MeetLaBaron

[meetlabaron]

How do we make the future better through the past?

What is it?

The Jetsons is an American animated sitcom, there were 24 original series. The Jetsons lived in the year 2062. I watched it begin 90ties, everything looked bazaar at that time. In the past twenty years I kinda collected puzzle pieces that always broth me back to to The Jetsons. But it wasn't till this year that I excellently found the biggest puzzle pieces. It made me wonder what the Jetsons can tell me about the future. First let me tell you about the latest developments.

Why is it cool?

In the Jetsons we see de oven that makes every things at any time. In this sentry we would see this as a 3d printer that prints food like the Digital Gastronomy. We can now print al kinds of food. In the future it will be more advanced and we will find the same level of 3d ovens like in the Jetsons in our kitchen. 

One of the thing that I loved as a little girl watching the Jetsons was the hologram that could project any clothing on you. Now we have the real magic mirror. This is a mirror that you can find at John Lewis. This mirror makes it able to fit clothing in a store without really trying it on. 

The other cool thing we have bean introduced to just this year is the smart watch. I remember seeing thins on the Jetsons as a TV watch. Perhaps the smarts watch will evaluate in the coming years to provide us with movies. I already see it happening, like a collaboration with Netflix.

 And finely the flying car. Im really still waiting for us to fly but I guess that its difficult to get the infrastructure right. We do however have the terrafugi’s TF-X. It doesn't really look like what I expected it to look like. It look more like a  science fiction car from some other planned than the Jetsons.  

What is the future growth potential?

There are a few thing from the Jetsons I expect to see yet. Like the robot teachers they had in front of the class. I only see this little bit different. We probably will have hologram teachers you can activate at home, or other places. I don’t see the necessarily to be in a class room if the information could we consulted every where. 

Next to education I find health very important. In the series we saw the doctor consulting through the TV. CADR+ provides us this service now. I see this system getting smarter in the future providing us with instant help. 

But how can this great developments help us create an sustainable city in the future? First of all the “gadgets” make life easier. That makes it possible for us to spend our time more efficiently. For example, if we let machines help us with cooking and choosing our clothing in less time than before, we will have extra time to spend on the more important issues. 

In the quality of life model that Felce and Perry broth to our attention we see the five important points we need to have a good life. I believe that if we put this model and maslow’s hierarchy of needs together we will see how men kind will move in the future. It works like a ladder, you need the first step for the second step to stay in place. 

So to get back on my point, if “gadgets” can help us to satisfy our basic needs we can concentrate on making the world a better plaice for the next generation by building city’s that are sustainable.

  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2017905/John-Lewis-set-reveal-mirrors-superimpose-outfits-figure.html

http://www.gizmag.com/cornucopia-digital-gastronomy-3d-food-printer/13873/

http://www.rgbrenner.com/how-we-can-help-you/telemedicine-digital-doctors/

http://www.terrafugia.com/tf-x

[meetlabaron]

Is free money the future?

What is it? Why is it cool?

It all began with the financial crisis in 2008. The public demanded explanations from banks and as result of the crisis they forcibly became more transparent. It then became clear that we were getting ripped of. Prior to 2008 the bankers were loaning money to people that couldn’t pay it back, giving each other big bonuses every year and greed was triumphing. And then the crisis started and the banks suddenly needed help. Several government intervened thereafter to help the banks up. The crisis forced us to look very critically at the current capitalists system and made us think about different alternatives. One example of it is a group of people trying to introduce a system with guaranteed minimal income, a hybrid system with capitalist and socialist elements. The Idea is that everybody will get a minimal income of around €900,- to fulfill their basic needs, without any further obligations.

