Increases in streaming services, artificial intelligence-enabled devices and in-vehicle technology are the main sources of 2.2% year-over-year growth in the US consumer technology market, which is on track to exceed $400 billion in retail revenue in 2019. The Consumer Technology Association's biannual US Consumer Technology Sales and Forecasts report was based on US factory sales to dealers for more than 300 products.

The Walt Disney Co.'s theme park resorts have greatly benefited from data gathered through the company's smartphone apps and MagicBand technology. Not only did the company's smartphone-based virtual reservation system help reduce wait times, but its guest-tracking technology also helped to inform future investments by gleaning trends regarding families' preferred rides and franchises at the park.

DISH has unveiled the AirTV Mini, a streaming dongle powered by Android TV; the company says the device has more memory and a faster processor than comparable products from Amazon, Google and Roku. The AirTV Mini is 4K high dynamic range-compatible and offers Sling TV, Netflix and over-the-air channels.

Kwikset has unveiled a commercial-grade smart lock, the SmartCode 955, which is geared toward security for facility managers, residential and commercial property owners, and small-business owners. The SmartCode 955, which retails for $119, also allows for rekeying the locks to make lost, loaned or unreturned keys unusable.

Huawei is developing its own mobile operating system, HongMeng, to take on Android, but company Chairman Liang Hua says it may not work on smartphones. Much will depend on whether the US fully lifts the ban against the company, but Huawei is seeking developers to join the group of 560,000 that work on apps for its 270 million active monthly AppGallery users.

An issue with the discrete Nvidia graphics processing unit has resulted in Microsoft placing a compatibility hold on its May Windows 10 update for some of its Surface Book 2 laptops. The GPU can vanish from the device manager on the operating system, causing issues for apps and games.

A father in Britain whose daughter was treated for a rare form of bone cancer has developed an app, Xploro, to help other children navigate hospitals and treatments. The app, which is being tested in two hospitals, explains things like chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants.

Amazon's Prime Day marketing efforts, such as a Taylor Swift concert and the promotion of an exclusive line of beauty products from Lady Gaga, play on common consumer desires, one expert says. "The psychology is really just the fear of missing out and timing," notes consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow.

The future of app development lies in immersive and wearable apps, progress web apps and conversational apps, a Gartner report says. The company has instituted a new category, the 2019 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Multiexperience Development Platforms, with platform provider OutSystems among this year's leaders.

McDonald's used Saturday's National French Fry Day to promote its delivery partnership with Uber Eats, with a giveaway of fries to customers who ordered through the app. The move is part of a larger mission to ramp up marketing and advertising of the digital service.