Ten years from now, how different will the retail experience be? Fast Company takes a look at “the recent history of how we purchase and consume air travel” as a potential model for the future. While customers used to be able to buy all-in-one sort of deals, the airline industry is now “pressured by skyrocketing fuel prices and roiling global competition,” leading to added fees and decreased services. Continue reading Is the Airline Industry a Model for the Future of Retail?

YouTube will be blocked in Egypt for 30 days after hosting an anti-Islam video that caused deadly riots. “Judge Hassouna Tawfiq ordered YouTube blocked for carrying the film, which he described as ‘offensive to Islam and the Prophet (Muhammad).’ He made the ruling in the Egyptian capital where the first protests against the film erupted last September before spreading to more than 20 countries, killing more than 50,” reports The Washington Post. Continue reading YouTube to be Blocked in Egypt for Carrying Anti-Islam Film

Talk of a smartwatch from Apple is heating up as the electronics giant is reportedly experimenting with wristwatch-like devices designed with curved glass, according to people familiar with the efforts. The watch would operate on Apple’s iOS platform and would be based in the company’s understanding of how this type of glass can curve around the human body. Apple declined to comment on such plans. Continue reading Update: More Speculation Emerges About an Apple Smartwatch

BI Intelligence reviewed year-end data to identify anticipated trends in the mobile industry for the upcoming year. Research analyst Alex Cocotas published a slide deck for “The Year Ahead in Mobile,” which notes that more than 2.5 billion people were online by the end of 2012 (about 35 percent of the global population). Mobile currently accounts for 15 percent of worldwide Internet traffic, and is expected to top 25 percent by the end of 2013. Continue reading BI Forecast Predicts Mobile Growth, but Sees Changes Ahead

Samsung has announced a pair of new Galaxy smartphones aimed at the lower-end of the market. The Galaxy Young and the Galaxy Fame, expected to land in emerging markets, will come in either single-SIM or dual-SIM configurations. The announcement comes weeks before the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where pricing and availability may be revealed. Rumors suggest the company is also readying a new flagship phone that enables touchless gestures. Continue reading Samsung to Release Smartphones Aimed at Emerging Markets

“It’s a compelling proposition: all the power and application compatibility of a laptop running a proper desktop operating system, all the portability and convenience of a tablet, all mixed together in one package,” writes Engadget in its in-depth review of the Microsoft Surface Pro. But there were some drawbacks with the previous Surface for Windows RT. Chief among them: app selection. Will the Surface Pro be different? Continue reading Microsoft Hopes to Merge Laptop and Tablet with Surface Pro

The future of search may have very little to do with traditional search. “Rather, next-generation applications will surface the information we need when we need it — whether we know we need it or not,” writes GigaOM. “We’re talking about doing a video chat, sending an email or just surfing the Web, and seeing relevant content appear before your eyes.” The article refers to the model as “anticipatory computing” or “information gravitation.” Continue reading Information Gravitation: A More Personalized Search Future

Zynga social game “FarmVille” is getting its own half-hour animated TV series. The news follows Rovio’s announcement that it plans to release short, animated episodes this spring based on its popular “Angry Birds” game characters. “Together, the shows will test whether addictive video games with thin plots can translate into enjoyable programming for children,” suggests Quartz. Continue reading Two Popular Video Games Announce Plans for Animated Shows

Filmmaker Simon Klose released his documentary on the founders of The Pirate Bay last week. “TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard” follows the founders over a four year period of time, through their ongoing legal struggles, technical issues and battles with large corporations. In an interview with The Verge, Klose shares his thoughts about online piracy, file-sharing, Kim Dotcom, politics and international copyright laws. Continue reading Pirate Bay Documentary Filmmaker on Politics of File-Sharing

Netscape creator Marc Andreessen, who has invested in successful ventures such as Pinterest and Foursquare, recently discussed his views on the future of commerce. The tech investor believes traditional retail stores will die off, while e-commerce stores will be the only way people shop in the future. He expects a big shift in the next three to four years, a different view from those who suggest innovation in e-commerce is slowing. Continue reading Netscape Founder Predicts the Death of Traditional Retail

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office granted Amazon a broad patent that covers a “secondary market for digital objects,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. “According to the text of the patent, which Amazon first applied for in May 2009, digital objects not only include e-books, but also ‘audio, video, computer applications, etc.’ that are purchased from an original vendor.” Will a new market for used digital content have legal implications? Continue reading Legal: Amazon Granted Patent Regarding Used Digital Content

Google and Disney have teamed with UK app and Web developer Unit 9 to launch a Chrome Experiment to promote Disney’s upcoming film, “Oz the Great and Powerful.” Wired describes it as “Hollywood marketing machine meets tech evangelism in the future of online storytelling.” The project illustrates “the sort of immersive experiences possible when using Web technologies such as WebGL, CSS3, WebAudio, WebRTC, and other HTML5 tools.” Continue reading Disney and Google Launch Stunning Immersive Chrome Project

Google announced plans for its Trekker project last October. And last week, it revealed the first results with “some of the most detailed and amazing interactive imagery of the Grand Canyon, as promised, showing off Google’s vision for how the world can be catalogued and detailed for everyone’s daily tasks and travels,” writes TechCrunch. These images are now showing up on Google Maps for public availability. Continue reading Google Maps Goes Off Road with Impressive Trekker Project

MIT has launched the new “Initiative for the Digital Economy” to address the impact of existing and emerging digital technologies. The initiative’s three primary objectives are to analyze the potential of digital technologies to change businesses, the economy, and society; to engage students and faculty in programs related to the digital revolution; and to make practical recommendations to industry leaders and policymakers regarding the digital economy. Continue reading MIT Initiative Explores Impact of Emerging Digital Economy

The streaming music service Deezer has announced partnerships with Samsung, Toshiba and LG that could possibly make the Deezer app available to some 600 million people across more than 150 countries. However, the deals are limited in scope since Deezer will initially only be available on Samsung smart TV models produced from 2011 (Europe only) and LG models from 2011 (worldwide). Deezer does not have a deal in place for the U.S. Continue reading Deezer Expands Global Music Streaming with Smart TV Deals