In a rare session for Sibos 2015, having almost no mention of blockchain, leading technologists from three of the world’s largest banks shared their views on the transformative effect of digital technologies on the business of banking. Billed as a session on the Internet of Things (IoT) and core banking systems the discussion at the Marina Bay Sands convention centre in Singapore ranged across a variety of topics, illustrating the diverse skills and experiences needed to direct information technology in a large, modern financial institution.

Using beacons to send directed messages to customers while they are in the store is a goal of many convenience store retailers, but there are hurdles to clear and processes to develop. Panelists addressed these topics Monday in the educational session “Beckon Customer Dollars With Beacon Technology” at the NACS Show. “There have been a lot of discussions on beacons for the last couple of years in retail, but there aren’t very many case studies on them within the convenience industry,” said Jeannie Amerson, session moderator. “Most retailers want to know how you can change consumer behavior while also enhancing …

The buzz around the term the “Internet of Things (IoT)” isn’t being lost on the government. Agencies are hearing about the world we are supposedly moving toward — everything is connected, all the time and data is being collected, analyzed and used to help you do everything from buying food to becoming healthier to alerting you to sales at your favorite store. But sometimes the government must be a little bit of a buzz kill.

Thirteen billion “things” are currently connected by digital sensors and transmitters. That number is projected to grow to 39 billion by 2020. The expected impact on the global economy by 2025: $6.2 trillion. However, the rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is neither the full story nor the real opportunity for marketers in the manufacturing space.  More than 40 percent of all connected devices are used for supply chain analytics and robotic machinery, providing important information about daily operations. In fact, most major companies have implemented IoT projects and are realizing returns on their technology investment, with revenue increases averaging 16 percent in 2014

Alphabet may be compared to Apple in many respects, and vice versa, but there's one area where Cupertino soundly bests Mountain View: devices. On one hand, Apple's iPhone alone is responsible for $147 billion in revenueover the trailing 12-months versus Alphabet's total haul of $70 billion. Alphabet, on the other hand, has struggled with devices. After buying Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion in 2011, the company sold the division to Lenovo for $2.9 billion after years of red ink, although it should be noted the company kept certain high-value patents and sold off a portion of the business to Arris for $2.5 billion as well as …

Apple has quietly updated the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 4 to support the Internet of Things-ready Bluetooth version 4.2. Apple hasn't publicly announced support for Bluetooth 4.2 in the devices. But at some point since September's iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus launch, it has updated its product comparison pages to show that some of its devices have been modified to support the latest version of the wireless standard. Both new iPhones and the recently launched iPad Pro ship with Bluetooth 4.2 while the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus shipped with Bluetooth 4.0.

Although UK adoption of wearables is fairly small, particularly due to the fact that the devices are somewhat new to the market, the use of health-related mobile apps to track exercise, food intake and activity is helping elevate this technology category. Many marketers are buzzing about the internet of things (IoT) as more devices and screens enter the space. Wearables are one of such device that is making an impact in the UK. In fact, wearable device users will double from 7% of internet users in 2015 to 14% in 2016, according to September 2015 research from Lansons, a London-based consultancy.

There are no self-driving cars on the show floor at the Seattle International Auto Show, but technology is certainly front-and-center at the annual event this year. I spent some time at the CenturyLink Event Center this week checking out various company booths and looking to see how technology was featured by the car-makers. Almost every company, from Toyota to Tesla — yes, Elon Musk’s company got an invite from Washington State Auto Dealers Association, the show’s organizer  — had something geeky to show off to attendees.

Bud Light's smart fridge recently became available for consumers. This is a notable innovation, not only because it's a refrigerator that texts you when you're running out of beer, but because Bud Light is hardly an e-commerce brand. Is this a sign of what's to come for consumer packaged goods (CPG)? The fridge has a complementary app, which requires a date of birth to use. Some of its capabilities include a countdown letting you know when your beer is at optimum coldness, control over what the exterior displays, NFL team updates, and an integration with a beer-delivery service that operates …

The most obvious aspect of IoT is smart homes. From the moment we wake up, devices-permitting, our homes will be reacting to our very existence. Alarm clocks will be synced up to weather and traffic apps, reflecting what time we need to get up and into work. Heating systems will time it so that we have hot water in time for our shower, while lights will be synced up to turn on only in the rooms we frequent at ungodly early-morning hours.