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Extended reach
CSR recently unveiled the world’s thinnest wireless touch interface to
demonstrate the capabilities of Bluetooth Smart technology. The flexible,
paper-thin device combines low-power wireless technology with the
latest in printable, flexible electronics and touch screen sensing to extend
the touch interface of tablets and smartphones to other surfaces.
Just 0.5mm thick, it can be integrated into a protective cover or used to
create large touch zones on a desktop. Possible applications include adding a
full keyboard experience to a tablet without taking up valuable screen space or,
placing it beneath the pages of a notebook to record handwriting and sketches
from the nib of a modified pen.
The paper-thin surface connects to the latest iOS7 mobile devices and
Windows 8 PCs using the CSR1010 chip, part of the CSR µEnergy range, which
is optimised solely for Bluetooth Smart and uses a fraction of the power of
standard Bluetooth.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=asOOL7YHIRg
innovations
Smart technology for business people in the office,
at home or on the move
Expert help with
social media
engagement
The UK’s first outsourced social
media rapid response customer
care centre has been opened by
Chapel Social, a division of Chapel
PR and Marketing. The purpose-
built facility brings together the
latest social media software
and social media customer care
specialists to provide real-time,
multi-lingual social media
listening, crisis control, customer
engagement and sales services.
Chapel Social is already helping
a number of FTSE 250 brands to
engage with their customers. In
the case of a coffee shop chain, it
says it can send a special offer to
anyone within range of one of its
stores who tweets “I need a coffee”.
For a travel business, it can deliver
holiday suggestions to anyone
who Tweets “I need a holiday”,
with recommendations tailored
according to their social profile.
Jonathan Roberts, social media
director of Chapel Social, said: “Each
Chapel Rapid Response Customer
Care Centre is specifically designed
for our clients and provides
guaranteed 99.98% up time. Clients
have three support options: they
can lease one of our Social Media
Rapid Response Customer Care
Centres in our facility and staff
it with their own personnel; we
can design and install the facility
on their property and provide
staff training; or we can provide a
complete social media customer
care solution located at our facility.
Our trained multi-lingual specialist
teams ensure proper tone of voice
and rapid first response time in
just minutes and in many cases,
seconds.”
www.ChapelSocial.com
Dynamic QR to tackle
counterfeiters
PA Consulting Group has patented a new technology that
allows consumers to confirm the authenticity of luxury goods,
tickets and other items using a smartphone app.
The dynamic QR authentication system uses continuously
changing QR codes that, unlike static QR codes, are virtually
impossible to copy and duplicate. Each iteration of the code is only
valid for a specific time frame – seconds, minutes or hours – and
can be read and verified using a smartphone application.
PA says its system brings immediate benefits where security,
authenticity, traceability or validity is important to the supplier and
end user. Applications include authentication of products, ticketing
for transport and events, advertising and promotions, real-time
lotteries and prize events, and on-packet promotional campaigns.
Steve Crammond, communications expert at PA Consulting
Group, said: “Annually over
$200 billion of international
trade is lost through
counterfeit or pirated
products. Our dynamic QR
system is a highly effective
and very accessible tool that
could significantly reduce
the impact of counterfeiting
across many sectors.”
www.paconsulting.com
Laptop stand like a second skin
Dutch ergonomics specialist BakkerElkhuizen describes its
UltraStand – the world’s thinnest and lightest laptop stand – as
a second skin for laptops. The wafer-thin (2mm), almost invisible
addition attaches to the bottom of a laptop adding just 250g
to the overall weight. The stand, when used with a mouse and
compact keyboard, enables users to adopt the most ergonomic
posture wherever and
whenever they work. The
stand can be removed and
re-attached at any time. For
more information, visit
www.youtube.com/
bakkerelkhuizen.
Exercise while you work
Could exercising while you work improve UK
fitness levels? Office Fitness certainly thinks
so. It has just launched a range of fitness
equipment designed for use in the office.
And it doesn’t intend to stop there.
In the pipeline, it has complementary
software providing exercise reminders,
activity recording and goal setting; and
WorkFit Live, a workplace group exercise
service organised by PT instructors.
www.officefitness.co.uk