Added 23 July, 2013
Regular readers of WikiTrend are well aware of the impending wearable computing trend, in which we will be continuously tracking our biometrics in hope for better mental and physical health. We've already seen a host of bracelets as well as smart socks and hats. Now OMsignal is producing shirts and other apparel with embedded sensors that monitor...
Added 23 July, 2013
Technology giant NEC is marketing a new face identification application to businesses worldwide. According to the company, the software is "ideally suited to hospitality environments or businesses where there is a need to identify the presence of important visitors, whether expected or unannounced." In this application, the software monitors data...
Added 22 July, 2013
Regular readers of WikiTrend know that 3D printing is the Next Big Thing, but actually getting something made has not yet been the easiest. Now Internet behemoth eBay is jumping in, inviting users to unleash their creativity by customizing select products to create exactly what you want. It's all done through an iPhone app called eBay Exact....
Added 22 July, 2013
Buycott is a new phone app that helps you align your everyday spending with your principles. When you are at the store, scan a product with the Buycott app and it will look up the product, determine what brand it belongs to, figure out what company owns that brand, and who owns that company. In short, A buycott is the opposite of a boycott,...
Added 19 July, 2013
Distance learning, or taking classes by computer, is taking off around the globe through numerous open university projects the world over. Now companies are figuring out how to use technology to let people "attend" physical education classes without actually having to show up in person. There's nothing like the motivational power of a group...
Added 14 July, 2013
Now that facial-recognition software is being used by companies and governments, and music-recognition apps like Shazam are identifying songs, we are seeing clothes-recognition apps that can identify outfits and tell you where they are sold. Snap Fashion is a UK-based app that invites users to take a photo of a clothes they like and learn where to...
Added 11 July, 2013
Iberia, the Spanish airline, has launched MyBagTag, a "service" that allows passengers to download and print their own luggage tags before they head to the airport. Customers checking in on line for flights departing from Spain can now download, print, and attach the tags themselves, then check in at fast bag-drop counters. Rather than adding more...
Added 9 July, 2013
An American online grocer called Peapod has created shopping truck with "mobile billboards" on the sides that invite consumers to shop for groceries using their smartphones. The trucks are showing up at summer gathering places such as ballparks and concert venues in Peapod’s markets along the East Coast. Customers scan a QR code to download a free...
Added 9 July, 2013
In much of Africa many people's access to the internet is limited to using internet cafes where computers are available by the hour. But keeping an internet cafe running in a place where electricity is expensive and power outages are common has proved to be a big challenge. But if these cybercafés used tablets instead of desktops, it may be...
Added 6 July, 2013
A few weeks ago we wrote about ESPNs decision to quit broadcasting in 3D. Now the BBC has joined them due to a "lack of public appetite" for the technology. The Beeb began broadcasting several shows and events in 3D in 2001, including the Olympic Games. According to the BBC, when people watch TV they concentrate in a different way than when they...