Read the latest market news and analysis on meal kits, probiotics, clothing trends, transmission technology, pricing for lab tests, wine caps and closures, and recreational oxygen use.

We also include new information on China's outlook in the midst of the upcoming 19th Party Congress, a major event that will set China's policy direction. 

With 2018 approaching, businesses need to prepare for a series of significant changes to the market environment in China — specifically related to the Party’s upcoming 19^th Party Congress and ambitious urbanization plans (that will redefine where businesses across industries operate in the country).

Consumer oxygen is used by football players and movie stars. Professional athletes generally use supplemental recreational oxygen to help recover from stress in the body due to exertion.

The oxygen seems to help recovery, give more stamina, and provide an energy boost when needed. You see football players use it on the bench in between stints on the field. 

Check out our curated list of blog posts that highlights the latest market research and industry news. This week, we feature articles on construction & building products, textiles, diagnostics, education, food & beverage, and software.

The global fingerprint sensors market is expected to hit $12.82 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 15.7%, according to a new market research report by BIS Research titled Global Fingerprint Sensors Market, Analysis, and Forecast 2017-2023. The massive proliferation of smartphones on a global scale, the increasing adoption of biometrics by various governments and law enforcement agencies, and the provision of second or third level security with the fingerprint authentication devices are driving the tremendous growth of the market.

Cloud computing allows end-users to utilize a network of remote servers hosted over the internet to store, manage, and process data instead of relying on a local server or system. With the emergence of cloud-based technologies, the retail industry has undergone tremendous transformation.

Augmented reality is getting a huge market thrust from Apple and Google after its initial success with Pokemon GO. Google and Apple are using augmented reality (AR) in their new devices and have embedded AR into current online software.

Augmented reality markets are positioned to further modify consumer thinking and consumer behavior, create new user experiences, and generate thousands of opportunities for businesses to reach potential customers in a more immediate manner than is now possible.   

Consumers are not only looking for free-from products that eliminate pesticides, chemicals, and toxins from their diets, they are also seeking nutrient-dense foods that offer additional health benefits. In response to growing demand, many different companies are incorporating funtional foods into their product lines.

It was a busy week for our research analysts at The Freedonia Group, Freedonia Focus Reports, Simba Information, and Packaged Facts. 

Catch up on their latest blogs with our weekly round-up, and check out a new guest post from MarketsandMarkets on a game-changing technology in the telecom industry.

Some of the biggest challenges faced by the telecom industry include the growing number of subscribers and user database, the ever-increasing data transmission rate, and providing latent-free services to end-users. In order to tackle these issues, telco providers and networking infrastructure providers jointly came up with the heterogeneous network (HetNet) model, which encompasses components such as small cell, Distributed Antenna System (DAS), and Radio Access Network (RAN).