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HOT OFF THE CROWD
FABERNOVEL’S WATCH BASED ON CROWDFUNDING PLATFORMS // 2
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// VIRTUAL REALITY THE MAJOR TREND IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2014
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Virtual reality is making a major comeback. It's become a sure thing, after creating a lot of disappointment in the past (you might remember the headsets of the 1990s, which were heavy and, quite frankly, nauseating).
In parallel to Facebook's acquisition of Oculus VR, the maker of headsets for virtual reality gaming, for the trifling sum of $2 billion, and which served to confirm the market's potential, several recent projects have successfully raised funds on Kickstarter.
THE RETURN OF VIRTUAL REALITY
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// Beijing-based ANTVR is not afraid to challenge the Oculus Rift by offering 3D glasses as well as a controller than can be transformed into a gaming gun or steering wheel. One of its major distinguishing features in comparison to the Oculus Rift is that this project is compatible with all gaming platforms, including Xbox and PlayStation (while the Oculus Rift requires specially adapted games) and is based on open source software, meaning that anyone can contribute to its development.
VIRTUAL REALITY // ANTVR
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// Altergaze creates 3D glasses for mobile phones. Its lenses transform 2D images projects by a smartphone screen into 3D images. An added benefit is that the "frame" is created via 3D printing and the files are also open source.
If you've ever dreamed of playing Candy Crush in total immersion, this project certainly deserves your full attention.
VIRTUAL REALITY // ALTERGAZE
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// PrioVR is a gaming suit that places between 8 and 17 sensors on the body, allowing the player's natural movements to be translated on-screen or in 3D glasses such as Oculus Rift.
VIRTUAL REALITY // PRIOVR
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Is a gaming suit that places between 8 and 17 sensors on the body, allowing the player's natural movements to be translated on-screen or in 3D glasses such as Oculus Rift. // Virtuix raised $3 million for its omnidirectional treadmill for immersive headsets ; // Jaunt, which develops technology for creating 360° immersive films, raised nearly $7 million // Survios collected $4 million for its virtual reality immersive system technology combining a headset, numerous sensors and controllers for moving around and picking up objects in a game.
VIRTUAL REALITY // CASH MACHINE ?
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Although, for the time being, virtual reality projects focus primarily on video games, this area is still very new and expanding rapidly, without any specific killer application standing out from the pack.
The question of which platform (or platforms) is dominant is still up in the air: the Oculus Rift may have attracted most of the attention until now, but other powerful players such as Sony are getting into the business. In order to carve out a place for themselves, they will need to not only prove their technical superiority but also be capable of attracting a large ecosystem of applications and accessories, similar to what iOS and Android did in order to achieve smartphone dominance.
In short, we can wager that the value of virtual reality and the uses to which it can be put will not be developed done "solo" but will be magnified by being combined with other emerging technologies, in particular the most innovative user interfaces. In that respect, we think that Bloomberg’s interest in combining Oculus Rift and Leap Motion, a sensor that allows users to control a computer through hand movements, is an interesting proposition.
VIRTUAL REALITY // END OF THE GAME ?
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// OBJECTS EVERYWHERE BRINGING THE DIGITAL WORLD BACK TO LIFE
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Sensors accessible to everyone are becoming increasingly powerful and now affect new areas of our daily lives. They allow us to understand ourselves better...
// Bellabeat is a digital ultrasound tool with an application that allows expectant mothers to listen to their unborn baby's heartbeat.
// Cue is a "laboratory in a box" that, for $200, will analyze 5 key health indicators found in your saliva, including vitamin D and testosterone levels, inflammation, influenza and fertility.
SENSOR EVERYWHERE
BELLABEAT
CUE
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… But sensors are also being used for an increasing number of objects in our everyday lives :
// SciO is a molecular sensor that fits in the palm of your hands (developed by an Israeli startup) that can analyze the chemical composition of objects to determine, for example, whether an avocado is rotten or to identify a medication.
// Scribble is a pen that has not only a sensor for detecting any color but is able to match up to 16 million different shades.
