Experiential shopping

Fields That Dream: A Journey to the Roots of Our FoodI have spent some time over the last couple days reading Jenny Kurzweil’s Fields That Dream: A Journey to the Roots of Our Food. Kurzweil describes the state of state of American agriculture through the lives of a number of small-scale farmers.

In addition to being well-written, Kurzweil’s portrayal of the lives of these farmers is striking. From a Mexican family who immigrated to the States to make enough money to survive, to a chef who left his home and job to pursue life on a farm, to a couple who cannot leave their house for more than two hours at a time for fear of leaving their animals without care, each farmer has a story to tell.

“Applying Mixed Reality to Entertainment,” an article written by Christopher Stapleton, Charles Hughes, Michael Moshell, Paulius Micikevicius, and Marty Altman, discusses how the combination of virtual objects with reality will allow users to enjoy a “rich fantasy experience.”

The successful adoption of new technologies for entertainment applications depends on finding creative models that spark the imagination and generate demand. Developers must then apply these creative conventions to diverse business models, including theme parks, arcades, museums, and infotainment.