It’s Christmas again, and here are few techy gifts you might consider for those who deserve them.

Crave Sex Toys

Ludicrous sex toys that look like rubber chickens and sound like chainsaws are a thing of the past unless you like that kind of thing of course! New companies like Crave are changing the market, making discreet, attractive and sleek toys that wouldn’t look out of place in an episode of Star Trek. Tech Trends tried out three models, the stunning Vesper necklace, the elegant Wink+ and the powerful Pocket Vibe. Any one of these would make a thrilling stocking filler for your partner or yourself and guarantee a stimulating holiday season.

Ludicrous sex toys that look like rubber chickens and sound like chainsaws are a thing of the past unless you like that kind of thing of course!
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Without doubt the most intriguing and quirky of these toys is the Vesper an unbelievably slim vibrator that doubles up as a necklace or possibly visa versa. The body, tip, and chain are made of 316 high polish stainless steel, with three finishes to choose from: Silver, 24k Gold, and Rose Gold.

To find more perfect gifts for you, check out Instas GearHungry

You can recharge the Vesper quickly with the supplied cable through any USB port. No batteries to mess with and a full charge gives you an impressive 40 minutes of pleasure
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Make it yours. Personalize your Vesper with a special message to yourself or a loved one. Sweet or naughty, your choice.

The Vesper’s 4 speeds and 2 modes (pulsing and constant) are whisper quiet for extreme discretion and you can recharge the Vesper quickly with the supplied cable through any USB port. No batteries to mess with and a full charge gives you an impressive 40 minutes of pleasure.

Almost as attractive is the sleek and minimal Wink+ Crafted from high-quality metals and body-safe silicone, the Wink+ looks a bit like a perfume bottle and claims to provide a much more intense vibration than traditional plastic or silicone vibrators. With an included USB charging cable it recharges quickly and lasts for an incredible 5 hours on the highest setting. Phew!

The Wink+ looks a bit like a perfume bottle and claims to provide a much more intense vibration than traditional plastic or silicone vibrators
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Wink+ brings an understated elegance to your bedroom. Designed for discretion, this compact vibe doesn’t need to hide in the sex toy drawer.

The Wink+ is very elegant and an optional silky smooth silicone cap provides an additional set of textures to explore. The stainless steel Wink+ is fully waterproof for play anytime and anywhere and easy cleaning.

Finally, for those who want to rock, Crave offer the Pocket Vibe a larger and more powerful toy that looks like it means business.

Strong and solid. The Pocket Vibe is designed for those who enjoy a more powerful and intense experience in a compact classic form.

Despite the promised extra oomph, the Pocket Vibe’s motor is still whisper-quiet, delivering deep, rumbly vibrations at the touch of a button with five settings: low, medium-one, medium-two, high, and wave. You also get three body-safe silicone tips for enhanced sensation options: (shown L-R below) ribbed, focused, and flutter!

Despite the promised extra oomph, the Pocket Vibe’s motor is still whisper-quiet, delivering deep, rumbly vibrations at the touch of a button with five settings
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All these toys are beautifully made from solid metal and are waterproof for easy cleaning. From the slinky Vesper up to the more extreme Pocket Vibe, Tech Trends had a very good time indeed and can recommend you pop a Crave vibe in your partner’s stocking this year.

Be sure to check the Crave website for any holiday deals here and prices (dependant on the finish, are below.

• Vesper from $69
• Wink + from $79
• Pocket Vibe from $89

New TILE 2020 range

Tile call their range of nifty products “a family of finders” and they all do this very well, with a few caveats. You are probably familiar with Tile and how they work but for the uninitiated, I’ll recap as this information is pertinent to my review. Attach a tile ‘dongle’ in their various forms to an important object and use the app on a Bluetooth enabled smartphone to locate that device within BT range. Hmmm can you see my potential issue here?

Attach a tile ‘dongle’ in their various forms to an important object and use the app on a Bluetooth enabled smartphone to locate that device within BT range
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Tile gives everything the power of smart location, locating more than six million unique items every day. Leveraging its vast community that spans 195 countries, Tile’s cloud-based finding platform helps people find the things that matter to them most.

The brand new Tile 2020 range primarily adds range and battery life along with a few design tweaks such as replaceable batteries in the Pro version and a thinner Slim wallet tracker. Nothing to sniff at here, Tile reliably revamps their range each year. However, the new 2020 range includes a sticky-backed little button called the Sticker.

Our new Sticker has a 150 ft or 46m range. Slim and Mate each have a range of 200 ft or 61m. Pro features our longest range, coming in at twice the range of Mate and Slim, measuring 400 ft or 122 m. However, as with all wireless technologies, different environments impact the effective range of Bluetooth signals. If your Tile is out of Bluetooth range, you can check its last known location on the app. This information is automatically updated whenever anyone in the Tile community comes within Bluetooth range of your Tile.

The real news here is the Sticker, which although a little bulkier than might be hoped does indeed stick to any flat surface, even rough Metalic smartphone bodies as I can attest. It is small and versatile (no pun intended!) and opens up a world of possibilities for tracking your important objects that are not your keys or wallet. I love it.

If your Tile is out of Bluetooth range, you can check its last known location on the app. This information is automatically updated whenever anyone in the Tile community comes within Bluetooth range of your Tile
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Over the years we’ve seen our customers use Tile for a variety of items,” said CJ Prober, Tile CEO. “From wallets to remote controls, power tools to backpacks, our customers have shown us they want a Tile for everything. We’ve designed our new product line to empower the Tile community to find literally anything.

To caveat my only criticism, I’m not a Tile hater, I have used Tile for years and positively reviewed the system on Tech Trends, the system has also been super useful to me on several occasions but Bluetooth is not a very secure connection and I don’t and will not ever leave it on all the time. This is where the Tile system runs into an issue for me, much like the Sure Petcare Animo dog health tracker I reviewed in our recent Black Fridays reviews post if your BT ain’t on it don’t work and mine isn’t often on. Tile themselves sum this up perfectly on their website:

Bluetooth and GPS trackers differ in many ways. In general, GPS trackers maintain a constant connection via satellite and provide real-time tracking. Bluetooth trackers work within a shorter range and are dependent on a connection to a Bluetooth enabled device. Bluetooth trackers typically cost less, are lighter and use less power.

I agree, Bluetooth trackers are cheaper and Tile’s trackers reflect this. I think they are good value if you take into account the tech and online systems behind the devices themselves. I have no issue with the pricing and must emphasise that Tile doesn’t sit on their laurels, their devices are updated and upgraded every year and are always better value and more useful. I just think it’s time they upgraded from Bluetooth to GPS and made them more useful to more people more of the time.

