The Consumer Sentiment Disconnect From Economic Reality

"Creepy" Smart Glasses Are Creating A Privacy Problem Smart glasses are quickly becoming the next major consumer tech battleground, with Meta leading the market and rivals including Google, Samsung, and Apple preparing their own AI-powered eyewear. But as the devices become more capable, they're also fueling a growing debate over whether convenience is coming at the expense of privacy, according to a new report from Wired.  Unlike smartphones, which require users to visibly point a camera, smart glasses can quietly capture photos, video, and audio from the wearer's point of view....

Closed Borders Killing Western Union, Earnings Call Transcripts Reveal Western Union CFO Matt Cagwin quietly acknowledged in yesterday’s earnings call that fewer border crossings under the Trump admin are chipping away at the remittance behemoth’s profits: “New migration is the lifeline of our retail business. With borders closed, it is difficult to offset natural attrition… as consumers return home to their native countries,” Cagwin said. WU has long been the dominant vampire skimming absurd fees off international remittances while providing no technological convenience that Venmo hasn’t already surpassed. It’s instead maintained its...

Cost Of Living Dominates Many Nations' Biggest Worries According to Statista Consumer Insights, prices and the cost of living are considered the biggest challenge in around half of the 32 countries included in a recent survey.  This is also true for United States, where the issue ranks first among the 18 surveyed options, with 50 percent citing it as a main concern. As Statista's Katharina Buchholz shows in the chart below, the issue is also collectively seen as the biggest problem facing Australia, Japan, Germany and Saudi Arabia. You will find more infographics...