By Laura Kobylecky

Jane Nelson, the Texas Secretary of State, made her enthusiasm for London clear during a lively SXSW event in Austin titled London Calling: Where pioneering ideas meet business opportunities. The event focused on strengthening business, technology, and innovation connections between London, the UK, and Texas.

The event was co-hosted by Here East, an innovation campus originally developed for the London 2012 Olympics that now houses global tech companies, startups, academic institutions, and creative organizations. Also hosting the event was CELL (Creative Experience Lab London), which supports research and development across technology, creativity, and culture in live experience sectors. Featured partners included Wise and Oury Clark, organizations that help businesses operate internationally and expand between the US and UK markets.

A Texas welcome with London ambitions

There were microphone issues when Nelson began speaking, but she quickly adapted, drawing on her experience as a former school teacher to project her voice across the room. She broke the ice by leading the audience in a loud Texas-style “Yee-haw,” immediately energizing the crowd and setting a collaborative tone for the evening.

Nelson spoke about her long personal connection with London and emphasized the historical and cultural ties between the UK and the United States. She described SXSW as a place where entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and creatives can meet and build partnerships that shape future industries.

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson speaks at the London Calling event during SXSW in Austin.

Innovation, media, and immersive technology

After Nelson’s speech, Justin Diener, Co-Founder and CEO of Synapse Virtual Productions, joined Dr. Lora Markova of Loughborough University London for a discussion about immersive technology, media, and the future of storytelling.

Diener explained how media production now combines filmmaking, game engines, software development, and communication technology, allowing audiences to experience content in more interactive and immersive ways. He noted that students entering these industries are increasingly learning multiple overlapping skills rather than specializing in just one field.

Dr. Markova discussed what she called the “spillover effect,” where innovation happens at the intersection of industries such as technology, education, media, and entertainment. She emphasized that the future of immersive experiences will be driven not just by technology, but by collaboration across industries.

Collaboration and global partnerships

As the event concluded, attendees continued networking and discussing business opportunities, partnerships, and new projects. The overall theme of the evening was collaboration — between London and Texas, between industries, and between technology and creativity.

The London Calling event demonstrated how global innovation ecosystems are becoming increasingly connected, with cities like London and Austin working together to build future industries through partnerships, investment, and shared ideas.

And, as the audience learned early in the evening, sometimes international collaboration begins with a simple Texas “Yee-haw.”

Laura Kobylecky is a contributing writer to Tech Trends. She is particularly interested in new and emerging technology and culture. Connect with her on LinkedIn 

The post Connecting London and Texas at SXSW appeared first on Tech Trends.

By Laura Kobylecky

SXSW 2026

Some big changes happened for SXSW in 2026. In 2025 it was nine days of events spanning two weekends, but the 2026 edition was reduced to seven days, running from Thursday to Wednesday with a weekend in the middle.

In previous years, the “Interactive” section focused on technology and took place before the Music section, while Film programming overlapped both. SXSW also allowed “secondary badge access,” meaning attendees could sometimes attend events outside their primary badge category if space was available.

This year the “Innovation” section focused on technology, and all three sections occurred concurrently. SXSW also removed secondary access, meaning only Platinum badge holders could cross conference sections.

The old Austin Convention Center has now been demolished, but the conference remains in the same general area, surrounding the flattened space. Hotels have become the main venues. The Fairmont, located between the former convention center site and the I-35 highway, became a central hub of the conference and hosted many of the larger events.

Emerging Tech Expo

One of the larger events at SXSW 2026 was the SXSW Emerging Tech Expo, held in the Manchester Ballroom on the 5th floor of the Fairmont Hotel.

The semi-futuristic but classical construction of the ballroom created a different atmosphere compared to the former convention center. Lighting was dimmer, with chandelier-style fixtures contrasting with the stark brightness of traditional expo halls. Overall, the room felt like a scaled-down version of previous years.

The event was open to the public on Wednesday, March 18th, so the relatively cozy space was occupied by badge holders as well as curious members of the public.

Many booths focused on AI-powered software solutions, ranging from generative facial technology for dubbing to AI-powered gun detection systems. Several SaaS companies also offered tote bags — a conference staple.

A Selection of Booths

Aina Tech

Aina demonstrated holographic and volumetric video technology at the SXSW Emerging Tech Expo

Aina is a company that claims to capture and deliver true holographic video that mirrors the real world. CEO Chaitanya Atluru explained that the company operates primarily as a software company, though it maintains a studio in Los Angeles as a research lab.

Clients record footage using multiple cameras, and Aina’s software builds volumetric video environments that can be explored in virtual space. The videos can be viewed on laptops, headsets, and other devices.

The key advantage is that once footage is captured, users can virtually direct the scene afterward by creating different camera angles, zooming, and moving through the space, effectively offering visual mobility within a recorded environment.

ChargerGoGo

ChargerGoGo charging station allows users to rent portable phone chargers in high-traffic locations

I spoke with Shawn Wen, co-founder at ChargerGoGo, to learn more about their small charging stations. He described them as “like a vending machine for a charger,” where users pay a small fee — typically $3 to $5 per hour — to charge their phones while they continue their activities.

These chargers are designed for locations with high foot traffic, including restaurants, bars, shopping centers, hospitals, stadiums, and universities.

While the concept is common across East Asia, including China, Japan, and South Korea, the challenge in the U.S. market has been localization, including compliance with regulations and integrating local payment systems such as Stripe.

Wen explained that his background in graphic design helped him understand user behavior and product design, emphasizing empathy and intuitive product features.

Namirsa Wellness

Namirsa Wellness displayed muscle recovery and performance devices at SXSW

Namirsa Wellness showcased massage chairs and muscle recovery devices focused on active recovery and performance. Their products include electronic stimulators, percussion devices, and foam rollers designed for muscle recovery and relief. Expo attendees could test the chairs directly at the booth, making it one of the more interactive displays.

DNA Hairtools

DNA Hairtools demonstrated styling tools with live demonstrations at SXSW

DNA Hairtools hosted live demonstrations with freelance stylists showcasing their styling tools. One of their highlighted products was the Air Styler, which uses extra-long titanium plates and infrared technology. The product demonstration showed how the tool could create loose curls that lasted throughout a long and windy day.

Free Professional Headshots – Precision Camera & Fujifilm

Precision Camera and Fujifilm offered free professional headshots at SXSW

Another high-interaction booth offered free professional headshots presented by Precision Camera & Video in partnership with Fujifilm. The booth included a full camera and lighting setup, providing high-quality professional photos with expert guidance. The service proved popular among attendees looking to update their LinkedIn profiles.

