Business and Economy

Business and Economy Latest News

The oven won't talk to the fridge: 'smart' homes struggle
The oven won't talk to the fridge: 'smart' homes struggle
by  AFP

Tech firms have spent years hawking the idea of a connected home filled with "smart" devices that help smooth daily domestic lives -- and this year's CES gadget show in Las Vegas is no different. The biggest firms have spent years trying to tackle the "interoperability" problem, finally agreeing a protocol last year called "Matter" that sets a standard for connected home products.

US services activity shrinks for first time since May 2020
US services activity shrinks for first time since May 2020
by  AFP

The dominant US services sector contracted for the first time in more than two years in December, survey data showed on Friday, as business activity slumped. The ISM services index "ended a 30-month period of growth, contracting for the first time since two straight months of sub-50 percent readings in April and May 2020," said ISM survey chair Anthony Nieves.

High-profile flops fill gallery at CES gadget fest
High-profile flops fill gallery at CES gadget fest
by  AFP

A Gallery of Flops including a handset just for tweeting and a failed Apple stereo system warned entrepreneurs at CES on Thursday that dreams of market glory can crumble. Failures on display in the cautionary Gallery of Flops also included Zune MP3 players launched by Microsoft and the defunct Pippin game console from Apple, which never became popular.

Energy

Money

Industry

Technology

Economy