Why shopping will never be the same

Intel scientist Nola Donato has designed a high-tech mirror that shows how clothes look on a consumer who simply stands in front of an LCD monitor.

Parametric technology simulates body type and how fabrics fit — based on weight, height and measurements. Think of it as a digital fitting room. The concept is three to five years from fruition but could open the door for Intel in the retail market. The convergence of smartphone technology, social-media data and futuristic technology such as 3-D printers is changing the face of retail in a way that experts across the industry say will upend the bricks-and-mortar model in a matter of a few years.