Snapchat exhibits virtual Jeff Koons sculptures
Snap Snapchat users can only see the artworks if they are at specific locations Snapchat is displaying virtual sculptures by the artist Jeff Koons at nine locations across the world. The artworks – which include a version of his giant bubble dog and a large multi-coloured pile of Play-Doh – are shown as augmented reality […]
Dairy giant Arla warns of price rise if no deal
Arla’s UK managing director said it faces filling in an extra 30,000 pieces of paperwork from next year The head of the UK’s largest dairy farmers’ co-operative has warned that prices may rise sharply in the event of a “no-deal” Brexit. Arla is behind brands such as Cravendale Milk and Lurpak and imports about 15% […]
HMV owner Doug Putman moves closer to rescue deal
Alamy Doug Putman helped bring HMV back from the brink The owner of HMV is edging closer to a deal to buy collapsed discounter Wilko, saving thousands of jobs and the majority of shops, the BBC understands. Doug Putman plans to keep up to 300 of the current 400 Wilko shops open if he succeeds […]
Pub chain Wetherspoon reports record loss
Getty Images JD Wetherspoon has reported a record annual loss after Covid lockdowns saw its pubs shut for 19 weeks. It posted a £154.7m loss as sales fell sharply in the year to 25 July, after a £34.1m loss a year earlier. Wetherspoon’s chairman Tim Martin criticised the “use of lockdowns and draconian restrictions”. Although […]
Phone in the right hand? You’re a hacker!
Getty Images Hackers are finding it too easy to circumvent traditional cyber defences, forcing businesses to rethink their security strategies. Many firms are now harnessing big data and adopting cutting edge verification checks. In fact, some can even identify you by how quickly you type your computer keys, or how you hold your mobile phone. […]
JoJo Maman Bebe hikes prices for first time in 5 years
Getty Images JoJo Maman Bebe is raising prices for the first time in about five years due to widespread supply chain issues. The baby clothing and goods retailer said it had seen shipping costs quadruple in recent months. Its commercial director, Gwynn Milligan, said: “We’ve had no choice but to pass on some of these […]
Micheál Martin calls for all-island approach to climate change
Mark Marlow First Minister Paul Givan and Deputy First Minister Michelle joined Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the climate event Tackling climate change will need joined-up policies on the island of Ireland, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. The Irish prime minister was speaking at an event in Belfast, where he is due to meet political leaders […]
PM urged to ‘see off’ hard Brexiteers as Tory divisions continue
BBC Anna Soubry urged the prime minister to show leadership on Brexit Theresa May has been warned the UK risks disaster unless she “sees off hard Brexiteers” in her own party amid continuing Tory divisions over Europe. Ex-minister Anna Soubry said the PM must not let what she said were 35 MPs dictate the terms […]
Walmart planning ‘net-connected trolley’
Walmart A drawing of how a biometric trolley may work US retail giant Walmart has applied for a patent for a smart shopping trolley that can track a shopper’s heart rate, temperature, grip and walking speed. Such a system would provide valuable information about how shoppers respond to different stores, it said. The patent, submitted […]
South Korean university boycotted over ‘killer robots’
Getty Images The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots meets at the UN next week Leading AI experts have boycotted a South Korean university over a partnership with weapons manufacturer Hanwha Systems. More than 50 AI researchers from 30 countries signed a letter expressing concern about its plans to develop artificial intelligence for weapons. In response, […]