Speaking of hot categories, how about augmented reality, amirite? Cosmetics company Estée Lauder is using an AR app called ModiFace to let users virtually apply makeup to their own photo. This amuses me in a coals-to-New Castle way because cosmetics are the original augmented reality. Yes, I’m easily amused.
Retailers are struggling in the face of online competition. But it’s not hopeless: a study from Trendsource finds that most consumers still prefer in-store shopping, even for electronics. Not surprisingly, “getting the items immediately” was the biggest reason to buy in person. Help from store staff was somewhere in the middle while in-store technology and social interaction were dead last.
OnePulse is a social media community app that takes surveys for marketers. That puts them in the same neighborhood as Lithium and Market Logic. But they must have a smaller apartment, since they just announced a modest $2 million in new funding (bringing their total to $3 million) ahead of their U.S. launch.
Google lashed out at the Department of Justice’s threat to break up the company, calling the proposals “radical.” Among other things, Google says the proposals would threaten users’ privacy, stifle innovation and break Android and Chrome. Given the appeals process, it will likely be years before we know whether Google will stay in one piece.