News/Retail
Putting the AI in Chai: India’s first cooking robot sees 243% sales boost after TV debut
Upliance.ai has launched India's first AI-powered smart cooking assistant, a robotic appliance that can chop, stir, knead, blend, and heat ingredients with minimal human intervention. The device, which sells for approximately $319, gained significant traction after appearing on Shark Tank India in 2024, leading to a 243% increase in sales for the Mumbai-based startup. How it works: The Upliance device combines a robotic cooking pot with AI-powered software to automate nearly the entire cooking process. The system includes a tablet with over 500 recipes and customization options, along with kitchen tools like measuring spoons, a spatula, and a scale for...
read Aug 1, 2025Delta’s AI-based personalized ticket pricing grounded after Senate pressure
Delta Air Lines assured U.S. lawmakers on Friday that it will not use artificial intelligence to set personalized ticket prices for individual passengers, following sharp criticism from Democratic senators who feared the technology would exploit consumers. The airline's commitment comes as the aviation industry faces growing scrutiny over AI-driven pricing strategies that could potentially charge customers based on their willingness to pay. What you should know: Delta explicitly denied plans to use personal data for individualized pricing in a letter to concerned senators.• "There is no fare product Delta has ever used, is testing or plans to use that targets...
read Aug 1, 2025AI’s hungry self-checkout: Energy demands drive rising grocery prices
AI disruption is no longer confined to corporate boardrooms or tech companies—its ripple effects are now touching every aspect of daily life, including the rising cost of basic groceries like eggs. Data professional Christina Sandema-Sombe reveals how artificial intelligence's transformation of global business, workforce dynamics, and supply chains creates unexpected connections between high-tech automation and breakfast table economics. The big picture: AI is fundamentally reshaping global business operations by disrupting traditional outsourcing models, fragmenting regulatory landscapes, and forcing countries to choose between innovation leadership or economic irrelevance. Countries like India, Brazil, and Singapore are positioning themselves as AI innovation hubs...
read Jul 30, 2025Retail replication: Nestlé builds 4,000 AI digital twins for 30% faster marketing content
NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Accenture Song are collaborating with Nestlé to deploy AI-powered digital twins for large-scale marketing content creation, using virtual 3D replicas of products to generate personalized campaigns without constant reshooting. This partnership positions Nestlé at the forefront of retail's digital transformation, where AI marketing revenue is projected to reach $47 billion this year and brands using digital twins report 30% faster content production cycles. What you should know: Nestlé has built a library of 4,000 3D digital products and plans to convert 10,000 products into digital twins within two years. More than 250 Nestlé global digital specialists are...
read Jul 29, 2025User reviews spring (roll) to life as Yelp launches AI-generated restaurant videos using submitted pics
Yelp has launched AI-generated videos that automatically compile user-posted photos and videos into short promotional content about restaurants and businesses. The feature, now available nationwide on Yelp's iOS app, uses multiple AI tools to create scripted voiceovers and captions that tell compelling stories based on user reviews, representing a significant shift toward automated content creation in local business discovery. How it works: Yelp combines several AI technologies to create finished videos from user-generated content. OpenAI's large language models write text descriptions and narrator scripts, organize story topics, and handle proofreading tasks. ElevenLabs generates the AI narrator's voice, while Amazon Transcribe...
read Jul 28, 2025Oops, Hertz’s AI scanner wrongly charges customers for phantom car damage
Hertz's AI-powered damage detection system, UVeye, is creating widespread customer complaints and billing disputes after flagging nonexistent damage on rental cars. The system, deployed at airport locations since April 2024, is charging customers hundreds of dollars for phantom damage while offering no clear appeals process, highlighting broader concerns about automated decision-making replacing human judgment. What you should know: UVeye's AI scanning technology frequently misidentifies normal wear, dirt, or reflections as vehicle damage, leading to unjustified charges. One Houston customer was flagged for apparent damage that wasn't visible upon inspection, with Hertz employees unable to help and pointing to the "AI...
