Technology: Notable Seed stories from 2009

Las Vegas, Leuven, Paris – On-demand cinema experiences at home became available to consumers in spring when LG Electronics and online movie rental company Netflix launched their new broadband HDTVs. Through the service members had access to more than 100,000 movie titles, which they could instantly watch on the LG television set.

Rapid prototyping offered a glimpse into a future where retailers might no longer need stock. Instead they would print out their three-dimensional products on demand. Studio MGX showed their rapid-prototyped designs at Design Miami this year. The homewares and furniture manufacturer demonstrated the innovative nature of this 3D printing technique with pieces that would be impossible to create with more traditional methods. Often they were produced as single piece, without seams or joints.

Meanwhile, mobile phones became increasingly sociable. Location-based mobile phone application HiMyTribe enabled people to connect to other people. The app mixed GPS technology with social networking so users could create tribes of like-minded individuals for social or business connections. The app then indicated the people nearby who fitted these descriptions. Users could then send live messages to fellow subscribers and invite them to join their tribe.