Easier access to information is pushing the retail sector closer to what 18th century economist Adam Smith described as "perfect information" -- the idea of having equal information from all providers in order to make a choice.

Most organizations today have access to more than enough data to help improve their operations – the challenge is sifting through and analyzing all that data to find hidden insights so they can make better decisions about the future.

Will a strong system for protecting the privacy rights of computer and device users be in place 10 years from now? A sampling of technology experts says probably not. In a new survey by the Pew Research Center, more than half the 2,511 people polled said there will not be a "secure, popularly accepted, and trusted privacy-rights infrastructure" established by 2025.

The robots are coming. Lowe's is testing whether new "bots on wheels" can improve its customer service, like helping a shopper find a match for something as simple as a nail. Four robots are being tested an Orchard Supply Hardware store owned by Lowe's Companies Inc. in San Jose, Calif.

Described as its most important analytics announcement in a decade, IBM has launched a set of cloud-based data analysis tools using its Watson artificial intelligence technology. The company's goal is to make data analytics - and business intelligence based on big data - more accessible to anyone in the enterprise who needs it.

Property developer Wanda Group and Internet giants Baidu and Tencent have unveiled an e-commerce venture in a challenge to industry leader Alibaba Group ahead of its U.S. stock offering.