The auto industry has been undergoing a remarkable transformation—and it’s only the beginning. Energy prices and a tough regulatory environment are complicating product planning. Electric motors and autonomous driving systems may redefine how people move around. To get a glimpse of how car makers are navigating this uncertain environment, The Wall Street Journal’s Gerard Baker spoke with Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Mark Fields.Here are edited excerpts of their discussion.

Samsung wants you to watch more 360-degree video content, even if you don’t own one of the company’s Gear VR virtual reality headsets: Samsung released a new MilkVR mobile app on Google Play Monday night that plays back 360-degree videos in a kind of magic window mode, allowing users to look around by simply panning with their mobile phone. The newly-released Milk VR mobile app offers access to many of the same videos that Samsung has been featuring within the Milk VR app on its Gear VR headset, with the exception of a few more interactive videos that require access to the Gear VR’s touch pad controls. Some of the content …

A California company has come up with a high-tech way to find out who's at the door and to keep criminals away. The Ring Video Doorbells let people see, hear and talk to visitors, even when the homeowner is away. They are already used in more than 300,000 homes and are keeping criminals away in one neighborhood, reports CBS News correspondent Chris Martinez. False alarms, deliveries, stolen packages, attempted burglaries and even romantic serenades are all being captured by the Ring Video Doorbell. When visitors press the doorbell -- or set off the system's motion detector -- it sends an alert to …

Apple is expected to face tougher conditions in the wearable device market in 2016, with an analyst at investment bank KGI Securities forecasting sales of the Apple Watch will fall by at least a quarter year-on-year. Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple Watch shipments will fall from 10.6 million units in 2015 to under 7.5 million in 2016 because the device is lacking in terms of the applications it offers, its form factor and battery life, and also due to the nascent nature of the broader wearables market, 9to5Mac reported citing a KGI Securities research note. The news site pointed out that the …

NBA analyst Kenny Smith. Intel chief executive Brian Krzanich. And a cow. An actual cow. Intel's latest effort to expand beyond its core PC market has taken an unlikely turn onto reality television, where Krzanich joins celebrity guests and technology inventors on a cable TV show called "America's Greatest Makers." The show's first episode, alternately goofy and geeky, highlights the challenges Intel faces as it seeks to identify new markets for its computer chips and as it works to stay in the public consciousness at a time when the tech industry is constantly shifting. The TBS cable channel has scheduled …

The internet of things (IoT) is completely reworking the world of retail. “Whether it’s monitoring the supply chain, tracking and managing inventory, delivering personalized promotions, or enabling e-commerce from new environments, the retail IoT is ushering in an era in which “smart” things can seamlessly collect, share and analyze real-time data,” reports eMarketer. In fact, a new eMarketer report — “The Internet of Retail Things: What Marketers Need to Know” — shows that IoT is delivering many new opportunities for retailers. And 54 percent of retailers worldwide with above-average sales growth said they believed IoT could substantially change the way …

E-commerce has become increasingly popular as a business model for the Internet of Things in the consumer space. A toothbrush example, as simple as it may sound, helps demonstrate that technology (software, connectivity or data), when viewed as a feature of a product, is hardly a game-changer for the product maker; opening the product to external innovation by developers can create a competitive advantage that is difficult to replicate; and, e-commerce companies see devices not as a source of profits, but as a part of the customer acquisition costs, serving as a vehicle for customer acquisition and engagement (Amazon Echo or Xiaomi …

Drinkers of Schlafly Beer in St Louis, Missouri can now receive information about drink specials, tasting notes, new beer releases and customised campaigns on their smartphone via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons attached to the craft brewery’s beer taps. The company has partnered with beacon marketing platformJuxtad to roll out the service that uses Tap Talker beacons at the pump and the brewery’s Schlafly mobile app. Juxtad has installed more than 50 Tap Talker beacons in locations across St Louis, with plans to “scale up to over 250 bar and restaurant locations by May 2016”.

Connected devices that can track our behaviour and surroundings – often collectively referred to as “The Internet of Things” – have the potential to make our lives more convenient and efficient, and even improve our health. But when those things are tracking us, they are also collecting a great deal of information about our location, shopping habits and other extremely personal details. As the market for such connected devices grows, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) of Canada announced Monday that it is joining a global study of their privacy implications. The Global Privacy Enforcement Network – which is a …

The next item you try on at the mall might be a virtual reality headset. No longer relegated to video gamers, VR is coming to amusement parks, movie theaters and classrooms. But the technology presents a major opportunity for retailers as they try to lure fickle shoppers into their stores, particularly as consumers shift more of their buying habits online. Already, Ikea, Lowe's, Toms and North Face are turning to virtual reality to sell products, boost their brands and make shopping more fun. "Virtual reality is going to fundamentally transform the human experience of shopping," a report from digital agency …