Amazon prepares to test humanoid robots for package deliveries, The Information reports
June 4 (Reuters) - Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab is developing software for humanoid robots that could eventually take the jobs of delivery workers, The Information reported on Wednesday.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Nintendo Switch 2 fans can save £185 with rival OLED deal
Many retailers have sold out of the Nintendo Switch 2, but we've found a handful of deals that could tempt shoppers into picking up a different model Just like that, Nintendo Switch 2 launch day is over in a flash. Thursday was arguably the biggest day of the year for gamers, with Nintendo's latest console finally landing on shelves across the UK. Some stores held midnight launches for the most eager fans, who queued up through the night to be one of the first to get their hands on the Switch 2. But as scores of gamers picked up the console throughout the day, stock quickly ran out. Currently, major retailers including Amazon, Currys and Very are all out of stock, so while we wait for more to arrive, we've been turning to some Switch deals that are still available and save hundreds of pounds compared to the new model. Our favourite deal is from lesser-known retailer OnBuy, which is offering the White Nintendo Switch OLED for £208.99 – £186.01 cheaper than the Switch 2's £395 price tag. The red and blue Neon Switch OLED isn't far behind, coming in at £209.79. These deals make OnBuy the cheapest place to buy, even compared to Amazon, where the White Switch OLED has just risen to £260.94. But there is another way to save hundreds off the price for those with an old console lying around. Over at Very, shoppers can bag a discount of up to £210 when trading in an old console, with the retailer accepting a range of devices from a PS5 and Xbox Series X to an old Gameboy or Sega Mega Drive. The larger discounts are understandably given to those trading in the most premium consoles and it depends on their condition, with a PS5 in fully-working order reducing the Switch OLED from £299 to £89. The deal is available with different models, with the standard Switch available for £49 with select trade-ins. Nintendo also offers a more affordable Switch model for those looking to keep costs down, with the Switch Lite available for £166 at Amazon. However, it's worth noting that this console cannot be connected to a TV and can only be used in handheld mode. For those sticking with OnBuy 's deal, customers have awarded the Switch 2 a perfect five-star rating. One shopper said: 'Great value for money. 'This was significantly cheaper than buying from other retailers but well worth it. It meant the difference could be spent on games. It's the exact same product, brand new and from a genuine retailer.' Another said: 'I love everything about the Switch; multiple games to choose from and I love that it can play on a TV and the multiplayer games are amazing.' This buyer left a mixed review, saying: 'I was initially a little sceptical about my purchase because the price is so much cheaper than other websites. However, the product was just as expected, in perfect condition. Super happy with it. The only negative was that the box was slightly damaged and delivery took about two weeks, but contents all good.' But this happy customer said: 'Really happy with my purchase. Price couldn't be beaten anywhere else online, it's the right colour, exactly what my son was looking for.'
Telegraph
39 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Trump's tax bill is undermining the foundations of global finance
For decades, investors have been able to rely on a simple truth: the US bond market is a safe place to put money. When wars broke out, economies crashed or other calamities struck, money flowed into US Treasuries, as Washington's bonds are known, to protect wealth. As a result, the US has been able to rely on a ready supply of investors willing to fund the country's ever-increasing appetite for tax cuts and public spending. Investors wanted US debt and the federal government was only too happy to provide it. Not even half a year into Donald Trump's presidential term, however, decades of orthodoxy are being turned on their head. 'The US has generally benefited from demand for Treasuries from overseas investors. It's viewed as the global risk-free asset,' says John Stopford, a fund manager at Ninety One. 'The concern is that a lot of those beliefs or tenets about the US are being called into question, in terms of how reliable, how safe an investment are US Treasuries?' Offshore investors, battered by volatility and bewildered by uncertainty since Trump took office, are becoming increasingly wary of the US bond market. Returns have suffered as Trump's trade policies have weakened the dollar and the president's planned debt splurge has raised questions about just how sustainable US borrowing really is. The latest flash point is Trump's 'big, beautiful' tax and spending bill, which the Congressional Budget Office said would add $2.4 trillion (£1.8 trillion) to the deficit over the next decade. Elon Musk might have hogged the headlines this week with his outbursts against the bill but investors and traders are airing the same concerns, especially as higher deficits mean the US treasury will be asking them to buy more and more of its bonds. 