News
- Amazon just deployed its millionth robot – nearly as many human workers as it has
- New roles are being created and existing workers are being upskilled
- AI and ML will continue to improve robotics, Amazon says
Amazon has revealed it now has nearly as many robots as humans in its workforce after deploying its millionth robot across its warehouses and operations, a WSJ report has claimed.
Helping to pick, sort, package and transport goods, robots now assist with around three in four global deliveries, however the effects on the workforce might not be as bad as it first sounds, and plenty of human jobs remain.
The company says it has gone from around 175 packages per employee to around 3,870 in the space of a decade, having seen considerable growth across its businesses.
Amazon's workforce is nearly half robotsOne of the areas robots have proven their worth is in smaller, same-day delivery facilities that have fewer employees, where they can increase output. Products typically move around 25% faster in heavily automated facilities compared with traditional warehouses, it's reported.
Besides launching new robots (Amazon is the world's largest manufacturer and operator of mobile robots), the company also recently introduced DeepFleet, a foundation model built on AWS tools designed to coordinate robot movements.
Already, Amazon says it has see robot fleet travel efficiency improve by 10% using the AI, reducing congestion in its warehouses.
Among its current fleet are Hercules, which can lift up to 1,250lbs, Pegasus, which handles packages via a conveyor belt, and Proteus, Amazon's first fully autonomous robot operating alongside humans.
However, at the same time, Amazon Robotics VP Scott Dresser boasted that more than 700,000 employees have been upskilled since 2019 through training in robotics, engineering and maintenance, suggesting that human roles at Amazon could be evolving rather than disappearing.
Dresser also noted that new fulfillment centers, including Shreveport, LA, require 30% more technical roles to look after the tech.
Looking ahead, Amazon plans to continue using AI and ML to create more intelligent and responsive robots. Dresser envisions them improving employee safety, creating new career opportunities and boosting customer satisfaction.
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- Google Calendar finally has a native app for watchOS
- However, Google has also just pulled Google Keep for the Apple Watch
- There are now only three Google apps for watchOS
It's fair to say Google app support for the Apple Watch isn't the most comprehensive, so the arrival of a new Google Calendar app for Apple's wearables would normally be something to celebrate – only the Google Keep app has disappeared at the same time.
The arrival of Google Calendar was spotted by the team at 9to5Google. It's a pretty basic app, but it does the job: you get a week's worth of events, plus current Google Tasks, and the color coding is carried over from the main app.
You can't create new events or reminders from the Apple Watch, but there are two complications available, for showing the next appointment and the current date. In fact, it seems to be almost an exact match for Google Calendar on Wear OS.
The news of Google Keep getting pulled from watchOS was also reported by 9to5Google. That takes the number of official Google apps on the Apple Watch back down to three – with Google Maps and YouTube Music the other two.
Users are losing out, againGoogle Calendar for the Apple Watch (Image credit: Google)It's disappointing to see that Google Keep is no longer available for the Apple Watch, because it's just the kind of app you want at-a-glance access to. It's perhaps not a surprise, though: the watchOS version of the app hadn't been updated for years.
And it's a shame that Google is so reluctant to put its apps on Apple's wearable. No doubt it would rather people went with Android and Wear OS, but Google's apps for the iPhone are some of the best in the business, and constantly updated.
That means the millions of users with an iPhone and an Apple Watch are missing out when it comes to getting their Google app info on their wrists. That's more likely to push the masses towards Apple's own native apps, rather than Android.
Perhaps the arrival of Google Calendar for watchOS is an indication that Google Keep will soon return in a new and improved form – perhaps to coincide with the rollout of watchOS 26 later in the year – but we're not going to be holding our breath.
You might also like2025 is set to be a big year for Tech conferences around the world.
If you need help deciding which to attend, or if you'd just like to check out the conferences on offer, TechRadar Pro has put together a list of the most anticipated festivals and events to keep you up to date!
