2+ hour, 51+ min ago (205+ words) Every now and then a dark horse appears in the PYMNTS App Provider Rankings that shows how much consumers are willing to discover and explore new apps in what would seem to be a settled category. That's the case with streaming apps. The biggest moves in this category over the past month didn't come from Spotify or Netflix. It came from Qobuz. Apple Music took the third spot with a four-point increase. Apple Music is Apple's all-in-one streaming hub for more than 100 million songs, live radio and music videos, wrapped in lossless and Spatial Audio playback, tight integration with iPhone, CarPlay, Watch and HomePod, and curated playlists that sit a tap away from your lock screen. Put together, you get a very Apple story: a mature app that already owns the default position on iOS quietly adds sticky, AI-driven features…...

2+ hour, 51+ min ago (304+ words) Software platforms serving education, healthcare and field services are adopting embedded payments at a pace that signals a shift in how these industries want to transact. The new angle in PYMNTS Intelligence's latest Payment Processing Tracker, "Vertical-First Payments: How Low-Code Wins in Education, Healthcare and Field Services," is how low-code tools are broadening access to modern payment infrastructure for vertical markets traditionally defined by manual processes and slow collections. The report found that platforms are gaining traction by integrating payments directly into the systems that students, patients and professionals already use, reducing friction and accelerating cash flow. Key data points include: Beyond these figures, the report highlighted sector-specific dynamics that explain why low-code embedded payments are gaining momentum. Healthcare presents the different challenge of complex regulations, high administrative costs and inconsistent reimbursement timelines. Providers still handle paper forms and phone-based…...

16+ hour, 42+ min ago (389+ words) The project, announced Monday (Nov. 24) will see Amazon Web Services (AWS) invest at least $50 billion as it works to build and deploy what it says is the first-ever artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) purpose-built infrastructure for the U.S. government. This investment, Amazon said in a news release, is aimed at adding close to 1.3 gigawatts of compute capacity across AWS Top Secret, AWS Secret, and AWS GovCloud (US) Regions "across all classification levels." It also expands access to AWS's infrastructure and AI services to help government agencies "advance America's AI leadership," the release added. "Our investment in purpose-built government AI and cloud infrastructure will fundamentally transform how federal agencies leverage supercomputing," said AWS CEO Matt Garman. "We're giving agencies expanded access to advanced AI capabilities that will enable them to accelerate critical missions from cybersecurity to drug discovery. This investment…...

19+ hour, 48+ min ago (275+ words) Banking FinTech Green Dot's businesses now have new owners, according to a Monday (Nov. 24) news release. Smith Ventures, a private equity company, is set to acquire and privatize Green Dot's nonbank financial technology business and operations for $690 million, the release said. That business will continue to function as a FinTech and embedded finance company. Meanwhile, CommerceOne Financial will acquire Green Dot Bank and its assets and operations, and merge to become a "new publicly traded bank holding company that serves as the FinTech's exclusive issuing bank," according to the release. Separating the two business lines sets up new opportunities for the embedded finance company. At the same time, a long-term commercial relationship with CommerceOne enables Green Dot to continue to serve customers, the release said. Green Dot earlier this month reported a 21% year-over-year increase in revenue for the third quarter,…...

9+ hour, 39+ min ago (372+ words) Anthropic released its latest artificial intelligence (AI) model, Claude Opus 4.5, on Monday (Nov. 24), together with several other new products and features. Claude Opus 4.5 performs especially well when applied to coding, agents and computer use, the company said in a Monday press release. The new model is also "meaningfully better" than its predecessors in performing deep research and working with slides and spreadsheets, according to the release. "Opus 4.5 is a step forward in what AI systems can do, and a preview of larger changes to how work gets done," Anthropic said in the release. Anthropic also released updates to the Claude Developer Platform, Claude Code and the company's consumer apps, according to the release. Among the changes: the Claude Developer Platform now includes an effort parameter that lets developers decide how much time the model spends thinking about a problem; Claude…...

