Sitting in Miami

I'm at the Future Trends 09 conference in Miami and, like usual, my brain is whirling over the content presented. I know that tonight's sleep won't knock everything out of the park, but I want to share a few thoughts in case I do start forgetting during REM.

Tom L. from Coca Cola was my favorite part of the day. From his presentation, I learned that every brand should try to associate themselves with HAPPINESS. Coke is focused on happiness, optimism, and egalitarianism. Not a bad trio. Tom's job is to provide human insights (biology, ergonomics, and psychological motivations) and cultural insights (macroforces, worldviews, and trends) for the executive team at Coke.

From Tom's list of books, I pulled a few that I really want to read:
Cluetrain Manifesto can be read online for free HERE
A Whole New Mind has a website HERE
How We Decide can be found HERE
A few more would be How Brands Become Icons, The Substance of Style, and Well Being.

Tom also informed us about The Story of Stuff, which I'll be sure to watch after this post. It's basically a 20-minute cartoon explaining production and consumption patterns, supposedly very well made. It's had over 7million views.

IBM talked about a focus on the wholeness of existence. They mentioned a successful innovation session that netted 46,000 ideas, in which they're spending $100 million on the top ten.

American Apparel talked about global ecommerce. I didn't know much about the brand before, but now I'll be looking for it. They've got a great success story. I meant to ask why they chose to go with their own online store instead of using Amazon.com, but time seemed limited.

Kelley Styring talked about working for the band The Crash Moderns. She had some great thoughts about how to run different campaigns. She says, "Don't control it. Let it happen." and "Celebrate what your fans do for you." She talked about how putting your audience in your content will ensure that it gets spread.

Mike Arauz told us about some cool new things that are either already out, or will be out soon. My favorite was augmented reality. Think about pointing your phone's camera at a city skyline and some program showing you information based on what the camera is pointed at. It could be used for apartment shopping or thousands of other applications.

Lastly, Olga from Nestle talked about Nanotechnology. It was cool, but way over our heads. In the next 10 years, Olga believes that we'll have nano-coatings, nano-encapsulation, nano-sensors, and nano-food processors.

From 10 to 25 years from now, she says there will be ways to manipulate atoms with a molecular assembler and showed us a cool video on the Nokia Morph (HERE). She also talked about food like in the Jetsons, where it's in pill sized form and can be manipulated to create an entire meal. However, there is still a big question around nanotechnology being safe for human consumption.

So, with Day 0 wrapped up, I'm ready for Day 1. Let the conference begin. Hopefully I'll have enough motivation and energy to post the results from Day 1 tomorrow night.

Trend Report Sept. 2009

Here's a little something that I sent to my co-workers about some new news and new innovative products.

The videos for the Water Filtration and Microsoft's vision of the future are my favorite parts of the report.

Developmental Aid Flow

Cost of Living Comparison

Lunching Ladies

Among working women, % who say each factor is the most important to them when they eat lunch.

What does lunch mean to them?

Where do they get their food?

What do they bring for lunch?

Source: Working Mother reader poll for Oscar Meyer

Using Social Media

Top 10 Corporations using Social Media according to Social Media Leaders in North America, February 2009

1. Zappos.com

2. Obama campaign and Presidency

3. CNN

4. Comcast ("Comcast Cares")

5. JetBlue

6. Dell

7. Burger King

8. NPR

9. The New York Times

10. Ford Motor Co.

Source: Abrams Research, "Social Media Survey," February 17, 2009

Financial Crime

What do they buy?

Welcome People of the World!

Using Water

Who's got the Money?

Using our Resources

Political Conflicts

No more fish?

Virtual Pirates

Global Refugees

Biggest Bankruptcies

Global Green Efforts

Income vs. Debt

Humans and Animals

The Big Garbage Patch

Chep Flights

Burning Calories

Man vs. Car - Burning Fuel

THE COST EFFICIENCY OF TRANSPORTATION

World Currencies in the Recession

Why do people use the Internet?

The Summer of ‘69 vs. the Summer of ‘09

Much has changed since the legendary summer of 1969, both socially and economically. To analyze the variance in purchasing power between then and now, we have compared a number of popular consumer products by price that are still relevant today. The figures from 1969 have been adjusted for inflation to give us a better idea of what the actual cost of each item would be in today’s economy. Given the bleak financial outlook which faces us this coming summer, it does us all a bit of good to look back with nostalgia on a time of blissful optimism and free love.

Note: Prices from 1969 are inflation-adjusted!

Top 10 Food & Beverage Ideas for 2009

1. Healthy snacks, delivered by mail in serving sizes (link)
2. 2. Taste lab restaurant lets you add flavor to their meals (link)
3. 3. Honey without the mess (link)
4. 4. Adopt a Maine lobster trap (link)
5. 5. Wine tastings via Twitter (link)
6. 6. Next-gen chocolate makers (link)
7. 7. Balloon-enabled pizza picnic delivery (link)
8. 8. Wine by the trial-sized tube (link)
9. 9. Bakery focuses on bite-size treats (link)
10. 10. A customized cup of coffee (link)

Source: Springwise.com

Simplicity

Daniel Pink, author of “A Whole New Mind,” frequently asks his audiences if they have a “mini-storage” locker. After many hands shoot up, he asks one audience member if they can tell what they have in that storage unit, and sheepishly most admit it’s just “stuff.”

Our world is inundated with stuff. And the toll of all this stuff on the environment was well documented by Annie Leonard. So from a macro perspective, the global slowdown is having a positive effect on the accumulation of stuff. And therein lies a virtue worth preserving.

Simplicity means companies should no longer inundate us with 72 different TV sets, as Samsung just did at CES, when half that amount will do. A reduced inventory will not only have a positive impact on the environment but simplify the lives of already overwhelmed consumers.

The enemy of simplicity is complexity. Complex financial instruments, called collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), were chiefly responsible for the financial meltdown. Of course the CDOs were very opaque in nature and far from transparent.

We suggest that as part of this platform, simplicity be promoted as a virtue to help boost overall efficiency and productivity. It’s a recurring theme throughout this innovation platform.

Source: Ubercool.com

Parental food police: Too much of a good thing?

WHAT'S HAPPENING
Cultivating healthy eating habits? Good. Policing kids' food too zealously? Not so good. Too many dietary restrictions can make kids so anxious they wind up with eating disorders, experts warn.

