Technology

Amazon Pharmacy is launching vending machines for prescription drugs

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Amazon announced on Wednesday that it’s debuting prescription vending machines at its One Medical clinics. The new in-office kiosks, which are operated by Amazon Pharmacy, let patients pick up their prescriptions immediately after their appointment. Amazon Pharmacy Kiosks will be available at One Medical locations in Los Angeles starting in December, and Amazon plans to expand to more locations soon after. After a provider writes a prescription, patients can choose to have it sent to Amazon Pharmacy for in-office kiosk pickup. Patients then use their phone to check out in the Amazon app, after which medications are typically “ready in minutes,” Amazon…

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AST SpaceMobile lands key Verizon deal amid growing competition with SpaceX and T-Mobile

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AST SpaceMobile has inked a new deal with Verizon to bring space-based cellular broadband across the United States, marking its most significant partnership to date and its latest move to capture a larger share of the emerging space-to-cellular market. Under the agreement, Verizon will integrate AST’s satellite network with its terrestrial infrastructure, using Verizon’s 850 MHz spectrum to extend coverage in remote areas where towers can’t reach. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The deal builds on an earlier partnership between the two entities announced last year, in which Verizon made a $100 million commitment to support AST’s service…

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A break down of the H-1B changes — and why more changes could come

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A few weeks ago, President Trump announced the application fee for an H-1B visa would increase to $10,000. The price tag sent shock waves through, especially the tech ecosystem, which heavily utilizes the visa to bring talent in from other countries.  On this week’s Equity, we sat down with Jeremy Neufeld, the director of immigration policy at the Institute for Progress, to talk about the visa changes, what it means, and why it’s happening.  He said the intention of the visa change makes sense, but the implementation of it has “left a lot to be desired.”   “Some of the proposals…

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Google’s Search Live comes to India, AI Mode gets more languages

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Google is bringing its AI-powered conversational search feature, Search Live, to India — launching in English and Hindi — and expanding AI Mode to seven new Indian languages, as the company strengthens its presence in one of its fastest-growing markets. First introduced in the U.S. in July, Search Live builds on Google’s Project Astra technology and is available through the company’s AI Mode. The feature lets users point their phone camera at objects to get real-time assistance, supporting back-and-forth conversations that draw on the visual context from the camera feed. With this launch, India becomes the second market after the…

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Revolut aims to take on Indian banks and their ‘criminal’ forex fees

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British fintech Revolut — now launching in India — says cross-border payments remain one of India’s most underserved financial services. By its estimate, Indians spend about $30 billion overseas every year and lose around $600 million in bank charges — fees its India head calls “criminal.” “It has been the preserve of banks,” Paroma Chatterjee, Revolut India CEO, told TechCrunch. “You go to your bank to take currency, foreign exchange out from your bank, or you take a travel card that is issued by your bank when you’re traveling overseas … there have been humongous charges which have been levied…

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Trump’s DOE proposes cutting billions in grants for GM, Ford, and lots of startups

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The Department of Energy is looking to cut billions more in federal funding, and many promising startups as well as automakers Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis could be affected by the Trump administration’s decision. The proposed cuts would cancel more than $500 million of contracts awarded to more than a dozen startups, according to a TechCrunch analysis of an internal document that has not become public yet. All of the proposed cuts are grants that had been awarded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The proposed cancellations, many of which have not been reported before, come on top of more than…

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You can’t libel the dead. But that doesn’t mean you should deepfake them.

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Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, has a poignant message for her father’s fans. “Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad. Stop believing I wanna see it or that I’ll understand. I don’t and I won’t,” she wrote in a post on her Instagram story on Monday. “If you’ve got any decency, just stop doing this to him and to me, to everyone even, full stop. It’s dumb, it’s a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it’s NOT what he’d want.” It’s probably not a coincidence that Williams was moved to post this…

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xAI hires former Morgan Stanley banker Anthony Armstrong as CFO

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Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, now has a new chief financial officer: Former Morgan Stanley banker Anthony Armstrong, the Financial Times reported, citing anonymous sources. Armstrong, who previously advised Musk during the Twitter deal, will oversee the finances of both xAI and X, which were merged in April, the report said. The former banker has been working with xAI for several weeks and was only recently appointed as CFO, the FT added. xAI has been without a CFO since its previous finance head, Mike Liberatore, left the company in July, and Armstrong’s appointment follows a slate of high-profile executive departures…

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Lucid Motors sets record as Gravity sales pick up and tax credit expires

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Lucid Motors delivered a record 4,078 vehicles in the third quarter, likely buoyed by a combination of more Gravity SUVs hitting the road and a rush of customers taking advantage of the expiring federal EV tax credit. The Saudi-owned luxury EV startup is still way off the projections it used to go public in 2021 — a transaction that netted it $4 billion. But Lucid Motors has seen deliveries steadily climb over the last two years. The third-quarter delivery figures announced Monday mark the seventh consecutive quarter that Lucid Motors has seen sales increase. Lucid Motors was not alone in…

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Instagram introduces new ‘Ring’ award for top creators

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Instagram announced on Monday that it’s launching an awards program, with 25 creators set to receive a gold ring next week. The company says the new awards program will recognize creators around the world who shift culture and break barriers. The judges panel for the new awards program includes Instagram head Adam Mosseri, director Spike Lee, designer Marc Jacobs, YouTuber Marques Brownlee, actress Yara Shadhi, makeup artist Pat McGrath, and more. Winners will receive a physical custom ring designed by English fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, along with a digital golden ring around their Instagram profile. They’ll also be able…

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