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TECHNOLOGY Tuesday 29 November 2016
Cyber Monday transforms as shoppers are more connected

MAE ANDERSON early this year and use ser-
AP Technology Writer vices like buying item on-
NEW YORK (AP) — The line and picking them up in
Monday after Thanksgiv- the store, Cannata said.
ing is still a time when mil- “We are casting a wide
lions of Americans pause net on any and all types of
to check out online deals gifts,” he said.
and check off items from On Monday, he bought an
their gift list — but a one- Amazon Tap smart speaker
day Cyber Monday frenzy for $40 off at $90 on Ama-
appears to be going the zon.com and Bluetooth
way of the dial-up modem. stereo headphones for $30,
Shoppers who have high- $100 off the original price.
speed connections at The Monday after Thanks-
home and on their phones giving has been the busiest
are pouncing on deals that day of the year for online
stores are spreading out shopping since 2010, and
over several days, leaving referred to the day when
the so-called Cyber Mon- people returned after the
day online shopping bo- holiday weekend to of-
nanza in danger of losing fices where they had high-
its title as the top online speed internet connec-
sales day. tions.
“Because Cyber Monday Cyber Monday still packs
is no longer about the con- the biggest punch in terms
nection, it’s just another of a single online shopping
sales day that I can plan day — for now. Shoppers
for, like a Labor Day sale Tashalee Rodriguez, of Boston, uses a smartphone app while shopping at Macy’s in downtown spent $540 million between
or Fourth of July sale,” said Boston. midnight and 10 a.m. East-
Gartner analyst Gene Al- (Associated Press) ern time on Monday, af-
varez. “’I know it’s coming, ing holiday deals includ- ogy Association. rename Black Friday to firming that sales are ex-
does it fit into my schedule, ing 50 percent off one toy Lea Bishop from Carmel, Black Friday Week and pected to total $3.36 bil-
and will I do my holiday per day on Nov. 1. Amazon Indiana, picked up tickets rename Cyber Monday lion, up 9.4 percent from a
shopping that day, Black started offering 35 days of to the Texas Tenors at her to CyberMonday week- year ago, according to an
Friday or wait to see what Black Friday deals on Nov. local performing arts cen- end,” she said. early tally by Adobe Digital
comes up later?” 16. And Walmart kicked off ter because they had a Matthew Cannata of New Insights, which tracks on-
So instead of doorbuster its Cyber Monday deals on rare buy-two-get-two-free Britain, Connecticut, said line retail transactions.
markdowns on a select few Friday for the first time as it deal. “It’s those once-a- he and his wife meticu- But other days are catch-
products, retailers are shift- aimed to grab customers year deals that I’m looking lously map out their shop- ing up. Adobe’s forecast
ing to a stream of discounts ahead of its competitors. for today,” she said. Other- ping weekend. They hit the puts Cyber Monday neck-
and alerts during the entire “It’s really this weeklong wise, she noticed retailers stores Thursday night and and-neck with Black Friday,
week via email and social flow of deals,” said Shawn have been spreading out Friday morning and started when consumers spent
media. Cartwheel, Target’s DuBravac, chief economist deals. browsing online Saturday. $3.34 billion, a 21.6 percent
digital app, started offer- at the Consumer Technol- “It seems like they should They saw more discounts jump from last year.q

2 Taiwanese teenagers win

World Robot Olympiad in India

RISHABH R. JAIN Delhi. young as 6 years old, while
Associated Press “We have been practicing others were approaching
NEW DELHI (AP) — Whiz- since primary school,” said university graduation.
zing around a green felt Liaw Jia-wun, 15, thrilled to In the more advanced ro-
table chasing a soccer ball have won with his team- botics category, robots
beaming infrared light, the mate. “We never in our had to be preprogrammed
boxy robot shoots — and lives could think that we for the automated chal-
scores — and wins its Tai- would win the world cham- lenge of picking up mini
wanese teenage creators pionship.” bowling balls and knocking
first prize at this year’s stu- Other categories at the down pins. That meant the In this Sunday, Nov. 27, 2016 photo, Taiwan’s Liaw Jia-yu, third
dent robot games. robotics championships — robots had to sense where left, and Liaw Jia-wun, fourth left, pose for a photograph after
The two breadbox-sized attended by more than the target was and hit it wining the “Football” category of World Robot Olympaid in New

Delhi, India.

Associated Press

scooters, playing goalie 450 teams from 50 coun- without any intervention
and kicker, from the team tries — asked participants from their creators.
called “Wings of Storm” to create robotics solutions The idea is to teach stu- Canadian teams. practical work of building
were up against another to reduce or recycle waste, dents computer program- “More and more, we will real stuff and trying to solve
Taiwanese team’s robots in leading teams to build ro- ming as robotics moves be- be interacting with robots” problems.”
the “Football” category of bots that emptied trash yond factory applications in our daily lives, Bruneau South African teacher and
the World Robot Olympiad bins or scooped up build- to everyday functions, said said. The student engi- coach Nicky Du Plessis said
held over the weekend in ing debris for future use. engineer Dominic Bruneau, neers are not just working the games helped kids de-
the Indian capital of New Some participants were as the head coach for the on theory but are “doing velop key skills.q