TooFar Media

Too far media creates “Immersive Storyworlds.” This combines Animation, Art, Books, Film and music.

MOD Bikes

MOD Bikes showcased electric bikes including a popular sidecar model at SXSW

MOD Bikes, an Austin-based company founded in 2017, displayed its electric bikes at the expo. According to the company’s marketing manager, their sidecar attachment is their best-selling product and ships globally, including to Europe, Korea, Australia, and Japan. The bike on display featured a stuffed dog in the sidecar, which attracted significant attention from attendees.

Conclusion

The SXSW Emerging Tech Expo offered a snapshot of where innovation is currently heading: practical applications of AI, hardware products designed for everyday use, and technology focused on improving real-world experiences rather than purely theoretical innovation.

From holographic video and charging infrastructure to recovery technology and electric mobility, the expo demonstrated that many emerging tech companies are focused on solving practical problems while improving user experience and accessibility.

Laura Kobylecky is a contributing writer to Tech Trends. She is particularly interested in new and emerging technology and culture. Connect with her on LinkedIn 

The post Exploring SXSW Emerging Tech appeared first on Tech Trends.

As COVID-19 sweeps through nations, quickly making established ways of working, studying, socializing, and conducting business impractical or even impossible, people turned to technological innovation for alternatives.

Here we look at three key areas that have been brought to the forefront during the pandemic but are likely to stay with us for the long-term.

Immersive Technology/ XR post-pandemic

Alan Smithson, CEO of MetaVRse, says that XR is specifically pivotal because of its potential to replicate the physical dynamics of collaboration in a virtual environment, enabling you to be fully present and engaged with others as you would in real life.

As most of us struggle with the challenge of adapting to this ‘new normal’ where much of the world’s population finds itself unable to safely hold face-to-face meetings, Smithson explains that XR Collaboration tools are emerging as viable alternatives — not to replace current video conferencing, but to augment them through spatial understanding. “By sharing fully immersive spaces with others, we begin to bridge the physical gap between us – opening up a whole new world of communication possibilities. With XR conferencing, people may not be able to see your face, but they can certainly see your body language, and that is really powerful.”

This power, however, is only properly leveraged where creators are mindful of the unique properties of immersive technology, rather than trying to retrofit it to existing tools and procedures.

“The biggest question we should ask is can we or even should we try and replicate the presence of live events via digital means (be it digital video conferencing, AR and VR)? If we merely try to ‘copy and paste’ one experience into the other, we are doomed to fail,” says Galit Ariel, founder and Creative Director of WondARlands Spatial Innovation Lab.

Ariel says that in her view, simply having embodied avatars standing in a virtual conference room and watching a virtual slide show does not make the infinite possibilities virtual platforms have to offer.

With XR conferencing, people may not be able to see your face, but they can certainly see your body language, and that is really powerful
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Furthermore, the move to digital platforms brings opportunities to “control the stage” in ways that are unavailable to speakers and presenters in real life. While pre-tested or pre-recorded talks and events can be potentially more polished, they also lack the magic and serendipity of a physical setting, interaction and immersion. That is a much harder challenge in some ways, Ariel says, as that content then needs to compete for the individual’s attention span with all the great digital content that is already available online, and the things that are happenings in their separate realities.

“When I see online and virtual panels and presentations using the same method of content delivery, I feel it is a miss. [Although] I understand that most event organizers had to find quick solutions. Going forward, they will need to make smarter and more creative choices about what content is valuable and meaningful in a digital context, and what digital tools make sense. We also need to remember that people are quickly becoming ‘Zoomed out’ and dealing with digital fatigue.  I hope, and I am certain, we will see more creative and experimental ways to deliver content via digital means.”

Delivering new digital content through AR and VR will also depend on network innovation and optimization. Globally, plans to deploy 5G are mixed. While the U.S. is still moving forward with its plans to deploy 5G on the same timeline pre-COVID-19, other countries are facing delays in spectrum auctions, investment, and supply chains. In order to create seamless XR experiences in and outside of our homes, there needs to be significant strides in 5G infrastructure and investment into education about different applications and uses for this technology.

Smart city technology for tracking and security

In order to tackle the unprecedented challenges of this global pandemic, it is vital that local, state and federal governments are able to leverage the vast amounts of data already in their systems to make better-informed decisions that help them flatten the curve and take action in real-time to mitigate outcomes and maximize limited resources.

“Data is key toward effectively tracking and managing a government’s pandemic response,” explains Amr Salem, CEO of smart city technology company Quantela, whose AI-powered recommendation engine deploys predictive analysis to forecast future capacity requirements for traffic, crime, weather, disaster and emergency response. The company currently has over 95 live deployments, including installations in Albuquerque, NM., Erie, PA., and Las Vegas, NV.

Quantela recently launched a platform called CoVER (Coronavirus Emergency Response Platform) which enables authorities to input all their data from across their field of operations, including medical resource tracking, testing kits and results, outbreak locations, quarantine locations and duration, and critical asset locations, into one accessible database.

The move to digital platforms brings opportunities to control the stage in ways that are unavailable to speakers and presenters in real life
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The platform – which can be tailored to the needs of each locality and deployed within as few as three days – incorporates any data source that influences their time-critical operational decision-making can be fed into a cloud-based system that gives them increased insight and control over these fast-moving situations.

The dashboard visualizes complex data sets and is able to reliably predict where the virus will be, allowing leaders to reallocate resources accordingly to prevent shortages. Users can drill down from macro-level data (across states, counties, etc.) all the way down to an analysis of city sectors and even individual patients to ascertain how to best deploy resources to manage and contain outbursts and manage infection clusters, taking actions such as sending real-time notifications to health workers in a particular area.

Data is key toward effectively tracking and managing a government’s pandemic response
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Quantela’s digital urban services technology also includes a Citizen App which can be installed on their phones and allows individuals to perform self-assessments and self-report. Citizens can also use the app to receive information about the current situation in their area, including official government updates and notifications, “red zone” alerts, health advice, and the location of their nearest testing and treatment facilities. Field responders, meanwhile, can use CoVER to record their temperature and other vital statistics. Going forward, it may be possible to leverage such capabilities to detect and stop further outbreaks at a much earlier stage by monitoring how positive patients are recovering, and who is traveling.

“Cities will be able to predict future scenarios based on current spreading patterns, understand the impact on critical medical assets, speed up the allocation of patients to hospitals with available capacity, track quarantined patients, and distribute assets where it’s needed the most,” Salem concludes.

