Tag: video

OpenAI is killing off Sora — and it reveals a massive problem for the future of AI

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:18:11 +0000

OpenAI’s Sora may be going away, but the real story isn’t about video — it’s about power, cost and what AI companies are prioritizing next.

You can install these wireless security cameras over half a mile away

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

First announced earlier this year at CES 2026, Xthings is planning to release two new long-range wireless security camera kits sometime in the second quarter of this year, with pricing ranging from $489.99 to $989.99 depending on the number and types of cameras included. The cameras will use the Wi-Fi HaLow (802.11ah) protocol to wirelessly transmit video at distances of up to 1,000 meters (over 0.6 miles) even with obstacles like buildings in the way, simplifying installation for large facilities and properties.

The Ulticam Long-Range Wireless AI Security Kit is the smaller of the two kits. It pairs four of the company's B25W outdoor camer …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Ring finally brings 4K video to its battery-powered doorbell camera

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:11:55 +0000

Ring has announced its first battery-powered 2K and 4K doorbell cameras. The Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro 2nd Gen ($249.99) offers 4K video resolution and 10x digital zoom, while the Battery Video Doorbell Plus 2nd Gen ($179.99) offers 2K video and 6x zoom. The Battery Video Doorbell 2nd Gen ($99.99) also has 2K but uses a built-in battery unlike the other two, which have removable batteries. The new doorbell cameras are now available for pre-order and will be released on April 29th.

The company also announced an upgrade to its Wired Video Doorbell 2nd Gen ($79.99), bringing 2K Video to its budget doorbell camera. All the models get the …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Apple Can ‘Distill’ Google’s Big Gemini Model

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:00:24 +0000

Before we get to today’s column, we wanted to flag OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s major reorg, the company’s new "Spud” model and its decision to shut down the Sora video app and application programming interface, which we scooped on Tuesday. (For what the company’s organizational structure looks like now after the changes, check out our updated OpenAI Org Chart.)

The latter decision seems in line with product chief Fidji Simo’s mandate to cut down on costly “side quests.” Sora was a major user of servers, and servers are in short supply. So RIP Sora, and thanks for making this one cat video.

On to today’s column…

Apple’s AI partnership with Google to help the iPhone maker improve its Siri AI assistant and other long-promised AI features is deeper than previously known.

While we have reported that Apple can tweak, or fine-tune, a version of Google’s Gemini AI so that it responds to queries the way Apple wants, the agreement gives Apple a lot more freedom with Google’s tech.

In fact, Apple has complete access to the Gemini model in its own data center facilities. Apple can use that access to produce smaller models that power specific tasks or are small enough to run directly on Apple devices so they can run the tasks faster, said a person who has direct knowledge of the arrangement.

The best deals we’ve found from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale (so far)

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:04:28 +0000

Amazon loves to manufacture an event. March is historically a dry spell for deals; however, with Amazon’s third annual Big Spring Sale, which starts today and runs through March 31st, the retail behemoth is hoping to lure in would-be shoppers with the promise of steep(ish) savings and discounts on more seasonal, spring-centric items to hold folks over until Prime Day surfaces at the onset of summer.

The bulk of the deals we’re seeing right now aren’t quite on par with Black Friday or Prime Day, and, as with most shopping events, not everything on sale is worth picking up. That said, Amazon’s latest sale is one of the first big opportunities we’ve seen this year to save — and bypass some tariff-induced pain — especially since some of our favorite gadgets are currently matching their lowest prices to date, including headphones, robot vacuums, and a slew of charging accessories.

To help you sift through it all, we’re focusing squarely on the gadgets that are actually worth picking up, many of which we’ve tested and recommend even at full price. You’re not limited to Amazon, either. Retailers like Best Buy and Walmart are offering the same deals in a lot of cases, meaning you don’t necessarily need to succumb to shopping at the so-called “Everything Store” just to save a buck (or 50).

Speaker deals Echo Dot Max The Echo Dot Max features a flat design and a redesigned sound system, which delivers nearly three times the bass as its predecessor. It also offers improved conversation detection and better noise filtering, thanks to Amazon’s new AZ3 chip. Read our review. Where to Buy:

Sonos Move 2 With double the battery life of its predecessor and better-sounding stereo audio, the Sonos Move 2’s improvements don’t stop there. It supports line-in audio, can stream Bluetooth audio to other Sonos speakers, and more. Read our review. Where to Buy:

The Amazon Echo Studio is on sale for $189.99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which matches its all-time low price. Like the smaller Echo Dot Max, the Echo Studio supports Alexa Plus and is compatible with Matter, Thread, and Zigbee so it can double as a smart home hub. Unlike the Dot Max, though, it supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, delivering fuller, room-filling sound. In our tests, it even sounded better than Apple’s second-gen HomePod. Read our review.
If you’re looking for a relatively affordable Bluetooth speaker, you can pick up Soundcore’s tiny Select 4 Go at Amazon for $22.99 ($3 shy of its best-ever price), from Best Buy for $24.99, and directly from Soundcore (with code WS24A31X1USC) for $23.99. The portable, IP67-rated waterproof and dustproof speaker can float in a pool and lasts up to 20 hours on a single charge. You can also charge it via USB-C or pair it with a second Go speaker for richer, stereo sound.

