promptly pulled out my smart phone, went to Google and typed merely “Italian deli&# – not having to add a geographic modifier because the GPS on my phone was enabled and would automatically pull local business listings based on my current location. Because it was late, I was only interested in the results that returned with a phone number so that I could call and make sure the establishment was still open. eMarketer reports that consumers force retailers to adopt social strategy. First an anecdote, then the facts. billion local queries. link] [.] MORE >>

According to the Business Insider article: "Nomi's team gives retailers a snippet of code that lets wireless routers listen for nearby smart phone signals. The wireless routers can detect unique Media Access Control (MAC) codes from smart phones and then collect non-invasive data about customers in real-time. Instead, Nomi will show retailers how many customers visit each day, the average time spent in the store, and new versus repeat visitors." " Creepy invasion of privacy or awesome use of technology at the physical retail level? MORE >>

the badges on Foursquare have never been of real inter­est to me from a con­sumer or a retailer point of view. the badges on Foursquare have never been of real inter­est to me from a con­sumer or a retailer point of view. the badges on Foursquare have never been of real inter­est to me from a con­sumer or a retailer point of view. brycedavidw Posted May 6, 2010 at 2:38 PM I do not have a smart phone, and there­fore, can­not par­tic­i­pate in FSQ.…I when I get a smart phone. You’ll get tired of col­lect­ing Foursquare badges. So in sum­mary. MORE >>

What’s significant about this is that these barcodes can be optimized for smart phones. With smart phones, pads and tablets becoming the norm, apps deliver an immediate presence like no other. From social network check-ins on Foursquare to passive retail checking-in on Shopkick, any kind of “extra” deal might be enough to bring foot traffic your way. And it simply won’t be typical company “push” efforts – for the smart ones at least. Take smart phones for instance. For smart phones. They often do. Segments are evolving. MORE >>

The cross-channel customer is also a multi-device consumer and smart phones play an increasing role in communication, networking, social media usage and entertainment. Or that more people own a smart phone than use Facebook? The consumer smart phone boom will continue to put increasing pressure on 3G networks. Augmented reality will enhance games and retail. For example, you can try on fashions from your PC or smart phone. Juniper is predicting that banks will move to make mobile banking a key feature for smart phone users in 2011. MORE >>