This idea was put to the test in an experiment in Canada in 1974, called “Mincome”. The experiment showed that only 5 till 10 percent stopped working. And more surprisingly those who stopped didn’t replace there workplace for the couch, they went back to school or took more time to stay at home to take care of their children. Even the number of sick people declined, most likely because of the reduction of stress in peoples lives. What’s interesting is that in the 70’s the political right as well as the left supported the experiment. Now the political right, but also for a part the left, think it’s unrealizable with the argument that people will probably only benefit of it, get lazy and add nothing back to the society. But the Mincome experiment proved otherwise. Recently there has also been an experiment with hobos in England where they received free tax paid money (3000 pounds) without any obligations. The expectations were very low, but the results were astonishing: they spend the money very wisely, bettered their lives and it was cost efficient.

What is the future growth potential?

If we can create a world with a minimal income, we can get more happiness, less diseases and more educated people. That sounds very utopian and I’m little bit skeptical, but if it works we will definitely gain a lot as a society and humanity in general. 

Bron:

http://public.econ.duke.edu/~erw/197/forget-cea%20(2).pdf

https://decorrespondent.nl/10/waarom-we-iedereen-gratis-geld-moeten-geven/384450-0b1c02bd

http://tegenlicht.vpro.nl/nieuws/2014/februari/basisinkomen.html

http://basicincome.org.uk/interview/2013/08/health-forget-mincome-poverty/

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Infotainment

What is it?

Infotainment is a term that consists of the combination of information and entertainment, it can refer to a media device or a service. The main reason for infotainment content is to attract and maintain the interest of viewers in the new era of growing informational content through media. In the 21st century the content delivered through infotainment is becoming more and more a dominant way of educating the new generation. The increase for the demand for more transparency in the Western media is one of the main reasons for this development. 

Why is it cool?

Infotainment is not a new term, CNN was one of the first channels that combined information and entertainment in the 80ies. It was the first news channel that provided news for 24 hours a day and explored new ways to keep the viewers attention. The content nowadays delivered via infotainment is on demand and more accessible than ever before. For example through TV programs as How It’s Made. This programs contain various information from hot dogs to diamond cutting to tequila production. And also through content provided by channels online, like Vsauce Our World, Vsauce2 People, Vsauce3 Fictional World and AsapSCIENCE.

What is the future growth potential?

For the next generation is it easier to gather knowledge through the increasing amount of infotainment channels in the traditional as well as in the new media. Besides that, the participation of the viewers more is active than before, as a result of the increasing technological transparency.

Bron: TV, Youtube.com, http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/infotainment.html

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Generation Food

What is it?

Generation Z has been named “Generation Food” by Food Inspiration Magazine. This generation consists out of the youth and young adults between the age of 16 and 26. As a result of the growing transparency in the information flow in the Western countries, has this group the knowledge to choose wisely regarding to food. 

  Why is it cool?

Generation Z is the first generation to have such a wide knowledge area regarding to the production, distribution and the composition of food. This development enables them to choose their food more responsibly than generations before. Very striking is the behavior of the choice of a traditionally unhealthy group such as students to live more responsibly, by choosing quality over quantity. 

What is the future growth potential?

This generation will be the first generation of very environmentally conscious adults in the future that possibly would change the lifestyle of generations to come, changing the current unbalanced overconsumption in the world and the way the human kind deals with raw materials.

Bron: http://magazine.foodinspiration.com/nl/magazine/5973/731596/.html

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MagZip

What is it?

A new type of zipper that allows the user to zip up using only one hand. The two sides get connected by magnets, which is easy enough and then it’s the matter of pulling it up. This new technology applied to such a widely used product improves it by making it more user friendly.

Why is it cool?

Sure, a conventional zipper is one of the most commonly used products and it’s so easy to use most of us never think about the technique behind it. But what if you suddenly cannot use one of your hands because you’re holding something or due to a handicap and it starts raining like crazy? Then you’d wish your jacket came with a MagZip. But even if you have both of your hands to your disposal MagZip is still better than a regular zipper. Ever had the zipper disconnect underneath when you’re zipped up and then almost unable to open your jacket again? Indeed, with MagZip that annoyance is gone for good.

What is the future potential?

