Jul 20
Jul 20
When you think of retailers that are on the bleeding edge of technology, Ikea isn’t usually the one that comes to mind. But then again, it did launch its first ever consumer electronics device earlier this year – an Internet-connected TV that comes with a truly-Ikea style stand to hold it. And now the company is enhancing its mobile technology arm.
Ikea is planning to make its next printed catalog compatible with a smartphone application that will turn it into an augmented reality experience. As pretty much the only retailer where print catalogs are still incredibly important to the business, Ikea prints and ships more than 210 million copies of its annual catalog every year. That’s more than 20 times the population of Sweden, where the company is headquartered.
So what is an “augmented reality catalog”? Apparently you’ll be able to take your phone, point it toward a piece of furniture in the catalog, and see an “X-ray” depiction of the unit. So you’ll get to see what holds the furniture together, but it will also be augmented with links to video clips, 3D models, and digital how-to guides. The paper Ikea catalog isn’t going away anytime soon, but the retailer said it really wanted to bring some digital interaction to it.
[via Wired]
Ikea augmented reality catalog becomes reality is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Jul 20
I am quite sure that any area with an Ikea in the vicinity will also see majority of the households there have at least something from the furniture giant in their respective homes, not to mention an Ikea catalog (or more) lying around somewhere. There is just something about the Ikea catalog that makes it look so interesting, and you have the urge of making your way there to buy something which has piqued your interest. In order to keep up with the times and attract even more information, word on the street has it that the 2013 Ikea catalog will come with a companion AR app (Augmented Reality app) thanks to Ikea’s collaboration with McCann-Erickson.
This makeover will come with a promise of making its pages “come alive” through the AR app, where shoppers will be introduced to a wide range of extended content. According to Ikea Head of Global Communications Lena Simonsson Berge, it was a case of “basically one page talking about the fact that the catalog needs a vitamin pill. It was quite open, but one prerequisite was that we wanted to keep the printed catalog as a base. Many other companies would have started this exercise by doing a deep study on how much more efficient this could be totally online, versus paper, but, typical Ikea, we like to do things a bit backwards. We believe in something, and we go from there and see what we could do about it.”
All the more reason to get a smartphone now if you are a huge fan of the Swedish furniture behemoth, no? Image from Engadget.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Ikea UPPLEVA TV for Europe to get 8GB DVR add-on, Ikea Reveals Adorable Cardboard Digital Camera,
Jul 20
Ikea beefs up 2013 catalog with companion AR app, doesn’t translate Swedish furniture names (video)
Posted in: Today's Chili 
While many might reckon the days of paper-based catalogs passed with the advent of the web, Ikea‘s clinging onto its tome for yet another year, but will dust its latest issue with augmented reality. It looks like its 2013 catalog app will arrive with some new camera-centric features on both phones and tablets — the brief preview video shows a pair of devices that look decidedly iPhone and iPad-esque. The app uses image recognition software from Metaio (avoiding the jarring monotones of QR codes) to identify specific pages and throw in some lightweight extra content, from cutaway views of furniture to “inspirational” video shorts. The agency behind the app has much loftier ideas for the future, including streaming live cooking shows or concerts into Ikea’s imaginary rooms. Take a preview tour after the break, but sorry, no meatballs (or hotdogs) at the end.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Software
Ikea beefs up 2013 catalog with companion AR app, doesn’t translate Swedish furniture names (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Jul 19
The genius behind Ikea is that they’ve streamlined the furniture production process to near-optimum efficiency. If you consider having to assemble the furniture yourself to be efficient, that is. More »
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