Hygiene innovation

Perhaps the most noticeable shift in our routine brought on by the spread of COVID-19 has been in personal hygiene. We’ve been made forcibly aware that the very act of touching a surface can contaminate it for extended periods of time. And while frequent hand washing mitigates contagion to some degree, our devices and wearables are much more difficult to effectively disinfect on a regular basis.

This is a problem that Amy Hedrick, CEO and Co-Founder of California-based smart tech hygiene company Cleanbox Technology had been working on for years, however.

With a background in media production and storytelling, Amy was an early adopter of immersive technology. In 2016, she foresaw the need in the nascent industry for a solution that would allow users to safely and hygienically share headsets without risking contagion transfer.

Cleanbox went on to patent a technology that uses UVC light in an LED to decontaminate hard-to-clean products worn on the face or head. With a focus on high-risk contagion transfer points; its core products were designed for Augmented & Virtual Reality Head Mounted Devices (HMDs). Cleanbox also includes a hydrophobic coating for the soft materials of the headset, to keep contagions at the surface rather than seeping into the electronics. Cleanbox products have been proven to safely eliminate 99.99+ percent of viruses, bacteria, and fungi within seconds.

“We actually started with the most difficult form factor first,” says Hedrick, “Virtual and augmented reality headsets are made up of many different materials and delicate electronics that have multiple surfaces that are hard to reach. They are much more difficult to clean than say cell phones”.

UVC is a wavelength of light that does not occur naturally in the atmosphere, so viruses do not have a resistance to it. Unlike UVA and UVB rays (sunlight & tanning bed lights), which are not generally used as disinfectants, UVC is safe for decontaminating materials including fabrics, plastics, and acrylic. The use of UVC in an LED instead of traditional mercury tubes or bulbs has the advantages of generating no heat or harmful toxins, as well as keeping the product environmentally-friendly, Hedrick explains.

Cleanbox products have been proven to safely eliminate 99.99+ percent of viruses, bacteria, and fungi within seconds
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With the global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) – in particular, N95 respirators (N95s) – and the re-use of masks without proper decontamination placing users at increased risk due to viral load build-up, Cleanbox quickly pivoted and designed a retrofit for cleaning masks, allowing healthcare workers and first responders to safely disinfect their N95s. Cleanbox’s CX1 with retrofits have been donated to institutions such as Children’s National and Northwestern University Medical Center. In parallel, Cleanbox developed CleanDefense, a machine due to launch this summer which can decontaminate up to 100 masks per hour.

Going forward, Hedrick believes this is a solution that will be important not just for first responders, but also in care homes, dispatch centers, restaurants, airlines and other facilities that continue to have a heightened need to protect their employees and patrons against contagions such as COVID-19. CleanDefense’s portable design makes it ideal for airports, retail centers, entertainment venues, hotels, restaurants, and any other business requiring workers to wear masks.

“This technology is really going to become essential for all our devices, from mobile phones and tablets to earbuds and glasses, as we move into a new reality where we will have to learn how to better protect ourselves and each other,” Hedrick concludes.

Turbulent times are often a catalyst for innovation, and this pandemic has proven to be no exception. Unfortunately – in spite of the fact that we’re now seeing many countries moving towards easing restrictions and attempting to restart some semblance of “business as usual” – the long-term effects of COVID-19 are going to be felt for many months and even years. What this crisis has also uncovered is that many of those technological “emergency workarounds” actually present us with better and more efficient ways of doing things, and it is unlikely that they will be set aside, even when the virus is finally brought under control.

This article was originally published on Futurithmic

From #XR applications to new safety protocols and high-tech cleaning methods, the innovations that will come out of COVID-19 will change our lives as we know it. https://t.co/GjyYARWxWu pic.twitter.com/vLhY1QPFze

— Futurithmic (@futurithmic) June 11, 2020

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals, and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a XR 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 Emerging Post-Pandemic Innovations appeared first on Tech Trends.

Canadians don’t generally tend to shout about their achievements very loudly, certainly not as much as their cousins South of the border. So it’s often easy to obsess about what Silicon Valley is getting up to and overlook the vibrant start-up scene that has developed over the years in places such as British Columbia and Toronto.

Let’s rectify that oversight here by giving a well-deserved shout-out to some Canadian tech success stories. Here are some of our favourites:

Shopify

E-commerce platform Shopify offers services such as payments, marketing, shipping and customer engagement tools to simplify the process of running an online store for small merchants. In 2018 the company reported that more than 800,000 businesses in 175 countries were using it to trade a gross merchandise volume of over $41.1 billion.

Founded in 2004 by Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Lake, the company has its headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario and went public in May 21, 2015 in an IPO raising more than $131 million.

As we celebrate over 30 years of the Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies program, it’s encouraging to see that entrepreneurship is healthier than ever in this country
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Having made its fortunes in cyberspace, Shopify is now one of many companies pursuing innovative omnichannel strategies by combining bricks-and-mortar and digital elements. It recently opened a permanent physical location in LA where business owners can come to both get advice from its staff, and connect with other members of the entrepreneurial community.

Entrepreneurs visiting the locale can attend classes and workshops to further their careers, with monthly events showcasing new products and providing networking opportunities.

StickerYou

StickerYou produces custom die-cut stickers, labels, decals, temporary tattoos, magnets, patches and badges in any shape, any size and any quantity. They also recently launched the World’s Largest Sticker Store in Toronto. A five-year revenue growth of over 470% has earned the company a ranking in Canadian Business and Maclean’s Growth 500 list, the definitive ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies.

“The companies on the 2019 Growth 500 are truly remarkable. Demonstrating foresight, innovation and smart management, their stories serve as a primer for how to build a successful entrepreneurial business today,” says Beth Fraser, Growth 500 program manager. “As we celebrate over 30 years of the Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies program, it’s encouraging to see that entrepreneurship is healthier than ever in this country,” she adds.

A five-year revenue growth of over 470% has earned StickerYou a ranking in Canadian Business and Maclean’s Growth 500 list, the definitive ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies
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“We’ve experienced extraordinary growth, and are anticipating the best is yet to come. We are proud to be recognized as a part of Canada’s outstanding entrepreneurial community,” says StickerYou Founder and President Andrew Witkin.

Endy

Before being acquired by Sleep Country Canada in Landmark $89 Million Deal, online mattress company Endy spent three years causing some serious disruption in the sleep space.

