ChatGPT can now buy things for you, but you approve every purchase
OpenAI launched ChatGPT Wallet, which lets its AI helpers place orders for you. It was built with American Express, Mastercard and Visa, so you keep your card's rewards and protections. You have to approve each purchase with a security check, and the AI never sees your real card number. It uses a one-time stand-in number instead. For now it's only for adult U.S. users on the top paid plan.
If you try any "AI buys it for you" tool, read the final order before you tap approve, the same way you'd check a receipt. Shopping scams will copy this idea, so only approve purchases inside the app itself, never from a text or email link.
Source: CNBC
Refrigerant sellers say the EPA's forecast runs high for some types
HARDI, a group representing heating and cooling supply houses, says its sales data matches the EPA's overall refrigerant forecast, but the EPA's numbers run higher for the refrigerants used in most home systems, including the older R-410A and the newer replacements. HARDI also says more old R-410A is being recovered because systems put in around 2010 are reaching the end of their life. These forecasts help decide how much refrigerant can be made and imported, which affects supply later on.
If your system was installed around 2010, it's worth knowing its age and refrigerant type before something breaks, so a repair-or-replace talk isn't rushed on a hot or cold day. Refrigerant work is never a DIY job. It takes a trained tech with the right tools.
Source: ACHR News
Huawei shows off a stick-on blood sugar monitor that talks to its watch
Huawei's Sense G1 is a continuous glucose monitor that sticks on your skin and tracks blood sugar around the clock. It alerts your phone if your levels run too low or too high, and you can see trends in the app or on a Huawei smartwatch. You can shower and swim with it, and the sensor gets swapped every two weeks. There's no word yet on when or where it will be sold.
Health gadgets are getting easier to use, but they lean on your phone and Wi-Fi. If someone in your home relies on alerts like these, keep the phone charged, keep the app updated, and make sure the home Wi-Fi reaches the bedroom.
Source: Notebookcheck
Google's free, everyday Gemini gets a faster model
Google released Gemini 4 Hydrogen, the new name for its quick, low-cost AI model that used to be called Flash. Google says it finishes tasks faster, handles harder jobs better, and makes up facts far less often than the last version. It's rolling out in the Gemini app and Google Search.
AI answers are handy for "what does this light on my furnace mean" questions, but they can still be wrong. Use them to understand a problem, not to open up gas, refrigerant or electrical parts. For those, call a pro.
Source: 9to5Google
Safety reminder from me
Cold nights are when furnaces, water heaters and space heaters work hardest. If you smell gas, leave the house first and call your gas company from outside. Never open up gas lines, refrigerant lines or your electrical panel yourself. For anything electrical inside the panel, call a qualified electrician. For heating trouble, I can help with a $79 diagnostic or a $79 tune-up.
