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Microsoft is Working on Technology That Would Eliminate Cashiers and Checkout Lines From Stores, Says Report (reuters.com)
Microsoft is working on technology that would eliminate cashiers and checkout lines from stores, in a nascent challenge to Amazon.com's automated grocery shop, Reuters reported, citing six people familiar with the matter. From the report: The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant is developing systems that track what shoppers add to their carts, the people say. Microsoft has shown sample technology to retailers from around the world and has had talks with Walmart about a potential collaboration, three of the people said. Microsoft's technology aims to help retailers keep pace with Amazon Go, a highly automated store that opened to the public in Seattle in January. Amazon customers scan their smartphones at a turnstile to enter. Cameras and sensors identify what they remove from the shelves. When customers are finished shopping, they simply leave the store and Amazon bills their credit cards on file. Amazon Go, which will soon open in Chicago and San Francisco, has sent rivals scrambling to prepare for yet another disruption by the world's biggest online retailer. Some have tested programs where customers scan and bag each item as they shop, with mixed results.
Don't mind me, just walking in and out with nothing but physical money to pay for my goods.
I own my own domain so I can create my own email addresses. I assign every company I deal with its own forwarding email address. So for example, I sign up for Microsoft services using microsoft@mydomain.com. Banks, online shopping sites, topical forums requiring an email address, services like Roku and Plex, etc. - they each get their own email address. I'm at over 700 different email address now. 700+ different companies I've signed up for services with over 15 years. The vast majority of them adhere to their privacy policy promising not to sell my email address to marketers.
The two notable exceptions are Microsoft and Adobe. I began receiving spam at both of the email addresses I'd assigned to them. The Adobe one began getting spam shortly after they were hacked, so I suspect they didn't sell me out (at least not deliberately). The Microsoft email however got several waves of spam, about 4-12 months apart, indicating it was continuously being sold. It's remained quiet the last few years, but after my past spam experience with them I've been assiduously avoiding signing up for anything with Microsoft (e.g. all my Win 10 accounts are local accounts).
Make of that what you will.