The Curiosity Stop is a monthly snackable report of all things innovative, aimed to interest, inform, and above all, inspire.

1. CURIOSITY STOP
JULY 2015

2. WE ARE SOCIAL
We Are Social is a global agency with offices in five continents
(Antarctica is a little too chilly for our liking).
We deliver world-class creative ideas with forward-thinking brands, and have fun doing it. Our
clients include adidas, Google, and Netflix.
As an international team of 550+, our passion is people. Our mission is to put social thinking at
the centre of marketing.

3. CURIOSITY STOP
Here at We Are Social, we love all things innovative. They’re what get us out of bed in the morning.
We don’t love innovation articles, littered with buzzwords and technobabble. We reckon if
information is going to be useful, normal humans should be able to understand it.
That’s why we created Curiosity Stop. Our global team of inquisitive brains look out for the next
big things, which we distil into this easy-to-read report.
Every month, we go on a jargon-free journey through the world of innovation - from travel to tech,
food to fashion. Grab a coffee and join us, won’t you?

4. Does it make something
better, faster, cheaper?
Does it make you smile?
Is it truly innovative?
Is it disruptive?
Does it have a social implication?
THE CURATION CHECKLIST

5. 1
Technology
2
Retail
4
Communications
3
Internet of
Things
5
Electronics
6
Apps
7
Automotive
8
Food
9
Home &
Personal Care
10
FMCG
11
Sport
12
IT/ Infrastructure
13
Alcohol
14
Finance
15
Travel
16
Hospitality
18
Fashion
17
Luxury
CONTENTS

6. 1
TECHNOLOGY
Lantern
The subway’s no walk in the park - sometimes it
feels like Hogwarts’ moving stairs would be easier
to negotiate. Just imagine doing it all without the
power of sight.
Lantern is a system designed to guide blind
people around New York’s subway system. It’s
made up of small beacons, placed around
stations, which link up with smartphones via
bluetooth.
When connected to the Lantern app, the beacons
even let you know when you’re too close to the
platform edge with a high-pitched shriek. Much
like getting the train with my Mum, then.
Ear Recognition Technology
Last year in the smartphone world, it was all
about the thumb. Entire social calendars lived
and died by that one wiley digit. Well move over
thumb, it’s the year of the ear.
Amazon has released a patent for a Fire model
which recognises your ear from a certain
distance, then uses that data to unlock your
phone and answer a call.
This wonder-phone also knows exactly how your
ear likes it, and will adjust the volume according
to your set preferences. What an ‘ero.
Air Shepherd
Hate to be a Debbie Downer, but 2015 is set to be
the deadliest year for rhinos. Along with lions and
other animals, they’re targets for poachers in
Africa.
The Lindbergh Foundation has previously tried to
combat this problem using planes, but they are
pretty useless at night - the poachers’ golden
hour. Enter, the drone.
Drones use infrared to observe both the animals
and poachers by night, acting as advance scouts
for rangers.
1

7. 12
RETAIL
Systeme U
Want to know where your groceries are coming
from? Want to see an animation of a giant cow on
your weekly shop? Either way, Systeme U is your
guy.
When shoppers walked past an LED screen in a
Thourotte supermarket System U’s augmented
reality tech created an video of them alongside
their origin of their food.
For example, if they were buying pork, a sweet
little piggy would show up on the screen, along
with details of its origin.
Our appetite for knowing the provenance of our
food isn’t abating and Systeme U is forcing home
the message.
Briggo
Watch out Starbucks, the robots are coming. They
make coffee better than you (perfectly, actually),
and can probably spell names better than you
too.
The Briggo coffee kiosk makes a cup of joe totally
tailored to your caffeine needs. You can order it
via an app before arriving at the kiosk - leave the
queues to the Starbucks die-hards.
In a seriously meta twist, Briggo even asks itself
questions to self-improve. A bit like your know-it-
all Paltrow-esque mate, but much tastier.
Shopping With Samsung
Samsung has unveiled its newest baby at Retail
Asia Expo 2015. Its latest OLED (that’s Organic
Light-Emitting Diode) is designed for the
shopfloor. As well as being a TV, the screen can
act as a mirror or be transparent.
What’s more, it contains a built-in camera so the
display can adjust according to someone’s
movements. Used by retailers, they become
interactive closets for customers.
2