I think they are good value if you take into account the tech and online systems behind the devices themselves
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However, Tile has made it easier to find items by consistently expanding the Bluetooth range and volume level of its hardware devices and within the limits of the technology they have also innovated by leveraging the community of users to benefit everyone. For those moments when an item is truly lost or left behind, the Tile Community steps in to help. Once an item is marked as lost, if any member of the Tile Community passes within Bluetooth range or spots the missing item, the owner is automatically notified with its location. Tile’s ever-expanding Community, comprised of all customers with the Tile app as well as access points, finds more than 90% of items marked as lost.

Our customers increasingly rely on Tile to find and keep track of all of their belongings,” said Prober. “Whether it’s their backpacks, their cameras, or their keys, the Tile community comes together to locate lost items. With more customers using our expanded hardware line-up, more partners adopting our technology, and more access points coming to market every day, we continue to deliver the most versatile and powerful finding platform.

Tile’s ever-expanding Community, comprised of all customers with the Tile app as well as access points, finds more than 90% of items marked as lost
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These are great devices for day to day items that are always nearby in your home or office, it is simply time that these Bluetooth only devices upgraded to a more comprehensive positioning system and function in a way that means they work for us whatever we are doing and wherever we are and more importantly whatever device and connection we are using. With Apple threatening to release it’s own Tag system soon Tile will need to advance their offering.

These are great devices for day to day items that are always nearby in your home or office
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Pricing and Availability
All four products are available on Tile.com and major retailers; including Amazon, John Lewis, Curry’s and Argos.

– Tile Sticker: Available in Black, starting from £34.99 for a 2-pack, £54.99 for a 4-pack
– Tile Slim: Available in Black for £24.99
– Tile Mate: Available in White, for £19.99
– Tile Pro: Available in Black and White, for £29.99

With gifting season around the corner, Tile has multi-packs available.

– Pro Combo: 2-Pack at £49.99 and 4-Pack at £89.99
– Mate: 4-Pack available at £59.99
– Tile Essentials: 2 Tile Stickers, 1 Tile Slim, 1 Tile Mate available for £64.99
– Tile Mate/Slim Combo: 2 Mates and 2 Slims, available for £69.99

Nextbase 322GW Dash Cam

The Nextbase 322GW Dash Cam is relatively inexpensive at $169.99 considering it is way more than just a dashboard camera. It claims to be the world’s first Dash Cam with Emergency SOS to ensure your journey is safer than ever before. It will alert the emergency services to your location in the event of the accident and send on crucial medical data to aid efficient treatment.

It claims to be the world’s first Dash Cam with Emergency SOS to ensure your journey is safer than ever before
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The MyNextbase Emergency SOS service is designed to alert the emergency services in situations where the user has been involved in an accident which renders them incapable of alerting the emergency services themselves

For me the most exciting feature of this new Series 2 dashcam is it’s Autosynch Bluetooth 4.2 low energy technology and Wi-Fi connectivity meaning your latest video files can easily be sent to your smartphone or tablet. This is huge. No more fiddling to remove tiny microSD cards and manually transferring the video files to a computer, it happens wirelessly. Also the 322GW automatically records two video files (High and Low resolution) so you can easily view the videos quickly whilst having the full high quality available to download if you need to zoom in on number plate detail.

The most exciting feature is it’s Autosynch Bluetooth 4.2 low energy technology and Wi-Fi connectivity meaning your latest video files can easily be sent to your smartphone or tablet. This is huge
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Then once on your phone, Nextbase claims it is quick and easy to edit and share your footage straight to your insurer using the MyNextbase Connect App on Android and iOS. The new Bluetooth Autosync feature also means that your dashcam is automatically connected to your phone when you enter the car, ready to use the Emergency SOS service (model 322GW and above) or Alexa or (422GW and above).

The new Bluetooth Autosync feature also means that your dashcam is automatically connected to your phone when you enter the car, ready to use the Emergency SOS service
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Another cool feature is Intelligent Parking Mode which records any bump or physical movement on the vehicle when left unattended. Intelligent Parking mode is an option that can be selected in the menu of every new Series 2 Dash Cam. As soon as you park and your ignition is turned off, the Dash Cam will automatically switch into “parking mode” by shutting down everything except the G Force sensor (accelerometer). The sensitivity of the G force sensor is then increased dramatically.

With only the G Force sensor active the power consumption is incredibly low, using the internal battery the dashcam to detect any knock or bump to your vehicle for over a week
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With only the G Force sensor active the power consumption is incredibly low, using the internal battery the dashcam can detect any knock or bump to your vehicle for over a week. If your car is bumped and the G Force sensor registers movement then the dashcam will automatically turn on, record for 3 minutes and then shut back down again. If you are unlucky enough to be hit twice in a row then the dashcam would automatically record again and capture both events.

The GPS is also a step up from other systems I have looked at. Nextbase Series 2 Dash Cams (322GW and up) use two satellites systems combined to give the most accurate and reliable GPS fix. They take data from both the American GPS satellite and the Russian (GLONAS) system to provide data that is very accurate indeed. On top of this, the new Nextbase Series 2 Dash Cams refresh at 10HZ. This means that every second the Dash Cam captures 10 data readings, ensuring that the trace shown on Google Maps is accurate and smooth.

By having such a high refresh rate the GPS system also captures very accurate speed and acceleration data, which is shown in MyNextbase Player and can be critical in the event of an incident
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By having such a high refresh rate the GPS system also captures very accurate speed and acceleration data, which is shown in MyNextbase Player and can be critical in the event of an incident. The 322GW is also compatible with the Nextbase Rear-View Camera Modules to add a second camera. Personalise your Dash Cam and choose one of 3 different rear camera views from Rear, Cabin or Rear Window view.

Features: 1080p HD resolution at 30 fps, 2.5” HD IPS touch screen, 140° viewing angle, 10Hz GPS Module, AutoSync, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi via MyNextbase Connect and PC/Mac software – MyNextbase Desktop Player

This is a very comprehensive system that has more than a few tricks up its sleeve plus is very reasonably priced. With each purchase, you get one free year’s subscription to the Emergency SOS service, subscribed to via their app, and after that, it is a paid service. Also with every Nextbase Series 2 Dashcam, you are given free MyNextbase Cloud Storage to allow you easily send files to your friends or insurance company. The cloud storage is fully secure, allowing you to access your footage anywhere in the world. Every video uploaded to the MyNextbase Cloud from your app can be hosted for free for a full 30 days before being deleted giving you plenty of time to share the video if necessary.

The MyNextbase Cloud Storage is fully secure, allowing you to access your footage anywhere in the world
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There are plenty more details of this system on the Nextbase website including the desktop video software that I didn’t get around to trying out. I was very impressed with the 322GW camera and all the supporting services and you can pick one up for $169.99 here.