Though there are no formal studies, eating-disorder specialists report a rise in young “orthorexics” — kids who are unhealthfully obsessed with health foods.
“It's almost a fear of dying, a fear of illness, like a delusional view of foods,” says Lisa Dorfman, director of sports nutrition at the University of Miami. “I see 5 year olds that speak like 40 year olds. They can't eat an Oreo cookie without being concerned about trans fats.”

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
Moderation in all things. While there's no denying the importance of healthy eating — especially in a culture plagued by childhood obesity — parents need to guard against raising anxious foodaphobes.
With food allergies on the rise, mealtimes are already a minefield. No sense making them any scarier than they have to be. Sensible eating that allows a little wiggle room seems like a smart approach.
Good news for “bad” food purveyors. The pendulum's swinging your way.

Source: Iconoculture.com

Top Macrotrends Around the World

Dollars and Sense
Wits and thrift score savvy buys for spenders, whatever their budget.

Friends and Family
Even though the structure of family has shifted, our need for all it provides is constant.

Technomorphing
The effects of warp-speed technological change transforming jobs, lives, and the world, and the translation of that change into human terms.

SustainAbilities
How long will the planet and its resources last? Consumers and businesses are increasingly choosing sustainable means and ways.

Control Freak
Consumers on the prowl for total control of environments, property, time, safety and wellbeing.

Beauty Mark
Passion for the pleasures of personal beauty and physical health; based on the belief that looking good and feeling good go hand-in-hand.

En Vogue
The constant craving for “cool,” style, and design in all areas of life; material acquisition is an opportunity for personal expression.

Gross National Happiness
A mindset that seeks authentic happiness through a blend of personal pleasure, trusted connections and a practical sense of a greater purpose.

Wellville
A holistic (mind, body, spirit) approach to living that seeks total wellbeing through balance within self, community and world.

Cultural ID
The active recognition, affirmation and celebration of cultural affiliations we are born into, as well as the ones we choose.

Culture Shock
A global atmosphere of social and cultural uneasiness is emerging as indigenous institutions, rituals, customs and beliefs are challenged.

Get Real
Grounded firmly in reality — Get Real laughs in the face of convoluted lifestyles and contrived media messages that mangle what consumers really want.

Oh, Baby!
Unabashed, unashamed expressions of sexuality demonstrated through fashion, cosmetics, entertainment and media; the empowerment to create your own sexual identity.

Joie de Vivre
Quest for pure, enduring, simple joys of life rooted in sensuality, aesthetics and earthly delights.

Beehiving
The growth of tight-knit, alternative communities, countering the fragmentation we feel in other areas of social and national life.

Source: Iconoculture.com

Genetically Modified Foods

Genetically modified foods have not been able to gain any more support in Germany over the last five years.

Even practical advantages such as a longer shelf life cannot convince the majority (51%) of consumers to buy genetically modified foods; only 7% would say “yes” to such foods.

A third (33%) is still undecided and state that they would “maybe” consume the foods.

Other possible advantages of genetic engineering also fail to attract consumers. Thus only 8% would definitely buy their favorite fruits if the taste could be improved through genetic engineering, the huge majority would still give it a miss.

The results of the study can be found at: http://www2.dialego.de/studien.0.html?&size=&L=3

THE KEYS TO NEW PRODUCT SUCCESS

Most executives in the housewares industry would agree that one of the most important critical success factors is new products: the development and introduction of a steady stream of new and/or improved products and line extensions.

60% of survey respondents reported that their companies had introduced more than 75 new products in the past five years.

Less than 10% of the more than 75 new products introduced by each company in the past five years met the company's success criteria.

Successful new products offer unique benefits/features to the consumer and are superior to competing products in the eyes of the consumer.

If you are not satisfied with a success rate of less than 10%, if you want to increase your chances of new product success, there are two things you must do:

1. You must implement and rigorously follow a systematic, disciplined process for developing new products
2. You must systematically integrate consumer research into the new product development process so that the products you develop offer unique benefits/features to the consumer and are superior to competing products in the eyes of the consumer.

Source: Riedel Marketing Group

App Turns iPhone into Credit Card Terminal

As if phones didn't already do enough, one of the latest mobile apps transforms iPhones and iPod Touches into portable charge card terminals.

ProcessAway allows entrepreneurs to accept credit card payments anywhere.

Customers receive an email receipt for each transaction, and merchants can view transactions and process refunds on the fly.

Aware that consumers might be weary of having their credit card details punched into a phone, information is never stored in the phone and the program won't connect to anything other than the terminal.

This could be particularly useful for those who need to process and authorize payments on-the-go.

ProcessAway is available from Apple's App Store for $19.99.

ProcessAway isn't the only one playing this field: Innerfence released its slightly more basic Credit Card Terminal app late last year.

Although both programs are currently only available in the US, they could be a valuable tool for minipreneurs in other parts of the world.

Marketing to Women - Datafile

One in four moms aren't taking a vacation this year, and 29% will be taking fewer vacations than in a typical year.

One in five women earn more than twice their significant other's salary.

61% of women say they have become more interested in coupons and rebates.

Two thirds of American women (64%) feel financially independent, compared to 80% of French women and 76% of British women.

39% of women have responded to mobile ads versus 29% of men

Due to the economy, women are more likely than men to cut back on shopping (40% vs. 31%), weekend outings (34% vs. 30%), and going out to dinner (39% vs. 36%).

One in four moms (25%) use Twitter.

Source: epmcom.com

Research Alert

83% of travelers have difficulty maintaining a healthy lifestyle when they're away from home.

59% of workers think there's a chance they'll get laid off in the coming months.

90% of shoppers are sacrificing some items they would have bought prior to the economic downturn.

58% of consumers are very concerned about rising food prices.

49% of grocery shoppers are buying items on sale more often than they did six months ago.

Customers who participate in rewards programs are 70% more likely to recommend a product, service, or brand than the general population.

60% of workers over age 60 believe they'll need to delay retirement because of money they've lost during the economic downturn, with 73% of those saying they'll need to work an additional six years to recoup what they've lost.

Source: epmcom.com

Agroplast All-in-One: Plastic from pig pee

Agroplast makes urea, a chemical for plastics, that’s identical to millions of tons sold every year. The one difference: This urea comes from pig urine instead of fossil fuels. The All-in-One collector sits under grates in farms, robotically strains out the urine before it turns into stinky ammonia, and filters out urea. Equipping pens nationwide could meet all the U.S.’s urea needs. agroplast.info

Economic Trends 1-8-09

The American economy finished 2008 in miserable style. The Institute for Supply Managers index of non-manufacturing businesses was 40.6 in December—a number below 50 indicates a contraction. That was better than expected, but the second-worst reading ever. The Commerce Department reported that factory orders had fallen by 4.6% in November, their fourth monthly fall.

