Home / Markets / Innovation
Friday, November 02, 2007
Not Sure What To Wear? Ask The Mirror
Kathryn Elizabeth Tuggle
FOXBusiness
New York--Mirror, Mirror, on the wall -- what goes with these pants?
The Magicmirror, which could hit U.S. stores by the end
of 2007, is a digital mirror developed by thebigspace and Infosys Technologies (INFY) that interacts with shoppers while they
try things on. A bit futuristic (and maybe a bit invasive) the mirror uses radio-frequency identification, or RFID, tag technology
to sense the garments shoppers take into the dressing room. The mirror then displays a T.V.-like description of the clothing
and offers shoppers everything from related advertisements to suggestions on matching shoes.
Via touch-screen technology,
shoppers can tell the Magicmirror if they need another size or color in a garment, and a sales associate is notified via PDA.
“Most times, the first time the retailer can approach you is at the check out at the end of your shopping experience,”
said Devon Ferreira, a principal with Infosys. “There is a better opportunity for retailers to make a sale if they can come
to your dressing room to bring you what you’ve asked for.”
Ferreira said the mirror’s developers -- Infosys and thebigspace
-- are already in discussion with five of the “marquee brands” in North America, and that department store installations are
expected before Christmas 2007.
Fox Business Video
-
-
Helping Veterans Land Jobs
-
Jul 2, 2009
Baird on Helping Soldiers
-
-
-
President's Plans Working
-
Jul 2, 2009
Goodstein on Stimulus Success
-
-
-
Jackson Lives On
-
Jul 2, 2009
Beck on Future of Jackson
-
-
-
$20 Dollars a Gallon
-
Jul 2, 2009
Paying More to Save Economy
-
-
-
Looking for the Road to Recovery
-
Jul 2, 2009
Morris on Unemployment
-
FOX Translator
No data currently available.
No data currently available.
Sure, we know some of you are saying the term "marriage penalty" is redundant. In fact, of all the costs associated with getting married (have you seen the cost of a wedding cake lately?), the marriage penalty can be the worst.
Here's how it works: Mr. and Mrs. Right walk down the aisle in wedded bliss and suddenly they¿re a two-income household. If both make roughly the same amount of money, they can be pushed into a higher tax bracket. That's bad, since the higher the bracket, the higher the tax. So, if both were single, they'd end up writing two smaller checks to the tax man that, if combined, would add up to less than the giant check they write in a state of wedded bliss.
Is that fair? We're not touching that, but there is a flip side that few people talk about. The marriage penalty only kicks in if both members of the couple make close to the same amount of money. If there's a big disparity in pay, there's actually a tax advantage. Call it the marriage bonus.
And, it¿s important to remember that there are other financial benefits, such as lower life-insurance rates or health care premiums, that can make up for the extra tax couples pay. So don't let Uncle Sam stop you from saying, "I do."
