through at the same time. Of course the first question come into your mind would be, what do people outside see? The answer is nothing since it acts like a two – way mirror.

Perhaps the first question that changes your mind was what you do at night? Samsung’s answer to that is the side-lit illumination (which is adjustable in brightness). Of course since it’s a monitor you wouldn’t put it disappearing behind curtains when the sun is streaming through the window. Well Samsung has thought of that as well. It actually has an electronic version of miniblinds, perfectly adjustable.

For those of us who think Green, Samsung also fulfills that. The prototype gets a power assist through photovoltaic cells so at least part of its energy consumption is supplied by sunlight.

The prototype certainly is deserving of its award for innovation. Less clear is more down to Earth questions such as pricing and availability.

What is clear is Samsung has scored one giant ‘gotcha’ in its battle with another Korean giant, LG.

Read more information about smart windows.

Wunderkit Is Over-Hyped: Men Who Stare At Wooden Walls 2.0

Nader — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:00:09 +0000

I got an invitation today to try out wunderkit and after 15 minutes of clicking around I have to say it’s so f*cking sad I don’t even know. This is in no way innovative nor easy to use. It’s simply a mixed mess of twitter meets basecamp meets things meets evernote meets wooden walls 2.0. ~~Wow~~, you can follow people and can get followed back, you can file notes and you can create tasks…super innovative…not.

Wunderkit is the perfect example for creating an absolutely successful hype (they do this extremely well!) around a product early on and promising a new way to organize our lives. Now that it is finally online I am pretty sure lots of people will be disappointed. Personally I feel made fun of with this kind of hype and “all hat and no cattle”. What do you think?

I’m in no way affiliated with them but if you really want to see an innovative, mind-blowing and flexible tool that adapts to your workflow check out podio.

Early X-Mas Gift From Me To You

Belkin WeMo Lets You Control Your Home Appliances With Your Smartphone

Nader — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:48:25 +0000

Where IBM failed with their Aptiva line of computers back in the late 90’s Belkin hopes to revive this year with the introduction of their new product: WeMo. The WeMo is a wireless accessory that plugs into your walls and allows you to control that outlet from a special application that is set to work on just about any mobile device. Sounds awesome, doesn’t it?

The WeMo system works with your homes current electrical system and only requires a Wi-Fi connection and a free smartphone app to set up the switches. Through the provided application you can set your outlets to turn on or off at the push of a button or set those to a set schedule to give the appearance that one is at home. Another product set to be released soon; the Belkin WeMo Sensor not only connects to your Wi-Fi connection but also contains motion sensors that react to movement.

Some of the features of the WeMo system include:

Turns your plug into a remote controlled outlet where you can set anything from lights to fans to turn on running a set schedule or on command.
Turn your devices on or off from anywhere in the world by using your smart phone.
Can work in tandem with the sensor system to work as a sort of security alarm setting you an alert when someone walks across the path of the sensor.
Allows you to set your lights and other electronics to a schedule so that you have full control over your electronics at all times.
The sensors can be rigged to work together in a chain so that crossing one sensor in the house will not only activate all the lights in the house but can also turn on your T.V. in one room and turn on a fan in another.

You can get the Wi-Fi outlet adapter for $49.99 a piece and the motion sensor outlet adaptor for $79.99 each. Belkin is already working on various other inventions revolving around your Wi-Fi network including a garage door opener, baby monitor, door knocker, and door bell ringer! With this kind of home customization propelling us into the future it’s anyone’s guess what else Belkin can invent to hook into their routers!

Red Bull Special Edition: Cranberry (Red), Blueberry (Blue), Lime (Silver)

Nader — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:08:32 +0000

While staying in Vienna, Austria (I reported about the first and stylish STABILO Store there), I saw the newly released Red Bull special editions in a supermarket and gave them a try. Personally I’m pretty much a Red Bull addict but my girlfriend, who hates the original Red Bull taste (as a lot of others do btw), actually likes the red edition “Cranberry”. Alongside Cranberry (“The Red Edition”) are Lime (“The Silver Edition”) and Blueberry (“The Blue Edition”) flavored Red Bulls.

I know that people either love or hate the original Red Bull so I’m wondering how those special editions perform, especially since Red Bull Cola doesn’t seem to be doing too well. As most of the time with Red Bull products, the company tests them in Austria first and once it works locally they might expand it to other countries. Are the special editions already available in your country and have you tasted them yet? More information on the Red Bull Website.

Red Bull Special Edition: The Red Edition, The Blue Edition, The Silver Edition

QR Code Space Invaders Shirt

Nader — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:02:40 +0000

Ok, Christmas is over but maybe one of your friends has his/her birthday, or, you just want to get this for yourself. QR Codes might be all the rage (or not) for advertising and marketing in your country but here is something special for geeks: the QR Code Space Invaders t-shirt, available at threadless.

What is a QR Code? (Wikipedia)

A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background.