Who said that innovation must be huge and drastic. In many cases little adjustments can make difference. With good marketing MagZip should be able to prove its superiority over the common zipper and could very well gain a reasonable market share. It’s fast and user friendly, looks cool and is particularly interesting in the area of special clothing, like in sports or uniforms. It’s of course easier to use by some people with a handicap. MagZip is truly up there with sliced bread and other great inventions making our lives a little nit easier.

[meetlabaron]

Cosyfelx

What is it?

Cosyflex is a biodegradable 3D sprayed underwear. The idea behind it is simple: always clean, never worn underwear, which can be thrown away after use without worrying about the environment.

Why is it cool?

3D printing already makes it possible to create virtually any object yourself in your own home. There are already even experiments with food and body parts with very positive results, so to that extent clothes aren’t even that big a deal. Still, it’s more of a big deal than you might think. Clothes are an essential part of our appearance and therefore of our identity and we as consumers are getting more control over them by producing anything we like depending on the occasion.

What is the future growth potential?

When you know that Victoria’s Secret is interested in this product, you can imagine that the potential is huge. What if you could design your own underwear on Victoria’s Secret’s website using hundreds of examples or come up with your own? Of course many other brands will soon follow and the service will be available to both women and men. Eventually, as 3D printers will be as common as toasters it will become a normal practice to download designs and print them yourself while cooking or watching TV. Besides the convenience we can expect the popularity of this product to grow because of its ‘green’ nature which is in line with current trends.

[meetlabaron]

Lizzie Velasquez

What is it?

Lizzie Velasquez is an American motivational speaker and writer who in the last three years has become known to a wider audience also outside the USA due to her appearance and her work. Lizzie was born with an extremely rare condition due to which she is unable to gain weight. She never weighs more than 29 kilograms and has zero percent body fat. Being extremely skinny Lizzie looks like people with anorexia and besides that the young woman is blind in her right eye. Lizzie tells us she has been confronted with her looks on a regular basis ever since she was a kid. There were people who never got past the exterior, which resulted in different ways of bullying. On a recent occasion video images of Lizzie were posted on YouTube a couple of years ago with video owner calling Lizzie the ‘ugliest woman in the world’. Lizzie’s condition and her experiences both as a child and as a young adult stimulated her to share her thoughts with the world which resulted in her career as an author and a public speaker motivating others to reach for their goals despite any setbacks they might experience.

Why is it cool?

Obviously nobody is perfect and all of us have some issues and restraints physical or psychological which can make us uncertain of our potential and hold us back. Looking at Lizzie many of us can see our own fears and doubts, but we also see that a fragile but courageous girl has conquered hers and now has a fulfilling life. Her story can make others start believing in themselves. Lizzie shows us that appearance is much more than the way people look, it’s they way they present themselves, it’s their inner self who others eventually perceive.

What is the future growth potential?

We cannot really measure how and to what extent Lizzie’s story will inspire others to live better and maybe even to do something amazing. The closest thing to it is to read the feedback on Lizzie’s website and under her videos, tweets and other posts. But with her example she might stimulate other people, both men and women, in a comparable situation to come out of hiding, think over the feeling of shame and fear of rejections they might have had and to start a new wave breaking taboos and setting good examples, contributing the way Lizzie does.

[meetlabaron]

Sugarcoated

What is it?

Ever thought it would be cool to look like Marilyn Monroe or even Betty Boop for a day? Maybe ever did your hair and make up and posed for a picture using an appropriate Instagram filter? If you’d like assistance with that, just contact Sugarcoated. Sugarcoated loves the pin-up look and offers to transform you into a pin-up model which they combine with a photo shoot. By the way, the services isn’t only for women, or cheesecakes, as referred to by the pop culture. Their male counter parts, the beefcakes, are more the welcome as well.

Why is it cool?

Dressing up is fun, but getting photographed when having a nice look is even better. Men and women can participate, showing in a slightly exaggerated manner respectively their masculinity and femininity, which is sexy. Of course group pictures are also a way to go, so people can have fun together. And did you know that crossdressers get special attention?

