DailyDOOH

do it outdoors media has announced their acquisition of Streetblimps. As the leading mobile billboard provider in America, this acquisition no doubt reinforces their position as the largest national mobile billboard company.

do it outdoors media was started in 1997 by co-founders David Pridgen II and Regis Maher and has grown to become the largest national mobile billboard company. This transaction provides do it outdoors media with Streetblimps’ intellectual property and additional assets. The transaction also continues to position do it outdoors as the leader in the mobile billboard space as the out-of-home industry continues to increase share and move into the future.

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On first arrival at #CES2020 you could be mistaken for thinking that you are at the world’s largest car show, not necessarily at ‘The Global Stage For Innovation’.

This event has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years now, as the CTA say, it’s “the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace” BUT it is also an event that both new and established automotive manufacturers flock to at the beginning of each year.

As we arrive at the LVCC, either by monorail (shamelessly far too expensive) or by shank’s pony our first port of call is always the BMW exhibit area which takes over one complete half of the LVCC Car Park.

The giant German auto manufacturer billed their presence at #CES2020 with the hashtag #ChangeYourPerception. At its heart of this is BMW’s firm belief in its ability to not only understand the requirements of future mobility but also to be able to find answers to them. The BMW Group exhibit stand always showcases this change in perspective, the experiences and practical demonstrations on offer anchored it in reality for the visitors from all over the world.

A highlight of this year’s #CES2020 for us was the BMW i3 Urban Suite. For seven years now, the BMW i3 has played the role of iconic ambassador for electric driving pleasure, sustainability and intelligent connectivity in urban areas. These qualities have helped to make it the world’s best-selling electric car in the premium compact segment. It’s amazing inside and out and with the sort of performance you expert from a well put together, high class electric motor vehicle. It’s a car that we test drove earlier this summer in the UK but also a car that we got to hail using a bespoke BMW ride-hailing app at the show, and were then treated to a true first-class chauffeured experience (we also got to pre-order a beverage of our choice which was delivered with the car on arrival).

BMW Group brought the BMW i3 Urban Suite to Las Vegas in order to reveal a mobility experience tailored entirely to the passenger’s individual needs. To achieve this, a standard BMW i3 underwent a complete transformation (with only the driver’s seat and dashboard left untouched) so that its interior has the relaxed feel of a boutique hotel. The aim was to create an inviting space with a high feel-good factor in which to spend time – the perfect place for relaxing, enjoying in-car entertainment or focusing on work in a laid-back setting (see below).

This has been achieved by including, among other things, a large, comfortable seat with footrest, a screen that flips down from the headliner and a personal Sound Zone. The screen was controlled from the App.

The BMW i3 Urban Suite represents a logical step forward in the BMW Group’s commitment to sustainable mobility. The vehicle is underpinned by a holistic approach to making responsible use of resources, encompassing the powertrain with zero local emissions, the careful selection of materials and the production processes involved. Fabrics containing recycled materials therefore come together with certified wood and olive-tanned leather, while the floor mats are made from recyclable materials that can be fed back into the materials cycle, as per circular economy principles.

In Munich, Germany a fleet of standard BMW i3 cars were converted into Urban Suites then brought to Las Vegas, where they were seen gracing the city’s streets The car really did offer its passenger a first-hand experience of the BMW Group’s innovative and sustainable mobility concept and at the same time, demonstrated that luxury travel in the future will have nothing to do with vehicle size.

Ultraleap exhibited at #CES2020 (for the first time since their rebrand from Ultrahaptics back in September 2019) and they really took their booth presence to a whole new level.

As technology leaders in mid-air haptics and hand tracking, Ultrahaptics and Leap Motion (the company they acquired in May 2019) are really accelerating innovation in user interfaces, as well as enhancing commercial software and hardware applications.

Tactile, virtual interfaces are starting to transform user interaction across sectors such as automotive, advertising, immersive entertainment, VR/AR, training/simulation and enterprise applications. A wide range of clients from global technology giants to creative studios have already licensed Ultraleap technology. In the automotive sector, the technology has been showcased in concept cars developed by Harman, and Bosch.

