New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told Wired that surveillance technologies like those used by Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan's company are 'indicative of much that is wrong' in the country. He pointed to two bills from Council member Shahana Hanif that would ban collection of biometric data, including facial recognition, in public places citywide. The remarks follow Wired reporting that MSG uses facial scanning to track visitors, including a database allegedly labeling some people as 'LGBTQIA'; Dolan's company has sued Wired over that coverage and denies the reporting's accuracy.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-11-03
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol told investors on the company's fourth-quarter 2026 earnings call that it will test AI models at drive-thru lanes during fiscal 2027, aiming to recognize repeat customers as they approach and surface personalized digital menus with suggested orders. Drive-up customers make up about half of Starbucks' business, and Niccol said AI would help input orders more accurately while baristas focus on talking with customers. Starbucks did not specify the recognition technology, testing locations, or any effect on prices.
cnet.com
· 2026-11-03
Starbucks' CEO said the company wants to recognize participating customers as they arrive at stores and show them personalized digital menus. No timeline, technology vendor, or rollout details were disclosed in the comments.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-11-01
AI-powered facial recognition surveillance systems used by UK retailers including Home Bargains and Budgens have reportedly misidentified innocent customers as shoplifters, according to TechRadar. In documented cases, shoppers were removed from stores by management based on false matches, with little immediate ability to contest the accusation.
futurism.com
· 2026-11-01
Ring security cameras and video doorbells support a lesser-known ecosystem of third-party AI apps that extend the devices' object-recognition features for specialized monitoring tasks. One example, DumpWatch, costs about $8 a month and uses Ring's AI to detect illegal dumping, generating timestamped PDF reports for complaints or police filings. Most of these add-on apps require an existing Ring subscription plus an extra monthly fee.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-31
Apple has clarified that HomeView's support for third-party apps works through the same mirroring technology used in CarPlay, rather than running apps natively. When an iPhone is nearby, HomeView can access compatible apps, but all processing happens on the iPhone itself. Currently only CarPlay-compatible audio and video apps, such as Spotify and Deezer, are supported, with no option to install apps directly on the device.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-26
Oka announced the Mori, a 10-inch AI-powered device that pops out of a mushroom-shaped shell to react to voice and movement using built-in cameras and sensors, speaking in a babble language similar to a Furby. The device processes audio and images locally and discards them, though it retains facial recognition data to recognize familiar people, and it can retreat into its shell to function as a glowing lamp playing ambient sounds.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-22
The United Kingdom is deploying facial recognition technology at 13 major airports that allows eligible travelers to bypass routine passport scans when crossing the border. Passengers using the system must still carry their physical passports even though they won't need to present them for scanning at these checkpoints.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-19
Apple's new HomeView smart display can recognize up to six people, but John Gruber reports that recognition requires a paired Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, not an Apple Watch. That device must be connected to the home's Wi-Fi network and have been recently unlocked for HomeView to identify a user by face or voice. HomeView costs $299, is available for pre-order now, and ships November 13.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-13
Surveillance vendor VIDIZMO has told police departments it can integrate facial recognition technology into Flock's camera network. According to the company's own website, the system can sort individuals into seven racial categories and estimate age, and VIDIZMO markets this demographic breakdown as useful for both law enforcement and commercial marketing purposes.
yro.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-04
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is building small cylindrical home sensors that use AI facial recognition to detect people and activity without saving video footage. The devices would pair with Apple's upcoming AI home hub launching Oct. 13, delivering text alerts like "someone is outside the back door" instead of stored clips. Apple has not responded to requests for comment.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-02
MSG owner James Dolan and his family have donated roughly $108,000 directly to Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive who is trailing Governor Kathy Hochul by nine points or more in most polls. Blakeman has proposed expanded surveillance infrastructure, including license plate readers and biometric tracking along the city-suburb border, and supports data centers, AI deepfakes, Flock surveillance, ICE and private militias. Dolan previously donated to Hochul in the last election cycle and has also given significant sums to Trump's 2020 campaign and the RNC.
wired.com
· 2026-10-01
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