Topic: consumer convenience
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DoorDash's Zesty App Uses AI to Find New Restaurants
DoorDash has launched a new AI-powered social discovery app called Zesty, designed to provide personalized restaurant recommendations and expand the company's reach beyond food delivery into social and local discovery. The app uses a conversational AI chatbot that curates suggestions from multipl...
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How to Wear a Crossbody Phone Strap With Style
The crossbody phone strap has become a popular fashion statement among younger demographics and travelers, blending functionality with a carefree aesthetic that eliminates self-consciousness about carrying high-value devices. Beyond its style integration into casual wardrobes, the accessory offer...
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Alexa+ Expands: Now Integrates With Angi, Expedia, Square, and Yelp
Amazon is expanding Alexa+ by integrating with Angi, Expedia, Square, and Yelp in 2026, aiming to make it a comprehensive hub for everyday tasks via voice commands. These new partnerships will enable users to book services like travel, home repairs, and local appointments, joining existing partne...
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LG's New Washer-Dryer Combo Fixes Its Biggest Flaws
LG's new ventless washer-dryer combo, unveiled at CES 2026, completes a full wash and dry cycle for a ten-pound load in just ninety minutes, matching the speed of separate machines. The appliance's ventless design, powered by advanced heat pump technology, offers flexible installation and saves s...
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Apple's iPhone-Windows copy-paste feature in development
Apple is developing a cross-platform clipboard feature for EU users, enabling copy-paste between iPhones and Windows PCs in both directions, following a Microsoft interoperability request. The development stems from the EU Digital Markets Act, which pressures Apple to open its systems to third-pa...
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Google Play adds Venmo payments in US, tests cash elsewhere
Venmo is now accepted as a payment method on Google Play in the US, allowing users to pay for apps, subscriptions, and tips using their Venmo balance, bank accounts, or linked cards, joining existing options like PayPal and card networks. Google is testing "Pending Transactions" in select markets...
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Octopus Charge app adds 210,000 US chargers, excludes Tesla, Ionna, EA
Octopus Energy launched Octopus Charge across the US, Canada, and Mexico, providing access to over 210,000 charging points from 20+ networks with no markup on energy costs. The platform simplifies EV charging by offering a single account and login, eliminating the need for multiple apps, and mirr...
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Cash App unveils magic wand for contactless payments
Cash App has launched the Cash App Wand, an NFC-equipped, star-topped magic wand accessory that enables contactless payments without a smartphone or physical card. The wand taps into a growing DIY trend on social media where creators 3D print and handcraft custom contactless card enclosures, with...
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Keurig and K-Cups: A Complicated History
The podcast episode traces the rise of Keurig and the K-Cup from solving the problem of bad office coffee to becoming a staple in homes. Hosts David Pierce, Melissa McCart, and Morgan Eckroth examine the trade-offs of Keurig's convenience, including costs to wallets, the planet, and coffee qualit...
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Amazon expands ultrafast 30-minute deliveries to new cities
Amazon has launched Amazon Now, a 30-minute delivery service for everyday essentials, initially available in Seattle, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Dallas-Fort Worth, with plans to expand to several more U.S. cities later this year. The service offers a wide range of items including fresh groceries,...
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GM Recruits EV Owners to Test a Feature That Should Be Standard
General Motors is launching a beta program for a new digital key feature, starting with select Cadillac EV owners, marking its entry into a technology pioneered by competitors like Tesla years ago. The digital key, enabled via an over-the-air update, allows locking, unlocking, and starting vehicl...
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