Weekly Mashup 55

Four awesome wearables that give you superpowers (kind of) Fastco Design

The earpiece that lets you block out noise; the back brace that adapts to your muscles; the wrist strap that could turn you into Monet, and the necklace that keeps conversations private.

Jog your way to a full iPhone battery The Mirror

A new device, which you attach to your body and plug into your phone, will convert the energy you generate jogging into enough electricity to recharge your mobile’s battery. Ampy was developed by three engineering students at Northwestern university and can be pre-ordered on Kickstarter.

Try Lufthansa’s Premium Economy seats before you buy using augmented reality app Marketing Magazine

The airline claims to have created a ‘world first’ with digital agency Space, since the app does not need a specific image to be triggered; users need apparently only draw and then scan ‘something that flies’.

No cash? Don’t smile, then. Comedy club charges audience per giggle using facial recognition BBC

Barcelona comedy club Teatreneu is tracking how much people laugh at each performer by using facial recognition technology to measure their smiles…. and then charge 23p (€0.3) per laugh. The gimmick aims to boost audience numbers, the BBC reports.

Bike, dog, TV: Turn everything you own into a mobile app using these tiny beacon stickers Estimote

Estimote beacon stickers enable you to turn absolutely anything you own into something that can be triggered, monitored or mapped by your smartphone. They‘ve been named ‘nearables’ by creators. We like.

Bring mobile games into the living room: The AR board game that lets you play together on mobile Real A Real

Live Game Board offers a new way of playing both board and mobil games - by combining the two via an app that uses image-recognition and augmented reality technologies. See Blippar’s awesome Star Wars Rebels campaign for a similar gaming experience.

5bn people have the internet in their pocket (and other things we learned at IAB Engage) Media Week

The tenth IAB conference taught us a lot about mobile, the internet, and, most importantly, people. Namely, everyone has a smartphone, and brands should be using that knowledge to target consumers directly, personally, seamlessly and creatively.

Are RocketSkates the world’s first smart transportation? Business Week

RocketSkates – which are controlled by the wearer simply shifting their weight - are strapped to normal shoes and can communicate with each other (and your smartphone) via Bluetooth. An app lets wearers track route, performance, and battery power, and compete with friends.

Is Google investing $500m in augmented reality? Recode

According to Recode, Google plans to invest $500 million in a start-up called Magic Leap, a hush-hush company which promises to deliver ‘cinematic’ augmented reality experiences.

Would YOU trust Apple’s smart lock on your front door? Business Week

The tech giant will begin selling August - a smart lock designed for doors, designed by Yves Behars – in US stores. The padlock’s smart capacity will be stored on Apple’s HomeKit platform, and users will be able to control it via their iPhones and iPads.

The solar-powered 3D printer that empowers communities with minimal electricity Augmented Reality Trends

Designed by Joshua Pearce, professor at the Michigan Technological University, the printer combines solar power, 3D printing and the open-source movement.

Children’s iPad puzzle game Osmo (created by former Googlers) raises $12m funding Tech Crunch

Osmo, an iPad game that turns tablet games into more physical board games, has raised $12m in Series A funding, and will now be sold in Marbles Toy Stores in the US. The game was developed by a group of fathers and former Google employees.