8. 33
INTERNET OF THINGS
TieFi
Let’s face it, in the battle for family attention, the
internet trumps Dad. Home is where the Wi-Fi is,
and that’s the room you’ll find the kids in.
One simple solution? Give Dad the Wi-Fi. TieFi is a
smart tie which connects to your home network
and then reroutes the wireless signal.
The result? You can only use the Wifi within ten
feet of Dad. Poor sod.
Connected Cyclists
Innovators are always trying to improve urban
cycling (take a look at some of the winners at
Cannes), and Connected Cyclists is just the latest.
It’s a helmet (a less extreme version of something
the Pet Shop Boys might wear) designed to guide
a cyclist safely through the city.
The helmet screen uses augmented reality to
show the user their route home in an
undistracting way. This removes the need for the
cyclist to get out their phone and check
CityMapper, which is when accidents happen.
Illumigami
When you’re on a client call, nothing says
distraction like your colleague hovering outside
the meeting room making violent hand gestures
and ‘whispering’ at 80 decibel.
The folks at Viget have clearly had the same
issues as us, since they came up with Illumigami.
Each room has a lantern with its own circuit
board, which connects to a calendar app via Wi-Fi.
The lanterns use a modified traffic light system;
green for free, red for busy, orange for about to
be busy, blue for able to be free.

9. 44
COMMUNICATIONS
Emoji Press Release
Words couldn’t explain the latest Chevrolet car (at
least that’s what they reckon), so Chevvy created
a press release written entirely in emoji.
This stunt is the latest in a series of attempts by
brands to talk to millennials, who apparently only
speak emoji.
Tab
Tab is here to put the serendipity back into online
dating. It’s a Chrome extension which runs on
your desktop browser. Every time you open a
new tab, a potential match will pop up. You can
either ‘heart’ the other person, and a match will
connect the two of you. Or, you can ignore it and
go about your day.
The potential matches are found using a profile
test, but are also affected by your browsing
habits.
Tab is designed to make dating a part of your
everyday (internet) life, rather than something
you have to go out and seek.
WHIM
The What-if machine (WHIM) is a creative
computer which can judge how good its own
stories are.
The software generates fictional storylines, by
twisting true facts found on the internet. For
example, it might ask: ‘What if there was a
woman who woke up in an alley as a cat, but
could still ride a bicycle?’
Through machine learning techniques, it then
assesses the quality of its own writing (I reckon
the above needs some work). Over time, it will
understand people's preferences more and
more. Harper Lee better watch her back.

10. 55
ELECTRONICS
The Happaratus
The Happaratus is a power glove which can sand
both stone and wood. To use it, you simple run
your fingertips along the material you are
working with, varying the pressure depending on
the desired depth of contour.
The Happaratus allows for greater flexibility and
precision, whilst still allowing the artist to work
intimately with their material.
CropX
You can’t have missed the worrying problem that
California is facing. No, it’s not the fact that green
juice is more popular than mojitos, it’s the
drought. Farmers are struggling to irrigate their
fields with the small amount of water they’re
allowed to use.
CropX uses only 3 sensors and a app, meaning it
is a lot more affordable than traditional irrigation
tech. Each day, the sensors work out which parts
of the field need water. They then beam this
information to sprinklers, so they don’t
needlessly waste water.
Migraine Simulator
Experiencing a migraine through virtual reality
doesn’t sound altogether tempting, but the
Migraine Simulator is helping to educate non-
migraine sufferers.
If you’ve never had a migraine, you might assume
that it’s just like having a really bad headache.
With this in mind, the team behind the
technology conducted an experiment whereby
friend and family of sufferers wore an Oculus Rift
headset for 30 minutes. The headset portrayed
exactly what a migraine-sufferer sees during an
attack. What a headache.

