Type of Article: MacTech Blog

The older we get, the less likely we are to want to experiment with novel flavors and fragrances, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData (www.globaldata.com).

The research group’s latest report shows that younger consumers are the most experimental demographic, with GlobalData’s survey data showing that nearly four out five millennials globally say they enjoy experimenting with foreign products. This trend declines with age, with just 57% of those in the older “silent generation” (those born between 1925 and 1945) agreeing.

The IDC research group (www.idc.com) says 3D printer shipments increased 29% in 2016 while revenue grew by more than 18% year-over-year in 2016.

A new report from Juniper Research (www.juniperesearch.com) forecasts that smart toy sales will reach $15.5 billion in hardware and app content revenues by 2022, up from an estimated $4.9 billion in 2017.

The latest findings from Canalys’ (www.canalys.com) Autonomous Vehicle Analysis service show that four cities lead the way when it comes to being ready for autonomous vehicles. San Francisco is out in front, followed by Shanghai, Singapore and London.

These rise to the top of a group of cities that, due to their size and populations, have some of the most complex transport networks in the world. The top four have a high need for autonomous vehicles to revolutionize their transport systems, combined with the ability to make it happen.

A new study by ID Analytics (www.idanalytics.com), which specializes in consumer risk management, finds that using alternative credit scores for safe lending can dramatically increase the number of individuals that are considered eligible for credit.

Through the use of alternative scores, lenders are able to see a more complete picture of an applicant’s credit worthiness. This enables more marginal, subprime or unscoreable individuals to take advantage of mainstream financial services.