Tech and platform developments: Page 2

Fiverr's new store connects influencers with support services

The online hub for freelance services could link social media personalities to people assisting with video editing to graphic design.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 26, 2019

BMW pilots in-car food ordering with delivery app Olo

Nekter Juice Bar and Portillo's Hot Dogs are the first two brands to test orders through car infotainment systems.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 25, 2019

Adidas cuts out tech middlemen with in-app sneaker try-on

An iOS app update uses augmented reality to let shoppers virtually sample the brand's new Alphaedge 4D shoe line.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 25, 2019

Pinterest's new curated marketplace gives smaller merchants a holiday boost

@PinterestShop gathers hundreds of shoppable posts from 17 hand-picked businesses ahead of Small Business Saturday.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 25, 2019

Tic Tac becomes 1st sponsor for Spotify's new live music event series

Two nights of activations and performances at The Mint, a historic L.A. venue, will emphasize different aspects of the Tic Tac brand.

By Barry Levine • Nov. 22, 2019

Verizon will preload Snapchat on 5G phones to widen reach

The companies will develop AR technology and exclusive rewards offers for Snapchat users to draw buzz around the high-speed mobile service.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 22, 2019

PayPal buys rewards app Honey for $4B in e-commerce push

As the payment company's largest acquisition to date, the deal adds product discovery to its platforms and expands merchant services.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 21, 2019

Sonos snaps up privacy-focused voice startup Snips for $37.5M

By localizing the processing to individual devices instead of the cloud, Snips may limit user data collection while still providing personalized experiences.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 21, 2019

Chipotle rolls out Alexa voice ordering

Customers can reorder meals within seconds using the new feature that's part of Chipotle's larger digital sales platform, which is approaching $1 billion.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 21, 2019

Jostens debuts NFC-enabled class rings for school champions

The Champ DX Championship Ring preserves videos and photos that can be accessed via a free mobile app developed with Galatea.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 20, 2019

Adidas' AR activation drops shoppers into a trash-filled virtual ocean

Immersing app users in a littered ocean around the holidays highlights environmental issues and shows how the brand turns plastic waste into shoes.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 20, 2019

Snapchat's Discover tab extends ads up to 3 minutes

Xfinity and Nissan tested the new longer format that is unskippable ​in the first six seconds and then switches to being skippable for the rest.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 19, 2019

7-Eleven's delivery app now handles Alexa, Google Assistant orders

New convenience-minded features arrive months after the chain debuted delivery hot spots, mobile checkout and AR loyalty tie-ins.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 19, 2019

Microsoft will shutter Cortana voice app in several countries

At the end of January, the software giant will focus on integrating the virtual assistant with its suite of productivity apps.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 19, 2019

YouTube readies beauty influencer contest series with James Charles

Reality show competitions are another sign of YouTube's strategy shift to original, personality-driven content.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 18, 2019

Aveda taps AI for virtual hair color sampling

The Estée Lauder brand's mobile experience features 64 hair colors and a "color melt" effect for another 30 shades.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 18, 2019

Walmart links mobile Scan & Shop with printed holiday toy catalog

Browsers can scan pages with their smartphone and add items to their online cart or wish list.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 18, 2019

TikTok opens door to social commerce with test of shoppable video links

Footage shows how links embedded in posts can go directly to an influencer's curated Amazon page.

By Peter Adams • Nov. 15, 2019

Wayfair introduces mobile app with visual tech tools

New camera-based features can help shoppers visualize furniture in their homes prior to purchase.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Nov. 14, 2019

App users embrace subscriptions, cutting acquisition costs 58%, study says

In contrast, the cost of driving one-time app purchases jumped 60%.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 14, 2019

Amazon shipped 3x more smart speakers than Google in Q3

Prime Day and back-to-school campaigns powered the e-commerce giant's 66% year-over-year growth, Canalys found.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 14, 2019

Mobile video ad inventory jumps 31% as viewership grows, study says

Growth in mobile ad monetization will stem from more user time spent with formats like video in the next 18 months.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 13, 2019

Saks, Sephora pilot Google's local ads to drive store traffic

Google's local ads now have a more seamless integration with Maps, including branded pins that appear near travel routes.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 13, 2019

Chick-fil-A boosts app downloads 14% with QR codes, analysis finds

Smartphone camera capabilities that don't require users to download an additional app to scan QR codes have helped revitalize interest in the tactic.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 13, 2019

Walmart launches voice shopping for grocery on Apple

The Siri shortcut will allow customers to say "Add to Walmart" and list out products they want in their online cart. 

By Krishna Thakker • Nov. 13, 2019