read Jul 28, 2025Alibaba enters smart glasses market with AI-powered Quark eyewear launching end of 2025
Alibaba unveiled Quark AI Glasses on Monday, marking the Chinese e-commerce giant's first entry into the smart glasses market as a direct competitor to Meta's Ray-Ban collaboration. The AI-powered wearables, set to launch in China by the end of 2025, represent Alibaba's strategic push into hardware distribution for its Quark AI assistant, positioning the company to compete in what many tech leaders view as the next frontier of computing beyond smartphones. What you should know: The Quark AI Glasses will be powered by Alibaba's Qwen large language model and feature the company's advanced AI assistant called Quark. The glasses will...
read Jul 25, 2025Walmart consolidates dozens of AI tools into 4 “super agents”
Walmart is consolidating dozens of fragmented AI tools into four comprehensive "super agents" designed to streamline user interactions and drive e-commerce growth. The world's largest retailer aims to simplify its AI ecosystem while pursuing its goal of increasing online sales to 50% of total revenue within five years, up from current levels of its $648 billion in annual sales. What you should know: The four super agents will serve distinct user groups with unified interfaces replacing the current maze of specialized AI tools. Sparky, the customer-facing agent already available on Walmart's app, will help shoppers reorder items, plan events, and...
read Jul 24, 2025Forget the dressing room, Google adds AI-generated clothing images and virtual try-on to shopping search
Google is launching two new AI-powered shopping features this fall: an AI Mode that generates synthetic clothing and decor images to help users find real products, and a virtual try-on tool that shows how clothes look on users' uploaded photos. These features represent Google's push to inject more generative AI into its Search shopping experience, potentially offering a more personalized and visually-driven approach to online retail discovery. What you should know: The AI Mode shopping feature will create synthetic images based on user descriptions to guide product recommendations more effectively than text-based searches alone.• Users searching for "a green flowy...
read Jul 23, 2025Samsung’s 43-inch AI smart monitor drops to $400 with 4K and gaming hub
Samsung has launched its most affordable large-screen smart monitor yet, offering the 43-inch M7 Smart Monitor (M70F) at $399.99, marking its first significant discount since the June release. This $100 price reduction makes the AI-powered 4K display the largest and most budget-friendly option in Samsung's 2025 Smart Monitor lineup, potentially attracting consumers seeking premium features without the flagship price tag. What you should know: The M7 Smart Monitor combines traditional display functionality with smart TV capabilities and AI-powered enhancements. The 43-inch 4K model regularly retails for $500 but is now available for $399.99 at both Samsung and Amazon, representing the...
read Jul 22, 2025CMF Watch 3 Pro brings AI coaching and 13-day battery for $99
Nothing's CMF sub-brand has launched the Watch 3 Pro, a $99 smartwatch that includes AI-powered fitness coaching, dual-band GPS, and up to 13 days of battery life. The device represents a significant upgrade from its $69 predecessor, positioning CMF to compete more aggressively in the budget smartwatch market dominated by brands like Amazfit and Xiaomi. Key features: The Watch 3 Pro focuses heavily on health and fitness tracking with several notable improvements over previous models. The device includes 131 different sport modes and features an AI coach that provides post-workout summaries and guidance for improvement, with particular emphasis on running...
read Jul 21, 2025Apple Intelligence fixes Wallet order tracking by scanning emails
Apple is upgrading Wallet's long-neglected order tracking feature in iOS 26 by using Apple Intelligence to automatically extract shipping details from confirmation emails. The AI-powered enhancement promises to finally make Wallet a viable hub for tracking online purchases, addressing years of limited merchant adoption that has kept the feature largely unused. What you should know: The new system works by analyzing emails from merchants and delivery carriers to automatically populate order information in the Wallet app. Apple Intelligence scans confirmation emails to identify and summarize order tracking details across all purchases, providing full order details and progress notifications in one...
