RFID  is a means of identifying a person or object using a radio frequency transmission.

How it works :

You put a Tag (or electronic label) composed of a Miniature Radio Antenna and a Chip on a person or object .When this tag approach a reader up to 10 meters even at a speed of 100k/H , it sends its information by Radio Frequence, which can be read on a Computer 

It has been extensively used in applications such as toll collection, access control, ticketing, and car immobilization devices .

 Some examples of use in France: Navigo replacing  la Carte Orange from RATP , Telepeage System  Liber-T on Motorways.

Logistics companies are using it more and more frequently as well as the health and pharmacy industry, Indentity Control ( ID , Pasports), Food Industry (to ensure the origin and tracability of what you eat).. Luxury Industry (Perfums, Bags , Clothes start marking their products to stop  fakes )

The tags that were originally too expensive to be used  widely , are now  decreasing in price . More and more companies are looking at it.

Very soon you will go at your supermarket and will not need to queue at the cashier, all your articles will be  read at once  in a second .

What about RFID on people?

A company Allied Digital Solutions has developped a tag that can be directly intsalled under your Skin. the American FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has validated this product , already in use on animals and some american hospital would already  have ordered the system for their patients. The tag has a size of a rice grain.

A Disco in Barcelona the Baja Beach Club has proposed and tested implants on volunteer clients.  

So are you ready to be Tagged ??? Look at 33 Amazing RFID applications on:

 http://www.rfidlowdown.com/2006/09/33_ways_rfid_ha.html

Emmanuel Facovi

I would like to uncover here some tips  learned during my "livings" and experiences abroad

lets start with   Japan " how to behave in society or business"

and first:

-Do not say "NO",

Say  "Maybe or I will think of it or hummm!", it is almost the same .Very often when Japaneese  do not understand or disagree something ,they put their hand in front of their face and move it soflty right and left.

-Never contradict directly your interlocutor in public , you will make him loose face which is a kind of way of insulting him. Honour is something of the foundation of japaneese culture.Appearance is more important than Truth

-Do not call someone with his first name , always use his last name + San

-Avoid physical contact (exept maybe handshakind but prefer the bending)  Never put your hand or arm on someone's shoulder. Do not look japaneese straight in the eyes.

-Do not open doors to women or do not let them enter somewhere before you (as frenchman quite sorry to have to folllow this rule). When I lived in Japan I was quite chocked in the companies I worked to see how generally women were ordered , and how they were running to proceed what they were asked. This was 10 years backwards I hope it is changing

-Do not make big gestures or speak loudly 

-Do not complimente someone in public

- Bring a Gift (omiyage) but not too important ones (It would appear as corruption). Give it with your two hands like your vivit cards and bend.

-Take your shoes off when entering by someone.(there is always slippers waiting for you)

If you are invited, before starting your meal say  "thank you " ("itadakimasu") Do not play with you sticks and do not use the same sticks for serving and eating. Do not leave yous stick in your food.

- Smile  (but with respect) , Meals are often the occasion of very good laughtings. Try to learn some basics in Japaneese you can be sure they will love it and it will make them laugh (I learned Japaneese 2 years and even my japaneese was very poor it opened great opportunities with them). If you are a women put your hand over you face when you laught

Firsto f all to communicate properly in Japan , you have to keep a very high control of your emotions. Japaneese do not like someone showing its feelings or acting differently from "the group". The communication follow a formal path and to act differently is consider as unpolite.

Japaneese hate conflicts, whenever possible they try to find a good compromise.

These advises are not always or fully in use amoung the young generation who act and react west style, anyway following this would certainly give you better chance to be welcome in Japan.  

I would like to recommend interesting view of Japan: The excellent movie "Lost in Translation" (from Sofia Coppola with Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray  ) and the books "Stupeur et tremblement"  (Amelie Nothomb) and "Geisha" (Arthur Golden)

After Speed Dating ... High Speed dating (in train)?

 This Summer a new concept has been launch by IDTGV the web affiliate of SNCF (french Railways). The passengers who book the High Speed Train Ticket online place an Add on the Website to meet and date other passengers in the train. 

Surveying the profile of its passengers on the high Speed Trains in France, SNCF and IDTGV realized that he is a 35  websurfer  ,travel alone (69% of them) , and wish to meet and exchange with other passengers during the (even short) journey.

This leaded to developp a new service named IDTGVandCo that permit to select and meet passengers  traveling  on the same train prior and during the trip.

How does it works?

After buying you ticket online you get a file number that permit to access to the service.

From then you put your profile online by responding to a questionnaire and can place and/or consult adds from other passengers in this train.

