From Online Dating to Google Glass (i)

What is the next evolutionary step of dating services?

Lavalife, OKCupid, PlentyofFish... these brands were the "household names" of online dating communities a few years back. Now, all eyes are on Tinder, Grinder, and other new and hip mobile dating applications.

Powered by local-based smartphones, these dating apps gave birth to a new social behaviour. Rather than blatantly searching for love (or a night of passion, whatever your objectives are) based merely on finding the right match, meeting new people has become a fun and immediate social adventure.

Augmented Reality - A Personified Modern Marketer [INFOGRAPHIC]

Recently, I came across an infographic published on the Salesforce blog that spoke to me and the work I do. Working in an agency that powers emerging technologies made me realize the charming Mad Men style of advertising no longer reflects today's tech-infused industry. For those who pursued marketing/advertising as a way to bid farewell to number-crunching, The Modern Marketer: Part Artist, Part Scientist reminds us that every thing we do is ultimately a number-driven game. 

Augmented Reality: A Creative Perspective

In my second year of school at Algonqun College, my teacher decided to introduce his class to this new, soon to be huge, technology. He started the lecture by asking if any of us had ever heard of Augmented Reality (AR) and...

Augmented Reality - Behind the Scenes Part I: Image Processing

Augmented reality is the art of adding information to the raw data perceived by a device. This perceived raw data is usually in the form of camera input; some 30 images every second. In order to be able to add relevant information to these images, the device must go through a highly sophisticated process of understanding the input.

This is known as image processing.

Sales Confidential: Augmented Reality

Reteaching years of misunderstanding.

As Vice President of Sales and Development at Merchlar. I spend a great deal of my day and time meeting with clients. After being in this business for two years, I find selling new technology more thrilling than selling rain in Dubai.

Welcome to the Golden Era of Film... Previews.

With augmented reality (AR) we’ve developed applications that instantly launch movie previews just by pointing your phone at the poster. No more making choices purely on jazzy posters and a good rating on IMDB.

5 Mistakes AR Companies Are Making

1. Trackable What?

When I first set foot in the industry, I was told to call all AR-enabled images "trackable images" – a term that made absolutely no sense to me. My co-workers were so used to this adjective that they were reluctant to change.

AR(T) Attack

“Art is an evolutionary act. The shape of art and its role in society is constantly changing. At no point is art static. There are no rules.” – Harmon

Defenders of street art have always maintained that graffiti creates art where once there was nothing. Graffiti artists covert bare concrete walls into a canvas for self-expression.

Interactive Secret Messages: The Winning Valentine.

Simple Solution to Your Mid-February Nightmare

Every February, the guys and dolls alike scratch their heads just to figure out a creative way to impress or surprise their beloved on Valentine’s day. Roses, chocolates, and jewelry – once fantastic gifts – have become a cliché Valentine’s tradition.

Marketers all know the importance to under-promise and over-deliver.

Tech Startup meets Harlem Shake

Just a bit of fun in the office.

Wizardry Products Made by Muggles, for Muggles

Before THE IDEA MUG was created, I brainstormed a list of AR topics that any volunteer, or myself can write about. One of the ideas was to bring the Hogwarts experience to you pathetic muggles. I even made a reference to Harry Potter in one of the articles! (Pardon my obsession with the novel).

The Wonderbook by PlayStation

From Microsoft, to gamers, with love.

Forget about Windows 8 for a moment. Lets take a look at what Microsoft has to offer to gamers.

Over the past years, video game enthusiasts have been seeking for larger screens, faster processing power, and better graphics performance in pursuit of the best gaming experience. In hopes of reaching that goal, Microsoft thought outside of the screen box on how to push immersive display experiences into the market.

One month ago, they introduced a new technology – IllumiRoom – that can turn any room into a visual playground. This gets THE IDEA MUG very excited.

IllumiRoom also created a good amount of buzz in social media.

Show this video to an intense gamer for the first time and watch his cheeks get bright pink with excitement.

Microsoft explains,

"IllumiRoom augments the area surrounding a television screen with projected visualizations to enhance the traditional living room entertainment experience... [it] can change the appearance of the room, induce apparent motion, extend the field of view, and enable entirely new game experiences."

Image from Microsoft Research

This is a great way to introduce AR to the public, and to get them excited about the future of technology. IllumiRoom, THE IDEA MUG loves you!

More details will be revealed at the ACM SIGCHI Conference in Paris in April 2013. 

Brand Imaginarium: Rekindling the Art of Marketing Seduction

How can brand marketers brush up on their laws of attraction?

It’s nothing new to compare marketing to an alluring dance – to look into your target’s mind and charm them through tactful seduction.

Interactive Map of Canada - in 3D

This 3D interactive map of Canada is a company directory that features a unique 3D interactive experience. It was displayed alongside the Digital River at WCIT2012 :)

Try it out and let us know if you would be interested in an atlas like that!

 Visit the app store and test it out HERE! for free!

CLICK ON the image below and view it through the app, and experience some good 3D art!:

Would you use an interactive 3D atlas app? Let us know your feedback!

With Each New Medium Comes a New Message

The future seems daunting. It seems as though everything we imagined is possible. Retro visions of the future seen in The Jetsons were mocked until we all put our collective foot in our collective mouths as the future happened. Suddenly, we were face to face and 3000 miles away. THE IDEA MUG takes the same optimistic vision of the future as imagined in the past and applies new technology to make ideas into reality.