Tag: iot

Categories
Fashion Feature Technology

Connected at Digital X

Digital X in Cologne, the digitalization event started by German Telekom hits the mark for technology gatherings.  On September 18th and 19th, brands, experts and press discuss topics concerning: cybersecurity, sustainability, connected business and future of work. 

The fifty thousand attendees moved from one staging area to another talking to individuals and teams concerning the future of digital interaction.

I found it a bit contradictory, the topic of Connected Business as many technology companies are requiring return to offices. Since the Covid Lockdowns, Virtual, Augmented and Immersive Reality devices and gadgets have advance rapidly.  Apple’s Vision Pro, Meta’s Quest and Microsoft’s HoloLens are being promoted as the next generation of tech headsets. 

The Huawei IdeaHub ES2 introduced me to the Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) term.  The hardware is compatible with Zoom and Microsoft Teams platforms for distanced collaborations.  The smart whiteboard, camera and speaker/voice incorporate Z-Tech technology.  The applications for this technology go beyond corporate office usage.  The educational potential is boundless. Higher learning is about to get disrupted. Schools and universities could use the entire hardware system and platforms digital classes, eliminated the need for physical classes.  Students log in to a session with an instructor and can download the lecture via a QR code.

Digital X
IBM and fashion on display at Digital X

Curiously, giant IBM offered a fashion and tech melody.  The US company works with clothing brands an AI profile matrix for brands to better understand customer needs and purchasing habits.  Given the poor financial health of online sales platforms, maybe this could help, but I have a few doubts.

I would like to write better about start-ups area in Cologne; however, Germany is still a country trying to embrace the business trend while trying to stay in the risk adverse box. Originality requires going out on a limb.  Many of the ideas at the different booths seemed more safe copies of tried concepts.

Schedule Digital X on your tech calendar for 2025, this get together is well worth the time.

Categories
Fashion Technology

Digital X

Digital X from Cologne

After attending my first Digital X technology gathering in Cologne, the first impression, German Telekom knows how to put together a great interactive event.

Media Center
Digital X from Cologne
Cinedom
Digital X from Cologne
Rudolfplatz
Digital X from Cologne
Digital X Shuttle
Digital X from Cologne
Media Center Cologne
Digital X from Cologne
Polestar
Digital X from Cologne
A view of the tower

Stay tuned for more coverage on Digital X.

Categories
Feature

The Future of Getting There

Part 2 of the Black and Paper exclusive interview with Tamy Ribeiro on the future of mobility.   

I decided to shift the conversation from the challenges faced as a woman in the field, to ask her expert opinions on the future of mobility and our interaction with cars.  

We met at the Shift Automotive Conference during IFA Berlin.  How will Driverless Cars transform society? Will driving become more leisurely? 

Personally owned cars sit idle 95% of the time. There are pain points for insurance, licensing, parking, etc. With self-driving mobility as a service, people will have transportation at their fingertips with zero friction points. This will transform many aspects of our lives in a positive way. Not to mention the fact that reduced time spent behind the wheel frees up a lot of time for entertainment, news, radio, reading a book or anything else a passenger might feel like doing when they don’t have to focus on the road. So in that way, driving will absolutely become more leisurely.

  • Tamy Ribeiro

Out With the Old 

Cars will have to be designed differently.

Absolutely. When it comes to transportation as we know it today, there is huge potential to improve transportation with their current design. However, autonomous vehicles will bring new mobility services to the ecosystem, and in this case, new concepts will be developed. 

The design of a car will no longer be about making life easy for the driver, but rather for the passenger.  Which is what we’ll all become when we no longer have the need to have our hands on the steering wheel. That means extra focus can be given to comfort and entertainment, making being in the car a more leisure activity. 

Driverless cars have been a part of Sci Fi Films.  Reality seems trickier. 

Autonomous driving is one of the hardest challenges mankind has ever faced. It is a moonshot that needs to be worked on every day. Waymo, for example, is a leader in the market and has over 16M kilometers of driving on public roads and 16B kilometers of simulation. Still, they prioritize launching in regions where they can drive safely.  For those that are not aware of the complexity of driverless cars, cities like New York or Berlin would be the first choice when analysing market potential. However, Waymo is currently operating in Phoenix to learn, while adding more capability and geographical reach each month. It’ll be decades before self-driving cars are all over the roads.

