Tech-enhanced customer experiences have always had a very receptive audience in China, and as a result, VR technologies are being widely embraced by both brands and platforms. China has the world’s biggest ecommerce market and by 2020, it will dominate the retail sector also, according to PwC. The sheer size of the country’s retail consumer market is one reason why the rest of the world sits up and takes notice when China adopts new technologies in this sector.

Speculation that the social media app Snapchat is planning a hardware launch increased Monday with the news that it had become a member of a Bluetooth industry group. Snapchat, which allows users to send pictures and messages to friends, is listed as an adopter on the website of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). Becoming a member of the SIG is a required step to build a product requiring Bluetooth technology licences and trademarks.

The Internet of Things (IoT) needs more thought and development before it can take off properly, a top innovation executive at Target has warned. The admonishment will be noteworthy and sobering to the lighting industry, which in a world of lengthening luminaire life-spans, has pegged IoT as the next big thing. The creation of a mass network of communicating objects, including smart-light fittings, will not happen until they all speak a common language. The current bi-lingual network is a non-starter Gene Han, Target’s vice president of consumer Internet of Things, commented at a recent press conference in San Francisco.

LG expanded its smart-home ecosystem at IFA, announcing a series of partnerships that were highlighted by cooperation with Amazon to allow voice control of LG smart devices by Amazon’s Alexa. LG explained its strategy of "Open Partnership, Open Platform, and Open Connectivity in the growing Internet of Things," showcasing smart technology that actively understands consumer usage patterns and offers solutions that cater to different user lifestyles

SoftBank surprised the technology world with a plan to acquire British chip designer ARM Holdings for £23.4 billion ($31.4 billion) back in July, the biggest ever purchase of a European technology company. After less than two months, SoftBank is announcing today that the transaction is complete. The total acquisition price is approximately £24 billion ($31 billion), and ARM will now be de-listed from the London Stock Exchange tomorrow. SoftBank's purchase of ARM is the latest in a line of acquisitions in recent years for the Japanese company, including the $20 billion Sprint acquisition, and a $15 billion investment in Vodafone's Japanese division. ARM …

Chicago this week began deploying sensors on light poles to monitor, photograph and listen to the city. The effort is costing as much as $7 million, and may be the largest urban data collection of its kind once all 500 nodes are in place. The beehive-shaped nodes have an array of sensors with enough onboard computing capability to conduct data processing on the device and minimize the amount of bandwidth needed to transmit data.

Chinese search giant Baidu said on Thursday it is the latest company to get permission to test self-driving cars on California roads. It joins 14 startups, tech and auto companies that are now legally allowed to test their autonomous driving technologies in the state, including Google, Tesla Motors, Ford, Honda, Nissan, GM Cruise LLC, Zoox and Drive.ai.

Samsung Electronics unveiled two new smartwatches on Wednesday which boast a range of digital features while also promising up to four days of battery life, seeking to outshine the Apple Watch. The world's biggest maker of consumer electronic products introduced its new line of Gear S3 watches ahead of this week's opening in Berlin of the IFA, Europe's biggest annual trade fair for consumer electronics and domestic appliances. The new Gear S3 Frontier model has a rugged outdoor look, while the Gear S3 Classic has a more refined appearance, but both watches feature large faces that are likely to appeal …

Apple has been saying the future of TV is apps since it launched the Apple TV 4 last fall, and now Papa John’s is delivering on that pitch by letting you order pizza straight from your TV. The pizza restaurant is celebrating being the first national chain to bring food ordering to the Apple TV by offering customers an automatic 25% when using the new tvOS app to checkout. “Pizza and entertainment are a natural fit,” said “Papa John” Schnatter, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Papa John’s. “With the launch of our Apple TV app, we’re hoping to make family movie night and …

Eager to streamline the in-store shopping experience, Lowe’s will introduce a fleet of retail service robots this fall throughout select stores in the San Francisco Bay area. Called LoweBot, the kiosk-like robot will help consumers better navigate the store and merchandise, scan inventory and check stock availability. Employees that use the device as a sales assistant will be armed with real-time information, enabling them to deliver more personalized customer service, including specific project expertise. Meanwhile, the device’s artificial intelligence capabilities capture real-time data interactions and detect patterns that can influence business decisions.