The faces of customers at Sydney's Bahista Cafe are scanned by an iPad as they approach the barista at the coffee machine. Instantly the customer's name, favourite order and whether they are due for a loyalty reward flashes up on another iPad facing staff. Customers can opt out if they want to. "We have a large sign at the point of sale which...
The race to control the future of self-driving trucking just got even more competitive. Beginning next week, Waymo — formerly known as Google’s self-driving car project — will roll out a pilot program in Atlanta where the company’s technology will power Peterbilt Class 8 trucks to carry cargo bound for Google’s data centers, the company...
A new startup, called DeepMagic, uses digital innovations to enhance the experience of a physical store. Using Deep Learning Artificial Intelligence (AI), DeepMagic is enabling retailers to create unattended physical stores that are fully automated. DeepMagic offers two products: the Qick Store Platform and the Qick Kiosk. The Qick Store...
Branding is a vital part of any company’s marketing strategy. Until recently, visual presence has been one of the largest, if not the largest, factors in a company’s brand — but Amazon Alexa and other voice assistants are drastically changing the ways consumers encounter products. Graeme Pitkethly, chief financial officer of Unilever (owner of...
After years of development, Reviver Auto, a California start-up, will begin selling digital license plates to consumers and businesses this month. Reviver claims its product, the RPlate Pro, is the first electronic license on the market worldwide. The plates will be sold through automotive dealers. Galpin Auto Sports will begin selling the...
Automation is redefining the future of work. Silicon Valley-based startup Bear Robotics has introduced robots that can deliver food to tables in restaurants. The robotic system, dubbed Penny, uses AI self-driving technology to navigate its way through the restaurant, avoiding people and obstacles. Penny is currently working seven days a week in...
Loomo is a personal, self-balancing transporter with AI and a personality. The robot has an emotion engine, powering lighthearted expressions that are actually quite endearing. Everything in between just hints to what Segway Robotics plans on doing with it. Right now, Loomo can be controlled in many ways: a smartphone app, voice-command,...
Darwin Geo-Pricing is a geo-targeted service, which has been created by Darwin Pricing LLC to optimise the sales of e-commerce retailers. The system uses artificial neural networks to provide a real-time model of the varied prices in different locations. This enables e-commerce retailers and brands to personalise their pricing for each customer...
Origin, built on blockchain technology, offers a smart and practical way for consumers to access information on each stage of a product’s journey. Shoppers flash a QR code in-store to see the full history of each product, and make informed purchase decisions. Food industry players throughout the value chain also benefit from this cost-effective...
Google's take on a mobile augmented reality framework is no longer limited to a modestly-sized preview. It just released ARCore 1.0, letting anyone publish Android apps that take advantage of the toolkit to meld virtual objects with the real world. To no one's surprise, Google has already lined up apps from big-name brands to take advantage of...