The Latest

I recently wrote an article for Retail Futures on The Connected Consumer and how Retailers are meeting their needs.
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You can check it out here!
Head over to Retail-Futures.com to see my guest blog post on 5 UK retailers innovating the shopping experience using technology.


Back in November 2014 I went to Tech Fundamentals Live.  An event all about funding and investment for tech start ups.  I've always been a firm believer that if you want to be the best you need to learn from the best - it's not where you are but where you want to be. ;)

The keynote speaker was Sherry Coutu CBE - a business woman who is someone to have on the radar. She wrote the Scale-Up Report which is all about Scaling Up!  :)  It's a great report with stats and useful info on the UK Economy Scale Up market. I haven't managed to read it as yet but luckily I was there to hear from Sherry Coutu herself, in which she explained some of the main points of the report.
From The Scale-Up Report


The main points I gathered from her presentation were:


  • A ScaleUp is not a StartUp is - A scale up grows customer orders or employee numbers by 20%
  • The common business term SME (Small Medium Enterprise) should be changed as small wil not always remain small.
  • Finance is not the issue - work on Leadership then seek finance; leadership skills come first.
  • When deciding which company to fund the things they look for in a start up are; Motivation of the entrepreneur - why they want to solve that problem? Is it something they will continue to do in 10 years?  As a Venture Capitalist, they need to want to solve the problem you are solving aswell.  Also how emotionally stable you are is important.  And are you analytical? Are you thinking about the company culture? For example how you explain your business to the investors is an indication of how you will talk about your business to your staff. And how motivated are you? What have you sacrificed?
  • And one point I really remembered that hit hard was - Investors aren't there to make your dreams come true, but to make a return on their money.  Its not the X Factor but I Factor (Investment factor)
  • And finally, find a Cofounder. - Really successful companies start with two people.
Let me know what you think?


Q. What is Internet of Things (IoT)?
A. Things connected to the internet.

Taken literally, the term Internet of Things covers any technology that links a physical object (other than a computer) to the Internet. Making the object smarter - you are able to track and manage it.


The future isn't really smart phones – but smart homes, smart clothes, smart shoes, integrating technology into day to day to day life to make it more intelligent and better designed.  For example Navigate Paris is a location-enabled jacket that will lead you through the streets of Paris.

Displaying Navigate_Media_1_Web.jpg
Navigate Paris
Here's where we get to have a little fun...

Think of a thing, lets say your fridge

Give unique identity and ability to communicate / connect with things
Give it sensors - monitor things with algorithms - search for things - something about the fridge or environment around it - e.g. how much food is inside?
Control it from anywhere in the world with electronics embedded in it or on it....for example lock it
And your fridge = smart fridge

Interesting Research

  • By 2020, an estimated 50 billion devices around the globe will be connected to the Internet. 
  • Auto industry group GMSA estimates that 50 percent of all cars sold in 2015 will be internet-connected, and 100 percent by 2025
My guest post on Beacon technology is live on PurpleWifi Blog here!

PurpleWifi provide wireless internet for events, shopping centres, businesses, and other sectors.

In the blog I talk about how Beacon technology is transforming the way we shop.

Let me know what you think!


If you're going to a house party, Spotify is awesome! Just pop your phone into a speaker and choose a playlist; With thousands of playlists from any and every genre, the possibilities are endless.

For party games HeadsUp is a really fun game, but be aware it brings out the competitive side in friends and is quite intense!

Apps
Glympse is a fast, free, and simple way to share your location in real time with who you want. Super handy for letting your friends know exactly when you’ll be at their place without having to call while you’re driving.

Homer App lets you find apps through your friends, and browse apps celebrities are using, but to download you need iOS 8.0 or later :(

Frontback.me does what it says on the tin - a platform to take a picture in the front and back of your iphone, and putting them together as one. So simple, yet so genius!

youcamperfect is just what you need for the perfect selfie! With functions such as beautifier which can contour your face and smooth your skin, you are a front-cover ready in a matter of a few taps!
Selfie
Selfie using youcamperfect app
Gear S (Blue Black)


It's Big and Bold
Its a big watch - if your looking for discretion you wont find it here.  The curved display gives it an elegant look though, which gives a unisex look to it.  It is available in two colours - blue black, and white. The straps are adaptable to wrist size and comfortable to wear.  I would say its versatile - use at the gym, work, and everyday.


Usability
The great thing about the latest Samsung gadget is you're able to use it without your mobile phone to make calls (it has access to 2G ad 3G networks).  You can also connect online and receive all the latest app notifications. Although, if I did have one, I'm not sure whether I'd use it without a mobile. When I tried it on it felt quite strange, having a mobile on my wrist and the thought of making calls from it; especially as you would need to move it towards your mouth to speak and listen to calls, kind of like a speakerphone, which has no privacy. There is however a bluetooth headset you could use with it.  It is recommended you use it with a Samsung smartphone to ensure it works at its optimum level and for updates.  

Features
-Clear Touchscreen
-Over 1000 Apps available to use

For me, its a nice gadget, but is it going to change my life or is it going to be an additional peripheral to my notebook, tablet, mobile phone collection?

£329 - half price from Samsung when you buy latest Smartphone (Galaxy Note4 or GalaxyS5) or Tablet.