After launching in 2015, the company founded by Rajen Ruparell experienced exponential growth while taking very minimal external investment. Designed to relieve pressure points, eliminate motion transfer, and release body heat faster than conventional foam, the Canadian-made Endy Mattress shipped for free to every province in a box the size of a hockey bag.

Endy spent three years causing some serious disruption in the sleep space
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Athletes, Olympians, and other notable Canadians turned to Endy as their sleep surface of choice, and former Toronto Blue Jays star Jose Bautista, even became an investor in the company. And to make this even more of a feel-good success story, the start-up also takes its social responsibilities seriously, donating thousands of mattresses to families and individuals in need across the country.

Mejuri

“We believe luxury should be accessible, fun, and part of your everyday. Our inspiration comes from you; real, smart, mindful women.”

The company works with top jewelers, to produce exquisitely crafted pieces and quality essentials, cutting out the middle man and selling directly to customers so that quality pieces made with ethically sources materials become much more affordable

StickerYou recently launched the World’s Largest Sticker Store in Toronto
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Knix

For Toronto-based lingerie startup Knix, it all began with a concept that was as simple as it was ambitious: making the world’s most comfortable underwear. Seamless, moisture-wicking, and invisible under anything.

“Our mission at Knix is to create intimates that help women live totally and unapologetically free,”

Knix is the brainchild of Joanna Griffiths, who quit her job at the age of 28 and worked tirelessly to turn her idea into a business which now turns over millions of dollars in sales and ships leak-proof underwear to women across the globe. This included launching Kickstarter’s most successful fashion crowdfunding campaign raising more $1 million for its eight-in-one bra.

“There’s really nice growing and robust ecosystem that’s emerging in Canadian cities such as Toronto, says Griffiths.

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

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 Celebrating Canadian Innovation 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.

We can all agree that the future is coming, whether we like it or not. And that future will be carried in 5G waves.

Of course, I exclude from that statement the Brexiteers who seem convinced that returning to the past, with workhouses for the poor and political power and wealth reserved for the elite, is the way forward. Well, Brexit aside (PLEASE), the future banging boldly on our door is a connected one and the technology that will take us into a wireless world of IoT, smart cars, immersive technology and wearables is 5G. And as I discovered at Huawei’s Innovation Day event earlier this month the key to a successful digital future is infrastructure and political will.

One thing none of us can disagree about is that the future is coming, whether we like it or not!
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The installation of new infrastructure is not something we excel at here in the UK where we still use a train network built by the Victorians
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Released this month, Huawei’s white paper ‘Digital Nation: Stronger Economy, Better Society, Adept Governance’ (available here) breaks down the actions governments looking to build for the future need to undertake if any new digital society, government and economy are to succeed. The installation of new infrastructure is not something we excel at here in the UK where we still use a train network built by the Victorians and where successive governments have been ambivalent about truly modernising our country and economy even as the digital age inexorably advances. However, there is still time, (nudge nudge any politicians reading) to do it right and ‘Digital Nation’ spells out how to go about it in simple terms for the rather “limited” leadership we now suffer here in Blighty.

“Digital Nation is much more than a pep talk or a paean of praise for the new information and communications technologies. Digital Nation is a roadmap for governments aiming to put their countries into the fast lane of sustainable development in the 21st Century.” Explained the renowned Prof. Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, “Most importantly, Huawei draws on its deep knowledge of the new and emerging technologies, and its remarkable global experience, to highlight practical steps for governments to follow to create a dynamic, healthful, productive digital nation. Huawei also points out several possible roadblocks and impediments, and how to avoid or overcome them.”

Digital Nation is a roadmap for governments aiming to put their countries into the fast lane of sustainable development in the 21st Century.
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Apart from his invention of the word “healthful”, there is nothing here any sane, digitally aware person could disagree with. The paper outlines how research shows that the economy and society transform alongside ongoing digitalization. According to the report published by Huawei and Oxford Economics, digitalization will produce a sustaining effect on the economy, for every one US dollar invested in digital, GDP will grow by 20 dollars.

Digitalization will produce a sustaining effect on the economy, for every one US dollar invested in digital, GDP will grow by 20 dollars
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Digitalization will also facilitate the fulfilment of the UN’s SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), promoting an increase to economic efficiency in all industries, through the creation of new business models with traditional enterprises applying new digital technologies to enhance their competitive advantages. The convergence of finance and technology is also resulting in the emergence of a new wave of FinTech enterprises that Britain, as a global financial services hub, should be championing.

All of our industries and sectors will benefit from a coherent digital strategy, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) can effectively increase carrying capacity and speed, and lower the failure rate of infrastructure. Smart grid technology is helping to optimize power generation, transmission, transformation, storage, distribution, and consumption. In manufacturing, traditional manufacturers are upgrading by digitalizing technological processes, with many new products & technologies emerging as a result.

Applications such as virtual classrooms have gradually matured, and are alleviating difficulties previously faced in education. Digitalization optimizes resource allocation and improves lives
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Globally, intelligent health risk prevention, public medical resources sharing, facilitation of professional training, and collaborative operation of medical facilities will solve key pain points in the healthcare field. Other applications such as remote education, customized content, and virtual classrooms have gradually matured, and are alleviating difficulties previously faced in education. Clearly, digitalization optimizes resource allocation and improves lives across the board. However, this can only happen if we build a digital network capable of supporting it.

“Perhaps the most important lesson imparted by Huawei is the need to think, plan, and act holistically, and inclusively. The digital revolution can help the world to achieve key global goals – shared prosperity, good governance, high-quality public services, and environmental protection – if the digital technologies are deployed in an open environment that encourages mutual communications among citizens, consumers, businesses, and government, and the inclusion of all citizens.” Continued Prof. Sachs. “The government has a major responsibility to ensure that the digital systems benefit from unified standards, integrated management, and adequate financial resources.”

Digitalization will assist in the realization of interactive policy channels, self-service transactions, integrated data management, and reliable information encryption in order to improve government services
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It’s important to point out that digital innovation won’t only help business and the public but would also help governments govern. Digitalization could improve government efficiency, urban administration and assist in the realization of interactive policy channels, self-service transactions, integrated data management, and reliable information encryption in order to improve government services. Digitalization will also boost the formation of a new-era urban management system with self-adaptive environmental protection, independent emergency response, self-verifiable food traceability, and autonomous municipal regulations. I could go on but think my point is made.

Every nation will encounter difficulties and challenges during the process of digitalization, including ambiguity about who should organize and implement the initiatives, insufficient supporting resources, inadequate societal participation, a lack of flexible response to change (Nooooooo never), and lack of unified standards. Therefore, the paper suggests, governments should act now and take proactive measures such as organization, investment, implementation, and regulation to effectively act as practitioners, motivators, and regulators in digitalization.

