AD TRACKING SYSTEM
Walmart, Target, and Kroger are changing how they price groceries — here's what you need to know
Grocery giants like Walmart, Target, and Kroger are embracing technological advancements to refine their pricing strategies. Walmart has opted for automated pricing systems that have also led to price reductions. In contrast, Target tailors its prices based on customer behavior. These adjustments highlight the shifting landscape of retail pricing. Here's what you need to know.
James Talarico vows to 'take back Texas' as Trump makes last-minute push to keep the state in GOP hands
James Talarico took aim at the escalating corruption within the U.S. political scene during his Texas campaign. He’s looking to unseat Republican Ken Paxton, who enjoys backing from prominent figures such as Trump and Musk. Talarico labels Musk's influence as an attempt to 'buy' Texas, while he prioritizes solutions for the state's affordability issues.
Meta tells Brazil's electoral court it treats Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro equally ahead of Sunday vote
Meta has taken steps to comply with a court order for equal treatment of presidential candidates in Brazil. The electoral court directed the company to ensure balanced platform coverage before the upcoming runoff election. This follows allegations from President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's campaign regarding biased algorithms favoring his opponent, Flavio Bolsonaro. Meta has implemented measures to uphold electoral advertisement regulations amidst growing tensions.
Is your phone reading your mind? How do you see ads for things you were thinking about just minutes ago
An ad appears for something you recently discussed, and your phone suddenly feels suspicious. Digital tracking can explain some of these moments. Psychology helps explain why certain matches feel unforgettable.
Israeli firm used online ads to run vast spy operation, researchers say
Discover-Tech, an Israeli digital advertising agency, faces serious allegations of orchestrating user surveillance via harmful ads. Research teams from Citizen Lab and Confiant uncovered alarming evidence that these ads not only tracked individuals but also facilitated spyware deployment. With implications affecting hundreds of millions, including entities like the Pentagon and Al Jazeera, major platforms like Google have halted Discover-Tech's services.
Can $1 billion buy victory in the midterm elections? Some Republicans fear the answer is no
Republicans enter the final month before the midterms with a major cash advantage but growing concern that late spending may not offset voter dissatisfaction over Trump, the cost of living and the Iran war. Trump-aligned groups are pouring money into competitive Senate and governor races, but the late ad buys are far more expensive, raising doubts over how effectively the party can translate its roughly $1 billion war chest into electoral gains.
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Ecommerce's festive push; Vertex's AI bets
Happy Wednesday! Ahead of the festive sales, ecommerce giants are building out their supply chains. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Lessons from Chinese AI Firms on Owning Customers’ Habits
As U.S. AI firms compete in an escalating race for superior models, bigger benchmarks, and more advanced features, Chinese companies are pursuing a fundamentally different strategy: embedding AI into users’ everyday habits. The authors argue that this “habit moat” approach may prove more durable than competing on raw capability alone. Whereas Western firms position AI as a destination consumers consciously visit, companies like Alibaba integrate AI into existing routines such as shopping, payments, food delivery, and travel booking, reducing friction until using AI becomes automatic behavior. Once AI capabilities become “good enough,” marginal technical improvements matter less than becoming the default path through recurring customer tasks. The authors outline four strategic imperatives for Western leaders: focus on behavioral cues rather than feature gaps, subsidize customer behavior instead of subscriptions, embed AI invisibly into existing workflows, and optimize for repeat usage rather than first-time adoption. The central warning is stark: AI may not replace employees first—it may instead capture the critical customer moments businesses currently own.
U.S. Midterm elections 2026: Whopping $14,000 television advertisement featuring Donald Trump hogs limelight, video goes viral. Watch here
U.S Midterm Elections 2026 advertisement does not say who voters should support in the midterms, but it meshes with campaign messaging from Trump and other Republicans, particularly during the party's unusual convention in Dallas earlier this month.
In 500 BCE, ancient people created vast animal and geometric figures in Peru's desert. 2,500 years later, the Nazca Lines remain one of archaeology's great enigmas
Nazca Lines archaeological mystery: Giant geoglyphs in Peru's arid plains have survived for over two millennia. These Nazca and Palpa Lines depict animals, plants, and geometric shapes. Created between 500 B.C. and A.D. 500, their purpose remains a mystery. The site's extreme dryness preserved these ancient artistic achievements.
As Sydney Sweeney sports ad faces massive backlash, Allyson Felix’s Nike split and how she launched her own shoe brand Saysh resurface. Check details
American actor Sydney Sweeney is facing intense backlash for featuring naked but covering parts of her body with various pieces of sporting equipment for a viral commercial for Novig. Amid this, the story of track athelete Allyson Felix's departure with Nike in 2019 and how she went on to create her own footwear brand Saysh is making waves online.
