Recent Online Sales Show Shoppers Beating Black Friday Rush

Photo source: IBM

Another Black Friday has gone by as the defacto start to the 2013 shopping season in the United States. Still predominately a US moment of consumerism, the day has taken advantage of a period after their Thanksgiving Day holiday. With Black Friday, the mood changes from that of family togetherness. Buying gifts for others for holidays, the shopping season is also a period where consumers are encouraged in indulge. Low prices on desirable goods insures consumers have an extra incentive to part with their cash or credit.   

While the majority of Black Friday crowds were well-maintained for the most part, there were more than enough references to shoppers behaving badly. Either the fierce determination to buy a super cheap door-crasher or simply the stress of the densely populated shopping centres and stores has resulted in some situations where many US shoppers want to seek some kind of sanctuary. Free of crowds and guilt of leaving early for a shopping centre, online buying has become an attractive, less stressful way to endure Black Friday.

In recent years, the Monday following the US thanksgiving had been named the prime shopping time for online deals. Called Cyber Monday, new data published by IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark has determined online retail benefitted from both Black Friday as well as Thanksgiving Day itself. According to the IBM report, shopping online during Black Friday showed a sizable 18.9 percent compared to the previous year. The Average order amount had also showed a modest 2.2 percent increase over 2012 at $135.27. More impressive growth was shown on Thanksgiving Day 2013 equating to 19.7 percent.

The IBM report of online shopping has also detected a big increase with purchases made on mobile devices. On Black Friday 2013, smartphones were part of 24.9 percent of online buying traffic. Sales made on smartphones average in value of $115.63 on Black Friday. Signifying an increase of more than 10 percent with smartphone buying, the report showed double growth in the use of tablets for online shopping. Purchases on tablets were also shown to, on average, exceed those made on smartphones by $20. Also measured was the two dominant mobile platforms iOS and Android operating system. Accounting for 18.1 percent of all online sales according to IBM, the iOS user's transaction was measured at $127.92. Android device users only accounted for 3.5 percent of online orders averaging at $105.20.

Despite easy accessibility to brick-and-mortar stores, online shopping was highly favoured in major cities. New York City proved the most popular locale for Black Friday activity online.





Photo source: IBM



Google Not the Only Eyes on High-Tech Glasses: Meet the Vuzix M100 Smart Glasses

Photo Credit: Vuzix

In the last several years, users of technology no longer accept mobility limitations to high-power computerized devices. With multi-function smartphones and tablets allowing us to engage in full-scale electronic interaction far away from home, we are continuing to embrace the miniaturization of technology. Proceeding into the next generation of portable electronic devices, forecasts for the upcoming decade show an advent for full-scale wearable computers.

Wristwatch-like and headset computing devices are being courted as the next state of evolution in personal electronics. Smartwatch devices have already been created by several companies. A rumoured watch through Apple has been a lingering source of techno-gossip. For immediate engagement with software and communications, headset smart devices is another popular area of consumer electronic research. Google Glass is undergoing trials by numerous members of media and technology developers. As Google has confirmed plans for market the technology, another company in Rochester, New York could beat the best-known technological innovator to market with a high-tech smart headset. Since 2012, Vuzix Corporation has been proceeding with the development of their M100 Smart Glasses.

Having produced wearable glasses or visors as a private, interactive alternative to high-tech televisions and computer displays, the next step for Vuzix Corporation is a unique hands-free connection with smartphones. Supporting an Android operating system itself, the Vuzix M100 is being developed as a smart device peripheral with an array of far-reaching features. A device powered by four gigabytes of memory and permitting up to eight hours of battery life, the Vuzix M100 smart glasses provide a discrete, portable profile. Three mounting options are available for comfortably wearing the M100 smart glasses for either left or right eye viewing.

User interfacing with the Vuzix M100 smart glasses is accomplished visibly through a 16:9 aspect ratio screen and a noise cancelling microphone. Communications through voice and text, Internet browsing as well as image capturing capabilities are all possible with the Vuzix M100 smart glasses. It's believed even mobile gaming could be performed with the M100 smart glasses. Operating with augmented reality thanks to a GPS and head tracking abilities, the Vuzix M100 hands-free positioning delivers an immersive portable computing experience. Configured for the usage with Android or Apple iOS devices, the Vuzix M100 incorporates Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity options. Said to be linked to cloud virtual storage, the M100 also includes a Micro SD card slot allowing up to 16 gigabytes of data storage.





Photo Credit: Vuzix

In addition to accessing the smartphone or other smart device through the headset, the Vuzix M100 is opening the door to an all-new app development realm. The M100 devices have already been distributed to innovative app developers. Applications and programs exploiting the hardware of the Vuzix M100 has the potential of yielding some ground-breaking ways of experiencing technology in everyday settings.

Even without public sales, the Vuzix M100 smart glasses have already been gathering acclaim. At the 2013 CES Show, the M100 was recognized as a Best of Innovations recipient in the Wireless Handset Accessories category. With consumer availability of the Vuzix M100 announced for mid-summer of this year, pricing for the device is yet to be announced.


The Samsung Galaxy Camera: A Picture Perfect Technology Marriage?

Photo source: Samsung
 

Since digital cameras have become mainstream little over a decade ago, the technology began to gradually reshape the way we took pictures. No longer limited by the constraints of film, digital photography would also migrate away from a dedicated camera.

Today, even basic cell phones and most mobile tablets would present at least one camera that have now evolved to a quality decent enough for sharing with family or friends. Though popular, photography with a mobile phone does fall short on some functionality and resolution related to a stand-alone camera. A hybrid breed between a point and shoot camera and a small tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Camera draws upon the strength of two devices in delivering an uncompromised picture-taking experience.

Appearing very much like a camera, the new Samsung device could be hastily disregarded if someone would not know the collection of technologies that lurk inside the device. Featuring a 16.3 megapixel sensor, a 4.8-inch touch screen and a 21x optical zoom lens, the Samsung Galaxy Camera immediately presents some hardware that would run circles around a smartphone's photography gear. Running off the Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, the Samsung Galaxy Camera's quad core processor allows users to experience excellent performance when taking pictures in 15 style settings classified under Samsung's 'Smart Mode' technology. As well as taking still shots up to 16 megapixels, Samsung allows their device to video capture at Full HD format.

Photo source: Samsung

Equipped with eight gigabytes of on-board storage with micro SD card expandably, Wi-Fi capabilities allow photos taken by the Samsung Galaxy Camera to be offloaded quickly. Transfer of images to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest as well as onto Instagram can be performed quickly. Being an Android enabled device, the Samsung Galaxy Camera can make use of various Google brand services. Google Maps, Gmail and even the Google Play app marketplace are all accessible through the digital camera.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera was introduced to the North American marketplace during the 16th of this month. Retailing for just under $499.99 through AT&T, the Samsung Galaxy Camera sells above the price of almost all point and shoot device and even above the level of most smartphones. The launch of the Galaxy Camera by AT&T is temporarily accompanied with an up to $100 credit to acquire an additional Samsung device.

Just in time for Canadians to capture some memorable holiday moments or perhaps qualified itself to become a gift to a loved one, sales for the Samsung Galaxy Camera north of the border will commence on December 7th. Available through Black's Photography locations as well as through lone example of The Samsung Store in Burnaby, British Columbia, the Samsung Galaxy Camera should sell at similar pricing those sold in the US.



Below is a promotional photo showing the Samsung Galaxy Camera in action: