emeriss - Inspiration

emeriss is a company that thrives on and celebrates excellence and innovation.

Here are some of the latest technologies you should be keeping an eye on:

The NQ System (Network Quotation System)
Thought of as the next generation search based directory "giving the ability to obtain tailored quotes" so what is it? Wikipedia describes it as:

Humans are capable of using the Web to carry out tasks such as finding the Finnish word for "car", to reserve a library book, or to search for the cheapest DVD and buy it. However, a computer cannot accomplish the same tasks without human direction because web pages are designed to be read by people, not machines. The semantic web is a vision of information that is understandable by computers, so that they can automate more of the tedium involved in finding, sharing and combining information on the web.

Microsoft Robotics
A major step in consumer robotics development Microsoft Robotics Studio is a development platform for robotics development, the Rainmakers have already been approached to deliver a project utilising these technologies.
Microsoft Robotics Studio

Here are a few of the best ideas out there that we feel should be talked about:

New Year Sales Push? A deal a day keeps the doctor away.
Over the past 18 months these two have added yet another dimension to online retail, lending even more credence to the argument for curated content and community sales. Whilst there are others out there, their personal approach, irreverent attitude and some clever thinking have shown that there is still room for innovation in internet sales.
www.woot.com
www.ibood.com – Ships to the UK

Instant Gratification
It remains utterly astonishing how delivery companies and couriers manage to get it wrong so consistently, especially when there are companies out there who will deliver almost anything, door to door, in under an hour. Simply NEED those crisps? With a delivery charge costing more than the bag its probably not worth your while, but they would be happy to do it for you.
www.licketyship.com
www.zifty.com

Consumer Advertising
ViTrue is an advertising agency who have forgone the costly process of creating commercials and are selling existing consumer productions straight to the advertisers.
This organisation is well placed to make use of the potential surge in online video advertising, predicted to jump by 40% ’06 – ’07.
www.vitrue.com

Self Published
Generation C (the content generation) are scaring and exciting existing industries in equal numbers. Here is one more idea that shows that the barriers to entry really are being taken down.
www.blurb.com

Re-use
Aimed at reducing the carbon footprint and promoting “unconsumption”.
www.freecycle.org

GPS Adverts
You’ve probably seen them and wondered if it’s a coincidence that the advert on the side of the bus has your location on it. It’s not. Yell.com have created the world’s first GPS advertising. Developed by AKQA.
www.akqa.com

Valuable Phone Calls
Making use of the fact that we can all have enormous phone bills, Ello Mobile and Tommy Telecom are making sure that money goes to where it’s actually needed. In the case of Ello, the company was created so that all profits go to charity. Tommy offer very cheap or free calls in return for social engagement or charity funding.
www.ello-mobile.be
tommytelecom.nl

Inhibited Driving
As complacency towards road safety is on the increase it will be interesting to see how effective (and interested) the manufactures are in promoting driver responsibility.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070103/ap_on_hi_te/japan_toyota_drunken_driving

Generation C
Here are a few interesting consumer driven market places and an insight into the “phenomenon”:
http://www.trendwatching.com/trends/customer-made.htm
Reporter.co.za
www.turnhere.com
www.spymedia.com
www.jpgmag.com

Free phone calls around the world. Long may it continue:
http://21talks.net/voip/skype-goes-mobile-as-a-native-service-on-3-mobiles

Social interaction?:
Taking the opposite approach to social interaction that has been taken in the past by Street Wars. Summer 06 in London 150 people set out to kill each other…
www.cruelgame.com

Inner city car control:
User friendly and very innovative.
http://www.navx.com/
www.streetcar.com

Brand managment:
Here is a great example of a brand managing to provide its customers with "utility" without taking itself too seriously. Very memorable:
http://www.psfk.com/2006/11/branded_utility_8.html

* Congratulations James. Innovative, simple and useful:
http://www.glassesdirect.co.uk/release_000/