BRICS adopts New Delhi Declaration: Inside the 140-point document on Global South's ambitions
BRICS leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration at the 18th summit, reaffirming their commitment to cooperation, multilateralism and a more representative global order. The document outlines India's 2026 chairship priorities, recognises partner countries' contributions and calls for greater participation of Emerging Markets, Developing Countries and Least Developed Countries in global governance.
Jeff Bezos, world's third richest man, received $244,000 jet tax bill as LA County used a secret tracking system to catch wealthy aircraft owners
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who sits on a fortune of $263 billion as the third-richest man on the planet, was served notice by the Los Angeles County for about $244,000 in overdue taxes and fees tied to his luxury jet. The development comes as Los Angeles County is stepping up efforts to recoup overdue taxes from wealthy jet owners. The LA County officials used a secret tracking system to obtain detailed aircraft location data.
New Zealand to shift selected visitor, transit visa applications online from October 1
New Zealand will stop accepting paper visitor and transit visa applications from October 2026. Applicants must use the enhanced Immigration Online system for submissions. This digital shift aims to reduce paperwork and improve application tracking. Certain visitor visas, like those for partners and children, remain unaffected by this change. Paper applications will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances after the deadline.
Pipelines and ports: Iran war spurs Gulf infrastructure investment
Gulf nations are investing billions in infrastructure to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Ports, pipelines, and railways are top priorities as trade routes face disruption. This strategic shift aims to future-proof economies against ongoing geopolitical challenges. New projects are emerging across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. These efforts seek to create permanent, integrated solutions for energy exports.
Microsoft is betting on AI to transform work, now it’s hiring a Legal Engineer to lead the shift
Microsoft has opened a Legal Engineer position that blends legal experience with AI and technology, placing the role within its Corporate, External & Legal Affairs organisation. The selected professional will work with engineers, attorneys and paralegals to build AI capabilities, track adoption and system performance, and shape future investment decisions. The listed base salary ranges from USD $185,900 to $278,900 annually.
Apple fined 150 million euros by France over app tracking privacy feature
French antitrust authorities fined Apple €150 million for its App Tracking Transparency feature, which they found neither necessary nor proportionate. The feature, designed to protect user data, has been criticized for making the user experience cumbersome and harming third-party publishers. Apple must publish the decision on its website and faces similar probes in other European countries.
Google is poised to acquire eye-tracking startup for future glasses
The technology giant intends to buy the Canadian startup for $115 million, according to people with knowledge of the matter. That includes $15 million in future payments that will hinge on AdHawk reaching performance targets.
Nielsen partners with JioHotstar to offer third-party ad measurement for IPL
JioHotstar and Nielsen will introduce third-party digital ad measurement for IPL 2025, bringing transparency and accountability. This partnership marks the first independent digital ad measurement for an Indian live sporting event, providing real-time performance insights via the Nielsen ONE dashboard, aiming to boost brand trust and optimize ad spending.
Viacom18 selects Amazon's Sizmek as third-party ad measurement partner for IPL
The partnership will help Viacom18’s advertising clients to validate reports of the campaigns that they run on Jio Cinema during the IPL through Sizmek's measurement protocols for impression & click tracking and geo-location. Jio Cinema, which is now part of Viacom18, will be streaming the IPL 2023 for free.
India's AD-1 missile can intercept, destroy enemy ballistic missiles fired from 5000 km away
The missile AD-1 is part of the phase 2 development programme of the Ballistic Missile Defence shield and can destroy both ballistic missiles and low-flying fighter aircraft.
Google says to overhaul ad tracking system on Android devices
Tech giants are under growing pressure to better balance privacy and ad-targeting, as users complain, regulators threaten tougher rules, but the companies try to maintain access to the data key to their many billions in ad revenue.
The battle for digital privacy is reshaping the Internet
Google recently outlined plans to disable a tracking technology in its Chrome web browser. And Facebook said last month that hundreds of its engineers were working on a new method of showing ads without relying on people's personal data.
Apple's new iPhone privacy changes want to protect users. But what do they mean for businesses?
Both advertisers and app developers who sell ad inventory say if many iPhone users opt-out of tracking, it will make advertising less effective.
Impact of Apple ad tracking changes will hinge on app developers, exec says
Apple has started enforcing a rule introduced last year requiring developers to use a pop-up notification seeking permission to gather data that can be used to track users across third-party sites and apps.
How brands will target ads to you after the death of browser cookies
Here is why Google is making the move, the backlash it has generated and how advertisers plan to personalize ads even after the company kills off a technology known as third-party cookies.
Apple puts on hold release of anti-tracking tool in iOS 14 update for iPhones
The privacy feature will make it difficult for app makers to track people online to help sell ads.
Facebook says Apple's mobile software will cut advertisement revenue
Changes coming to iOS software powering iPhones and iPads includes requiring apps to ask permission of users to collect and share device-identifying data.
Seven ways to ensure your privacy online
From the free apps that you install on your phone to websites that track your every move, there's a lot of data at stake.
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