News 26.05.2022

Need to Know

A platform empowering visually impaired people, Microsoft makes data storage more carbon-friendly, and young people in MENA face an unemployment crisis.

A platform helping the visually impaired navigate the city

Dot Go, Germany

Munich – For years, object recognition apps have assisted visually impaired people to navigate the city by using the camera on their phones to identify the objects and buildings they encounter while walking in the urban environment. Taking it one step further, Dot Go is a platform that not only assists with object recognition, but connects identification with actions.

A user of the platform that encounters a bus stop, for example, can use their phone camera to identify the object and then buy a ticket or have the timetable of the service read out to them. Similarly, users who are visiting a museum can point their phones at an artwork and have the corresponding Wikipedia page read to them.

The platform goes well beyond mere identification to connect recognition to action, helping the visually impaired ‘navigate the world, find objects and automate daily tasks which enable them to lead a more independent life’. As a result, the project is giving everyday tech an inclusive overhaul.

Strategic opportunities

With so many consumers living with hidden disabilities, how can technology companies cater for consumers who need extra assistance?

This Flat Age campaign brings condoms to garden centres

The Hornicultural Society by Relate and Ogilvy, UK The Hornicultural Society by Relate and Ogilvy, UK
The Hornicultural Society by Relate and Ogilvy, UK The Hornicultural Society by Relate and Ogilvy, UK

UK – Relationship charity Relate is broaching the topic of sexual health among over-65s through an unconventional campaign. Entitled The Rise of Horniculture, the campaign features a series of vegetable-themed condom packet designs that have been displayed in independent garden centre Finchley Nurseries, alongside conventional seed packets.

Each illustrated condom packet is also a playful nods to sexually suggestive emojis, including aubergines, plums and courgettes. Through this tongue-in-cheek initiative, the campaign seeks to raise awareness of the importance of safe sex in later life, in a way that appeals to a generation that still largely feel a sense of stigma about the topic. ‘By bringing the sexual health debate to an unexpected environment like a garden centre, we’re once again trying to help break down taboos and get people up and down the country talking about the joy of later-life sex,’ says Anjula Mutanda, relationship psychotherapist and president of Relate.

This campaign also follows the charity’s previous efforts to spotlight sex and intimacy in older adults, recognising that traditional media and advertising often leans towards younger consumers.

Strategic opportunity

Wellness brands hoping to target older consumers must explore ways to normalise conversations about sex and sexual health. Consider creating accessible safe spaces that appeal to the interests of these groups

Microsoft reduces the carbon footprint of the Cloud

Washington – The multinational technology company is helping businesses reduce the environmental impact of their operations by releasing the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability.

The new programme helps companies streamline their data management, build more sustainable IT infrastructure, reduce the carbon footprint of corporate activity, and create planet-friendly value chains from top to bottom. Available from 1 June, the programme tackles the environmentally burdensome nature of data storage, which is energy-intensive and a key concern for global heating.

According to the press release, ‘Organisations can reduce their environmental impact and increase business value when they replace tools, systems or activities with more efficient options. Moving workloads to the cloud, for example, can increase both carbon and energy efficiencies.’

Consumers and businesses alike are realising that data storage, unnecessary files and even just open tabs in a browser all have a carbon impact, something which we explored in the Decarbonising Digital section in our Sustainability Report.

The WiLD Network by Guy Mills, UK

Strategic opportunity

As companies ramp up their sustainability efforts, they should encourage their employees to be conscious of the carbon footprint of data storage.

Stat: MENA’s youth unemployment is the highest in the world

A Concise Passage by Rashed Al Shashai at Desert X Alula 2020. Photography by Lance Gerber, Saudi Arabia A Concise Passage by Rashed Al Shashai at Desert X Alula 2020. Photography by Lance Gerber, Saudi Arabia

Young people living in the Middle East and North Africa are facing an unemployment crisis, which is being exacerbated by the region’s existing inequalities. Research by Unicef reveals the scale of the issue, finding that the region needs to create more than 33.3m new jobs by 2030 to be able to absorb the large number of young people entering the workforce, and to stabilise youth unemployment.

Meanwhile, the research also shows that youth unemployment in these countries is almost twice as high as the world average, and grew 2.5 times faster than the world average between 2010 and 2021. Given this situation, there is a pressing need for improved education systems in the region, with curriculums that prepare people for the changing labour market in MENA.

As we explore in our Emerging Youth: Saudi Arabia article, some young people in this region are breaking into traditionally unequal sectors. Women, for example, are now able to work as hostesses, baristas and waitresses.

Strategic opportunity

Education and careers services have an opportunity to tailor development opportunities to the needs of this region. Consider creating learning environments based around sectors such as hospitality

Previous News Articles
ITB Berlin 2025: The future of the travel experience and YouTube’s influence on tourism

News

ITB Berlin 2025: The future of the travel experience and YouTube’s influence on tourism

Day two of ITB Berlin 2025 provided insights into the shifting landscape of global travel, with industry leaders highlighting the rise of immersive...
Travel : Itb Berlin : ITB
Saint Laurent opens Sushi Park inside Parisian flagship store

News

Saint Laurent opens Sushi Park inside Parisian flagship store

Saint Laurent is expanding its footprint in the world of luxury hospitality with the opening of Sushi Park Paris, an intimate omakase dining experi...
Luxury
Stat: Podcasting goes visual as viewers embrace video-first formats

News

Stat: Podcasting goes visual as viewers embrace video-first formats

YouTube has surpassed 1bn monthly podcast viewers, reinforcing its position as a key player in the podcast sector and intensifying competition with...
Media : Streaming : Popular Culture
ITB Berlin 2025: Navigating the future of cruises, Arabian tourism and the Chinese traveller

News

ITB Berlin 2025: Navigating the future of cruises, Arabian tourism and the Chinese traveller

On the first day of ITB industry leaders tackled over-tourism, what's next for cruise travel, the evolving expectations of Chinese consumers and th...
Travel : Itb Berlin : ITB
Sony's exoskeleton tech unlocks new frontiers in human skill

News

Sony's exoskeleton tech unlocks new frontiers in human skill

Sony Computer Science Laboratories (Sony CSL) has unveiled a breakthrough training method that enables skilled performers to exceed natural physica...
Technology : Mobility : The Synthocene Era
Stat: US consumers halt spending as political boycotts reshape retail

News

Stat: US consumers halt spending as political boycotts reshape retail

A February 2025 Harris Poll reveals that four in 10 Americans are altering their spending habits based on moral and political beliefs, with 24% aba...
Retail : New Codes Of Value : US Market
LS:N Global Just Got Smarter

News

LS:N Global Just Got Smarter

Meet our new AI tool, Ember.
The Future Laboratory
Walmart levels up immersive commerce with gaming mini-series

News

Walmart levels up immersive commerce with gaming mini-series

Walmart is expanding its footprint in immersive commerce with the launch of Walmart Unlimited, a gamified mini-series developed in collaboration wi...
Retail : Gaming : Spatial
Nordstrom elevates luxury styling experience with star stylist Catherine Bloom

News

Nordstrom elevates luxury styling experience with star stylist Catherine Bloom

Luxury department store retailer Nordstrom has appointed Catherine Bloom as its first director of luxury styling.
Fashion : Retail : Luxury
Stat: PC gaming dominates as developers prioritise the platform

News

Stat: PC gaming dominates as developers prioritise the platform

The PC gaming industry continues to thrive, with 80% of game developers actively working on PC titles, more than double the percentage of those dev...
Gaming : PC Gaming Trends : Gaming Trends
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN