ICONOCULTURE@CES

CEB Iconoculture Consumer Insights

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The Stressed and Frazzled Seek Serenity from Brainwave Game

Consumers are desperate to feel relaxed and improve their ability to focus. At least, that’s what one might conclude based on the long lines at the InterAxon booth for demos of Muse – a brainwave-reading headband that purports to help wearers achieve both states. The headband uses EEG sensors to detect and measure brain activity. That data gets streamed to an iPhone game, where players perform mental exercises in the hopes that their brain readings begin to show signs of improved concentration and calm (biofeedback). If they’re not performing well, they hear the sounds of rushing wind (is that suggesting an emptiness between the ears?). According to the company, Muse can reduce blood pressure and moderate emotional reactivity, in addition to improving overall brain health. Values: Balance, Serenity, Relaxation, Wellness, Growth

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European Style and Engineering Brings Simplicity to Streaming Home Audio

If Rocki is the cheapest way to get older speakers up to speed with wireless protocols and Internet radio, then Bang & Olufsen’s BeoSound Essence has got to be one of the priciest at $1000. But that will come as no surprise to the Danish electronics brand’s fans, who, for the most part, reside in Europe. BeoSound’s design is one of the cleverest we’ve seen when it comes to hiding the complex technical bits and showcasing only a beautiful dial on the wall. No screens to be seen. The aluminum ring dial – the Essence Remote – uses a low-energy form of Bluetooth to connect to a box that sits behind the stereo (it is also of a gleaming, minimalist design) and manages relationships to Spotify playlists and stations, an Ethernet connection, Wi-Fi, DLNA, networked attached storage devices, and Apple’s AirPlay. Basically, it connects to any streaming audio that might be found in a modern home, but there’s no need for the consumer to deal with any of that from the dial. She only needs to press it upon entering a room to start the music, turn it to adjust volume, and switch to a different music channel by touching the “next” button. Values: Simplicity, Style, Experience, Luxury, Connectivity

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Counter Point: Is This the Cooktop of a Consumer in 2020?

“Home of the Future” displays are a staple at CES, and come with caveats like: “this is a non-working demo,” and “this technology is probably 10 years away.” Even so, they provide food for thought – especially the kitchen prototypes. Whirlpool projected an “interactive cooktop” onto a mock kitchen surface to show how counter space might be used in the future. The idea is that any kitchen surface could be simultaneously a touchscreen, an induction-cooking area (only heats metal; won’t burn skin), a recipe holder, a weather channel and a social networking feed. Such a multifaceted kitchen counter would, at the very least, keep tablet and smartphone screens clean of grease and flour. Whirlpool is calling this concept “The Kitchen of 2020.” Values: Convenience, Choice, Flexibility, Innovation, Convergence

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Photo-Recognition App Scans Friends' Phones for Pics of You

One company might be overestimating the lengths consumers will go to in order to obtain pictures of themselves. Kooboodle’s MeFinder is an app that uses facial recognition to find individuals in photos on different phones. But in order for the app to work for any individual consumer, he has to beg his friends to install it on their phones so that it’ll do the work of finding pictures of him and sending them back to his phone. Wouldn’t it just be easier to ask a close friend or two if they’ve taken any great shots of you lately? Either way, the original guy comes off as desperate and vain, and either way, the friend has to put in some effort (to install the app or to send his buddy some photos from his phone). There’s already a certain trust among friends, right? Great photos of our friends will end up on social networks, while the duds will (hopefully) stay hidden forever. Values: Vanity, Image, Sharing, Solidarity, Access

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A Democratized Home Wireless Speaker System

For years, a high-end wireless audio company called Sonos has been one of the only options for consumers who wanted a plug-and-play, multi-room, app-controlled music system in their homes. Outfitting a home with Sonos, though, can cost several thousand dollars. Apple entered the field with its wireless protocol AirPlay, but that’s a locked-down ecosystem too: only certified speaker manufacturers can participate. Fresh off a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign, Rocki showed up at CES to demo its alternative: a tiny, $49 gadget that turns any existing speaker into a wireless speaker over Wi-Fi. Spotify and Google Play have already signed on to provide compatible tunes for collaborative playlists that move from room to room (or phone to phone, or even house to house) with consumers. Values: Collaboration, Freedom, Thrift, Spontaneity, Connectivity

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Motion Perfection for Athletes, Dancers and other Control Freaks

It’s unlikely that most consumers would want or need a motion-tracking system that unites up to ten tiny clothing-mounted sensors for measuring minute and complex individual movements. But for people intent on perfecting a certain movement: a dance routine, a golf or bat swing, a healthier gait, a more efficient stride or kick or stroke or serve – simply re-watching taped footage isn’t going to provide data, or answers. Notch collects data and presents it on an app, explaining and analyzing angles, speed and trajectory. If the user tells Notch exactly how and where it wants a certain body part to be, Notch will buzz to let him know that he was off the mark. How’s that for corrective biofeedback? Will coaches be miffed? Values: Challenge, Aspiration, Expertise, Performance, Excellence

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3D Sugar Printer --> Food Replicator?