Governments should act now and take proactive measures such as organization, investment, implementation and regulation, to effectively act as practitioners, motivators, and regulators in digitalization
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Digitalization is a global trend. With the development of infrastructure and technology (broadband, Internet, cloud, big data, and the Internet of Things), digitalization has also undergone a gradual transition from basic informatization to more comprehensive intelligent capabilities. Based on national digitalization strategy statements and the relevant definitions put forward by major economic organizations and experts, Huawei and Roland Berger propose a theoretical framework for a Digital Nation (Figure below). Empowered by digitalization, a Digital Nation can promote economic vitality, bolster societal wellbeing, and improve governance efficiency and fairness.

Empowered by digitalization, a Digital Nation can promote economic vitality, bolster societal wellbeing, and improve governance efficiency and fairness
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Key measures include building a top-down and integrated digital department, establishing a vertical organization specialized in key areas, expanding sources of funding, investing in ICT infrastructure, attracting and training digital talent, forming internal technical foundations, providing open access to public governmental database, implementing digital applications for e-Government, cultivating a digital ecosystem, developing global standards, establishing evaluation indicators, and ensuring data security and privacy, as well as encouraging the exchange of data.

If we in the UK are to thrive outside the EU we need to take ourselves seriously and get started building a viable digital future or we will be left even further behind
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The first level of need is to deploy ICT infrastructure. This is the foundation of a digital economy. Take China as an example. The digital economy is developing rapidly, and the industrial scale of digital transformation reached CNY21 trillion in 2017, accounting for 25% of China’s total GDP. This development was attributed to the rapid construction of ICT infrastructure. Today, China has over 3.4 million 4G base stations, accounting for over 55% of the total mobile communications base stations worldwide. As video, virtual reality, and Industrial Internet of Things gain momentum, the speed of 5G network construction is increasing, says Guo Ping, Chaiman of Huawei

Key measures include building a top-down and integrated digital department, establishing a vertical organization specialized in key areas, expanding sources of funding, investing in ICT infrastructure
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Now it is important to note that as a Chinese company Huawei has been widely discredited as a technology and 5G infrastructure supplier and was, most recently, rejected by New Zealand as a possible partner for 5G implementation. However few people point out that they are already embedded in our UK national 4G infrastructure so are we now going to blindly follow the likes of America and cut them out of our vital 5G investment? I seriously doubt Britain will grasp the nettle and digitise our way to Brexit glory but we need to take Huawei’s advice as we are way behind here and if we are to thrive – or, perhaps more realistically, survive – outside the EU we need to take ourselves seriously and get started or we will be left even further behind.

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 Look Out! The 5G Future is Coming appeared first on Tech Trends.

Behind the scenes, industry is powering forward in this new technological age, so what does the future look like?

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. The ways we choose to ride this wave will determine the shape of our future
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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, how we need to change the way we learn if AI is part of the process and Zebra’s own design technologist James Morley-Smith who took inspiration from how his disabled son Fintan learned piano starting with the black keys (the opposite of the traditional method) to inspire 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.

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
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James Morley-Smith speaks at Zebra Salon – The Next Wave at the TED World Theater, November 1, 2018, New York, NY. Photo: Ryan Lash / TED

“It doesn’t matter what is impairing you from reaching your goals,” Morley-Smith says. “Reframe them so they are no longer a disability, and they might just be the advantage you need.”

This clever approach to how we design and use tech was only one example of how Zebra are innovating for this new revolution (and it won’t be televised ). It is difficult to overestimate the positive changes the development of the barcode brought us as consumers, that seemingly simple striped rectangle that we swipe over scanners in almost every shop on the high street (you can read more about its fascinating history and future here in this article that Alice Bonasio wrote originally for Quartz).

Liquid Expectations, where each amazing new customer experience becomes the standard to which all others are compared, are changing business models
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If you haven’t guessed yet Zebra (stripes… get it…?) were at the forefront of this technology and are now pushing the boundaries of where we go next when the challenges of tracking, tracing, stocking, allocating, selling and shipping products are only getting more complex as tech-savvy, online and mobile consumers drive change in the market.

Liquid Expectations, where each amazing new customer experience becomes the standard to which all others are compared, are changing business models. Customer expectations are higher after experiences such Starbucks mobile Order & Pay system so now retail companies are demanding that all their customer-facing employees work as intelligently as they possibly can. This has led to a huge uptake of connected IT devices that can run generalised applications in store to give quick access to more information for staff and customers. Explained Zebra’s CTO, Tom Bianculli

The cutting-edge technologies Zebra are developing right now are a fantastic example of how Tech Trends sees similar tech changing our lives in the not-too-distant future. The tech powering complex operations behind the scenes and out of public sight in the retail, health care and manufacturing sectors will soon bleed out into our personal lives, changing the way we interface with technology and the world. The future of how humans merge with technology is being forged by the industries that serve us and companies like Zebra are developing systems and interfaces that will soon change the way we live, shop and relax.

The tech powering complex operations behind the scenes and out of public sight in the retail, health care and manufacturing sectors will soon bleed out into our personal lives
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The key idea behind these advances is Edge Computing. Driven by the development of IoT devices and the increased capabilities 5G connectivity will bring, Edge Computing is basically the decentralization and redistribution of computing resources such as server power, software, AI and data processing from centralised data centers out to the edge in the form of handheld devices such as smartphones, tablets and wearables, or onsite IoT sensors, automated machines and robots used for on-the-spot computing and analytics.

Edge Computing is the decentralization and redistribution of computing resources. AI and data processing from centralised data centres out to the edge in the form of handheld devices such as tablets
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For example, driverless cars will need the ability to perform complex computing incredibly quickly and onboard rather than their sensors sending proximity and location data up to the cloud and waiting to be fed back vital instructions, braking commands or traffic data. That would simply take too long when decisions need to be made on the spot. The car itself will be an edge device, with AI taking a lot of the critical decisions and subsequent actions independent of the cloud. Sure it needs the cloud to function but the weight of the computing is split as appropriate between the two. The cloud’s role will lean toward system oversight and deep data analysis.

In a typical deployment we might have the edge devices and sensors in the stores and a cloud-connected server also on site. Then we do edge computing on the server but what we are seeing now is edge processing move down to the devices so you see processing happening on cameras and handsets. We are looking at pushing that processing closer and closer to the edge except for when you need more data than can be generated at the edge to reach the answer you are looking for. We are well on the way to true edge processing in some situations. Continued Bianculli.

