Important Innovations

  High  Tech Future of Hairdressing with AR                                                  Source:  Amazon Salon Amazon Salon in London Amazon is launching its first, high tech hair salon in East London.  The state of the art, experiential Amazon Salon features augmented reality mirrors that show the client what they look like in specific hair styles and hair colors before they try and buy the treatment. The salon offers traditional hair salon services like haircuts, hair coloring and blow dries.  It is staffed by hairdressers from an independent London hair salon Neville Hair & Beauty.  The Amazon Hair Salon has come as quite a surprise to the retail world.  Amazon calls it "experimental". Growing Retail Use of AR Amazon Salon is part of the small but growing use of AR for retail. In the Amazon Salon, product selection utilizes Point & Learn technology. If you determine that you like what a product such as a shampoo and conditioner can do for your look, you can cli

  COVID Safer Micro-Mobility                                               Source:  London e-Scooter One Problem:  They're Not Legal in the UK By the thousands, Londoners are abandoning the Tube, London's underground subway system, and hopping onto e-scooters for their daily commutes.  They are doing so to avoid the crowds on public transit and the possibility of being infected by COVID-19.  But, there is one big problem.  In the UK, e-scooters are not legal on public roads, on pavements, on cycle lanes and in pedestrian only areas.  E-scooter experts are calling upon the UK government to regulate them for safe and legal riding. UK & e-Scooter Regulations E-scooters typically cost about $400.00 and have top speeds of 15 mph.  They can be legally used in the UK and London only if they are part of a testing trial and are rented.  In London, trials won't start until the spring of 2021.  In other parts of the UK, testing is underway to determine how safe they are on streets

Very Controversial Street Surveillance System Stock Image:  Surveillance Camera Purpose to Stop Violent Crime London is becoming one of the largest city in the Western world to utilize advanced and highly controversial facial recognition cameras on its streets.  China is the biggest user of the technology.  Critics are calling London "Beijing Lite".  Critics argue facial recognition technology violates individual's privacy and has an extremely high false positive rate of 81%, according to independent research. European Union, Google and Microsoft Snooping Wars Major players are weighing in on this emerging, disruptive technology.  The European Union has proposed a 5 year temporary ban on use of facial recognition technology until the kinks are ironed out and abuses can be thwarted.  At Davos this week, Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that he supports a temporary ban.  On the other hand, Microsoft CEO Brad Smith does not support any dela

Breathe London Project - Kids' Backpacks With Sensors Source:  Breathe London Project In London, World's Largest Air Quality Study The massive, citywide air quality study is being spearheaded by scientists at Kings College London.  It's called the Breathe London Project and schoolchildren are part of the project.  Dyson has created backpacks for 250 students that contain sensors monitoring the air they are breathing during their daily routines.  The sensors are lightweight and show when and where the children are exposed to pollution.  For a news blog with more details on the project, go to Important Innovations Collection: World's Biggest Air Quality Study - London :  Breathe London Project - Kids' Backpacks Monitoring Air Pollution Source:  Breathe London Project  State of the Art Sensors in B...