read Jul 17, 2025Delta Air Lines uses AI to assess customer habits, willingness to pay in new pricing scheme
Delta Air Lines has become the first airline to use AI-powered personalized pricing, with about 3% of domestic flights sold through the system over the past six months. The airline plans to expand this to 20% of tickets by year-end, with executives reporting "amazingly favorable results" that could signal the end of standardized flight pricing across the industry. What you should know: Delta's AI pricing system charges different customers varying amounts for identical flights based on their personal data profiles. President Glen William Hauenstein confirmed the pilot program's success on last week's earnings call, stating "We like what we see....
read Jul 16, 2025Let $17 AI headshots replace the $300 photography sesh
ResumePhoto AI has launched a premium package offering professional headshots generated by artificial intelligence for $16.97, down from its regular $29 price. The service allows users to create LinkedIn-ready professional portraits without hiring a photographer, targeting professionals who need quality headshots for networking, interviews, and social media profiles. How it works: Users upload at least eight casual selfies with good lighting, and the AI generates dozens of high-resolution professional headshots within five minutes. The platform offers various realistic outfits ranging from suits to sweaters and backdrops from offices to parks to suit different industries. All uploaded photos are automatically deleted...
read Jul 15, 2025$159 AI voice recorder transforms note-taking with GPT-4o transcription
Jack Wallen, a contributing writer at ZDNET, has reviewed the Plaud Note, a $159 AI-powered voice recorder that combines hardware and software to transcribe and summarize voice recordings. The device transforms traditional voice note-taking by automatically syncing recordings to a mobile app that uses GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet to generate transcriptions and AI-powered summaries, though these features require a separate paid subscription. What you should know: The Plaud Note is a credit card-sized recording device that offers one-press recording with advanced AI capabilities for transcription and summarization. The device costs $159 and works with both Android and iOS apps,...
read Jul 15, 2025Mattel partners with OpenAI to bring AI-powered toys to children amid safety concerns
Mattel, the toymaker behind Barbie and Hot Wheels, has partnered with OpenAI to integrate AI capabilities into its children's products. The collaboration will also see Mattel implement OpenAI's tools, including ChatGPT Enterprise, across its business operations to enhance product development and drive innovation, with the first AI-powered toy expected to be announced later this year. What you should know: The partnership spans both physical products and digital experiences, though specific details remain undisclosed. Josh Silverman, Mattel's chief franchise officer, said the collaboration will "enable us to leverage new technologies to solidify our leadership in innovation and reimagine new forms of...
read Jul 14, 2025That’s chicken “pops,” not “pox.” Indian restaurant’s AI menu makes gnarly error.
A restaurant in India accidentally used AI to describe "Chicken Pops" as a childhood disease with "small, itchy, blister-like bumps," confusing the appetizer name with chicken pox symptoms. The embarrassing mistake highlights how AI-generated menu descriptions can go spectacularly wrong when algorithms misinterpret dish names, potentially affecting customer perceptions and ordering decisions. What happened: Royal Roll Express restaurant in Sikar, Rajasthan, displayed a grotesque menu description on Zomato, a food delivery platform, that described their "Chicken Pops" appetizer as "small, itchy, blister-like bumps caused by the varicella-zoster virus" and noted it was "common in childhood." The likely culprit: Food delivery...
read Jul 14, 2025Amazon’s Prime Day 2025 hits record $24.1B in sales over 4 days. AI chatbots helped.
Amazon's Prime Day 2025 generated a record $24.1 billion in online sales during its expanded four-day window (July 8-11), marking a 30.3% increase from last year's two-day event. The extended sale period, combined with attractive discounts and back-to-school shopping demand, drove summer online spending to unprecedented levels while showcasing the growing influence of AI tools and mobile commerce on consumer behavior. What you should know: The four-day Prime Day window significantly outperformed previous years and seasonal shopping events. Total spending of $24.1 billion represents more than double the combined sales from last year's two Black Fridays ($10.8 billion) The 30.3%...