17+ hour, 12+ min ago (384+ words) Speaking at Emerson Collective's Demo Day in San Francisco on Saturday (Nov. 22), OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and famed former Apple designer Jony Ive said OpenAI's first device will be ready in "less than" two years. Ive said the team already built a working prototype and plans to bring the device to market in "even less than" two years. He said the design centers on creating something people can use without hesitation, suggesting a device meant for everyday use rather than a specialized tool. While at Apple, Ive lead the design team for iconic products including the iMac, iPhone and iPad. "I also love incredibly intelligent, sophisticated products that you want to touch, and you feel no intimidation and that you want to use almost carelessly," Ive said. "That you use them almost without thought, that they are just tools." Altman…...

15+ hour, 22+ min ago (161+ words) Lambda secured more than $1.5 billion to expand its AI cloud business. The company is shifting its strategy by building and owning its own data centers rather than renting capacity from larger cloud providers. Lambda said it plans to grow its footprint of GPU clusters and invest in the physical infrastructure needed to support customers building large models and agent-driven applications. In Europe, NestAI announced a $100 million raise alongside a new partnership with Nokia. The company focuses on what it calls physical AI, which refers to AI systems that operate in real environments rather than on screens. NestAI develops software for unmanned vehicles, autonomous inspections and command platforms used in logistics, infrastructure and industrial facilities. Cloud Startup Lambda Nets $1.5 Billion as AI Infrastructure Remains a Focus FDIC's Deposit Insurance Fund Nears Legal Target Ratio Amazon Investing $50 Billion in Government AI Infrastructure…...

12+ hour, 50+ min ago (439+ words) OpenAI's ChatGPT will now help users discover, understand and compare products. This service is provided by the artificial intelligence assistant's new shopping research experience, the company said in a Monday (Nov. 24) press release. OpenAI began rolling out shopping research Monday for logged-in ChatGPT users on Free, Go, Plus and Pro Plans, and the company will provide "nearly unlimited usage" to members of these plans throughout the holiday shopping season, according to the release. Shopping research enables users to describe in conversational language what they are looking for, and it then provides a guide that will help them decide, per the release. "It asks smart clarifying questions, researches deeply across the internet, reviews quality sources, and builds on ChatGPT's understanding of you from past conversations and your ChatGPT memory to deliver a personalized buyer's guide in minutes," the release said. While…...

2+ hour, 51+ min ago (353+ words) With inflation and changing government policies prompting widespread uncertainty, 6 in 10 American workers are facing pocketbook challenges while lacking the steadiness and predictability of a salaried job. " Gen Z workers especially are working outside of fixed-salary roles. Nearly 3 in 4 get their income in other ways, with 51% earning hourly wages, 9% earning contract or consulting fees, 7% earning income from gig or platform work and 5% earning commission-based pay. More Americans are relying on part-time jobs to make ends meet. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of employees working full-time dropped by 0.5%, or 695,000 people, between 2023 and 2024. The number of part-time workers jumped 3.7%, or just over 1 million people, during the same period. But as more consumers rely on hourly, project-based and gig work to make ends meet, rather than the stability of a fixed salary, they may find it harder to…...

20+ hour, 53+ min ago (431+ words) The company says this new funding,announcedin a Monday (Nov. 24) news release, is among the largest FinTech Series A rounds on record. "Model ML is setting a new standard for how financial institutions leverage AI to achieve superior client results," saidSteve McLaughlin, founder and CEO of FT Partners, which led the funding round. "While we expect significant efficiency gains, the true power of Model ML lies in the insights it will unlock for our clients, investors, and the broader FinTech ecosystem. We believe Model ML will fuel the next evolution of world-class service for our clients and transparency across all stakeholders in transactions." Company CEOChaz Englandersays the financing will help it accelerate its global expansion and advance its AI capabilities "across key financial hubs" to meet growing enterprise demand. Founded by Englander and his brother Arnie, Model ML is designed…...