Tag Archives: apps

The Sniffer, Oct 21st, 2011: Trends in Apps and Health

This time, Nora Young talks about the trend in peer-to-peer applications for tracking and sharing your health (via Technology Review). The trend appears to be growing, with tons of diet, fitness, and health sites and apps popping up. They’re a great idea, but users will have to be aware of their privacy, and make sure they understand what these services are doing with their data. The Wall Street Journal, for instance, has a story on insurance companies experimenting with checking out people’s social networking sites for signs of healthy or unhealthy lifestyles.

Meanwhile, Cathi Bond looks at the fun boom in apps for cats! (Via Gizmag)
This little kitty sure seems to be enjoying it:

Cats not your thing? Well how about Alpha Dog, from Boston Dynamics. They’re the people who brought you the Big Dog robot. Holy Uncanny Valley:

Trends In Apps and Social Recommenders

On this podcast, Cathi Bond talks about the Civil War Today, and Virginia Heffernan’s take on it (via New York Times). Cathi likes the idea of an immersive ‘you are there’ historical experience, but Nora wants more context. What do you think? Meanwhile, Nora Young points to Trendwatching’s May briefing on The F Factor: “F” as in “friend.” Social shopping and social recommenders are certainly taking off, but Nora wonders if more people need to do it (or at least more of her friends) to boost the value of recommendations. Perhaps they work best as a rough and ready guide to topics you don’t know a lot about.

Trends: Extending Brands Into Apps and the Electronic Hearth

In this trendwatching podcast, Nora Young talks about Muji extending its brand into iPhone apps (via Core77). Yes, who needs another calendar app, but is this the future of marketing? The sketch app reminds Cathi of the Apple Newton. What do you use to sketch out ideas? Cathi loves her Moleskine and Nora’s now hooked on her Muji paper notebook. Nora talked about the advantages of paper on a recent episode of Spark.

Meanwhile, Cathi Bond talks about Jason Eppink’s electronic campfire (via PSFK).  Cathi wonders why we don’t just have more real campfires, but Nora thinks it’s cool. What do you think?

Trends in Jeans and Music Apps

In this trendwatching podcast, Cathi Bond mentions Levi’s new ‘workshops’ campaign, which includes both a website and a real store/workshop.  Smart branding indeed.  Check the site out and let us know what you think. Nora mentions this story that suggests Levi’s is launching a new line in China.

Meanwhile, Nora Young gets a kick out of Cloud Music, a new music app for iPhone that piggybacks on Google Docs (via WIRED).  She also mentions Google’s reported new music service.  What would it take for you to go with a subscription-based music service?

Trends in Content Creation and Apps

Cathi and Nora are back, but Cathi’s on the injured list!  Check out the gory details!

In this trendwatching podcast, Nora Young mentions AOL’s new plan to relaunch themselves as content creators. Part of their strategy includes monitoring very closely which articles are getting the most heat, and tracking what’s popular online. (Via Business Week). Is this just an extension of what MSM already do, or the future of a journalistic echo chamber?

Cathi mentions that thesniffer used to be with Rabble.  Nora refers to a great story about the history of journalism on the always excellent Planet Money.

Meanwhile, Cathi Bond weighs in on Apple’s recent decision to pull sexy apps for its phone/touch and presumably the iPad.  What do you think?  Creeping nannyism, or sound business decision as the iPad looks to be the family media centre?

Finally, Nora exhorts you to check out the hilarious Unhappy Hipsters.

Trends in Apps and Cities

In today’s trendwatching podcast, Nora Young mentions State Farm’s promotional app for the iPhone, complete with tips for what to do in an emergency (via Springwise).

Cathi Bond found a great set of predictions by IBM for tech innovations in urban environments in the next five years.  (Via the ever-awesome Gizmag).  Nora thinks two of the trends in particular, related to responsive cities, are going to be huge, and cites Google Map’s Navigation as just one example of the coming trend.