This has become a big week for Apple's engineering teams working on future products using smart fabrics. On Tuesday Apple was granted a major patent for smart fabrics that could be used in smart clothing and products like a new Apple TV remote. Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published three patent applications from Apple that relate to smart fabrics. The most interesting one relates...

Most companies call pricing a high priority in our global survey, but 85% say they have significant room for improvement in pricing. Top-performing companies behave differently. They tailor pricing at the transaction level, align sales incentives with pricing strategy, and invest more heavily in ongoing training and tools. With significant margin upside at stake, companies cannot afford to cont...

Commitment-averse young consumers have given rise to subscription models for just about everything, and Volvo predicts that in the future, this will apply even to cars. It’s already begun; drivers can rent cars from one another in the peer-to-peer marketplace and riders can subscribe to a ride-share service. These brands offer subscription services as an alternative to owning a car, bringing t...

Americans are becoming less reliant on physical currency. Roughly three-in-ten U.S. adults (29%) say they make no purchases using cash during a typical week, up slightly from 24% in 2015. And the share who say that all or almost all of their weekly purchases are made using cash has modestly decreased, from 24% in 2015 to 18% today, according to a new Pew Research Center survey that comes as som...

The days of Chinese investors snapping up trophy buildings in Western markets are likely over for now.Chinese investors had been known for setting record prices for trophy buildings on both sides of the Atlantic, such as when Anbang Insurance bought the Waldorf Astoria for $1.95 billion in 2015.Chinese investors will likely continue beating a retreat from the world’s top commercial real-estate...

VI Enterprises has taken to Kickstarter in order to raise production funds for Payton's Charm.While we may think that it's only irresponsible, negligent people who leave infants or pets in hot cars, it can also sometimes happen to preoccupied folks who simply forget that they've got an extra passenger on board. Payton's Charm is designed to alert them, should that happen.Developed by Alabama-ba...

Almost 20%The latest in wearable tech, the Oxygem aims to enhance the lives of individuals with Sickle-cell disease and reduce the number of deaths caused by the condition. The design addresses the problem of low oxygen levels caused by red blood cells sticking together. Worn like a normal ring, the device’s built-in sensors detect and continuously monitor oxygen saturation. In the event of a...

Almost 20% of what we do at work could become obsolete thanks to automation. In fact, automation is going to be taking over a lot of jobs, especially those that are repetitive and predictable. Learn how to robot-proof your career within this infographic from Online Bachelor Degrees.Infographic : https://infographicjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/How-To-Robot-Proof-Your-Career.jpg[infogra...

The next stages of China’s transition away from economic equilibrium with the United States will likely create volatility in market growth and require conservatism in some areas and bold moves in others.The US–China economic equilibrium of the past 20 years has gone, and as we look into 2019, it is not yet clear when and where a new equilibrium will form. What level of economic separation wil...