Meta is turning a pop-up that it opened in New York City in November into a permanent retail location. The parent company of Facebook said it has signed a 10-year lease with Vornado Realty Trust to make its temporary Meta Lab outpost in Manhattan a permanent flagship location. Located at 697 Fifth Ave., the skateboarding-themed Meta Lab is designed as a hands-on experiential space where customers can check out the company’s latest retail offerings, including its lineup of AI glasses, and immerse themselves in virtual worlds with Meta Quest headsets.

The White House on Thursday called for a host of new technology laws -- including ones that would restrict data collection and targeted advertising. “There should be clear limits on the ability to collect, use, transfer, and maintain our personal data, including limits on targeted advertising,” the administration stated Thursday at a meeting regarding tech platforms. “We especially need strong protections for particularly sensitive data such as geolocation and health information, including information related to reproductive health.” The Biden-Harris administration also said it was seeking an overhaul of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which currently protects tech companies from a broad range of lawsuits over material posted by users.

When was the last time you truly enjoyed scrolling through page after page of search results on Amazon? Settling into your favorite chair to just explore and see what comes next? If you’re like most consumers, probably never, really. Search for products online is more like a task-oriented scavenger hunt to find the thing that best matches your keywords, “lost in the noise of digital advertising.” A catalog, on the other hand, is a journey in itself, an inspiring experience that opens up new ideas in a tactile way that our brains relish. Recent news from IKEA that they are doing away with their catalog after 70 years is going to break a lot of hearts; they were a prime example of catalogers who “get it” and turned paper and ink into a journey of possibilities. (And their wickedly good catalog marketing campaigns ensured robust buzz about it.) It’s a mistake, no doubt. Given the resurgence of catalogs during the pandemic lockdowns, marketers have no doubt that catalogs serve a critical function in the retail and e-commerce experience. much more at: https://freeportpress.com/the-experience-of-the-catalog-is-what-makes-it-work-so-well/