The multibillion-dollar business plans being hatched by global automakers and technology companies for self-driving vehicles depend on a sensor that’s less than 1 inch wide and costs all of 92 cents. And a company you’ve probably never heard of, Nippon Ceramic Co., controls about half of that market. Its stock is up more than 40 percent over the past three years and analysts expect profits to nearly double by 2018. In other words, it’s good to be Nippon Ceramic right now. The Japanese maker of ultrasonic sensors, which help autonomous vehicles avoid crashes and fit into tight parking spaces, expects demand …

About 75% of new cars will be equipped with online connectivity by 2020 and will be vulnerable to hackers, Assistant Attorney General John Carlin said Tuesday. "The same innovations that revolutionize the auto industry create vulnerabilities if not carefully deployed. Connectivity creates access. Potential access to vehicle control systems could be used against us to undermine the very safety the technology was designed to provide," said Carlin, who was speakin

Alphabet’s urban IoT subsidiary Sidewalk Labs has announced a new project which could see the company build a ‘digital district’, and even an entire U.S. city, to test its innovative, smart solutions before rolling them out at a wider scale. According to a post on The Information, Sidewalk Labs is partnering up with over 100 leading urban planners, technologists and consultants to work on a proposal for counties and U.S. states to bid to host the first of the digital communities.

The healthcare wearables industry is growing at an exponential rate, and it's not just because of fitness trackers and smartwatches, according to new statisticsfrom research firm Tractica. Tractica released Thursday its findings from its report "Wearable Devices for Healthcare Markets" that show worldwide shipments of healthcare wearables will increase from 2.5 million in 2016 to 97.6 million in 2021. That's a steep upward trend. In the next five years, it is predicted that healthcare wearables will bring in $17.8 billion in yearly revenue.

A new Internet of Things-inspired rugby sensor system developed in Scotland is set to transform player analysis and recuperation. Professional rugby players could soon be fitted with wearable Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which monitor how they tackle with their bodies, improve training drills and inform post-injury rehabilitation programmes, thanks to a Scottish start-up company.  Sansible Wearables – founded by Jack Ng, 36, and Charlie Patterson, 26 - have created ‘LiveSkin’ intelligent sensors, which are fitted within players’ shoulder pads to capture data from collisions on the playing field. The data can then be wirelessly transferred in real-time to a specially …

Your clothes could one day monitor your fitness levels or boost your smartphone reception thanks to a new technique that uses ultrathin electronic thread to embroider circuits into fabric. Measuring just 0.1 mm in diameter, the thread comprises seven filaments made of copper and silver. Using it, researchers at Ohio State University have found a way to embroider circuits into fabric with enough precision to integrate electronic components such as sensors and memory devices into clothing. 

Billboards, the oldest and least technology-driven of all advertising media, are now being given an Internet-of-Things upgrade, as brands and media owners look for new ways to ensure proof of performance.  Out-of-home displays have typically suffered because simple things like torn ads or electric lights not being put on at night affect the usefulness of a campaign. Brands and advertising agencies still rely on people on bikes taking pictures of hoardings to ensure that they are getting what they have paid for.  "This has been a significant problem for the out-of-home industry. Media owners can have as much as 20% …

With the quick advancement of the internet of things in all directions, issues are bound to crop up. Many companies and entities developing IoT gadgets are creating their own standards and protocols, while more established fare is fighting for attention and supremacy. This fragmentation of standards, however, is only the beginning of the wide range of problems facing IoT, from security concerns to things like the recent controversy over Nest’s remote bricking of all Revolv IoT hubs. With all of these issues, it’s not hard to imagine higher powers looking to involve themselves in the burgeoning revolution before it’s too late and the …

The internet of things (IoT), an interconnected ecosystem of internet-enabled objects—devices, sensors, microprocessors, data hubs, networks, artificial intelligence software and analytics programs—is already being used across the retail industry. Whether it“s monitoring the supply chain, tracking and managing inventory, delivering personalized promotions, or enabling ecommerce from new environments, the retail IoT is ushering in an era in which “smart” things can seamlessly collect, share and analyze real-time data. According to an August 2015 study by Retail Systems Research (RSR), the majority (54%) of retailers worldwide with above-average sales growth said they believed the IoT is poised to dramatically change the way …

The Minnesota Vikings are tackling opening a new stadium and launching a new app this coming season. The National Football League team will relaunch its app at a party during the NFL Draft 2016 on Thursday, April 28, says John Penhollow, vice president of corporate and technology partnerships for Minnesota Vikings Football LLC. The new app will work in conjunction with the team’s new indoor stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium, which will open this summer.  The new app will allow fans to purchase tickets, enter the stadium via a mobile ticket, purchase food and drinks, watch video replays, earn points in a loyalty program, …