Smartphones could be obsolete in five years' time, according to consumers polled in a new survey. Swedish network infrastructure firm Ericsson questioned 100,000 people across 40 countries, and one in two smartphone users "think that smartphones will be a thing of the past, and that this will happen in just five years". In its place will be artificial intelligence which will "enable interaction with objects without the need for a smartphone screen".

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a phenomenon and an entity. It refers to the way Internet connectivity has expanded to include everyday objects and to how those everyday objects interoperate with our daily lives. No longer do we “access” the Internet. The Internet is ever-present. It operates as an automated entity that can carry out functions that reflect and affect the physical world. We conduct business, live our lives, and dictate our affairs in its presence and based on its rules. Anything from your refrigerator to your key fob could be connected.

The global market for Internet of Things (IoT) devices will generate revenues of $44 billion between 2015 and 2019, according to a new report from Technavio. Also known as smart devices, such objects include appliances, watches, thermostats, glass and lighting. The growing popularity of smart homes is expected to encourage the adoption of IoT devices during the forecast period.

FanDuel and DraftKings are no longer welcome in New York, a state judge ruled on Friday. As Reuters notes, the decision “could be a crippling blow to the fast-growing, multibillion-dollar [online fantasy sports] industry.” Yet, an injunction granted by New York Supreme Court Justice Manuel Mendez is not the final determination on the ultimate issues of the case, which will be heard in a trial, Reuters notes.

In an attempt to modernize the retail experience for sellers, four Nest alums are launching b8ta, a software-driven brick-and-mortar store in Palo Alto, to sell Internet of Things gadgets and products on Friday. The entire b8ta experience is technology-driven — from the way companies get their products into b8ta to the way customers interact with the products. With b8ta, the goal is to get innovative products like the Gi Flybike, a folding electric bicycle, and Thync, a wearable for achieving mindfulness and boosting energy, into physical stores and enable customers to have real, tactile experiences with them.

Lowe’s is spreading holiday cheer within its newest smart home mobile application by enabling users to leverage the brand’s first-ever Santa Tracker to prove Mr. Claus visited their homes and uncover his trail to the Christmas tree. The home improvement marketer is boosting awareness of its Iris by Lowe’s smart home app by integrating new features including “Santa sensors” and a “Santa camera” to excite holiday enthusiasts. Mobile users will be able to prove Santa’s visit to their residence and track his footsteps through their home on Christmas, proving that smart home solutions can inject seasonal themes into their services …

Businesses are concerned that rising data volumes as a result of the Internet of Things (IoT) and connected devices will overwhelm their networks and lead to concerns around security. That's according to research conducted by independent analysis firm Quocirca, carried out on behalf of real-time cloud-based information services and analytics firm Neustar. The research comes after an expert previously warned the emergence of the Internet of Things is set to raise unsettling questions about online privacy and security. The report, entitled "The many guises of the IoT" suggests that "no business can ignore the issues arising from the growing numbers of network attached …

Across Asia, motorized two-wheeled vehicles provide mobility for the masses, but emissions from hundreds of millions of scooters and motorcycles are responsible for more than half of traffic pollution in many cities, choking the air with hazardous levels of benzene and particulate matter, in addition to greenhouse gases. This year, a Taiwan-based startup called Gogoro has been using the scooter-filled streets of Taipei to test its Smartscooter, an electric scooter with an efficient all-electric drive train, sleek design and Internet of Things ingenuity. But Gogoro doesn’t want to be called a scooter company. It sees itself as an energy …

AT&T thinks we're this close to getting flying cars next year ... well, not really. But it appears to be pretty bullish on what's to come in innovation. The telecom giant has put out its list of predictions for 2016, and its crystal ball appears to be a high-tech one. Among other things, it anticipates major strides in the Internet of Things (IoT). "This is actually one of the most important initiatives within the company right now, and it's not only a domestic play, it's actually a more international play," said Mike Troiano, vice president of industrial IoT at AT&T.

Apple is currently planning a March 2016 event to unveil the second-generation Apple Watch, according to sources with knowledge of the plans. The second version of the Apple Watch would then ship by April, nearly a year after the original model first went on sale. Apple has also been working on a new “iPhone 6c” with a 4-inch display, which also could appear at this event, according to the sources. Apple began to develop technologies destined for future Apple Watch models long before the first generation even shipped. As we previously reported, Apple has been working on new camera, wireless, sleep tracking, and …