quarta-feira, 13 de agosto de 2014

Simplicity Sells: Top 10 Innovations that Make Life Simpler

Simplicity Sells: Top 10 Innovations that Make Life Simpler:

We live in a world where startups and the latest technology innovation consume mainstream news coverage, where entrepreneurs and innovators are heroes, and where “new” is often confused with “better.” So-called disruptive apps and technologies are everywhere, but in an increasingly complex world, how much consideration is put into how these innovations will simplify our daily lives?
At Siegel+Gale, buoyed by the quest for simplicity, we recently set out to understand which innovations were removing complexities from consumers’ lives. We surveyed 2,000 people in the United States on what innovations—regardless of cost—make their lives simpler.
The results might surprise you. Here is a list of the top 10 innovations, as ranked by US consumers:
1. A portable phone charger, the size of a credit card that fits in your wallet.
Technology has come a long way; you no longer have to carry around your phone’s charging cord and hope to encounter a power outlet. Products like the ChargeCard or a similar product from Hammacher Schlemmer can power you up, and not weigh you down, on the go.
2. Price scanners located throughout the grocery store.
Most major grocery stores have standing price scanners throughout the aisles, allowing you to price check your items before reaching the checkout line. This allows purchasers to stay on top of how specials, sales, and coupons apply to their items and, ultimately know how much they’ll be spending.
3. A tracker to place in luggage so that if it gets lost in transit, you can find it with your smartphone.
Travel is rife with risks and worries. Delays, hidden charges, and lost baggage make it far from a simple experience. However, with products such as TrakDotViewTag, or Airbus Bag2Go, the fear of losing your luggage is alleviated. Simply check your smartphone and know where your luggage is—even if it’s not with you.
4. A checkout system in your shopping cart that lets you scan items as you put them in your cart.
Self-checkout systems have become commonplace in many stores. Now products like ScanIT Mobile allow you to scan and bag your groceries while you shop. The technology permits you to pay and go without having to pass through a traditional checkout lane.
5. A smartphone that can survive being dropped in water.
The fragility of smartphones coupled with our dependence on them poses a problem: what happens when they fall victim to normal day-to-day accidents? Brands are beginning to combat this fear by creating smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, the Sony Xperia ZR or the Kyocera Torque that can survive being dropped in water.
6. A way to consolidate all your passwords in one place.
In this digital age, fears of Internet security breaches have left consumers with dozens of different passwords for dozens of sites and personal accounts.
Products like Last Pass and oneSafe help store all those passwords in one place—simplifying the login process and cutting down on the number of times you press that “Forgot your Password” button.
7. A smartphone app that allows you to compare prices of items when you scan them at a store.
For many consumers, shopping is an exercise in finding the least expensive version of the product they’re looking for. This can be a time-consuming experience.
Enter apps like Quick ScanBuy Via, and Price Grabber make it a one-stop shop. Scan an item, and the app helps compare that item’s price to others. Saving time and money certainly simplifies life.
8. A car with a trunk you can open with your foot, if your hands are occupied.
Opening the trunk of your car with groceries, sports equipment, food, or any other items can be a complicated nightmare. The Ford Escape, for example, lets you open the trunk of your car with your foot so you don’t have to set your items on the ground just to open the trunk.
For consumers, simplifying a process as small as loading up your car means a lot.
9. Boarding passes on your smartphone.
All major airlines offer a mobile alternative to printing out boarding passes or stopping by an airport kiosk. Knowing you don’t have to build in time to print a boarding pass, or risk losing that paper pass, is important to consumers, and an innovation they value.
10. A smartphone app that consolidates your grocery store coupons.
Couponing can definitely save money, but time is another issue. Cutting out coupons, organizing them, and being sure to use them, could be a full-time occupation. Apps like Cell FireKey Ring, or Card Star keep all grocery store coupons in one place, and ultimately save consumers money.

Which so-called “innovations” didn’t make the Top 10?

The much-hyped Google Glass ranked at the bottom of the list. We’ve learned consumers don’t see big-picture innovation the way entrepreneurs do.
Instead, consumers see innovation as functional improvement in their daily lives—they value technology that simplifies the things they do on a day-to-day basis. While a car that drives itself may be truly visionary, it appears far lower as a priority than a smartphone that can survive being dropped in water.
It’s clear that consumers aren’t always just looking for the cool new gadget. Our research suggests they’re looking for technology that can make their lives simpler, give them peace of mind, and ultimately, more time to do what they love. Innovators need to be more than innovators – they need to be simplifiers.
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sábado, 2 de agosto de 2014

Prêmio EDP Inovação 2020

O Prêmio EDP Inovação 2020 visa promover o estímulo ao desenvolvimento de negócios e projetos para cidades inteligentes.


Prêmio EDP Inovação 2020 abre inscrições para 5ª edição



Iniciativa tem como objetivo identificar negócios inovadores nas áreas de redes inteligentes, mobilidade elétrica, eficiência energética e energias renováveis

São Paulo, 30 de julho de 2014 – Começam no dia 4 de agosto as inscrições para a quinta edição do Prêmio EDP Inovação 2020. Realizada pela EDP, empresa do Grupo EDP Energias de Portugal, a iniciativa tem como objetivo incentivar a inovação e o empreendedorismo, com foco na sustentabilidade, por meio do estímulo ao desenvolvimento de negócios e projetos para cidades inteligentes.
Até 5 de outubro deste ano, empreendedores, estudantes de cursos técnicos, universitários, mestrandos, doutorandos, pesquisadores e cientistas poderão inscrever seus projetos pelo site www.edpbr.com.br/premio. É possível participar individualmente ou em grupos de até três integrantes.
O prêmio irá identificar negócios inovadores especialmente nas áreas de redes inteligentes, ou Smart Grids, mobilidade elétrica, eficiência energética e energias renováveis, entre outras. Os projetos devem ser desenvolvidos preferencialmente nos seguintes formatos: softwares, equipamentos, websites, jogos e modelos de negócio. 
Após as inscrições, as 30 melhores ideias serão selecionadas até 20 de outubro e os autores desses projetos farão uma capacitação online sobre empreendedorismo. Os participantes terão até 16 de novembro para realizar o curso e até 23 de novembro para enviar seus modelos de negócios, que deverão ser baseados no modelo Canvas.
Serão então escolhidos 10 finalistas até 15 de dezembro. Entre 27 e 29 de janeiro de 2015, o seleto grupo participará de uma capacitação presencial em São Paulo, que contará com palestras focadas no refinamento do modelo de negócio e na preparação para a apresentação final.

Etapa final
No evento de premiação, marcado para 30 de janeiro de 2015, a banca examinadora, formada por executivos da EDP e de empresas parceiras, irá escolher as três equipes vencedoras.
O primeiro colocado ganhará R$ 25 mil e uma viagem com acompanhante e todas as despesas pagas para o Vale do Silício, na Califórnia (EUA), onde poderá visitar grandes empresas de tecnologia, como Google e Facebook, além de aceleradoras de negócios e startups. Já o segundo lugar receberá R$ 15 mil e o terceiro, R$ 5 mil. Todos os vencedores também receberão mentoria e orientação de empresas especializadas.