This photographic survey of the globe’s vending machines takes in America, Mexico, Britain and more, with Michael providing some of his expert insight on the Japanese section. In the interview he discussed the problems with the TASPO tobacco passport scheme, marketing possibilities with RFID tags, and why capsule and claw and crane vending machines are so popular.
Written by: Michael Keferl on June 10, 2009 at 6:39 pm | In NEWS | No Comments
The last time I went on Spark, the CBC Radio show on “technology and culture”, we explored the world of QR Codes. This time, host Nora Young and I talk a bit about TASPO, RFID, and the contactless future of retail.
Unfortunately, Spark decided to edit out my anti-government comments in regards to registration of smokers, but you can’t expect much out of public radio in this regard. For the record, my opposition to government regulation in smoking life has been well documented.
You can listen live today (June 10th) at 10:30 am Toronto time, subscribe to the Spark podcast, or get the mp3 of this episode by visiting their blog. I come in around the 14min mark.
Written by: Michael Keferl on October 23, 2008 at 11:42 am | In NEWS | 3 Comments
With publishing being forced to enter the digital world, the sudden boom of mobile phone novels in Japan has inspired many in the industry around the globe. We’ve been following this for some time now, and what’s going on shows the power of mobile technology in Japan, but also a culture of creativity that is often overlooked.
German ZDF television recently visited Tokyo to do a piece, and CScout Japan CEO Sven Kilian was asked to give them the rundown on mobile phone publishing from manga to Koizora.
Click below to view online (German only).
Special thanks to Natsuko Kimura, Managing Director of the KDDI DESIGNING STUDIO for letting us shoot the interview in a very suitable location.
The stars of the party, of course, were the stars of the magazine, which focused on Kyoto’s booming art/design/music scene. Music was provided by acclaimed Kyoto-based DJ Halfby and DJ Nic Jagger who flew in from Germany for the event.
You’ll have to pick up your own copy to get the full experience, but MINIInternational magazine features a broad cross-section of modern Kyoto from traditional architect Katsumi Yasuda to director Kazushige Togo, and SOUSOU footwear designer Takeshi Wakabayashi. This isn’t the typical “outsider looking in” view of Kyoto, but was written by experts who were either born in Kyoto, or have adopted it as a second home.
Thus far there’s been great coverage of the party/magazine, from press, featured artists, and attendees (See 1, 2, 3, 4) to MINI dealers here.
Stunning papercraft was on display from Eriko Horiki, a featured MINI
International artist.
Kudos to MINI Japan for their support, and Kreative Konzeption and Metropolis for putting together an amazing event with a top-notch guest list. Special thanks to Roland Hagenberg, Yoshihito Sasaguchi, and Yasuyuki Sodeoka for putting together an amazing magazine with their deep expertise on Kyoto.
Of course, many thanks to the artists and guests that came to celebrate together, as well as all of the caterers, Sfera staff and management, and all others involved in making this project a success.
It’s amazing how many people go into making a single party, but we had a great time, and hope everyone else did as well.
To sum up, here’s some more DJ Halfby for your listening pleasure.
Written by: Michael Keferl on April 7, 2008 at 9:16 pm | In NEWS | No Comments
CScout Japan Managing Director Michael Keferl was a guest on CNN Today with Kristie Lu Stout and Andrew Stevens to talk about some food trends in Japan. The focus was on our recent posts about character lunch accessories, “udon” pudding, and a new “fresh tea” bottle innovation.
Of course, the character lunches and pudding are Japan-centric (and we don’t expect to see a wave of udon pudding shops opening up either), but the bottle from Aojiru Tea has great potential for many different kinds of beverages in and out of Japan. Click the screenshot to check out the video.
Written by: Michael Keferl on January 23, 2008 at 11:33 pm | In NEWS | No Comments
CScout Japan recently spent the day with the NHK television show @Human. Before heading out to the infamous Maid Christmas Party, we hung out in Shibuya talking about trendscouting in Japan and the services/insight CScout provides to foreign clients who want to know more about the market here.
Many thanks again to NHK and everyone else involved.
