Consumer & Gadgets news

Consumer & Gadgets

Amazon's new fees on sellers likened to 'kick in the gut'

Amazon.com Inc. merchants have found themselves caught in an economic vice. Earlier this year, the e-commerce giant rolled out changes to the fees its charges them—essentially shifting more of its operating costs onto the ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Wearable devices can now harvest neural data—urgent privacy reforms needed

Recent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with or without the ...

Consumer & Gadgets

iPad 'Crush' ad causes uproar amid AI anxiety

An ad for the new iPad Pro caused an uproar Wednesday for showing an industrial-sized hydraulic press crushing objects linked to human creativity—such as a record player and trumpet—into a sleek tablet.

Consumer & Gadgets

'Digital afterlife': Call for safeguards to prevent unwanted 'hauntings' by AI chatbots of dead loved ones

Without design safety standards, artificial intelligence that allows users to hold text and voice conversations with lost loved ones runs the risk of causing psychological harm and even digitally "haunting" those left behind, ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Data privacy in the post-Roe era

In 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade—ending the constitutional right to an abortion—privacy advocates warned women against using smartphone apps to track their periods.

Consumer & Gadgets

A view of a room with VR and AI for the field of interior design

Bringing together virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to significant advancements in the field of interior design, according to research published in the International Journal of Information and ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Samsung returns to top of the smartphone market: Industry tracker

Samsung regained its position as the top smartphone seller, wresting back the lead from Apple as Chinese rivals close the gap on both market leaders, industry tracker International Data Corporation (IDC) reported Monday.

Consumer & Gadgets

Why won't some people use a smartphone? And is that difficult?

In a world where more and more services and social interaction are based on mobile apps, a smartphone has become close to a necessity. Despite this, some people avoid smartphones and instead use a dumbphone—a traditional ...