Connected Economy

The innovations in technology, connected devices, software, payments and cellular technology make it possible for people and businesses to connect with each other and do business via any device, an in any digital or physical location safely, securely, and in real time. This integration of the digital and physical worlds will transform the economy across the ten pillars that today represent its key cornerstones – pillars that are already experiencing the impact of disruptive innovation as new blended, digital-first experience-driven ecosystems are now taking shape.

Instacart Introduces Alcohol-Focused Fizz App to Tap Gen Z Market
Instacart Introduces Alcohol-Focused Fizz App to Tap Gen Z Market
May 06, 2025  |  Retail

Instacart is reportedly rolling out an app targeting Generation Z consumers, centered around group orders of drinks and party snacks. This app, Fizz, lets multiple...

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Agentic AI and Tokens Make Loyalty Programs Personalized, Automated Drivers of Commerce
Agentic AI and Tokens Make Loyalty Programs Personalized, Automated Drivers of Commerce
May 05, 2025  |  Payments Innovation

Agentic agents, automated payments and consumer-permissioned, data-rich tokens will transform loyalty and rewards — moving beyond the merchant-by-merchant siloed experience that is the hallmark of...

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CE 100 Index Shrugs Off Concerns Over Consumer Spending, Surges 3.2%  
CE 100 Index Shrugs Off Concerns Over Consumer Spending, Surges 3.2%  
May 04, 2025  |  Connected Economy

Earnings season rolls on. For the CE 100 Index — which saw uniform gains across all pillars — quarterly reports and management commentary on earnings...

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Amazon’s Alexa+ Voice Assistant Draws 100,000 Users as Rollout Continues
Amazon’s Alexa+ Voice Assistant Draws 100,000 Users as Rollout Continues
May 02, 2025  |  Amazon

Amazon has rolled out Alexa+, the new version of its voice assistant, to more than 100,000 users so far, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said Thursday (May 1) during the...

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Samsung Leads Global Smartphone Market Amid ‘Lackluster’ Industrywide Sales
Samsung Leads Global Smartphone Market Amid ‘Lackluster’ Industrywide Sales
May 01, 2025  |  Connected Economy

Samsung led the global smartphone market in the first quarter as the market recorded slight year-over-year growth of 0.2%, global technology market analyst firm Canalys...

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App Makers Form Lobbying Group to Challenge Smartphone Manufacturers 
App Makers Form Lobbying Group to Challenge Smartphone Manufacturers 
April 30, 2025  |  Connected Economy

Technology companies Meta, Spotify, Match Group and Garmin have founded a lobbying group that said it will “combat anti-competitive practices by smartphone platform owners.”  The...

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Mastercard Debuts Agent Pay to Promote ‘Agentic Commerce Future’
Mastercard Debuts Agent Pay to Promote ‘Agentic Commerce Future’
April 29, 2025  |  Mastercard

Mastercard has launched Agent Pay, its agentic artificial intelligence (AI)-driven payments program. The new offering, announced Tuesday (April 29), introduces Mastercard’s Agentic Tokens, which the...

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Anthropic Forms Council to Explore AI’s Economic Implications
Anthropic Forms Council to Explore AI’s Economic Implications
April 28, 2025  |  Artificial Intelligence

Anthropic has created a council to examine the economic implications of artificial intelligence (AI) development. The startup’s Economic Advisory Council, announced Monday (April 28), is...

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CE 100 Index Gains 5.9% as Coursera, Alphabet and Tesla Weigh In With Earnings
CE 100 Index Gains 5.9% as Coursera, Alphabet and Tesla Weigh In With Earnings
April 28, 2025  |  Connected Economy

Earnings season’s in full swing, and it’s helping to sway the fortunes of the CE 100 Index, which was up 5.9% through the week. All...

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