While Google Glass got very little traction from the consumer market during its original launch in 2014 they have continued a focus on the Enterprise. Glass EE can support prescription lenses or industrial eye protection such as safety glasses or face shields.
CNBC cites a report from Forrester Research that says 14.4M Americans could wear Google Glass at work by 2025, which would make for a $1B to $2B market at the latest known price per unit of $1,500. If these projections are accurate it appears Google did a good job listening to the Voice of their Customers and has now redirected their focus on a market that actually has a need for the solution they are able to deliver.
June 12, 2017 – Driver-less Vehicles Planned to Hit the Roads in 2018
Be careful if you travel in France. In 2018 Delphi and French transport company Transdev have plans to deploy what they refer to as “Autonomous Vehicles with no human backup” in Normandy and Paris France. You would think the driving in this region was not hectic enough without the introduction of this “technology advancement”. The solution involves two Renault ZOE autonomous taxis that will shuttle customers to and from various locations. Vehicles will have a human monitor but the vehicles have no steering wheels or pedals so interaction is impossible from within the vehicle. Thankfully a tracking station can shut the vehicle down remotely if it were to go rogue. From the perspective of a Voice of Customer advocate I am not sure any of us asked for this.
April 26, 2017 – RFID Takes a new Growth Path in Animal Tracking
RFID livestock management solutions aid in animal care processes optimizing productivity, helping ensure food safety and quality. Many vendors presently provide a vatiety of RFID tags. Most in the herd/animal tracking market family includes LF transponders effective for bolus use, as well as high performance tags for subcutaneous placement in horses or fish, or livestock ear tag placement for sheep and goats. Embeddable transponders can be housed in ear tags for custom form factors using various materials to create specialized LF tags. Innovative livestock ear tag products are fully inter operable with standardized components and systems.In addition, standard Glass Tag units can be enclosed in biocompatible glass, making them harmless to animals. Many vendors can also create a custom tag solution to fit application requirements for chip type, dimensions, programming and materials.
April 24, 2017 – RFID Still Trying to Make its Mark
April 12, 2016 – RFID Sensors in Retail Make the Omni-Channel Shopping Experience a 2016 Reality
February 9, 2016 – Smart Labels are Destined to Power the Internet of Things
Per an article in Forbes submitted by Mike Kavis
January 21, 2016 – NY Hotels moving to RTLS technology to ensure Rapid Emergency Response
Over 45 New York hotels have installed RTLS based HelpAlert system from RF Technologies. Those making the investment include The Kitano New York, and some are integrating alerts with video camera imagery.
This is definitely a technology called for by Voice of Customer. The rise in terrorist threats and activity certainly call for an increased investment in this type of technology.
January 15, 2016 – Per an Article published by Nicholas Evans in Computerworld
A true understanding of the digital customer experience starts to weed out the winners and losers
“Many analyst firms are highlighting the importance of an obsession with the customer experience. Organizations that truly understand the full scope of the customer experience will pull ahead of those who focus too narrowly on a few aspects of the experience such as omni-channel support or elegant design. The full scope of the customer experience will incorporate a rich set of elements including value, engagement, simplicity, timeliness, accessibility, personalization, contextualization, intelligence, anticipation, sharing, listening, information, analytics, recommendations, safety, security, education and consent.”
Great insight that re-enforces the need to better understand your customer needs in 2016.
December 8th 2015 – The Importance of Converting Your Retail Business to SmartLabel’s
80% of packaged groceries will feature SmartLabel within five years, predicts GMA
Within five years, four out of five food, beverage, pet care, personal care and household products will feature a SmartLabel – a QR code shoppers can scan with their phones instore, or access later via a tablet or desktop computer – the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has predicted.
My experience indicates this evolution will move even faster than GMA predicts. The VOC Solution has expertise in this specific area and can help you convert your store-front to utilize SmartLabel technology. Contact us at 508-633-8927 to help meet the evolving needs of your customers.
June 9th 2015 – Memories that Reside in the Cloud not in your Head
Could 2015 be the year for Wearable technology? According to Forrester Research their survey results on technology trends for 2015 identify wearable technology as a “hot-ticket item” in the U.S., according to new survey results.
A unique example of the innovations on the horizon include a Start-up company called LifeLogger ( LOGG – website), who’s roadmap includes a device that will create a parallel copy of your important memories and keep it stored in a cloud. A great idea but that is really an example of walking around in a cloud. Great for the aging like myself who can recall every line from Caddyshack but have a hard time recalling what I ate for dinner last night. LifeLogger was recently profiled by Nasdaq.com claiming it could be the next GoPro.
This is definitely an innovation worth keeping an eye on…..I should write this down somewhere before I forget it!
May 30th, 2015 – The New Age of 50 Something Start-Up’s
When we think startups we usually are thinking of s twenty somethings in t-shirts and headphones, sprawled out on couches in a renovated warehouse rapidly typing code into their laptops. Their boardroom might be Starbucks or any place with public WiFi (no limits in today’s world). What doesn’t come immediately to mind is that there is a world of startups emerging from business executives in their 50’s and 60’s re-inventing themselves. Very few of us would suspect that a person nearing retirement would be considering beginning a startup. If you had a chunk of investment funding to put behind a start-up would you invest in a company started by someone in the 50+ age category? Here are some facts I have researched that might make you consider this group to be a very solid investment backed by years of experience:
* Half of the companies launched in 2011 were started by entrepreneurs who were between 45-64 years old.
