Vogue:

> Imagine that you’re out to lunch, and in walks a woman wearing a terrific-looking coat or a silver dress for prom. Who designed it? Did she buy it last season, or is it still on sale? Covertly, you give her coat a quick scan on your smartphone, find out it’s available on Farfetch, and moments later it’s on its way out for delivery. > > According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, that future may not be far off. In a sit-down interview with Vogue, the leader of the world’s most valuable technology company said he is betting big on augmented reality (AR), which he believes will transform everything from runway shows to shopping. “I don’t think there is any sector or industry that will be untouched by AR,” he said.

And:

> It will also take some time before we’ll be able to scan and identify other women’s coats on our phones. Cook says the company has no plans to build the giant database of clothes, shoes and other goods that would make it possible. But Apple does plan to support companies who might embark on such an endeavour, he said.

I do think the ability to point your phone at a product and have it identified, with a shopping link, will have a powerful impact on retail. I suspect that Amazon is perfectly placed to reap the benefits from that technology.

One issue I see is the idea of pointing your phone at someone to take a picture of their clothing or shoes. There’s a high level of creepiness potential there, not sure how that becomes normalized.