As stated by the new market research report on Personal Care Appliances, the United States represents the single largest market worldwide. Increasing emphasis on personal appearance and grooming and growing awareness about oral hygiene represent major demand drivers for various types of personal care appliances. The growing trend towards in-house styling has led Americans to seek electrical appliances that are convenient and easy-to-use. With manufacturers incorporating new and advanced features into the products, consumers are being lured into purchasing them. Health-conscious baby boomers are also enhancing demand for healthcare products such as electric toothbrushes. While US remains a major market for personal care appliances, future growth is anticipated from the emerging economies of Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Burgeoning population, a large middle class segment with expanding disposable incomes, and globalization of trade activities have positioned developing economies such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) as major consumer markets for personal care appliances. Viviona provides elite private label services. We can help you to get your line started in record time. Email viviona@viviona.com to get started. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/business/prweb/article/Growing-Health-Awareness-and-Focus-on-Personal-4287306.php#ixzz2LxHb4q7O
A hologram was a projected three-dimensional representation of a person or object, normally used in communication or entertainment.
Tupac's hologram at the Coachella concert was quite a shock to a lot of us even though the technique is not new at all. Starwars fans are probably more familiar with the terminology.
The fashion world is not left behind. Forever 21has produced 3 holographic fashion show with the cost of one. The runway show featureed holographic projections of models walking a virtual runway.
Burberry held a holographic runway show to open its flagship in Beijing.
Will holographic trend last long? What's your thoughts on it?
Visit viviona.com to see how we can help you launch your fashion or beauty line.
As App Store downloads approach 10 billion, Apple has decided to celebrate the occasion by offering a $10,000 iTunes store credit to the person who pushes them over the top.
To help iOS users along, Apple also released a list of the most downloaded apps since the store opened in summer 2008.
10. Ambiance is loaded with soothing background noise for the mood you're in. The app also offers several additional tunes as in-app purchases at $0.99 each.Price: $2.99
9. Cro-Mag rally is a kart-style game where you take control of cavemen (and women) and race through prehistoric times. You can also take advantage of multiplayer if you are on the same network as your opponent.Price: $3.99
8. GoodReader is a PDF reader that will let you manage, edit, and share documents. You can also take advantage of online file storage services such as MobileMe and Dropbox.Price: $2.99
7. iFart is another fart app that makes us wonder who actually buys these things.Price: $0.99
6. Launch a ball, destroy a bunch of bricks, and move on. That's all you need to know about BlocksClassic.Price: $0.99
5. The Calorie Tracker from LIVESTRONG is a database of nutrition facts that will help manage your diet and keep you fit.Price: $2.99
4. Backbreaker is a football game similar to the popular Madden series. It's not as polished, but the price point is what makes this app number four.Price: $0.9
3. FlightTrack gives you real time flight information for any airline. You can also view where in the world a flight is on a detailed map.Price: $4.99
2. Stick Wars is your basic defend the castle game where you fend off hoards of stick figures from breaking past your army.Price: $0.99
1. SoundHound is a song recognition app that can provide you with tons of extra content for the artist you're looking for such as videos, lyrics, and news. Reviews in the tech press have been stellar since it's launch. No wonder it's number one.Price: $4.99
Here's a video of a really cool concept for a phone made in China. The concept won an award at the 2010 Furong Cup "Digital Product and Service Design Competition". Amazing!
Apple recently released a list of the top ten free iPad apps downloaded from the App Store.
Just because you spent serious cash on an iPad doesn't mean you need to spend even more to take advantage of various games and utilities for it.
Have a look and see if anything suits your needs.
10. Solitaire is the definitive one-player card game. Play it anywhere you go.
9. The Bible app is exactly what you'd expect it to be. Choose different translations, search words and phrases, or just read from it.
8. iBooks is Apple's exclusive online bookstore and eBook reader. Start reading differently.7. Use Remote to control your iTunes library over wifi. Adjust volume and change songs effortlessly.6. With Fandango, you can read reviews and buy movie tickets before you ever get to the theater. Stop waiting in line!5. Yelp finds establishments near you and provides you with user reviews. Make an informed decision for your next impromptu dinner date.4. Use Google Earth to help you arrive at your destination, or simply browse interesting satellite photos of the entire surface of the world.. Movies by Flixster sets you up with trailers, showtimes, and critic reviews of new movies. Know what you're getting yourself into the next time you head to the theater.9. Search Google by voice, check your email, access your calendar, and more with the Google Mobile app from everyone's favorite search engine.10. Pandora builds a radio station customized to your liking and streams it to you for free.
Which ones do you use?
The Mac App Store officially opened for business on Thursday, with Apple offering customers a new way to instantly purchase and download software for their Mac computers and laptops.
Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, first showcased the store in mid-October during the company’s annual developer conference.
