Microsoft

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples is expanding its home and office automation platform, Staples Connect, including a rollout to 500 stores, new pricing for the Staples Connect Hub, and collaborations with Microsoft, Jawbone, and D-Link. Staples is also the first retailer to announce the integration of wearable technology to its platform.

Waban, Mass. - After a drop in daily Facebook usage on computers in 2013, U.S. consumers increased their daily use of Facebook, from 42.5% of the population in 2013 to 46.5% in 2014, according to new research by the Temkin Group. The "Social Media Benchmark Study, 2014" examines 10,000 U.S. consumers' use of several different social media sites, on computers and mobile devices, and compares the results to previous studies from 2012 and 2013.

▲ Cloud computing, the remote hosting of applications on virtual platforms for on-demand, Web-based delivery, is on the fast track. Analysts estimate that during the next six years, 90% of new spending on Internet and communications technologies will be on cloud-based technologies.

Cloud computing (which at its simplest means storing and accessing data and programs on the Internet — the cloud — instead of a personal computer) is profoundly impacting how IT professionals implement, deploy and manage technology solutions.

Kodak Alaris Holdings Limited has named Brian Larcombe, Patrick De Smedt and Steve Webster as non-executive directors of the board.

Since the company’s separation from Eastman Kodak Company in Sept. 2013 it has focused on furthering its growth by adding key executive team members. The company appointed James Soames, most recently with Motorola Mobility, chief marketing officer. It also appointed John O’Reilly general counsel and company secretary.

Gamers who can’t make it to Anaheim, California, this fall for GameStop’s third annual Expo will still be able to participate in the retailer’s event thanks to a new relationship with Twitch, the world’s leading online gaming community.

GameStop and Twitch, a video platform with a massive audience, reached an agreement in which Twitch will broadcast live from GameStop’s annual video gaming show known as Expo. The event will be held September 10 and occupies 300,000 sq. ft. at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Chicago – Women represent $20 trillion in annual consumer spending, and that figure is expected to grow to $28 trillion in the next five years. According to a new report from email marketing solutions provider SimpleRelevance, women make or influence 85% of all purchase decisions.

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Domino's Pizza, in conjunction with Nuance Communications, is launching voice ordering for its iPhone and Android apps.

Walmart president and CEO Doug McMillon was among the dozens of high-profile business executives from the world of technology who participated in the inaugural Code Conference this week. Organizers of the event, which cost $6,500 to attend, made available a brief video of McMillon’s comments on a wide range of topics.