Samsung has just introduced a new wireless set of earbuds called Gear IconX, which in addition to delivering music the music you expect to hear, will measure your heartbeat, steps and other fitness tracking metrics, without you having to carry your phone. It also ties into the S Health app on Samsung phones. As with other wireless headphones, IconX communicates through your phone via Bluetooth. But you only need your phone if you're planning to stream from your phone, say on a music service. For listening to songs stored internally or for health tracking, you can leave it …

German automaker Audi is equipping a number of its new models with a SIM card to unlock the advantages of its connected infotainment services. The permanently installed SIM cards will be found in many of Audi’s latest models, including the new A3, A4, Q2 and Q7 range. By including a connected SIM card within its models, Audi is allowing drivers to go “online without borders” and get the most out of its in-car features.

Visa is hoping to drive a resurgence in interest for wearables by rolling out a payment ring allowing athletes at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to make purchases by tapping the accessory against any NFC-compatible terminal. Visa, the exclusive payments provider at the Paralympic and Olympic Games, is attempting to bring a sleeker spin to the wearable device market by opting to introduce a simple ring instead of a more cumbersome bracelet or smartwatch. Although the NFC-enabled ring will only be available to Team Visa athletes in Rio de Janeiro, the product could offer inspiration for other financial institutions seeking to …

Even by Google’s standards, it is now looking like Nest was a spectacularly bad investment. “When Google bought Nest in January 2014, the expectation was that a big infusion of Google’s resources and money would supercharge Nest,” ars technica reports. Yet, “In return for all this investment, Nest delivered very little.” Now, it looks like a sale of the unit is inevitable.

Pebble has announced that Amazon’s Alexa will be integrated into Pebble Core via the 3G SIM slot, making it the first standalone wearable to incorporate the voice assistant. It will initially be available to the device’s Kickstarter backers; 52,670+ backers contributed a total of $10 million (despite the goal being $1 million) for the Pebble 2, Time 2, and Pebble Core devices. Alexa by Amazon.com Inc. was so far restricted mainly to Amazon products, but the Pebble Core will open its doors to the general public. The core itself is a fairly innovative product — the device does not have a …

Internet-connected devices, sensors and appliances are opening up benefits in health care, energy efficiency, transportation and more. But the data generated by these tools, known under the catchall category of internet of things presents potential security and privacy risks that the Federal Trade Commission believes could open up opportunities for theft or fraud. At the same time, the FTC believes that general authorities used to protect data privacy can cover the internet of things without specific new laws, according to comments filed with the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration. NTIA was seeking comment on how the government can help foster …

Last year Target unveiled its Internet of Things "Open House" experiment in San Francisco. The goal was to create a shopping experience that would help customers figure out how connected devices work with each other. In the confusing and fragmented world of IoT, the retailer carved out a little corner of knowledge. Now it's moving past the testing phase and opening a "connected living experience" in a suburban Minneapolis store. The Minneapolis setup won't be as elaborate as Open House in San Francisco with its touchscreen tables. Instead it will …

Tony Fadell is leaving Nest, the home automation company he founded and sold to Google (now Alphabet). He'll be stepping into an advisor role to Larry Page and Alphabet, but won't be involved in Nest day-to-day. According to a blog post he just put up, the transition has been in progress since "late last year" — but recent reports of turmoil, a disastrous acquisition of Dropcam, and delays at Nest plus Tony's new electric go-kart company Actev Motors have certainly fueled a sense that change would be coming one way or another. "I don't like to do maintenance mode," Fadell told The New York Times about his departure. "It's …

Verifone and its beacon technology provider Footmarks are partnering with Allrecipes.com and grocery retailer Marc’s in Ohio to deliver meal recommendations to shoppers. Beacons, small devices that communicate with mobile apps over Bluetooth, are being used by grocery stores and other retailers to provide offers to consumers while they shop. The recommendations from Marc's, delivered in the Allrecipes Dinner Spinner app, are based on those trending among local users and feature products currently on sale in the store. The season and local weather is also factored into recipe suggestions.

By adding insurer Liberty Mutual as one of its newest investors, home-monitoring startup Notion also hinted at a new type of customer. “We’ve received a lot of interest from insurance companies,” said Brett Jurgens, CEO and co-founder of the Denver internet-of-things company. “A big part is the insurance companies are interested in decreasing water leaks and (increasing) home security adoption. The benefit passes on to customers.” Jurgens wasn’t ready to name names, but Thursday the company will file its regulatory papers for its latest seed round of $3.2 million. Investors include Liberty’s newish venture-capital fund Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures and XL Innovate, which is part of the global …