Ultimate Ears Miniroll The UE Miniroll is a funky, disc-shaped Bluetooth speaker that can get surprisingly loud — especially if you make use of its support for Auracast, which lets you pair it with other Miniroll speakers. It provides up to 12 hours of continuous playback, and thanks to its IP67 rating, it’s ready for your next pool session. Where to Buy:

Sonos Roam 2 The Sonos Roam 2 is a compact and travel-friendly Bluetooth speaker that easily syncs up with Sonos’ home audio ecosystem via Wi-Fi. While it looks much like the original, the Roam 2 has some small quality-of-life improvements, like a separate button for Bluetooth connections. Where to Buy:

Headphone and earbud deals Sonos Ace The Sonos Ace are the company’s first set of wireless headphones. They feature a premium, comfortable build and active noise cancellation, along with compatibility with Sonos Arc and other Sonos soundbars. Read our review. Where to Buy:

Beats Studio Pro The latest Beats Studio Pro feature improved noise cancellation, sound quality, and comfort. They also support lossless audio over USB-C, making them the first Apple headphones to do so. Plus, like other Beats headphones, they offer native support for a range of iOS and Android features. Read our review. Where to Buy:

The Beats Solo 4 are down to $119.99 ($80 off) at Amazon in several colors. This is the best price we’ve seen so far this year, though it’s nowhere near the best-ever price of $79 we saw during the holidays. These wireless headphones lack active noise cancellation, but they do support lossless playback over USB-C (or 3.5mm) for detailed, clear sound, along with spatial audio. They’re also platform-agnostic, and can last a whopping 50 hours on a single charge. Read our review.

AirPods Pro 3 The recently released AirPods Pro 3 have a new design that improves their fit, superior noise cancellation, better bass, and fairly accurate heart rate sensors. Read our review. Where to Buy:

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 Significantly smaller and lighter than their predecessors, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 also offer stronger noise cancellation, a crystal clear transparency mode, and lengthy battery life. Read our review. Where to Buy:

You can currently purchase Sony’s WH-1000XM5 for $298 ($100 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. Although we saw them drop to as low as $205 in recent months, that’s still one of the better deals we’ve seen on the over-ear headphones, which still offer terrific sound and great noise cancellation despite being a last-gen model. The newer XM6 improve on both fronts and feature a foldable design, but the XM5 remain a great investment when you can find them on sale. Read our review.
Sony’s WF-C510 are on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo for around $48 ($20 off), which is the best price we’ve seen. The IPX4-rated buds offer up 11 hours of playback, multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, and a helpful transparency mode, which is a nice perk given that most cheap pairs of closed-style earbuds skip out on the latter feature in an attempt to keep costs down.

Smart home deals Echo Show 8 (2025) The updated Echo Show 8 features an 8.7-inch display with 720p resolution, wider viewing angles, and higher contrast. It includes a 13-megapixel camera, new stereo speakers, and supports Alexa Plus, while doubling as a smart home hub with support for Zigbee, Matter, and Thread. Read our review. Where to Buy:

Echo Show 11 (2025) The Echo Show 11 features an 11-inch screen and 1080p resolution. It includes Alexa Plus and can be used as a smart home hub with support Thread, Matter, and Zigbee smart home protocols. Read our review. Where to Buy:

The Echo Spot is on sale for $49.99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which is $5 more than its best price to date. The tiny, Alexa-enabled gadget features a customizable 2.83-inch screen that can display a slew of info at a glance, such as the weather and various reminders, and it serves as a handy alarm clock for your bedside, should you need one. It also sounds surprisingly good for its size and lets you control compatible smart home devices with your voice, including your lights. Read our review.
The Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro X Sound by JBL is currently on sale at Amazon for $134.99 ($45 off), matching its best price to date. The color-changing smart lamp offers preset scenes to help you set the mood, but it also lets you create lighting effects. It’s a Bluetooth speaker as well, one that delivers decent sound and syncs with your lights. Plus, thanks to Matter support, it’ll work with all major smart home platforms, including Amazon Alexa. Read our review.

Govee’s Matter-compatible Table Lamp 2 is on sale for $55.99 ($24 off) at Amazon, nearly matching its best price to date. The colorful, desk-friendly RGB lamp offers adjustable lighting, the ability to sync with your music, and more than 60 preset scenes. You can also customize and create your own effects within Govee’s mobile app, or control the lights using touch, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant.
You can buy two Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim smart plugs on sale for $21.99 ($8 off) at Amazon, which is $2 shy of the bundle’s all-time low price. The basic plug lets you add smart features to traditional gadgets like fans and lamps, and it offers energy monitoring, so you can keep tabs on how much power you’re consuming — which is helpful if you’re trying to cut down on your electricity bill. It’s also compatible with Matter, meaning you can connect it to multiple smart home platforms for voice control.

Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip Kasa’s aptly titled Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip features six smart outlets with surge protection, each of which can be individually controlled via Amazon Alexa or Google Home. It also has three non-smart USB-A ports for powering phone chargers and other small devices. Where to Buy:

$79.99 $39.99 at Amazon

Deebot X8 Pro Omni The Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni features an extendable mop that can clean itself and 18,000Pa of suction power. It also comes with a multifunction dock that can refill the robovac using an integrated water tank and move dirty water into a separate waste tank to prevent it from dragging stains across your home. Where to Buy:

The newer Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni is also available from Amazon, Best Buy, and Ecovacs for $679 ($621 off), which is its best price to date. It’s very similar to the aforementioned X8 Pro Omni, but it’s able to capitalize on Ecovacs’ Boosted Large-Airflow Suction Technology, which can suck up dust and debris more easily for a more thorough clean.
The Dreame L10s Pro Ultra is on sale for around $349.98 ($50 off) at Amazon and directly from Dreame with coupon code L10PUXM. The robovac / mop hybrid offers a respectable 7,000Pa of suction along with an extendable mop that can reach closer to edges. Its self-cleaning dock washes the mop pads with hot water and dries them with hot air. Plus, it can empty its own dustbin, refill its own water tank, and even automatically dispense cleaning solution.

SwitchBot Bot If you’ve ever wished you had a robot that could push a button for you, that’s precisely what the SwitchBot Bot does. It’s simple, smart, and works on anything with a button. Stick it on the device you want to turn on or off, and you’re set. Where to Buy:

Nixplay Classic 10.1-inch HD Touch Screen photo frame Nixplay’s 10.1-inch digital picture frame lets you upload photos and videos through its Android and iOS app or via email. It also offers a touchscreen and auto-rotation, so images automatically adjust to either portrait or landscape orientation. Where to Buy:

$189.99 $119.97 at Amazon (Classic Black)

The Aura Carver Mat is on sale for $143 ($36 off) at Amazon, which is its best price of the year. The 10.1-inch digital picture frame features a 1280 x 800 HD display and lets you easily add photos and videos via the Aura app, which offers unlimited cloud storage and lets loved ones contribute images remotely. Unlike more feature-heavy frames like Nixplay’s, the Carver prioritizes simplicity and design, with a white inset mat that mimics the look of a more traditional matted frame.
The Lutron Diva Caseta is available for $99.95 ($25 off) on Amazon right now, which is $10 shy of its lowest price to date. The smart dimmer kit lets you add smart controls to your existing lights without requiring new bulbs. It includes a dimmer switch, a Pico remote, and a hub, allowing you to control lighting through the Lutron app, set schedules, or adjust brightness from anywhere. It’s also easy to install without a neutral wire and works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and other major smart home platforms.

Narwal Flow The Flow has one of the best roller mops we tested, and it offers top-notch vacuuming and excellent obstacle avoidance. It can also hook directly into your plumbing, and while a low mop lift and some navigation issues hold it back, it’s ideal for tackling hard floors like tile. Where to Buy:

Google Nest Thermostat Google’s Matter-compatible Nest Thermostat is a simple thermostat with a minimalist, mirrored-finish screen. It doesn’t automatically adjust to your habits, but it’s easy to install, controllable with your phone, and compatible with most HVAC systems. It also supports the new Matter standard, unlike the Nest Learning Thermostat. Read our review. Where to Buy:

Streaming and soundbar deals Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (second-gen) Amazon’s highest-end streaming stick supports Wi-Fi 6E and offers double the storage of its predecessor. It also displays widgets and artwork when idle, while continuing to offer a terrific selection of streaming apps. Plus, it runs on the new and improved Fire TV OS, which makes it easier to find something to watch. Where to Buy:

Sonos Beam (second-gen) The Sonos Beam (second-gen) is a compact soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos and can stream music from a plethora of services. Read our review. Where to Buy:

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is also on sale for $24.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which matches its lowest price to date. Like the 4K Max above, Amazon’s mid-tier streaming stick runs on the redesigned Fire TV OS and supports Dolby Atmos, but it offers only half the storage (8GB) and supports Wi-Fi 6 instead of Wi-Fi 6E.
The latest Amazon Fire TV Cube is also on sale for $99.99 ($40 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The fast streaming device supports Wi-Fi 6E along with Dolby Atmos and all the major HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, and features an HDMI input that lets you connect devices like a cable box or game console. It also pulls double duty as a decent sounding speaker with support for Amazon Alexa, so you can control smart home devices and even navigate the Fire TV interface with your voice. Read our review.

Fitness tracker and smartwatch deals Amazfit Active 2 The Amazfit Active 2 delivers outsized value for the price. It looks spiffy and has a wide array of health tracking features, plus built-in GPS and AI chatbots to provide extra context to your data. Read our review. Where to Buy:

Fitbit Charge 6 The Fitbit Charge 6 features a haptic side button, an improved heart rate algorithm, turn-by-turn navigation with Google Maps, and the ability to broadcast your heart rate on certain Bluetooth gym equipment. Read our review. Where to Buy:

The Fitbit Ace LTE is down to around $99.95 ($80 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, matching its best price to date. The fitness tracker is designed specifically for kids, with movement-based games that encourage physical activity. It also supports GPS location tracking, along with the ability to send messages and place calls to a limited number of contacts. However, keep in mind that a Fitbit Ace Pass subscription ($9.99 per month / $119.99 per year) is required for location tracking, messaging, and access to the Fitbit Arcade. Read our hands-on impressions.
The entry-level Fitbit Inspire 3 has returned to its all-time low of $69.95 ($30 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The basic fitness band nails the basics, providing heart rate, sleep, exercise, blood oxygen, and menstrual health tracking. It can also provide you with a sleep score every morning, along with tips for improving your sleep. You can also remove the Inspire 3 from its band and wear it as a necklace, which is less obtrusive but disables heart rate tracking. Read our hands-on impressions.

