Consumer Electronics

San Francisco, Calif. - Apple accounted for 51% of the new device activations worldwide during the week leading up to and including Christmas Day (Dec. 19 - 25). According to data from mobile analytics provider Flurry, Christmas Day typically sees the highest number of new device activations and app installs each year, with 2014 following the trend.

Retailers are always looking for ways to operate more efficiently and it appears a similar philosophy is being employed by cyber thieves who covet their massive trove of personal information.

Washington, D.C. -- Adam Brothman,  chief digital officer of Starbucks, Melissa Reiff, president and COO of The Container Store, Rick Caruso, founder and CEO of Caruso Affiliated, and Greg Buzek, co-founder of the Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI) and president of IHL Goup are among the 25 individuals recognized by the NRF Foundation on its “The List of People Shaping Retail’s Future.”

Seattle -- Nordstrom plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at Ambassador Town Center in Lafayette, Louisiana.

The 25,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in spring 2016. The more than 425,000-sq.-ft. Ambassador Town Center is a joint development of Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties.

They are disruptors, dreamers, givers, influencers and power players. The National Retail Federation Foundation has announced its inaugural list of the 25 people shaping retail’s future, and many of the names might be unfamiliar.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Intel Corp. has made a $24.8 million investment into Vuzix Corp., a provider of  wearable display technology video eyewear and smart glasses products in the consumer, commercial and entertainment markets. Vuzix is focused on next-generation optics and displays that have the potential to fit in fashion-based wearable glasses.  

Intel's investment will be used for general working capital to accelerate the introduction of Vuzix next generation fashion-based wearable display products into the consumer market.

Lafayette, La. -- Ambassador Town Center, a joint venture between Stirling Properties and CBL and Associates Properties, will launch construction this month in Lafayette, Louisiana, on a 58-acre site at the corner of Ambassador Caffery Parkway and Kaliste Saloom Road.

As part of its ongoing strategy to drive sustainability innovation, Staples will be giving away $25,000 in new tech products to 10 “eco-focused” schools in Canada in 2015.

Publicly funded schools that are focused on the environment are invited to enter the contest atStaples.ca/PowerEco and share their eco initiatives for a chance to win. The Staples Superpower your School Contest runs through Jan. 31.