Online companies like Amazon that can analyze buyer behavior have a major advantage over brick-and-mortar retailers. However, artificial intelligence platforms tied to in-store sensors could eventually even the playing field.
A recent finding by the California Labor Commission highlights this disconnect. The commission determined that Barbara Berwick, a San Francisco driver, was an employee of Uber rather than an independent contractor. While the decision does not set a precedent, it may be reversed by courts and might be made moot by Uber making minor changes to its standard contract, this conflict nonetheless highlights the difficulty of applying antiquated laws to new and rapidly evolving industries. Current labor laws were written at a time when large companies were regarded as permanent fixtures in the economy, workers tended to stay with one employer for many years, employees had one full-time job, and many industries were heavily unionized. Those conditions no longer exist. As a result, our laws are increasingly ineffective in giving
In retail -- and especially in e-commerce -- there's a nuanced distinction between having a very popular sale and arranging for far too little merchandise. It's like those hold recordings that say the lengthy hold time is because of high customer call volume, prompting most people to mumble, "That and the fact that you're too cheap to hire enough call center operators."
Same-day delivery is a boon for the online leader, but it will only help doom B&N.
Cost has kept U.S. businesses from adopting fraud-resistant credit cards, but consumer concerns about privacy could make adoption a key differentiator.
The White House's big report on big-data privacy has several shortcomings.
IDG Communications CEO Michael Friedenberg offers his take on the latest IDC predictions about retail customers, big data, supply chain and more
It was a loony week in Silicon Valley. Four major technology companies announced expensive and risky programs to become less like themselves and more like their competitors.
The coffee purveyor has indicated it wants to move in that direction. But so do other companies, and they all have some hurdles to overcome.
A variety of projects unveiled in the past year aim to give mobile apps the ability to instantly detect a person's emotional state.
The way Target deployed triple DES encryption for debit card PINs makes its statement about the unlikelihood that they were in danger much more believable.
