Five Interesting Things: Today’s Scan Hits
Here are five indicators, observations or articles that caught the eye of FA futurists today.
- Toyota, GM, and other auto manufacturers are once again developing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, as technology improvements are reducing costs and calculations indicate that the cars will significantly out-perform internal combustion vehicles on emissions, even when emissions from the production of hydrogen from natural gas are included. Setting up a hydrogen distribution network remains an important barrier.
- Adam Penenberg outlines a scenario of just what life with ubiquitous augmented reality might be like.
- According to The Economist, a new generation of diesel passenger cars will outperform hybrids in fuel economy and challenge even electric vehicles. More than a dozen diesels available in Europe already outperform the Toyota Prius hybrid.
- As concerns about personal privacy in the emerging Google Glass era (not to mention the current age of the ever-present cameraphone) grow, new apps are being developed to restore some privacy controls. INTIMatic is a mobile app that automatically pixelates the faces in the pictures it takes.
- British Airways is testing new reusable baggage tags with an e-ink display. The tags can be coded to display passenger flight info via the passengers smartphone. The reusable tag could save some time for passengers (and airlines) at check-in/bag drop-off.