The VAN Beethoven truck is a mobile orchestral experience using virtual reality to deliver a LA Philharmonic performance. Visitors will enter a customized van and put on a Oculus Rift headset connected to the LA Philharmonic’s virtual reality app. The experience allows viewers not only to experience the music of the Philharmonic, but also the...
If you have ever had a medical condition that necessitated hospitalization, you might have been lucky enough to have a good friend or family member be by your side as your advocate, speaking up for the information and attention you need. In hospitals, where everyone seems to have something urgent to attend to, and where that something can go...
While the trend toward sustainable food practices is now firmly entrenched in our collective psyche, the reality is that in many areas, like fish, commitments to sustainability are few and far between. Many of the industry's largest harvesters and purchasers are still looking the other way. But this is not the case everywhere. England is now...
Gluten-frees 15 minutes may be up. The movement for gluten-free food began to assuage the relatively few celiacs who cannot tolerate the stuff. But for the vast majority of humans who fell for this fad, gluten-free foods are said to provide no demonstrable benefits. For those of us who always saw the anti-gluten fad as a bridge too far for fad-...
Faster and better customer service is one of the biggest business trends of the year and we're seeing many major companies rethink the way they interact with their customers. Starbucks is a case in point as they test a new express format that puts speed ahead of all else. The company's testing ground is a pocket-sized store on Manhattan's Wall...
While variety of “robotic” “personal assistants” like the Amazon Echo are already in homes – and many more being developed in the coming year – in reality, most of these machines are still rudimentary, offering info from the data cloud and controlling appliances like lighting and thermostats. But we are only at the beginning. Companies like...
As drones have proliferated, they are being put to use in an ever-increasing number of tasks, from war and recreation, to anti-poaching operations, sheep herding, and drunken hijinks on the White House lawn. So perhaps it's no surprise that artists of a kind are now using the technology for their own purposes. Opening a new front in the eternal...
Inspired by Iceland, the country's tourism board, has given you until autumn to ask a real, live Icelander any question you'd like about the small Nordic island nation. In a clever bid to promote the country, the campaign has selected seven citizens, all of whom have the typical Icelandic name Guðmundur (for men) or Guðmunda (for females) to...
AirBnB and Uber have proved that peer-to-peer "sharing" is a trend that is here to stay. In their wake we are now seeing a continuous flow of online services that help bring people with skills or goods to share together with those who need them. The travel space has particularly benefited from this new paradigm and London-based Zoolafix is one...
Augmented reality (AR), which has been the stuff of dreams for decades, is about to get its close-up. Tech companies have already seen the potential and are gearing up AR products and services not only for entertainment but for work, personal organization, and other everyday tasks. Microsoft is looking to be a major player via its HoloLens...