In an effort to increase in-store traffic, drive sales and connect parents with their inner child, Toys'R'Us has launched a Facebook game application that generates coupons based on user engagement. To earn rewards in the form of in-store savings, the 'ToysRUs Towers' game asks that participants create their own department store, staff it and make sure that profits continue to rise by changing out displays among other tasks. Much like the ever-popular Farmville, the experience when playing is effortless, allowing parents easy access to savings and kids' involvement as well. 

This game is interesting for a number of reasons. It's refreshing to see a kids' brand engage with parents in such a direct and amusing way, while also offering them savings and driving visits to retail locations. In a way, it's payoff for procrastination on Facebook! The game also helps users to connect more closely with the brand by immersing them in a personalized environment similar to that of Toys'R'Us locations and calling the user to take on business responsibilities. Additionally, the timing couldn't have been more perfect with the holiday season in full swing.

via PSFK

Temporary tattoos are no longer just for kids. Researchers at the University of Toronto Scarborough have developed an electrode sensor disguised as a smiley face stick-on tattoo that can monitor athletes' performances and more. 

The temporary tatt detects changes in pH levels of skin due to stress from physical exertion and communicates those changes to the user. That information can then be used by athletic coaches to fine-tune their approach to training and even identify metabolic diseases such as Addison's disease. There has also been talk of leveraging the wearable technology in the cosmetics industry. 

These tattoos can be made using basic screen printing techniques and are applied the same way you would treat typical temporary ink. Depending on the materials used, the tattoos also have the ability to monitor a variety of sweat components like sodium or potassium, potentially opening doors for further learnings in the future. 

via Daily Mail

LG recently released its Smart Thinq refrigerator in South Korea. Soon to arrive in the US, the Internet-connected home appliance uses WiFi to store information about the food it has inside. 

Using the refrigerator's touchscreen or a smartphone device, users can either manually enter the food items being stored or scan product barcodes to keep the database up-to-date. LG's concept for the appliance also includes recipe suggestions based on specified parameters set by the user like diet, age and sex. If the owner were to select a suggested recipe to prepare, the smart appliance could then notify a Smart Thinq oven to preheat. 

Moving forward, we'll hopefully begin to see more standards being set in the food industry to streamline the user experience of Internet-connected appliances like these. Imagine a world without consumer grocery shopping — where refrigerators could place refill orders for their owners based on consumption knowledge. The future is bright!

via GigaOm

If you watched the American Music Awards last night, you may have noticed something a bit different with the way awards were presented. In lieu of envelopes and notecards, presenters pulled up the Samsung Galaxy Note II with the winner's name displayed on the vibrant, super sized screen. This paperless approach to a product integration was clever, but could have been better executed.

After seeing the phone pulled out three times during the show, I became aware of its appearance. However, this integration could have been better executed for the device's sake. Unique features this phone has over its competitors would have been interesting to see brought to life, while the brand had my attention as a viewer. For example, the Near Field Communication technology that is built-in would have been interesting to see demonstrated. There could have also been an interesting activation using the S-Pen engaging with device.

Regardless, this was a successful execution by Samsung in driving awareness for the handset. I'm sure the Galaxy Note II will sell just fine in the holiday season, but I was hoping it could show a little more of what it's made of while my attention was captured during the awards.

*Image via Phonearena.com 

Comic books entering the digital world is an exciting venture for all the wrong reasons for some die-hard comic book nerds. Like bibliophiles, some fans love the feel of comics in their hands, but with the advance of technology, comics are being read in new ways.

There are bite-sized comics all over the internet, but there's a new interest in interactive comics that is making them feel less static and more immersive. Madefire is a comic book app that adds animation and sound effects to create a unique storytelling experience.

Available for iPhones and iPads, users download the free app and choose from a small library of these "motion books". The app is fairly easy to navigate: separate panels pop up on screen and users tap the right or left arrow to continue reading or go back to the previous panel. Users tap and hold the center to flip through several pages. It will also adjust to how users are holding the device, whether it's vertically or horizontally. 

The animation is subtle and mimics more to the action of how a reader's eyes would move around a traditional comic and less like a mini movie in your hands. Keep in mind, I tested the app on an iPhone, so the experience may be different on an iPad. Sound effects are a nice effect and doesn't distract the reader, though the speech bubbles are few and far between.

Madefire is certainly the first step towards mobile animated comics and it's very...