Ultraleap encompasses both hand tracking and mid-air haptics technology and we didn’t see anyone else at #CES2020 doing anything like this. The tracking technology can be embedded into any product, including VR and AR headsets. Mid-air haptics is a ‘virtual touch’ technology that uses ultrasound to project tactile sensations onto users’ hands. Users can feel and interact with virtual objects and controls, with no need for wearables, controllers or touchscreens.

At #CES2020 BIC announced The Next BIC Thing, a new, collaborative platform that aims to deepen BIC’s focus on consumer insights by bringing consumers directly into BIC’s Innovation and Research & Development (R&D) process.

The Next BIC Thing allows consumers to access the latest news from BIC’s new products and become part of a new group of brand ambassadors called the ‘BIC R&D Squad’.

This is a community that will test BIC’s product prototypes, provide feedback, and interact with BIC’s internal teams. It kicks off with BIC’s new AI-enabled prototype shaver designed in partnership with Invoxia, a global leader in the design and development of connected devices.

BIC’s new prototype razor, the first wet shaver with AI technology, will capture data about the complete shaving experience, including temperature, humidity, hair density, shaving speed, number of strokes, time spent shaving, blade dullness, and more. With its community of users and the help of data collected through the application, BIC will create its next-generation of shavers, perfectly adapted to today’s users based on these advanced consumer insights.

Thomas Brette, Group Innovation & Insights Officer at BIC told us “CES is a tremendous opportunity to illustrate BIC’s focus on the needs of the modern consumer. The Next BIC® Thing is one of many initiatives underway at BIC that will not only broaden and strengthen the insights we use to create products that consumers want and need, but enhance our growth path”.

Eric Carreel, Invoxia co-founder said “What we are doing with BIC perfectly demonstrates the virtuous tryptic: device, service and data. By using a smart device that collects useful data, we can better understand just about anyone’s habits and provide instant and personalized feedback. In addition, this data now also drives innovation! BIC is the perfect illustration that a better service allows you to take better advantage of the data and improve your product.”

In 1975, BIC revolutionized the world with the launch of its first one-piece razor. It imposed an entirely new standard of affordable quality that allowed anyone, whatever their level of income, to benefit from a fresh, smooth and quality shave. Technology and R&D allowed BIC to continually invent, manufacture, and distribute razors that were made more efficient, longer lasting and higher quality by reinventing the blades, the design, the ergonomics, and the materials that would suit the largest population of men and women.

The Next BIC Thing and their AI-enabled prototype shaver join BIC’s suite of recent initiatives that include BodyMark by BIC, the first BIC temporary tattoo marker specially made for skin, and Made for You, a premium razor made for both men and women, sold on Amazon in the United States.

I was very impressed at how agile and consumer-centric this French corporate has become.

#CES2021 will take place January 6-9, 2021.

Would you learn to use a new and very different type of keyboard input device if it allowed to “type at the speed of thought”?

That’s the premise behind this startup CharaChorder who we met last week at #CES2020.

At the show they were recognised as one of the top ‘New & Noteworthy’ products.

To mark the final edition of ISE at the RAI Amsterdam, a very special event on the last day of #ISE2020 will reflect on the show’s development over the years whilst also looking forward to the next chapter of its story in Barcelona.

Entitled ¡Hola Barcelona!, the event will feature appearances from major Catalan and Spanish dignitaries, including Àngels Chacón, the Catalan Minister of Enterprise and Knowledge; and representatives of the Mayor of Barcelona; ACCIÓ, the Catalan Agency for Business Competitiveness; ICEX, the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade; and the Fira de Barcelona, which will be the show’s new home. They will talk about the opportunities that ISE’s move to Barcelona will bring for attendees, exhibitors, the City of Barcelona and the AV industry as a whole.

Presented by Integrated Systems Europe Managing Director Mike Blackman, the event will also provide an opportunity for ISE, and its owners AVIXA and CEDIA, to say ‘goodbye and thank you’ to the City of Amsterdam and the RAI, and acknowledge their important contributions to the show’s phenomenal growth. Specially commissioned video content will tell the story of ISE, starting with its first edition in Geneva in 2004.

Event attendees will be given the chance to win an unforgettable opportunity to see one of the city’s most famous exports – FC Barcelona. One lucky #ISE2020 attendee will win:

• Return flights for two people to Barcelona
• Two tickets to an FC Barcelona match at Camp Nou
• A two-night stay in a luxury Barcelona hotel

¡Hola Barcelona! begins at 12:00 on Friday February 14, 2020 and is scheduled to last approximately 35 minutes. It is free to attend and will be followed by a networking reception. Advance booking is not required, but attendees are advised to arrive early as places are limited.