Apple Watch SE 3 Where to Buy:

Other Verge-approved deals Fanttik X9 Pro Portable Tire Inflator Whether you primarily drive a car, motorcycle, or a bicycle, the one thing in common with all three modes of transport is the need for a well-inflated tire. This rechargeable 150psi inflator might just save you from a flat (or from being dangerously close to one) when you least expect it. Where to Buy:

Hoto 3.6V Electric Screwdriver Kit Pro Hoto’s rechargeable screwdriver is ideal for small repairs. It offers three torque modes, a rotational speed of up to 220rpm, and a helpful circular LED for illuminating dark spaces. Meanwhile, the durable case holds all 25 steel bits and an extension bar for getting into hard-to-reach places. Where to Buy:

Insta360’s Antigravity A1 is available starting at $1,279 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Antigravity’s online storefront through April 16th for the “Standard” set, which includes Vision Goggles, a remote control, a battery, a carrying case, and four spare propellers. The 360-degree drone can shoot 8K video at 30 frames per second, with the goggles letting you see exactly what the drone sees while it’s flying, providing you with a first-person view. As of February, you can use the goggles to practice flying without sending the drone into the air. In April, additional software updates will add voice controls, timelapse photography, and fun virtual effects.
Google’s Pixel 10 is on sale starting at $549 ($250 off) at Amazon, which is its best price so far this year despite being $100 more than its all-time low. The phone is $599.99 at Best Buy. Compared to the recently released Pixel 10A, the 6.3-inch Pixel 10 offers a more advanced camera system that includes a telephoto lens, as well as support for Qi2 wireless charging with built-in magnets. It features a 120Hz display and runs on Google’s Tensor G5 processor while offering 12GB of RAM. The phone also offers additional AI features like Magic Cue, which can offer relevant suggestions depending on what you’re doing on your phone. Read our review.

Razer Wolverine V3 Pro Razer’s Wolverine V3 Pro is its first wireless controller for Xbox and PC. It features Hall effect sticks, mouse click-like hair triggers, swappable stick toppers, and six customizable buttons. Where to Buy:

Hoto PixelDrive Hoto’s latest electric screwdriver delivers an adjustable 6Nm of torque, along with a built-in pixelated display that lets you check the battery life and other info. Where to Buy:

$79.99 $59.99 at Amazon

The Hoto Mini Bike Tire Pump is on sale for $41.98 ($18 off) at Amazon, which matches its best price to date. The palm-sized device can quickly refill bike tires up to 150 PSI, inflating a 700×23C tire from flat to 80 PSI in about a minute. Powered by a 2,000mAh battery, it can inflate up to eight flat tires per charge, and it automatically shuts off once it reaches your preset pressure.

Lofree Flow84 The Lofree Flow84 is a sleek, low-profile mechanical keyboard with a 75 percent layout and hot-swappable switches. It offers a nice typing feel and great build quality, though its customizability options are limited. Where to Buy:

Apple AirTag (first-gen) Where to Buy:

Anker 621 Magnetic Battery (MagGo) Anker’s 621 Magnetic Battery is a slim, 5,000mAh charger that can attach magnetically to the back of any MagSafe-ready iPhone. Where to Buy:

$39.99 $29.99 at Amazon

The Anker Nano Charging Station is on sale for $33.99 ($16 off) at Amazon, matching its best price to date. The travel-friendly power strip can charge up to six devices via a pair of AC outlets, two USB-C ports, and two USB-A ports. It delivers up to 67W of power, which is enough to charge a laptop or keep multiple smaller devices topped off at once, while its flat design and 5-foot cord make it easy to use in small spaces.
The latest Tile Mate is on sale for around $19 ($6 off) at Amazon, which is $5 shy of its best price to date. The platform-agnostic Bluetooth tracker helps you keep tabs on valuables within a 350-foot range and offers an IP68 water resistance rating along with two days of location history for free. It can also send SOS alerts, though you’ll need the $14.99-per-month Life360 Gold subscription to use that feature.

Kindle Colorsoft Kids (2025) Like the standard model, Amazon’s kid-friendly Colorsoft comes with a seven-inch color display and waterproofing. The 16GB e-reader also offers parental controls, a two-year warranty, a protective cover, and a year of Amazon Kids Plus. Where to Buy:

PDP Riffmaster PDP’s Riffmaster is a wireless guitar accessory compatible with Rock Band 4 and Fortnite Festival. It has two sets of color-coded buttons you can press to hit notes as they appear on the screen, a built-in 3.5mm audio jack for connecting headphones, and an analog stick to help you easily navigate through each game’s menus. Where to Buy:

Black & Decker’s rechargeable Furbuster is currently on sale at Amazon for $84.99, $45 off its original list price. It’s a great handheld alternative that’s well-suited for picking up fur, dirt, and other unwanted debris, especially when you tack on the extra-long crevice tool or the included motorized pet brush.