Using the Mac store will essentially be a photocopy of using iTunes to painlessly distribute music, video and mobile apps to the iPhone, iPod and iPad. Downloading software is predictably simple; once you click to purchase an application, it is automatically downloaded to your computer. Users who download applications from the store will see them appear in their computers “Applications” folder and in the desktop’s dock, where links to applications appear.
Software sold in the Mac store is competitively priced, with popular games like Angry Birds selling for $5, and Apple software, including Pages, iPhoto and iMovie, selling for $15 each. A few apps — mainly for business use — cost more than $100. There are also some free downloads available, including anew desktop Twitter application for the Mac.
Apple said in a company press release that the store opened “for business with more than 1,000 free and paid apps” available for download, with the company enticing more developers to distribute software through the store.
As I’ve noted in the past, the Mac store is surely going to cause some frustrations for larger software companies, including Adobe and Microsoft, who would be forced to give up a share of their revenue with Apple if they sold software through the store. Apple currently takes 30 percent of the cost of the software sold, and the developer receives 70 percent.
 In the midst of the recession, designers could actually help their hard-hit businesses by focusing on e-commerce and social network connections, and the ones who did that are looking pretty smart right now. Because there are even more new ideas to try in 2011.
Probably the most important accomplishment for Web-resistant designers was to recognize that their customers talk to one another online; they want girlfriend advice and they want designers to listen. As a result, many more designers this year began using Facebook and Twitter. Customers also want more access to a designer’s world, and they want to be able to do that through their cellphones and tablets. “Chanel launched an app and everyone panicked,” said James Gardner, the co-founder and chief executive of Create The Group, a leading interactive agency. “ ‘Oh, we need an app.’ ”
Well, maybe. Mr. Gardner, whose firm provides digital services for clients like Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Céline and Alexander Wang, said there are several new developments that fashion houses should be considering. The most important is social commerce — selling products through a social network site like Facebook. Experts expect that business to explode. As Sucharita Mulpuru, a vice president and retail analyst for Forrester Research, told Business Week, “It’s not natural to go to Facebook to shop — yet.”
There will be more decentralization as consumers use mobile phones to explore a designer’s site, or shop. Also, Mr. Gardner said, companies should look for more ways to personalize the experience. One way is with customized products, something Nike has already done and which Burberry plans to do with a bespoke service for its iconic trench coat. Want a sleeveless trench coat? No problem.
In 2011, designers will also give more instant access to customers, Mr. Gardner said. This past season, Burberry offered nearly all of its spring 2011 runway show for immediate Web sales. The blunt emphasis on embellished trench coats and leather jackets caused some critics to complain of crass commerce — and obviously there needs to be a balance between commerce and creativity. Still, there are other ways a designer can be inviting; Oscar de la Renta, a client of Mr. Gardner’s, recently created a private access site for sale pieces and exclusive items for clients.
Many fashion houses still lag on the digital front, but if a designer is innovative or exciting on the runway, it seems very odd nowadays not to find the same degree of commitment on the brand’s site. It was no surprise to hear that Phoebe Philo, the designer of Céline, has been involved in new digital projects.
This February, Moda Operandi, an e-commerce site created by Aslaug Magnusdottir and Lauren Santo Domingo, will begin selling runway looks from 40 to 50 designers in New York and Europe. Consumers of high fashion often complain they can’t find the runway styles they love. That’s because designers decide not to produce them or retailers don’t want to risk buying something too crazy or expensive.
Moda Operandi’s plan may satisfy designers and shoppers. A few days after a collection is shown on the runway, members of Moda Operandi will be given a detailed look at the clothes and accessories. Then there will be a flash sale conducted over a period of 36 to 72 hours, with items offered at full retail price. Customers will put down a 50 percent deposit and receive the merchandise about four months later, with the balance due. Between seasons, the site’s partners plan to keep members connected in other ways, like creating virtual closets. They’ve hired Yasmin Sewell, a well-respected retail buyer in London, as fashion director.
Among the designers who have signed up are Calvin Klein, Thakoon, Rochas and Nina Ricci. Ms. Magnusdottir, who previously worked at Gilt Groupe, said membership the first season will be kept small — about 15,000 people, who will have invitation rights. She expects about 100,000 members by the end of 2011.
Kate Ciepluch, the fashion director of Shopbop, likes the idea, provided customers don’t experience a burnout effect from instant shopping. After all, even fashion professionals view runway shows as a source of inspiration, and do their shopping once they know what they want. Still, Ms. Ciepluch said, for some obsessive high-end consumers, getting a great runway look may be all that matters. And for designers, this method could lead to another way to capture customer demand.
Androids, BlackBerrys and iPhones have so many good apps that their owners can fill the tiniest gap of free time with a productive, whimsical or useless activity.
Neuroscientists are debating whether this always-on approach is healthy for one’s brain, but as that argument unfolds, you might as well have a little fun.
Here are my top picks for best time-wasting apps.
Games are a clear favorite for the stranded legions at subway stops and grocery store checkout lines, but this category has a staggering number of choices. Apple’s iTunes Store helps narrow those choices with the Game Center, a selection of around 1,700 highly rated, high-selling apps, including 30 featured titles.
