Breaking AI & Tech News Analyzed

The LeadWith Amazon's Prime Day sale on the horizon, many retailers are countering with their own discounts on popular items, offering consumers alternatives to Amazon's deals.Competing Sales During Prime DaySeveral major retailers, including Walmart, Best Buy, REI, Cozy Earth, and Gap, are providing substantial discounts on a range of products. These deals span various categories such as kitchenware, home goods, sleep products, fashion, beauty, and tech.Top DealsBest kitchen deal: Anyday Four-Piece Glass Round Dish Set + Cookbook Bundle for $63 (originally $87)Best home deal: Cozy Earth Waffle Bath Towels for $86.40 (originally $108)Best sleep deal: Helix Sleep Dusk Mattress for $799 (originally $998.75)Best fashion deal: Gap Heavyweight Easy Baggy Sweatpant Jeans for $35 (originally $89.95)Best beauty deal: Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask for $16.80 (originally $24)Best travel deal: Ninja Outdoor FrostVault Wheeled Cooler for $279.99 (originally $349.99)Best tech deal: Sony WF-1000XM5 Noise-Cancelling Earbuds for $248 (originally $328)Additional Kitchen DealsOther notable kitchen deals include:Anyday Four-Piece Glass Round Dish Set + Cookbook Bundle for $63 (originally $87)

The Veto Decision Colorado's governor vetoed a bill on Tuesday that would have banned companies from using surveillance pricing to set workers' wages and prices for consumer goods. The measure would have been the strongest in the nation against algorithmic pricing. Surveillance Pricing Explained The bill proposed banning companies from using algorithms, powered by artificial intelligence or other data-processing techniques, to set custom prices or wages based on the collection of an individual's information. This data could include everything from where an individual lives and what they have bought in the past, to their financial status, travel habits and affiliations. The Data Analysis Many states, including Illinois, California, Massachusetts and New Jersey, are also considering bills that would regulate surveillance pricing. Connecticut's legislature approved a sweeping consumer privacy bill that included new rules for surveillance pricing in May. The Impact Analysis Consumer advocates are unhappy with the veto, saying that Governor Polis sided with dominant corporations using invasive surveillance data to pick their pockets. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has documented examples of surveillance pricing in stores selling clothing, beauty products, home goods and hardware. The Prediction It's unlikely the current administration will crack down on surveillance pricing, given that the current FTC chair characterized the previous administration's report as a rush job. Consumer advocates say the federal government's inaction adds to the urgency of states needing to regulate surveillance pricing.