Technology

Neiman Marcus introduces visual search engine

07 November 2014

UNITED STATES Sometimes words are just not enough for online shoppers. The US upmarket department store chain Neiman Marcus has launched Snap. Find. Shop., a new mobile app feature that enables customers to perform the image-based-only search and make an immediate purchase.

ThyssenKrupp uses IoT to preempt elevator breakdowns

03 November 2015

WORLD German elevator manufacturer ThyssenKrupp has joined forces with Microsoft to develop a predictive elevator maintenance service that calculates the remaining lifetime of key systems and components in real-time to prevent breakdowns.

Few intelligent houses in Lithuania

03 November 2015

Anna Pakulniewicz

LITHUANIA Residential developers active in Lithuania are mainly focusing on lowering costs and are not interested in the construction of intelligent houses, according to a study by Inreal.

Amazon’s mobile bots expand to Poland

26 October 2015

POLAND Amazon has introduced its Kiva mobile robots to its Polish warehouses. Amazon Wrocław distribution centre is the company’s first European location to get the high speed wheeled autonomous robots.

These goggles are made for shopping

22 October 2015

WORLD Fashion retailer Tommy Hilfiger has decided to bring 360 degree 3D virtual reality technology to its selected stores and retail partners globally.

Digital hotel concierge in action

07 October 2015

POLAND Best Western Plus Q Hotel in Kraków has decided to implement the in-room guest servicing system iLumio.

Amazon introduces crowd-sourced delivery service

07 October 2015

UNITED STATES Amazon is hiring local private drivers for delivering express orders, which are set to reach the customer within an hour after they have been placed.

A truly desktop computer

05 October 2015

WORLD Switzerland-based company Remago has developed a meeting room table with built-in computers that allows users to work collaboratively.

Social commerce is here

02 October 2015

WORLD As it becomes easier to buy goods directly from social media sites, a new form of shopping is being born. Online and mobile payment services provider Stripe has launched Relay, a set of APIs (application programming interfaces) that allows retailers to embed a buy button next to their products in a range of mobile apps, including Twitter.

Parcel lockers taken to another level

02 October 2015

ESTONIA Estonia-based parcel locker manufacturer Cleveron has developed an automated parcel terminal that uses 3D lift to pick and deliver parcels to a delivery spot, accommodating three times more parcels per sqm than traditional parcel lockers.

Marriott brings virtual reality to guests

21 September 2015

WORLD Marriott is testing VRoom, a new hotel service that allows guests to order a Samsung Gear virtual reality kit for in-room use.

Mennica Legacy Tower as seen through goggles

18 September 2015

POLAND Mennica Legacy Tower, the Warsaw office project currently being developed by a company established by the Polish Mint (Mennica Polska) and Golub GetHouse, will soon be able to present itself to tenants from a different perspective. From October the project will be available for viewing on a mobile application using virtual reality, among others.

Why smart retailing matters

15 September 2015

WORLD While currently eight out of ten customers globally use a computer, smartphone, tablet or in-store technology in shopping, it’s not shipping policies or pricing that frustrates the ‘omni-shoppers’ the most, but inventory, which is more important (73 pct) than information security (59 pct), according to the latest survey by Mastercard.

Google to revive public phones

03 September 2015

UNITED STATES Sidewalk Labs, a newly-launched Google-owned urban technology company, is co-creating a network of up to 10,000 Wi-Fi booths that will replace old New York City payphones providing free public gigabit Internet, free nationwide phone and video calls as well as access to information and municipal services instead.

Tesco’s online sales improve

02 September 2015

POLAND “The value of the average order of Tesco’s Polish online stores is a few per cent higher every year and 4–5 times higher on average compared to the average basket value in a traditional store,” reports the British grocery chain.

Meet Crowne Plaza's robotic butler, Dash

21 August 2015

WORLD Crowne Plaza, an InterContinental Hotels Group chain, is trialling an autonomous delivery bot at its 300-guest room San Jose-Silicon Valley hotel.

LOT to spice up courier market?

14 August 2015

POLAND Polska Grupa Pocztowa is to use the LOT Polish Airlines airplanes and a chain of parcel lockers at all domestic airports and at some of the largest airports in the European Union to deliver parcels in a new, reportedly quicker way. Called PostInAir, the airmail service is to be launched within the next weeks.

Home automation attracts resi developers

12 August 2015

POLAND As developers increasingly implement smart home management systems in their project, an Israeli-based company has come up with a multifaceted app-supported platform that has already lured such residential development companies as Robyg, Ronson, Okam, DOR and Mill-Yon.

New Look mobile orders up 97 pct

11 August 2015

WORLD In the first quarter of its 2015/2016 fiscal year, the UK-based fashion retail group New Look has seen a 97 pct y-o-y boost in the number of online orders placed on mobile devices.