A lifetime ago I wrote 'A Dao of Web Design'. At the time, it made a bit of a splash, then lay largely forgotten until Ethan Marcotte penned 'Responsive Web Design' which begins by quoting this from my article: "The control which designers know in the print medium, and often desire in the web medium, is simply a function of the limitation of the printed page. 

One of the biggest advances in mobile retailing during the upcoming holiday shopping season compared with last year could be the more sophisticated use of real-time location-based marketing. Many of the pieces are now in place for a broader, more masterful use of mobile location to engage shoppers, according to several sources, from in-store beacons, applications featuring store mode and geotargeted mobile ads.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming increasingly well known in a world that is becoming more connected. The IoT is no longer a fleeting idea, but a very real phenomenon. Recent figures from Gartner predict there will be 4.9 billion connected ‘things’ in use globally by the end of this year, with as many as 25 billion by 2020. Whilst it seems the majority are embracing the IoT, some have growing concerns over what it means for privacy and security.

IBM has announced a new IBM Cloud-based service to help automakers turn driver and vehicle data into actionable insights for predictive vehicle maintenance, real-time diagnostics on engine trouble, and to guide drivers to the most efficient traffic routes. With its new Internet of Things (IoT) for Automotivesolution, IBM is helping automotive manufacturers gather data from individual sensors that can be combined with other data for real-time analysis.

Looking for your favourite read in a book store or a product in a supermarket has become easier and faster today after two retailers implemented beacons to better pinpoint in-store locations and send relevant information to customers' smartphones. CU Book Centre and Tesco Lotus have recently applied Augmented Reality (AR) and iBeacon technology to serve their clients who shop for books in CU Book Stores and products at Tesco Lotus respectively. 

National Hockey League team Pittsburgh Penguins is scaling up beacon marketing through the use of a cloud-based platform that enables content to be regularly updated and optimized. Like many marketers, the Pittsburgh Penguins started testing the use of beacons last year to engage with fans on their smartphones while they were attending a game at the home stadium. 

Volkswagen AG, long associated with convenient cars for the masses, is positioning itself for an era when the automobile fulfills a bigger role than just moving people around. Volkswagen is looking to enable its cars to send and receive data as well as drive on their own, the Wolfsburg, Germany-based company said in a statement Monday. The German manufacturer also plans to roll out 20 electric cars and plug-in hybrids by 2020, ranging from compacts to upscale sedans like the Phaeton, it said.

Only one-third of IT industry execs believe that the Internet of Things will improve their bottom line over the next one to two years, according to a survey of 381 IT execs by IT industry trade association CompTIA. Around 58 percent of respondents are either uncertain or don't think IoT will improve their bottom line.

The technology outlined in Google’s patent describes using motion sensors and tiny motors that will automatically detect where your head is angled and adjust the glasses so they’ll stay fitted to the bridge of your nose. “In Google’s idea, the new glasses would have an actuator — a little motor for controlling movement — in each arm that could bend the arms in or out as needed, rather like the way a bendy straw works,” Quartz explains.

IBM on Monday took another step toward positioning itself as an Internet-of-Things powerhouse by introducing a business unit devoted to advancing technologies related to so-called smart devices, as well as bringing in some outside help to run it. Big Blue appointed Harriet Green to helm its new IoT division, as well as another new business unit that will focus on education-related products and technologies.