Starling Bank launched an AI tool which helps customers better understand their spending habits. The first-of-its-kind feature, called ‘Spending Intelligence’, allows customers to ask questions about their money. This is the first time a bank has given customers the opportunity to use AI and natural language in-app to directly interact with their spending data. It’s the first phase of Starling’s wider plans to implement AI across customer touch points. “Customers can use AI to feed their natural curiosity about their finances so that they can make informed decisions about their budgeting, and better utilise Starling’s suite of money management tools, ” said Harriet Rees, CIO of Starling Bank. “By leveraging the power of Gemini and the secure, scalable infrastructure of Google Cloud, Starling is creating tangible value for its customers and empowering them with greater financial understanding. This is a brilliant example of how AI can be applied responsibly and effectively in the financial services sector,” said Graham Dury, Director, FSI, Google Cloud in the UK and Ireland. Transactions are listed by retailer and automatically sorted into over 50 customizable categories such as bills, transport, and groceries, making it easy to track spending patterns over time. For example, you can see how much you’ve spent at a specific retailer or on a category like dining out. A graph and detailed analytics show spending habits, breaking down individual payments within each category. This addresses a common limitation in banking apps where payments are visible but not easily analyzed.
Greenlight’s survey data reveals family financial wellness as a growth opportunity for FIs with 70% reporting financial anxiety weekly and financial literacy ranking #1 as the hardest life skill to teach their children
Greenlight released new survey data revealing a significant opportunity for financial institutions to drive long-term growth and loyalty by prioritizing family financial wellness. In partnership with Researchscape, Greenlight surveyed parents and financial institutions to uncover the financial stress families currently face and how credit unions and banks can provide a meaningful solution. The data confirms what many families are feeling: Money is the #1 stressor for working parents, with 70% reporting financial anxiety weekly, and financial literacy ranking #1 as the hardest life skill to teach their children. 96% parents believe it’s essential for banks to offer financial literacy tools for themselves and their children, with parents saying these tools would help reduce stress (79%) and save time (83%). This gap presents a significant opportunity, as financial institutions increasingly view family financial literacy as a strategic priority: 88% report rising demand; 71% say it’s key to achieving business goals; 70% have received customer inquiries about family financial literacy tools. At the same time, institutions are recognizing the need to meet a growing demographic of financially empowered customers, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, where they are: online. Survey findings from financial institutions show: 69% favor interactive tools; 67% prefer mobile apps for delivering financial education; 61% report success engaging younger generations through digital initiatives.
Meta partners Oakley to launch smart glasses which can capture 3K video, let users listen to music, take photos, and make and receive calls and feature Meta AI letting users ask questions on the go
Meta has officially announced its next pair of smart glasses with Oakley. The smart glasses have double the battery life of the Meta Ray-Bans and are able to capture 3K video. The models are based on Oakley’s HSTN design and are described as Meta’s “first product for athletes and fans alike.” The glasses feature a front-facing camera, along with open-ear speakers and microphones. You can use the glasses to listen to music, take photos, and make and receive calls. The glasses also feature Meta AI, letting you ask questions on the go. In addition, you can ask Meta AI about what you’re seeing and also get it to translate languages. The Oakley Meta HSTN glasses can last up to eight hours with typical use and up to 19 hours on standby. You can also charge them up to 50% in 20 minutes. Plus, the glasses come with a charging case that can deliver up to 48 hours of charging on the go. The glasses are available in six frame and lens color combos: warm grey with ruby lenses, black with polar black lenses, brown smoke with polar deep water lenses, black with amethyst lenses, clear with grey lenses, and black with clear lenses. All of these are compatible with prescriptions for an extra cost. Some pairs come with Oakley Prizm Lens technology, which makes it easier to see in different lighting and weather conditions, helping you see more and perform at your peak. The new glasses are the latest chapter of a multi-year partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of Oakley, Ray-Bans, and other eyewear brands.