America saw a 4% fall in the National Association of Realtors November index of pending home resales—when a contract has been agreed on, but not completed. The index showed severe falls in the north-eastern United States.

Consumer price inflation in the euro area slowed to 1.6% from 2.1% in November, according to the European Union’s statisticians. The reduction, on lower oil prices and weak consumer demand, took the figure below the European Central Bank’s target—below, but close to, 2%—for the first time since August 2007.

German unemployment climbed to 3.18m in December. The rise, of 18,000, was small, but it was the first in almost three years. Economists are predicting a large number of job losses in the year ahead.

In the year to December British house prices fell by 15.9%, according to Nationwide Building Society.

Taiwan’s central bank cut interest rates by half a point, to 1.5%, after a record fall in the country’s exports last month.

Economic Trends 1-1-09

The housing bust in America shows few signs of bottoming out. Sales of lived-in homes fell by 8.6% in November, according to the National Association of Realtors. At November’s depressed pace, it would take 11.2 months to clear the stock of unsold houses—up from 10.3 months in October and matching the peak in April. The median resale price for homes dropped by 13.2% in the year to November, a record decline. Sales of new homes fell by 2.9% in November.

Japan’s recession is deepening. Industrial production plunged by 8.1% in November, the biggest monthly fall for more than half a century. The unemployment rate rose from 3.7% in October to 3.9% in November; consumer-price inflation fell from 1.7% to 1%.

Businessmen in Italy have rarely been more gloomy, according to ISAE, a Rome research group. Its index of business confidence fell for a seventh consecutive month in December. An index of business confidence in Belgium, seen as a good guide to conditions across the euro area, slumped to its lowest level since the series began in 1980.

Britain’s current-account deficit widened to £7.7 billion in the third quarter, around 2.1% of GDP. The deficit in the second quarter was revised from £11.0 billion to £6.4 billion.

China’s central bank cut its benchmark lending rate by 27 basis points (hundredths of a percentage point) to 5.31% on December 22nd, the fifth reduction in three months. A day later Poland’s central bank cut its main interest rate from 5.75% to 5%.

Economic Trends 12-4-2008

Global manufacturing is shrinking fast. In America, the Institute for Supply Management’s index plunged from 38.9 to 36.2, the lowest level since 1982 (a reading below 50 indicates activity is falling). The weakness was mirrored by comparable surveys of purchasing managers in other rich countries. The manufacturing index in the euro area fell to 35.6, a low for the 11-year survey; Britain’s dropped to 34.4, also a record low, while the index in Japan fell to 36.7.

America’s recession became official. The panel of economists that dates American business cycles declared that the downturn started in December 2007.

Australia’s central bank cut its policy interest rate by a percentage point, to 4.25%, on December 2nd. New Zealand’s central bank cut rates by one and a half points, to 5%, on December 4th. Thai rates were reduced by a percentage point, to 2.75%.

Consumer price inflation in the euro area fell from 3.2% to 2.1% in November, according to a provisional estimate. The unemployment rate edged up to 7.7% in October. The jobless rate rose in France and Spain, but was stable in Germany. Retail sales fell by 0.8% in October; they were 2.1% lower than a year earlier. Sales in Germany fell by 1.6% in the month; in Spain they dropped by 2.3%.

In Britain only 32,000 mortgages were approved for house purchase in October, said the Bank of England. The number matched August’s record low and was almost two-thirds below the level of a year earlier.

Top 20 crime-ridden U.S. cities - 2008

1. New Orleans, LA
2. Camden, NJ
3. Detroit, MI
4. St. Louis, MO
5. Oakland, CA
6. Flint, MI
7. Gary, IN
8. Birmingham, AL
9. Richmond, CA
10. North Charleston, SC
11. Cleveland, OH
12. Baltimore, MD
13. Miami Gardens, FL
14. Memphis, TN
15. Youngstown, OH
16. Atlanta, GA
17. Compton, CA
18. Orlando, FL
19. Little Rock, AR
20. Minneapolis, MN

Economic Trends 11-21-08

Consumer prices in America fell by 1% in October, the largest monthly fall since the price series began in 1947. Much of the decline reflected falling energy costs: the price of petrol fell by 14.2% and fuel-oil prices dropped by 8.8%. The measure of “core” consumer prices, which excludes food and energy costs, was 0.1% lower than in September, the first monthly fall since 1982. America’s industrial production rose by 1.3% in October, reversing only part of the 3.7% drop in September, when hurricanes had disrupted oil and gas production.

The already sickly American housing market took a turn for the worse. Housing starts fell by 4.5% in October to their lowest level since 1959, and applications for permits to build homes plunged by 12%. The National Association of Home Builders said confidence among its members slumped in November.

GDP in Japan fell by 0.1% in the third quarter, following a 0.9% drop in the second quarter. Much of the weakness was due to a drop in private-sector investment.

Britain’s annual consumer-price inflation rate fell from 5.2% in September to 4.5% in October, the first decline in 14 months. All nine members of the Bank of England’s monetary-policy committee voted for a cut in interest rates of 1.5 percentage points on November 6th, according to the minutes of the meeting. The committee judged that more cuts would probably be needed in the coming months to stop inflation from falling too far below the government’s 2% target.

Economic Trends 11-6-08

A clutch of business surveys suggests that the world economy is turning down sharply. In America the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index plunged in October to 38.9, the lowest reading since 1982. A reading below 50 indicates falling activity. The index for non-manufacturing fell from 50.2 to 44.4. In the euro area the purchasing managers’ index (PMI), based on surveys of buyers in manufacturing and service industries, dropped from 46.9 to 43.6, the lowest reading since the survey began in 1998. Britain’s manufacturing PMI edged up to 41.5 and the index for services fell from 46.0 to 42.4.

Australia’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate from 6% to 5.25% on November 4th. The Reserve Bank of India reduced its key interest rate by half a percentage point, to 7.5%, less than a fortnight after it had taken the rate down from 9% to 8%. Vietnam’s central bank reduced its main interest rate from 13% to 12%.

Consumer-price inflation in the euro area fell from 3.6% to 3.2% in October, according to a preliminary estimate. Retail sales fell by 0.2% in September, leaving them 1.6 lower than a year earlier.

