Google delivers pizza with a Pixel 4 topping
To promote its brand-new Pixel 4 phones, Google sent Domino’s pizza to dozens of influencers with the phones packed inside the pizza box. The goal was to have influencers demonstrate the phone’s new hands-free and motion sense features, according to AdAge. “Hot, fresh and hands-free,” reads the copy on the box, which featured instructions to get the phone to play “Invisible Touch” by Genesis. See a sponsored influencer video below from actor/creator Josh Peck. Google is also sending the special pizza/phone boxes to about 5,000 mobile phone salespeople.
Samsung shooting “space selfies” with Galaxy phones
Samsung, meanwhile, is sending two Galaxy 10s to the edge of space to allow people to shoot “space selfies.” According to a report in Campaign, the phones will be placed inside a special rig that will be lifted to 64,000 feet by a helium balloon “half the size of a basketball court” and float there for up to 10 days.
People will be able to visit a special site and upload their selfies, which can be super-imposed on the Galaxy photos of earth. Model and actress Cara Delevingne will reportedly be the first to take a space-selfie, with soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic to follow. The Swedish born Ibrahimovic, who plays for Major League Soccer’s L.A. Galaxy, has already posted an Instagram video about the stunt.
Virgin Galactic unveils Under Armour-designed space suits
And in other space-related news, Virgin Galactic this week unveiled the new spacesuits that passengers will wear on their upcoming visits to outer space.
Designed by Under Armour, which became Virgin Galactic’s “exclusive technical spacewear” partner earlier this year, the suits are a “deep space blue” in colour, with “atmospheric light blue elements and pops of gold,” throughout.
The suits are made with a material called UA Clone, which Under Armour says forms to the exact shape of the body for a “precision fit and zero-distraction feel.” The space boot, meanwhile, was inspired by racecar drivers’ footwear, and is a deliberate attempt to move away from what Under Armour describes as the “big, bulky boot” traditionally associated with astronauts.
Each suit will be personalized with the flag of the traveller’s country, and a patch unique to each mission that can be attached to a flight jacket that will be presented to each traveller after the mission.
Amazon is making significant inroads in U.S. search market, says eMarketer
First it came for the books. Then it came for the clothing and electronics. Now Amazon is coming for search. According to new research from eMarketer, Amazon will be the only search platform to grow over the next several years, with much of its growth coming at the expense of Google.
The U.S. search market is poised to grow 18% to US$55.2 billion this year according to eMarketer, with nearly three-quarters (73.1%, or $40.3 billion) going to Google. However, eMarketer predicts Google’s share to drop to 70.5% by 2021.
According to eMarketer, most product searches now begin on Amazon. Its search business will grow by nearly 30% this year, with revenues of $7.1 billion, and could grow to 15.9% of the market by 2021. eMarketer predicts it will be the only search company to grow its revenue over the next several years.
“Amazon’s ad business has attracted massive increases in spending because advertisers can reach consumers during product queries, a time when they’re ready to buy,” said eMarketer’s principal analyst, Nicole Perrin. “Amazon has also rolled out better measurement and targeting tools, making it even more attractive for advertisers.”