Kindle Paperwhite (12th-gen) Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite — aka our favorite ebook reader — is waterproof, has a seven-inch display, and lasts weeks per charge. Read our review. Where to Buy:

Razer Kishi Ultra The Razer Kishi Ultra is a mobile gaming controller that works with Android and iOS devices, as well as PC and select iPad models. The versatile USB-C gamepad features Hall effect triggers, reprogrammable buttons, and haptic feedback, as well as support for passthrough charging. Where to Buy:

$149.99 $67.99 at Amazon

The DJI Osmo Mobile 7P gimbal stabilizer is on sale for around $99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Adorama, which is also its best price to date. The smartphone gimbal doubles as a selfie stick with a built-in tripod and telescoping arm. It can automatically follow you, adjust framing of your shots, and even start or stop recording with a wave of your hand. You can also pair it with one of DJI’s wireless mics, making it a handy tool for vlogging or filming on the go.
The Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker (6-Quart) is on sale for $99.99 ($40 off) at Amazon, which is $40 more than its all-time low but still the best price we’ve seen in months. The versatile multicooker can pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, and more, and the six-quart capacity is large enough for family meals or to do a ton of meal prep. It also offers 15 one-touch cooking programs and an easy-to-read display that shows cooking time, temperature, and pressure.

Xbox Wireless Controller The official Xbox Wireless Controller has a dedicated share button for saving clips and screenshots and sharing them online, Bluetooth support, and a USB-C port for charging up Microsoft’s play-and-charge rechargeable battery. Where to Buy:

$64.99 $44.99 at Amazon (with USB-C cable)

Carrera Smart Glasses with Alexa Amazon’s smart glasses let you play music, make hands-free calls, and use the Alexa voice assistant on the go. They don’t sound as good as the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and Alexa can be a bit hit-or-miss, but they still look stylish and at least offer solid call quality. Read our review. Where to Buy:

$389.99 $149.99 at Amazon

The Keurig K-Express coffee maker is on sale for $69.99 ($40 off) at Amazon, which is $20 shy of its all-time low. The small, single-serve brewer uses K-Cup pods and makes 8-, 10-, or 12-ounce drinks at the press of a button, with a “Strong Brew” option available if needed. It also features a removable 42-ounce reservoir that holds up to four cups, along with a removable drip tray that fits most travel mugs.
The 20-ounce Yeti Rambler is on sale for $30.40 (about $8 off) directly from Yeti, which matches the best price we’ve seen on the handy Verge favorite. Made from durable, kitchen-grade stainless steel, it uses double-wall vacuum insulation to keep drinks hot or cold for hours. It’s also dishwasher-safe, features a leak-resistant lip, and sports a slim design that should fit most cupholders.

Bird Buddy Pro (solar) Bird Buddy’s charming, camera-equipped feeder identifies and snaps shots of each bird that stops by, supplementing its 5-megapixel stills with insightful facts via an app. Where to Buy:

ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover The ChomChom is a reusable roller that works great for removing unwanted pet hair from furniture, allowing you to skip lint rollers, vacuuming, and other cleaning tools in a pinch. Where to Buy:

Grownsy Baby Nasal Aspirator The Grownsy snot sucker comes with three interchangeable soft tips for a good fit and provides three levels of suction. Your kid might still hate it, but at least one of you will have an easier time with it. Where to Buy:

$49.99 $33.99 at Amazon

Amazon, Perplexity and OpenAI Compete to Own the First Click in Healthcare

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:00:44 +0000

Amazon expanded its Health AI agent from the One Medical app to Amazon.com and the Amazon mobile app, and Perplexity launched Perplexity Health, a suite of personal health data connectors.

The same week, lab testing company Function announced a connector that lets its members pipe lab results and clinician-reviewed summaries directly into Perplexity Health.

Those moves follow OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health and Microsoft’s Copilot Health on March 12, bringing the number of major AI platforms with dedicated consumer health products to five in under three months.

In the U.S., 3 in 5 adults used AI tools for health purposes in the past three months. About 70% of AI health conversations occur outside clinic hours, and roughly 1.6 million to 1.9 million messages per week on ChatGPT focus on health insurance questions, according to PYMNTS coverage. The platforms responding to that demand are not building the same product. They are building different layers of the same stack.

Vertical Stack: Amazon Owns the Full Care Workflow

Amazon builds vertically. Its Health AI agent does not hand users off to another system. It handles the question, the appointment, the prescription and the specialist referral inside one product, connected to one provider network.

Health AI answers health questions, explains lab results and medical records, manages prescription renewals and connects users to One Medical providers through message, video or face-to-face visits. The system runs on Amazon Bedrock as a multi-agent architecture: A core agent handles patient communication, sub-agents oversee specific tasks, auditor agents review conversations in real time, and sentinel agents escalate to human providers when needed.

Prescriptions are routed to Amazon Pharmacy or any pharmacy of the user’s choice. One Medical maintains clinical partnerships with Rush University System for Health and Cleveland Clinic for specialist referrals, with Health AI routing patients across those networks.