* The amount of business created by new entrepreneurs between the age of 55-64 was 14.3 percent of the total business in 1996. In 2011, it was 20.9 percent.
Experienced entrepreneurs in this age category actually have many things going for them. Their work ethic is strong, they have management experience, they already have a portfolio of potential customers, they have patience and if they already are (or can) become a bit tech savvy, they can easily start a business from home.
Go get em seniors ! The young start-ups have plenty of time to kick the can…we need to move faster.
July 11th, 2014 – Disruptive Technology
- A group in London called “The Place” has launched an app called MindRDR which allows Google (GOOG) Glass wearers to take a picture of what they are looking at by reading brainwaves.
- The new app works via a bio-sensor attached to Glass, and picks up brainwaves that correlate to “focusing”. If a user strongly focuses on an item while connected to the hardware, a snapshot will be taken.
- Photos can even be uploaded to Twitter via the mind, if a user focuses again right after the original picture is taken.
If effectively implemented this could be an innovation that is very disruptive to the handset camera industry and eventually the photography industry. Quality of the images will be a critical factor but the concept is moving us closer to a virtual world. However, I am not sure I want some experimental device scanning my brainwaves. – Bob D
February 26th 2014
Wacom announces a new innovation to share handwritten notes across devices and platforms
Wacom has been providing innovation in the world of mobile tablets and pen based solutions for years. They have just announced a big step forward. A single, cross-platform standard for sharing handwritten notes and sketches between users, regardless of whether they’re using a stylus or a finger, an iPhone or a PC, an app or a browser. The tool is called “WILL” — “Wacom Ink Layer Language” — and it captures a pen stroke’s coordinates, pressure and the identity of its creator (through a unique “Pen ID”).
This could be an incredible step forward in the use of tablets for typical note taking that can be later searched and browsed. A big leap forward for engineers, inventors and even artists. – Bob D
February 7th 2014
New tablet accessory kit for iPad mini changes Pad Broadcasting
The version pictured her is the iPad’s mini’s larger brother. This version is rather cumbersome and clunky. Listening to the Voice of Customer led the company to now release a version for the iPad mini. You can find it on Kickstarter. This version is much more compact but still accommodates the 1080p camera and (optional) Retina screen. The Padcaster Mini consists of a frame with threaded holes for video accessories, a bracket for 72mm and 58mm lens adaptersand a DSLR attachment if better video is needed. This will make the lives of bloggers and broadcast journalists much easier.
I love the way companies look at the customer needs and find unique ways to package and present all the pieces of the solution in the form of an exciting new product. This is VOC at its best. – Bob D
Google has committed a bundle on Nest.
$3.2B for a start-up hardware company sounds a bit much but it is clear Google is investing in the founders, Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. Fadell known as the man who sold the iPod to Steve Jobs.
Per an Article by Marcus Wohlsen 01/14/14, Google is interested in:
“Knowing What We Do When We’re Not on the Web”
Nest’s second product, a smoke alarm that’s networked with the thermostat.
Clearly Google knows the Voice of Its Customers and wants to know more about them. – Bob D
Here is a technology that I don’t think computer users even were aware they had a need for. Motion detection as a new user interface. This is an interesting new product that allows us to enter a new era of hands free computer control. The concept was featured in the movie Minority Report and could be a unique alternative to touch screen technology. Let’s see if this one catches on. – Bob D.
Leap Motion Controller
This pint-sized USB accessory for Windows PCs and Macs is an $80 preview of where man-machine interfaces may be headed. Plug it in, plop it on a flat surface, and you can perform tasks — from playing games to reading New York Times stories — by waving your hands in the air. It can even detect the angle your palms and how many fingers you’re sticking out. The technology is also being built into laptops, starting with HP’s Envy17 Leap Motion SE.
Facebook to roll out video advertising in test
12/17/2013
Facebook has confirmed it is testing video advertising, following media reports that it will roll out video commercials later this week.
The social networking website said on Tuesday that it would be promoting a series of videos for the upcoming film “Divergent” this week — but stressed it was only a test run.
12/12/2013
New Positioning for an Existing Product
Here is a product that has already changed since it was launched as a result of Logitech paying attention to the Voice of Customer. The Smart Radio has been modified from the original Squeezebox Radio including an onboard battery and an ability to switch between the simpler UE interface and the original Squeezebox interface. Pricing has been reduced from $275 to $99 on this new version. I am betting this will be a hot seller this holiday season. – Bob D.
By: John Markoff
Wednesday, 4 Dec 2013 | 5:56 AM ET
Google has quietly acquired seven technology companies in an effort to create a new generation of robots, The New York Times reports..
How will robots figure out what their customers want? They might still need our help……we hope. – Bob D.
Tuesday, 3 Dec 2013
It appears drones are taking on a path for robotic technology that could drive the need for significant related track trace and locate solutions. Where are the devices….I think we all want to know at all times? If they perform efficiently and effectively what roles will they replace…what new jobs will they create? – Many interesting questions. – Bob D.
A Drone Scholar Answers the Big Questions About Amazon’s Plans
After Amazon’s Jeff Bezos announced that his company wanted to deliver packages with small unmanned aerial vehicles, many people have questioned the viability and wisdom of the idea. Yesterday, we got one optimistic…