SENSOR EVERYWHERE
SCRIBBLE
SCIO
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Several projects are trying to reinvent and connect our kids' gaming experiences which, we'll admit, have not evolved as quickly as our telephones.
NEXT GENERATION TOYS
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// Moff is a wristband that connects to smartphones and can transform any object into a toy. For example, if a child wants to use a banana as a toy gun, he or she (or a parent) uses the Moff application for smartphones to select the type of toy he or she would like it to become (a play gun in this case, but a tennis racket, sword, magic wand and many other toys are also available). As the child plays, the band reacts to each movement via embedded sensors that produce the relevant sound effects.
NEXT GENERATION TOYS // MOFF
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// DIDI is an iPad-powered teddy bear. The top part of the screen becomes the bear's face while the bottom part displays games or children's stories. The bear's facial expressions change according to the child's actions. For example, if the child tickles it, the teddy bear laughs.
NEXT GENERATION TOYS // DIDI
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Osmo is an accessory that adds a small plastic base to an iPad as well as a reflector that is placed over the iPad's camera. The Osmo system can detect a child's movements on a flat surface, interacting with the screen without actually touching it.
Three game applications (with their own related objects) have been developed so far, including a puzzle game where Osmo finds the position of each piece and lets players know if they're moving in the right direction.
Although it is currently designed for children, the system could certainly be extended to older children and other uses beyond gaming.
NEXT GENERATION TOYS // OSMO
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As you know, France is well-represented in the world of connected objects, as demonstrated by the success stories from the latest Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where several French creations were on display.
We couldn't miss this opportunity to highlight some of the best French designs from the past few months.
AND FRENCH TECH ?
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Kolibree the connected toothbrush, managed to raise more than $100,000 on Kickstarter. It can not only track the entire family's brushing statistics, it also offers several related games for smartphone (including a racing game!) to make this important ritual more effective as well as more interactive.
FRENCH TECH // KOLIBREE
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As its name suggests, the 360cam can be used to create high-definition 360° videos with its three lenses and three microphones. This handheld device weighs only 180 grams, is watertight and equipped with a Wi-Fi chip for streaming live images. With all these qualities, the project reached its goal of collecting $150,000 within only 24 hours and has raised nearly $800,000 to date.
FRENCH TECH // 360 CAM
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Qleek, a startup incubated at Camping, intends to make media consumption more concrete and more human by embedding content (such as YouTube videos and Spotify playlists) in wooden hexagons known as Tapps.
You can exchange, customize (both covers and content) and display the Tapps, just like a bookshelf is used to display books. When you place a Tapp on a player, the content is played on a screen or through the associated speakers via a connector.
This is a fantastic example of the rise of French companies in the world of connected objects as well as their sense of design.
FRENCH TECH // QLEEK
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// SOFTWARE IS NOT DEAD
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We are monitoring this movement very closely, from the hippie-like, generosity-based sharing economy of couchsurfing.org and covoiturage.fr to the extremely business-focused Uber and beyond (including companies whose approach seems almost parasitic): these companies are turning things upside down. We'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate our friends at BlaBlaCar, with whom we have worked often, for having left its mark on the history of startups in their field and in their country over the past quarter by raising $100 million.
SOFTWARE NOT DEAD // ECONOMY ON DEMAND
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3 European startups are focusing on the recreational boating market, where the cost/use ratio is particularly high and thus likely to attract boat charterers and renters. SamBoat, Clickandboat and Sailsharing each offer to arrange boat rentals between private individuals, and the latter two sites both raised funds last April in quick succession. After empty bedrooms (Airbnb), unused cars sitting in the garage (Zipcar) and even vacant storefronts (Storefront, which also raised $7.3 million in April), what other types of "idle inventory" in our economy will startups decide to target next?