Reuters Events: Momentum AI San Jose 2025
July 15th-16th | San Jose, CA
This two day conference will explore AI and looks to help improve the way that companies operate and can deliver products and services. Join industry experts to discuss the insights into AI.
Why attend? Hear from Seth Cohen Chief Information Officer at Procter & Gamble, and Yao Morin Chief Technology Officer, at JLL.
ACM Designing Interactive Systems (DIS) Conference
July 5th-9th | Madeira, Portugal
The ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference will have five areas of focus; Critical Computing and Design Theory, Design Methods and Processes, Artifacts and Systems, Research Through Design, and AI and Design - join industry experts to find out more.
Why attend? Hear keynotes from the brightest minds with and gain invaluable insights into all things design.
Women Impact Tech West Regional Accelerate Conference
July 24th| Virtual
Over 1,000 women and leaders in tech to discuss AI, development, and engineering. Network and strategise with the best in your sector!
Why attend?
July 29th-31st | Nashville, TN
Global Technology Industry Association's (GTIA) ChannelCon is one of the biggest IT events in 2025. Meet with tech experts, vendors and providers to take your business to the next level.
Why attend? Hear from experts such as Noelle Russell, Keynote Speaker, Leading AI Innovator & Practitioner, and Dan Wensley, CEO, GTIA.
- For information about adding your event to this list, please contact ellen.jennings-trace@futurenet.com
- A detailed specs leak suggests the Pixel 10 Pro series could have bigger batteries
- They might also have a new chipset and slightly faster charging
- But the other core specs could remain largely unchanged
Going by the latest leak, the Google Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL could be two of the more disappointing smartphone launches of the year, as it sounds like not much might be changing.
According to Android Headlines, the main upgrade might simply be to their batteries, with the Pixel 10 Pro said to have a 4,870mAh one (up from 4,700mAh in the Pixel 9 Pro), and the Pixel 10 Pro XL apparently set to have a 5,200mAh one (up from 5,060mAh in the Pixel 9 Pro XL).
To go along with that, both phones will apparently have marginally higher wired charging power, at 29W in the case of the Pixel 10 Pro and 39W in the case of the Pixel 10 Pro XL – but that’s only a 2W increase over last year in both cases. Wireless charging could deliver up to 3W more power, reaching 15W.
Beyond that, the specs mentioned in this leak are largely identical to those of the current models. That includes the screens, which will apparently be 6.3-inch in the case of the Pixel 10 Pro and 6.8 inches for the Pro XL, with both having 1-120Hz refresh rates, both having a 3,000-nit peak brightness, and both using Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The cameras will also apparently be largely unchanged, with both phones said to sport a 50MP primary sensor, a 48MP ultra-wide, and a 48MP telephoto, with 5x optical zoom. There’s also once again said to be a 42MP front-facing camera.
However, both the ultra-wide and telephoto cameras might be able to take macro photos this year, while the current models can only use the ultra-wide for macro shots.
More power and a higher priceThe Pixel 10 Pro XL could cost more than the 9 Pro XL (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)These phones should at least get a power upgrade too, with this leak echoing others in saying they’ll have a new Tensor G5 chipset, as expected, but adding that they’ll once again have 16GB of RAM.
Finally, there’s a mention of storage, with the Google Pixel 10 Pro said to have the same configurations as its predecessor – namely 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. There’s a slight change mentioned for the Pixel 10 Pro XL, as this phone will apparently lack a 128GB option, but the site speculates that this will just be used as a way for Google to justify a price increase, so it’s not necessarily a good change.
We’ve previously heard that the Pixel 10 Pro XL might cost more than the Pixel 9 Pro XL, so this fits with that, but many of the other details in this leak are new, so we’d take these specs with a pinch of salt.
We should find out exactly what the Pixel 10 Pro series has to offer in under two months, with August 20 being tipped as the announcement date. Hopefully by then we’ll have heard some more exciting leaks, because based on the above, the Pixel 10 Pro line might not be worth upgrading to.