Britain’s manufacturing output fell for a seventh consecutive month in September.

Analysts have slashed their forecasts for GDP growth and inflation, according to The Economist’s monthly poll of forecasters. The economies of America, the euro area and Britain are now expected to shrink next year.

Economic Trends 10-23-08

China’s economy is gradually slowing. GDP rose by 9% in the year to the third quarter, down from 10.1% in the year to the second quarter, and the weakest growth rate for five years. Consumer-price inflation fell further, from 4.9% to 4.6%, in September.

Canada’s central bank lowered its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 2.25%, on October 21st. The cut came two weeks after it had reduced rates by half a percentage point in concert with other central banks. The bank said that "some further monetary stimulus" would probably be needed to prevent medium-term inflation from falling below its 2% target.

The pound fell to a five-year low against the dollar, after the Bank of England’s governor said that Britain was entering a recession. Fears of a deep downturn were raised by a gloomy survey from the Confederation of British Industry. Its measure of business optimism fell more in October than at any time since 1980.

The Reserve Bank of India cut its main interest rate by one percentage point, to 8%, to ward off a booming slowdown. It was the first cut since 2004.

Vietnam’s central bank reduced its benchmark interest rate by one percentage point, to 13%.

Consumer-price inflation in Australia rose from 4.5% to 5.0% in the third quarter, the highest rate since 2001.

Economic Trends 10-16-08

World stockmarkets veered between relief at the rescue of many countries’ banks and alarm at the prospects for the world economy. The MSCI world index rose by 9.3% on Monday October 13th, only to fall by 7.1% two days later.

America’s economy looked particularly weak. The value of retail sales fell by 1.2% in September, following a 0.4% fall in August. Car sales fell by 4.2% in September, leaving them 20.2% lower than a year earlier.

Oil prices continued to slide. The price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate blend closed below $80 for the first time in a year.

Iceland’s central bank slashed its benchmark interest rate from 15.5% to 12%. It said the collapse in the country’s banking system would produce a "very sharp" recession.

Britain’s unemployment rate, based on a survey of households, was 5.7% in the three months to August, up sharply from 5.2% in the previous quarter. Consumer-price inflation rose to a 16-year high of 5.2% in September, but is expected to fall back soon.

Norway’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 0.5 percentage points, to 5.25%, with effect from October 16th.

Industrial production in the euro area rose by 1.1% in August, following three consecutive months when it fell. Despite this sharp rise, output in August was 0.7% lower it had been a year earlier.

Economic Trends 10-9-08

In a co-ordinated action, the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank (ECB), together with the central banks of Britain, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland, cut their benchmark interest rates by half a percentage point on October 8th. The Bank of Japan expressed its support, but kept its rate at 0.5%. The reduction took the Fed's key rate down to 1.5%. The ECB's main interest rate was lowered to 3.75%, the first cut since 2003. Britain's benchmark rate fell to 4.5%, Canada's to 2.5% and Sweden's to 4.25%. Switzerland's range came down to 2-3%.

On the same day, China's central bank reduced its main lending rate by 27 basis points (hundredths of a percentage point), to 6.93%, its second cut in the past month. It also reduced the share of deposits that banks must keep as reserves at the central bank, by 50 basis points.

Solar Robotic Lawnmower

from Springwise.com

Sweden's Husqvarna has introduced the world's first solar/electric hybrid robot lawnmower, which has no exhaust emissions and uses approximately the same amount of energy as a standard light bulb. From an ECO-ICONIC point of view, we obviously love its very visible solar panel, earning owners respect from neighbors, visitors and passers-by.

Eye Majic

from Trendwatching.com

More innovations from the ‘not going to bring about world peace but clever nevertheless’ category: US based colorOn and Australian Eye Majic have both introduced press-on eyeshadow kits. The kits allow consumers to instantly apply professionally created eyeshadow designs without applicators or mess. Each single-use kit is applied to the eyelid using a pre-prepared strip that contains a variety of matched and blended colors. Pressing the strip to the eyelid transfers the colors onto the eyelid in just the right shades, creating a look much like one a professional make-up artist might have created.

5 Star Baby

from Springwise.com

5starbaby.com offers personalized birth announcements fashioned after movie posters. Each movie poster birth announcement is tailor-made for the new arrival, complete with all the critical stats about the baby’s birth and the names of loved ones as "supporting cast." Parents are listed as "producers," the doctor is named as "director" and the hospital is listed as the "filmed in" setting, for example. "Critics' quotes" can also be included, as can "catering" by the mother and options for virtually any other special people or ideas the parents want to include.

Red Espresso

from Trendwatching.com

A healthier alternative to the ongoing coffee craze: espresso made from red tea. South African red espresso uses Rooibos which is grown wild and hand-harvested from a single farm at the highest altitudes in South Africa's Cedarberg Mountains. A patented cut and method of preparation give red espresso richer flavor, color and health properties than regular Rooibos, yet it is still naturally caffeine-free and is claimed to contain five times more antioxidants than green tea—a full ten times more than regular Rooibos tea itself. Like coffee-based espresso, it can also be made into lattes and cappuccino-style drinks

Mastihashops

from Trendwatching.com

Founded by the Chios Gum Mastic Growers Association, Mastihashops carry everything from mastiha-flavoured coffee, biscuits and liqueur, to toothpaste, cosmetics and chewing gum (mastiha is an ancient commodity, made from resin of the mastic tree, which is mainly cultivated on the Greek island of Chios). Now, Mastihashop has made its way to New York, its first retail outpost west of Greece. The shop, located at 145 Orchard Street, sells an extensive range of edible goods and skincare products, from the raw material—'tears' of mastic resin—to mastiha eye cream. Singapore or São Paulo to follow?

Blyk

Springwise.com covered mobile virtual network operator Blyk both before and just after its launch last year. For those who have been wondering how the company is doing, last week it reported that it had reached 100,000 members in Britain in just six months. Blyk targets 16- to 24-year-olds with its free mobile phone service, which includes 217 texts and 43 minutes every month. In exchange, of course, they get advertising—up to 6 messages sent to their phones each day. Britain's youth don't seem to mind—Blyk reached that 100,000-member target six months ahead of schedule. Blyk will launch in the Netherlands in the second half of 2008, followed by Germany, Spain and Belgium in 2009.

