houzz home service
Augmented reality

Houzz Augments Home Renovation

Home renovation & design company Houzz today launched a new AR feature that will let home-service pros visualize finished projects in the very spaces they’ll occupy. We examine the strategic drivers and implications for the home services vertical.

Augmented reality

Shopify Shines as Shoppability Accelerates

Shopify is one of the original innovators in the shoppability movement. Now it’s making big bets that visually-rich shopping will become table stakes, and the next big retention hook for online merchants.

Augmented reality

Circle K Signals SMB Immersive Ad Potential

Niantic Sponsorship Platform in Pokémon Go is particularly fitting for QSR and coffee shops to “fuel” players. But the latest activity comes from convenience chain Circle K which we examine in the latest emerging-tech coverage.

Augmented reality

Snap Completes One-Two Punch for Immersive Ads

Last month, we wrote about Snap’s AR Lab. Now, just weeks later, Snap completes the one-two punch with the launch of a full-fledged AR creative studio. We dive into strategic implications for SMBs and local commerce.

Augmented reality

Video Vault: The Metaverse Meets Main Street

Though metaverse musings often focus on digital domains like networked gaming, it will also apply to the real world. Digital twins will overlay the physical world to evoke relevant and geo-anchored AR. We examined during a Localogy 2021 panel.

Augmented reality

Will Snap Bring Visual Search to Local Commerce?

One emerging consumer technology that could have implications for local commerce is visual search. This positions the camera as a search input to identify items you point your phone at. We examine through the lens of Snap’s latest updates.

Augmented reality

AR’s Next Conquest: Your Neighborhood Shopping Center

Brookfield Properties is beginning to offer AR ad inventory throughout its shopping centers. This involves making 150 million square feet of “airspace” available for virtual ad placement. How will this play out and what’s the opportunity in geolocated AR? We examine.

Google Live View
3D Mapping

Google Maps Gets More Intelligent and Visual

Google today announced a slew of updates to Google Maps, including more AI, AR and visual features. These could unlock new use cases such as way-finding in malls and airports.  

Augmented reality

GoWalla Reemerges to Reinvent SoLoMo

Gowalla has been reborn. Some may remember it as the late 2000’s local check-in app that mostly played second-fiddle to Foursquare. Now it’s back for more SoLoMo action with $4 million in seed funding and an AR-based product model.

Augmented reality

GameStop Gamifies Foot Traffic

Pokemon Go’s local advertising program lets businesses — SMB or otherwise — pay to designate their locations as gyms and Pokéstops. This can drive meaningful foot traffic, as Game Stop hopes in its latest campaign. What’s the lesson for SMBs?

Augmented reality

Frontdoor Makes AR Free for Home Service Pros

Tech Vision is Localogy’s series that spotlights emerging tech. Running semi-weekly, it reports on new technologies that Localogy analysts track, including strategic implications for local commerce.

Augmented reality

Vimeo Spotlights SMB Resilience

This is the latest in Localogy’s Video Vault series. On an ongoing basis, it examines selected conference talks and other video formats, including embedded video

Augmented reality

Can AR Help Office Workers Socially Distance?

Tech Vision is LSA’s series that spotlights emerging tech. Running semi-weekly, it reports on new technologies that LSA analysts track, including strategic implications for local commerce.

Augmented reality

Can AR Help Home-Service Pros Socially Distance?

Tech Vision is LSA’s series that spotlights emerging tech. Running semi-weekly, it reports on new technologies that LSA analysts track, including strategic implications for local commerce.

Augmented reality

What’s Behind the Rise of Hearables?

This is the latest in LSA’s Skate To Where the Puck is Going series. Running semi-weekly, it examines the moves and motivations of tech giants