Piper Computer Kit 2

It was way back in 2017 when I reviewed the first version of the Piper Computer Kit and my first impressions were very good. Now, in the tail end of 2019, we are presented with a new version 2, details here. It is an updated kit including a newer more powerful Raspberry Pi and a bigger and much-improved screen.

DIY LEARNING
Piper drives students to learn what is behind the screen. This educational, DIY experience ranges from building a wooden case, to connecting the hardware of a real working computer.

I handed testing duties off to my niece Roxy and nephew Logan, who immediately emptied the box onto the bed and got stuck in. Minor sibling friction aside they did a good job following the cool blueprints and got the Piper put together and running in about an hour.

The Piper Computer Kit provides an engineering blueprint enabling students to engage in a sensory experience that bridges visual and tactile learning
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FEATURES

• 25+ laser-etched wooden and acrylic pieces
• 50+ hardware pieces
• 20+ electronic components
• 9″ LCD display with HDMI cable
• 7800 mAh rechargeable battery
• Integrated speaker
• 16GB MicroSD card
• Raspberry Pi 3 Model BPhillips-head screwdriver
• Wi-Fi Software Updates
• 8 square foot laminated blueprint
• USB Mouse

VISUAL PROBLEM SOLVING
The Piper Computer Kit provides an engineering blueprint enabling students to engage in a sensory experience that bridges visual and tactile learning.

Learning through gameplay and storytelling is not a new idea, but by theming the entire kit around the massively popular Minecraft games Piper instantly gets kids on board
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With endorsement from Steve Wozniak and funding from Princeton University, Reach Capital, Jaan Tallinn and 500 Startups the Piper Computer Kit comes with an impressive pedigree to recommend it and the kit is ultra-slick looking, very tactile and approachable, with play-focused functionality and aesthetics. The Minecraft theme also makes it instantly attractive for kids of all ages.

STORYMODE
Learners explore the virtual world of the Raspberry Pi Edition of Minecraft and learn electronic concepts through engaging, interactive game levels. Discover new planets, make friends with intergalactic heroes, Pip and Piperbot, and inspire confidence in STEAM to make gaming a valuable and educational experience.

Learning through gameplay and storytelling is not a new idea, but by theming the entire kit around the massively popular Minecraft games Piper instantly gets kids on board, and the building principles of the gameplay work perfectly alongside the engineering, electronics and programming skills the kit introduces.

BUILT TO LAST
The Piper Computer Kit has been designed to be taken apart and put back together multiple times. Whether built, partially built, or disassembled, the purposefully engineered packaging makes storing the Piper Computer Kit incredibly simple.

Overall this is an excellent product if you use it and all the resources available long after the initial build is complete. $299 for the kit alone is a big investment but the Piper team are not exactly resting on their laurels, and they’re constantly expanding and evolving what it’s possible to do with the kit and through their Piper Code website they offer a wealth of ongoing and self-directed project ideas and inspiration.

$299 for the kit alone is a big investment but on the Piper Code website they offer a wealth of ongoing and self-directed project ideas and inspiration
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IMMERSIVE SOFTWARE PIPERCODE
PiperCode uses Blockly by Google, a drag & drop coding language that enables students to modify and change how their electronics work on the Raspberry Pi. PiperCode includes preloaded projects that allow students to code and program physical electronic games!

PiperCode uses Blockly by Google, a drag & drop coding language that enables students to modify and change how their electronics work on the Raspberry Pi
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Learners establish a basic foundation in coding with PiperCode. They will be able to easily transition from Blockly to advanced languages like Python
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• INFINITE CREATIVE POSSIBILITIES
  Go beyond the box and create your games. Students gain coding skills while having creative control over their own projects.
• CODE PHYSICAL GAMES
  PiperCode includes preloaded projects that allow students to code and program physical electronic games!
• FULL CREATIVE CONTROL
  PiperCode uses Blockly by Google, a drag & drop coding language that enables students to modify and change how their electronics work on the Raspberry Pi.
• BASIC TO PYTHON PROGRAMMING
  Learners establish a basic foundation in coding with PiperCode. They will be able to easily transition from Blockly to advanced languages like Python.
• GAME PROJECTS THAT YOU CODE FROM START TO FINISH
  Learn the basics of coding with over 7 fun physical electronic games you code yourself! Follow simple step by step tutorials!

Be sure to keep your Piper Computer updated when it’s connected to the Internet and to get full value out of the kit you must check out all the online resources available as the fun certainly doesn’t end when you complete the kit build, that’s just the start of your adventure.

Find out more and pick one up here and get $70 off with promo code PIPER70
You then only pay $229, now that is a bargain!

Harry Potter Wizarding World Gold Subscription

The new Wizarding World Gold subscription looks to be the perfect gift for the Potter Heads in your family this Christmas. Designed to give official fan club members a little extra, the annual Gold subscription includes a personalised Keys and Curios journal that interacts with the Wizarding World app to unlock further content, access to all the ebooks in the series on your digital devices plus many more exclusive benefits. Your Keys and Curios journal is filled with interactive secrets and surprises that come to life in magical ways with the Wizarding World app. Look out for the Enchanted Keys hidden within to unlock the magic.

The new Wizarding World Gold subscription looks to be the perfect gift for the Potter Heads in your family this Christmas
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Each and every Keys and Curios journal is totally unique and can be gifted so the journal will be personalised with the recipient’s name and Hogwarts House. There are Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts surprises and more to discover each month and with the collectable pin, featuring the Enchanted Key emblem, your spelltastic loved one can wear their membership with pride wherever they go.

Delve even deeper into the magical universe you love with this spellbinding annual subscription. The ultimate gift for Harry Potter fans. Order Gold now for $74.99 (US) or £59.99 (UK) per year.

Each and every Keys and Curios journal is totally unique and can be gifted so the journal will be personalised with the recipient's name and Hogwarts House
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With the holidays in mind, the Wizarding World Gold Subscription can also be presented in a beautiful gift-box! Recipients are then directed to complete their Wizarding World Gold subscription online or in the free app
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With the holidays in mind, the Wizarding World Gold Subscription can also be presented in a beautiful gift-box (Gold in a Box) where recipients are directed how to complete their Wizarding World Gold subscription either online or in the free app.

