After the Tokyo experience (Shizuoka GP in 2007), Hugo Boss tap Ubiq’window again for their promotion at Singapore F1 Grand Prix which will start within 18 days.
Hugo Boss’ storefront will be up for a month and with the use Ubiq’window technology transforms the storefront into an interactive zone which allows the user to find out more about the race through behind-the-scenes clips of the drivers.

The installation made by Mosaic is covered by Marketing- Interactive magazine.

This is a quick movie of last year Tokyo installation:

For many years LM3LABS grow a vision of interactive surfaces: show windows, floors, tables, or objects. This interactivity mixes digital worlds with real life, what some call augmented reality. It is sometimes very difficult to explain our (crystal clear) vision to customers, partners, investors, … even family.

It seems that the most famous IT analyst company, Gartner, decided to help us a bit with their 2008 famous Hype Cycle.

Gartner’s hype cycle analyzes emerging technologies and positions them on 2 axis: 1- How do they attract attention (Visibility or Hype), 2- At what maturity are they ?

In 2008, for the first time, our markets appear on Gartner’s Hype Cycle in the “Surface Computers” and “Augmented Reality”. Surface Computers are nothing else than interactive tables, floors, walls, glass… Our daily bread.

Those 2 technology segments are positioned at the best place: not too emerging, not yet in the Trough of Disillusionment, right before the Hype Peak which is a serious sales driver.

In 2008, LM3LABS is in a leading position on “Surface Computing” and cannot be more ready to ride this beautiful wave announced by Gartner. Still some beautiful years before our market become mainstream (… and low margin!).

AirStrike was on air on last June 8 on Nitele (the nickname for Nihon Telebi, the Japanese TV, one of the 2 main national channels in Japan).

Guest stars could experience the free air interactivity of AirStrike.  Despite what you might thing this is a prime time science program. Yes I know, Japan is an other planet…

For those who missed this great piece of TV and those who are abroad, here is a recall.

AirStrike will be presented on Nihon TV (Nitele) on June 7, 8pm JST
as part of the program "The Most Useful School in the World".

This primetime program is aimed at explaining new technologies to Japanese with guest stars as students.
This is one of the best and most popular program in Japan.
The stars were presented AirStrike and they could play with the interactive system.

As
this world is small we were there with interactivity specialist Alvaro
Cassinelli from Tokyo University. He presented an interesting obstacle
detection helmet.
On the picture below we see here LM3′s Yumiko playing with the tool. We had plently of time
talking about user interaction, laser, products, collaboration…

Just to provide some ideas about the ambiance we post some pictures
which will not tell too much about the content… You will have to wait.

Industry analysts comment on the forecast of the Digital Out of Home (OOH) market and they are great despite a general downturn of the worldwide economy.

We will keep some pieces from AKA’s article:

" Advertisers are actively seeking out new forms of media to reach consumers", it is very shy to say this indeed! They are dying for it and this comes from the growing ubiquity of digital content, a trend that LM3LABS anticipated many years ago with the ubiquitous window, ubiq’window.

"Expect to see considerable further development of digital out of home infrastructure" and LM3LABS offer the turn-key solution for this with Catchyoo Media Channel. Today.

LM3LABS’ growth outpaces by far the growth of the market.

This is  due to :
- LM3LABS position on the Interactive OOH market. A sub-segment from the Digital OOH segment which leverage both the online and offline markets.
- LM3LABS strategically positioned on fast growth markets: China, South East Asia, India where growth is in the 3 digit mark.

Partners, we are on the right flight…

(Photo : a F18 passing the sound wall.  Credit :
Ensign John Gay, USS Constellation, US Navy)

O2′s Catchyoo campaign is featured in Marketing-Interactive magazine.

A recent study from US analysts PQ Media takes a closer look at Catchyoo market (in the US) and it confirm that we are at the right place at the time with the right weapons.

MediaPost makes an analysis of the survey.

Here it is in a nutshell:

- Alternative
out-of-home advertising (AOOH, Catchyoo’s market) is one of the fastest-growing segments of the
media industry, expanding at double-digit rates every year from 2001 to
2006 and posting compound annual growth of +22.6%.
- Advertising growth: +6% which includes OOH: +10.6% which includes AOOH (our sergment!): +27% (USA)
- Within AOOH: Ambient advertising, also called place-based media (more precisely Catchyoo) increased 14.1% in
2006 to $446.4 million (USA only).

By experiencewe know that North America is 30% of WW market. So those figs are probably true too for Asia-Pac and EMEA.

What is identified as drivers (in comparaison to traditional advertising) ? Analysts answer:

• "The perception among advertisers that these media provide high
  engagement, targeting options, proximity to point-of-sale, measurable
  impact and cost effectiveness
• Exposure to and recall of these media growing as Americans spend
  more time commuting to work, walking in urban areas, waiting in transit
  hubs, and shopping at retail outlets
• Research suggesting that the vast majority of consumers view
  alternative out-of-home media as favorable and educational
• New technology enabling companies to launch digital advertising
  platforms that generate higher revenues than the conventional formats
  they replace".

PQ Media concluded that, "Americans spend twice as much time outside their
homes and workplaces today than they did just a few decades ago…
Digital technology and creative positioning enable alternative
out-of-home media to stay in tune with today’s fragmented and
fast-paced consumer market"

We are on the right wagon! …and we might lead it.

Ubiq’window is featured in multiple Japanese media this months. SGI Japan‘s integration of Ubiq’window with VizImpress enVision was covered by New Media a Japanese professional magazine about emerging media technologies (May release).

It was also in 2 articles (1, 2) by IT Media (an online reference magazine from SoftBank), in ASCII.jp, BCN (paper) and Electronic Advertising Newspaper (paper).

We also covered the topic in a note about the future of street signage on this blog.

Below an excerpt of New Media article (as we cannot publish the entire article):

  LM3, Catchyoo and future developments are featured in internet newspaper L’internaute, in French only.  This is a remanance from our coverage by The Wall Street Journal and Le Monde, Chris Anderson calls the Long Tail.

DNP launch their MUSEUM LAB web site in association with the Musee du Louvre, the largest museum in the world.

As we announced it to you a few days ago, DNP has open a museum laboratory to present Louvre masterworks with a new twist: interactivity, digital approach, RFID,…

Ubiq’window is installed in the room which hosts the masterpiece from Gericault, bringing interactivity (1) (2)on a large 6 meter glass pannel. Ubiq’window is associated with RFID which turns the language of the application to the users automatically and provide other personalisation features.

DNP and the Musee du Louvre explain what is the MUSEUM LAB. DNP’s introduction is very promising:
"Start of a revolutionary project that invites you to take approach to works of art. A place intended  to enable the (re)discovery of works or art in order to enhance their comprehension and appreciation. An innovation method of approach to works of art offers you information tailored  to your needs on masterpieces  in the collection  of the Musee du Louvre."

This installation is in the continuation of The Digital Louvre.
More recently DNP equipped their RFID solutions showroom with Catchyoo Playground.

We still have not visited it in its final version because it is packed of people. Now you can plan a visit if you are in Tokyo.

The press release in Japanese 日本語 is here.

DNP’s MUSEUM LAB web site.