Author: Rebecca

Augmented reality IllumiRoom from Microsoft will one day bring AR home

| May 4, 2013

Though it is probably coming, it is still likely another five to ten years away.

Having first debuted at CES in 2013,  is the latest Microsoft experiment that brings augmented reality into the living room of a home using a combination of a projector and a Kinect camera.

The purpose would be to enhance the environment in which consumers live every day.

The introduction of the augmented reality technology explained that it was meant to “blur the lines between on-screen content and the environment we live in.” There were a series of different proposed applications for this type of technology and experience. However, the most commonly noted was its potential for integration with gaming in order to generate an exceptionally exciting playing experience.

Augmented reality would allow imagery to be projected around the entire space, not just on the screen.

The result of this augmented reality gaming projection would be an expansion of its boundaries, for an added layer of game playing immersion. This would allow features to be seen all around the individual, not just straight ahead. In theory, this could mean everything from wildlife to projected weather effects.

Microsoft explained that the augmented reality tech would be made possible through one of its “next-generation gaming console” devices. That hints that it could potentially be present in one of the next versions of the Xbox. At the same time, Microsoft has been repeatedly saying that “it’s purely a research project,” so consumers might not want to get their hopes up, quite yet.

Hrvoje Benko, from Microsoft Research, explained that IntelliRoom and the related reference to next generation consoles are not necessarily an “explicit reference” to the company’s Xbox. However, it is more likely to be a statement regarding augmented reality technology that could come available in “five or ten years.”

At the same time, Benko did say that Kinect and Xbox teams have been partnered in a number of different IllumiRoom related projects. He did state that “there’s a dialogue going on continuously there.” Equally, though, he also pointed out that the augmented reality experience still has many issues that need to be resolved before it would come close to being ready for sale to consumers.

T-commerce is a preferred channel for travel research but not bookings

| May 2, 2013

t-commerce studyThough research is often performed over mobile, the actual purchases are still being made on desktops.

The results of a recent survey have shown that many travelers dislike the slow speeds of apps and t-commerce sites, so while they may perform their research on smartphones and tablets, when it comes to actually buying and making bookings, they are still choosing to use their desktops and laptops.

The research indicated that travelers like the options tablets provide but don’t like the shopping experience.

The research was conducted by Mobiquity Inc. It indicated that while t-commerce may be popular among tablet owners for researching what is available for their travel needs, more than half of them (54 percent) will use their laptop or desktop computer to actually book the selections that they have made.

The t-commerce research revealed that there are still many obstacles which must be overcome.

The t-commerce survey report was called “The Connected Traveler: A Mobile Satisfaction Report.” It determined that consumers still feel that there are too many obstacles in their way to actually make their bookings using their tablets. Therefore, they prefer to switch to their computers when it comes to actually purchasing, booking, and making reservations.

This number was even greater among users of smartphones than it was with t-commerce users, as 62 percent of phone users will perform research on their device so that they can book their travel on a laptop or desktop.

The survey revealed that t-commerce travel sites have a number of downsides identified by consumers. Among them, 52 percent of tablet owners felt that the sites simply load too slowly. Furthermore, 51 percent of tablet owners felt that the selection and search options were complicated in the version for their devices, and that 44 percent said that the sites weren’t optimized to be viewed on those screens.

The Mobiquity report suggests that this poor performance will have a negative impact on sales. This is exacerbated by the fact that 35 percent of consumers who are displeased by a t-commerce experience are less likely to use the channel to book again on that site or app.