11. 66
APPS
I.am.here
For paralysed stroke victims, communicating
emotions has been nigh-on impossible… until
now.
I.am.here is an app linked up to a Brain
Computer Interface - essentially a set of nodules
worn on the victim’s head. The app processes
brain data captured by the BCI, and translates it
into the human language.
For example, a relative using the app might see
the words ‘I’m so happy’ pop up on their iPad
during a visit.
Mona
Meet Mona. She knows when your running
trainers are looking a little worn, and the size of
your underwear. The more she gets to know you,
the better she understands your style and tastes.
No, she’s not the girlfriend you never knew you
had, she’s a in-app personal assistant.
Mona is designed to break the one-fits-all model,
by finding you deals based on your size, budget
and style.
Hands-Free Tinder
Enough of this swiping left and swiping right -
Hands-Free Tinder allows you to choose with
your heart, not your head.
The Apple Watch app offers up a selection of
potential matches, in the same way as Tinder.
The Watch monitors your heartbeat, so if it goes
up at the sight of someone, they get a heart. If it
goes down, you say goodbye.
Finding the apple of your eye has never been so
simple.

12. 7
AUTOMOTIVE
People Powered Tesla
Does your electric car need filling up? Just ask a
passerby (or two thousand).
Tesla and Pavegen have got together to design a
system which powers your car using kinetic
energy from pedestrians.
No more cruising the city at a snail’s pace in an
attempt to find a free charging station.
Teentrack
Two British brothers have developed Teentrack,
as a response to teenagers’ high accident rate
when driving.
A small box is installed in the dashboard of the
teen’s car, which beams real-time info back to
their parents. This includes speed and location,
as well as braking, acceleration and cornering
data.
Lunar Quattro
Audi has entered a race, and it’s in space. All the
company has to do to win, is drive a third of a
mile on the moon. Easy peasy.
In an attempt to win the Google Lunar XPrize
competition, Audi has unveiled the Lunar Quattro
- one of its most difficult design challenges to
date. Thought negotiating potholes was hard? Try
moon rocks. This is why each wheel of the Lunar
Quattro can rotate 360 degrees and be driven
independently.
It should be set to launch in late 2017, so watch
this space. Sorry.
7

13. 8
FOOD
Le Petit Chef
Le Petit Chef is an animation projected onto your
plate while you wait for your feed – a 3D
projection map concept by the artistic collective
SkullMapping.
Watch as a tiny chef pops up from the table and
uses your plate as a grill, which he accidentally
sets on fire. Let’s hope the same thing isn’t
happening in the regular-sized kitchen.
In the future this will save us from actually having
to talk to each other before the food arrives as an
excuse for us to keep our mouths shut.
Sonic Seasoning
Culinary creatives Bompas & Parr put the theory
of sonic seasoning to the test with their latest
food installation.
The theory is that a dish can be made up to 10
per cent sweeter or 10 per cent more bitter,
depending on the accompanying music. The
music serves to draw out and accentuate tastes
that are already present in the food, rather than
create new ones.
For example, low, brassy sounds would bring out
the bitter taste of a lemon cheesecake.
Kaffeform
Kaffeform coffee cups are made from recycled
coffee grounds. This means they retain the smell
of coffee, so should soon become the hipster cup
of choice potentially replacing plastic or paper
alternatives.
With millions of coffees being made every day,
the lightweight, washable and durable cups are
one answer to the waste produced when being a
cup of joe.
This technology is in development and Kaffeform
cups are available on their website and maybe in
a Starbucks before too long.
8

