Nissan has adapted its ProPilot self-driving tech to work in footwear and other mainstays of a traditional Japanese inn known as a ryokan.Nissan's ProPilot tech will one day be the driving force behind the company's autonomous vehicles, but first, it's all about baby steps. For now, that means using the technology to create self-driving slippers and other objects that stow themselves away when...

The trade-off between hyper-relevance and trust. Poor personalization resulting from a lack of trust costs companies trillions of dollars a year.Consumers around the world get frustrated when brands fail to deliver relevant, tailored experiences, something they are increasingly demanding. They’re also concerned about giving companies too much personal information, which paradoxically is what b...

The real AI jobs issue – plus 7 more trends you shouldn't ignore.Artificial intelligence (AI) is remarkably complex and advancing quickly. It’s impossible for anyone to give a precise vision of how the next several years will unfold.But it is possible to make specific predictions about AI trends for the next year, then share key implications for business, government, and society. Many of thes...

The US government has granted Ford a patent to develop police cars with autonomous capabilities. The police car would be linked via wireless connection to surveillance cameras, traffic law databases, and surrounding cars. Patent documents say it could help chase down offenders and record traffic offences. Ford has been granted a patent to develop autonomous police cars which could ultimately ha...

Amazon’s ambitions have few limits, and the mere specter of its entry into a particular industry can shape markets. When the company has appeared interested in expanding into a new business, it has spooked investors in potential competitors, leading to large sell-offs.The most recent example: Amazon, along with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway, announced the formation of a new health care...

Somewhere between a delivery truck and a sidewalk robot, Nuro's robotic vehicles want to deliver your groceries.It seems like we've gotten to the point with self-driving vehicles where it's no longer enough to "just" be developing a car that could at some point be used as an autonomous rideshare vehicle. That space has gotten super crowded over the last few years and although it may not seem li...

Ahead of the Big Game, we analyze drinkers' preferences and habits.Beer spots tend to follow a similar (arguably outdated) formula: a bunch of young dudes partying it up while watching the Big Game and plenty of ice-cold brew to go around. But marketers might be missing out on some key demos.Origin’s survey of 2,000 beer drinkers analyzed preferences and habits across gender and generational l...

Ethereum is the best performing major cryptocurrency so far in 2018. The second-largest coin by market cap has gained 46% since January 1, compared to the overall market's 15% drop. The global cryptocurrency market might have lost 15% - or $93 billion of value - since January 1, but not all coins have declined equally.Ethereum has fared well in 2018, avoiding the drastic selling that has left o...

Flou is an interaction-based audio system that allows you to seamlessly transition from one listening device to the next so your tunes never go interrupted! Let’s say you’re coming home from a jog and are listening to a great song that you don’t want to miss on your earbuds. Simply place the buds on the Flou deck and it will instantly transition the song from your headphones to the Flou spea...