Color Theory App

In Wired:  Regarding an interesting book on the theory of color, by Josef Albers, is presented on an iPad App.   Not free it seems.  I recall this book being mentioned in a reference for online color use.  I am wondering how well the colors involved can be reproduced in the iPad.

IKEA and Augmented Reality Catalog

See furniture in your own apartment using augmented reality in IKEA's 2014 catalog.  A good example of AR in mobile retail.  And its potential for using AR to insert the virtual to measure the physical.  " ... To take advantage of IKEA‘s augmented reality catalog, customers download a program through the Apple App Store or Google Play. The catalog is placed within the room the user wants to decorate, and the application senses and measures the booklet itself to create accurate images. Products then appear on your smartphone’s screen in the correct size and color. IKEA hopes their catalog will help to cut down in accidental purchases, or what they refer to as “square peg, round hole syndrome”. They estimate that seventy percent of people do not know the area of their homes, and fourteen percent have admitted to buying items that were the wrong dimensions for their rooms.... " 

Social and Mobile Innovation

In Knowledge@Wharton:  New models are at play.  Note my recent piece that addresses increasing efficiency for innovation.  From a recent conference.  Noting that now the (mobile) consumer is now the boss.  " ... Most business leaders are by now aware that the growing use of mobile phones is changing the competitive landscape for all companies, no matter what the industry. The extent of those changes is greater than most appreciate, however. They include entirely new methods of designing products and completely revamped methods for selling them. They also involve a fundamentally reinvented relationship with customers: To be precise, the customers are now the boss. .. " 

Advances in Tagging

In GigaOM:  Tagging is a long time interest. Costs and power requirements have always been an issue.  This also relates to an internet of things, where simply finding a physical thing can be a first step  Note also the use of crowd sourcing.

" ... Ever since Bluetooth Low Energy chips emerged, a growing number of object tagging and tracking services have sprouted up to take advantage of the technology’s potential as a proximity-based sensor. Innova Technology is one of those companies, but starting this week it’s offering a twist to its new Protag Elite devices.

In addition to using Bluetooth LE as a kind of radar to keep track of your valuables, Protag now has new crowd collaboration features into its apps so strangers can help you find your stuff if it gets lost. On Wednesday Innova plans to kick off an Indiegogo campaign to raise $100,000 for the new credit-card-sized Elite tag, which will eventually incorporate these new features. The first 1,000 backers can get its rechargeable device for $29.... " 

GotoGlue and the Personal Brand

An enterprise colleague of mine pointed me to GotoGlue.  I much like the idea of having a personal brand while connecting Job Seekers, Organizations and Employers.  Just launched.  " ... In Glue, users populate a series of content galleries to demonstrate their "complete self" all in one comprehensive, interactive, digital portfolio. There's a gallery for a resume and cover letter as well as a gallery for a First Impression Video where job seekers can introduce themselves to employers and speak to their professional capabilities. Glue also allows users to add an unlimited number of "user-defined" galleries for any additional content that supports their personal brand. ... "

Innovation Mindset in Action at 3M

In the HBR Blogs (requires registration):   The methods used by 3M have always been of interest.   See also the previous posts. " ... In three recent blog posts we looked at the innovation mindset in individuals, profiling game changers Jerry Buss, Peter Jackson, and Shantha Ragunathan. These three innovators share common qualities, which we call the innovation mindset, a robust framework which can be applied at the micro (individual) as well as macro (organizational) levels: they see and act on opportunities, use "and" thinking to resolve tough dilemmas and break through compromises, and employ their resourcefulness to power through obstacles. 

Innovators maintain a laser focus on outcomes, avoid getting caught in the activity trap, and proactively "expand the pie" to make an impact. Regardless of where they start, innovators and innovative companies persist till they successfully change the game. ...  

Take, for example, 3M Corporation. 3M was awarded the US government's highest award for innovation, the National Medal of Technology. Over a 20-year period, 3M's gross margin averaged 51% and the company's return on assets averaged 29%. 3M has consistently been highly ranked, often in the top 20, in Fortune magazine's annual survey of "America's Most Admired Corporations." How do they do it? ... " 

Linkedin Review

In Readwrite Web:  A good overview of why the author thinks Linkedin is their favorite social network.  I agree, because it does maintain a business focus.  Second is Twitter, which is better at getting you to select and precise information that you need.