14. 9
HOME & PERSONAL CARE
Peepoo
The fantastically-named Peepoo is here to
combat the world’s sanitation problem. At
present, 40% of the world’s population lack
access to a toilet - and that includes a simple hole
in the ground.
The Peepoo is a lightweight, affordable, and
hygienic solution. It comes in the form of a
biodegradable bag, with an inner layer which
unfolds to serve as a wide funnel.
No water is wasted in the sanitation process
(except for hand washing, obviously), as the bag
remains odour-free for at least 24 hours. After
that it should be disposed of and will disintegrate
naturally.
Lovely
Lovely is a smart sex toy with a hole designed to
slip onto… well, use your imagination. Besides
improving your good time with its ergonomic
design, Lovely has built-in sensors designed to
track your sex life. Yes, really.
After your session, you and your partner can
gently spoon whilst reading an in-app report
detailing how you did, and areas to improve. Not
one for a first-timer, we’d imagine.
Thanks to Lovely, you can check out your
duration, average speed, and even G-force
(ambitious). Lovely.
Tamper-Proof Pill Dispenser
This pill-safe, designed by mechanical
engineering students at John Hopkins University,
is designed to stop overdoses. It only releases
pills depending on the timetable set by your
doctor.
It’s made from the same steel alloy used in
aircraft landing gear, and requires a fingerprint
match to release a pill.
This prototype could prove extremely useful
when dealing with addictive drugs prescribed by
doctors.
9

15. 11
SPORT
EdiPulse
How to get people to exercise? Reward them.
With chocolate. EdiPulse does just that, by
combining two of the hottest trends in innovation
- wearables and 3D printing.
To use EdiPulse, you wear a Polar heart rate
monitor. The harder you work out, the higher
your heart rate, the thicker the machine prints
the chocolate.
For example, if your heart rate hits 141 to 180
BPM, you’ll get four tasty layers of chocolate
printed for you - but not enough to negate the
workout.
Sea Shoes
The new primeknit shoes from adidas are
seriously trashy. In fact, they’re made entirely
from plastic rubbish found at the bottom of the
sea. This knit-together plastic eliminates waste by
avoiding pattern cut-outs.
Icaros
Icaros is a home gym which combines fitness with
gaming - or more specifically, flying. It uses virtual
reality to take you on an ocean dive or interstellar
flight.
As you follow the scenario on-screen, you find
yourself mirroring the actions with your muscles -
which provides a real workout. Cancel that gym
subscription, and start your workout in the sky.
11

16. IT/INFRASTRUCTURE
3D Printed Bridge
A Dutch startup plans to to build the world’s first
3D printed bridge in Amsterdam this September.
Robotic arms will print the steel structure as it
moves along, essentially using what they are
building as support - with no scaffolding in sight.
If it works, the idea could be used across
construction sites, particularly for dangerous
projects. Will it work? We’ll cross that bridge when
we build it.
Brain vs Brain
Scientists found a way for brains to speak to
computers back when dinosaurs were still
around (almost), but they’ve just had another
major breakthrough. They’ve found a way for one
brain to speak to another telepathically.
Computers were still involved though, obviously.
The researchers were able to send the words
‘hola’ and ‘ciao’ from one person’s brain in India,
to another’s in France. The jury’s still out on why
they chose those particular words.
Lowline
A group of NYC entrepreneurs are looking give
New Yorkers some much needed space with an
underground version of the High Line.
They want to take a disused trolley park in
Williamsburg and turn it into an underground
park.
In an attempt to lure the sunworshippers below
street level, they plan to use solar technology to
beam light into the darkness. This can be done
using what is essentially a remote skylight - a
solar panel which collects sunlight at street level
and carries it underground.
12

17. 1213
ALCOHOL/FMCG
Beer Beauty
Carlsberg has launched a beauty line targeted at
men who like beer so much, they want to lather
themselves in it.
Researchers at Carlsberg Laboratory realised that
beer actually contains many natural ingredients
containing vitamins which are good for your skin
and hair.
Each bottle of Beer Beauty contains 0.5 litres of
beer, which has been freeze-dried and mixed
with other ingredients.
Connected Champagne
Maison Mumm have created the world’s first
connected champagne bottle.
A sensor in the cork sends a signal when you
open your bottle, and a chip lets the club know
(of course you’re in a club, you’re drinking
Mumm).
The club then turns the spotlight on you and
plays your favourite song. Which is all well and
great, unless your favourite song is by Journey.
Nitrogen-Infused coffee that tastes like beer
Nope. I mean it. As if coffee needed a new
innovation this new stimulant tastes a bit like a
Guinness and looks a bit like it too.
No one likes a big head on their pint. Well we
don’t like it on our coffee either. When you infuse
nitrogen and coffee correctly without a giant
head of foam it feels like there’s cream in it, but it’
s just black coffee and gas.