You’ll find the usual suspects, like Angry Birds, Flight Control and Doodle Jump, which are perfect for situations when you have three free minutes. If you already have these games, try Let’s Golf 2 ($5 on iPhone), Blokus ($5 on iPhone) and Tetris ($1), or newer games like Trucks and Skulls ($1), Astronut (free) and Zoo Rescue ($1).
Android users have fewer choices here and elsewhere, because many game developers have only just begun working on this platform. Among other things, developers were losing money on Android users who, until recently, could “test” a game for nearly 23 hours and 59 minutes and then request a refund.
That said, Android has Angry Birds, Let’s Golf 2 and Tetris, which are all solid choices. Glu Mobile, the maker of many popular and free iPhone games, like Gun Bros and Deer Hunter, will introduce some of those games to Android in the coming weeks. Gun Bros is expected to appear this week.
BlackBerry users who are accustomed to second-rate apps have it slightly better when it comes to games. The genre’s most famous mobile games are missing, but thanks chiefly toElectronic Arts, great ones still await, like Need for Speed Shift 3D, Yahtzee, Tetris and Risk. All sold for $1 apiece for iPhone devices last week.
Heavy I.M. users who can’t bear to be away from their instant messaging accounts can continue their conversations on the smartphone with BeejiveIM ($10 on iPhone and BlackBerry devices, $5 on Android). The app offers a seamless experience with all the major desktop or Web-based I.M. systems.
Few things kill time more effectively than Twitter and Facebook, of course. The Twitter app, from the company, is now better than all the other apps that purport to help you follow your feed. It’s free on the iPhone and Android phones. Research In Motion has built a good free version for BlackBerry.
Facebook’s official iPhone and Android apps are also free and highly rated. No official Facebook app yet exists for BlackBerry, however, and the R.I.M. version has earned poor reviews.
For those who believe that Twitter, Facebook and smartphone games will rot your brain — or who simply can’t get past Level 1 of Angry Birds — I.Q. boosters are a good option for killing a few minutes.
Brain Fitness Pro ($4 on iPhone) can be tough — like boot camp for the brain, as one iTunes reviewer characterized it. Through a variety of timed quizzes, it promises to improve your short-term memory and problem-solving ability. Brain Tuner ($3) is featured in Apple’s Game Center; skeptics can try Brain Tuner Lite, which is free.
Brain Genius Deluxe (free on iPhone and Android), from Glu Mobile, is highly rated. Same goes for the BlackBerry app, Brain Up.
For a different sort of brain-building activity, crosswords do nicely. Try the Crosswords app ($10 on iPhone and iPad), or the NYTimes Crosswords (free for first week, then $2 a month or $17 a year). On Android, go with Shortyz Crosswords (free).
Many people have abandoned crosswords for Sudoku. For them, the Sudoku app ($1 on iPhone) from Electronic Arts offers thousands of grids and five difficulty levels. Android users have an even better alternative in Platinum Sudoku ($3) from Gameloft. It includes 640,000 grids, five difficulty levels and automatic error checking.
Because we’re talking about processing bite-size pieces of information, poetry deserves a mention. And while a grocery store checkout line may not seem an obvious place to consume poetry, the Poetry app (free on iPhone), from the Poetry Foundation, makes it easy to quickly discover new poems and writers. You can mark your favorite works for future exploration, too.
Sometimes I like to be productive in those odd minutes, rather than waste time. In those instances, I’ll sometimes open my SoundHound and Shazam apps — but not to identify music. Rather, I’ll buy some of the songs I’ve identified with the apps in recent weeks, and which these apps keep in neat lists.
If I have the children along for errands, however, I can forget both productivity and mobile gaming. Few sights are as sad as a child watching a parent who is lost in a video game.
Storykit is a free iPhone app parents can use to quickly build picture books with children, using on-the-spot photos or old-school tales that are ripe for rewriting.
For parents of middle-school children, BrainPOP is a worthy app, featuring a new brief educational cartoon every day. The cartoon is followed by a quick quiz that will at times challenge even a grown-up.
Finally, one of the best things you can do as you wait in line is go to the App Store and peruse all the updates to the apps you already own. Some of the updates are important, others merely incremental. (Hint: if the version number is 1.5 or 2.0, it’s more important than 1.2.7.5.)
With big updates, it’s almost as if someone has given you a new app. Take a few minutes, download the important ones and take them for a test spin. Angry Birds can wait until your next set of errands.
Quick Calls
Grown-ups love popup books, and children love to tear them apart to see how they work. With the Three Little Pigs and the Secrets of a Popup Book app for the iPad ($7 ), when you touch a button you see the book’s mechanical guts. One caveat for parents of younger children: it’s a slightly harsh version of the tale. A sweeter, but less visually enthralling, alternative is the new Thomas the Train interactive iPad book, Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue ($5).
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