Amazon has agreed to buy connected-doorbell startup Ring for about $1 billion, a person familiar with the matter said. The move helps Amazon expand further into the consumer market, including providing security for package deliveries. Amazon has been pushing for a bigger presence in homes through connected devices such as its Echo smart speaker with the […]
You ready to give a cute virtual pal some food, bath and TLC? If you miss your Neopets and Tamagotchi days, then keep an eye out for My Tamagotchi Forever, which will be available for Android and iOS devices on March 15th, 2018. Bandai Namco is bringing its beloved virtual pets to smartphones for their […]
One of the UK’s largest suppliers of mobile WiFi services has unveiled its latest foray into the world of event’s technology with the launch of its unique heat mapping technology. Thought to be a UK first, SimpliWiFi’s new service makes use of conventional CCTV and thermal imaging cameras to find hot spots in crowds during […]
AT&T and Verizon have conceded that phones won’t be available in time for the launch of fifth-generation mobile service this year, and plan instead to offer 5G through portable hotspots called pucks. “I would expect that there are a range of handsets available in 2019 and some of those will be in the first half […]
UK consumers are more likely to engage with retailers that send them a personalised offer than a personalised message, according to research from YouGov and email marketing company Pure360. The study revealed that only 7% of shoppers are interested in messages that relate to personal details, such as a birthday, while 8% said they are […]
Bricks-and-mortar shopping could be about to change forever. Amazon pioneered the automated convenience store with its newly-opened Go supermarket, and now computer vision company AiFi is introducing the first scalable, checkout-free system for stores outside of Amazon’s sphere of influence. The technology has the potential to turn enormous retail spaces and small mom-and-pop operations alike […]
One of the most frustrating parts of eating out, according to a survey conducted by Barclaycard, is waiting for the bill. So the payment business has developed a new technology which allows diners to simply walk out after eating their meal. The “Dine & Dash” technology, which is being trialled at the St Martins Lane […]
JD.com, one of China’s biggest eCommerce retailers, has launched an accelerator program which will focus on the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies. The AI Catapult program, which begins in March, will partner with blockchain startups to build new business, and create and test real-world applications of their technologies. Members of the program […]
An analysis of 11,000 apps has found that app retention on iOS is consistently higher than on Android, but only by 1-3%. Conducted by mobile measurement company Adjust, the study – which defines app retention as “the percentage of users still using an app for a certain number of days after install” – found that […]
Telefónica, the Spanish parent of UK mobile operator O2, is working with social network Facebook to develop a programme called Internet para todos (Internet for everybody), with the intention of connecting 100 million digitally excluded people in Central and South America to the internet for the first time. Around 20% of people in Latin America […]