What is the future growth potential?

The 50’s look is great and it’s very in at the moment, but there are so many other possibilities for a themed photo shoot, like flower power, late 19th century England  and baroque, just to name a few of personal favourites. Sugarcoated could extend its services to a much larger audience by offering more diverse shoots. It’s easy enough too, with some adjustments to the website and extra marketing as the studio already has everything else at hand. Also the studio can open up a franchise, offering their services throughout the country.

[meetlabaron]

Vintage clothing

What is it?

After World War II Europe was left in great devastation. It is of course true that many European countries did an amazing job of rebuilding themselves and getting economically even stronger just 10-15 years later. But during the years directly after the war most Europeans  were spending frugally, only focussing on direct necessities. Granted, clothing is one of the basic necessities, however more expensive designer clothes were much less in demand for obvious reasons. Many people were forced to wear their old out-of-fashion pieces much longer than they normally would and combine them with the handful new ones they could afford to purchase. Though the idea of vintage clothing was already present it has become more broadly known and accepted. Nowadays, due to the economic crisis and people having less to spend vintage style is making a serious comeback. Vintage shops and even whole areas, vintage per kilo, combining old and new, vintage shopping trips, Macklemore singing about it - the concept is hip and speaks to a broad audience. The hipster community seems to have embraced vintage as it accentuates their style. Other of course can also look for pretty thing, maybe out of nostalgia, or just want to save a dime.

Why is it cool?

Fashion is certainly a matter of taste, but even sceptics often won’t deny that a creative vintage look is at least an eye catcher. Old army boots, fur coat, flower power t-shirt and a James Brown hat to top it all off - attention guaranteed. It’s also cool because it’s for everybody; men and women, gay and straight, young and old, there’s something for all of them.

What is the future growth potential?

Many European cities have whole shopping areas dedicated to vintage fashion, one of the most well-known being Camden Market in London. But also Paris, Berlin, Antwerp and others have comparable concepts. Those who have already embraced vintage convince us with nice easy-on-the- eye combinations. The prices are low and often even ridiculously so. Demand for vintage clothing and accessories is there to stay, even after the main wave of interest has passed. Admit it, how else are you going to get a real Louis Vuitton handbag for less than your rent?

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Shoreditch Boxpark shopping mall

What is it?

In Shoreditch, London you can experience a whole new type of a pop-up store. Boxpark is a mini shopping mall made out off six shipping containers. This mall is home to a number of big brands like Nike. It also supports a lot of innovative young designers by providing them with cheap space to work and sell their products. It even has a restaurant with a terrace to provide customers with a drink and a bite after a long day of shopping.

Why is it cool?

This concept makes it possible to have cheap and innovative pop-up stores anywhere anytime. Although you might think that shipping containers have a somewhat cheap appearance and don’t have a whole lot of facilities, Boxpark proved that this kind of malls can very well be practical and nice looking. Boxpark mini mall has a cool industrial look which is very popular in the living sector. 

What is the future growth potential?

By using big shipping containers you can make almost all kinds of pop-up stores, which in my opinion can even become a permanent thing. Using containers to provide space for retail is an innovation to an already existing concept with which many architects have been playing for a couple of years now. I’m talking about houses, apartments, hotels and other types of housing emerging in many countries around the world. It happens mainly because it's cheap, but also because of the solid construction and durability of the containers.

Shipping containers are in many ways an ideal building material. They are designed to carry heavy loads and to resist harsh environments. Because of their high strength, containers are highly useful for secure storage. I guess that in the past we didn’t expect that a boring shipping container would be of much use outside its main purpose, but now we see quite the opposite, namely that it has become a useful and even cool component for new ways of living, shopping and maybe many other areas of our day-to-day lives.

