AUTHORS

Disruptomatic
Angela Natividad
Angela Natividad is a freelance copywriter, journalist and strategist based in Paris. She co-founded AdVerveBlog.com, a blog and podcast about ads and design, and writes MarketingProfs' “Get to the Point!: Social Media” newsletters. She likes people and animals, but not as much as books.
Tweet her @luckthelady.
James Martin
James Martin is the community manager of music & TV tradeshows midem & MIPTV/MIPCOM. He edits their respective industry news & trends blogs (blog.midem.com & mipblog.com) and also covers video games and technology for French cultural weekly A Nous Paris
Tweet him at @jamesmart_in
Stuart Dredge
Stuart Dredge is a freelance journalist based in the UK. He writes about digital music for Music Ally, and about apps and mobile for The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Appside, as well as his own Apps Playground site.
Tweet him @stuartdredge
The Bank of Tomorrow We can’t even describe how epic this is. Next week, big-player bank Banco Bradesco of Brazil will be opening Bradesco Next in São Paulo. Developed alongside technology retailer YDreams, it’s the ultimate altar to futurist commerce: Fast Company expects that the like of it won’t even appear in North America or Europe for years, and we believe it. Its perks: Biometric ATMs that respond to users’ biological features (namely, their hands). Touchscreens for all transactions which can also sync with your phone.  Smart walls that “frost” when clients come in to discuss private matters. ATM receipts sent via email. An angular setup at ATMs that makes peeking over your shoulder plenty harder. Digital avatars who provide account information. Don’t want to chat with a robot? Access an on-screen human investment specialist. Robots programmed to hover near the bank entrance to attract walk-ins when traffic is low. Interactive tables, where you can read magazines and order drinks while waiting. Additional interactive displays that walk users through lifecycle simulations for home buys, education, marriage and other major life phases. All data is wed to your biometric print, once you have an account at the bank: set your hand on the screen, and long-term savings and investment plans appear before your eyes. According to Bradesco executive director Candido Leonelli, “The challenge was to create an innovative space to interact with our clients, a place where technology would adapt to their needs and allow for interaction, something that would match our view of how the relationship between bank agencies and customers would be conducted in the future.”

The Bank of Tomorrow

We can’t even describe how epic this is. Next week, big-player bank Banco Bradesco of Brazil will be opening Bradesco Next in São Paulo. Developed alongside technology retailer YDreams, it’s the ultimate altar to futurist commerce: Fast Company expects that the like of it won’t even appear in North America or Europe for years, and we believe it.

Its perks:

  • Biometric ATMs that respond to users’ biological features (namely, their hands).
  • Touchscreens for all transactions which can also sync with your phone. 
  • Smart walls that “frost” when clients come in to discuss private matters.
  • ATM receipts sent via email.
  • An angular setup at ATMs that makes peeking over your shoulder plenty harder.
  • Digital avatars who provide account information. Don’t want to chat with a robot? Access an on-screen human investment specialist.
  • Robots programmed to hover near the bank entrance to attract walk-ins when traffic is low.
  • Interactive tables, where you can read magazines and order drinks while waiting.
  • Additional interactive displays that walk users through lifecycle simulations for home buys, education, marriage and other major life phases. All data is wed to your biometric print, once you have an account at the bank: set your hand on the screen, and long-term savings and investment plans appear before your eyes.
According to Bradesco executive director Candido Leonelli, “The challenge was to create an innovative space to interact with our clients, a place where technology would adapt to their needs and allow for interaction, something that would match our view of how the relationship between bank agencies and customers would be conducted in the future.”

(via angelanatividad)

Guitar Pee-ro, anyone?

Sorry to lower the tone again, but this is better, possibly, than Sega’s videogame urinal we got so excited about not long ago. Some jokers in Brazil have come up with a rather nifty way of grinding the axe whilst you point Percy at the porcelain. In-urinal pressure pads are pushed by your wee, generating pre-loaded classic RAWK riffs as you eliminate your pint. And as if the surprised looks of the drunk blokes in the above video aren’t priceless enough, “Guitar Pee” has another trick up its sleeve: it records your ‘interpretation’ via an iPhone app, so you can share it with your no-doubt-very-impressed mates.

The name of these tunes’ format? Wait for it… MPee3s! Utter genius :)

Alas, as our friends at evolver.fm point out, Guitar Pee exists only for men right now, and only in Brazil. Fingers crossed!