18. 14
Emoji Passwords
It’s official, emoji have taken over the world. UK
digital banking software firm Intelligent
Environments have created a system of emoji
passcodes.
They believe that these tiny images are far easier
to remember than a combination of numbers,
particularly because you can tell a story with
emoji. There are also many more possible
combinations (3,498,308), when using just 44
emoji.
Word of warning? Don’t go for the money bag
emoji x 4. It’s taken.
MasterCard Facial Recognition
MasterCard is testing a program which lets you
pay for stuff with a selfie. When online shopping,
instead of inputting a password, you simply hold
up your phone and blink once.
Mastercard’s facial recognition program will roll
out to about 500 users at first. If all goes to plan,
they may take it public. Start practising those
selfies!
Doge The Bullet
Citibank is under massive threat from the
cryptocurrency DogeCoin.
Well not exactly, but it is running a test platform
for digital currencies and is experimenting with it’
s own currency based on the bitcoin protocol, ,
CitiCoin.
FINANCE

19. TRAVEL
15
fathom
The largest cruise company in the world has
launched a new brand called fathom, which
offers a cruise that’s not a cruise.
The social impact travel brand will offer
passengers activities such as cultivating cacao
plants and helping to build water filters - all while
cruising to the Dominican Republic.
Instead of awkward entertainment nights, the
ship will offer Spanish lessons. Well, as long as
there’s a pool and an abundance of cocktails, we’
re in. Oh, wait.
Lexus Hoverboard
Robert Zemeckis, director of Back to the Future 2,
broke the hearts of millions of fans when he told
them hoverboards didn’t actually exist. Well,
Robert, it’s 2015 and time to eat those words.
Lexus have unveiled a hoverboard which can be
ridden much like a skateboard. The board still
shares the same design style as Lexus’ cars.
How does it hover? Using magnetic levitation.
Obviously.
Graubunden Tourism
The folks at Graubunden Tourism have come up
with a novel way to reach out to potential visitors.
They targeted busy commuters in Zurich rail
station with an interactive billboard. Normally,
you’d steer clear of a bearded man trying to lure
you over in a train station. This man, however,
was yodelling from behind a screen.
He chatted with passersby and offered them a
ticket to the idyllic mountain village of Vrin. If they
accepted, he printed them a ticket right there and
then. Talk about Swiss spontaneity.

20. 116
HOSPITALITY
KidZania
We all know that being a kid is the new adult (see
the cereal cafe trend for a case in point), but the
folks behind KidZania have flipped that on its
head.
KidZania a theme park (no rides, mind) which
offers kids the chance to play at being adults. The
little ones can earn fake currency by testing out
jobs such as surgeons, policemen, and even
nightclub owners.
In short, think Lord of the Flies meets Capitalism.
Scary.
Girls Aloud
Blokes? Messing up my hotel room? No thanks.
The need for less blokey accommodation has
been delivered by Atlanta's Ellis Hotel.
It offers a women-only floor with keyed access
with a selection of amenities like hair
straighteners and curling irons, each room offers
an online "kiss cam" to help keep in touch with
friends and family.
Mobile Homeless Shelters
Hawaii’s city officials and architects have teamed
up to turn 70 old buses into mobile shelters for
the homeless.
The buses are renovated with recycled materials,
and the interior of the buses are adaptable for
both day or night. They include beds which fold
down, thus giving people a safe place to sleep.

