Microsoft is partnering with Albertsons, the second largest grocery store chain in the United States, to create a "frictionless" customer experience inside their stores. As part of the deal, Microsoft will use their Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure services to apply data science, AI, and cognitive technologies to transform the shopping experience both in store and online. The partnership comes as Amazon is becoming increasingly more focused on the physical retail business with reports that it is planning to open several thousand Amazon Go stores in the United States by 2021. 

According to Microsoft, the two companies will work together to create this frictionless customer experience by helping employees track store inventory and restocking needs while also reducing waiting times and making it easier to find items. They will also work together to improve Albertsons' logistics and supply chain using data science. 

The two companies have already had two successful results from their partnership - Albertsons' eCommence platform and gas station app that allows customers to pay for gas using their phones both run on Microsoft Azure.

Microsoft also partnered with retail giant Walmart, last July, and and Kroger this January. Microsoft will be helping Kroger build high-tech grocery stores and bringing Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure to Walmart over the next 5 years. 

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Apple and Goldman Sachs will partner to help iPhone users manage their money by providing them with a credit card that will pair with their iPhones, according to the Wall Street Journal. The credit card will be able to track spending and rewards as well as set spending goals through the iPhone's Wallet application. The card will also offer cash back on most purchases of about 2 percent, with potentially even more from purchases on Apple services and products. According to the report, the card will undergo a testing period with employees soon and will launch officially later in 2019. The partnership will benefit both companies as they look to tap into a new revenue sources. 

Apple already gets a small portion of the purchases made through Apple Pay and use of this credit card will undoubtedly increase that amount. Apple is looking to increase its revenue from services as its iPhone sales dipped recently. The iPhone is Apple's largest contributor to company profits. 

Goldman Sachs is looking to offset decreases in its trading business by increasing consumer loans and has recently been making significant pushes into digital payments. The bank could also potentially offer more of its services to Apple customers in the future. 

The credit card will use Mastercard's payment network, according to the report.

Click here to read the full article. ​

Audi is launching a new feature to its Traffic Light Information System (TLI), currently functioning with 4,600 intersections across 13 metropolitan areas, called the Green Light Optimized Speed Advisory (GLOSA). Audi's TLI was already able to give drivers an indication of how long they can expect a red light to last, but with GLOSA drivers will now be given information to help them avoid stopping at red lights altogether. GLOSA uses traffic light data and your car's position to calculate and recommend which speed you should travel at to avoid stopping at a red light ahead. Future applications could include see TLI being combined with the car's navigation system to recommend routes that minimize red lights or with the car's stop/start system to automatically turn the car on as the light is about to turn green. 

TLI is currently available on all Audi models except the A3 and TT. Audi is currently the only automaker that provides a traffic light information system in the vehicles, and the system only works with traffic signals that are wired for the service. Experts expect that cities will begin to install more smart traffic signals as more automakers begin to add the technology to their vehicles. 

TLI currently works in the following cities: 

• Dallas
• Denver
• Gainesville
• Houston
• Kansas City
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles 
• New York
• Orlando
• Phoenix 
• Portland
• San Francisco 
• Washington D.C

Click here to read the full article. ​

LinkedIn will launch live video capabilities this week, only 18 months after the platform first started supporting video. The product, branded LinkedIn Live, will begin in the United States as an invite - only beta but is expected to eventually begin accepting sign ups through contact forms on LinkedIn. Pete Davis, Director of Product Management at LinkedIn, told TechCrunch that "Video is the fastest growing format on our platform right now, and the most likely to get people talking." LinkedIn Live is expected to focus on earnings calls, conferences, product announcements, Q&As and other professional subjects in line with what is already available on the platform today. LinkedIn reportedly has around 600 million users globally. 

Microsoft reported during its last quarterly earnings report that LinkedIn revenues were up 29 percent and LinkedIn sessions grew 30 percent to hit record levels of engagement. Much of this growth is attributed to LinkedIn's recent foray into video. At the moment LinkedIn's only form of monetization around video is video advertising, but there is a clear opportunity for LinkedIn Live to provide other ways of monetizing content. 

LinkedIn will partner with several third-party live streaming developers (Wirecast, Wowza, Media Systems, Socialive, Switcher Studio, Brandlive) to help creators put out more polished live videos and Microsoft, through its Azure Media Services, will provide the encoding needed. 

Click here to read the full article. ​

CES 2019 is well underway and there have been some incredible technology and gadget announcements in the fields of smart homes and devices, AI assisted living, and driverless cars. Everything from flying taxis, intelligent toilets, and solar powered watches to a rollable OLED TV and a liquid/fluid detecting sensor for diapers have been on display. Check out some of our picks for the most interesting technology announcements so far. 