Though these specific 3D printers aren’t aimed at a consumer market, their output will satisfy the mouths of many. The ChefJet is the first step towards the food replicators that Sci-Fi fans have been drooling over since Star Trek: The Next Generation hit the airwaves. It only prints sugar, for now, but that’s a start. Full color, with flavors like chocolate, vanilla, mint, sour apple, cherry and watermelon, there are plenty of ways a consumer could get her hands on some 3D printed goodies. Maybe the wedding cake shop will buy one so it can upsell brides on cutesy, match-the-couple cake toppers. Maybe  3D candies printed in corporate logos will be standard giveaways. Maybe they’ll come down in price and the next door neighbor gets one and uses it to make her contribution to the school bake sale. The hive-mind of techies, chefs and designers will result in some wild creations. Values: Deliciousness, Novelty, Performance, Creativity, Experimentation

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Toshiba Camera Could Make More Smartphone Shots Worth Sharing

A byproduct of every consumer carrying around a camera-attached-to-a-phone is gigabytes upon gigabytes of photos in the camera roll. Taken in the heat of the mobile moment, most of them are anything but artfully composed. A few years ago at CES the Lytro camera was introduced. Its magic trick was to take a photo so data-rich that it could be re-focused on any point after a shot was taken. Now, that type of technology is trickling down into consumer-attainable gear. Toshiba has announced a new camera module that lets smartphones refocus photos. Translation: That shot where everyone is actually smiling but a photo-bombing idiot is doing rabbit ears from behind? It has hope! The idiot could be blurred out, or even removed entirely from the shot. The “Deep Focus Image” could turn hot messes into tag-worthy gems. Values: Image, Sharing, Leading Edge, Innovation, Self-Expression

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Revolv: Is This the Connected-Home Hub to Rule Them All?

Okay, so remember how we said that we didn’t think consumers would want to give Samsung the keys to their home automation kingdoms? That begged the question of, well, who should they give it to? It doesn’t make sense to control thirty different web-connected products with thirty different smartphone apps. Enter Revolv. This hardware hub-app combo speaks 10 wireless languages (Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Insteon, ZigBee, etc.) and says it will soon support 95% of all smart home devices on the market (that includes things like Philips, Belkin, Sonos and Kwikset, but doesn’t mention Nest). The app can get things going in your house based on where you are in relation to it (GPS senses you’re approaching home? Turn on the heater, the porch light and the soft jazz.). The only problem? It is rather expensive ($299) for a consumer who just invested in a slew of Internet of Things devices. Values: Connectivity, Convergence, Simplicity, Convenience, Control

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Here's our take on the five best wearable designs on the CES show floor, with one well-designed non-wearable, for good measure.

1. Fashion icon Tory Burch has partnered with Fitbit Flex to create various wearable designs incorporating different materials. Many CE manufacturers are trying to get their wearable designs up to a level that fashion-conscious consumers would consider, but maybe Fitbit is right to outsource part of that task to a savvy, established brand that knows the accessories space better than a tech company ever could.

2. MetaWatch is a company full of ex-Fossil engineers. Now they're partnering with designers who used to work for Vertu (the high-end fashion smartphone line). Their latest smart watch effort puts a premium on high-quality materials and craftsmanship.

3. You've heard of the Pebble. This is the Pebble Steel. Not too much has changed about the currently-most-popular smart watch other than its looks. But we think consumers (masculine ones, that is), will appreciate the upgrade.

4. The Misfit Shine is a fitness tracker that aims to look tasteful anywhere a consumer might go. It can be clipped on, or wore around the wrist. New colors include champagne and topaz.

5. The NetAtmo June makes use of a snazzy faux-gem, which is actually a UV-ray monitor in disguise. It will inform the wearer if he or she (she, most likely) is likely to burn in the sun.

6. This last item isn't a wearable -- its desk candy. Its tough to differentiate a hard drive, but LaCie does it through a partnership with Cristofle, a silversmithing company. This one holds 500 gigabytes of files (it is always a good idea for consumers to back up at least some of their cloud holdings on a local drive).

Values: Style, Prestige, Aspiration, Status, Convergence

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This Camera Puts the Shutterbug In the Picture

Now that the cameras inside smartphones are decent tools, many consumers don’t see a reason to spend a few hundred dollars on a point-and-shoot camera (though the market for “prosumer” ultrazooms and DSLRs is still strong). Kudos to Canon for realizing that point-and-shoots will need to compete and excel at connectivity and other social-friendly features. Its new PowerShot N100 actually contains two cameras. The rear-facing one’s job is to take a picture of the photographer, which it then superimposes onto the main image as though the photographer were standing with the subject of the main photo. This is a great way to take a selfie and a great way for a photographer to join the main shot (these are two pain points of social photography using smartphones). Sure, there are a few flaky smartphone apps that attempt this overlaying task, too, but this is the first version built into hardware. Canon’s “Dual Capture” mode is bound to get it some attention. Values: Convenience, Sharing, Belonging, Self-Expression, Personalization

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Cogito: The Millennial-Minded Smart Watch?