The first stop on their adventure will start with the Sorting Ceremony to select their house before having the opportunity to order their personalised Keys and Curious journal. In addition to all of the free content already available in the Wizarding World app such as interactive quizzes, secret codes, and weekly fanzine, the Gold subscription will unlock:

• Wizarding World Originals – Immerse yourself in our new video series, which is set to unravel the mysteries and uncover the secrets from all corners of the Wizarding World. Learn about the creative talent and craftspeople who bring you closer to the magic in The Workshop and discover our pick of behind-the-scenes content in From The Archive.
• eBooks – Take the magic of J.K. Rowling wherever you go with all seven eBooks of the original Harry Potter stories, available on the Wizarding World app for the duration of your subscription.
• Collectible pin badges – You’ll receive the first pin badge in your welcome gift. Plus, claim collectible pin badges from selected Wizarding World UK and US locations including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child theatres in London, New York & San Francisco, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London and Hollywood as well as at the iconic Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾ in King’s Cross Station, London.
• Special events – Get access to Gold subscriber events throughout the year, such as the Wizarding World Christmas Party in the Great Hall at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London later this year.
• Exclusive discounts – Enjoy discounts from the new Wizarding World.com shop, the Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾ in King’s Cross Station, London, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Exclusive Vacation Package at Universal Orlando Resort, as well as Warner Bros. Studio Tour stores in both London and Hollywood.
• Priority booking – Look forward to priority access to tickets for the most popular Wizarding World events and locations, including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child shows in London, New York, and San Francisco as well as Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.
• Early access – Unlock early access to limited-edition Wizarding World Gold merchandise ranges and curious collectibles – before they go on general release.
• Plus, plenty of perks – including new quizzes and puzzles, chances to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and much, much more!

From the imagination of J.K. Rowling – Explore the grounds of Hogwarts as they were first imagined – from the Whomping Willow to the Great Lake – with a postcard of J.K. Rowling’s original Hogwarts sketch.

The Gold discounts and exclusive access features let you enjoy a range of discounts, including 20% off at the Wizarding World online shop, 10% off at the Platform 9¾ store at King’s Cross, 10% off at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter store and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood store, 10% off at the MinaLima store in London and online and $50 off The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Exclusive Vacation Package at Universal Orlando Resort. Plus, get early access to limited-edition Wizarding World Gold merchandise ranges and curious collectables – before they go on general release.

The Gold discounts and exclusive access features let you enjoy a range of discounts
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The exclusive content also looks pretty cool. Discover behind-the-scenes content in ‘From The Archive’ and learn about the creative talent and craftspeople who bring the magic to life in the first instalment of the new Wizarding World Originals video series, ‘The Workshop’. There’s a whole host of curious content waiting to be explored, as well as new quizzes and puzzles, updated regularly.

With individual cover designs for each of the Hogwarts houses created by MinaLima – the designers behind the graphic style of the Harry Potter films – the Keys and Curios journal is your chance to own a piece of the Wizarding World.

Discover behind-the-scenes content in 'From The Archive' and learn about the creative talent and craftspeople who bring the magic to life
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Be sure to claim the collectable pin badges from selected Wizarding World UK and US locations, enjoy the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences and look forward to more magical surprises to come.

It's hard to say that when all the benefits included are added up it is not a well designed and high-quality offering!
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A lot of comments from fans online are concerned that, no matter how cool, The Wizarding World Gold subscription is squeezing Harry Potter fans even harder for their devotion to the series but it is hard to say that when all the benefits included are added up it is not a well designed and high-quality offering.

Check out more info on the package here and the annual subscription sells for $74.99 (US) or £59.99 (UK) per year.

Roxi – Ultimate Music Entertainment System

The new ROXi music system is a compact, networked home music entertainment system that is quick to set up, easy to use and compatible with most TVs and external speakers. With 40 million songs available, spanning every decade and genre of music your family will never run out of musical inspiration and on traditional Karaoke nights you will have over 60,000 transcribed tracks to choose from or, unique to ROXi, you can Sing with the Stars, with your voice and theirs crooning together.

The new ROXi music system is a compact, networked home music entertainment system that is quick to set up, easy to use and compatible with most TVs and external speakers
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The nifty handheld controller and microphone features built in voice search to help you find specific songs, games and playlists or you can navigate the simple ROXi interface with good old buttons. The ROXi comes with hundreds of built-in playlists covering every possible mood or occasion from dinner parties to entertaining the kids and even workouts.

The ROXi comes with hundreds of built-in playlists covering every possible mood or occasion from dinner parties to entertaining the kids and even workouts
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It even comes with exclusive playlists put together for you by celebrities including Robbie Williams, Alesha Dixon and Sheryl Crow! An additional controller is available for an extra £19.95 when you buy your new ROXi system so you and your bestie can sing cacophonous duets.

The all new ROXi is a huge leap forward in home music entertanment with a brand-new TV interface that’s fun and easy to use, Smart Voice Technology, an expanded music catalogue with over 40 million songs, music games and ROXi’s unique Sing with the Stars feature. With ROXi you’ll be having so much fun together this Christmas! Rob Lewis – ROXi

Over 10,000 radio stations bring you the latest from the charts plus music from around the world while music trivia games will keep your knowledge fresh and are designed to suit all ages and tastes. If your tired brain needs a rest or you just want to focus on your yoga you can also access a range of curated therapeutic audio tracks in the ROXi Sound Machine.

If your tired brain needs a rest or you just want to focus on your yoga you can also access a range of curated therapeutic audio tracks in the ROXi Sound Machine
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Every ROXi unit comes with a one year Premium Music Pass after which you will need to renew your pass for about £52 for another year of music access. Compared to the other premium music streaming services out there this is a pretty good deal as long as you are happy to stream at home via the ROXi.

Compared to the other premium music streaming services out there this is a pretty good deal as long as you are happy to stream at home via the ROXi
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The device is attractively designed and the soft-touch Wii-style gesture controller allows both easy navigation and sing-along fun
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The device is attractively designed and the soft-touch Wii-style gesture controller allows both easy navigation and sing-along fun. For the menu, simply connect the hub to your TV via an HDMI cable, this cable can carry the audio too if you choose or you can connect to remote speakers via Bluetooth or a good old wired 3.5mm Aux jack output. Then just hook it up to you Wi-Fi or plug in a network cable and you are good to go. The on screen interface is simple and looks great, with the Smart Voice tech often proving the fastest way to get where you want to be.

Tear the kids away from their smart devices and TV screens and get the family together for a good old singalong this Christmas. Pick up a ROXi for a one time discounted price of £99.95 here (don’t forget to order an extra controller!) or for 5 monthly payments of £19.99.

Tom Atkinson is Reviews & Dep. Editor at Tech Trends. Follow him on Twitter @techtrends_tech

The post Christmas 2019 Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.

A look back at some of the most exciting moments & innovations Tech Trends covered in 2018!

