Artificial Intelligence

Draper, Utah -- Online eyewear retailer Glasses.com is releasing a 3D app for the iPad platform that allows customers to virtually try on glasses using a 180-degree 3D representation of their face. Proprietary facial modeling technology allows users to reproduce their face on an iPad screen and reposition glasses, as well as compare different glasses in a side-by-side view. A built-in “share” feature lets customers send virtual views to family and friends and receive tallied votes on their opinions.

CINCINNATI — Market6, a leading provider of Web-based retail analytic applications, has appointed software industry veteran Ray B. Tacoma to the company’s board of directors.

Tacoma has more than 25 years of senior management experience with organizations such as Netezza, MicroStrategy, FileNet and Oracle. The board will look to Tacoma to provide it with extensive domain and industry knowledge so it can optimize Market6’s strategy and execution as it provides retailers and consumer goods companies with SaaS-based retail analytic applications.

DENVER — Junction Solutions, a leading provider of hosted and cloud-based software and services for the multichannel retail and food and beverage sectors, has appointed John Bonati as SVP of sales. 

Bonati will manage the global sales activities for the company’s industry-specific software and service solutions. 

By Nathan Needel, PRD International

For years, surveillance systems have recorded thefts and other incidences, including those at POS location, for future investigation. Now, video can be used to stop incidences as they happen. To do this, users need to quit thinking of surveillance systems as simply repositories of what’s been seen and recorded and, instead, think of cameras as sensors in a system. Why should you have to search through recordings to locate the incident when, if fact, they can stop it as it happens?

Santa Monica, Calif. -- Global e-commerce sales are expected to rise 17.5% this year to $963 billion, up from $820.5 billion last year, according to a study by Siemer & Associates.

Currently, online accounts for just 6.5% of all retail sales worldwide but is growing four times faster than traditional retail. E-commerce sales are expected to account for 9.3% of retail sales by 2016.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Hasbro has acquired a majority stake in Backflip Studios, a company that develops mobile games such as DragonVale, NinJump and Paper Toss.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Shop.org, the digital arm of the National Retail Federation, has re-elected Scot Wingo, co-founder and CEO of ChannelAdvisor, a leading provider of cloud-based e-commerce solutions for retailers and manufacturers, to its board of directors.

Wingo was re-elected to the 20-member board for another two-year term by existing Shop.org members along with executives from Belk, HSN, Razorfish, Tory Burch and Urban Outfitters. 

LOS ANGELES — Virtual Piggy has appointed Ivo Weevers as the company’s creative director of mobile design. Weevers will be charged with leading and managing the mobile consumer experience team.

Weevers has 15 years of experience in creating mobile, web, device and desktop products across multiple platforms. He has directed design work and lead international design teams in the telecom, device, social media, banking, travel, entertainment, medical automotive industries.