3 main areas of interest are displayed : Entertainement (Gaming/Movies..) , Exchange of Knowledges/Competences (Business , Hobbies) , Goog Tips (Travel, Visits, Services)

There is a moderator that look at the adds making sure that their is no offenses or unpurposed messages.

You can then reveive email alerts once new profile come on the site or someone try to contact you.

Once you have found someone of interest you can get in contact with him, start to communicate on internet  then meet in the train.

In the train ,you are welcomed by supervisors.  There are reserved areas where you can seat face to face and ...enjoy the meeting.

What does it Cost

To get in contact with one other passenger 1,5 Euros or 5 Euros for unlimited contacts.

The service is aimed to further extension, maybe targeting Business professionals or other customer segments.

Behind the well-shaped intention of sharing interest during a trip  the service will for sure create dating opportunities, and who know if in some time from now there will not be wedding trains...

If you tried this service please share your experience. In the U.S some kind of similar service permit you to select who you will seat next on airplanes, the communication era is now converging transportatiion and relationships.

 How to continue being creative in New Designs when you are  Making Consumer  or High Tech product?

 Some of commonly branded companies have understood that the collaborative way might be the best  to achieve both customer attraction and innovations.

My 15 years experience with Nokia is that  from the very early stage of the company , as part of customer intimacy, Club Nokia were created to have customers sharing their ideas.

For Geeks also Nokia opened Tech platforms giving Engineers the opportunity to participate to new development and software enhancements. This was done on the Symbian Soft used on Nokia. 

As an example of this practice, Nokia organizes Design contest, last year it took place in Belgium . To incentive a large number of participants, winners are getting opportunity to win latest Nokia Phones.The winner of 2005 is a Turkish Designer and his proposal was the clever Wrist-Tie Phone name Nokia 888 (see picture)

Year before Nokia release the Lipstick type phone for Women , model 7280 

Let’s Guess that we may very soon wear this new Band-Wrist Phones and Nokia enjoy further success avoiding large R/D and Design expenditure.

So the Mobile Phone is definitly a fashion accessory today,  will soon be part of Milan, Paris or New York Haute Couture Fashion scene with bags and jewels.

Smart Marketing Communication , Clever Customer Intimacy, Bright Financial Approach.

 Emmanuel Facovi

In March I went for a two weeks business trips in Boston, Dallas and other places.

Night out in some of the hip places; I discovered in the Pink Martini Club of Philadelphia the new Drink phenomenon.

Expecting these beautiful fox to go for Champagne , Martini, Gins, Cocktails but!!!

" -What ! You don’t know this? It is definitely the World s Best Vodka, and this is French!!!!! Natural, in cocktail or flavoured it is THE DRINK IN USA"

At first the girls from Sex in the city and their fans Urbans, VIPs, Models, Actors, Happy Few, Clubbers, Business addicts, College students, Geeks, Trend Girls , all go for it!

I am well knowledgeable about famous Russian brands, but  French Vodka, what can it be?  In the USA it is obvious.

Made in the Cognac region this Vodka has clearly used a very smart marketing strategy.

A brilliant Bottle design, with specific shape and colours, featuring Mountains, Water, Purity, Freedom

The Image of Top Quality with best natural ingredients, the use of French natural waters, wheat processed by the Maitre de Chais from Cognac Francois Thibault

A flavoured taste on choice also with Lemon, Orange or Vanilla, and You can drink it in milk or fruit drinks, straight up, or with rocks

A  High Price, the sign of exclusivity and success in not less than 30 $

A Unique web site, http://www.greygoosevodka.com

In near Cognac “Gensac-la-Pallue” two lines bottling respectively 7.000 and 12.000 bottles an hour with. 20 employees.

How did they promote the Grey Goose ? simply by inviting American journalists to a Concorde Trip from New York to Bordeaux .

Let’s guess that this clever ideas maybe is a baby of the Absolut Vodka from , who start to market different type of Vodkas with Fruits and a different bottle design.

Grey goose already top ranks in Number 40 of all drinks in the world with 2,5 million boxes a year, and was sold by the 84 years old Billionaire Sidney Frank to Baccardi.Group  for some 2 billion $ in 2004 . Cooking books with Grey goose Vodka are blooming , Cucumber Soup with Grey Goose Vodka is already a must

That s marketing….!  

Apres Hong Kong, le Salon Clusters 2006, les Rencontres Mondiales des Pôles de compétitivité se tiendra à Lyon du 9 au 13 Octobre , en présence et avec l'intervention de personnalités  economiques et politiques( Thierry Breton, Francois Loos, Michael Porter...)
Au programme , Conférences ,visite de Pôles de compétitivité de la région Rhone Alpes, Ateliers et Forum.

For years you have been said to switch off your cell phone  in airplanes before take off.

