the sniffer

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Nora Young talks about her obsession with Simon Carter accessories.  Nora and Cathi Bond continue their conversation about wireless connectivity in the developing world with this Business Week story about Tata’s plans to create an enormous WiMax wireless internet mesh that will serve over 100 Indian cities.

Meanwhile, Cathi Bond continues to spot the trend of body monitoring devices and cell phone apps with MiCoach 

It’s a cellphone that takes your heart rate and offers you words of encouragement when you train.

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Cathi Bond looks at intriguing research into A.I. applications for Second Life.  Nora Young has some background with this New York Times magazine article into what seems to be a similar type of research with sociable robots.

Nora has a look at Nike’s sexy new running shoe Trash Talk, made from stitched together scraps (via Core77).  She wonders whether, aesthetically, we’re starting to see that re-purposed/sustainable look take off, citing local Toronto designers like Matthew Simpson and Susan Harris.  Cathi says it’s really connecting with the older, sustainable design of quilting.

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Cathi Bond talks about the Mindwire V5

It delivers a mild electric jolt to simulate kicks and punches in video games. Nora says…why?

Meanwhile, Nora found this cool video at the New Scientist blog. A company called The Audeo works with connecting the nerve impulses to computer systems. In this case, through trained thought, users can effectively ‘think’ their speech to their vocal cords, and have it translated into speech via computer. Check out the video!

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Nora Young looks at the spreading global subculture of Pecha Kucha, speed powerpoint recreational evenings. PSFK has talked about it here.

Meanwhile, Cathi Bond says surf culture is making a big comeback, citing the popularity of Hollister, and the H Bomb heated wetsuit so you can surf in the Arctic (via Engadget)

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Nora Young considers the news that some major book publishers are removing the digital rights management from their books

(via the New York Times).

Meanwhile, Cathi Bond is excited about the announcement of Emotiv’s brain-controlled gaming interface (via businesswire)   Nora mentions Clive Thompson’s post about the relief we feel when our character is killed in a video game.

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Cathi Bond points to this story up at Gizmag, which suggests that there are enough cell phones in circulation for one of every two people in the world.  Cathi wonders, then why,  in North America at least, does it seem like no one’s answering their phones anymore?

Meanwhile, Nora Young points to this example of biomimicry discussed by the Toronto Star:  fan blades that are quieter and more energy efficient thanks to modeling their design on the flippers of humpback whales.

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Cathi Bond updates the fashion report with more trends from London Fashion Week (via JC Report).

Meanwhile, Nora Young has a colour update. The purple trend in fashion has been widely noted, but according to Design Sponge blog,  it’s surfacing in interior and industrial design too. Nora and Cathi speculate. (Thank, Alanna!)

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Cathi Bond talks about a move to start manufacturing, for trial purposes, an avian flu vaccine delivered as a nasal powder (via Medgadget) She comments on all the medicines we’re starting to carry around with us, and speculates about the “culture of fear.”

Meanwhile, Nora Young finds a cool lounge chair, called, ahem, The Lounger, by British company Hoverit.   The Lounger relies on repellent magnets to keep the top of the chair ‘hovering’ over the base. (via Times of London).  To Nora, it seemed aesthetically in line with the baroque-yet-transparent furniture so popular now, like the Ghost candelabra, or Kartell’s Louis xv ghost chairs.

And Cathi scares the pants off Nora, with news about the return of the dreaded….prairie skirt! (via JC Report)