Google may open retail stores by the end of the year to boost its profile among shoppers for its Google Nexus devices, Chromebooks and other products, according to reports.
Website 9to5Google.com initially published the Google retail store report, which has since been cited by several technology publications. Google could open stores by the 2013 holiday season in major metropolitan areas.
The Mountain View, California, company already operates Chrome Stores inside Best Buy locations.
Microsoft is also opening retail stores. Apple chief executive Tim Cook made bullish remarks about his company's retail presence at a recent Goldman Sachs conference.
* Dow Jones
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
