Major League Baseball: Yes To Wearables

Baseball Adopts IoT. Major League Baseball (MLB) players got the green light for wearables during games. Not everything is copacetic. But four devices, including the Motus Baseball Sleeve, which senses elbow stress, and the Zephyr Bioharness, which reads breathing rates and heart rates are a go, says the Associated Press. The MLB season started this week—with all four wearables expected to play a role in this year's games.

Ikea's VR Shopping App. Mega store Ikea is launching a virtual reality app through HTC Vive that lets buyers check out their future kitchen with Ikea's designs. You can walk through three different models, and swap out some details like cabinet color. VR is expected to change the way consumers shop, particularly online, bringing more interactive details to the experience.

Nest Refund? Could Be. Nest may be offering an olive branch to Revolv owners after all. Following the announcement the smart device maker was shutting down (read: bricking) the $300 device, Nest Support has tweeted to Revolv owners to email them, "...to find the best resolution, including compensation." At least one tweet indicates a refund is in the cards.

Amazon Opens Alexa To All. Amazon is actually looking to expand the number of users that can connect to its smart home system, releasing a new set of code that lets any developer link to Alexa. As more people look to control their smart home products by just talking to them, Amazon wants Alexa to be the go-between.

Kik Launches Chatbot Store. Messaging app Kik has launched a way for anyone to make a bot. Rather than downloading an app, a bot is simpler, and can be used while you're in another app. In other words? You can stay sticky to one space, while engaging in another. Brands are (obviously) paying attention.