....and most of the airlines adding that using a cell phone will disturb the plane electronic equipment and why not .... create a CRASH !!! 

I have been working with specialist of  embarqued electronics , I have been working with Nokia for over 10 years  and none of the R/D people could ever confirm any risk of interferences between cell phones and  equipment. The level of shielding of the equipment is such that the only think you could interefere with is the stewardess brain :-)

Anyway, a revolution in the airline 's world with Ryanair, the Irish budget airlines. The low cost Airline find an interesting way to generate new revenues.

Ryanair  announced it will begin to offer cellular service on its planes in mid-2007. If the plan is approved by European regulatory bodies, the airline will outfit 50 of its jets with the OnAir service next year, and will install the service in the rest of its fleet in 2008.

Other airlines apart from Ryanair have expressed an interest in the system with Air France-KLM the first airline set to start trials of the service in February 2007.

Something that may please businessmen and others, but make the one sitting around you  very noisy.

would you use your own phone to place calls, send text messages or your blackberrys on air ?

 Emmanuel Facovi

How to launch a new car brand and make a hit with internet marketing : Dodge did it.  The Ram (belier)Syndrom

Paris, September 14th, e- commerce Convention Via Venture is with Come&Stay (Marc Defensant CEO) and DaimlerChrysler France (Frederic Amar Medi Manager) - Agency Proximity BBDO

All started in Spring, a panel of 1,5 + 1,3  mio french internet users received an email . The were invited to participate to a game, to register  and possibly win a plasma TV.

Those users were selected by Come&tay based on "Opt in" data base because they had traveled in the USA, had bought a US car in the past  or have intention to buy a new car in short future

100 000 did first respond to the email then they  were regularly directed on the mini site showing video teasers ( see 1,3 and final) and could invite other friends and relation to participate. By the end of the Video schedule 180 000 were registered with detailed info and 30 000 required an invitation to  visit a french dealer and discover the  Dodge Caliber.

This campaign showed a 4 % registration. With a budget of 300 000 Euros, the cost of eligible contact in only of 12 Euros which very little in comparison with a traditional Media Campain on TV, Press, Radio.

As of today the objective of selling 1600 cars is overpassed with a 5 month waiting list for buyers. The next step of french public awareness on the Dodge brand will be on the Mondial 2006 this autumn in Paris

Emmanuel Facovi for Via Venture.

Interesting information in La Tribune  (French Economic Newspaper- issue March 31st) about Traveling to the USA.

IN 2004 European Union and USA have signed an agreeement relative to the transfer of Information on Passengers flying to the USA. This agreement stipulates that Airlines  have the obligation to transmit (to the American Authorities) a batch of information on every flying passenger.

The information list 34 different topics such as Adress, Phone Numbers, Credit Card Numbers, contacts, Car resa...

The European Court of Justice has just stated that this agreemet is illegal, as it has been signed by the European Commission without obtaining the Agreement from the individual European States who should keep their souvereignity in Police and  Justice matters. Moreover the European Parlament had voted against this agreement considering it is an infringement to the principle of Individual Freedom.

Washington simply indicates that Airlines not providing  required information will simply be banned from Landing on US Territorry. So far European Airlines refused to comment....

The European Court of Justice has given a temporary exemption until September 30 , so that a resolve could be find bewteen USA and Europe, and  a new major crisis could be avoided.

Knowing the piracy of personnal datas in USA, with increasing cases  of identity or credit cards abuse, lets hope that those one will be propoerly secured

A spot on Italy during the Cannes Film Festival

The new generation of Italian actresses brings a new breath and renewal into the formatted world of Hollywood and its American Performers.

Monica Bellucci ,Born in 1964 in Citta di Castello, Italy, is the shiny and already world famous representative of this new wave: combining Temper, Seduction, Glamour, and Icon Women with Intelligence in the Actor Play. Bellucci originally pursued a career in the legal profession. and while attending the University of Perugia, she modeled on the side to earn money for school, and this led to her modelling then acting.
Monica belong to those actress who are devoting to her career with engagement and with no fear to damage her image, as did South African Oscar winner actress Charlize Theron in “Monster”.
She tries new routes, playing very different roles, giving a chance to unknown movie directors and defending the scripts she believes in. Whenever the Movie is a success or a failure, the actor’s performance is always remarkable . (Movies: Irresistible, Secret Agent, Asterix, Matrix, La passion du Christ, under suspicion, le pacte des loups…)

An other Italian actress, Caterina Murino is getting more and more attention from the profession.
32, born is Sardinia. Caterina has been long a theatre performer before starting a movie career (L'amour aux trousses, L'enquete Corse, Les Bronzées one of the most successful recent French comedies)