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Added 24 June, 2014

Are bugs the next trend in food?

Actual grubs just might be the next frontier of grub. Of course, this is nothing new in Asia, where locusts, crickets, bamboo worms and scorpions are already considered to be a staple part of diets. Now the bugs are coming to North American and Europe. A recent report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization enumerates some 2000...
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Added 24 June, 2014

In the USA, major beer brands are finally publishing their ingredients

In response to calls from customers for greater transparency, along with a growing desire for products made with healthful ingredients, major beer brands in the United States are opening up about what they are made from. While other foodstuffs have long been required to list ingredients on their labels, alcoholic beverages are exempt from this...
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Added 24 June, 2014

Rise of the Robots: Automated car parking comes to Düsseldorf airport

We are entering the Robotic Decade, the years when personal mobile robots will finally make an impact on our daily lives. More and more we will see robots taking jobs that we ourselves once did. At Germany's Düsseldorf airport, parking robots are now inviting departing passengers to leave their cars near the airport terminal so they can quickly...
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Added 19 June, 2014

In Alaska, bars are offering free pregnancy test kits in bathrooms

We know that greater transparency is a growing trend, but is this going one step too far? Turns out that the US state of Alaska as one of the country's highest rates of fetal alcohol syndrome, a condition in a child that results from alcohol exposure during the mother's pregnancy. As a way of combatting this, the government is supporting an...
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Added 18 June, 2014

Delta expands "Innovation Class"

Like all businesses, airlines need to differentiate themselves from their competition. They want to be seen in the eyes of their customers as unique and to compete on a level that cannot be commoditized. Embracing the idea of "innovation," Delta airlines is promoting itself as a company that fosters connections between its customers; a major trend...
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Added 12 May, 2014

Solar-powered watches and wearables are on the way

People often ask us if wearable technology is a trend or a fad. Our answer is that it's a trend that will be with us for the rest of our lives. Think about it this way: humans have be wearing their technology since the time they belted swords to their sides. Wearable tech is not new. What is new is the nature of what people are wearing. Now that...
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Added 16 April, 2014

Wine sellers continue to court more casual drinkers

Regular WikiTrend readers have seen a progression in the way wine is being sold and marketed around the world, trending downwards to appeal to a less-snobbish clientele. Even in France, the spiritual home of fine wine, we have seen wine sold in cans and even...

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Added 16 April, 2014

Transparency trend comes to cosmetics

More and more, people are concerned with the ingredients of the products they use. Watchwords these days are "natural," "organic," "chemical-free," "small-batch" and the like. Many companies are responding by creating products with more natural ingredients. Unfortunately in the cosmetics industry, however, there is still a lot of opacity. Full...
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Added 14 April, 2014

Gross National Happiness index is spreading to global cities

Several years ago the country of Bhutan garnered worldwide attention with their novel decision to measure their country's wealth not by Gross National Product, but by Gross National Happiness, an index that looks beyond money to things that are more closely related to a sense of wellbeing. After all, the best things in life are free. Now a new...

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Added 6 April, 2014

Self-charging smartwatches are the next trend in wearables

One of the biggest impediments to the widespread adoption of smartwatches and other wearable computers is that they need to be externally recharged. Consumers need to worry about the battery life of yet another gadget like they need another hole in their collective head. That's why the holy grail for smartwatch makers are devices that can...