The makers of the Cogito and Cogito Pop smart watches have pretty strong opinions about what consumers are looking for in smartphone-to-watch connectivity: “ [This is] an extension of the phone, not a duplication of it…Less is more. Most users do not want, or need, full phone functionality on their wrists.” Well, that’s one strategy. Even still, Cogito seems to offer plenty of notification features. Users can choose from email, text messages, calls, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp notifications via LED icons on the watch’s face. The watch also controls the phone’s music player and camera. That’s right: tapping the watch clicks the shutter button, so selfie-loving consumers can easily get in the shot without holding the phone in an outstretched arm. Values: Convenience, Access, Time, Cool, Savvy

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Garmin Vivofit: The Motivator

Garmin’s Vivofit fitness tracker is for consumers who need incentive. You know, little motivations and games to get going. The design and tracking features included in the Vivofit are on par with what’s already on the market, so the differentiator here is gamification. The Vivofit studies the consumer and learns her typical activity level. The next day it sets an activity goal slightly above her normal routine. Every day it gets a little higher (and estimates how many more steps are need to attain the goal), but if she fails, it will reset itself to a more attainable goal. If she sits on her bum all day long, the Vivofit sees red. Inactivity results in a growing red penalty bar that can only be removed with movement. For those with a competitive streak, an online community will pose challenges and allow members to compete for virtual badges. Values: Fitness, Health, Aspiration, Challenge, Success

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Sit Up in Your Chair and Consider a Posture Wearable

Is sitting up straight the solution to many of our collective physical woes? Desk jockeys might think so.  If you can’t exercise, at least keep that “core” muscle group engaged. Lumo’s devices – there are two – aim primarily to correct posture through reinforcing buzzes (no, not shocks, just vibrations). The Lumo Back, released earlier, detects slouching by the angle of the bottom of the spine as measured by a waist worn sensor. But the new Lumo Lift measures the positioning of the chest, shoulders and chin: its tiny sensor is worn via a magnet under the clothes. The only thing visible is a tiny metal square – as discreet as they come. The Lift also measures steps and calories. Even still, it’s a bit of a one-trick pony. We’d like to see its moderately useful  feature-set come embedded in a more well-rounded wearable. Values:  Wellness, Image, Self-Actualization, Confidence, Vanity

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Sony's Wearable Core: Where Can't We Put It?

When Sony first put its Core and Smartband wearable devices on screen at its press event, it looked just like every other fitness tracker we’ve ever seen. But, it isn’t. The Smartband is just a shell to hold the Core, the sensor, which could, theoretically, fit inside any wearable form factor made by any company. That’s different. But what Sony didn’t do is talk too much about exactly what the Core – a tiny, two-inch bit of gear with no screen or indicator lights – is capable of. Sony did say that the device will collect some fitness data, but will also store movement, photos taken and shared, music listened to, and social network behavior. Then, it’ll curate all of that data into a life-logging app. Whether the goal of all this data collecting is merely to reminisce or there’s some greater analysis and synthesis going on is unclear. Core does include NFC – that’s the touch-transfer tech that powers many of the virtual payment platforms. Its easy to imagine implementations where the Core lives inside a consumer’s shoe (like the old Nike-Apple collaboration): out of sight, out of mind (and isn’t that really the point?). Values: Simplicity, Identity, Discovery, Experience, Balance

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The Celebrity Shill has a long and storied history at CES, from Lady Gaga and Tom Hanks to Dr. Dre and Justin Bieber – and those are just from the last few years. The star power is supposed to bring attention to new product launches, and for Samsung this year, over-the-top action film director Michael Bay did just that – unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons. A teleprompter malfunction had Bay awkwardly floundering on stage for a few moments, before he abruptly walked off without even giving a few words of lip service to Samsung’s Bendable TV (it’s a transformer, get it?). CES makes news in the business and tech press, but that doesn’t often carry over to entertainment and gossip. This time, it did. It’s hard to say whether Samsung will decide any publicity is good publicity, or if they’re hanging their heads in shame. For his part, Michael Bay updated his personal blog to say this: “Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES – I was about to speak for Samsung for this awesome Curved 105-inch UHD TV. I rarely lend my name to any products, but this one is just stellar. I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP’s intro line and then the teleprompter got lost. Then the prompter went up and down – then I walked off. I guess live shows aren’t my thing.”  Values: Fear, Control, Honesty, Change, Identity

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Technogym Google Glass/Android Treadmill

Consumers are constantly demanding personalization from the technology in their lives, and nowhere more so than in the fitness space, with a multitude of fitness bands and tracking apps on offer. Technogym has gone a step further and integrated its treadmills with the much-lauded all-seeing, all-knowing, completely personalized wearable tech of the future, Google Glass. What does a Glass-connected treadmill look like? It allows users to vocally control the treadmill speed, incline and visual display of the tablet-like console attached to the treadmill.The use of an Android open platform for the console means developers can create brand new apps compatible with inevitable changes in technologies, and users can download and access these apps alongside their personal settings to any compatible treadmill through the Techogym My Wellness Cloud. For runners used to having to manually adjust the controls on gym equipment -- thus interrupting their workouts -- a hands-free experience could provide a boost. Values: Convenience, Connectivity, Fitness, Spontaneity, Personalization