We're still on the fence about the prospect of autonomous vehicles. On the one hand, they promise to make commuting a breeze and collisions a thing of the past. On the other, they stand to take us away from the steering wheel, and that's something we can't abide. But an autonomous stroller, now that's the kind of idea we can get behind. Shame such a thing doesn't exist... right?

What would your car say to you if it could communicate with you? No, not if it was Christine, Stephen King's famously possessed car, but just your own, regular car parked outside your house just now.   

More Targeted Marketing Technology has revolutionised the way in which a wide variety of sectors do business, and retail experiences a significant share of that transformation. Gone are the days when a product could only be paid for using cash or a cheque; new and sophisticated payment systems have now been introduced to facilitate a speedier and more convenient shopping experience.

The Pentagon is building a tech hub in Silicon Valley to help create new gadgetry for the supersoldiers of the future as well as tech-savvy consumers. A plan unveiled Friday called for a new Manufacturing Innovation Institute to be based in San Jose, California, to work on new kinds of soft, flexible technology that can be used either on the battlefield or for civilian health, homes and cities.

Target is doing beacons, and so is Macys. In fact, everyone seems to be using beacons to generate targeted offers for consumers (and gather copious amounts of data on them). Or are they? Some data suggests that while beacons have a lot of promise, they may not (yet) be living up to their hype.

Connected devices are common all around the world today and becoming more and more common. In years past the only things that were typically networked were computers, tablets, and smartphones. That is all changing with cheap sensors and chips that allow literally anything to be placed on a network. Appliances are getting network capabilities for all sorts of new features.

For US electronics retailer Best Buy, there are two great drivers for success at present – the Apple Watch and the Internet of Things (IoT). The combination of those helped fuel consumer demand and resulted in the firm posting expectation-busting numbers yesterday and sending the share price soaring by 14%.

Retail shopping mall owner Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) is to roll out Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons in its shopping centres in 12 US states, allowing retailers and brands to trigger offers and information in shoppers’ smartphones.

The Internet of Things is being used by car insurance companies to cut their costs, a new study by UK’s Business Insider shows. The study says car insurance companies are using various dongles inside the car to learn more about a driver’s habits.

So much for the Apple Watch being a niche product. Best Buy Co., at least, is convinced that the high-tech gadget has mass appeal. The retailer is the world’s largest electronics chain, earning the designation by selling mainstream products like laptops and flat-screen television sets.