Ranging from making a purchase at a store by phone to finding an instruction manual for a device, these apps really can make our hectic lives just a little easier. Students will be able to access supplemental text book guides on an iPhone app. Imagine sitting in a restaurant and scanning the menu with your iPhone to quickly access health info for various dishes, or even finding out about upcoming events to be held there!

There really are limitless possibilities with these future apps dedicated to making life easier. We can’t wait to see what the next generation of iPhone apps will hold for users!

We like the fresh, fun way in which technology and customer interaction work to promote unique in-store experiences and broadcast them among social networks. By engaging shoppers on a more intimate level and allowing them to instantly connect with their friends for style advice, memorable experiences are created and shared. This also has the possibility of promoting future sales, as shoppers will not only react to friends’ instant input, but may even come back after seeing responses posted after they’ve left the store.

As one of their logos claims, Volkswagen is “dedicated to everyone who enjoys speeding life up a little,” and in one recent “social experiment” that is just what they did. Volkswagen set up and installed a giant red slide going down one side of a very long staircase into the Alexanderplatz Subway in Berlin, Germany. They put cameras all over the staircase to see what would happen and they posted the funny videos of people of all types jumping on the slide and zooming down the long staircase. Volkswagen, which has always found interesting ways to shake things up a bit, has succeeded yet again in spiking curiosity and bringing focus on their company. Basically a marketing tool on steroids, the FAST LANE includes commercials, a facebook page and even fun little “social experiments,” all of which combine to create a sense of a new and exciting way of doing business.

We love the sense of community that founders Natalie Kirchbaumer and Wanda Ganders (in cooperation with local organic farmers) have succeeded in creating while uniquely catering to a particular need of city-living, green-loving busy people. This just goes to show that people want to identify on a more personal level with companies which are part of their lives.

GM’s new Hy-Wire concept car represents what can be achieved with the incredible technologies already available to us. The car is unlike anything we have come to expect in a vehicle, running off of a computer interface rather than a motor and requiring no battery. It is powered by a complex hydrogen conversion, which is so efficient that it produces enough electricity to power half of a street. A driver simply presses the power button like any ordinary laptop, selects the drive mode from the interactive touch screen, and away they go. Because it is a computer-based vehicle, there are no gas pedals and the acceleration and braking is accessed by the twist or squeeze of the handles. In the mood to drive something different? The car lifts easily away from the computer motherboard and wheels that run it, allowing a quick change out to different styles (sedan, sport, even family sized) in just thirty minutes.

GM’s Hy-Wire may feel futuristic, but the idea is actually quite simple. It serves as a beacon of light for our desperate need for alternative fuels and reminds us that in almost cases, we can positively change the way live forever if we creatively apply today’s resources.

Often, being efficient means making the most of what you have. Sometimes, it means being creative enough to maximize very small spaces. In Hong King, China, where seven million inhabitants struggle for space, architect Gary Chang has done just that. In a typically small studio apartment of only 350 square feet, Gary has created an apartment that changes, based upon his needs, into twenty four different rooms. By installing a track system in the ceiling which is nearly hidden by mirrored ceiling panels, Gary has ingeniously created walls that can slide and pull out. This unique idea allows Gary to hide whole rooms, such as his kitchen or guest room, and expose them again as needed by pulling a wall away. It is reminiscent of a puzzle and makes the most of his tiny space while also creating warmth and comfort. The apartment is also eco-friendly, serving as a model of inspiration for all countries suffering from overpopulation and a need for greener living. Gary Chang took a common problem of living inside of a small box and solved it in an incredibly ingenious and effective way by, literally, thinking outside of it.

Using nothing more than interior wood trim, high definition plasma screens and custom made software, Rationalcraft has ingeniously created something fun and interesting with their Winscape project. They mounting plasma screens on a wall with wood trim around the edges, they created virtual windows that add life and interest to any plain wall. The software that they have designed runs off of an Apple Mac Pro and allows the user to change the window “view” remotely via their iPhone, and soon with a wii console. It is also embedded with tracking technology which senses where the user is standing and automatically adjusts the view out of the “window” as the user moves about the room, giving it the appearance of a real, natural view.

This concept inspires creative thinking, utilizing known and readily available technology in a new, unique way. It proves that digital can be the answer to just about anything and can be used in a variety of unexpected ways… in the home and beyond.

Philips has released the new GC4490: an Iron with men in mind. With an overall heavy-duty, yet sleek look, the iron has a larger grip, more power, and a heavier, more robust and masculine feel. It comes complete with a solid case for storage, suggestive of a power tool rather than a garment care appliance.
What Philips has done here is worth a second glance. It goes back to the basics: rethinking the obvious. Why shouldn’t an iron come in a rough-and-tumble man’s version? It is reminiscent of tools marketed for women a few years back. It allows the “same-old” to suddenly be new and exciting for a whole new demographic. This sort of simplistically innovative thinking is key to securing a leadership position in today’s cluttered brand landscape.

Touch iBar, located in Chicago, ups the gamut for customer experience by utilizing touch screens in a totally inventive way. The hip, chic bar offers its customers a fun, hands-on experience with their nightlife. In a world of iphones, ipads and other touchscreens, Touch iBar hones in on what trendy, tech-savvy customers really want. The bar offers TouchLife tables and a unique iWall, both of which users can interact with in an array of ways, bringing technology and fun together.

The top of the TouchLife table, which is a digital touch screen, can be used to order drinks, play your favorite songs through the DJ, watch YouTube videos and even interact with other tables. This last feature even makes flirting from across the bar possible! Other features focus on social activities such as games, sketch apps and more. The bar’s iWall has similar features, allowing customers to have more control over their night out on town, with drinks and music literally at their fingertips. This unique spot sets the bar for unique customer experience.

Through his 2009 creation of Readeo BookChat, Coby gives us a simple solution to create memorable experiences between little ones and their parents, grandparents and others who are far away. It goes beyond a simple phone conversation and allows kids and their families to bond while reading a book together—online! It works like Skype, but with Readeo, members view a children’s’ book on their screens, and read it together, page by page while interacting through the webcam video.

In this day and age, innovations are at every turn of the corner. Coby Neuenschwander’s unique way to create connectedness between families started in his home. Now, the working parent on a business trip or the retired grandparents in Florida can easily stay in touch with the kids they love while sitting down and sharing a bedtime story.
Readeo BookChat meets an unsatisfied niche with a creative solution that allows members to have a heart-felt experience. In this industry, we should ask ourselves, “How can we be more like Coby?”