Cryptocurrency

Crypto is crashing – or so the experts say –  but it is not going away, so Tech Trends was excited to welcome on board our very own FinTech wizard Richard Andrews who kicked off his soon to be regular series last month.

Is Cryptocurrency on the verge of going mainstream?

Image by MichaelWuensch from Pixabay

During the bull run of 2017/18, coins could pump 50% on little more than a tweet of a conference announcement or a trivial code release. The principles of decentralisation and innovation were king and governments, financial services and regulation of any kind the public enemy of this bright new decentralised future. But after the parabolic rise of 2017 and the sharp sell-off of 2018 investor sentiment has reversed dramatically in the hope that these same institutions can restore their fortunes.

Hopes of greater institutional participation hinge on the Bitcoin ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) allowing institutional investors to participate in the market without the risks of holding Bitcoin directly
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Hopes of greater institutional participation have largely hinged on the prospect of a Bitcoin ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) which would allow private and institutional investors to participate in the market without the risks of holding Bitcoin directly. A good comparison is the well-established GLD ETF that provides exposure to gold without holding it under the mattress. However, this approach has so far proved disappointing due to rejections and delays by the US Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC). Read his full article here.

Mixed Reality

HoloLens subscription service spurring immersive tech adoption

Since the HoloLens was first released almost three years ago, Microsoft has steadily been building partnerships and demonstrating an array of industry use cases across manufacturing, engineering, healthcare, education and many others.

Rather than place users in a fully computer-generated world, as virtual reality does, HoloLens allows them to put 3D digital models in the room alongside them. As the Windows-10-based product does not have wires or external cameras or require a phone or PC connection, users can walk around the objects they create and interact with them using gestures, gaze and voice. This tends to make it well suited for onsite industrial applications.

While many large companies have adopted mixed reality and HoloLens applications, the $3,000 price tag of the device has been perceived as a barrier for adoption among smaller players
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Yet while many large companies have adopted mixed reality and enthusiastically evangelized about the efficiency gains that they achieved with HoloLens applications, the $3,000 price tag of the device has been perceived as a barrier for adoption among smaller players, who understandably aren’t sure that the ROI would be justified in onboarding the technology at this relatively early stage. Read the full article here.

Health Tech

Epilepsy consortium believes technology could save the NHS £250 million a year

Today, up to one in 100 people in the UK are believed to suffer from epilepsy, leading to three per cent of all Accident and Emergency visits and a total of 1.3 million days in hospital a year. It’s a challenging condition to manage, particularly as existing medication only works for up to 70 per cent of sufferers. Of those who do not respond to medication, most are not suitable for invasive surgery, leaving many to continue to experience unpredictable and potentially life-threatening seizures. New research by Public Health England (PHE) has found a 70% rise in the number of deaths of epilepsy patients between 2001 and 2014. PHE said there was a need to improve the clinical management of patients and make improvements to their wider health by tackling smoking, alcohol intake and poor diet.

The programme provides patients with wearable technology that records vital health data to help clinicians build a tailored record of a patient’s condition and seizure patterns
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This is what myCareCentric Epilepsy consortium – funded by Innovate UK and comprised of Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Kent, System C & Graphnet Care Alliance and Shearwater Systems – is hoping to do by equipping people with the ability to self-manage their condition. Running on Microsoft’s cloud platform Azure, the programme provides patients with wearable technology that records vital health data to help clinicians build a tailored record of a patient’s condition and seizure patterns. It has the potential to learn to classify seizures; to alert clinicians and carers in real-time so they can consult patients remotely, and provide essential lifestyle recommendations and drug prescriptions. Read the full article here.

A Tragic Loss to Science

Stephen Hawking taught us about about life, the universe, and everything

I once met Professor Stephen Hawking as he was coming out of the elevator at the John Lewis store in Cambridge (UK – The original one), where we both lived at the time. And although I’ll admit this might be far from the most interesting Stephen Hawking story out there, it’s still one of my favourites. Being in his presence was an incredible feeling. I felt ridiculously honoured to have bumped into him in this ordinary shop.

Now, after his death, I feel much the same way about having had the honour of sharing the same time-space with him. In an age of fake news, President Trump and imminent Brexit, he was our steadfast voice of reason. Right to the end, he advocated for the things he felt passionate about, such as defending the National Health Service against the likes of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt who – with a level of misguided arrogance I can’t begin to comprehend – actually chose to argue with him (with entirely predictable results).

In an age of fake news, President Trump and imminent Brexit, Professor Stephen Hawking was our steadfast voice of reason
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And all this he achieved with wit, wisdom, and a wicked sense of humour, which endeared him to millions around the world. When combined with the inspiring way in which he defied an illness that should have killed him and transcended the disability which left him only able to move a few muscles on his face, he is indeed a formidably inspirational figure. Read the full article here.

Virtual Reality

PokerStars brings online poker to a truly immersive social VR experience

Tech Extremes

Ninja tech skills can come in handy even onboard an Antarctic research ship

A research trip around the Antarctic gave a Software Engineer Carles Pina i Estany a new perspective on how the very product he helped build was being used by scientists. Aboard a research vessel thousands of miles from shore and the nearest reliable Internet connection, these modern explorers routinely relied on Mendeley to do their work, even in subzero temperatures.

A research trip around the Antarctic gave a Software Engineer Carles Pina i Estany a new perspective on how the very product he helped build was being used by scientists
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The opportunity to take part in this unique expedition came when Carles’ partner, Jen Thomas, was invited to become Data Manager on a research trip led by the newly created Swiss Polar Institute, which has a mission to connect researchers active in polar or extreme environments, promotes public awareness of these environments, and facilitates access to research facilities in those extreme environments. As they were short of an IT person and Carles was already on a sabbatical from his work at Elsevier – during which he had already planned to travel around the world – he seized the opportunity to fulfil a longstanding ambition to take part in a polar expedition. Read the full article here.

Ted Talks with Zebra

Accessible design in the age of Industry 4.0

Earlier this month Tech Trends attended our first TEDSalon in New York! Presented by Zebra Technologies and TED the session theme was ‘The Next Wave’ and focused on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is bringing a tsunami of change that will dramatically affect how we interact with and adapt to technology. The ways we choose to ride this wave will determine the shape of our future. Will we use this as an opportunity to solve our most pressing issues, or allow it to become a calamity that divides us? Hosted by TED’s Bryn Freedman, five speakers and one performer explored the tools and expertise we’ll harness to build the future

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is bringing a tsunami of change that will dramatically affect how we interact with and adapt to technology
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The evening included fascinating presentations from experts on the woeful state of America’s election systems and how technology can help, and how we need to change the way we learn if AI is part of the process. Zebra’s own design technologist James Morley-Smith took inspiration from how his disabled son Fintan learned piano starting with the black keys (the opposite of the traditional method) to guide his designs. In his work at Zebra, Morley-Smith designs for employees who are often in noisy, poorly lit industrial settings and clad in bulky protective gear. By following the black-keys tactic, he’s factoring in users’ limitations from the get-go, much like the idea of accessible product design championed by Microsoft at this year’s Build Conference. Read the full article here.