BrightSign, LLC, the global market leader in digital signage media players, has announced that it will be showcasing the new BSN.cloud platform at #ISE2020. You can find them in Hall 8 Stand E200.

BSN.cloud is BrightSign’s player and network management platform for cloud-connected BrightSign players which was announced almost a year ago in February 2019.

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NanoLumens, the award-winning creators of LED visualization solutions in any size, shape or curvature, has announced the installation of four direct-view LED display solutions in San Antonio International Airport.

Commissioned by the Airports division of Lamar Advertising and integrated by VIA Technology, the project includes a flat-panel display above the B-Side entrance to the Baggage Claim zone, a column wrap within the Baggage Claim zone, and a ribbon display above the TSA check-in area. The fourth and final display of the project is a quatrefoil, a four-lobed geometric shape central to the culture and brand of San Antonio. This distinctive display overlooks the TSA check-in area. These locations were chosen because they are well-lit and highly trafficked.

After winning the advertising rights to the airport, Lamar Airports committed to a sweeping overhaul of the airport’s signage. According to Michael Neck, an Airport Project Manager for Lamar, “during the acquisition of new airports or renovations on current contracts with our airport partners, Lamar always seeks to find digital advertising opportunities that complement the airport aesthetics, enhance the passenger experience, and deliver great opportunities for local and national advertisers to get their messages to their clients.”

Michael Villa, of VIA Technology, the integrator for the project told us “The goal was to showcase San Antonio’s ability to move forward into the future with technology and to include advertising along with that. The signs that previously filled the space gave an empty and plain feel but LEDs offer much greater clarity and customization.”

Airports typically feature high levels of ambient light and San Antonio International is no exception. When asked about how such light levels affect signage, NanoLumens Regional Sales Manager Eric Siegler noted that, “it’s important for airport passengers and advertisers that passengers have access to clearly visible signage so that signage needs to be able to stand out even when an environment is filled with sunlight. LED is really the only solution bright enough to do this so it was the right technology for what Lamar and the airport were trying to accomplish.”

Michael Neck expanded upon the apt fit of LED for the project by noting that, “LED displays bring a level of customization that cannot be achieved through LCD solutions. Lamar was able to showcase the local pride of San Antonio with the customized 2.5mm pixel pitch LED Quatrefoil display. We were also able to develop a column-wrapped LED that showcases the tech-forward approach that San Antonio deserves.”

Each of the four displays integrated during the project features a 2.5mm pixel pitch and all are used almost exclusively for advertising content. The specific locations for each display were chosen because they are high-traffic areas where passengers also exhibit high dwell time. The rectangular flat-panel display measures 14.96 feet wide by 5.91 feet high and a resolution of 1824×720. The column wrap is 6.44 feet tall with an exterior circumference of 11.86 feet. Its resolution is 1440×780 though the full surface area of the display is obviously not viewable in its entirety from a single location. The ribbon display is 33.07 feet wide and 2.46 feet high with a resolution of 4032×300. The quatrefoil display measures 5.51 feet wide by 5.41 feet high with a resolution of 672×660.

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RE-SCHEDULED. Beijing InfoComm China 2020 which was scheduled to take place March 26-28, 2020 has been rescheduled and will now take place September 28-30, 2020 at the China National Convention Center (CNCC).

Beijing InfoComm China will be held on March 26 – 28, 2020 which for the first time is a Thursday to Saturday), so this year, the show will end on a Saturday, catering to busy business visitors.

The China National Convention Centre (CNCC) will once again be the location, providing continuity and familiar context for both local and overseas exhibitors and visitors.

All of CNCC’s exhibition halls, covering 68,000 sqm, will be occupied. The sprawling spaces will showcase the latest and most cutting-edge Professional AudioVisual (Pro-AV) and Integrated Experience solutions of over 450 technology innovators from China and the world. Running concurrently with the exhibition are the Summit and Next Integrated Experience Technology (NIXT) Conference, which will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and insights between industry experts, leaders, managers and business end-users. .

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