Monthly Archives: August 2012

Poles are smiling as dental tourism grows

August 28, 2012 – 12:02 pm

by Jennifer Bajdan WHAT’S HAPPENING More western Europeans are taking holidays in Poland — adding the dentist’s office to their list of places to visit (TheNews.pl, 31 July 2012). According to a study by PMR Consulting, dental tourism has rapidly increased in Poland since 2011, and an additional 13% to 15% growth is expected by […]

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Savvy, sustainable innovation is trickling up from crowdfunded roots

August 28, 2012 – 11:58 am

by Jana Branch WHAT’S HAPPENING A growing number of lauded, oversubscribed Kickstarter projects are aimed at solving sustainability issues like energy and construction. “Savvy” is the watchword as these inventions emerge from smart entrepreneurs and gain support from discerning fans. ReadySet Solar Kit, developed for Africa, is coming to the US after asking for $20K […]

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Men in Sheds helps older Brits build and bond

August 28, 2012 – 11:52 am

by Rebecca de Vaux WHAT’S HAPPENING A hands-on community project to help meet the emotional, physical and social needs of older men has been given £262,876 funding after a two-year pilot project (BromleyTimes.co.uk, 2 August 2012). Based in Eltham, south-east London, the Men in Sheds project has more than 50 retired male participants who are […]

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FOOD AS MEDICINE

August 28, 2012 – 11:40 am

by Becky Sun When Westerners don’t feel so good, most likely they’ll reach for a pill. In East Asia, the instinct is to eat or drink something — but not just anything. To restore their energy in the heat of summer, Koreans turn to samgyetang, a hot soup made with a whole young chicken and […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumers, Food/Beverage, Global, Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

UK: Stuffa Jacket doubles as wearable luggage

August 21, 2012 – 1:17 pm

by Krisha Kinnersley WHAT’S HAPPENING The Stuffa Jacket takes the idea of travelling light to a whole new level. Resourceful travellers can pack a weekend’s worth of clothes into the lining of this sleeveless jacket (Gizmodo.co.uk, 29 July 2012). Created by UK-based designer Sandro Cafasso, the Stuffa Jacket has 12 elastic pockets, roomy enough to […]

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Dog parking is now available at Ikea

August 21, 2012 – 1:12 pm

by Stefania Revelli WHAT’S HAPPENING Drop off your kids, your husband and, now, your dog while you shop. An Ikea Germany outlet in the region of Cologne has added dog parking to its storefront (Dog-Milk.com, 9 August 2012). Ikea’s service provides individual Astroturf quadrants with bowls of water in front of the store, where owners can […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Pets, Retail | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Unbaby.me bars tiny tots from social feeds

August 21, 2012 – 1:03 pm

by Robert van Alstyne WHAT’S HAPPENING Consumers tired of being besieged by baby pictures every time they fire up Facebook are taking matters into their own hands with Unbaby.me. The quirky Chrome extension removes photos of babies from Facebook news feeds, replacing them with images of cats, bacon and other jokey material. The cheeky creation […]

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SPEED RETAIL

August 21, 2012 – 12:59 pm

by Nissa Hanna Right now is an empowering moment for shoppers. Retail’s at a turning point, one where online and offline purchase paths fluidly intertwine; access and choice are inherent to the best offerings; and consumers have unprecedented sovereignty. But that streamlined scenario still has a big hurdle: the procurement experience. Customers’ options are lean […]

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“Amazeballs”: Dictionary invites Britons to submit words

August 14, 2012 – 12:20 pm

by Krisha Kinnersley WHAT’S HAPPENING “Mantyhose”, “photobombing” and “Eurogeddon” — these are just some of the words UK publisher Collins could make official, now that the public can nominate new words for the Collins Dictionary (Wired.co.uk, 17 July 2012). The initiative aims to make the process of recording English “more democratic”. Anyone can submit a […]

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Maily offers email for the pre-K crowd

August 14, 2012 – 12:16 pm

by Robert van Alstyne WHAT’S HAPPENING After baby’s first steps comes … first emails? Parents eager to get their tots electronically communicating early are downloading Maily, a free iPad email app aimed at users as young as 4 years old. Maily’s image-rich interface allows kiddos to send virtual finger-paintings if they aren’t yet literate, making […]

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The Rucksack House creates additional space for apartment dwellers

August 14, 2012 – 12:13 pm

by Nissa Hanna WHAT’S HAPPENING The option to add on is typically a homeowner luxury, available only to those apartment owners who fortuitously score an adjacent vacancy. But German-based designer Stefan Eberstadt thought outside the box to create the Rucksack House concept, an external addition for high-rises. Placed in front of an existing window for […]

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American Olympics viewers go for gold … in griping

August 14, 2012 – 12:07 pm

by Robert van Alstyne The biggest story of London’s summer Olympics for many consumers in the US wasn’t Michael Phelps’s record-setting medal haul; it was frustration with their viewing options. Consumers howled on Twitter throughout the Games over the perceived shortcomings in NBC’s coverage, making #NBCFail a trendy hashtag in the process. Although the network […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Entertainment, Media, Social Media, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Young free agents hustle up multicareers

August 7, 2012 – 1:38 pm

by Cree McCree WHAT’S HAPPENING “What do you do?” Good question. For young adults juggling multiple gigs, the answer is anything but straightforward. Dubbed “sidetrepreneurism” by MTV/Viacom, wearing many different hats in the marketplace has become business as usual for multicareerist Millennials (Forbes.com, 19 July 2012). Whether they work multiple jobs simultaneously or sequentially, freewheelin’ […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Consumers, Economy, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

i-Grow allows Brits to farm from afar

August 7, 2012 – 1:33 pm

by Sara Bivigou WHAT’S HAPPENING British Abbey Parks’ i-Grow programme allows consumers from anywhere in the UK to manage and reap the rewards of an allotment tended in Lincolnshire. Consumers visit the i-Grow website and choose a 3m x 2m plot in Abbey Park, East Heckington, Lincolnshire. The plot is spacious enough to plant eight […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Food/Beverage, Garden | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

BronyCon showcases big male fans of My Little Pony

August 7, 2012 – 1:29 pm

by Robert van Alstyne WHAT’S HAPPENING More than 4,000 “Bronies,” adult male fans of children’s cartoon My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, descended upon New Jersey’s Meadowlands Exposition Center for BronyCon 2012, a decidedly unconventional fan convention. Proving that magical friendship knows no age, gender or sexuality boundaries, the mostly Millennial male crowd gathered in […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Culture, Entertainment, Social Media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off
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