Independent businesses: have your online sales been affected by the rise of AI?

We’d like to find out more about how your business has been affected by changes to online searches amid the rise of AI.Independent businesses have traditionally relied on online advertising for increased visibility and sales, even if they are based on the high street. However, with the introduction of AI mode and AI Overview summaries on Google, and the proliferation of LLMs such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini, people are altering their search habits, which may affect the online visibility of small businesses.With this in mind, we want to find out if there have been any changes to organic traffic to your business site or online sales in recent months. Are customers still able to discover your company online? Have you found new opportunities or have there been significant challenges? How is your business innovating to get seen online? Are you changing strategy?We’d also like to hear from customers – have you found it harder to track down independent retailers, or find relevant products online?You can tell us by using the form below or by messaging us

Former Yodel owner probably forged mother’s signature in takeover bid, judge rules

The former owner of Yodel probably forged his mother’s signature in an attempt to seize back control of the parcel delivery company, according to an “extraordinary” ruling issued on Friday by a high court judge.Jacob Corlett, a 31-year-old logistics entrepreneur, launched a takeover of Yodel in January 2024, buying the financially distressed company for £1 as part of a plan to merge it with his own parcels company, Shift.Within six months, Yodel was unable to pay its debts to HM Revenue and Customs and commercial partners, forcing Corlett to sell the business – also for £1 – to another company called Judge Logistics Ltd (JLL) in June 2024.Earlier this year, the Polish parcel locker company InPost bought JLL in a £106m deal.After a suit brought against him by Yodel, including for breach of fiduciary duty during his time as a director, Corlett launched an unsuccessful counterclaim intended to regain control of Yodel

The Com: the growing cybercrime network behind recent Pornhub hack

Ransomware hacks, data theft, crypto scams and sextortion cover a broad range of cybercrimes carried out by an equally varied list of assailants.But there is also an English-speaking criminal ecosystem carrying out these activities that defies conventional categorisation. Nonetheless, it does have a name: the Com.Short for community, the Com is a loose affiliation of cybercriminals, largely native English language speakers typically aged from 16 to 25. Its activities run from crippling the IT systems of British retailers to phoning in bomb threats to schools and encouraging teenage girls to harm themselves

Sony collars Snoopy in £340m deal to take control of Peanuts franchise

Sony has taken control of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts franchise including Snoopy and Charlie Brown in a deal worth C$630m (£340m).The Japanese conglomerate has bought 41% of Peanuts Holdings, which owns the intellectual property Schulz created, from the Canadian children’s entertainment company WildBrain.The deal raises Sony’s total stake, which it began building in 2018, to 80%. The Schulz family owns the remaining 20%.Peanuts, which first appeared as a comic strip in seven newspapers in 1950 and ran daily until the cartoonist’s death in 2000, has gone on to become a global franchise spanning TV, toys, films and theme park attractions

Your Guardian sport weekend: Premier League, NFL and boxing

Bryan Armen Graham straps in for live coverage of events in Miami as the former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua meets the YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul across eight three-minute rounds. Given Paul’s 13-fight career consists mainly of former UFC stars or faded boxing greats, this contest and Joshua’s involvement has sparked a backlash, particularly since Paul, who has regularly fought at cruiserweight since he swapped life as an influencer to enter the world of boxing, came in at 15st 6lb to give away a hefty 26.8lb difference to his British opponent.There’s no better way into the weekend’s footballing action than our rolling blog as Dominic Booth sets up Saturday’s big matches. Breaking news, team updates and the vibe from around the grounds keeps you bang up to date with all the latest developments

Proud Welshman Sam Thomas eyes National glory after Steel Ally’s Ascot romp

Sam Thomas has his string in excellent form going into the busy Christmas programme and he saddled his fourth winner from only seven runners in December as Steel Ally registered an impressive success in the Grade Two Noel Novice Chase at Ascot on Friday.Steel Ally was the 11-4 third-favourite in a field of five runners but was travelling and jumping well from the off for Dylan Johnston, his jockey. No Questions Asked, the 7-5 favourite, briefly threatened to mount a challenge as he moved closer at the third-last but Steel Ally was clear by the second-last and eventually crossed the line nine lengths ahead of Push The Button (12-1).The Noel Novice Chase is staged over two miles and nearly three furlongs, and Steel Ally is quoted at around 33-1 for the Arkle Trophy Novice Chase, over two miles, on the opening day of next year’s Cheltenham Festival.The Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on 27 December is a big target for Thomas over the festive period, and he will saddle two fancied runners, Jubilee Express and Shomen Uchi, in next weekend’s marathon as he attempts to follow up his win with Iwilldoit in 2021