After years of hype, the concept of an ‘Internet of Things’ is becoming a reality. From smartwatches and connected toothbrushes to intelligent thermostats and driverless cars- a web connection is becoming standard for many devices. This move towards a ‘programmable world’ is creating an explosion of new customer touchpoints for marketers to harvest. As part of our review of the year, we look back at the key trends that shaped the Internet of Things in 2015, including Google’s creepy smart teddies, Barbie Dolls wired up to the web and BBC testing mind controlled headsets…
Key trends to check your 2016 plans against:
Biggest 10 headlines of the year:
Google ‘starts again’ with Glass Project
Google is starting again from scratch with its Glass project, with no plans to show it to the public until its commercial launch, according to a news report.
Johnnie Walker “smart bottle” knows when you’ve opened it
Diageo has launched a “smart bottle” for the iconic Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky, which lets the brand send targeted messages to customers who scan a tag on the bottle with their smartphone.
Google self-driving car in first injury accident
Google has revealed that one of its self-driving cars was involved in a crash that injured four people- but it was entirely the fault of another car…. and it has the evidence to prove it.
Amazon drones can chase customers using smartphone GPS
Amazon has published details of its Drone delivery plans, including a the ability to track the location of the person it is delivering to by pulling data from their smartphone.
BBC tests mind-control TV headset for iPlayer
The BBC has partnered with tech firm This Place, to develop a way people can select programmes using a cheap, brainwave-reading headset.
3D printers get 100 times faster with ‘Terminator Goo’
A new innovation in 3D printing could make the process up to 100 times faster than before and it owes its inspiration to a scene from the classic sci-fi film ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’
Watch this video explaining how the printer works:
Barbie dolls get wired up to web
Mattel has launched the first Internet-connected version of its iconic doll Barbie, capable of having a conversation with their owner.
Oral-B ‘smart mirror’ shows the news while you brush
Oral-B has updated its smart toothbrush with a mirror that can display digital information, so people can view content as they brush their teeth.
GeniCan Product Launch- Indiegogo V2 from GeniCan on Vimeo.
Google patents ‘creepy’ web-connected teddies to run homes
Smart teddy bears and artificially intelligent toys may soon be in control of our homes, courtesy of Google, according to new files revealed this week.
