The steady rise of 3-D printers as an accessible activity for millions means that the specter of digital piracy, which has wreaked havoc on the media business in the internet age, now hangs over sales of physical products long considered immune to such forces.

Smartphone apps are the latest tools to emerge from the intersection of health care and Silicon Valley, where tech companies are also working on new ways of bringing patients and doctors together online, applying massive computing power to analyze DNA and even developing ingestible “smart” pills for detecting cancer.

Bubble wrap, the packaging material popular with shippers and toddlers alike, is losing its pop. Sealed Air Corp., the original seller of Bubble Wrap since 1960 is rolling out a revamped product. Dubbed iBubble Wrap, the new packaging is sold in flat plastic sheets that the shipper fills with air using a custom made pump. The inflated bubbles look much like traditional Bubble Wrap, with one key difference, they don’t burst when pressure is applied.

Much more is highlighted in A Look Ahead.