The Internet-of-Things is everywhere. Even in your toothbrush. Chicago startup Onvi has created what it calls the world's first video toothbrush, named Prophix, which uses a video camera paired with an iOS app that lets you see the areas you've missed while brushing. The high-tech brush connects to your phone via Bluetooth (no pun intend) and lets you watch your brushing in real time. The device also takes still images of your teeth so you can monitor problem areas and track your improvement over time. The toothbrush comes with multiple attachments like a mirror and a rubber tip that can increase blood flow …

Google is inviting developers to create “conversation actions” for its Home smart speaker. “Though the company wouldn’t say when Home and the Google Assistant would be fully open to third-party developers beyond ‘early next year,’ some partners that have already been working with the company could announce new actions in the coming weeks,” The Verge notes. “The actions will let you ask the speaker a question and then have a chat about it.”

Coop Italia, Italy’s largest supermarket chain, is looking to reinvent the customer experience in grocery shopping.  In collaboration with Accenture, the retailer has opened a flagship in Milan that merges the physical and digital to recreate the atmosphere of local open-air markets. Billed as the “supermarket of the future,” the store uses innovative digital solutions that provide product information, improve store navigation and engage customers. The implementation of interactive food display tables and smart shelves make shopping more relevant and personalized by providing customers with a range of product information. (The project incorporates a series of technical solutions originally developed …

With the NBA, NFL and other pro sports leagues already embracing Snapchat, the NHL is throwing its hat in the ring — er, on the ice — by incorporating Snapchat Spectacles into its fan experience. The Minnesota Wild used Snapchat's video-recording glasses — which wirelessly transfer 10-second video to a user's Snapchat app — to capture behind-the-scenes action, including pre-game warmups, locker room shots and T-shirt canon firing, at a game in November.

Fitbit has acquired software assets from smartwatch startup Pebble. “The purchase excludes Pebble’s hardware,” Bloomberg reports. “The deal is mainly about hiring the startup’s software engineers and testers, and getting intellectual property such as the Pebble watch’s operating system, watch apps, and cloud services, people familiar with the matter said earlier.”

Sales of the Apple Watch to consumers set a record during the first week of holiday shopping, and the current quarter is on track to be the best ever for the product, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook told Reuters. Responding to an email from Reuters, Cook said the gadget's sell-through - a measure of how many units are sold to consumers, rather than simply stocked on retailers' shelves - reached a new high.

Volkswagen Group is making a significant bet on future mobility services with Moia, a new separate company that will exist under the VW umbrella of brands focused specifically on providing mobility solutions, including fleet-based commuter shuttles and, eventually, autonomous on-demand transportation. Moia, which launched at TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 on Monday, is one of the most aggressive and intentional moves made yet by a major automaker in terms of investing in urban transportation models that extend beyond individual ownership.

If you’re not satisfied with any of the drones on the market, you may one day be able to design your own, thanks to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has created a software tool that allows even relative novices to drag and drop standard components—including propellers, support rods, and a range of core body frames—and craft their own drone designs. While the database is relatively small, users of the tool can compose and manipulate the components to create a widely diverse set of designs, according to a paper the team …

The major selling point of Android Auto is that it brings smartphone-like apps and services to your vehicle. Google Maps, access to music and weather updates are now taken for granted, but it's remained a mystery over why one of Android's most useful hands-free commands -- "OK Google" -- has taken so long to come to the infotainment software. Luckily, the search giant has finally recognized the need for the feature and is in the process of rolling it out, albeit at a slow pace. The feature was first spotted …

Among the latest crop of sometimes peculiar and futuristic patent applications from Nike, all in the name of getting you pumped for a workout: an "energy harvesting device," an augmented-reality workout buddy, and motivational music streaming. Unlike Under Armour (UA) and its dive into fitness trackers this year, Nike's been rather quiet on the wearables front, instead opting to team up with Apple on a Nike-edition Apple Watch. But its 60-plus patent-application dump, which the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office published Thursday, indicates that the Swoosh is still steadfastly working on wearable technology, particularly items designed to be integrated into workout clothes and footwear — i.e., stuff that …