Horizontal Stack: Perplexity Aggregates Any Source

Perplexity builds horizontally. Perplexity Health does not tie users to a specific provider network. It pulls data from across fragmented health data and surfaces answers from it all at once.

Perplexity Health launches with connectors for Apple Health, electronic health records from more than 1.7 million care providers, and wearable platforms including Fitbit, Ultrahuman and Withings.

A question about resting heart rate draws on that user’s cardiac history, recent bloodwork, and activity logs. Answers draw from clinical guidelines and peer-reviewed journals, with each response connected directly to source material.

Health data is encrypted in transit and at rest, is not used to train AI models and is not sold to third parties. The product is available to Pro and Max subscribers in the U.S. on iOS and at perplexity.ai/health.

Function is a company that provides lab testing and clinician-reviewed biomarker insights. It announced a partnership with Perplexity Health to integrate this data into the AI system, with CEO Jonathan Swerdlin noting, “AI is most powerful when it’s personal,” as the collaboration helps turn fragmented health data into useful insights.

OpenAI and the Scale of the Shift

OpenAI established the category in January with ChatGPT Health as reported by PYMNTS. The usage numbers behind the launch explain the competitive urgency. More than 230 million people globally ask health and wellness questions on ChatGPT every week, according to TechCrunch.

Among U.S. adults who used AI for health in the past three months, 55% used it to check symptoms, 48% to understand medical terms and 44% to learn about treatment options, according to OpenAI.

As PYMNTS covered, AI agents in healthcare are moving from pilots to live deployments across patient engagement, care coordination, clinical documentation and chronic care management.

Amazon operates a vertically integrated model, combining its AI, provider network, pharmacy and billing into a single system. Perplexity takes a horizontal approach, offering one interface that sits across providers, wearables and labs. While OpenAI brings the largest distribution channel, with 230 million weekly health users and a multiyear lead in clinical model development. Each approach is distinct, but together they point to a consumer healthcare system where AI becomes the first point of interaction before any clinician is involved.

For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter.

The post Amazon, Perplexity and OpenAI Compete to Own the First Click in Healthcare appeared first on PYMNTS.com.

Ring launches battery-powered versions of its 2K and 4K video doorbells starting at $99

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Ring has updated all of its battery-powered doorbells with a new design as well as 4K and 2K cameras. Here's a look at all of the new models.

Prime Video just added a new action-thriller movie with one of 2026’s most chaotic fight scenes — and it takes cues from ‘John Wick’

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:12:06 +0000

Prime Video's new action-thriller, "Pretty Lethal," is now streaming, and it features a troupe of ballet dancers kicking some butt in lace tutus.

Amex Makes Its Biggest Commercial Bet in Years With ‘Business Membership’

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:00:51 +0000

Watch more: Need to Know With American Express’ Raymond Joabar

The corporate card has been a remarkably stable product for decades. It processes, tracks and reconciles. It earns points. It carries a limit. And for most of its history, that was enough.

American Express helped build that category. Now it’s arguing the category itself needs to change.

This week, Amex announced what Raymond Joabar, group president of Global Commercial Services (GCS), called the company’s most significant commercial product expansion in years: a unified suite of tools it is calling “business membership.”

The platform is designed to bundle payments, working capital solutions, expense management software, and artificial intelligence into a single system. One built specifically for the mid-market businesses Joabar says have been underserved by both ends of the market.

In a conversation with PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster, Joabar made the case for why this moment, and why Amex.

“What customers want is one platform to consume all of those products and services that we can offer to them. It is more than just a transaction or expense management. It is how [they’re] managing the cash flow of [the business].”

The End of the Standalone Card

The backdrop to Amex’s announcement is a broader shift playing out across business finance. The lines that once separated banks, FinTech companies, and enterprise software providers are blurring. Each is pushing toward a model that combines financial infrastructure with user-facing applications and, increasingly, intelligent automation. The question for any company that built its business on a single product, the card, is what role that product plays in the new model.

Joabar’s answer is that the card doesn’t go away. It becomes an entry point.

In the “business membership” model, the card is the mechanism through which a business joins the platform. What it unlocks is a system that handles expense management, working capital flexibility, automated workflows, and AI-driven financial intelligence. Everything that he says surrounds the transaction, not just the transaction itself. Focused primarily at middle market firms.

“As companies grow from small into mid-size, their needs fundamentally change,” Joabar told Webster. “Expense management, expense control, expense processing becomes a lot more of a thing.”

That evolution, he argues, is exactly what the new platform is designed to serve.

The Working Capital Thread

Joabar’s argument for why Amex is equipped to build this starts with a specific piece of the company’s history. Its approach to working capital.

“Working capital is the lifeblood of how businesses run.”

For decades, Amex’s commercial products have been built around dynamic credit that move with a company’s real activity rather than hard ceilings that create friction at the moments businesses can least afford it. Its no-preset-spending-limit structure was a product expression of that philosophy. The idea that a business’s credit capacity should reflect what it actually does, not a fixed number assigned at the outset.

The “business membership” platform extends that logic further. Joabar described “pay over time” options that let businesses manage the gap between when money goes out and when it comes back in. A timing problem that is, for many mid-market companies, the defining financial challenge of running the business.

