Facebook has introduced new augmented reality ads that let people try on virtual renditions of products, as the battle for control of consumers' cameras heats up.[Michael Kors tried advertising sunglasses in augmented reality on Facebook]People flicking through the News Feed will see ads for Michael Kors sunglasses, for instance, and can play with an augmented reality version through their came...

There are some things that are perfectly paired together when summer rolls around: beaches and barbecues, sunshine and sunscreen, and condiments and picnics. But did you know that podcasts are popular with over half of all barbecue sauce-, ketchup- and sunscreen-purchasing households?As consumers fire up the grill and tote their picnic baskets and sunscreen to the beach to celebrate summertime,...

Beginning in 2020, all of Starbucks’s cold drinks will be served with either strawless lids, or paper or compostable straws.When Starbucks began developing a new nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee back in 2016, it discovered it had a problem. The allure of the drink was its creamy, frothy top (much like that of a Guinness), but the traditional way to consume cold coffee—through a straw—starts...

This unique air purifier is Air Touch, and it uses a subtle yet impactful method of indicating to the user that it is time for the filter to be replaced.Over time it is only normal for the air purifying process to turn the filter grey as pollutants and absorbed matter begin to build up. Air Touch utilizes this change in color to create a demonstrative scene of a beautiful landscape slowing fadi...

The buzz gets louder, the potential is huge, but the hurdles remain high. When will quantum computing make its mark on business? Our recent research says the answer may be sooner than many people think.Quantum computing is not a replacement for the binary classical computing that has become a staple of modern life. But to paraphrase Nobel laureate Richard Feynman, because quantum computers use...

Amazon‘s efforts for drone deliveries have been well-documented throughout the years, and last week it gained a patent for a hi-jack proof tech to make sure goods arrive at their destinations safely. Amazon Prime Air was introduced in 2013 as a 30-minute minimum delivery service by way of an autonomous aircraft, which CEO Jeff Bezos says could rollout in four to five years from now.Currently,...

When you think of the iconic American brands of the 20th century, names like Coca-Cola and Pepsi have to rank pretty highly on any list.Both fizzy beverages became household names nearly 100 years ago and even butted heads in one of the most infamous and long-lasting marketing battles of all-time. In the process, both brands have sold billions of bottles of product, creating powerful foundation...

Drug discovery is a long and expensive process, and any technologies that can speed up how drugs are created has great potential to improve medicine overall.Scientists at Bristol University in the UK, Interactive Scientific, a spinoff of the university, and Oracle Corporation, have worked together to develop a virtual reality simulator that can be used to assemble new molecules and test how the...

Canalys expects the smart speaker installed base will approach the 100-million barrier by the end of this year, making it almost 2.5 times bigger than at the end of 2017. The installed base will keep growing, more than doubling in size to reach 225 million units by 2020. Amazon Echo devices will account for over 50% of the installed base in 2018, while Google’s Home series will account for 30%...