Emerging trend: Gesture controlled operating systems are coming to Apple. Rumors of Apple acquiring Israeli firm PrimeSenseare abound.
Implication: Apple’s next generation products will work with the snap of a finger and respond to body movements. The new i-Series will offer stiff competition to Microsoft Kinect and Nintendo’s Wii.
Action: Embed your brand in lifestyle and entertainment apps that can help users manage their health, household and free time with such 3D technology.
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Emerging trend: Smart companies are embedding sharing technology into gear. Miami-based Muzik has released headphones with share buttons that allow consumers to send their song choices to their friends on Facebook, Twitter and beyond.
Implication: Social networking will bleed into everyday devices, bringing a new dimension to location-based marketing.
Action: Create experiences around alternative communication platforms – glasses, bookcases, frames, or windows – where consumers can send messages about their observations.
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Emerging trend: MOOCs – massive open online courses – are generating new revenue streams for traditional education institutions, such as Georgia Tech, University of Texas, University of Virgina, among many others.
Implication: Affordable education will be available to upwardly mobile segments. Online US universities’ student body will be increasingly global.
Action: Training is the new branding. Offer expert content through online education platforms to spend quality time with your target audiences.
