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Shopify has opened its checkout system to browser-based AI agents, according to TechCrunch. The move means autonomous shopping assistants could complete purchases on merchants' stores on behalf of users, rather than only browsing. It signals a shift in e-commerce toward agentic commerce, where software agents search, select and pay for goods directly, raising questions about merchant control, fraud prevention and how retailers adapt to agent-driven traffic.
- 2Chinese sex toy firm linked to Russian war tech, EU sanctions gap exposed●A Chinese 'smart sex toys' company fed Russian war tech against Ukraine
EUobserver reports that a Chinese company making smart sex toys supplied components or technology used in Russian weapons systems deployed against Ukraine, revealing a blind spot in EU sanctions enforcement. The report raises questions about how dual-use goods flow through obscure Chinese intermediaries to Russia despite European export restrictions.
- 3Civic Tech Writers Revisit Interface Era Argument▼Civic Tech’s Interface Era, Revisited Last year, Dan Munz and I wrote a pieced called The End of Civic Tech’s Interface
Dan Munz and a co-author are revisiting their essay 'The End of Civic Tech's Interface Era', prompted by the launch of America.gov as the new front door to US federal agency services. They argue the launch is a good moment to assess what their original piece got right about how government technology interfaces are evolving, and what it may have missed as federal digital services consolidate under a single portal.
- 4Emmabuntüs featured in Good Tech for Linux accessibility work●📰 Emmabuntüs à la une sur Good Tech ! Un grand merci à Good Tech pour ce bel article qui met en lumière notre travail su
The Emmabuntüs collective is being highlighted in a new article by Good Tech, which covers its work on Linux accessibility, computer refurbishment and digital inclusion, including projects in Togo. The team thanked the outlet for the coverage, and the piece is drawing attention to the volunteer project's efforts to give old hardware a second life with a beginner-friendly Linux distribution.
- 5Critics urge Europe to counter US science vision●The White House vision for # Science is tech-dependent, protectionist and sees knowledge as a zero-sum game. This needs
A EU policy commentator argues the White House's approach to science is overly tech-dependent, protectionist, and treats knowledge as a zero-sum competition. He calls for a strong counter-vision from Europe, positioning research there as a shared endeavour pursued for the common good rather than a contest between rivals.
- 6Skepticism grows over tech CEOs' AI regulation calls●> With all that in mind, you can imagine that I do not recommend that you take a tech CEO’s calls for regulating the AI
A blog post argues that tech CEOs' public calls for regulating the AI industry should not be taken in good faith, suggesting the regulation they request serves their interests rather than the public's. The author contrasts industry-backed proposals with the kind of oversight AI actually needs but companies would never volunteer. The piece is circulating among commentators skeptical of self-interested corporate lobbying on AI policy.
- 7Startup aims to replace human creativity by fixing AI slop▼A startup wants to replace human creativity. But first, it needs to eliminate slop.
A startup is claiming it wants to replace human creativity, but says it must first solve the problem of 'slop' — the low-quality, generic output produced by generative AI tools. The company argues that current AI-generated content is not good enough to substitute for human creative work, and that improving output quality is a prerequisite for its broader ambitions.
- 8Minnesota's Biggest Candy Shop Sticks to Old-School Methods●2 men, 2 scanners and hundreds of thousands of stickers: How Minnesota's biggest candy shop stays old school https:// fe
Minnesota's largest candy shop is drawing attention for sticking with a low-tech approach: just two men using two handheld scanners and hundreds of thousands of price stickers instead of modern barcode automation. The story highlights how the shop's old-fashioned pricing system has become part of its charm, prompting readers to admire its dedication to tradition in an increasingly automated retail world.