June 15th: Innovation Lions

Today was the first full day in Cannes. After recuperating from a little jet lag, today we hit the ground running. Though the festival does not officially begin until tomorrow, post registration we were lucky enough to sit in on the judging for “Innovation Lions.” This consisted of some of the newest and latest technology that has yet to be released or is newly released. All the presenters had incredibly imaginative, creative, and innovative minds taking ‘digital’ ideas and creating physical products that were not only “cool,” but also usually very useful. Here are my four most interesting findings from “Innovation Lions”:

TshirtOS:

When I think of fashion, I think Anthropologie, Zara, Forever 21, H&M, and on the higher end, Chanel, Dior, Marc Jacobs, and Michael Kors. Usually the designs are made out of cotton, satin, chiffon, denim, and other normal clothing attire. TshirtOS takes fashion to a new level of design, digital design.

TshirtOS are t-shirts with an LED screen, camera, headphone jack, Bluetooth capability, and 3-axis accelerometer programmed by an app. Its power source is a battery that has an hour life when on full power. The designs vary from blinking hearts to argyle to even words and phrases, but this is what happens "When a whisky brand makes a t-shit.”

The current t-shirt can only be worn once, but Tshirt 2.0 will have improvements, including ‘washability,’ ‘scrunchability’ (because the LED lights will be embroidered into the shirt), and screen and brain technology.

While Ballentines t-shirts are innovative and so different, they do not sound too practical. They may be fun to wear as a DJ or in a nightclub, but I am not sure how huge an audience they will attract. The target market appears to be geared to men (I cannot see women wanting to attract attention to their stomach areas).

Additionally, with research suggesting that cell phone and other digital devices are harmful to our health over time, would a digital t-shirt pose an even higher risk, as it is directly in contact with the skin?

It is pretty cool that you can wear one design on a t-shirt and then switch the image with a click of a button on an app, but I cannot imagine my friends or myself wearing this item.

Yota Device:

With the world going digital, it almost comes as a shock when some does not have a Smart Phone or when two people are carrying on a conversation without interruption from a digital device. Because both of these events are rarities, and most people check his/her phone 150 times a day, Yota has found an innovative way to sneak into the cell phone market.

The Yota phone is double sided. The first side is your average android LCD screen. However, the flip side is an EPD screen, like a Kindle or Nook. This side allows the user up to 40 hours of reading and does not use battery. However, the second side can be used for more than just reading. It can display a message, words of encouragement, an image/picture, a map, boarding pass, ticket, etc. Because the second screen does not use battery, that image will remain on your phone when the battery is dead or turned off (which is great is your phone is dying and you are lost in a foreign city).

The price and quality of the phone is comparable with any other android device, but one added bonus feature is the phone’s ability to recognize key words and communicate emotions. For example, typing in “I love you,” will be recognized by the software and send a huge exploding heart on the other user’s screen. The software creates emotional connections to communicate on a more personal and social level.

The Yota phone is small and appears to look similar to an iPhone with the exception to the really unique Kindle-like back. Fresh from the factory in China, the phone has yet to be released, but is planning to launch in October of this year.

Though the phone is so innovative, I wonder how it will be able to compete in such a competitive market with the iPhone, Droid, and Microsoft’s new phone. Its features are interesting and very different, but in a world where the average person enjoys consistency, will this phone be too different for the public to handle?

I am pretty attached to my iPhone. Could I just change to a different carrier and a different style of phone in October?... probably not. Maybe in the future this will become the new iPhone and the switch over to Yota will be a great and easy move.

Terra VIP:

Terra VIP opened up with a strange question: “What if you could only use public toilets every single day?” This was not intended to be a question of bathroom etiquette; rather it was a question of privacy. In Brazil, over 10 million people rely on community centers for Internet access. Internet is a privilege, but it is usually not a private one. In community centers, everyone can see everyone else’s monitor screens. This means no privacy for banking information, no privacy to Google an irritating rash, and no privacy to just be a free individual.

With this in mind, Terra VIP created 3SixyGrados. These inexpensive eyeglasses allow you to have privacy on your screen, so only you can see what is on your computer screen. Terra VIP took the polarized film that is normally in/on a computer screen and placed it into the lenses of the glasses. Instead, the monitor is a blank LCD screen acting the same way as a regular computer, except the computer screen details are only visible to the person in the glasses.

This is a simple idea, but so innovative and great for privacy. However, it took the Brazilian government six months to approve the new eyewear. Brazil wanted to ensure the security of those in the favellas, and they were afraid that the privacy screens would allow people to plan dangerous acts and use the privacy for inappropriate reasons.

I think the glasses are a great idea. They are cheap and ensure people the comfort and luxury of privacy. Though privacy may seem so basic, when living in a favella with thousands of people living in a few mile radius, privacy seems as unrealistic to the people living there as unicorns. I believe everyone is entitled to privacy and to the right to be a free individual. If this little accessory helps achieve that feeling of pride and accomplishment, then it is worth every penny.

Redefining Window Shopping:

Window-shopping was once a way of creating a fantasy life, hoping to one day be able to afford the clothes in the window of Sax Fifth Avenue.  Now, a new digital creation has taken that fantasy and pushing more people to purchase items.

Monolith is comprised of a LCD screen and complex software, which creates a seamless ‘drag and drop’ experience on a Smart Phone. It is not an app or a QR code.  Instead, the window shopper types in a URL that is located on the storefront in addition to a one-time pin into his/her mobile device. Then the device becomes your personal shopping bag as you drag and drop the objects into your shopping bag, which is digitally located on the storefront screen. You can then purchase the items off your phone later, when you have more time.

With these digital windows in London, Dallas, Helsinki, and Shanghai (coming soon), statistics of consumers in stores have increased. Twenty-five percent of users entered the store after using the digital window, and there was 90 percent awareness from by passers when the digital system was in use.

This bridges the gap between digital and physical consumers, allowing consumers to take advantage of e-commerce. This allows the website of a store to be more closely associated with the store, and combine the two types of consumers (online and in store).

Though I love shopping and fashion, I do believe there are a few issues with this system. The motif of the window must reflect the inside of the store. Because the wall is solid and you cannot see through to the store, the window must really pop to the consumer, not only because it is digital, but because it appeals to the target market. The window has the possibility of becoming more of a game for young adults and less about wanting and purchasing items. People may play around with the shopping options without ever entering the store or buying any items. The digital appeal has the potential to take away from the appeal of the store. The two must coincide in order to bring in revenue.

However, I do like the Combination of interactivity with clothes to consumers. This gets the consumers involved with in the store and generates a positive emotion with the brand and items.

My biggest problem with the window is if Monolith only allows usage for one person at a time, it could cause congestion in the front area of the store. It might be better to allow multiple people to use the windows to allow multiple shoppers. If I am with a friend and she decides to use the window, and I see something I like while she is browsing, I am going to want to go on immediately and add to my bag. We live in an impatient society. We want things here and now. Waiting to use the technology and then search through to find the pants again is a hassle. The window should be organized like a dressing room, with multiple stations for multiple people.

That sums up the first full day at the Cannes Lions Festival. Follow the Syracuse University hashtag for the festival on Twitter #NewhouseIDSM. 

Follow my live tweets via @Mona_LisaP.