“Businesses may have large inventory purchases every once in a while. They need the spending capacity, but also may want payment flexibility to pay over time when they need to.”

Joabar makes it clear that Amex is leaning into working capital as the through line that connects its history to its current ambitions in the middle market.

The Business Graphite Card

The most tangible piece of the launch is the Business Graphite card, a new product aimed at high-spend companies with lean teams. It offers 2% unlimited cash back alongside pay-over-time flexibility, a combination Joabar positions as purpose-built for companies that move significant capital but lack a dedicated finance function to manage it.

For a company making irregular but substantial purchases such as inventory, equipment or seasonal stock, the pitch is both earning on spend and controlling when that spend settles. Joabar framed it as two distinct needs that often travel together in the mid-market, and that most card products address separately if at all.

But the card, he was careful to note, is the on-ramp. The destination is the platform.

Where AI Actually Fits

Talk of AI in financial services tends to run ahead of the reality. Joabar’s framing described AI as an evolving capability rather than a fully mature one, and pointed to automation of the mundane as its most immediate value.

“The suite of products and services, what we’ll call business membership, is really the wrapping of new products along with intelligence software and AI tools all wrapped together.”

The example he gave was expense classification. When an employee takes an Uber, the system automatically tags it as transportation. No manual entry. No category lookup. At the level of a single transaction, it’s a small thing. Scaled across hundreds of employees and thousands of monthly transactions, Joabar argues it changes the administrative calculus meaningfully.

Amex’s structural case for why it can build these tools rests on its dual position as both card issuer and payment network. That gives it visibility into both sides of every transaction. A dataset that, Joabar says, is not easily replicated by competitors who sit on only one side.

“We have rich, rich sources of data from good economies, bad economies. We can train those models to help extend more credit as well as help automate those things as technology advances.”

Who Amex Says It’s Building This For

The target customer Joabar described is not a large enterprise with a treasury department. It’s not a two-person startup either. It’s the company in the middle. Grown complex enough that simple tools no longer work, but not yet resourced to build or buy the infrastructure it actually needs.

He put a face on the problem with a specific example: a 90-employee company in Salt Lake City, 60 of whose staff carried corporate cards. The issue wasn’t access to credit. The company had cards. The issue was everything that came with managing them. The manual categorization, delayed reconciliation, administrative overhead that consumed time nobody had budgeted for.

“The friction is real,” Webster noted during the conversation. “And it compounds.”

That’s the gap “business membership” is positioned to close, as Joabar describes it. The mid-market is a segment that has attracted a lot of attention from a lot of directions. Amex is betting its combination of brand, data and working capital heritage gives it an edge in actually winning it.

The post Amex Makes Its Biggest Commercial Bet in Years With ‘Business Membership’ appeared first on PYMNTS.com.

Best Prime Video top 10 shows — here’s the top 3 series to binge-watch this week (March 25-31)

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:11:35 +0000

Our weekly guide on the three standout shows currently dominating Prime Video’s top 10 list, including the new season of a compelling crime comedy.

Google rolls out new Gemini tools across Google TV

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:05:07 +0000

Google has introduced three new Gemini-powered features for Google TV, enhancing user engagement with real-time sports updates, detailed topic explorations, and narrated content. These updates aim to streamline the viewing experience and provide tailored information to users.

The new capabilities include AI-driven visual responses, which deliver live scorecards and viewing information for sports games, allowing users to easily track events like the NBA and NHL. Users can inquire about various topics, such as health or economics, and receive narrated visual breakdowns through a “deep dive” feature. This interactive function was highlighted at CES 2026, enabling users to delve into subjects by selecting “Dive deeper” in response options or navigating to the Gemini tab.

https://storage.googleapis.com/gweb-uniblog-publish-prod/original_videos/Gemini1.5_sports_1080p_SHELL_2_1.mp4

Video: Google

Gemini also now offers “sports briefs,” allowing fans to stay updated on their favorite leagues without watching every moment live. This feature provides timely narrated overviews, a step following the earlier launch of “news briefs” aimed at delivering the latest headlines.

These updates are currently being rolled out in the U.S. and Canada, with plans to expand into Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. by spring 2026, further increasing Gemini’s reach and functionality. Initially launched in September 2025 on select TCL televisions, Gemini has since been integrated into more hardware, featuring enhancements like natural language settings adjustments and voice search for Google Photos.

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OpenAI shuts down Sora video generator 6 months after launch

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:52:08 +0000

OpenAI announced the shutdown of Sora, a TikTok-like social app, six months after its launch without providing reasons or a timeline for its discontinuation. The app, which debuted as an invite-only platform, initially attracted considerable interest but failed to sustain user engagement, drawing comparisons to Meta’s Horizon Worlds.

We’re saying goodbye to Sora. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you. What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing.

We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on…

— Sora (@soraofficialapp) March 24, 2026

Upon its release, Sora generated excitement as an AI-first social network that mimicked the popular vertical video format. Its primary feature allowed users to create hyper-realistic deepfakes of themselves, initially branded as “cameos” before a legal dispute forced OpenAI to rename it to “characters.” Critics raised concerns about the implications of deepfake technology, particularly regarding the unauthorized depiction of public figures, including civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., and actor Robin Williams. The families of these figures publicly expressed their disapproval of such content.

