Fitbit's wearable tech and Deepak Chopra's mindfulness are coming together amid the pandemic's mental health crisis.
In an exclusive partnership called the Mindful Method, the virtual wellness program recently launched for Fitbit Premium members with 10 guided meditations to aid in sleeping, deep relaxation, and stress management. The new content suite by the self-help guru ended up on the platform after a lot of research, according to Chopra.
"I was always looking at a way to validate, scientifically, through digital technology, how we manage stress," he said. "I thought that Fitbit was the best partner."
Chopra added that he was confident that the wearables company has the most advanced tools to help gather even more health data which can possibly be used for research in the future.
He also addressed the pandemic's impact on global health and the concurrent financial crisis said he hopes the related stress can be mitigated with the product.
"Mental health is a crisis and it affects physical health when you are angry or depressed or stressed or feeling guilty or shame or have a lot of anxiety. That creates physiological havoc," he said.
The self-help guru also offers personalized sessions via his own app, which features a digital AI version of Chopra himself -- his "mind twin."
"The future of well-being is precise, it's personalized, it's predictable, it's preventive, it requires your participation, and it's a process," Chopra stated.
The service intends to add more sessions by Chopra on a regular basis through June.
A media personality, self-help guru, and alternative medicine proponent, Chopra is the founder of the Chopra Foundation, a nonprofit focused on spirituality, health, and well-being according to its website.
A rare magnum of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 champagne that was specially produced for the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana has failed to sell during an auction. Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen handled the bidding Thursday. The auction's house website lists the bottle as not sold. It was expected to fetch up to around $93,000. It is one of 12 bottles made to celebrate the royal wedding. Little was revealed about the seller. The auction house says the bids did not receive the desired minimum price.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
