Shopping in a crowded mall can be stressful at the best of times. Throw in out-of-stock items, missing price tags and labyrinthine store layouts and it can even become a frustrating exercise in futility.
But all this could change, thanks to an emerging concept dubbed 'the extended internet', where objects - and sometimes humans - are connected to the internet by radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and similar wireless technologies.
A concept store at last weekend's Hong Kong Electronics Fair offered a glimpse of the future shopper's paradise.
For example, if you are in a garments store, clothes carrying the RFID tag will trigger a screen in the fitting room that gives information relating to the item of clothing. Data ranges from details about fabrics and available colours and sizes to suitable accessories.
