Here are just 10 of the things everyone at Line Industries will be watching out for in 2012.Mobile Retail
2011 was the first year at Line that has seen us shop for Christmas gifts using only our phones. We’re not talking about browsing or comparing prices but right through to checkout. On frosty mornings we've been shopping before getting out of bed. Whether it's through a native app or smartphone-friendly site, mobile shopping is on the rise. The Amazon app (iOS) and site are, the John Lewis app (iOS) is also pretty good and we like the way the Apple Store app is location-aware giving you access to an individual store’s services as soon as you're close by.
Improved technologies to encourage more disabled people to go online
A report from the Office of National Statistics revealed that 4.25 million disable adults have never used the internet, representing over half of the 8.43 million people not yet on the internet in the UK. National disability and e-accessibility charity,
Ability.net has recently announced Sir Terry Pratchett OBE and Martha Lane Fox as Patrons in the drive to campaign for improved technologies for disabled and visually impaired people. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
The rise of digital forensic tools to track the politically mobilised
As BlackBerry handsets and social media networks armed a disgruntled generation of youths earlier this year along with the mobilisation of the Arab spring, we can expect to see governments taking tighter control of the recovery and investigation of material found in digital devices. We can also expect an even greater usage of these devices and networks to further mobilise the politically and economically minded as technology continues to innovate.
Why Facebook friends can hurt your credit rating
According to the New York Observer BetaBeat blog, financial institutions are checking social media profiles to identify credit risks. Lenndo, a Hong Kong-based micro-lending start-up asks to access to your Facebook account; then Gmail, Twitter, Yahoo, and Windows Live. They also reserve the right to broadcast your loan status if you fall into default. Social media privacy takes another turn for the questionable.
Choose who you want to sit near on your next flight
Dutch airline KLM has formed an agreement with Facebook and LinkedIn that will allow travellers to choose their seat by looking at other traveller’s social media profiles. When a passenger books a seat they have the option to post their booking on their profile so that others can view them. Waiting to meet a tall, dark, handsome stranger or the next Sharon Stone over a romantic tray of plane food? Let’s hope they haven’t used a fake picture!
Online product viewing - a different kind of catwalk.
Adobe Scene 7 a rich media package supports product viewing in multi-channel environment as seen in Dune's online catwalk-style videos across its entire footwear range online. This follows a trial that saw this produce a ‘huge’ increase in conversation rates. Adobe’s imaging technology also allows customers to see a 360-degree view, provides a close-up, zoom function and alternate views of products. Now you or your loved one can see all the details before you strut virtually to the checkout.
Augmented Reality (AR) - its use in sensory rich advertising continues to increase
Consumers can interact with a store's online and print advertising more readily with the use of image sensory technology on smartphones. eBay and John Lewis have experimented with Augmented Reality (AR) technology to drive mobile sales in the run up to Christmas. AR is billed as being a step ahead of QR codes as it can offer users a more interactive experience through the use of 3D imagery, audio and videos. Get ready to snap in-store!
Google Wallet to arrive in London in time for Olympics?
Google could launch its long-awaited Google Wallet mobile payments service in Britain ahead of the London 2012 Olympics. The virtual wallet that stores your payment information securely and makes paying fast both in-store and online and is currently only available in the United States. However, Google has been negotiating with British retailers, distributors and banks, to run pilot projects during the first quarter of 2012. This would allow the service to be fully operational in time for the Olympic Games in the summer.
Cloud music services – which to choose?
In recent weeks, Apple, Google and Amazon.com have each launched a version of how to access music wirelessly. Apple have just launched iTunes Match in the UK, allowing users to back up their music library to the iCloud and access it on up to ten devices at £21.99 a year. Google started selling music digitally with a lower but free storage with a social media tie-in to Google+. Amazon’s Cloud Drive is similar to Google but can stream or download songs to the Kindle Fire or Android devices. iTunes Match wins by a small margin, showing what’s new and popular in music but there is still room for music on the cloud to be improved.
HTML 5 – the end of Flash as we know it?
HTML5 is being developed to improve the look of websites, remove the need for plug-ins such as Java and Flash, and bring the storage capacity of the cloud to the browser. Despite security concerns over cookies, HTML 5 is already enjoying a wide reception in the mobile world so much so that software developer Adobe Systems recently announced it was ceasing development of its Flash Player plug-in for mobile devices. You heard it here, Flash is no longer Flash.