the sniffer

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Cathi Bond looks at plans to launch anti-ageing clinics and services to cater to the Chinese market (via Better Humans)

Nora Young notes that Canada’s Marketing magazine has named Unilever Canada’s marketing team “marketer of the year” for 2007.  Their ad agency, Ogilvy and Mather is the team that created the Dove “Evolution” ads.  Nora says they are committed to positive messaging throughout their products, from beauty products to mayonnaise.  This in spite of the much reported on recent controversy over the fact that Unilever is also the company behind Axe body spray, and behind complexion lightener, as this article in The Star reports.  Nora also mentions her fave tea blender, Tealish

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Cathi Bond connects to her inner James Bond with this amphibian car-boat.  She also talks about a great new solar application: Konarka makes this flexible surface that you can put on your windows.  It seals in heat/coolness and generates power.

Meanwhile, Nora picks up on a comment Cathi made about the Zune.  Is its redesigned model ready to hit the big time? WIRED’s gadget lab says the new Zune is the “gift of this season“.  This leads Cathi and Nora to talk about Google’s plans for the cell phone market.  Cathi refers to this Vanity Fair article and the future of gadgets. Should Apple be worried? Nora also talks about the Open Handset Alliance (well, she would have if she could have remembered the name of it!) and Google’s plans.  Is it “rule by anarchy” as VF thinks?

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Nora Young talks about this post at the PSFK blog, which talks about the return of early 90s style, and references a New York Times article on 1992 club nights.  That gets Nora and Cathi reminiscing about 1992 as the last period when things felt really NEW.

Meanwhile, Cathi Bond talks about the sci-fi to reality trend of mind-controlled tech toys around the corner.  Engadget has this story and Nora’s also found this prediction at Popular Mechanics, that 2008 will be the year EEG controlled games break out as a concept.  Cathi and Nora talk about the ways they’ve seen this trend start to filter out of the research lab.

 

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In this podcast, Nora Young refers to this Business Week article on how made-in-India social networking sites are taking off.  Cathi and Nora talk about some of the new directions in the Indian economy.  Nora also mentions the work of New York Times journalist, Anand Giridharadas.  You can read some of his older articles at his blog, here.

Meanwhile, Cathi Bond returns to a story she mentioned a long time ago, the Life Straw, a simple, er, straw, that removes dangerous bacteria from water.  It has been touted as a straightforward, cheap solution for the problem of poor water quality in less developed areas.  Apparently, one of the big stumbling blocks–the fact that it made water taste like iodine–has been solved.  This Gizmag article includes information on making donations of a Life Straw

 

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In this podcast, Cathi Bond spots an interesting item in sustainability.  Abu Dhabi is building a huge, sustainable part of the city, which will be walled and entirely car-free.  What an interesting move to create a car-free city when you’re an oil-based economy. What does that suggest about the future (via Gizmag)

Meanwhile, Nora talks about Power House, a great gift for green kids.  It’s a project kit, but full of enviro-friendly projects to take on, and yet another example of the growth of ‘green chic’. (via BoingBoing)   As well, Nora mentions another great gift idea: the Prepara Herb-Savor to keep your fresh herbs, er, fresh. Smart thinking! (via Popgadget)

 

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In this podcast, Nora Young talks about Tim Berners-Lee’s thoughts on ‘interoperability’, making the mobile web work for everyone so that we don’t have two classes of web users.  (via Technology Review) Cathi Bond talks about the LED incapacitator, which emits a blinking light that disorients and causes nausea! (via Gizmag)

This just in from the BBC. What is the world coming to?

A dog that inherited $12m (£5.8m) from late New York hotelier Leona Helmsley is in hiding after it was targeted by death threats, US media say.

Trouble, a white Maltese that belonged to the billionaire until her death in August, was flown by private jet to Florida, the New York Post reported.

It says the tiny bitch was whisked away under an assumed name after receiving about 20 threats.

 

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In this podcast, Cathi Bond talks about a new phenomenon in Tokyo.  The cost of living is so high, some young Japanese women are  taking up a sideline as ‘paid companions’. (via Japan Times)

Meanwhile, Nora talks about this AP story Apparently, computer sales have been in a slump in Japan as consumers opt for sexy new electronic gadgets and high end cell phones instead.

Cathi also refers to this article from The Economist on the fact that big PC sales are not picking up as much in India,  as people opt for cell phones or thin clients instead.