'We're seeing it in the asset management community, some insurance funds, some pension funds, and foreign investors overall as well. It's just more caution in the buying, rather than a full-blown 'sell everything',' says Gennadiy Goldberg, head of US rates strategy at TD Securities. A crisis in the US bond market, or even just a slow ebbing of investor confidence and faith, could be the most profound and revolutionary legacy of Trump's second term. The US market and its currency might no longer offer the safe haven against risk, nor the anchor for markets worldwide. An end of this financial exceptionalism would mean higher borrowing costs for the US and pose a challenge to the entire American economy model. Moody's became the last major credit rating agency to strip the US of its gold-plated borrower status last month and analysts have raised the prospect of Trump facing his own ' Liz Truss moment ' as investors baulk at his spending plans. For now, concern is centred around where all this fiscal ill-discipline will leave the US in the 2030s and beyond. So investors are shying away from longer-dated Treasuries with terms such as 10, 20 or 30 years, and parking their money in shorter-term bonds that mature in one or two years. 'I see investors who are even cautious about the five to 10-year space,' Goldberg says. If this caution turns to panic, then a meltdown – with worldwide consequences – isn't out of the question. 'If there was a big deleveraging that happened – and there was a big source of selling, whether it's from foreign investors or hedge funds or levered investors or basis investors – it could potentially overwhelm the system,' Goldberg says. Foreign investors are also having to contend with a big drop in the US dollar, which is reducing their returns. 'It's fine to see bond yields rise if the currency is stable or appreciating. That's not what we're seeing at the moment. We're seeing bond yields rise in the US, and actually the currency, on a broad basket, is about 10pc down from its highs last year,' says James Ringer, a Schroders fund manager. The lack of buyers and the potential glut of bonds raises the possibility, or 'tail risk', that the market could cease to function properly. 'That would mean sellers overwhelming buyers,' says Goldberg. This could drive a sharp surge in rates and force an emergency intervention from the Federal Reserve. 'That is the risk going forward – that the system is unable to function if something goes wrong,' he adds. At the moment, there's little prospect of a panicked sell-off – mainly because investors have so few genuine alternatives. America's star may be on the wane but it is still the brightest light in the sky. 'The US is absolutely a mass market in terms of marketable debt. The second and third closest markets are an order of magnitude smaller, so that makes it really difficult for a lot of these investors to really get away from dollars,' says Goldberg. 'There's just no place for them to go.' But equally, with Trump at the helm, nobody is ruling anything out. 'Even if it's a tail risk or something that's unlikely, because it's there at the back of people's minds, potentially they do begin to change their behaviour,' Stopford says. 'They do begin to think, 'OK, well, I should have less exposure to the US, I should have less exposure to the dollar, I should be looking for alternatives that are safer, more reliable.' 'That's not bond vigilantes speculating. That's just people making rational decisions based on concerns about risk.' Scott Bessent began the week by telling the world: 'The United States of America is never going to default. That is never going to happen.' were meant to reassure. But the sheer fact that the US treasury secretary had to spell out something that has been taken for granted for decades highlights the fact that the fundamentals of the US financial system have been shaken. Whether they go on to crumble depends on what Trump does next.
The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
There's up to £100 off Sonos smart speakers – here's how to find the best deal
If you've been eyeing up a Sonos smart speaker but wincing at the price tag, now might be the perfect moment to make your move. Amazon, Currys, and the official Sonos store have kicked off a massive sale, offering discounts of up to 28 per cent across the brand's most popular audio gear. Deals include a £100 saving on the Sonos Era 300 (was £449, now £349, one of the most popular mid-sized smart speakers in the Sonos range. You'll also find savings on the smaller Sonos Era 100 (was £249, now £179, and the brand's portable Bluetooth speaker, the Sonos Roam 2 (was £179, now £129, Sonos makes some of the best smart speakers for achieving multi-room audio at home, and despite a high-profile, botched update to the Sonos app in 2024, the brand has begun to rebuild its reputation by continuing to deliver well-made sound systems that are simple to install and control. Kitting out your home with more than one Sonos speaker is still an investment, but if you're expanding your multi-room audio setup or starting from scratch, this sale is your best opportunity to upgrade for less. You can find the discounts over at the official Sonos storefront, at Amazon and across most major online retailers. The Sonos Era 100 replaced the Sonos One as the brand's new go-to compact smart speaker. This isn't just a minor refresh. Sonos has re-engineered the Sonos Era 100 from scratch, now packing in true stereo sound from a single unit, thanks to dual-angled tweeters and a beefier woofer. The result is a surprisingly rich and room-filling audio experience from a speaker with a relatively small footprint, delivering crisp highs and a punchy bass that's a clear step up from its predecessor. Within its cinched-hourglass design, the Sonos Era 300 packs an array of six drivers, including an upward-firing one engineered to deliver spatial audio and an immersive Dolby Atmos experience. Like its Era 100 sibling, connectivity includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay and a USB-C line-in, alongside support for Trueplay tuning and voice assistants. Right now, there's £100 off the best soundbar Sonos has ever made. My colleague Alex was impressed in his Sonos Arc Ultra review, saying 'bass has been massively improved thanks to the sound motion technology, and dialogue is clearer than ever before. It's sleeker, slimmer, more Android-friendly and, frankly, sounds absolutely epic. Now that the Sonos app is almost back to its best, I reckon it's worth the upgrade.'
