In 2016,
e-commerce's global turnover
will move past
the symbolic $2 trillion mark,
twice what it was in 2012.
The advantages of e-commerce
are considerable:
no need for costly
or time-consuming trips,
one-click price-comparison.
But it also has its drawbacks:
buying sight-unseen,
not being able to see or touch items,
trusting onscreen graphics,
and then, if there's a problem,
returning an item is a hassle,
especially if it's bulky.
Augmented reality could sweep away
psychological barriers,
and greatly change
our online buying habits.
This technology supports real-time,
3D inserts of virtual objects
on a photo or in a video.
This spectacular
but sometimes difficult technology
is the brainchild
of the Israeli startup Cimagine Media.
Its innovation is a user-friendly,
augmented-reality platform.
Let's say you want
this Eames lounge chair.
You like it and see a visualize button,
or a try-it-at-home button.
You push that button...
It fires up the Cimagine app.
It says stand up
and aim at the place
you want the product to show.
Hit the start button.
We scan the room.
We identify the floor.
The product is over here.
You can see how it looks.
Now we can do a full 360°
and see it from any angle.
The product is anchored.
It doesn't drift.
It stays here.
The product is here.
I can actually tell my friends
what the table will look like.
The augmented reality market
is evolving
with the arrival of industry giants
like Microsoft with HoloLens goggles
that project holograms
in the middle of the real world.
Talk about impressive!
Google put its goggles aside,
but is launching a counterattack
by investing with partners,
to the tune of $540 million,
in a new business called Magic Leap.
This startup has an interface
that tracks users' eye movements
to project its images,
integrating them in the surroundings.
However, simpler applications
with integrated augmented reality
are springing up
in nearly every sector,
including banking and insurance.
In 2016, the market will be worth
over $5 billion,
seven times more than in 2014.