read Jul 14, 202524% of consumers – and 32% of Gen Z – now comfortable with AI agents making purchases
AI agents are fundamentally changing how purchasing decisions are made, threatening traditional brand loyalty and marketing strategies as machines increasingly shop on behalf of humans. According to Salesforce research, 24% of consumers are already comfortable with agents making purchases for them, rising to 32% among Gen Z, signaling a shift toward algorithm-driven buying decisions that prioritize data over emotional connections. The big picture: Unlike human shoppers who respond to emotional appeals and brand storytelling, AI agents evaluate purchases through structured data, price comparisons, feature lists, and review scores rather than lifestyle aspirations or brand loyalty. What's driving this change: Research...
read Jul 11, 2025Last chance! Anker’s eufy S350 dual-camera security system drops to $85 for Prime Day
Anker's eufy S350 Security Indoor Cam is currently available for $84.99 during Amazon's Prime Day sale, marking a significant discount from its usual $130-$140 price point. The camera features dual 4K and 2K cameras with 8x hybrid zoom, 360-degree pan and tilt capabilities, and AI tracking technology, making it particularly suitable for monitoring children and pets. What you should know: The S350 stands out from competitors by incorporating both a 4K wide-angle and 2K telephoto camera system that work together to deliver enhanced zoom capabilities. The dual-camera setup provides 8x hybrid zoom functionality, offering superior detail compared to single-camera security...
read Jul 11, 2025Impatient users sideload Gemini onto Wear OS watches ahead of official rollout
Google is preparing to replace its Assistant with the more advanced Gemini AI across Wear OS smartwatches, but impatient users aren't waiting for the official rollout. Instead, they're taking matters into their own hands by sideloading Gemini directly onto their devices—a technical workaround that bypasses Google's staged deployment. This development comes as Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8 series becomes the first consumer smartwatches to ship with Gemini pre-installed. While Google has confirmed that Gemini will eventually reach all Wear OS devices running version 4 or later, including its own Pixel Watch models, no specific timeline has been announced for the broader...
read Jul 11, 2025Not missing a thing: Hertz’s AI scanners catch 5X more car damage, surprising customers
Hertz has deployed AI-powered vehicle scanning technology at six U.S. airports to automatically detect damage on rental cars, using thousands of high-resolution images to identify even minor scratches and dents. The system, developed by UVeye, is catching damage that manual inspections miss and billing customers for repairs they may not have noticed, leading to unexpected charges and customer complaints. How it works: The UVeye scanning system captures thousands of high-resolution images from all angles as vehicles pass through rental lot gates during pickup and return. Artificial intelligence compares the images and flags any discrepancies between the vehicle's condition at pickup...
read Jul 9, 2025AI shopping platforms eye e-commerce with seamless checkout and fulfillment
Forrester Principal Analyst Nikhil Lai predicts that generative AI platforms like Google's AI Mode, ChatGPT, and Perplexity will fundamentally transform how consumers shop, potentially becoming full-funnel purchase destinations if they integrate seamless checkout and fulfillment capabilities. This shift is reinvigorating the search engine optimization market, as businesses scramble to adapt their strategies for AI-integrated search environments that could reshape traffic patterns and media spending priorities. What you should know: Consumer behavior strongly suggests AI shopping platforms will gain traction if they can match the convenience of existing e-commerce leaders. Thirty-eight percent of US online adults check delivery speed before ordering,...
read Jul 9, 2025Hugging Face launches $299 desktop robot to democratize AI development
Hugging Face has launched Reachy Mini, a $299 desktop robot designed to democratize AI-powered robotics development for its 10 million platform users. The 11-inch humanoid companion represents the company's boldest hardware expansion since acquiring French robotics startup Pollen Robotics in April, directly challenging the industry's traditional high-cost, closed-source model with radical transparency and affordability. What you should know: Reachy Mini packs sophisticated AI capabilities into an affordable desktop form factor that integrates natively with Hugging Face's development ecosystem. The robot features six degrees of freedom in its moving head, full body rotation, animated antennas, wide-angle camera, multiple microphones, and a...
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