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Staying relevant through constant innovation and disruption is more important in the tech industry than in arguably any other sector. By investing heavily in research and development , these companies are making expensive bets on the future and what technology and trends will lead it — along with their own sales and profits.

Netflix Uses AI to Figure Out How Much to Pay for Content

Netflix has crafted several computer algorithms to determine what shows to produce, what shows and films to license, what content to show to each user, and apparently how much to pay for each piece of content. In a recent Business Insider article detailing how documentarian Craig Atkinson ended up not selling his film to Netflix, he revealed an interesting detail about Netflix’s negotiation tactics.

The Most Expensive Smart Home Device of 2016

Echo to connected and automated toilet seats. While most of these smart home devices range from under $100 to a few hundred, the Samsung “Family Hub” refrigerator, clocking in at a cool $5,999 on the high-end model, takes the prize as the most expensive smart home device of the year.

The 10 Best Business Books Of 2016

Whether you wanted new ways to think about your business, insightful advice to manage your career, or analysis of the changing business landscape, 2016 offered up just the books you needed. Within that playing field, there were definitely some standouts.

Tesla Gets a Jump on Google, Uber, Ford in Race to Autonomous

There was, in hindsight, a clear element of risk to Tesla Motors Inc.’s decision to install Autopilot hardware in every car coming off the production line since October 2014. It paid a price, with federal regulators probing the deadly crash of a Model S while in driver-assist mode and critics slamming Tesla for rolling the technology out too soon.

U Of Illinois Re-Launches Farm Policy News Website

LAUNCHES FARM POLICY NEWS WEBSITE Dec. 20, 2016 Source: University of Illinois news release Fans of Keith Good’s Farmpolicy.com website who were sad to see it discontinued in 2015 will be happy to hear about his new University of Illinois blogsite. The site, farmpolicynews.illinois.edu , features topics of interest to Corn Belt farmers such as: land values, farm income variables, agricultural production estimates, Farm Bill developments, trade issues, biofuels news, regulatory proposals, and other topics that are impacting the agricultural economy.

Obama Sets Up Water Clash With Mining Rule Trump Opposes

The Obama administration issued new regulations to protect streams and groundwater from coal mining, which congressional Republicans swiftly vowed to reverse. The industry says the U.S. Interior Department’s so-called stream protection rule will strand billions of dollars worth of coal in the ground.

BlackBerry Opens Site to Shore Up Self-Driving Car Research

BlackBerry Ltd. and Canada are opening a research center for self-driving cars that raises the possibility of government backing for the former smartphone maker’s automotive software unit. Chief Executive Officer John Chen and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the center at QNX’s headquarters near Ottawa, Ontario, where it will be based.

Better Buy: NVIDIA Corporation vs. Broadcom

As we hurdle toward the finish line, 2016 will go down as a uniquely active year in the semiconductor market. Spurred on by the onset of several generational tech trends — the Internet of Things , artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, and the like — major semiconductor companies have gone on a buying spree to prepare them to cash-in on this growth.