Lululemon Athletica will pay $500 million for Mirror, which sells $1,500 camera-and-speaker-enabled mirrors that let users join virtual workout classes from home. The deal is expected to boost sales and offer new marketing channels for Lululemon's workout wear.

Customer counting technology that retailers used to use to inform scheduling and figure out how many shoppers were making purchases are fulfilling new functions in the age of COVID-19, Joan Verdon writes. Services such as ShopperTrak from Sensormatic Solutions are being deployed to make sure stores comply with new occupancy limits and temperature monitoring.

Google is preparing to unveil the latest in smart home features at a virtual event July 8 that's taking the place of the annual I/O developer conference. The event, free and open to all, will include a keynote session presenting new features for both users and developers, and observers note that previous I/O events have included introduction of new products.

Columnist Katie Conner shares some of Alexa's most resourceful but least known capabilities, such as the Guard feature, which listens for signs of home intruders and sends alerts to users. The smart home assistant can also make charity donations and order from Amazon Prime when prompted by voice commands.

Microsoft reportedly plans to launch a new Xbox system in August that will be compatible with Series X games. The system, code-named Lockhart, was originally slated to debut in June, but challenges arising from the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests prompted the company to change the date.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has created a machine-learning algorithm that uses past data to select channels in shared frequencies. Researchers at the agency say that the method could vastly improve the efficiency of networks such as 5G.

911 officials in Mobile, Ala., are interested in a new app called Pursuit Alert that law enforcement can use to inform drivers about police chases in their vicinity. The app is already being used in Georgia and South Carolina.

Apple's iPhone 12 will be sold without a power adapter or EarPods, writes analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who expects the company to offer a 20W adapter as an optional accessory. Kuo notes that the changes could help offset the higher production costs associated with 5G support.

CNN correspondent Shannon Liao updates readers on the gaming ambitions of tech giants that initially weren't major players in the sector, starting with Apple Arcade, which could have the biggest chance at success thanks to over 120 titles and an affordable price. Microsoft is shifting strategies, and Amazon, Facebook and Google are hanging in while trying to find their niche, she writes.

The pandemic upended many industries that were not prepared for the drastic consumer shift, but fitness brands such as Peloton and Mirror, which were prepared with digital offerings, have thrived, write guest columnists Chinwe Onyeagoro and Revell Horsey. This digital fitness trend will continue to gain traction, they write, if companies appeal to consumers who are looking for convenient, personalized fitness routines.