Imagine how much safer from burns you would be if your hand recognized heat and decided to pull your arm away without having to send the pain signal to the brain, wait for the brain to process the correct reaction then send out a signal to instruct the arm’s muscles to pull back. I think that makes sense? Anyway, the benefits of this system are immense and open up the real possibilities of safe driverless cars, powerful IoT & wearables, autonomous robots and many more world-changing Sci-Fi technologies.

Imagine if your hand felt heat and decided to pull away without having to send the pain signal to the brain, wait for the brain to process the correct reaction and send a signal to instruct the arm’s muscles to pull back
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Edge Actions are when handheld devices tell staff which task to do next, rather than staff working to a scheduled list of jobs their actions are dictated by the local edge systems
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Zebra has partnered up with several of the big players in cloud computing including Google and already have 11K stores in the US using their tech to empower staff through edge computing to take Edge Actions. This is when their handheld device tells them which task to do next to improve efficiency, rather than staff working to a scheduled list of jobs their actions are dictated by the local edge system, meaning they can be more adaptable and effective in that moment.

The top of the line Android-powered smart connected touchscreen TC8000

Of course, the central core system monitors, records and analyses what’s going on but takes a broader view, possibly using the data to guide future procedures and provide insight on evolving company policy. A good example is Zebra’s SmartLens technology, which can act as a digital overseer using video cameras, RFID and onboard data analytics to monitor and guide operations and staff through smart handsets such as the TC8000 above, and all done in real time at a local, on-site level.

Zebra's SmartLens technology can act as a digital overseer using video cameras, RFID and onboard data analytics to monitor and guide operations and staff through smart handsets
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Zebra is focused on augmenting the worker to be the best possible so all workers can be like the best worker. There is a long way to go in improving the worker before full automation might take over, but that is a long way off. Concluded Bianculli

Zebra is focused on augmenting the worker to be the best possible so all workers can be like the best worker
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These product videos are pitched at retail customers but if you can see past the corporate tone the possibilities for these advanced technologies reveal themselves. Companies like Zebra are changing the world around us in ways we have yet to grasp and Tech Trends will be taking a look at their next generation of technology soon so watch this space.

The descendants of this tech will be all around us soon and in the hands of our children or sewn into their clothes, maybe not for scanning RFD chips in warehouses but for passively scanning products as we pass shops then activating interactive AR interfaces full of information and an augmented checkout. Welcome to the future.

There is a long way to go in improving the worker before full automation might take over
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Want to leverage Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality to take your brand to the next level? Tech Trends offers comprehensive Immersive Technologies Consultancy to help you get there.

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 The Fourth Industrial Revolution is Here appeared first on Tech Trends.

Virtual, augmented and mixed reality are changing everything from training to marketing and storytelling.

By Daniel Fraga, VR/AR Designer at Somewhere Else innovation agency

You don’t only think with your mind. Your notebook is part of your thinking. So is your pen, your smartphone - your whole environment. That’s why Immersive Tech is a powder keg, waiting for a spark
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The Extended Mind

The Extended Mind Hypothesis – first proposed in 1998 by Andy Clark and David Chalmers – is the idea that objects within the environment function as part of the mind. Take “Otto” and “Inga” for example. They are both travelling to a museum simultaneously. Otto has Alzheimer’s and has written the directions to the museum on his notebook. On the other side, Inga relies on the memory of previous trips to find her way.

From a functional perspective, Otto’s notebook has the same role as Inga’s memory – although one is a physical object and the other a mental property. Otto’s mind has been extended to include the notebook as the source of his own memory. This idea – that our environments are part of our “minds”, resonates with the ideas of Robert Pepperell. In the Post-Human Manifesto , he says that “Human bodies have no boundaries” , and that “Consciousness (mind) and the environment (reality) cannot be separated; they are continuous” .

The Extended Mind Hypothesis – first proposed in 1998 by Andy Clark and David Chalmers – is the idea that objects within the environment function as part of the mind
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So in the same way that Otto’s notebook is part of his extended mind, is a smartphone an intimate part of ours. The same can be said of our shoes and clothes. They are extensions of our skin that protect us from heat and cold.

It’s of no surprise to anyone that technology is becoming a vital part of our selves. In fact, as humans, we have always been naturally intimate with technology. Think of fire, the wheel or even speech itself. These “technologies” have been there since the beginning of the human journey.

Today we’re approaching a critical moment, and fast. According to this survey , the average Brit checks their smartphone over 10,000 times per year. According to the UK Office for National Statistics, virtually all of all adults (99%) aged 16 to 34 years used the internet recently . Today, it is clear that new technologies are a fundamental part of our extended minds and influence the way we work. With the advent of virtual, augmented and mixed reality technologies – this will increasingly be the case.

This leads us to a big question: What if immersive tech could also help influence your way of thinking?

In the Post-Human Manifesto Robert Pepperell says that Human bodies have no boundaries and that the consciousness (mind) cannot be separated from the environment (reality) - they are continuous
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The world we see is quickly becoming an intelligent information display
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The Extended Mind x Immersive Tech

The world we see is quickly becoming an intelligent information display. Interfaces and information displays are multiplying, and immersive technology will only intensify this trend. For example, ZARA is augmenting the shopper experience by helping customers visualize the clothes they’re browsing by putting them on a digital model. Even IKEA is using AR to let people test their furniture in their own homes.

Michael. E Porter from Harvard Business Review says that “By superimposing digital information directly on real objects or environments, AR allows people to process the physical and digital simultaneously, eliminating the need to mentally bridge the two.”

As humans, we have always been naturally intimate with technology
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The bottom line is that reality is becoming mixed . The lines between “real” and “virtual” are inching closer and closer together. More importantly, one major consequence is that our minds will extend onto the visible world. We can do what Otto did with his notebook using Immersive Technologies.

PSA Peugeot Citroen have been developing tools to superimpose directions directly on roads to help drivers. In theory, Mixed Reality (MR) lets the user see the real world with realistic virtual objects. It anchors those virtual objects to a point in space, making it possible to interact with them as if they were real. At least from the perspective of the user.