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Google Business Photography & Google Art Project

What is it? A great addition to Google services are the two new projects meant to give us an inside look into all kinds of businesses and other organisations. First one, Google Business Photography, offers a look into various businesses like restaurants, stores, showrooms, hotels, gyms and other commercially oriented ventures. The second one, Google Art Project, makes it possible to visit museums all around the world and take a closer look at exhibitions. Both projects use technology comparable to the widely known and used Google Street View, which allows the user to take a virtual, 360-degrees panoramic tour of the business or organisation by ‘walking’ through it and zooming in on interesting details. The projects offer pre-experience to get people interested and possibly stimulate them to visit the places in person thus generating more traffic. One of the most well-known projects is the White House in Washington D.C., which offers the tour and high-resolution photographs of the artwork.

Why is it cool? When planning to dine at a new place people might ask friends or colleagues for advice. When you’re left with a number of choices, a quick look into the business can make it clearer whether it’s suited for you. You can get the idea of the experience, choose a nice table and get to know the facilities the business is offering like a terrace, a parking lot or a kids’ corner. When choosing to which gym to go, instead of visiting a bunch of them, narrow down your search by comparing them online. When planning on which museums to visit on your vacation check the Art Project first so you know what to expect. The tours are easily accessible from any computer or tablet, easy to use and give a lot of information.

What is the future growth potential? At this moment The Netherlands shows the fastest growth in Europe in terms of Google Business Photography, so we can expect a lot of coverage within a couple of years. It can be argued that at some moment soon such a tour is going to be a must have just as a website or a Facebook page. And a nice thing is that the tour can be easily combined with those two. As for the Art Project, Google strives to catalog the world wide cultural heritage to make is accessible to people around the globe, so we can expect many more major and smaller museums to participate.

[meetlabaron]

Pampus

What is it?

Pampus is an island and a fort in Muiden. It was built in the late 19th century to protect Amsterdam from a potential attack. Later in 1944 - 1945 the island was plundered the people used the wood to keep them warm in the cold years. In 1962 it was briefly occupied by students. In years that followed the island and the fort fell into decline so the residents of Muiden stated the Pampas foundation to protect them. Now it’s an experience island with focus on education, school trips, business events and parties. The Pampus as we know now was opened in the summer of 2011.

Why is it cool?

Pampus is a unique location with interesting history that covers more than a century. It saw two wars, decline and restoration and is now a historical monument ready for new generations. It is a reminder of what has been, which can be very educational for young people. Except for (guided) historical tours it can be visited for a drink or booked for a party in a special environment.

What is the future growth potential?

The island combines education, work space and leisure all at a unique location in the centre of the Netherlands between Amsterdam and het Gooi - region, so it arguable has growth potential in terms of new clients and visitors. Pampus might still need more promotion and maybe more facilities to add new services to its portfolio. At the end however instead of keeping away unwanted folks it can very well become one of the gates into the North-Holland province to welcome new visitors.

[meetlabaron]

Bibliotheek Midden - Brabant (Public library Tilburg)

What is it?

Bibliotheek Midden-Brabant is al public library located in Tilburg in the south of the Netherlands. There, besides borrowing books you can participate in different workshops and attend various courses. Also you can read different newspapers and magazines to catch up on current events and opinions. Furthermore the library has a little cafe by the newspaper corner.

Why is it cool?

The library as we know it is changing not only in the Netherlands but all over the world. It’s becoming a place for multimedia experience, flexible workplace, meeting point for different groups and a place with a lot of different courses to enrich your knowledge. And as a public services it’s meant to be visited by pretty much everybody.

What is the future growth potential?

Instead of only providing literature the library is transforming into a multi-media knowledge centre where people can get easily accessible information, participate in interactive workshops en meet each other. The Tilburg library is currently being moved to a new location with other organisations such as Fontys Academy for Creative Industries, so it would be easier for them to cooperate and together serve a wider audience.

[meetlabaron]

Jacksons

What is it?

Jacksons is a dance cafe located in Amersfoort, inspired by the disco culture and oldies from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. It has the atmosphere of a typical discotheque with non-stop music from those years and of course glowing floor tiles. Theme parties are usually dedicated to a shorter period of time or a particular music style or artist. Jacksons’ main audience are people between 25-45 and minimum age is 23.

