Paying the price: Voice shopping via Amazon Echo or Google Assistant is still new. But once you start using it, look out—you might never know if it’s offering you the best deal, The Associated Press notes. Because devices like can’t say much without tiring your ears, voice shopping precludes some of the savvy shopping practices you may have relied on to find the best bargains—like, for instance, researching products and comparing prices. As such, you’d be leaving much of your buying decision to Amazon, Walmart or other retailers. Read more from the Associated Press.
Buy now, pay later: Would you take out a loan from Wal-Mart? The retail giant is in talks with Affirm, an upstart financing firm run by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, to offer installment loans to some shoppers beginning this fall, The Wall Street Journal reports. The loan—which could be Wal-Mart’s latest effort to reach customers with limited financial histories—would begin as a pilot online and in certain locations. The loans would be used to finance costly Wal-Mart purchases like tires or items over $200. Read more from The Wall Street Journal. A subscription may be required.
Something to watch: Apple is planning to unveil an upgraded Apple TV set-top box that can stream 4K video and highlight live television content such as news and sports, Bloomberg reports. The updated box, to be revealed alongside new iPhone and Apple Watch models at an event in September, will run a faster processor capable of streaming the higher-resolution 4K content. The new model hints at Apple’s ambition to revive its video ambitions. Apple TV trails devices from Roku, Amazon and Google in the U.S. set-top box market share with only 15% as of the end of March, according to a survey this month from Parks Associates. Read more from Bloomberg.