The Shadow Notebook

from Trendwatching.com

The Shadow Notebook is a five-subject notebook that is co-branded with participating colleges and universities across the US and distributed by the school at the start of each semester. The university's logo appears on the cover, and pages of school-related maps and information are included within. Thirteen four-color, full-page advertisements, meanwhile, act as subject dividers in each notebook, giving advertisers the means to engage students. Students carry the notebooks with them throughout the day over the course of a semester, which from the advertiser's perspective amounts to 96 impressions over a four-month period, ABS says. So far, about 700,000 notebooks have been distributed to college students at campuses nationwide. Also check out GPA Media, a similar play.

Stylish Fire Protection

From Springwise.com

The Safety Box is designed to provide complete fire protection in a single package, and it comes in six different versions tailored to different usage contexts. But the fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, fire blankets and torchlights included aren't just ordinary versions of those items. Rather, they have been revamped for a modern, attractive look. The Safety Box Design, for example, includes fire extinguisher and Snap Alarm in black or white; black-and-white fire blanket in a modern, botanical design; plus an extra wall-mountable optical smoke detector. The Safety Box Exclusive, meanwhile, includes a chrome option for the fire extinguisher, while the Safety Box Kid includes a Snap Alarm in pink or blue and a fire blanket suitable for children. Pricing begins at SEK 1095 (USD 185 / EUR 115); versions for cars and boats are also available.

There will always be a need for functional products like fire protection devices, but there's nothing to say they can't be upgraded with a splash of colour and design and sold at a similarly upgraded price. FireInvent is interested in signing up retailers—one to bring to a market near you?

M&M's Faces takes gravanity to another level

from Springwise.com

M&M's has taken its personalization service, which allows customers to pick colors and have texts and logos printed on M&M's, a step further by enabling customers to have their own likeness printed on the candy. M&M's Faces lets customers upload one or two photos, pick their colors and add up to two different texts to be printed on separate M&M's. Using a simple interface, they can zoom in or out to select which part of a photo they want to use. A 'graphic specialist' then tweaks the photo file, creating a sketch-like rendition that looks good on small pieces of candy.

Brass Knuckle Umbrella

According to the design page, this brass knuckle umbrella or "Umbuster" was categorized as a class 5 weapon by the Victorian Police—the primary law enforcement agency in Victoria Australia. That would make it illegal to own there without a license.

Vinho Verde, a wine bottle with built in glasses

A truly great idea, or a truly dangerous one? Perfect for oenophiles, or perfect for winos? This bottle by designer Viktor Pucsek lands smack in the middle of all those questions: it's a wine bottle with built-in "glasses." The idea of Vinho Verde is that you pop-off the portable paper cups, which also double as labels, for when you want a sip or two.

FootLume glowing rug solves midnight stubbed toe problem

The FootLume carpet design is basically a high-tech rug with electroluminescent lights and weight sensors. As you stroll across your bedroom in the dark on your way to, you know, get a drink of water, the rechargeable rug lights up to guide you on your way. No bright light to wake your sleeping partner, fewer stubbed toes. Designed by two students at London South Bank University, the prototype was shown at the Ideal Homes show in the hopes of attracting a manufacturer.

Canoflauge

Just because you are stuck at work doesn't mean you can't get boozed up! Thanks to these canoflauge vinyl can wraps, you can discreetly hide your alcohol problem behind an "inconspicuous" soft drink facade. So the next time someone asks what you are drinking, you can say "why, I am enjoying a harmless thirst-quenching can of skunkpiss thank you." Other covers include: Risk, Peski and Mt. Spew. The full set will set you back $5.89. PrankPlace

Over the Counter DNA Test

After home pregnancy kits revolutionized stick peeing from an office to a home affair, the door was opened to the general public performing previously lab-only work on their own toilets. Identigene and Rite Aid have taken it one step further, allowing you to tell whether or not that kid is yours with a simple $29.99 kit (plus $119 lab fee) that includes three mouth-rubbing swabs. Results are obtained in the longest three to five business days you've ever experienced, but if you want a result that's actually "court admissible", you'll have to pay an another additional fee.

Tall Towers

Metrolla Strolla: Baby Stroller Gets Some Height Added

The stroller has undergone a radical redesign with this concept by designers Dan Levin and Evan Garrett, which places the baby passenger at almost normal eye-height. The design has sprung legs for ride comfort, and the seat unplugs so you can mount it easily on your bike too. Seems like a great idea, and frees the kid from having to look at endless sets of legs or ceilings rolling by, like in many normal strollers. But I can't help but worry that it looks very top-heavy, and a topple from that height would be terrifying. Might just need bigger, badder wheels.

360 degree mirror

The 360 Degree Mirror saves you from constantly twisting your neck while you style your hair by featuring a seven panel 360 view that makes all angles visible simultaneously.

Although the product targets girls, I think guys who cut their own hair can really use it as well.

Of course you don’t need such a big mirror all the time, so the panels can be folded for a compact design.

The central mirror illuminates using three AAA batteries.

The 9 x 6 x 2 1/2” mirror mounts with suction cups or screws and sells for $40.

Make Your Own Perfume Parties

In the US, companies like Urban Botanic hosting home parties to make custom perfumes. Sales reps bring over a suitcase and unpack 66 little bottles of scented oils for consumers to pick their scents. The sales rep is trained on mixing the oils into a perfumes, body lotions, shower gel/hand soap, and bubble bath mixes. If the consumer creates a mix they don’t like, they don’t have to buy it. If they like it, then they pay prices ranging from $12.50 for the bubble bath or shower gel to $24.95 for the perfume.

Nokia’s innovative Morph phone concept

•Nokia’s Morph, a multifunctioning, shape-shifting conceptual device debuted in the Museum of Modern Art’s “Design and the Elastic Mind” exhibit.

•An animated video shows off Morph’s mind-boggling possibilities as the object evolves from a cellphone into a Bluetooth-and-wristwatch combination thanks to a body made of “nanoscale mesh fibers” that enable it to stretch and divide itself.

•As if shape-shifting wasn’t enough, the Morph also self-cleans its “super-hydrophobic” surface, recharges itself on the fly via solar power and even detects noxious chemicals in the air (Nokia.com 3.1.08).

•For now the Morph is only a concept, but Nokia says some of its design elements will appear in high-end products within the next seven years.