Here's our list of the most interesting tech gear and gadgets from CES 2019 so far:

• LG Signature OLED TV R - a rollable OLED TV. 
• IBM Q System One - the world's first fully integrated, universal quantum system. 
• iTunes on Samsung Televisions- Samsung made a surprise announcement that Samsung TV owners will now be able to use Apple's iTunes service on their televisions.  
• Koler Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toliet - a connected toilet that brings Alexa, heated seats, speakers, and interactive lights to the bathroom.
• Royale Flexpai Folding Phone - the first foldable phone is being displayed by Royale. 
• Mercedes-Benz Vision Urbanetic Conecpt - an autonomous, modular concept vehicle from Mercedes. 
• Bell Nexus - a flying, hybrid electric air taxi. 
• Aftershokz Xtrainerz - bone conduction headphones with 4GB of storage that let swimmers listen to music underwater. $150
• Monit Smart Diaper Sensor - a sensor that attaches to the back of diapers and detects the presence of fluids or liquids. 
• Miracle Go Twelve - system that helps you grow indoor plants by sending you notifications about when water or other actions are required. $300  
• Harley-Davidson Livewire - the first electric motorcycle from the American company. ~$30,000
• Matrix PowerWatch 2 - a fitness watch that runs off of sunlight and body heat. The watch comes incredibly close to making a fitness device that never needs to be charged a reality. $200
• Y-Brush - a toothbrush that claims to let you brush your teeth in 10 seconds. $125

Click here and here to see more comprehensive lists of the gadgets on display. 

CES 2019 kicks off this week in Las Vegas, bringing together 4,400 companies, 1,000 speakers and more than 182,000 attendees as companies use CES's global stage to introduce the next wave of innovative gadgets and disruptive technology. Here are some of the biggest tech trends we expect to see at this year's show: 8K TVs and foldable screens, artificial intelligence for home and health, 5G, and some a slew of new automotive technology.  

Display Tech:

• CES will see TV and device manufacturers demonstrate new advancements in display technology including 8k TVs and smartphones/devices with foldable screens. 

AI:

• As the smart device market continues to heat up, it is expected that Google Home and Alexa will be front and center at CES 2019 as their partners demonstrate even more unique and clever applications of their AI assistants. 

5G: 

• Many of the world's leading telecommunications companies are expected to discuss what consumers can expect to see in the short run from 5G.

Automotive Tech:

• Automakers and technology companies are expected to unveil numerous technology improvements to the consumer transportation experience. 

Click here to read the full article. ​

Hertz, the car rental company, will expand biometric checkouts during car rentals to 40 locations next year. The technology is powered by Clear, an airport security company, and uses fingerprint verification and facial recognition technology to provide speedier car rentals checkouts at airports. The biometric checkout will shorten the checkout process for renters to 30 seconds or less. The use of biometric security is spreading in airports all across the world as airlines and transportation security organizations experiment with biometric tech during bag drops, check-ins, boarding and security screening. 

The biometric check out lane is called "Hertz Fast Lane powered by Clear," and is already in use at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The lane will only be available to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program members, and these members must also enroll with the technology provider, Clear, separately. Although Hertz will not charge members for using the service, members will have to pay Clear to do so. 

British Airways and Delta have also experimented with biometric tech in airports and the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) announced a roadmap this year to roll out biometric security for domestic flights in the United States. 

Click here to read the full article. ​

For the first time, adults in the USA now rely more on social media than print newspapers to get their news according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. Television is still the most popular source of news with 49% of respondents reporting they often get news from TV, followed by news websites with 33%, radio with 26%, social media with 20% and print newspaper with 16%. Although TV still tops the list, it has declined since 2016 when 57% of respondents identified it as a regular source of news and when online news sources are combined (social media and news websites), they are quickly catching TV as the top news source - 43% for online new sources and 47% for TV. 

As the graph above demonstrates, there are some dramatic differences in news sources between age groups. Social media is significantly more popular among the 18-29 age group, while TV dominates the older age groups. Interestingly, the 30-49 age group's most popular news source is news websites. 

Earlier in 2018, another report by the Pew Research Center showed that 89% of college students surveyed reported receiving some news through social media. Interestingly, college students identified Snapchat and Facebook as the top social media news sources.

Click here to read the full article. ​

For the first time, Cubans will be able to buy 3G internet access for their mobile phones on Thursday as Cuba became one of the last nations to offer its citizens full internet access for their mobile phones. Previously, Cubans were only able to access state-run email accounts through their mobile phones unless they were connected to Wi-Fi connections at home or on a limited number of government sponsored Wi-Fi Spots. The Cuban government first authorized home internet for their citizens in 2017. 

The new 3G internet service will cost citizens 10 cents per megabyte, and available packages range from 600 megabytes for $7 to 4 gigabytes for $30. 


Click here to read the full article. ​