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Scan™ Monthly No. 032 October 2005 <<  Other Issues of Scan™ Monthly   Download this Scan™ Monthly  (PDF)   • Signals of Change     – Multisensory Interfaces – Creativity Services – Vaccines and Lifestyles – Decentralizing Manufacturing – The Body Electric – Going Emotional   • Insights     – Media Landscapes in Turmoil – Business Opportunities: Community Wireless Networks   • Calendar Signals of Change Multisensory Interfaces SoC135 Research and development efforts are offering an increasing number of viable alternative interface technologies that will lead to new multisensory interfaces. Multisensory interfaces are at an early stage of development, and researchers have yet to identify potential benefits for different types of sensory combinations, but shortcomings of current interface technologies—especially for mobile applications—are likely to drive development and integration of these interfaces. Creativity Services SoC136 Innovative companies are selling opportunities for consumers to be creative. The goal is to provide the consumer with a context in which he or she can have a creative experience while someone else takes care of the details. The products on offer are essentially creativity services. Vaccines and Lifestyles SoC137 Vaccination appears to be staging a comeback, particularly for providing protection against a range of lifestyle-related conditions. Recently, noncommunicable diseases—such as cancers, diabetes, and obesity—have been driving commercial interest in the field. The market dynamics surrounding vaccines have also been changing as vaccines migrate from being commodity products to being potentially blockbuster products that offer manufacturers opportunity to capture value on a par with that of pharmaceuticals. Decentralizing Manufacturing SoC138 Companies are experimenting with shifting production dynamics and manufacturing processes in interesting ways. Distributing or decentralizing manufacturing processes is one of the more common experimental techniques in play. The Body Electric SoC139 New medical implants of all kinds are finding their way into the body, treating conditions such as epilepsy, pain, depression, and even obesity. These technical advances are not cures but rather rehabilitative technologies that help mitigate or alleviate symptoms. The techniques focus attention on the role of electrical activity in the human body and how devices that modulate that activity can help treatment approaches. Going Emotional SoC140 People are inherently emotional, so they are likely to find emotional uses for any technology that turns up. Companies looking for new applications for technology developments and products can take a hint from emotional users. Insights Media Landscapes in Turmoil View full summary D05-2516   Download this Insight In the past several years, SRI Consulting Business Intelligence has reported and analyzed many indications of the revolutionary changes that media landscapes are experiencing. Dramatic changes have already come to content, distribution channels, advertising strategies, and consumer behavior in all forms of media. Recent indications are that the changes are accelerating and broadening in terms of their effect on various parts of business, society, and culture. This study provides a review of the more dramatic signals of change that the Scan process has surfaced concerning the various media landscapes that have emerged from the ongoing turbulence. Authors: Martin Schwirn and Kermit M. Patton. 12 pages. Business Opportunities: Community Wireless Networks View full summary D05-2517   Download this Insight Worldwide, more than 100 local governments, nonprofit organizations, and cooperatives are deploying wireless broadband technology in their communities, with many more to follow in coming years. In many cases, governments enter into partnerships with private companies to provide coverage where incumbents have not done so, to encourage downtown visitors, to connect public-safety agencies to the Internet, and more. Will these markets constitute a niche or a mass market in five years? No one knows yet. But clearly, pent-up demand exists for broadband service in underserved regions worldwide. And even in large cities, notebook-PC users surely would prefer unmetered wireless access via Wi-Fi to slower, often metered, data rates promised by 3G. This study, developed by SRI Consulting Business Intelligence’s Wireless Futures program, examines the forces driving implementations of community wireless networks and evaluates their prospects. Author: Michael Gold. 21 pages. Calendar Scan™ Abstract Meetings Scan abstract meetings (in which SRIC-BI staff participate in a free-form discussion of current Scan abstracts) are open for client obseration/participation on: 25 January 2006 at 9:00 am 22 March 2006 at 9:00 am 17 May 2006 at 9:00 am 19 July 2006 at 9:00 am 20 September 2006 at 9:00 am 18 October 2006 at 9:00 am. Please contact your SRIC-BI marketing representative to schedule participation in any of the Scan Abstract Meetings.

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