SOFTWARE NOT DEAD // ECONOMY ON DEMAND
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After observing a number of projects launched or funded during the 2nd quarter of 2014 and which deal directly with the management of our personal data and the digital tracks that we leave behind us, we have noted that a significant divergence is underway, without knowing which of these two trends will win out in the long term. On one hand, we are strongly determined to ensure that out digital experience remains anonymous, while on the either hand, we see no problem in agreeing to the commodification of our personal data.
SOFTWARE NOT DEAD //PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA VS. VOLUNTARY COMMODIFICATION
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– Dark Wallet promise to make all transactions untraceable via Bitcoin.
Tails is an operating system on a USB key that ensures total confidentiality and can be run from any computer without leaving a trace.
ProtonMail is an end-to-end encrypted email service hosted in Switzerland in order to take advantage of the country's very strict confidentiality laws.
Olive, a Pakistani project, seeks to set up a decentralized, secure network to circumvent censorship attempts. 24
DARKWALLET
TAILS
PROTONMAIL
SOFTWARE NOT DEAD //PROTECTION DES DONNÉES PERSONNELLES
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TheGoodData, a rather schizophrenic project, consists of an extension for the Chrome browser that allows users to surf the web anonymously (by blocking trackers used by third-party sites) while aggregating information on users, which is then made anonymous and sold. Half of all profits are donated to Kiva, the non-profit microcredit platform.
Datacoup, a more serious and cynical site, offers to sell your social network data and your credit card transaction history. According to the most recent information, your personal data is worth $8 per month.
SOFTWARE NOT DEAD // COMMODIFICATION OF DATA
THEGOODDATA
DATACOUP
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An increasing number of startups are using an innovative approach to target the massive health care market, often not by making interactions between patients and health care personnel run more smoothly but by designing applications or websites to offer therapeutic services directly. Omada Health, which raised $23 million in April, has developed a diabetes prevention program. For 16 weeks, participants have access to a health coach, lessons and physical exercises to do, a tool for tracking their diet, activity levels and weight (a connected scale and pedometer are provided) as well as a group of patients who promote healthy competition and accountability as well offer psychological support throughout the program.
SOFTWARE NOT DEAD //DIGITAL THERAPEUTIC SERVICES
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Similarly, other startups use a combination of tracking tools, automated personalized advice and links to health care professionals, whether to help overweight children with Kurbo Health, manage back pain with Doado or improve sleep with Sleepio.
With increasingly sophisticated sensors (similar to the trend mentioned above) and the possibility of printing 3D medications at home in the near future, digital and smart self-medication has a bright future ahead of it.
SOFTWARE NOT DEAD //DIGITAL THERAPEUTIC SERVICES
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KURBO HEALTH
SLEEPIO
DOADO
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// A FUTURE TREND: MINIMALIST USER INTERFACES
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2 projects, one hardware-based and one software-based, captured our imagination with their minimalism : // Bttn is a connected, programmable button that can be used in a variety of ways. For example, your children can press the button to generate an SMS to let you know that they got home safely. // Yo is an application that allows you to simply say "Yo" to your friends (that's right, you read that correctly). Although these projects play around with gadgets, at their core they all address a similar basic trend: simplifying digital devices and applications that are sometimes complex and have an abundance of features. With Bttn and Yo, you can choose what you truly need by programming a specific functionality (with the former) or determining the meaning behind the "Yo" sent to your friends. Does this minimalism herald the liberation of users ?
MINIMALIST USER INTERFACES
YO!
BTTN
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// NEW YORK 150 West 25th St. , Suite 503 New York, NY 10001 +1415 298 02 09 [email protected] // MOSCOW 3-iy Monetchikovskiy Peureulok 17, Stroenie 2 Moscow 11054 Russia +7(999) 639 80 82 [email protected]
// PARIS 17 rue du faubourg du Temple 75010 Paris +33 1 42 72 20 04 [email protected] // SAN FRANCISCO 169 11th St. San Francisco, CA 94103 USA +1415 626 6406 [email protected]
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HOT OFF THE CROWD
FABERNOVEL’S WATCH BASED ON CROWDFUNDING PLATFORMS // 2
