Amazon is finding gold in sponsored posts but what is it costing consumers? Amazon's sponsored ads over the best-selling smartwatch from Apple (Photo: screenshot) Do a search for laptops on Amazon, and the first result might be ones made by Microsoft or HP, despite Asus being Amazon's best seller. Try for printers, and while HP and Brother top the Amazon best seller chart, the first three (sponsored) results are for a Bluedriver scanner and replacement batteries for printers made by Zebra. Searching TVs take you directly to LG and Sansui, a company probably most American consumers have never heard of, despite Amazon's best-seller category being dominated by Chinese brand TCL. These are sponsored posts, paid by the manufacturer to get better placement on the top e-commerce site, and if you think you're seeing a lot more of these this year, your eyes are not playing tricks on you.

Amazon employees plan to take CEO Jeff Bezos to task about the firm's controversial facial recognition software, Rekognition. The tech giant will host an all-staff meeting on Thursday and it's there that employees will flood executives with questions about Rekognition, as well as why Amazon continues work with immigration authorities, according to Recode. Pressure has been mounting for Amazon to cancel its contracts with ICE and law enforcement agents, which allow them to test out the facial recognition technology. Amazon employees plan to take CEO Jeff Bezos (pictured) to task at an all-hands meeting on Thursday about the firm's controversial facial recognition software, Rekognition Amazon lets employees submit their questions for Bezos and other executives beforehand using an online form. They then go through the list and decide on which questions to answer.

Black Friday is approaching and retailers will be keen to maximise sales with highly targeted advertising throughout the weekend-long bargain fest. That will make it an equally busy time for Location Sciences Group PLC (LON:LSAI). The AIM-listed business has built a platform that gives advertisers a whole range of data on how effective an ad has been in getting people into shops. Products cover out of home ads (posters), digital promotions on smartphones and tablets, raw data on consumer movements or reports with insights and analysis. Kitchen maker Wren, for example, uses it to link footfall at its stores with its marketing activity.

The key to making better business decisions is surprisingly simple: take a proactive approach to using data. Every company gathers data in one form or another, but the way a company uses its data has a lasting impact on the ability to compete, innovate, and attract talent. For many companies and their employees, data is gathered and handled reactively. They collect and use data intermittently on an as-needed basis, but it's seldom collected for historical analysis to support the creation of AI solutions. Data-driven companies believe that being proactive with their data is the ultimate differentiator.

LG's rolling robots could soon arrive at the largest supermarket chain in South Korea. The tech giant has inked a deal with grocery retailer E-Mart to develop self-driving shopping carts that can follow consumers around the store, according to Yonhap News. The device will be developed under LG's CLOi brand, which has released other robots for the home, hotels and other uses. LG has inked a deal with grocery retailer E-Mart to develop self-driving shopping carts that can follow consumers around the store, help direct them to items and keep track of shopping lists. LG's cylindrical robot features a face-like screen where it can display users' shopping list.

If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. However, our picks and opinions are independent from USA TODAY's newsroom and any business incentives. The most wonderful time of the year is almost upon us, but first, you have to make it through one of the most trying times of the year: gift-buying season. You probably have an idea of what you're going to get your partner, your mom, and your siblings, but what do you get for your nieces, nephews, and other little ones in your life? Shopping for children can be an especially tough task if you don't have kids yourself, as you're likely clueless to what's trendy among today's youth.

Amazon's warehouses will be staffed by less humans and more robots over the busy Christmas period, a leading analyst has claimed. The retail giant recruits thousands of additional employees every year to help meet the increased demand of the festive period. Amazon is only recruiting an additional 100,000 people for this year, down 20,000 from the two previous Christmases. Citi analyst Mark May told CNBC that this is likely a early sign of the increased automation at Amazon as it lessens its reliance on human employees. Amazon has endured several controversies surrounding working conditions in its fulfilment centres with claims of staff being forced to urinate into a bottle and employees not being paid after suffering serious injuries art work.

Having Amazon's new $5 billion headquarters in your hometown will have its perks, like tens of thousands of new jobs. But, it also could be a giant headache. Credit Suisse has raised its price target on Amazon.com. The move is on the heels of serious selling pressure on Amazon and other high-beta internet names. When you go to Amazon, you'll find savings on everything from books and electronics to groceries and baby needs, but are you really getting the best deals available?

LG's robotics experiments range from wearable exoskeletons to airport guides and cleaners. Next up, it's starting work on a smart shopping cart that will follow customers around as they shop at Korea's largest supermarket chain, E-Mart. LG envisions it as a way to "free visitors from the hassle of pushing heavy carts by themselves" – which will come in handy for South Korea's ageing population and all manner of lazy customers in-between. The company previously revealed that the shopping cart would boast a built-in barcode scanner, as well as a display to keep tabs on your shopping list. In addition, it said the robot would be able to lead you to your desired products, with users entering their requests into a companion smartphone app.

Here's a look at five of the key vendors behind the technology that is allowing brands and retailers to streamline their distribution processes in order to operate more nimbly and deliver upon shoppers' increasing desire for speed and convenience. In our Future of Retail 2019 report, PSFK identified Bossa Nova Robotics, Kindred AI, Ocado, Takeoff Technologies and Persado as some of the leading robotics companies helping retailers build the DTC future through warehouse automation. Persado uses AI-generated language and emotion to interact with consumers and collects data from consumer spending patterns for brands to produce customized messages. Bossa Nova Robotics is an information services company that has created service robots for the global retail industry using enhanced technology of robotics, computer vision, artificial intelligence and big data to solve the challenges of implementing fully autonomous service robots in busy environments. Kindred AI is an artificial intelligence company that develops and programs autonomous robots by using innovative computer software to explore and engineer systems that enable robots to interact with and complete tasks in place of humans.