Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller made headlines last month when they demonstrated at two security conferences how they were able to hack into a moving Jeep Cherokee, remotely taking control of the vehicle. Their hacks led to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to recall 1.4 million vehicles to fix the vulnerability, and put an even greater spotlight on the complex issue of security and the Internet of things (IoT).

Freckle IoT, a technology company dedicated to mobile attribution for brands, and Postmedia, a publisher of English-language daily newspapers in Canada, announced a new initiative that will bridge the gap between digital and physical experiences.

The Internet of Things is more than a buzzy tech term for connected sensors and devices. It could change the way government agencies are organized, and the way they make decisions, according to one senior strategist.

By all accounts, the future will bring a beeping hive of smart devices into our lives. Doorbells and washing machines and thermostats will be connected to each other, managed by a robotic housekeeper. Your car will check its own oil, alert you when gas is running low, and drive itself. Your shopping will be delivered by drone.

Forecast to constitute "the largest device market in the world" by 2019, the Internet of Things (IoT) promises retailers both operational efficiencies and deeper customer relationships. IoT is already here and now as retailers are testing or in full roll out of beacons, smart fitting rooms, wearables, intelligent supply chains and more. 

Most of the client-side marketers and marketing tech companies today are looking to map and track a customer during the entire purchase process. They are using various sources for connecting the dots. Beacons are also coming into the picture as shown in some of the surveys below. According to a recent eMarketer report titled Beacons for Retailers: Beyond the Hype, the usage of beacons as a way of data collection based on in-store shopping behavior is a new strategy that marketers are looking at.

Ericsson, Sony Mobile and SK Telecom are testing new device and network innovations which should support secure and ubiquitous LTE network connectivity for lower cost, lower power internet of things devices.

SK Telecom said Tuesday that it has partnered with Komax, a local company focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT), to bolster its presence in the sector. Komax is SK Telecom’s third partner in IoT after Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. The country’s top mobile carrier, plans to put its fine-tuned wireless technology to use in connections for home appliances made by major manufacturers. The signing took place on the sidelines of this year’s IFA fair in the German capital of Berlin, last week.

Lowe’s Companies Inc. is strengthening its support of the ZWave wireless Internet of Things (IoT) standard. Lowe’s has joined The Z-Wave Alliance, a global consortium of more than 325 member companies, with its Iris smart home solution. Launched in July 2012, Iris by Lowe's is a smart home solution created to monitor and control virtually everything in the home anytime, anywhere from a computer, smart phone or tablet.

It’s simply connecting any object via Internet for data to be received and shared. Your refrigerator informing that you are running out of milk,  AC controlling the temperature and chores of that effect. With utility, IoT offers a gold mine to marketers with its sea of data about potential TG. Diageo created a smart bottle for one of its brands –  Johnnie Walker Blue Label that conversed with its consumers via messages, using IoT.