Morning study session “Poached Egg” launches to bring you the latest trends first!
Nice to meet you! I’m Kubozono, a new hire in my second month with the company.
At last, it’s my turn to take charge of the blog!!!!
This time, I would like to introduce our monthly “Poached Egg,” which was held the other day!
“Poached Egg” is a casual gathering where volunteer members from different departments and age groups get together to share anything—from recent news and trends to buzzworthy PR and promotions, and even things they are personally interested in.
Although I have only been with the company for two months, this is my second time attending “Poached Egg.” We had plenty of interesting topics again, so I would like to share a few highlights!
This time, something unprecedented happened…
Amazingly, three participants introduced the exact same thing!!! Here it is.
The “hand spinner” that has the world buzzing
https://www.j-cast.com/trend/2017/05/08297338.html?p=all
Many of you may already know about it—or even own one. It is a hot item right now, to the point that Tokyu Hands has set up a special display area for it. Using it is simple: just pinch the center with two fingers and spin it. It was originally devised in 1993 for children with muscle weakness.
Seeing is believing, so we immediately bought one online during the meeting!
I tried it myself, and the sensation of spinning it was pleasantly satisfying—so much so that it felt like it could become addictive, like spinning a pen! We will likely be seeing “hand spinners” more and more around town.
A world first! “Artificial shooting stars” in the skies over Tokyo for the Olympics
https://youtu.be/A0QpeK-Vf_k
http://www.huffingtonpost.jp/2015/12/31/-artificial-shooting-star-ale-rena-okajima_n_8898834.html
“Let’s create shooting stars in the night sky by human hands.”
At space venture company ALE Co., Ltd., they conduct daily research and development with the aim of creating shooting stars artificially, just like natural meteors. They launch a relatively compact satellite—about 50 cm square—packed with particles that serve as the “source” of shooting stars, and release those particles from space 500 km above the ground. When the particles enter the atmosphere, they emit a bright light—this is an artificial shooting star. ALE Co., Ltd. is reportedly aiming to launch this artificial shooting star service in 2018 and enliven the night sky over the Tokyo Olympics.
Will artificial shooting stars be shining in the night sky in 2020? It is exciting to think about!
Portable, edible water “Ooho!”… growing expectations as a next-generation beverage
http://www.aquaclara.co.jp/lifehack/communication/free-study-of-summer/
Ooho! (pronounced “oh-hoh”) is a mysterious, squishy object wrapped in a transparent membrane.
It was devised by three graduate students at a London art university as “portable water,” with the aim of reducing plastic bottles for the sake of the environment. Surprisingly, with a bit of practice, even children can easily make Ooho! The ingredient sodium alginate is a type of polysaccharide found in seaweed, and calcium lactate is a calcium salt of lactic acid—both are safe and used as food additives. Both can be purchased online and at some pharmacies. If you are interested, please try making it yourself and take it with you!
A bra that can detect breast cancer early
Julian Rios Cantu, an 18-year-old male student living in Mexico, has developed a bra that can detect breast cancer early. The bra he invented is equipped with 200 sensors to detect signs of breast cancer, and it is expected to help save many women’s lives.
To use it, you simply wear it for just one hour per week. The bra itself traces the surface of the breast and measures, manages, and records changes in temperature, shape, and weight. Depending on the type of cancer, as a tumor grows, blood flow increases and the area becomes warmer—allowing the device to capture those signs.
He was inspired to develop this bra out of concern for women, prompted by his mother’s struggle with breast cancer. The day when this heartfelt invention helps save women’s lives around the world may not be far off.
STOP!t: an anonymous bullying reporting app developed in the United States
STOPit is a cutting-edge reporting and consultation platform.
Through the STOPit app, users can easily report and seek advice about various incidents anonymously. For example, children can press the “HelpIt” button to ask adults for help. Also, if children see someone being bullied, they can press the “FriendIt” button to report the bullying anonymously.
In addition, if a child who is being bullied finds posts attacking them on social media, they can press the “StopIt” button to take a screenshot and submit it to trusted adults such as parents or teachers.
Children who have found it difficult to speak up and ask for help can use this app to do so easily. With the spread of social media and smartphones, bullying has become harder to bring to light; it would be encouraging if STOPit could help improve the situation, even if only a little.
Is “Gritty Woman” = tough women the global trend this year?
Getty Images, one of the world’s largest digital content companies, analyzes search and download data for millions of licensed assets, while also studying key events in media, advertising, and the art scene, to accurately predict visual trends that will shape the future.
One of the visual trends for 2017 is called “Gritty Woman.”
“Gritty Woman” represents a new image of women: tough, resilient, straightforward, and actively engaged even in challenging environments—free from conventional stereotypes about women.
It reflects that we are entering an era in which both men and women are no longer bound by notions of “masculinity” and “femininity,” and can express themselves freely.
In fact, Dove announced a new bottle design that expresses women’s true beauty—not their appearance.
A total of seven bottle types were produced, ranging from slender to rounded, with various shapes and sizes. By likening the body wash container—one of Dove’s signature products—to women’s body shapes, it suggests that beauty does not change regardless of appearance or form.
“People with model-like figures are beautiful.”
Will the time come when such long-held stereotypes change, and each person can express themselves and recognize one another’s individuality?
We believe the visual trend “Gritty Woman” will help drive that change.
That concludes Kubozono’s report!
We look forward to gathering more interesting information next time as well!