Based in Hamburg, Germany, Amy Ribeiro is the Chief Mobility Evangelist  and Head of Partnerships for Wunder Mobility.  

Categories
Technology

IFA DAY 2

Samsung showed off its technical prowess by unveiling its highly anticipated Galaxy Foldable Smartphone. A welecome design change to the market in my opionion. I saw the new phone from a far. The display counter was chalked full of tech  press waiting to get their hands on it. 

The Korean Brand also showed off a closet steamer for clothing care. As a fashion editor, I gave it a thumbs up.

Stay tuned for more IFA highlights. 

Categories
Fashion

IFA DAY 1

IFA Berlin started today. The important consumer electronics fair kicked off in the capital city with the theme “Innovation”. Over 1800 exhibitors display gadgets and devices of all shapes and sizes spread over 27 halls.

The overall news in the tech sector is not positive. Sales of certain consumer electronics products have declined due to economic headwinds and market saturation. Smartphones and heavy appliances purchases have slipped. On the positive front, small appliances and gaming machines saw a big increase consumer buys.  

A Connected Kitchen
Curry for Lunch 
Tech Housecleaner 
IFA BERLIN 

On the lighter side, while having lunch I met an Argentine start-up head developing pastry pods. Over the next few days I hope to stop by the stand to try the chocolate recipe. Mr. Cordoba promised me the ingredients are natural and tasty.  Baking time takes 10 minutes in a small oven.  I am curious . Stay tuned for more on this subject. 

IFA Berlin continues until Sept .

Categories
Fashion Technology

Style is a Click Away

Outfittery is a successful Berlin based start-up company founded launched in 2012 by Anna Alex and Julia Bosch. With 300 employees and over 500.000 customers it has become a model of merging fashion and technology with premium customer service.

Black and Paper sat down for an exclusive interview with Outfittery co-founder Anna Alex at her office in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. 

The Interview 

What inspired you to start Outfittery?

We were inspired by a trip to New York.  A friend of ours, a successful business man, booked a personal shopper; it was common there but not in Germany.  He was very happy with this experience.    It took him a few hours. He was well-dressed and extremely satisfied.

We started to think how could we transfer this type of customer experience to the online world with the advantages of e-commerce.

Did you have a background in fashion?

No, we did not.  We worked for Zalando.  E-commerce was our background.  The people with fashion knowledge are our stylists.

Why do people shop online?

In my opinion it is about convenience, easy, and fast.  Our clients really appreciate the convenience.    They do not have to shop or look over many blue shirts.  We have the right shirt for them.

Who are your typical clients?

Busy business men who are between the ages of 30 to 50, many with families.  They have one thing in common, they want to look good.

How do you compare shopping online to being in a brick and mortar store?

Outfittery is a creative shopping space. We do not see ourselves as an online world or a brick and mortar world. We combine the best of both words. We take the personal service and contact of the physical store and combine it with the convenience of the online world.

We do not overwhelm the clients like so many stores and sites.  We provide what is relevant to the buyer.

Are there certain preferences your clients like?

Many of our customers are looking for an outfit for a particular occasion.  We have a wide selection of looks from sporty to casual chic.

A quick word

 

Have you had demanding clients?

All of our clients are demanding.  (Small Laughter) They should be!   They have high expectations.  In a certain way a friendship develops between the stylists and the clients.  For the first box sent to the client, the selections may not be perfect, but by the second or third box everything is usually 100% right.

What has surprised you the most since starting this company?

We did not think men liked talking about fashion so we gave the stylist guidelines; all initial client calls should be no longer than 5 minutes. Then we got feedback from our clients.  They liked the conversations with the stylists and wanted more time to talk about their preferences.  For example; some said they played football and wanted more leg room in their pants. Our stylists learned many details in longer conversations.

Is Outfittery a tech brand or a fashion brand?

That is a good question. It is neither.  Outfittery combines fashion knowledge with the support of technology and data.

As a woman has it been hard setting up a startup business?

Setting up a start-up is difficult regardless if the founder is a man or a woman.  It is true, there are too few women setting up companies and there are a lack of role models.   In the German and Berlin start up scene there are some strong women running their own companies.  I am very happy about this and extremely supportive.

Who is your favorite fashion Designer?

I like Scandinavian designers and styles but I am always changing styles.  At Outfittery we like to take on young brands.  It is exciting discovery new labels and fashion designers.

For more information go to: Outfittery