Google’s smart Nest thermostats have experienced widespread outages across the U.S. this week, as large parts of the country continue to experience the worst heatwave in four years. Nest owners took to social media to complain about the issue, which appears to affect the Nest companion app that is used to control the device. It is unclear how many users have been affected, though Nest have said it is only a “small percentage” and that devices can still be controlled manually.

First responders are facing a new threat -- cars. Cutting into a 1994 Tercel isn't the same as cutting into a 2016 Leaf. Whether it's high-voltage cables, batteries in odd locations or other newfangled engineering trickery, being a first responder ain't easy. But Mercedes is hoping to make it a bit easier, using augmented reality. Rescue Assist is an app Mercedes-Benz created for first responders. It provides a wealth of data on all its cars, including commercial brands, so first responders know the best way to enter a vehicle. Now, it's added augmented reality, giving folks a better idea of what parts …

Samsung is ramping up awareness of its virtual reality capabilities among millennials by hosting a series of on-site activations at music festival Lollapalooza, including enabling attendees to leverage its branded gear to live-stream performances from the main stage. The electronics company is amplifying music fans’ experiences at the annual festival by introducing several on-site activations grounded in virtual reality, showcasing the technology’s outreach potential at live events. Festival attendees will be able to interact with Samsung Gear 360, live-stream musical performances using the Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR headset and vie for a chance to win perks and upgrades from Samsung …

Nearly all consumers would be less likely to stay loyal to an automaker if it is hacked, according to the 2016 KPMG Consumer Loss Barometer study. With connected and autonomous vehicles penetrating public consciousness, fear of cyber attacks not on automakers’ data but on vehicles themselves has been the corollary. Despite public worries and dangers, however, automakers are not sufficiently investing in cyber security.

Apple CEO Tim Cook today told investors that Apple is continuing to invest in augmented reality, and that the company is "high on AR in the long run." Cook's comments came after he was questioned about Pokémon Go, the hit augmented reality game developed by Niantic Labs, Nintendo, and The Pokémon Company.  Cook, who continually referred to "Pokémon" as "Pokemans," said Pokémon Go is a "testament to what happens to innovative apps," giving the App Store credit for empowering developers to "press a button" and "offer a product around the world." He went on to say that augmented reality offers a great commercial opportunity …

Following a successful beta test, New York & Company said today that it is rolling out shopkick-enabled beacons to more than 170 of its locations, enabling consumers to earn loyalty points for walking into a store and for visiting a fitting room. The collaboration, which has been in beta for the past several weeks, entails a beacon deployment powered by mobile shopping application shopkick. Shopkick installed at least two shopBeacons in each New York & Company location, one of which rewards app users with points for walking in the door while the other incentivizes customers to try on clothes in the fitting rooms.

The women's wearables market is heating up, with plenty of fitness trackers and smart jewelry to choose from—but somehow it's still hard to find devices that are beautiful, functional, and also reasonably priced. The Bellabeat Leaf Urban, which launches today, hits all three marks. It's a pebble-like device with a leaf pattern on it (think Elven elegance) and can be worn as a bracelet, a necklace, or a clip. It's designed to mask the technology inside, so it looks like a piece of jewelry you might wear to the office, dinner, or on the weekend.

Using connected technologies could help federal agencies save money and become more efficient, but poor leadership prevents the government from taking full advantage of the Internet of Things’ potential, according to a new report from the Center for Data Innovation think tank. The federal tech community has done little to plan for the recent explosion of internet-connected devices, said the report, released Monday. Agencies are now stuck in the dark, "unprepared for how they will leverage the technology internally," the report says. “As of May 2016, we still could not find a federal agency that addresses how it will use the Internet of Things in …

Smart cars will become delivery boxes for Deutsche Post AG’s DHL package operation in Germany this year in the largest test so far of the mail and auto industry working together to leverage connected cars. Owners of Daimler AG’s Smart models can arrange for DHL to deliver parcels to the trunks of their parked cars starting in September in the parent company’s hometown of Stuttgart, with the service eventually rolled out to a total of seven cities in the following months, including Cologne and Berlin. The project, dubbed Smart Ready to Drop, will be the country’s biggest trial yet of in-car …

I am a bad yogi. My inability to downward dog stems from a couple of separate factors: a lifelong disdain of stretching combined with weekly soccer games and squash matches played on slowly aging limbs and ligaments. If I'm being honest, there's also a certain intimidation or fear factor in my expected failure. As someone who defines himself at least in part by mostly succeeding in various athletic endeavors, the idea of struggling through a beginner yoga class brings the opposite of tranquility. What I need is a teacher (and not the type of teacher …