TECHNO

BRIDESTALK

Getting Real

Chris Partridge talks us through the latest technology developed for the fashion industry that works for bridal and the newest musthave gadgets and gizmos

The fashion trade is turning to the latest augmented reality technology to provide a better shopping experience and minimise the added costs imposed by hygiene regulations.

Augmented reality is the merging of pictures of the real world with computer-generated graphics, so a bride can see herself pose in a gown she is interested in, experiment with colours and styles and even adjust the lighting to get exactly the effect she wants. All without having to go into the fitting room, strip off and get herself into the real thing.

The pictures can be displayed on a variety of screens, such as a laptop, but tablets or smartphones are popular because they are so easy to use. For retailers, however, the device with the greatest potential is the magic mirror. These look and act like regular mirrors, but have a built-in camera so they can display live video images of the bride.

Magic mirrors come in many sizes, from devices that stand on the makeup table to help women experiment with cosmetic schemes to full-length mirrors for trying on clothes. Mirrors such as the HiMirror are touch screens so the user can ‘apply’ makeup as she would in real life, but the distance to a full length mirror makes touch screens impractical as well as expensive, so many systems use smartphones to control the images on the screen.

The problem of getting an accurate size without using a tape measure is tackled by systems such as Sizebay which use artificial intelligence to estimate a shopper’s measurements from just three bits of information – height, weight and age, claiming a 98% accuracy when recommending a dress size.

Body scanners come it two types: one uses standard cameras such as in smartphones or Microsoft’s Kinect sensor originally designed for gaming; others being specialist scanners based on lasers or millimetre wave technology (effectively radar).

Data from the body scanner is used to create an avatar of the bride which can be ‘dressed’ with any of the gowns in stock. Some systems allow side-by-side comparisons and the addition of accessories or changes to the gown itself.

Magic mirrors are not yet at the position where a bride can make a final decision without trying on the gown herself, and they do not guarantee a perfect fit first time, but they at the least enable the bride to identify the no-hopers without touching them, saving the retailer the expense of washing every reject.

The technology is not cheap but can be a big draw for sophisticated shoppers who are now very conversant with buying online and regard digital assistance as a benefit rather than a challenge.

TECH NEWS

5G phone networks are finally arriving in our major cities, bringing broadband to your mobile phone, making it a serious business tool. Smartphone makers are launching new 5G models at all price points. The Sony Xperia 1 II weighs in at the eye-watering end, at over £1,000 simfree, but it is an outstanding phone with a serious camera and a wide screen that makes watching video or playing games just like the TV. That wide screen does make the unit feel tall and thin in the hand, but many people will find that more comfortable to hold.

The camera is based on Sony’s a9 professional camera, and offers lots of professional features such as continuous autofocus and autoexposure, making for top quality video. The three main camera lenses give ultra wide angle and telephoto capabilities. The app provides lots of manual settings for those who want total creative control – ideal for creating content for the web and brochures.

If you want 5G but regard a grand as too much to pay, the Motorola Moto G 5G Plus costs just £300. It doesn’t have the Sony’s premium design but it looks good and sports four lenses in its forward facing camera – wide angle, a 48 megapixel main camera, a macro lens for close-ups and a depth sensor. Unusually, it also has two selfie cameras, one for regular self portraits and the other wide angle for groups. A very capable phone for not much money.

Now the world works from home, laptops are selling briskly again,

but currently the main interest is in hybrids – laptops with screens that fold right round so you can use them like a tablet for ease of use on the move. And, of course, you can pay as much or (almost) as little as you like.

At the upper end, at £1,800 comes the new HP Spectre x360 13. Its main selling point is the sparkling 13in amoled screen which makes watching videos a huge pleasure.

At the budget end, the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 costs just £230. The screen is only 11in, but that makes the unit compact and ideal for travel: it is robust, with a Gorilla glass screen. You do have to accept the limitations of Chrome OS, but these are now far fewer than they used to be (working offline is not a problem) and the ability to install Android apps brings a new flexibility.

One of the major annoyances of modern life is running out of charge on your phone while out and about, so £20 is not a lot for peace of mind on that front. The new Belkin Pocket Power 10K is a spare battery with enough juice to recharge the average phone three times while being light and compact enough to pop in your

Zeekit is one of the tech companies which is making headway having convinced some major brands to give it a try including ASOS, Macys & Walmart.

bag or pocket without noticing too much.

One of the commonest touch points is a person’s phone, so regular sanitising is a must, which is exactly what the UV Sanitizer from Invisible Shield aims to do. Just place the phone inside, close the lid and it is bathed in UV light for a few minutes to blitz all those pesky viruses and other microbes, including any hiding in nooks and crannies. You can also use it on your keys, remotes and other small objects. It is powered by a USB-C cable so it is eminently portable. It costs £45.