Pepsi brings can with Robin van Persie to life
21-5-2014
Soft drink brand Pepsi has launched a new interactive can with the famous footballer Robin van Persie, as part of the ‘Live For Now’ campaign. The free augmented reality app ‘Blippar’ brings Robin van Persie to life. Through the app some football tricks of the footballer are shown and consumers can download music, watch video’s and play an interactive game. The limited edition cans of Pepsi are widely available in the Netherlands as of Monday. Last March, Pepsi surprised waiting people at a bus stop with an augmented reality bus shelter.
Roy Choi cooks with the Google Glass on
20-5-2014
The possibilities with the Google Glass are endless now Google also wants to strike the culinary world. The portable computer in the shape of glasses are not yet available in stores but are tested by several people, like Roy Choi. The Korean-American chef is the founder of the Korean taco food truck Kogi BBQ in Los Angeles. During the national holiday of Ireland ‘St. Patrick’s Day’, Google launched a promotional film of Roy Choi cooking a burrito with the Google Glass on. He is searching for the recipe, cooks the dish, calls his mother and his cooking is also filmed. The Google Glass is not only useful for a chef to find recipes and multitask but consumers literally get a look through the eyes of a chef cook like the video above shows.
Nescafe Alarm Cap
19-5-2014
In collaboration with creative agency ‘Publicis Mexico’, coffee brand Nescafé Mexico has developed an Alarm Cap. The Alarm Cap encourages people to get up from bed and immediately pour a cup of coffee. The alarm sounds to wake people in the morning and can only be turned off when the lid is twisted and removed from the coffee container.
Power refuel in your restaurant
9-5-2014
More and more people can’t live without being constantly in touch with friends, family and the rest of the world. This becomes a daily reality. However, the batteries of the mobile devices can’t handle this behavior all day. ‘Charge to go’ made a fast charging station for this problem. We already wrote an article about a charging station at Stravinsky Food and Beverage in November 2012. These charging stations are already located in retail stores or at festivals. However, it is an innovative welcoming gesture for the hospitality industry. Certainly when it becomes more important when guests want to pay mobile. An entrepreneur can choose to charge the guest as a service ( a ‘coin operated’ version’). You can also ask your suppliers to sponsor the charging station and the touch screen will show events or actions.
Artworks at a very detailed level
8-5-2014
In museums visitors can’t get really close to an art piece, which makes it difficult to observe every detail of a painting. ‘Museo del Prado’ in Spain created, in partnership with ‘Madpixel’, the app ‘Second Canvas Museo del Prado’. The app allows visitors to view the masterpieces at a very detailed level. The app features a zoom function, show the sketches behind the painting, gives the story behind the artworks and more…
Wine bottle of recycled cardboard
7-5-2014
Truett-Hurst winery has developed a 100% recyclable bottle in partnership with Ecologic Brands. Paperboy Wine is made of recycled cardboard, featuring a plastic liner and is developed by Greenbottle. The cardboard bottle is 80% lighter than a wine bottle of glass and the carbon footprint is 67 percent less than that of glass containers. Besides the lighter weight, the insulation keeps wine cooler longer.
Interactive high-tech lamp
5-5-2014
The Epiphany hotel in Palo Alto has a very special chandelier in its lobby. The high-tech lamp is designed by IDEO Digital Shop and consists of hundreds of light bulbs that can all move and illuminate interdependently. The lamp responds to data streams of online media such as social media and information from the internet. When someone posts a message about the hotel on Facebook or Twitter the lamp responds, but the lamp also gives a reflection of the weather. The lamp also response to movements in the hotel, for example when someone walks up the stairs.
Time-saving check-in at Accor Hotels
2-5-2014
Accor Hotels introduces its newest worldwide online check-in-system where guests will save time during their arrival and departure. After the guest made his booking (via the website, mobile application or phone) he is supposed to check-in online two days before arrival. On the day of arrival the guest will receive a SMS with the room confirmation, practical information and a notification that the key is ready. The guest only has to pick up the key at the reception, to check-out the guest needs to give the key back to the reception and will receive an invoice by email. At the end of 2014 the system will be implemented at more than 30% of the hotels.
Online menu
30-4-2014
It’s actually strange in the hospitality industry; there is quite a stir around guest taking pictures of their dishes. Some chefs and their guests are annoyed by the flashes of the cameras, others go a step further and give guests the opportunity to shoot a perfect picture! Yet there are still a few restaurants that showcase their dishes on the website, the menu is usually hidden in a pdf file. Weird in a time where young people (particularly up to 35 years) communicate through pictures (Instagram).
Online Menu wants to change this. They place your dishes with photos on the homepage . In addition, they provide insights in your potential guests and audience. Guests will also have the opportunity to write a review. On the website guests can filter the online menu labels and ingredients, see how other guests rate the dish and have a look at combined side dishes or drinks that were combined with the menu. A reservation module is build in. This system can be used to increase the service; it is in fact linked to a reservation website. Nice to know that the Smith family is coming for dinner for the 10th time.. And you could offer them a menu with their favorite dishes.
Biological meat via mail-order
29-4-2014
Aukje Visser and Gerbrand Nicolai from Dokkum (The Netherlands) started with selling biological meat online. Even better, all the biological meat they sell comes from the Netherlands and their beef comes from farmers in Friesland they personally know. By using special techniques the entrepreneurs can guarantee that the meat is chilled for at least 48 hours and is sent by regular mail-order.