21. LUXURY
Etihad Premium
Want the latest from Etihad airlines on Twitter?
Of course you do! Not so fast though… you need
to be vetted by the airline before you can follow
them.
The @EtihadPremium Twitter feed is available to
Gold and Platinum frequent flyers only.
Once you make it into this VIP area of Twitter,
Etihad promises round-the-clock customer
service with a five minute response time. That’s
sounds great, but where’s the Dom Pérignon?
Eye Tracking
Allow me to set the scene. You’re on the red-eye
from New York to London. You’re halfway
through a flick. The free wine starts to kick in and
before you know it, you’ve missed half the movie
and dribbled on your neighbour’s shoulder. Well,
Thales can help with that.
At the Paris Air Show, Thales unveiled a monitor
which follows your eye movement. If you fall
asleep or turn to talk to your neighbour, the
screen will pause. When you turn back to the
screen, it will resume playing.
They can’t actually help with the dribble though,
sorry.
MIITO
Meet MIITO, the humble kettle’s posh cousin.
MIITO can heat up all kinds of different liquids,
without a hint of limescale in sight.
To use it, simply place your glass of mint-infused
organic tea on the induction base and insert the
rod. The touch sensor whirs MIITO into action,
and your drink will start boiling. As soon as it has
boiled, the MIITO will switch itself off.
It’s almost like having a butler in your own home.
Almost.
17

22. FASHION
The Fashionable Algorithm
It’s a scary world when you discover that a
computer is more fashionable than you.
Computer scientists in Spain have created an
algorithm which judges your outfit, and tells you
how you can improve it.
It does this by using data from chictopia.com,
where users rank others out of 10 for their
fashionability.
Electroloom
Off on a night out but bored of your wardrobe?
No problem, just print a new outfit from the
comfort of your home.
The Electroloom is a 3D printer which can print a
simple top by spinning fibres from electrically
charged liquid. Think candy floss machines for
the likes of Anna Wintour.
The best bit about the new technology? It
eliminates almost all waste and gives sweatshops
a run for their money.
ALGARA Smart Jewellery
The ALGARA necklace is a mood ring for the
morning day.
Its stone is a chameleon which can match to
almost any colour, thanks to the mobile app. You
simply upload a photo with your desired colour,
and the stone will change before your eyes.
You can change its colour according to your
mood, or what you’re doing with your day - so it’s
essentially 365 necklaces in one. Nifty.
18

23. TECHNOLOGY
Lantern
Ear Recognition Technology
Air Shepherd
AUTOMOTIVE
Lunar Quattro
People Powered Tesla
Teentrack
RETAIL
Systeme U
Briggo
Shopping with Samsung
INTERNET OF THINGS
TieFi
Connected Cyclists
Illumigami
PUBLISHING
Emoji Press Release
Tab
WHIM
ELECTRONICS
The Happaratus
CropX
Migraine Simulator
APPS
Hands-Free Tinder
I.am.here
Mona
FOOD
Le Petit Chef
Sonic Seasoning
Kaffeeform
HOME & PERSONAL CARE
Peepoo
Lovely
Tamper-Proof Pill Dispenser
SPORT
EdiPulse
Sea Shoes
Icaros
IT/INFRASTRUCTURE
3D Printed Bridge
Brain vs Brain
Lowline
ALCOHOL/FMCG
Beer Beauty
Connected Champagne
Nitrogen-Infused coffee
FINANCE
Emoji Passwords
MasterCard Facial Recognition
Doge The Bullet
TRAVEL
fathom
Lexus Hoverboard
Graubunden Tourism
HOSPITALITY
KidZania
Ellis Hotel
Mobile Homeless Shelters
LUXURY
Etihad Premium
Eye Tracking
Miito
FASHION
Algorithm
Electroloom
Algara

24. BUZZWORD BUSTER
The Internet of Things Imagine
that your appliances can not only
listen, but talk to each other too.
Your coffee machine has a sugar-
free vanilla latte with soy milk
ready as soon as the alarm clock
buzzes. Your swimming pool
(wishful thinking) heats up when
a barbecue is in the diary. The
best bit? You didn’t have to do a
thing. This is the Internet of
Things.
Wearable Tech Think of a
wearable as your phone and
your bracelet getting together to
make sweet, innovative love. Any
electronic gadget which you can
wear, either as an accessory or
as part of your clothes, is a
wearable. These gadgets can also
connect to the internet, which is
what makes them so darn clever.
3D Printing This does what it
says on the robot-made tin. If
you had a 3D printer, instead of
spitting out gig tickets and
boarding passes, it could
produce dinner for two or even
an entire house (or at least the
parts). It effectively does this by
sticking together a whole bunch
of layers - with not a paper jam in
sight.

25. talktous@wearesocial.net