Why is it cool?

70’s-80‘s-90’s theme parties is a widely spread phenomenon and based on my own experiences are almost always a guaranteed hit. The thing with that kind of parties though is that they happen once in a certain period of time, people are often required to dress up accordingly and to pay an entrance fee. Jacksons however can be visited on a regular basis and is more accessible. Moreover, the nightlife in Amersfoort mainly focused on young students 16-25 years of age and those of 30 something and 40 something didn’t really have a place of their own. This demographic however is the one with regular jobs and money and is therefore very interesting in the business sense. As an evidence of it’s popularity Jacksons is full every weekend. The cafe looks great, has good music and it’s altogether a nice place to meet, have a drink and dance the night away.

What is the future growth potential?

Differently from an average cafe with various music styles Jacksons almost never steps outside the music from the three decades and thus stays close to it’s concept. A theme cafe or club like Jacksons can very well get a positive response and it’s own place in other Dutch cities with a large population of young urban professionals and older audience looking for music from their youth and meeting people their own age. Cafes and clubs like Jacksons might profit greatly from the Oldies’ revival parties and gain popularity which can last years.

[meetlabaron]

Third eye

How about this scene for an idea: doctors using a third eye before and during an operation to see their patient's vital stats like body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure. No, it’s not a utopian sci-fi plot, it’s actually very real. Philips and Accenture teamed up to create a proof of concept, where a doctor can obtain real-time vital patient data using Google Glass linked to the the Philips' Intellivue patient monitors. 

                                                                    According to Philips, such a system would provide a surgeon with improved mobility, enabling an increased focus on the patient. Another benefit would be that it could also be used for accessing a pre-surgery safety checklist, conducting first-person videoconferences with other medical personnel and recording surgeries for training purposes.

The possibilities of such a system are broad; it could have a serious educational value in healthcare. Through this third eye students could safely from a distance and yet intensely close follow the procedure live through, let’s say, social media. Pretty cross-medial and easily accessible for future doctors, if you ask me.

Link:

http://mashable.com/2013/10/03/philips-google-glass/

[meetlabaron]

Samsung Gear

Recently Samsung presented its smart watch, a product that can very well be described as  a smart phone tied to your wrist. Samsung calls it ‘The next big thing’, which probably means that a smart watch has potential to cause a revolution just as iPods, iPhones and iPads did. Taking into consideration that Apple is working on a smart watch of their own it seems that two major brands are serious about the impact this product might have on people around the globe.

In a funny video compilation Samsung shows the advantages of a smart watch for people on-the-go by using fragments from The Jetsons, Knight Rider and even Predator. Smart watch is pretty hands free, looks cool and still a bit futuristic and has the potential to hold tons of functions. Showing time is simple one of the many basics; the real focus is on communication. With a built in phone function and apps Samsung Gear allows us to make quick appointments, check weather and agenda and might very well be extended with automotive navigation, voice messages, voice controlled text messaging and many more convenient features.

Samsung Gear is small and light, to operate it one barely uses one hand, especially thanks to voice commands, which means that we’re moving more towards communicating 24/7 no matter what the surrounding circumstances are. It has its advantages compared to Google Glass, as it’s more discreet and (at this point) easier to wear while performing very active tasks, plus, arguably, it’s less invasive to other people. It’s smaller than a smartphone and a tablet, which is again more convenient when you’re in a hurry, driving a car or simply need both your hands and eyes. Of course those other devices have many advantages of their own, but with this product Samsung (and Apple and others to follow) may have created an extra market to service. Active, on-the-go people with need to stay connected in every situation may be a good clientele; travelers, athletes, businessmen, teenagers and many other groups can appreciate the comfort of a smart watch which secret agents have been enjoying for over a half of a century.

Link:

http://xage.ru/samsung-galaxy-gear-ads/