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Microsoft sets sights on augmented reality glasses

| November 28, 2012

 

Microsoft Augmented RealityMicrosoft patents documents augmented reality glasses project

Microsoft has been showing a great deal of interest in augmented reality lately. The technology company appears to be ready to take its interest to the next level, according to a patent filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent filing from Microsoft documents plans for the development of a pair of augmented reality glasses, very similar to those being developed by Google. Microsoft believes that its glasses will be more than capable of competing with Google’s Project Glass.

AR system could be used for entertainment

The patent covers “a system and method to present a user wearing a head-mounted display with supplemental information when viewing a live event.” Essentially, the augmented reality glasses will be able to provide digital information concerning whatever is being viewed, allowing users to browse this content through a variety of contextual displays. The system has immediate implications for entertainment, as Microsoft is expected to leverage augmented reality technology in gaming and video. Augmented reality glasses could be used for much more than that, however.

Augmented reality shows potential in mobile commerce

Augmented reality has gained significant traction in marketing because of its interactive capabilities. Consumers have responded well to campaigns that make use of the technology in the past, leading to growing demand for the technology today. This interest is beginning to bleed into the realm of mobile commerce, where augmented reality technology could be used to make shopping more engaging and interactive.

Microsoft aims to compete with Google and others

Google has managed to generate a large amount of hype around the prospects of augmented reality glasses with Project Glass. Microsoft aims to overcome the challenge presented by Project Glass with it own augmented reality glasses. Whether the company will succeed in its endeavor has yet to be seen, but Microsoft is not alone in its interest of augmented reality. Sony is also planning to develop a pair of augmented reality glasses that could have a wide range of uses from entertainment to mobile commerce.

 

Branding Brand highlights the performance of mobile commerce

| November 28, 2012

 

Branding Brand survey shows mobile commerce performance on Black Friday

Branding Brand, a leading mobilMobile Commerce Branding Brand Surveye commerce platform used within the retail industry, has announced the results of its Mobile Commerce Index for Black Friday survey. The survey is meant to highlight the performance of mobile commerce amongst consumers on the most important day of the year for the retail industry: Black Friday. The survey shows that mobile commerce was largely successful in boosting the mobile sales within the retail industry by a significant margin.

Mobile sales up 128%

The survey accounts for 66 mobile sites developed by Branding Brand for retailers participating in mobile commerce. These retailers span a wide variety of industries and has shown a great deal of interest in engaging mobile consumers, identifying these consumers as a major opportunity for growth. The survey shows that mobile sales on Black Friday grew by 128% over what they had been in the previous year. Mobile traffic also grew by 101% over the level they had been in 2011.

Most consumers used iOS devices for mobile commerce

Branding Brand suggests that mobile commerce has played a major role in this year’s holiday season, as far as the retail industry is concerned. The survey shows that most consumers made use of iOS devices to access e-commerce sites. Android devices, especially those equipped with NFC technology, were still used and were largely responsible for purchases made within physical stores from an actual mobile device. The iOS platform does not currently support NFC technology.

Retailers may be inclined to support mobile commerce

Mobile commerce had been expected to play a significant role for the retail industry during Black Friday. Branding Brand suggests that this is the case and that the retail industry has now been shown evidence of the capabilities of mobile commerce. With Black Friday leaving many retailers in a positive financial position for the remained of the fiscal year, they may be inclined to invest more support into mobile commerce for the future.