Alipay+ partners Meizu to roll out e-wallet payments through smart glasses that lets users scan QR codes and authorise payments without accessing their mobile devices by combining optical waveguide display, voice interface and QR codes
Ant International’s Alipay+ has completed the first e-wallet payment transaction conducted through smart glasses, working with Meizu to process the payment in Hong Kong using the AlipayHK platform. The transaction was conducted on Meizu’s StarV Snap smart glasses, with users able to scan QR codes and authorise payments without accessing their mobile devices. Behind the scenes, Alipay+ has integrated AI-powered voice interface, intent recognition, and voiceprint authentication technologies to support the payment process. For Alipay+, smart glasses offer another channel as hardware evolves. The platform has introduced other innovations, including NFC integration that combines QR and card payments, plus AI features built on its GenAI Cockpit platform for financial technology companies. The glasses utilise the company’s optical waveguide displays and advanced voice processing to create what executives describe as a natural payment experience. The partnership materialised in April when Meizu announced it would integrate Alipay+’s software development kit across its entire smart glasses range. This combines Meizu’s optical waveguide display technology, voice noise reduction systems and camera-based code scanning technology with Alipay+’s payment authentication systems. Meizu’s decision to embed payment capabilities directly into its smart glasses reflects the company’s broader strategy of creating an integrated ecosystem spanning smartphones, augmented reality devices and automotive technology.
Spatial computing platform Mawari to power complex, immersive 3D experiences using a decentralized infrastructure that ties the earnings of node operators directly to the network revenue and usage
Spatial computing pioneer Mawari announced its latest initiative — i.e. Decentralized Infrastructure Offering (DIO) — to help meet the rapidly growing demand for AI-powered immersive content globally. The company has invited compute resource owners worldwide to become ‘Guardian Node Operators’ within its ecosystem, thereby contributing directly to a decentralized infrastructure supporting next-generation digital experiences. Mawari’s infrastructure has been designed specially to power complex 3D experiences — including lifelike 3D Avatar AI agents — which are then streamed efficiently to devices worldwide. In an apparent departure from typical crypto-based node offerings, the Mawari team has emphasized that DIO has been built on the principles of genuine utility, fairness, and long-term sustainability, with the earnings of its Guardian Node Operators being directly tied to actual network revenue and usage. In this regard, the firm’s reward structure has been made to primarily centre around its ‘network monitoring rewards’ module, which represents 20% of Mawari’s total network revenue. Not only that, ‘early operator incentives’ have also been crafted, providing token allocations for node licenses maintained with high reliability and uptime during the initial growth phase. Lastly, features like flat pricing across all node license tiers, options for third-party node management alongside other long-term opportunities are meant to ensure that the ecosystem is able to deliver seamless utility even as the XR market continues to expand.
AR app facilitates ageing-in-place, uses LiDAR scanners to identify potential accessibility issues through a step-by-step assessment and digital overlays
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is developing a mobile application called the Augmented Reality Home Assessment Tool (ARHAT) that uses AR and smartphone features like LiDAR scanners to help people assess their homes and identify potential accessibility issues as they age. The app “takes users through a step-by-step process that measures relevant parts of a living space and offers suggestions to make it more accessible. While using it, a user is prompted to select one of 14 limitations they may have — including visual impairment, mobility challenges or balance issues — and “then select the areas of the home to evaluate. Follow-up questions and prompts for measurements are tailored to the user’s answers, with the option to add notes and take photos. The app then employs a LiDAR scanner to measure a home’s elements and to visualize recommended changes or renovations. By superimposing visuals in the space as seen through the device’s camera, the tool will instantly let you know if something in the home is an accessibility barrier. The assessment then creates a detailed report listing identified barriers and potential issues with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, and makes recommendations on how to best address them. The researchers believe ARHAT can be a faster and more accurate alternative to traditional manual home assessments, potentially saving time and costs for healthcare agencies and systems.