M&S still in ‘rebuild mode’ following cyber attack, Google Gemini to launch on android smartwatches

The chairman of Marks & Spencer has told MPs the company is “still in the rebuild mode” following a cyber attack which led to empty shelves and limited online operations for months. Speaking publicly for the first time since the attack, Archie Norman declined to answer whether the business had paid a ransom. “It’s a business decision, it’s a principal decision,” he told members of the Business and Trade Committee (BTC)…The initial entry into M&S’s systems took place on 17 April through “sophisticated impersonation” that involved a third party, Mr Norman said. Sky News 

Corporate employees of Amazon were asked on Monday to volunteer their time to the company’s warehouses to assist with grocery delivery as it heads into its annual discount spree known as Prime Day. In a Slack message reviewed by the Guardian that went to thousands of white-collar workers in the New York City area from engineers to marketers, an Amazon area manager called for corporate “volunteers to help us out with Prime Day to deliver to customers on our biggest days yet”. It is not clear how many took up the offer. Guardian 

After teasing a Gemini-Wear OS integration for months, Google’s AI appears ready to launch on Android smartwatches. A new promo image for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, leaked by Roland Quandt, shows the words “Ask Google Gemini” on its screen alongside the AI’s logo. As 9to5Google notes, this suggests Gemini will first arrive on a Samsung smartwatch before a wider launch on Wear OS. Earlier this year, Google said Gemini would replace the Google Assistant across all compatible products. PCMag

The national system for sending emergency alerts to mobile phones in the UK will be tested again this September, the government has said. It will see compatible phones vibrate and make a siren sound for 10 seconds while displaying a message at 15:00 BST on 7 September, even if they are set to silent. The alerts are intended for situations in which there is an imminent danger to life, such as extreme weather events or during a terror attack. BBC 

The first model in JLR’s new Freelander range will be a tech-led, electrified, full-size SUV that will be launched in the second half of 2026, JLR’s head of China has said. JLR showed the logo for the revived Freelander brand in a recent presentation to investors, when it explained how the company is resetting its China business with joint venture partner Chery. Chery is developing the Freelander electrified range using an in-house “flexible” platform, JLR China head Qing Pan told investors. Autocar 

Elon Musk’s plan to launch a new political party has reignited his feud with Donald Trump and sparked a backlash among Tesla investors. Shares in the electric car company slumped in on Monday after the US president publicly criticised Mr Musk’s plans to set up the America Party. Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social late on Sunday night: “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails’, essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.