Wal-Mart is testing six next-gen approaches in two recently opened supercenters in Tomball, TX, and Lake Nona, FL. These stores were fully reimagined from a new layout, to building and environmental enhancements, to added technology that all improve the shopping experience, according to a blog post written by Jeff Muench, senior director of business development.

At a General Electric Co factory in this rural town, Keith Spahn, 60, used to take measurements of parts from railroad locomotives that are in for repair by hand.

Microsoft last week unveiled new tools intended to democratize artificial intelligence by enabling machine smarts to be built into software from smartphone games to factory floors.

MacroPoint, a global freight visibility provider, and Banyan Technology, a transportation management software company, have announced a partnership to expand the MacroPoint platform to include LTL carriers using Banyan's live carrier and application program interface (API) connectivity.

UPS is installing electronic beacons in its package cars to notify workers if they have placed an item in the wrong delivery vehicle. The initiative, known as Preload Smart Scan, is part of a suite of UPS projects that will use technology to error-proof package processing operations to ensure timely delivery and customer satisfaction.

Field service technology company Servicemax has partnered with software and services firm PTC to offer an Internet of Things system using radio frequency identification, satellite, long-range low-power (LoRa) RF or Wi-Fi technology to report when a piece of equipment starts to malfunction - even, in some cases, before a user notices the problem.

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Actility, the European startup battling with rival Sigfox to connect things from fuel tanks to Amsterdam's canals to the internet, has raised $75m from investors in a bid to win business in the industrial sector.

In a move that Intelligent Energy says will make supply chains more efficient, the clean energy company has signed a deal with PINC to supply air cooled fuel cell systems for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Jameson Irish Whiskey celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a near field communication (NFC)-enabled system to provide consumer engagement with each of its limited-edition bottles. The whiskey brand, owned by global beverage firm Pernod Ricard, has launched its Limited Edition Bottle 2017, with technology to enable consumers to connect with content about the company and its product, and to be included in a drawing for several prizes specific to Ireland.