Author: Dan Gendro

Mobile shopping to see major growth during holiday season

| November 21, 2012

 

Mobile ShoppingThanksgiving may be the holiday for mobile shopping

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fast approaching. Both days are very important for physical retailers and online businesses as sales made on these days can more than make up for an entire year of lackluster performance. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have been major holidays for the retail industry and e-commerce respectively, but the growing prevalence of mobile commerce and technology may establish a similar day that could be a major boon for mobile shopping.

More consumers showing interest in mobile shopping

Thanksgiving is a well known holiday in the U.S. As such, the holiday typically means that traditional brick and mortar stores are closed for business. Online retailers, however, remain open throughout the holiday, providing consumers with services that they might not be able to find from physical stores. According to data from IBM/Coremetrics, 15% of U.S. consumers used their mobile devices to visit retail sites on Thanksgiving in 2011, up from the 6.5% that did so in 2010.

Digitas survey shows growing support for mobile commerce and e-commerce

This trend is expected to continue this year, with the possibility of mobile traffic increasing by as much as double for some retailers. Companies like eBay already have plans to begin offering deals on Thanksgiving day, rather than wait for Black Friday or Cyber Monday. According to a recent survey from Digitas, a provider of integrated technology and marketing solutions, shows that many retailers are preparing to serve mobile consumers on Thanksgiving, following the same route as eBay in offering mobile applications that will assist with online shopping.

Survey shows shopping from computer is easier than from mobile device

The Digitas survey does shed some light on the problems facing mobile shopping, however. The survey notes that approximately 76% of the 2,059 respondents surveyed say that shopping from a computer is much easier than from a mobile device. Many consumers attribute the difficulty associated with mobile shopping to the small screens of most mobile devices. Nonetheless, consumers are still likely to heavily participate in mobile shopping during the holiday season.

Vuzix augmented reality eyewear set to compete with Google

| November 16, 2012

 

Augmented Reality GlassesVuzix may be able to compete with Google’s Project Glass

The hype surrounding augmented reality glasses has diminished somewhat, but that does not mean that these products have disappeared. Google is still hard at work on Project Glass, and may soon be confronted by a promising competitor known as Vuzix. Vuzix is an ambitious and successful technology company that has set its sights on augmented reality eyewear. The company plans to release its M100 Smart Glasses in the coming years, which may have major implications for the way people live their lives.

Vuzix may revive hype surrounding augmented reality glasses

Google first drew attention to the idea of augmented reality eyewear with Project Glass. The technology company billed Project Glass as a new way to stay connected to social networks, find information on products and events through dynamic digital displays, and experience a wide range of digital content. The scope of Project Glass has proven somewhat ambitious for Google, leading the company to pull back its expectations concerning augmented reality. But Vuzix is on course to introduce many of the features that may be absent with Project Glass in the future.

M100 Smart Glasses designed to use applications of its own

The M100 Smart Glasses from Vuzix are designed to be an “intelligent hands-free display for smart phones.” Essentially, the eyewear will act as a display for a smart phone, enhancing a user’s view of the world with a wide variety of digital displays. These displays can be customized to suit the needs of the wearer. The augmented reality eyewear can make use of its own applications in a similar way that smart phones use applications, adding further customization options.

Augmented reality may have a future in mobile commerce

Though the M100 Smart Glasses lack NFC technology, they could establish a strong foothold in the realm of mobile commerce. Augmented reality has already proven popular amongst mobile shoppers, and the glasses from Vuzix may also be able to meet the needs of these consumers in a dynamic way. Time will tell how the new product could be used in mobile commerce, but the possibility for this is certainly there.