The Andon Labs team programmed Luna to run Anthropic’s Sonnet 4.6 model as the base layer. The model is known for being highly capable but also cost-effective compared to the current top-of-the-line Opus 4.6 model. For Luna’s voice, the system uses Google’s Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Preview, which is much faster and cheaper to use than … Read more
NEW YORK — Shoppers increased their spending in February, particularly on cars and clothing, after pulling back at the start of the year due to severe winter storms. Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.6% in February, from a revised 0.1% decline in January, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. But there’s concern that the Iran war, … Read more
In the battle of bars vs. liquor stores, the bars appear to be winning. New data released this week by Bank of America found that drinking at bars is on the rise even as alcohol consumption is on the decline. Alcohol spending as a share of overall expenditures sits around a roughly 40-year low, according … Read more
By now, you’ve heard the refrain: “AI is transforming retail.” But like, how exactly? There’s no arguing against the fact that the shift is real, but it’s also been an abstract statement floating around the industry. Don’t fret, I will happily demystify this idea. Here’s what’s changing: AI in retail is moving from generative to … Read more