consumer electronics

Walmart has pledged that it will not adjust product prices based on shoppers' personal information or the time of day. In a letter to customers, CEO John Furner said the company's rollout of digital shelf labels is intended to save store labor and speed up price updates, not enable surveillance-based pricing. The statement follows Wall Street Journal reporting raising concerns that electronic labels could allow retailers to charge different customers different prices.

Foxconn and Alter have formed a new joint venture, Beijing Futekang, to build a mass production platform for humanoid robots. The move ties Foxconn's large-scale manufacturing capability to the fast-growing humanoid robotics sector, positioning the partners to industrialise robot assembly much as Foxconn did for consumer electronics. Industry watchers see it as a signal that humanoid robots are moving from prototypes toward volume production in China.

Walmart says it does not use customers' personal information to set prices, pushing back on privacy concerns as it rolls out digital shelf labels across more of its US stores. The retailer says the electronic tags allow faster price updates and clearer labelling, but the expansion has raised questions about whether dynamic, personalised pricing could follow. Walmart maintains prices will not vary based on individual shopper data.

Sony is reportedly withdrawing from CES 2027, breaking an unbroken presence at the consumer electronics show that dates back to 1967. The move, reported by gadget outlet Gadget Review, would mark the first time in nearly six decades that the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant is absent from the Las Vegas event, prompting questions about its trade-show strategy.

Sony will not attend CES 2027, according to an Engadget report, as the company shifts its focus toward entertainment. The move marks a notable absence for one of the tech show's longtime exhibitors and signals Sony's growing emphasis on gaming, film, music and other content businesses over traditional consumer electronics showcases.

Analysis of Russia's Geran-4 attack drone shows it is built around a roughly $25,000 hobby jet engine and relies on Texas Instruments microchips, despite Western sanctions meant to cut Russia off from advanced electronics. The findings highlight how cheap consumer and off-the-shelf components continue to power Russian weapons used in the war against Ukraine.

Sony will not take part in CES 2027, with reports saying the company is shifting its priorities toward entertainment content rather than the hardware showcases the trade show is known for. The move marks a notable departure from one of the tech industry's biggest stages and fits Sony's broader emphasis on games, music, film and other media businesses.

Electronics For Imaging (EFI) and Agfa have announced an agreement to combine EFI with Agfa's Digital Printing & Solutions business, creating a global, full-service industrial inkjet company. The merger pairs EFI's digital printing platforms with Agfa's inkjet technology and consumables. Industry watchers see it as a bid to consolidate scale in industrial printing amid competitive pressure.

South Korean semiconductor startup Mobilint has announced partnerships with LG, Doosan Robotics and Daedong to supply its on-device AI chips. The deals would embed Mobilint's neural processing technology directly into products spanning consumer electronics, industrial robots and agricultural machinery, allowing AI tasks to run locally without cloud connections. The move highlights South Korea's push to build a domestic edge-AI chip industry to compete with global players.

Discussion is circulating about the possibility of a blockade of Taiwan and its consequences for the global semiconductor industry. The argument being shared is that a disruption to Taiwanese chip production, dominated by TSMC, would cripple world supply chains within days rather than months, affecting everything from consumer electronics to AI and the broader global economy.

Chinese technology is drawing attention for its potential to replace traditional televisions. Reports suggest the development could change how people consume visual media at home, marking a significant step in China's consumer electronics sector. Commenters are weighing whether the innovation represents a genuine breakthrough or an overstatement about the future of home entertainment displays.

Australian consumer electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi has selected Vusion, the retail technology platform, to advance its connected store strategy. The announcement, carried via PR Newswire, signals JB Hi-Fi's investment in digital in-store infrastructure and smarter retail operations. Details on the scope, timeline and financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed in the initial release.

Harvey Norman has opened its 41st store in Malaysia at Coalfields Retail Park in Sungai Buloh, Selangor. The Australian electronics and furniture retailer continues expanding its Malaysian footprint, with the new outlet adding to its presence in the Klang Valley and offering tech, appliances and homeware to shoppers in the growing area.

News18 highlights the familiar household drawer where old phones, tangled chargers and outdated gadgets accumulate, unused but never thrown away. The piece taps into a shared habit: keeping defunct technology out of guilt, laziness or vague plans to reuse it. It resonates as a commentary on consumer tech churn and the growing problem of hoarded electronic waste in homes.

News18 asks why consumers continue buying gadgets that address problems they never had. The piece taps into growing frustration with tech marketed as essential while adding little real value, raising questions about advertising, novelty culture and impulse spending in the consumer electronics market.

The Deutsche Umwelthilfe has successfully issued a cease-and-desist warning against Huawei over advertising for its Mate X7. The Chinese manufacturer had falsely claimed the smartphone battery was easy for users to replace themselves, but the German environmental organisation says this misleading repairability claim was not accurate. The case adds to growing scrutiny of repair claims made for consumer electronics in Germany.

Bangladesh Bank is being pressed to explain how it intends to expand digital transactions across the country. The question of the central bank's digital payments strategy is drawing attention in financial coverage, amid ongoing efforts to grow cashless payments and broaden access to electronic banking services for businesses and ordinary consumers.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office says its investigation, codenamed Troja, has uncovered a criminal organisation suspected of selling more than one million used mobile phones as if they were new. The scheme allegedly deceived consumers across the EU and may involve fraud and customs offences. Prosecutors say the case highlights growing cross-border consumer fraud in the electronics trade, and further details are expected as the inquiry advances.