Brands are attaching the virtual identifiers to their products to comply with upcoming regulations, and see potential side benefits that could make for a better user experience — if they can get customers to notice.[A hand reaches out with an iPhone to scan the logo of a Tod's Di Bag containing an NFC chip.]Buy a pair of Maison Margiela Tabis, a Bulgari necklace or a Lalique vase and there’s...

Businesses across industries increasingly recognize the potential of circularity to create value through revenue growth, increased resilience, sustainability and cost reduction.The perception of the importance of circularity has grown significantly – only 40% considered it important or extremely important three years ago. Today, that number has risen to around 75%, and in three years, it is ex...

Google keeps releasing experimental products built with its AI models to give users a taste of its capabilities. Last year, the company debuted an image-remixing tool called Whisk that was available to users in the U.S. On Tuesday, Google made the tool available in more than 100 countries.There are plenty of image-generation tools that create images through text prompts. Google Whisk tries to m...

According to data collected by Duetti, Amazon Music, Tidal and Apple Music make it easiest for artists to earn money when their music is streamed on the respective audio platforms.All three services paid out an average of more than $6.00 per 1,000 streams in 2024, according to the calculations, with Amazon Music even hitting an average of $8.80. Duetti points out that their calculation is not o...

Deaf commuters can get access to real-time ASL interpreters for free.It’s a classic New York experience. You’re riding the subway to work, and suddenly the train stops. The lights go off, and you seem to be trapped between stations in a tunnel. For many New Yorkers, hardened over years of bad weather, prevalent trash and cohabitation with rats, this is just another recurring event that’s mad...

Visualizing the Current Generation of Humanoid Robots.Humanoid robots have come a long way since the early prototypes that struggled with balance and basic movement.Now, in 2025, autonomous robots built for real-world applications are closer than ever to commercial deployment.This visualization, created by Harrison Schell from Made Visual, compares the new wave of humanoid robots in the last tw...

ZZZN puffer jacket integrates data monitoring, audio & lighting effects for sleep on the move.ZZZN Sleep Apparel System is a puffer jacket that doubles as sleepwear so users can doze off anywhere and anytime. It uses biometric data monitoring as well as headphones that play two types of music with frequency bands to help people fall asleep. The ZZZN puffer jacket for sleep modernizes Yagi,...

In 2024, deal value was historically low as a percentage of global GDP, but we are optimistic for the year ahead as M&A and divestitures will be critical tools for companies navigating technology disruption, a post-globalization economy, and the inevitable shifting profit pools.A big reason for our optimism is seeing first-hand how companies have pursued M&A despite three years of headw...

Designer Bernardo Pereira creates CROSSER, a concept autonomous amphibious vehicle that can drive in water when there’s a traffic jam on the road. First introduced in February 2024, the designer revises CROSSER, refining the flaws of the first version for the second model. The doors are now above the waterline, and the designer increases the width of the autonomous amphibious vehicle for more...