Honey without the mess

Island Abbey Foods, of Prince Edward Island, Canada, has come out with a dried honey drop, equivalent to a teaspoon of the sticky stuff, that you can hold in your hand, drop in your tea or pop in your mouth. Released in January, the drops are made with pure Honibe honey from PEI, with no artificial colouring, flavouring or preservatives. The drops have a shelf life of one year and are available in two flavours: pure honey, or honey and lemon. Pricing is CDN 11.99 for a box of 20, which makes for a very premium alternative to sugar cubes.

Global Skin Tones

Company Presence

Subliminal exposure to the Disney Channel logo made a subject group "behave more honestly" than those subliminally exposed to the E! Channel logo, according to a Duke University/University of Waterloo study.

Obesitity in the United States

CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR AN ANIMATED VIEW: 1985-2005

The Price of Liquids

Shadow Advertising

Quick Notes

• Sports-related video content accounted for 35% of all online TV streams and downloads in 2007, reports Screen Digest. The research firm expects the category to be the single-biggest driver of online video consumption in the years to come.

• Apple is now the country's second-largest music retailer, behind Wal-Mart, according to NPD Group data. The company has logged 50 million iTunes customers to date, selling 20 million songs on Christmas Day 2007 alone.

• Digital music sales will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 23% over the next five years - reaching $4.8 billion in revenue by 2012 - but will fail to make up for the continuing steady decline in CD sales, says Forrester.

Intellifit - Virtual Fitting Room

Take the frustration out of shopping on the web with Intellifit, the virtual fitting room. This free service helps internet shoppers find their closest fit in a variety of clothing brands to help them shop with ease.

At seven feet wide and eight feet high, the tubular kiosk invites users to stand, fully clothed, inside a glass chamber as more than 200,000 data points are assessed by a wand.

Not only does it decrease your chances of having to ship and return merchandise to retailers, but it is also very efficient. It takes a mere 10 seconds to get measured.

The Shoe Wheel

The Shoe Wheel is the brainchild of designer Danilo Torro, who after 13 years in the garment business, eagerly sought to create his own product that would be free from the capricious nature of the apparel industry. Seeking a better way to organize his family's shoes, he came up with a brilliant idea to design a storage system that would simply make their life easier. This creative challenge fostered a four-year passion to develop The Shoe Wheel, which can hold up to 30 pairs of shoes.

Ultra Fast Coffee Maker

Two cups of coffee take a mere half minute to prepare, and the resulting cups supposedly taste better than conventional drip machines, espresso makers, and french presses. Making your own cup is deceptively simple - just mix your coffee grounds and water for 10 seconds and air press the grounds via a filter for another twenty seconds. The lower water temperatures, coupled with a decreased filter time are supposed to result in a less acidic and smoother brew.

Turbo Chef Oven

Don’t want to spend all day cooking? Do you want to cook that Thanksgiving turkey in 12 minutes instead of 12 hours? Then the Turbo Chef Oven is for you. Airspeed technology cooks food 15 times faster than a conventional oven, making light work of the most difficult culinary challenges.

Microvision

Microvision has a patented mini display that will project DVD quality images from one to eight feet large. So picture this, you download your favorite DVD or TV program, or hook your iPod to this gadget and then play it anywhere there is a flat surface for the image.

Earbuds

Designed by Nascar fan, Laura Victore of Victore NYC, Ladybuds are earrings that double as reusable, noise-cancelling earphones. I wouldn’t be surprised if other designers followed suit with all manner of cute danglies that are just as functional and irresistible.

Start your car from anywhere

The latest and most advanced vehicle security and remote start solution, C3 is a cell phone-based vehicle communication system. C3 telematics module integrates a quad-band GSM cellular system and GPS tracking system providing the user with a cell phone remote commander for security, remote start and GPS tracking without adding extra minutes to the user's cell phone. Winner of the 2008 CES Best of Innovations Award!

Glowing Cats

from trendhunter.com

Glowing Cats - Genetic Clones With Skin that Glows (VIDEO)

Scientists have genetically cloned kitties to make them glow in the dark. In short, the researchers have developed a methodology for harnessing florescent protein in the skin. And they glow Red under ultraviolet light! Cool Kitty. The experiment has a good cause: to deal with genetic diseases in ani… [More]

Candy Cane Shot Glasses

from trendhunter.com

Minty Sweet Holiday Drinks - Candy Cane Shot Glasses

Celebrate the season with extra sweet holiday drinks by sipping from these Candy Cane shot glasses. These glasses add a sweet minty flavour to your favorite shooters while keeping your breath minty fresh. They are made out of 100% edible candy canes so you won't have to worry about cleaning those p… [More]

USB Electronic Zippo

from Trendhunter.com

This Zippo-resembling lighter has no flame, and charges via USB port. The silver lighter is intended to function like a regular lighter, but without the hazards posed by an actual flame.

So what good is it? Well, if you’re a smoker, it’ll do the trick by lighting cigarettes with resistance coils, just like a car lighter.

Branded by logos from the Kool cigarette company, it goes beyond sparking smokes, the USB also containing some flash memory. Unfortunately, it’s still only in concept stage, but looks pretty nifty nonetheless.

Springwise.com

Here are some new trends from Sprinwise.com

Handywomen take on construction
Homes & housing

When it comes to building or renovating homes or office spaces, consumers in the UK can now opt to forgo the handyman and call in a team of handywomen instead.

Vending goes organic
Food & beverage

Combining three unremitting consumer trends—convenience, organics and health—YoZone by YoNaturals is a vending machine dedicated to organic food and beverages.

Scoring for simpler comparison shopping
Media & publishing

A consumer review site that combines Web 2.0 community features with expert commentary in a way that could herald a new method of comparison shopping.

Tupperware-style tasting parties for foodies
Food & beverage

In a new twist on the direct sales model made popular by Tupperware, My Secret Kitchen brings something to parties that every event needs: great food.

Ridesharing with a social twist
Automotive

By combining a ride-matching function with the reassurance of user profiles, sites like Zimride and isanyonegoingto.com eliminate much of the apprehension surrounding carpooling with strangers.

Food orders by text message | Update
Telecom & mobile

GoMobo, which launched in NYC last year, just announced that they're expanding their SMS food ordering service to other major cities in the US, enabling customers everywhere to skip the long lunch line.

A British TripAdvisor for parents-to-be
Life hacks

Babyfy provides reviews of baby products and of hospitals and the services they provide. From the ratio of Caesareans to natural births, to parking conditions and the maternity ward's visiting hours.

