Business & Tech
The latest stories from independent business & tech media.
ICE boss to agents: Leave the Meta spy glasses at home
'Personally owned body-worn cameras are prohibited,' ICE tells The Reg. Because the last thing DHS needs is more proof of misconduct
Trust overtakes fees when investors choose wealth managers
Trust, reputation and transparency are becoming the most important factors influencing how consumers choose wealth management providers, according to new research from TransUnion.
David Ferguson: The regulator has moved on. Has the industry?
There is a slightly uncomfortable possibility emerging in UK wealth management: the regulator may now be moving faster than the industry it regulates. That will sound absurd to plenty of people. Financial services regulation hardly feels light, simple or especially fast-moving.
AI agent suggested installing a malware package. Engineer almost took its advice
Fortunately, the company had a policy of checking source code on GitHub first
China marches towards re-usable rockets with successful first-stage landing
Red alert for rivals as LandSpace nails it after December disaster
IBM says super-chill boxes that connect through 'cryogenic tunnels' will get quantum computers scaling
Absolute zero inside is much cooler than Intel inside
SvelteKit 3 puts heat on Next.js with radical approach to RPCs
Remote functions bring type-safe remote procedure calls right into Web page components
Skims to launch second standalone UK store at Westfield London
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) and asset manager Commerz Real are launching a Skims store at Westfield London early next year, marking the brand’s second standalone location in the UK.
Pets at Home launches pet insurance offer in latest services push
Pets at Home has entered the pet insurance market with a new range of policies. The retailer launched Pets Insurance exclusively through Compare the Market on 19 August, with the products set to become available through the Pets at Home website and app from September.
Microsoft ends one of the last ways to buy VMware without big bundles
Broadcom’s VCF-or-nothing licenses are coming to Azure
JD Sports cuts profit outlook as North America sales tumble
JD Sports has slashed its full-year profit guidance after sales deteriorated in its second quarter, driven by a sharp drop in its key North American market.
The Morning Briefing: Trust overtakes fees when choosing wealth managers; The regulator has moved on. Has the industry?
Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Thursday 20 August 2026. To get this in your inbox every morning
AMD inches closer to its goal of making AI suck less ... energy
House of Zen claims latest systems already 4x more efficient than two years ago
'Not a theoretical risk,' feds warn as attackers use AI-made code to hack critical infrastructure controllers
Stripe acquires OpenRouter, setting up a battle for AI routing business
The race is on to become the preferred AI gateway for the enterprise, and OpenRouter might have an early lead.
Wickes “our focus is simple: save them time and save them money”
Wickes is nominated for the Retail Excellence Diamond Award and Digital Team of the Year at this year’s RG Excellence Awards. Gary Kibble, chief marketing and digital officer for the home improvement retailer, explains how the business is continually finding new ways to improve…
Consumer confidence climbs as retail spending intentions jump in August
UK consumer confidence improved again in August, with shoppers’ expectations for retail spending rising sharply as sentiment towards the economy strengthened.
M&S unleashes Paws & Pals range for pet-loving shoppers
High street giant M&S is entering the pet food market with the introduction of its own brand kibble, treats and toppers. The own-brand pet food range, features 13 lines, designed to “bring the quality, trust and innovation customers expect from M&S” to the UK’s beloved pets.
Google pits Marvell against Broadcom as it chases AI crown
And Marvell just offered the Chocolate Factory a $12.2B stake to sweeten the deal
Virgin Media O2 trials flexible store transfers for student staff
Virgin Media O2 has launched a new flexible working trial that allows student retail employees to temporarily transfer to stores closer to home during university holidays.
Dev taps Claude Code to craft custom printer driver for macOS
Unsupported platform? Is that even a thing anymore?
Former Fenwick New Bond Street redevelopment unveils first look at new luxury stores
The transformation of Fenwick’s former New Bond Street flagship has been unveiled to shoppers for the first time, offering a glimpse of the luxury retail spaces set to open in 2027.
Estée Lauder lifts profit outlook as China and fragrance sales rebound
Estée Lauder has forecast stronger-than-expected annual profits, as its turnaround sees returns. The company, which owns brands including Clinique, M.A.C, Jo Malone London and Tom Ford, expects adjusted earnings per share of between $3.10 and $3.35 for its 2027 financial year.
Landsec lines up £500m deal for Gateshead’s Metrocentre
Landsec is reportedly closing in on a £500m deal to acquire Gateshead’s Metrocentre. The FTSE 100 landlord is understood to be nearing an agreement to buy the shopping centre after seeing off competition from Frasers Group and rival property group Hammerson.
Oxfam reviews retail estate as up to 100 shops reportedly at risk
Oxfam is reviewing its retail operations as a result of mounting pressure from falling donations, weaker recycling income and growing competition from online resale platforms, It has suggested that up to 100 of its highstreet stores could be at risk as a result.
Vercel puts $1m on the table for hackers to escape its sandbox
Hackers have just two weeks to find a vulnerability.
Kraken launches crypto debit card in the US
Kraken has brought its multi-asset debit card to the US, letting users spend hundreds of crypto and cash currencies.
How tabular foundation models could unlock the data LLMs can't handle
LLMs are breathing new life into unstructured data, but unlocking insights from structured data requires a different approach.
