Scan Monthly No. 038April 2006 |
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Signals of Change
China's Early Maturity
SoC165
Chinese government agencies and corporations are making long-term strategic geopolitical and global economic moves typical of countries further along the path to economic development.
Securing the Power-Supply Chain
SoC166
Political developments in many regions, including Russia and the Middle East, are increasing levels of risk surrounding supply chains, including those supplying energy. Ensuring the security, quality, and resilience of the power-supply chain increases in importance as risk increases.
Media Manipulators
SoC167
Cyberspace is experiencing an increasing number of battles as vested parties manipulate to their advantage the open environment that the Internet is famous for. An increasing number of developments in cyberspace go beyond marketing or advertising because they involve the manipulation of forums that depend on objectivity for their value to the consumer.
Medical Tourism
SoC168
People are increasingly traveling to other countries to obtain a range of medical, dental, and surgical services such as heart bypass surgery, fertility treatments, and cosmetic surgery. The practice, medical tourism, raises a variety of issues concerning challenges to traditional health-care providers, innovation in medical science, globalization, and regulatory oversight of health care.
The Joy of the Unexpected
SoC169
In the quest to anticipate consumers' needs, companies should not forget the tendency for individuals to react very positively to unexpected insights and pleasant surprises.
Predictions and Behavior
SoC170
Making predictions is tricky. The combination of predictions and human behavior is a particularly volatile mixture. Although helpful in many instances, the use of predictive models raises a number of questions—particularly: Are the models sufficiently valid and reliable to provide consistent results and create beneficial applications?
Insights
| The Quest for New Interface Technologies | View full summary |
| D06-2526 | Download this Insight |
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New electronic devices, new applications, and new services are flooding the business and consumer markets in a constant stream. Digital devices have become productive tools, sophisticated entertainment platforms, efficient communication tools, and important channels for accessing information. Although various types of devices and various types of applications have proliferated in the past two decades and a wide range of services have become accessible via digital platforms, the interfaces with which users access electronic devices have remained more or less the same. Keyboard and mouse interfaces dominate desktop applications, and the keypad interface dominates the world of cell-phone interfaces. The quest for new, convenient, efficient, and form-factor–appropriate interfaces is currently in full swing, however—a search for new interfaces that some people believe are long overdue. This study identifies some of the technologies and techniques that designers are experimenting with. Author: Martin Schwirn. 13 pages. |
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| Synergistic RFID Applications Spawn New Developments | View full summary |
| D06-2527 | Download this Insight |
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In the past five years, RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology has established a foothold in a variety of industries. Various Scan™ publications have discussed the application areas of RFID technology in the industries and treated the industries separately. Many RFID initiatives in various industries remain somewhat isolated, with a variety of factors contributing to the insular nature of developments. The most beneficial applications in the industries have diverse requirements, pose distinct challenges, and must deal with several regulatory environments. Although the disparity between these industry-specific developments initially slows down diffusion and standardization of the technology, the different industries tackle a variety of issues that will require resolution before RFID technology can fulfill its promise as the business media presented it. Once knowledge and expertise cross from one industry to another, RFID technology is likely to see rapid and widespread implementation. This study identifies five industry segments in which RFID technologies are developing distinct but valuable capabilities. Author: Martin Schwirn. 12 pages. |
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Calendar
Scan™ Abstract Meetings
Scan abstract meetings (in which SRIC-BI [now SBI] staff participate in a free-form discussion of current Scan abstracts) are open for client observation/participation on:
- 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
- 24 January 2007 at 9:00 am
- 21 March 2007 at 9:00 am.