Latest posts

  • Ministers likely to support law change to allow delivery robots on England’s paths

    Exclusive: Safety campaigners concerned about plan for widespread deployment on already crowded pavements Large numbers of autonomous delivery robots could be coming to towns and cities across England after ministers signalled they were likely to support a change in the law allowing their use, prompting concern from safety campaigners. Low-speed robots, which mainly deliver groceries…

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  • Is Big Brother watching you shop? – podcast

    From supermarkets to corner shops, live facial recognition could be coming to retailers near you. Jessica Murray on the AI systems increasingly used by the police and stores Live facial recognition is being hailed as a powerful new frontier in the fight against crime, not only by police but by private companies too. Retailers from…

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  • ‘Why should we pay these criminals?’: the hidden world of ransomware negotiations

    Cybersecurity experts reveal what they do for high-profile clients targeted by hackers such as Scattered Spider They call it “stopping the bleeding”: the vital window to prevent an entire database from being ransacked by criminals or a production line grinding to a halt. When a call comes into the cybersecurity firm S-RM, headquartered on Whitechapel…

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  • ‘A gamechanger’: 200,000 UK small businesses sign up to TikTok Shop

    Big brands such as Sainsbury’s and M&S also selling directly in app through links in videos and livestreams It is better known for its viral dances and for making hits out of forgotten songs, but the social media site TikTok is becoming a force to be reckoned with as a shopping platform. Major retailers such…

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  • ‘What to buy Dad for Christmas’: is retail ready for the AI shopping shift?

    As shoppers ask ChatGPT for inspiration, brands scramble to ensure their products appeal to the bots calling the shots Consumer test drive: can AI do your Xmas gift shopping for you? Christmas shopping – some love it, to others it’s a chore, and this year for the first time many of us will outsource the…

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  • All Amazon Fresh stores in UK to close

    Company confirms plan to shut 19 shops with stronger focus on Whole Foods outlets after concept of stores without tills fails to catch on Business live – latest updates Amazon is preparing to shut down all of its Amazon Fresh stores in the UK, just four years after the US tech company launched its first…

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