The user base eventually shifted focus towards creating content with copyrighted characters, leading to significant potential legal risks for OpenAI. Notably, Disney chose to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and agreed to a licensing deal for characters instead of pursuing litigation. However, the anticipated collaboration never materialized, as Sora’s operations collapsed before any funds exchanged hands.

At its peak in November, Sora registered approximately 3.3 million downloads but fell to around 1.1 million by February, despite generating approximately $2.1 million from in-app purchases. The decline in downloads reflected a wider issue of user retention and the app’s potential liabilities, prompting OpenAI to end the project.

The technology behind Sora, branded Sora 2, remains accessible via the ChatGPT paywall, suggesting that OpenAI may explore its applications in future initiatives. The closure of Sora highlights the volatile nature of social media apps reliant on emerging technology, indicating a possible resurgence of similar platforms in the future.

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Earned Wage Access Is Reshaping How Employers Keep Staff

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:03:31 +0000

Watch more: Need to Know With Green Dot’s Crystal Bryant-Minter

Earned wage access is gaining ground as employees recalibrate what timely pay should look like in an economy defined by immediacy. The traditional pay cycle, once accepted as a fixed cadence, is increasingly out of step with how workers manage their financial lives.

“Pay speed has shifted from a ‘nice-to-have’ kind of expectation to an expected one,” Crystal Bryant-Minter, general manager of employer solutions at Green Dot, told PYMNTS in an interview.

That change reflects broader behavioral norms. Workers operate in an environment where transactions settle quickly and services respond without delay. Pay, by contrast, has remained anchored to legacy systems. As Bryant-Minter observed, employees now expect wages to arrive with the same flexibility seen elsewhere in daily financial life.

Speed as a Workforce Lever

The shift has elevated speed from a technical capability to a strategic tool. Rather than being treated as a payroll enhancement, faster access to wages is being used to shape employee sentiment and workforce stability.

“Speed is no longer just a payroll feature … It’s an employee experience lever that employers can use,” Bryant-Minter said.

The implications extend into retention and engagement. Employers that allow workers to access wages when needed reduce financial strain and create a more predictable relationship between effort and compensation. In Bryant-Minter’s framing, this changes how employees evaluate their employer, particularly in a labor market where expectations around flexibility and responsiveness continue to rise.

She described earned wage access as a “practical workforce strategy,” tied to metrics such as attendance, scheduling consistency and attrition rather than positioned as a peripheral benefit.

Choice Shapes the Payment Experience

Speed alone does not define the experience. Workers increasingly expect control over how wages are delivered, mirroring the flexibility they encounter in commerce and banking.

“Giving those options means giving your employees choice … around timing, method and access,” Bryant-Minter observed.

That expectation introduces a more nuanced design challenge for employers. Payment systems must support different preferences without adding friction. Employees do not want to navigate separate tools or workflows to retrieve wages; they expect those capabilities to sit inside existing payroll environments and function with minimal effort.

The same flexibility also carries implications for financial inclusion. Employers must account for workers who operate outside traditional banking channels, as well as those who prefer direct deposit or alternative forms of access. In practice, this requires a broader set of delivery options embedded within a unified system.

Balancing Speed With Operational Reality

Although faster payments are central to earned wage access, Bryant-Minter cautioned against treating immediacy as a default setting.

Instead, employers must align payment timing with both employee demand and operational constraints. Liquidity considerations, cost controls and system capacity all influence how programs are structured. The objective is not to maximize speed in every instance, but to deploy it where it delivers clear value.

That approach also depends on reliability. Faster delivery raises expectations, and any inconsistency can undermine trust. Employers must ensure that infrastructure can support both accelerated payments and consistent execution, particularly when multiple payment rails are involved.

Integration Defines Execution

The operational burden of earned wage access falls across several functions, requiring coordination that many organizations have not historically needed to maintain.

Faster pay compresses timelines and heightens the consequences of errors, making governance and system integrity more critical. Employers must establish clear rules and maintain consistent oversight across departments, while also adapting to an evolving regulatory landscape, she told PYMNTS.

Integration remains a central concern. Many organizations hesitate to adopt earned wage access because of the perceived risk of disrupting payroll operations. Bryant-Minter noted that successful implementations must be “low lift and payroll friendly,” with direct integration into existing systems rather than layered add-ons.

Earned wage access is reshaping payroll into a more adaptive service, one that reflects how employees already interact with money in other parts of their lives.

“The goal here is really to meet your employees where they are … across all their banking realities,” Bryant-Minter said.

The post Earned Wage Access Is Reshaping How Employers Keep Staff appeared first on PYMNTS.com.

Prime Video's new comedy-drama with Riz Ahmed is a rollercoaster ride that you won’t want to miss

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Riz Ahmed's new Prime Video show "Bait" has arrived — here's why the Oscar-winning actor's six-part dramedy belongs on your watchlist.

5 best Prime Video movies to stream now before they leave in March 2026

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:05:00 +0000

Our guide on the five best Prime Video movies to watch now before they leave at the end of March 2026.