Sex Tech

Porn legend Ron Jeremy sees VR as the future of the adult industry 

Every 5 minutes, Pornhub transmits more data than the entire contents of the New York Public library’s 50 million books. Pornhub’s yearly review of trends reveals that in 2017 a total of 3,732 Petabytes of porn data was streamed, which makes for 7,101 GB per minutes and 118 GB per second.

In 2017 a total of 3,732 Petabytes of porn data was streamed, which makes for 7,101 GB per minutes and 118 GB per second
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And a man who significantly contributed to those gigantic volumes of traffic is Ron Jeremy, an AVN Hall of Famer with over 2,000 films under his belt. Jeremy is the Guinness Book of Records holder for Most Appearances in Adult Films and a big believer in VR Porn. So much so that he’s now put his money where his mouth is and launched RonJeremyVR, a premium service hosting VR films directed by the big man himself.

Every 5 minutes, Pornhub transmits more data than the entire contents of the New York Public library’s 50 million books
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So where are we in this new age of online VR thrills? According to the Pornhub Year in Review 2017 report:

“Virtual Reality Porn continues to gain in popularity, moving up 14 spots on the list from 2016. Cheerleaders came back with a bang, moving up 366 slots and into our top 20 searches of the year. VR devices were a popular holiday gift, and it seems that porn was one of the first things people wanted to try out with their new headsets. After the New Year, average daily views remained much higher than the pre-Christmas levels at around half a million per day.”

With the demand for streaming porn continuing to grow, this data suggests that Ron is indeed on to a real winner
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With the demand for streaming porn continuing to grow, this data suggests that Ron is indeed on to a real winner.  Read the full chat with Ron here.

Internet of Things

IoT and the connected home have yet to fulfil their promise

IFA this year was much like previous years, hundreds of companies screaming from the rooftops about minimally iterative products. A few more pixels, a bit bigger screen, a bit faster processor and everything a bit thinner, oh and crap Robots. I love tech and love my gadgets and can geek out with the best of them but I attended IFA this time looking for more meaningful innovation than a bit better camera on an $800 smartphone. I am happy to report that I found it, but not where you might expect.

A decade ago the invention of the smartphone changed our lives but truly new products like this are few and far between, so every year companies try to reinvent what we already have through minor upgrades and tweaks. We are stuck in a loop where the market is slowly evolving but no real innovation is going on, and the largest companies in the world are all guilty of this lack of effort to progress, so we must start looking off the beaten track for those that are truly working to innovate.

The largest companies in the world are all guilty of this lack of effort to progress so we must start looking off the beaten track for innovation
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Thought sustainably producing high-quality, smart and connected home products @Beko can democratise technology
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IoT and the connected home has been much discussed and I have seen some interesting concepts and even a few eyebrow-raising products but it is not yet in our homes, changing the way we live, and judging from the hundreds of pathetic, unimaginative and almost useless ‘innovative IoT products’ on display at IFA 2018, it’s not going to happen any time soon. But Turkish behemoth Beko, makers of reasonably priced kitchen appliances, held a press conference to announce their technology strategy and issued a white paper on the future of technology in the home and impressed me with their assessment of how new, innovative technologies in our kitchens can improve our lives and can do it affordably and in the not-too-distant future. Read the full article here.

Well, it’s been a very exciting year for technology, and we’re off to play with our gadgets, but be sure to check back with us right after Christmas as we boldly go where no one has gone before in 2019…

Merry Christmas from TECH TRENDS!

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post A Year in Tech: 2018 Recap appeared first on Tech Trends.

Yule love this interactive VR experience that gives a new spin to Charles Dickens’ classic tale.

Mince Pies might have been out on the supermarket shelves since September, and spare a thought for the poor store clerks who are already sick of having to listen to those Christmas tunes. But you really know that you’re approaching the Holidays’ home stretch when they start bringing out the latest Charles Dickens adaptation.

You really know that you’re approaching the Holidays’ home stretch when they start bringing out the latest Charles Dickens adaptation
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You’ll be guided by ghosts on a journey to confront visions of your own past, present, and future, hopefully emerging a better person
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And sure enough, just as I’m getting ready to pick out my tree, I got the news that Los Angeles-based experiential studio GreatCo was premiering a version of Mr Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. Ding dong merrily on high!

But the experience, which runs from November 30^th till January 6^th 2019, comes with a few twists. Chained: A Victorian Nightmare is a location-based mash-up of film, gaming, theatre and immersive technology that plunges you into a Tim Burton-esque Victorian London where – as you might have guessed – you’ll be guided by ghosts on a journey to confront visions of your own past, present and future, hopefully emerging a better and happier person at the other end.

Sure enough, just as I’m getting ready to pick out my tree, I got the news that LA-based experiential studio GreatCo was premiering a version of Mr Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. Ding dong merrily on high!
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Chained: A Victorian Nightmare is a location-based mash-up of film, gaming, theatre and immersive technology that plunges you into a Tim Burton-esque Victorian London
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The experience is a co-production of Here Be Dragons and MWM Immersive (Formerly Reality One) whose immersive division was behind Jon Favreau’s Gnomes & Goblins.

It’s a high-value production that includes a detailed Victorian-era set where only one audience member is allowed in at a time. They’re fitted with a VR headset by a professional actor, and interact with a cast of live actors (using motion capture) and real-world objects throughout to create what the producers hope is a “spine-tingling journey of self-reflection and visual awe.”

“By combining the best of VR and immersive theater, Chained surpasses the limitations of each medium and lets the audience see, converse with, and even touch the impossible,” says Justin Denton, who created and directed the experience. “I grew up with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol but in my mind’s eye I always imagined the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future as much darker and more intense than most adaptations. Audiences will walk away from Chained as though they have just awoken from a dark and beautiful fever dream full of self discovery, fascination, fear, and wonder,” hopes Denton, who has a track record of producing such unusual and thought-provoking immersive pieces, having previously created the Legion experience at San Diego Comic Con 2017.

And the list of impressive A-list talent that chose to be involved in the project doesn’t end there either: Aaron Sims, whose Hollywood credits include Transformers, Planet of the Apes, The Thing, and Stranger Things provided art direction and software development, while Bruce Straley, co-creator and game director of The Last of Us provided story consultation.