Helping travellers help local organisations
Non-profit, social cause

Travellers have the potential to bring supplies to underfunded non- profits everywhere, but usually don't know what's needed until they've arrived. StuffYourRucksack hopes to solve that problem.

Roadside toolkits for women
Automotive

After years of being ignored, female drivers are finally recognized by the auto industry as an important part of the market. Emerging product category: women-specific automotive tools.

On-demand air service cleared for take-off
Transportation

DayJet announced that it has received authorization from the FAA to use very light jets for its on-demand air carrier service. But their planes aren't they only thing that makes the fledgling carrier stand out.

Uber Trends

What are today's Uber Trends?

Click Here for my presentation.

Fountain of Youth

from ubercool.com

Most children born today will live to be over 100 years old. As a result, “middle age” now sets in later. In fact, 60s are the new 40s, a trend that has garnered its own name: middlessence or troisième age (third age) in France. If anything, the trend suggests that we now have to take much better care of ourselves, which is the fundamental force behind the Fountain of Youth Ubertrend.

With two full generations to live longer than just 100 years ago, aging boomers will lead to a doubling of the 65+ population in the next 25 years. And while a U.S. government demographic study found that fewer than one in five men 65 and older were part of the labor force in 2003, compared to nearly half the men that age in 1950, financially stretched boomers may have to keep working way beyond 70. Not surprisingly, 69% of boomers said they plan to keep working beyond age 65, according to a September 2002 AARP study.

But boomers are not the only demographic driving the Fountain of Youth. A beauty-oriented and celebrity-obsessed culture has led to such odd phenomena as teenagers getting breast lifts. These combined forces are spurring a beauty and rejuvenation industry that’s estimated to be a $62-plus billion U.S. market.

Spas and Medspas

from ubercool.com

The stresses of modern living have driven record numbers to spas. Between 1999 and 2003, spa revenues more than doubled, zooming from $5 billion to $11.2 billion, while the number of spa outlets jumped from 5,300 in 1999 to 12,100, according to a January 2005 report by the International SPA Association.

Spas are a $40 billion global industry and the fourth-largest U.S. leisure industry, taking in more revenue than ski resorts, amusement parks and box office receipts, Frommers.com reported in May 2006.

Consumers no longer see spa visits as “pampering,” which explains why men make up 24% of spa clientele. High-end spas have also begun adding such services as Botox injections, chemical peels, collagen and dermabrasion to their regular regimen of pampering for women and men, a trend that accelerated after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the cosmetic use of Botox in April 2002, leading to the emergence of “medspas.”

The International SPA Association also reports that the medical-spa niche grew faster than any segment of the U.S. spa industry from 2002 to 2004, growing 109% vs. 26% for the U.S. spa industry as a whole.

The Association says 471 U.S. spas offered medical treatments in 2004, ranging from day spas that sell Botox shots to destination resorts offering diagnosis and treatment by board-certified physicians. The International Medical Spa Association now puts the number of such spas at more than 1,000.

Wine Tasting Party Kit

Turn your next party into a first-class event. Wine bottles are slipped into velveteen wine bags. After tasting each wine, guests write their descriptions on scorecards. Even if no one correctly identifies the wine, engaging conversation is guaranteed, and everyone will leave with a better grasp of the facets of wine tasting. Includes 3 velveteen wine bags, wine glass identifiers, 12 pencils, 12 invitations, “Quick Facts” sheet, rating pad. Wine not included.

Flavored Canned Oxygen

from trendhunter.com

A product that not only exceeds the oxygen content of many of the stationary oxygen bars, but one that tastes good: Big Ox canned oxygen. Launched in May of 2006, Big Ox delivers a pure, refreshing blast of 89 percent oxygen-enriched air in every can – the “normal” air we breathe only provides 21 percent oxygen. In addition, Big Ox is the only oxygen product formulated with a patented flavor cap that releases refreshing Big Ox flavors, such as Mountain Mint, Tropical Breeze, Polar Rush and Citrus Blast, simultaneously but separately from the oxygen in the can ensuring the product is received in its purest form. Today, Big Ox is carried at retail stores, spas, gyms and golf clubs nationwide.

Nintendacising Health Clubs and Retirement Homes

From trendhunter.com

Studio 55 in Vancouver has incorporated a Nintendo Wii workout station into circuit training where users can punch, run and jump with the system's movement-sensitive controller.While some other gyms have combined stationary bikes with PlayStations and Xboxes in a bid to win younger clients, a spokesman for Nintendo Canada said this is the first they have heard of a gym using the Wii in its schedule. At the Sedgebrook retirement community in Lincolnshire, where the average age is 77, something unexpected has been transpiring since Christmas. The residents, most of whom have never picked up a video game controller in their life, suddenly can't put the things down. "I've never been into video games," said 72-year-old Flora Dierbach last week as her husband took a twirl with the Nintendo Wii's bowling game. "But this is addictive." The Wii has become so popular at Sedgebrook that on Sunday afternoon there will be a video game bowling tournament in the lounge. More than 20 residents have signed up to compete. (news.yahoo)

Emerging Majority - random facts

1. The number of Latino voters has grown nearly 50% in the past decade, reports the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

2. More than six in 10 Blacks (61%) have low trust in society, compared to 53% of Hispanics and 41% of whites, according to an index created by Pew Research Center based on questions about whether people try to take advantage of others, if they are mostly looking out for themselves, and whether people can be trusted in general.

3. Three of the five most common surnames of homebuyers in the U.S. are Hispanic, according to DataQuick.

4. Black women (95%) are more likely than White women (83%) to have a checking account solely in their name, per the Women in Black and White study by researchers Paula Penn-Nabrit and Leslie Morgan Steiner.

5. The Asian television viewing population will reach 34.8 million by 2050; that's more than two and a half times its current size, reports Nielsen Media Research.

Ms. Dewey

http://www.msdewey.com/

Ms. Dewey is a viral marketing campaign started by Microsoft in October, 2006. It also refers to the character of the same name, who is the campaign's main subject. The Ms. Dewey website is an Adobe Flash-based experimental interface for Windows Live Search. The interface features a modern-looking cityscape as a backdrop with the character on the left side, while the search results appear on the right.

Ms. Dewey appears to be an interactive search assistant who audibly comments on searched keywords in her own style and makes random actions when idle, including taking props from behind her desk. The responses actually consist of about 600 video clips recorded over a period of three days.

Microsoft is not overtly marketing the website, and appears to be relying on media coverage to draw users in. Janina Gavankar plays the role of the Ms. Dewey character.