You might also like- Google issues engineer-developed guidance on using AI for coding
- Around one-third of the company's code is now AI-generated
- Other companies are also using AI more to code
Google has issued new usage guidance and best practices for its internal developers using generative AI to help them code, and it may not come as a surprise the tech giant is pushing the security agenda.
Following a period of experimenting with AI and determining its use cases, the document was actually created by engineers (via 9To5Google) before getting approved and disseminated.
The guidance broadly encourages developers to adopt AI to boost productivity, enable faster iteration and enhance product development, however the importance of humans in maintaining security is stressed.
Google shares AI coding guidelines with workersThe guidance reportedly covers using AI for coding assistance, its limitations and building AI-based systems. However, Google also noted it wants to see workers adopt AI in other regions of their work to help boost productivity further.
Nevertheless, humans clearly remain an integral part of the development process, with code review, security and maintenance all areas that require further work.
"Our engineering teams are already regularly using our AI tools for coding, fixing bugs, and much more," the company confirmed.
"These recommendations and best practices, developed by a group of software engineers at Google, are designed to help all SWEs across the company get the most out of AI in their day-to-day work."
The push comes amid growing industry-wide adoption of GenAI in software engineering. Earlier in 2025, Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that around one-third of the company's code is now AI-generated.
Other companies, including Microsoft and Meta, are also increasing the amount of AI-generated code they use, and a recent study found that 30.1% of US Python code on GitHub was AI-generated.
Google's most formal guidance on AI in coding to date could also go on to inform policies for other companies. It also highlights the company's growing reliance on generative AI tools.
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A Fortnite Superman skin is set to be added next week, based on the new version as featured in James Gunn's Superman. Interestingly, players can actually unlock the skin now, though there will still be additional cosmetics to get once the pass goes live for everyone.
What's new in Fortnite?(Image credit: Epic Games)Fortnite just launched Blitz Mode. It's a bitesized battle royale mode that's perfect for mobile devices. Matches run five minutes, and there's all manner of mythic weapons and items to loot as you go. Elsewhere, there's a new Squid game collaboration that adds Game Guards, new modes to play, and other items to earn. We're still deep into Season 3 at the moment, but there will be a new season to enjoy next month.
Now that a brand new season of Fortnite has launched. There's a completely fresh map to try out, and the addition of a superhero ranking system. There are ranks to rise through in each match, giving you access to progressively more powerful gear. We've got a month until the next season of Fortnite arrives, but there's plenty to keep us busy until then.
Here's everything you need to know about the Fortnite Superman skin, including when it's coming to the game and details on how to unlock it early. As new info is revealed closer to launch, we'll be sure to update this page.
Fortnite Superman release date(Image credit: Epic Games)Fortnite's Superman skin will release on July 11, 2025. This can be seen in the in-game calendar that's on the main menu screen before loading into a match. Battle Pass owners can unlock Superman and additional Superman items by completing Quests starting July 11. The Super Battle Pass is available to progress in now until August 8, 2025.
The best place to keep up on specific updates closer to the launch of the new season is the Fortnite Status Twitter account. We'll be sure to keep this page up to date as well.
How to unlock the Fortnite Superman skin early(Image credit: Epic Games)You can actually unlock the main Superman Fortnite skin early by purchasing the Premium Battle Pass. This grants access to the Battle Pass, 25 levels, as well as the skin. This costs 2800 V-Bucks and instantly unlocks Superman. This is the same skin as you'll get on July 11, though there will be additional cosmetics to earn via Quests once the pass is live.
Epic usually details the rewards associated with bonus skins like Superman, closer to their launch date. On release, the Superman skin will have five additional rewards to earn, with five more being added a week after. This is how bonus skins have worked for quite a while, so hopefully Superman follows suit. If anything changes, we'll be sure to update this page.
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