Audiences will walk away from Chained as though they have just awoken from a dark and beautiful fever dream full of self discovery, fascination, fear, and wonder
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By combining the best of VR and immersive theater, Chained surpasses the limitations of each medium and lets the audience see, converse with, and even touch the impossible
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Ethan Stearns, producer of the Academy Award-winning VR project, Carne y Arena was an Executive Producer on the project, and he stresses that the experience uses immersive technology in the service of telling a compelling story rather than a gimmick.

“Chained embodies the creative drive and spirit of everyone at MWM Immersive. We empower directors and writers to use whatever mediums are necessary to create the narrative experience they want and leave audiences delighted and awed,” he says.

Tickets for the Los Angeles experience can currently be purchased for $40 on Eventbrite and there are plans for Chained to tour other cities – dates to be announced “soon.”

This article originally appeared on VRScout

Walking In The Company Of Virtual Ghosts via @alicebonasio https://t.co/79ov6VLLcA pic.twitter.com/dq16lLmclW

— VRScout (@VRScout) December 2, 2018

For companies looking to leverage Immersive technologies such as VR/AR/MR/XR Tech Trends offers a comprehensive range of Virtual Reality Consultancy Services.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post A Christmas Carol in VR appeared first on Tech Trends.

As we get busy opening presents, it’s time to reflect on the past year, and it’s been an amazing one!

2017 was definitely an interesting year for tech, so before we turn our minds towards what 2018 might have in store for us, it’s worth taking a little time to look back at the highlights of the past twelve months.

Tech Trends continued to gain more views and recognition as we build up our audience with what we hope is some decent content that manages to inform without taking itself too seriously.

2017 was definitely an interesting year for tech
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Earlier this year we were named one of the Top 50 virtual reality blogs and have just been nominated for the UK Blog Awards for the second year in a row, which is nice!

Twitter still faces the strange paradox of having its financial future constantly in question while being the medium through which Trump wipes out billions of dollars from corporate valuations
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January brought with it the inevitable start of the Trump presidency, and the crushing realisation of the power of social media. Later we would find out more about how Russian tampered with the democratic process in both the US and UK, by using platforms like Facebook, but nowhere was this impact more evident than on Donald Trump’s preferred soapbox – Twitter, which faced the strange paradox of having its financial future constantly in question while being the medium through which he would wipe out billions of dollars from corporate valuations. Following a piece I wrote about how Twitter should be regarded as a public service, I was interviewed on Canadian Radio about its future which – at the time of writing – looks no clearer than it did back then.

On a happier note, the Tech Trends team had a chance to review a lot of awesome gadgets, software and other products and to travel all over the world this year, starting with our amazing tour of the Orlando Tech Scene where we visited the awesome lab and studio facilities at Full Sail University.

Tech Trends did a whole lot of globe-trotting this year
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Universities like Full Sail are increasingly getting behind the immersive tech revolution, and that’s not only happening in America, as was evident during our recent visit to Birmingham University or in the way that institutions like the University of St Andrews’ used VR to allow people to travel back in time – although maybe not quite in a Doctor Who sort of way. In fact, the power of VR to preserve and bring memories back to life for future generations was the focus of a project we covered with Royal British Legion for Remembrance Day.

Later in 2017 we visited the beautiful Basque Country, got to check out the famous Silicon Slopes of Utah at the Pluralsight Live conference in Salt Lake City and went to Holland to learn how the Dutch are (quite literally) driving innovation in smart mobility tech.

We also met some of the brightest and most entrepreneurial young minds in the world at the Imagine Cup in Seattle, and spent an incredibly hot few days at the Teradata Partners conference in Los Angeles where we saw how Big Data can also be Beautiful with an exhibition dedicated to data visualization.

From seeing the latest Mixed Reality Tech unveiled at Microsoft Build and checking out the latest EdTech at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai, to hosting a discussion on how Mixed Reality has the potential to transform the way we learn at the START Summit in Switzerland, we certainly had our share of awesome conferences in 2017.

We were guests of HP at the Cannes Film Festival and found time to check out the Raindance VR Arcade for the second year in a row, and saw how it is now possible to 3D Print Designer furniture at a pop-up shop in Manhattan. Later in the year we also went back to take another bite of the Big Apple during NYVR Expo

Not all our travels took us that far, but that doesn’t mean they were any less interesting. It was amazing to go to Bestival and Reading festivals to have our infinity 360 degree selfies taken at the Samsung Hypercube, or find out how crowdfunding is helping to power the economy in Cornwall, and even see how home-grown cosmetics company Lush was embracing the digital revolution.

That last one still counts as one of the craziest events I’ve been to anywhere; It’s not every day, after all, that you can see Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn making a bath bomb and Brian May from Queen hurtling down a slide on the same day…

It was more inspiring than ever to see all the ways that technology makes a real difference in people’s lives, from helping refugees get an education to celebrating diversity, even though episodes such as the Google Memo debacle served as a sharp and foul-tasting reminder that there’s still a long way to go if we are to make the tech industry itself more inclusive.

Data was a big theme throughout 2017, and it was fascinating to wrap up the year with a visit to Mozilla’s bold installation in London, aimed at educating people about what is actually being done with their data, and encourage us all to be more proactive about safeguarding our rights and privacy.

2017 was also a momentum-gathering year for Social VR, as many platforms like Linden Lab’s Sansar were finally unveiled to the public, and instantly started to foster some incredible creative content from the community, as I’ve seen first-hand when judging their Halloween experiences competition in October.

We also saw how Mixed Reality is being used to train surgeons, and even Astronauts, witnessed the power of VR experiences to generate empathy and change people’s minds, saw how tech is enabling new forms of artistic expression, engaging young people with politics, or climb mountains in virtual reality.

And having the chance to interview HoloLens creator Alex Kipman about his vision for  the future of computing and how Microsoft developed its groundbreaking immersive sound technology was definitely one of the high points of the year for me. 2018 is definitely looking like the year of Mixed Reality, and we can’t wait to see the shape that takes.

Interviewing HoloLens creator Alex Kipman was definitely one of the highlights of the year for me
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So thank you to all our readers for giving us the excuse to see and talk about these things, and we hope to continue to be your guide through the weird and wonderful world of tech in the new year and for many years to come. As we continue to grow and welcome a stellar host of new contributors on board, there are exciting times ahead, and we hope you will join us on that journey.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Tech Trends Team & mascots!

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post #MerryChristmas From Tech Trends! appeared first on Tech Trends.

Cyber Week and Black Friday shopping figures are in, and show how businesses that embrace technology are thriving in the digital age.