Working women revisited

After years in the work force, women -- and especially mothers -- are revisiting everything from flex time to dinner time as the pendulum swings back to find center. A watershed study linked women's entrance into the workforce in the 1970's with a significant decline in children's diets, including the onset of Juvenile Diabetes, childhood obesity and other health implications. This is resulting in more Americans committing to eating dinner at home together at least three times a week, to working women looking for healthy convenience in snacking and meals solutions, both home and away-from-home.

Magazine on a Bottle

Thanks to Springwise.com

Coca-Cola Belgium will be the first soft drink company to use the Magazine on a Bottle concept. On Product Publishing, which created the innovative labelling technology, worked closely with Coca-Cola Belgium to adapt the labels to Coke's iconic curvy bottle.

The first bottles of Coca-Cola Light with GLAM*IT mini-mag attached will be on the shelves in April 2007. Published by Sanoma, GLAM*IT is a Belgian fashion and beauty magazine targeted to a young, female audience. Which makes for a good fit with Light/Diet Coke buyers. As stated by Mie Van der Auwera, editor of GLAM*IT: "Adapting editorial content for another brand is only credible if brand values mutually match. In the case of Coca-Cola Light and GLAM*IT that was no problem. That's why it results in a powerful communication tool for both brands." The removable 24-page magazine is a 'light' version of GLAM*IT, featuring typical content for the mag, but reduced to fit the bottle.

Joanna Wojtalik, OPP's inventor, explains the concept's goal: "On Product Publishing is all about broadening and targeting content delivery by using the mass market reach of an FMCG distribution network. The OPP label allows Coca-Cola to place more content directly on its product and thereby enhance the relationship its consumers have with the brand at the point of purchase". More FMCG publishing to follow?

Computers Can Now Say If Your Face Is Beautiful or Not

Thanks to Trendhunter.com

Two Australian scientists have developed a new program which can determine if you are beautiful or not. The program uses facial measurements and compares your face to those of more than 200 images of models and actors. “They gathered 215 images of women of different ages, levels of attractiveness and origins, including photographs of Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The images were shown to a mixed gender, multi-racial panel of 50 volunteers who gave each face a rating of between one and 10. Using a digital pictures, anyone can now ask for the software’s opinion regarding their level of beauty in just a matter of seconds.”

The scientists suggest that potential applications exist in the entertainment industry, cosmetics and plastic surgery.

Environpreneurship

Thanks to Trendhunter.com

If “Green Business” (by any other name) means business embracing the concepts of environmentalism, then Enviropreneurship (ENVP) means environmentalists learning the concepts of business. ENVP is about “bringing market principles to resolve environmental problems.” It encourages market-based solutions to environmental problems by educating environmentalists principles of economics and market.

It’s on the opposite end of the Economics-Environment spectrum to Social Entrepreneurship.

So ENVP is not when the local factory incorporates green productions methods, but when the Greenpeace folks learn market principles. Either way, it puts business and environment in one bed, ending a long divorce.

The Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) holds an Enviropreneur Camp in Montana State University and offers programs for journalists, academics, conservation leaders, and other stakeholders.

A revolutionary concept that should replace confrontational activism with solution-oriented approach to environmental protection.

Microfinancing

Thanks to Trendhunter.com

Fofoa Ekuata is a plantation owner in Samoa. She needs US$ 875/- to buy a box of Cramoxon, a pest management system. She is asking for help via Kiva.org, a website where anyone can be a banker to the poor.

It’s not charity, it’s investment. Entrepreneurs vetted by on-ground NGOs are presented on Kiva. Lender give small loans - as small as US$ 25. A pool of lenders fulfills the entire need of the entrepreneur. Progress is monitored. Once profitable, the borrowers start paying back. Lenders can withdraw or loan again. The loan cycle remains in motion. Everybody wins.

This scheme has worked beautifully for many. Hak Sophan, a woman caterer from Combodia, borrowed US$ 700 for house repair in April 2006. She has since repaired her house, and invested US$ 200 in her business. She has paid back the loan in full.

So you don’t have to wait to be Muhammad Younus to help the poor. Log on to Kiva.org, pick an entrepreneur, read their story, and start lending away through your credit card!

Twitter

There's a new-to-me website out there called Twitter. I think that it will be big, especially with younger people who text on their cell phones. The website is like a blog, but the person only sends a couple of lines about what they are doing right now. People can Twitter from their cell phones. At first, I thought that it was pointless, but then I saw John Edwards' Twitter page. It shows what he is doing on the campaign trail and it's interesting to see what he is doing throughout the day. You can check it out at Twitter.com.

6.2 Million Young-With-Money Households

According to a new report by The Media Audit, there are 23.2 million adults in the 87 metropolitan markets, regularly surveyed by The Media Audit, with annual household incomes of $100,000 or more, and 6.2 million are between the ages of 18 and 34.

Bob Jordan, president of International Demographics, producing The Media Audit, notes that "There are more, by both percent and actual number, adults with six figure incomes under the age of 35 than there are over the age of 54."

Among all those with six figure incomes:

• 26.6 percent, or 6.2 million, are under the age of 35
• 19 percent, or 4.4 million, are over the age of 54.
• There are 43.8 million adults under age 35, and 39.8 million over age 54 in the markets measured
• Eighteen percent of the "young with money" are age 18 - 20
• 18.9 percent are 21- 24
• 63.2 percent of the "young with money" are 25 - 34
• Of the 6.2 million 18 - 34 year olds with six figure incomes, 60.9 percent are men and 39.1 are women.

Jordan says, "The gender differences ...are in spite of the fact that the women are more inclined to have a college degree. Fifty six percent of 18-34 year old women earning $100,000 or more have one or more degrees. Just 46 percent of men in the category have one or more college degrees."

In addition, 16.4 percent of men and 17.6 percent of women in the "young with money" group have advanced degrees. Men also get to the $100,000 income level quicker. Among women, 15.6 percent are 18 - 20 and 19.4 percent of men are in the same age group.

In spite of the gender differences, however, women buy more house. In the young with money group:

• 46.5 percent of women have homes valued at $300,000 or more. Among
• Men in the group, 42.2 percent have homes valued at $300,000 or more
• 80.7 percent of women in this group own their own home, compared with 74.3 percent of men

Approximately, says the report:

• 58.3 percent the "young with money" group are Caucasian
• 9.7 percent are African-American
• 15.3 percent are Hispanic
• 12.7 percent are Asian