The average Brit checks their smartphone over 10,000 times per year
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” The ultimate computer, for me, is this mixed-reality computer, where your field of view becomes an infinite display, where you see the world. And you see virtual objects and holograms. That’s definitely what we are building today with HoloLens” , says Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

We are in the middle of a technological transformation. In our near future, our digital lives will center on devices that look like common eyeglasses, but that weave together “virtual” and “real”. An extended field of mind – made possible through a very intimate technology. In a curious way, Immersive Tech can even be said to be Psychedelic . This word is based on the Ancient Greek words psychē (ψυχή, “soul”) and dēloun (δηλοῦν, “to make visible, to reveal”). It translates to “soul-revealing” ; it makes the content of our minds visible, as it pours into our spaces.

Immersive Tech invites us to use the spaces around us as a medium to interact with technology
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Immersive Tech invites us to use “space” around us as a medium to interact with technology. The advent of technology like Magic Leap – a game changing mixed reality headset – will trigger a new way of looking at space and content, because we are designing the spaces with which you think: spatial computers .

Maybe in the future we will use Immersive Tech in the same way Otto uses his notebook or Inga uses her memory. As a natural extension of our being – an extension which reveals our worlds back to us in a new way. We will spend our days, weeks and months immersed in curated worlds – with their own rules, contexts, dynamics and interfaces.

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies such as VR/AR/MR/XR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance and support on how best to incorporate these into your brand strategy.

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 Expert View: How Technology is Making Us Rethink the Way We Think appeared first on Tech Trends.

Purina launches £75,000 prize for social and commercial enterprises working to harness the power of the bond between pets and their humans.

Post Updated: 12 June 2018

Two UK organisations, Medical Detection Dogs and Canine Hope, have been recognised for their work in enriching the lives of pets and people at the first-ever Purina BetterwithPets Prize, held in Barcelona last week. Both received highly commended recognition and £11,000 each towards scaling-up their projects, which harness the positive power of pets and people working together.

With the help of rescue dogs, Canine Hope offers a safe place for survivors to learn with and from a canine co-tutor
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Following a European-wide search, the expert panel found five finalists difficult to split, with OOPOEH (Opa’s en Oma’s Passen Op Een Huisdier) – a Netherlands-based foundation seeking to reduce loneliness and increase physical activity for the elderly by matching them as dog sitters for local families – awarded first place, taking a £30,000  share of the £75,000 total prize money.

Canine Perspective CIC’s leading programme, Canine Hope, focuses on trauma recovery, resilience and personal development for survivors of sexual violence. With the help of rescue dogs, Canine Hope offers a safe place for survivors to learn with and from a canine co-tutor – Canine Perspective will be able to invest the prize money to further this valuable work

“Being part of the event and standing alongside such incredible organisations was a real honour. This means that we can immediately start our next series of Canine Hope programmes with survivors and rescue dogs in the South West Region and develop our books and resources to share our message of resilience with a wider audience,” said Canine Perspective co-Founder Marie Yates.

Dr.Claire Guest pictured with the medical detection dogs, they are from left: Lucy, Kizzy, Ulric, Midas, Jobi, Jack, Daisy, Teasel and Nan.

“It’s fantastic to be able to support the growth of these programmes and connect a community of passionate people, committed to enhancing the lives of pets and people,” said Calum Macrae, Purina PetCare Regional Director for UK & Ireland “Every finalist was inspiring and well-deserving. All initiatives demonstrated how harnessing the pet-human bond in an innovative way can have a positive impact on society.”

Other finalists Dutch Cell Dogs and K9 Hundekunde: Happy Kids with Happy School Dogs were also awarded £11K prizes and recognition for their programmes.

The prize is open to entries in three categories: healthier together; connecting together and enjoying spaces together
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Nestle Purina is on the lookout for social innovators across Europe to enter their newly launched BetterwithPets prize, worth a total of around £75,000.

Working in collaboration with Ashoka – A global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entepreneurs – Purina is offering the prize to social and commercial enterprises, non-profit entities and other organisations working to harness the positive power of the pet–human bond.

The prize is open to entries in three categories: healthier together; connecting together and enjoying spaces together and the winner, or winners, will be selected at a special event in Barcelona in June. Organisations from the European Union, as well as Russia, Switzerland, Ukraine and Norway are all eligible to enter. In addition to the chance to win the cash prize, contestants will also get detailed feedback on their idea from industry experts in their field.

“Our first BetterWithPets prize provides a really exciting opportunity for anyone who shares our passion for pets and the relationships we have with them – and who is doing innovative work in this area – to win a significant cash investment for their project,” says Calum Macrae, Regional Director for Purina UK & Ireland. “The UK has a fantastic heritage as a pet-friendly country and this prize could really make a difference to a small British start-up, charity, or a local scheme that has the ambition and the potential to do more.”

Successful applications will be shortlisted and five finalists will be invited to travel to attend the Purina BetterwithPets Forum in Barcelona on 7 June 2018, where the winners will be announced. The categories below are eligible for the prize:

Purina is on the lookout for social innovators across Europe to enter their newly launched BetterwithPets prize, worth a total of around £75,000
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Healthier together

The demands of a modern, more sedentary life mean that people either have less time or are less likely to be physically active with their pets. Entries are community-focused initiatives and innovations that enable people and their pets to live active and healthy lives together, such as:

• Facilitatating a healthier and fitter lifestyle for both pets and people
• Preventing obesity for both pets and people

The demands of a modern, more sedentary life mean that people either have less time or are less likely to be physically active with their pets
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Connecting together

People of all ages are experiencing a sense of isolation and disconnection, be it from the increasing complexity of modern life and technology, or because ageing and minority populations are being overlooked, which can leave them feeling lonely and cut off from society. Purina is looking for initiatives that span communities and ages, and that celebrate the power of the pet–human bond for better emotional well-being to help foster and cultivate empathy and emotional self-care, such as:

• Helping to overcome societal disconnection and isolation
• Seeking to provide interventions for emotional well-being

Purina is looking for initiatives that span communities and ages, and that celebrate the power of the pet–human bond for better emotional well-being to help foster and cultivate empathy and emotional self-care
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Enjoying spaces together

Increasing urbanisation and more regulations have led to fewer pet-friendly open spaces and greater restrictions in places where pet owners can take their pets. We are looking for initiatives that enable both people and pets to enjoy and share the same spaces as well as demonstrate a social and/or economic benefit, e.g. pets in workplaces, and enhanced pet-friendly areas in urban and rural spaces. Potential entries could include:

• Enabling greater access to pets in everyday settings
• Enhanced design of pet-friendly spaces to enable pets and humans to spend better quality time together

Increasing urbanisation and regulation has led to fewer pet-friendly spaces
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Evaluation Criteria for the winning applications include:

• Innovation – The initiative must represent an innovative approach to the problem it seeks to address. Innovation may result from the use of new methods, new models or new technologies, or from the application of old methods, models or technologies in new and innovative ways
• Social impact – The initiative must have proven its worth on a pilot or small-scale basis, and already have measurable, quantifiable social impact
• Potential for scaling up and/or replication – The initiative should have strong growth potential and/or replicable to other social, cultural or geographical settings
• Financial viability – The initiative must be built on a viable business model, and/or show realistic and long-term plans for long-term financial viability, and must have the potential to continue beyond the Purina BetterwithPets Prize funding
• Organisational leadership – The initiative and its leaders must show leadership to influence the field in which they work, as well as the ability to incorporate and leverage the investment by Purina and the support offered through the Purina BetterwithPets Prize
• Potential for Creating Shared Value – The initiative should create shared value for all stakeholders-  pets and people – in the community where we live, work and play

I’m a sucker for anything that recognizes the human-pet bond. so here’s the best picture ever of my dog Watson, who loves Balloons SO MUCH!
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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 Recognising Pet-Based Innovation appeared first on Tech Trends.

Region wants to stimulate the local economy and create a sustainable future for health and social care through technology

The national healthcare ecosystem is undergoing a dramatic, fundamental shift with rising healthcare costs, increased demand on systems and growing, ageing populations placing our health and social care systems under unprecedented pressure.

By 2020 the Health Tech market is estimated to hit £37bn
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At the same time, the health tech industry is worth billions and the digital revolution, which has already reshaped many other sectors, is also transforming healthcare. By 2020 its value is estimated to hit around £37bn, with the UK thought to be on course to take a 5% share of that market.

The national healthcare ecosystem is undergoing a fundamental shift
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And while Cornwall might not be the first place that comes to mind as a tech hub, the region is steadily establishing a reputation for enabling innovation in the Health Tech sector. In fact, entrepreneurs vouch for the fact the region is unique in the way that it gives companies the independence and freedom to trial new ideas, making it a test bed for innovative solutions while also allowing those who live there to achieve a good work-life balance.

Nicola Lloyd from Invest in Cornwall says that this mix of entrepreneurship, community and sense of place is already attracting talent and business to the region: “In recent years, we have seen a growing interest in international businesses relocating to Cornwall and we’re delighted to see a strong pipeline ahead. This not only reinforces the strength of opportunities and capabilities for foreign direct investment in the region, but these global companies also generate more local jobs in the wider economy as a result.”

As part of this on-going drive to encourage businesses to consider moving to Cornwall, this month the NHS and other healthcare professional were for the first time brought together with health technology companies at the Maximising Technology in Health and Care event. Held at Falmouth University, the meeting explored technology solutions for healthcare issues in Cornwall and beyond.

“There are very few other places in the country where I’ve seen such a ground swell of local support from the local community, the NHS and businesses,” says Liam Booth-Smith Chief Executive of research think tank Localis. “There is a huge breadth of businesses working in Cornwall that is making creating a sustainable future for health and social care a key part of their mission, and the region’s greatest natural resource is its opportunity with technology”

Although NHS England has said that it is looking to save billions from the health budget by embracing technology, however, the healthcare sector is a system comprised of numerous organisations renowned for being notoriously hard to penetrate – especially for SMEs.

“Within such a large organisation as the NHS, we’re always amazed at the talent, innovative ideas and opportunities proposed to us by some of the smaller players in the tech sector, but we rarely have the chance to meet so many health technology businesses in one place,” agrees Kathy Byrne, Chief Executive of NHS hospital Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust. “The event provided a fantastic opportunity to meet the businesses and entrepreneurs and start those conversations about their products and services that have so often led to improving the healthcare system,” she said.

The recognises that the health technology sector is a growing global market, not only comprising the development of apps and other digital technology tools, but also robotics and other smart devices. However, there is a recognised block to the growth of the sector, namely the willingness and ability of end users and consumers to adopt the solutions on offer, as well as the willingness of commissioners, care givers and consumers to implement and pay for those solutions.

“Our geography means that we have got coterminous health and social care organisations which are partnering with leading institutions such as Falmouth University to look at ways in which we can deliver integrated healthcare in rural, digitally enabled communities to improve outcomes and give people more choice and control,” says Cornwall Council Chief Executive Kate Kennally “We hope to promote the organic growth of partnerships between health technology businesses from across the world and representatives from the NHS, local government and health and care organisations – ensuring the right people are in the right place at the same time,” she believes.

Two early examples of such partnerships are EPIC and Smartline, both of which have recently secured funding within the region and by the European Regional Development Fund. EPIC is a collaborative project designed to improve the use of technology in both health and social care, while Smartline will help Cornish SMEs develop innovative products, processes and services by increasing understanding of how technology can be used to improve people’s health and wellbeing.

Cornwall is aiming to become a test bed for Health Tech innovation
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Smartline brings together an interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, geographers, mathematicians and sociologists to explore possibilities for innovation using digital technologies, and how they can help connect communities – linking data in novel ways to improve product development in health and wellbeing across a range of sectors.

Professor Ray Jones of Plymouth University says his institution will organise 10 locality groups around Cornwall and identify problems in health and social care that have possible technology solutions. “In turn, EPIC will develop their ideas and help them apply for funding set aside to support individual projects,” he explains.

The project is also recruiting over 350 Coastline households from across the region to become a test bed for products, services and processes that will have wider county, national and even international reach. This involves installing sensors to monitor domestic environments – working with individuals, families and communities to understand their challenges and aspirations. It is hoped this will lead to a well-developed and flexible supply chain and high value jobs through new engagements between businesses and the knowledge base.

Connecting communities to help individuals take back control of their health and wellbeing
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Creative England will also work with the digital and technology sector supporting them to enter the health and social care market, identifying new products or services that can be supplied from Cornwall locally as well as to the rest of the UK and beyond.

“Our objective is connecting communities to help individuals take back control of their health and wellbeing. Cornwall has been the perfect starting point for this project as the infrastructure, talent, necessary resources and general sense of community already exists,” says Dr Tim Taylor, Senior Lecturer in the University of Exeter Medical School and Smartline Principal Investigator. “This helps to ensure that we are in the best place possible to organically develop the eHealth and eWellbeing market in the region by linking innovation to cutting edge research and working closely with Cornish SMEs to support R&D in this field,” he concluded.

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies such as VR/AR/MR/XR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance and support on how best to incorporate these into your brand strategy.

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 LinkedInand follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Cornwall Betting on Health Tech  appeared first on Tech Trends.