In the run-up to Cyber Week, experts were already predicting a huge holiday season for e-commerce, but with Black Friday and Cyber Monday now behind us and Christmas just over two weeks away, it is safe to say that 2017 is shaping up to be a record-breaking year, especially for mobile.

In the run-up to Cyber Week experts were predicting a huge holiday season for e-commerce
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The National Retail Federation reported that 81 million U.S. residents shopped online on Cyber Monday, compared with 66 million on Black Friday. According to Bigcommerce, an e-commerce platform which serves thousands of merchants worldwide, during Cyber Five, the five-day shopping period spanning Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, brands using their services experienced an average sales increase of 21%, which is 4% above the industry average.

2017 is shaping up to be a record-breaking year, especially for mobile
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Cyber Monday was the biggest sales day for online and for mobile ever in the US
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This was also the first year in which mobile orders surpassed desktop sales volume during Cyber Five. In 2016, 54% of orders were on desktop devices, and 46% originated from mobile devices. In 2017, mobile orders accounted for 54% of all orders, surpassing desktop on all Cyber Week days. The data also revealed that iPhone users spent 7.1% more during Cyber Five than Android users.

Cyber Monday was in fact the biggest sales day for online and for mobile ever in the US. While online sales amounted to a total of $6.59 billion mobile broke a new record by reaching $2 billion. The Verge reported that mobile also dominated over desktop for the first time for Shopify merchants, which include brands as varied as Tesla Motors and Kylie Cosmetics, according to the company.

This was also the first year in which mobile orders surpassed desktop sales volume during Cyber Five
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People now have different expectations of how technology should enable shopping experiences
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These numbers tell an interesting story, because they illustrate how far consumer behaviour has shifted in recent years. People now have different expectations of how technology should enable shopping experiences, and businesses that don’t meet those expectations will inevitably lose sales.

These numbers illustrate how far consumer behaviour has shifted in recent years
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None of this happened overnight, of course. Brands have long been investing in ways to leverage data to build customer profiles, inform their marketing strategy and outreach, and refine their sales funnels. But the capacity to extract actionable insights from large datasets was traditionally reserved for bigger companies such as Amazon, who had the vast resources required to dedicate to this. Advances in AI and machine learning have, however, democratized access to such insights and tools, and started to level out the playing field.

Advances in AI have democratized access to insights and tools, and started to level out the playing field
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And this, according to Jimmy Duvall, BigCommerce’s Chief Product Officer, is a key part of the value that platforms such as his can offer to smaller merchants, equipping them with the tools and insights that allow them to offer experiences on par with the likes of Amazon.

“BigCommerce looks at same-store sales to determine the real increase in revenue and orders data year over year for ecommerce brands on the platform with insights into category-specific insights, device trends and purchase activity by region,” he explained. “The significant increase in same-store sales this year further highlights that small and mid-sized retailers continue to thrive, even as Amazon and other industry heavyweights expand into new markets and categories. We fully expect this to be the biggest and most successful online selling season in history.”

This doesn’t mean that smaller merchants are only in competition with larger platforms such as Amazon, Google Shopping or Ebay, however. We live in an age where consumers demand omnichannel experiences, and e-commerce platforms need to provide an open architecture that can be seamlessly connected to other business applications, reducing complexity and operational costs for merchants wherever possible. In practice, that means that merchants can use a single product catalogue to sell their wares across a variety of channels in a frictionless way.

Merchants can use a single product catalogue to sell their wares across a variety of channels in a frictionless way
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BigCommerce supports services such as PayPal One Touch, which boasts an enviable conversion rate of 87.5%
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Steve Fusco, vice president and general manager of global distribution at PayPal, says they thrive on this collaborative approach, which means, for example, that BigCommerce supports services such as PayPal One Touch, which boasts an enviable conversion rate of 87.5%.

This year, however, merchants also gained access to data from PayPal Marketing Solutions, which provides insight into customers’ buying behaviours and lets merchants add customized banners to their online stores.

“BigCommerce and PayPal have much in common at the core of our businesses,” said Fusco in a statement, “and through our expanded relationship we are delivering access to fully integrated products and services that help merchants increase sales and average order value.”

Offering customers an array of choices not only in terms of product, but financing, has been one of the key factors in this explosive sales growth. “Since offering PayPal Credit, we’ve seen a significant increase in orders and conversion with lower cart abandonment rates,” said Abe Issa, CEO of Florida-based online retailer DealBeds.com.

Data creates opportunities to improve in-store experiences
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E-commerce is being driven by insight, and brands both great and small are embracing data to reflect their customer needs and by giving their customers what they want, reap the financial rewards of site experience enhancement, optimised checkout and platform modernisation.

Data creates opportunities to improve in-store experiences and make customer service provision more agile and efficient. As platforms continue to integrate big data into their offering, we will continue to see the consumer journey improve across all sectors. The adoption of the developing mobile and AI technologies will increasingly enable retailers to deliver experiences that are perfectly tailored to each customer and market.

E-commerce is being driven by insight, and brands are embracing data to reflect their customer needs
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The future of retail is doubtless going to be immersive, experiential, and personalised, and that paints a bright picture for businesses that embrace technology and innovation.

This article was originally published in the Huffington Post

Why E-commerce Needs to Look Beyond the Shopping Cart https://t.co/125ti2BlB2

— Alice Bonasio (@alicebonasio) December 10, 2017

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Holiday Shopping is Getting Techy appeared first on Tech Trends.

Christmas prep getting on top of you? Then maybe it’s time to look up to the skies for some help, and I don’t mean Santa (or Father Christmas depending on which side of the Atlantic you hail from). Drones Direct has just released a limited edition Chrismas Drone.

It features all the bells and whistles you might expect from a Christmas drone, such as a snow sprinkler, mistletoe kiss cam and tree-decorating attachments.

This video shows how the attachments, situated on the landing gear, can be used to assist with the fiddly job of deploying tinsel, lights and baubles.

This #Christmas drone has bells & whistles like snow sprinkler, mistletoe cam + tree-decorating attachments.
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This festive-themed version of the Phantom 4 comes with a 2km range and build-in collision avoidance technology, which is a good job considering that it doesn’t come cheap. The discounted price on the site is still £1199.00, so hardly a stocking-filler.

You could place the angel on top of the tree from the comfort of your armchair with the help of this Christmas drone
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That does, however, include a sprig of mistletoe and a 4K HD camera to capture those kissy moments. It’s either the ideal ice-breaker as Drones Direct claims, or it will give your gran a hell of a scare. Either way it will probably be a laugh. Whether or not that justifies the price tag, I’ll leave it for readers to decide, but I did at least enjoy the video, and it’s a silly time of year, so #MerryChristmas one and all!

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post Yes, That’s a Christmas Drone appeared first on Tech Trends.