This Week's Herman Trend Alert Resorts Going Green

The Herman Trend Alert January 9, 2008 Innovations That Will Change Our World Every year, IBM's best minds issue a forecast of "the five innovations that will change the way(s) we live, work, and play in the next five years". Two of IBM's innovations are covered below. Imagine this: when you visit your doctor, instead of a huge stack of paper that represents your medical records, your doctor will call up a computer-generated body onscreen, an avatar that is a walking, talking three-dimensional representation of your body. By clicking on a specific body part, your doctor can view an MRI or other image, lab results, and all text entries. The most interesting aspect of this innovation is that the computer can then automatically compare your visual test results and audio clues to thousands or hundreds of thousands of similar patient records. This technology will enable the doctor to be much more precise in diagnosing and treating you. The huge increase in medical information and emerging visualization technologies will improve your doctor's diagnosis and treatment. If you think your cell phone is indispensable now, just wait. In five years, we will be using our cell phones for banking, concierge services, shopping, or even to control our appliances. The technology that is coming will allow us to take a picture of a person or mannequin wearing a high fashion outfit and then search the Web for the designer and the nearest shops that carry it. Available now is technology that will let us see what that outfit would look like on our bodies on our personal avatars. All of this imagery will happen right on our cell phones. Once in the store, our phones will guide us to where the outfits are located; there may even be discounts to match our preferences. In Singapore, CASSIS International and IBM have launched a pilot program at train and bus stations. By tapping on a Smart Poster with their phones, consumers can receive information, access services, and conduct transactions like buying movie tickets. The technology that is coming in the near-term future is remarkable. Our lives will be transformed in ways that most of us have not yet imagined. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." GOOD SELECTION = BETTER RETENTION If you are not using pre-employment assessments, you are flying without radar---not very smart in today's highly competitive environment. Let us help you better understand your candidates and your employees. In less than 30 minutes, you will know if they can do the job (abilities); their work behaviors, even their personality and attitudes (like integrity & ethics), and those can't be trained. It's very cost effective, too! For more information, e-mail assessments@hermangroup.com. Validated for many countries and cultures. We offer in-depth help with job descriptions, too! www.hermangroup.com/assessments.html ENGAGEMENT AND RETENTION RESOURCES AVAILABLE Check out The Herman Group web site for free and low-cost resources to help you attract and retain top talent. Visit http://www.hermangroup.com/valuable_resources.html to see some interesting articles; then to see our list of valuable, yet inexpensive, downloads at http://www.hermangroup.com/store/pdf_articles.html. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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