Explore all the new ideas that are burgeoning in the transportation world — congestion pricing, smart highways, rescue plans for shrinking Midwestern cities, new rail and airplane technologies.
The nation's infrastructure, he said, will have to "shift from 20th-century models of transport and energy transmission to rapid bus, ubiquitous broadband, congestion pricing, smart grid, high-speed rail and intelligent transport".
"In this current environment, we've got to make sure we're pricing smart, not just pricing low," Alvarez said.
The recent trend toward pricing smart phones as low as $99 has spurred manufacturers to focus their efforts on one to two exceptional features per handset.
Still, Penney's is not alone in trying to win over the price-smart shopper.
The Fisher-Price Smart Cycle is the learning and exercise game I'll probably give my nephew, Loki.
Similarly priced smart phones from Samsung and High Tech Computer (HTC) are selling better because they have more innovative shapes and software, says James Faucette, a vice president and senior research analyst at Pacific Crest Securities.
Emboldened by better choice and lower prices, smart shoppers are finding high-quality alternatives to department store clothing from sites that specialize in certain fashions or labels.
He created the Fisher-Price Smart Cycle, "one of the most brilliant things he's come up with to date," his daughter said.
As automation becomes cheaper and brands can no longer compete solely on price, smart machines will make this feasible in a way that was not possible before.
