Around 1,000 people lined up outside the Covent Garden store waiting for the doors to open at 8am, despite the fact that Apple has been offering online pre-orders and an in-store reservation option
Analysts have called it Apple's biggest launch ever, reports the Daily Telegraph
A record four million orders were placed for the iPhone 6
The new device represents the most substantial upgrade and redesign of Apple's flagship phone for several years.
I noticed was that it feels a lot thinner than the 5s and 5c, and its rounded edges suggest you're holding a very small iPad mini rather than a larger iPhone," writes Nate Lanxon, the editor of Wired.co.uk.
Ello, the invention of toy designer Paul Budnitz, aims to be an "ethical" alternative to social networking services with no advertising, no exploitation of user data and no manipulation of members' news feeds.
"Your social network is owned by advertisers," it says. "Every post you share, every friend you make and every link you follow is tracked, recorded and converted into data. Advertisers buy your data so they can show you more ads. You are the product that’s bought and sold."
"We believe there is a better way. We believe in audacity. We believe in beauty, simplicity and transparency. We believe that the people who make things and the people who use them should be in partnership. We believe a social network can be a tool for empowerment. Not a tool to deceive, coerce and manipulate — but a place to connect, create and celebrate life. You are not a product."
Security researchers have discovered a "deadly serious" bug called Shellshock which could allow hackers to take control of hundreds of millions of computers and web servers. Just six months after the Heartbleed Bug caused panic among internet users, prompting many to change their passwords online, security researchers have uncovered another flaw that exists in some of the world's most popular computer software
India's Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft has shared its first images of Mars after entering the red planet's orbit on its very first attempt
the fourth to successfully put a satellite in orbit around Mars
They are battling to hold on to their share of luxury spend and think wearable tech is the answer. Credit Suisse predicts that in three to five years £18-30 billion a year will be spent on wearables.
Brands are also already developing bespoke accessories, notably straps, for the new Apple Watch, which goes on sale early next year
For their part, the technology firms need fashion to put the ‘wear’ into wearables, which, even more than mobile phones, are a form of personal expression. The industry is reaching out for the design-savvy who will help to move the new devices beyond early adopters to the mass market
‘Luxury is built on innovation, integrity, intelligence, usefulness, design and elegance,’ says Floriane de Saint Pierre, founder of an executive search firm
“It’s not any more about creating a mobile strategy, it is about where does it fit in with your [overall] strategy?” she said. “It is about being completely integrated in your customer experience.”
The popularity of independent young video bloggers, the "vloggers" who film their thoughts and observations for thousands of followers to enjoy online, is already setting the future shape of marketing and advertising
Sales of the bands – which allow users to perform functions from paying for a coffee to monitoring their health or sleep patterns – are predicted to increase by 129% next year as more than 43m devices are sold around the world, according to tech analysts Canalys. Of these, 28m will be "smartbands" with the ability to connect to third-party devices such as tablets or iPhones.
In a sign of how bands are entering the mainstream, the fashion world is also becoming interested. Chipmaker Intel revealed the Mica (My intelligent Communication Accessory) smart bracelet at New York Fashion Week last weekend in partnership with fashion house Opening Ceremony
"It is aimed at people with a disposable income who are style- and fashion-conscious,"
"Wearable tech is niche right now – a growing one, but a niche nonetheless
But technology can be a luxury concept – when it is cleverly and elegantly married to good looks, beautiful materials and a level of functionality that enhances the experience of everyday life.
‘Increasingly we are finding that technology works well in an emotional as well as a functional capacity,’ says Chippindale. ‘Technology isn’t just to make life easier for the sales clerk, but to enhance the experience for the customer.’
Alibaba-owned ecommerce site Tmall has boosted Marks & Spencer’s online clothing sales in China, with 44% of the British retailer’s dress sales in the country now made through this platform.
M&S sells 2,000 lines on the site, including womenswear, menswear, kidswear, lingerie and food through the platform, attracting more than 250,000 visitors each week.
Alibaba raised $21.8bn (£13.3bn) when it floated on the New York stock exchange last week (September 19) in what was the world’s largest IPO, surpassing the $15bn (£8.8bn) that social networking site Facebook raised in 2012.
Alibaba controls around 80% of China’s ecommerce market through its Tmall and Taobao sites, with almost $250bn (£147.2bn) worth of goods sold through its websites last year.