E-commerce vets raise $50M to reimagine online shopping | Amazon scraps plastic air pillows

Will AI change the way we shop for clothes online? A new startup called Daydream is betting on it, and has $50 million in seed funding to build out its platform that aims to supercharge the shopping search experience. The company is led by five co-founders who have deep e-commerce experience, including two that are based in the Seattle region. Read more.

Amazon is ditching those inflated plastic pillows — used to cushion goods shipped to customers — as part of its effort to reduce packaging. Read more.

Seattle-based Aurion Biotech received special designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that should speed up the development of its treatment for a common disease that damages the cornea and can result in vision loss. Read more.

Can you spot deepfakes? A new quiz from Seattle-based AI nonprofit TrueMedia tests how easily people can be duped by online images and videos. The quiz is part of the nonpartisan organization’s efforts to shine a light on misinformation ahead of the 2024 elections. Read more.

• Before AI and deepfakes, Bigfoot may have been the pioneer of videos and images of questionable origin. Now Seattle’s Bumbershoot Arts + Music Festival is challenging people to create new deepfake videos featuring the legendary beast for a shot at a $5,000 prize. Read more.

The Women’s PGA Championship is in full swing at Sahalee Country Club near Seattle starting today. Bellevue, Wash.-based wireless giant T-Mobile helped launch a new player-tracking app for the major tournament. Read more.

Deal activity in the climate tech industry is down from recent years, but startups seeking funding shouldn’t panic, according to a new report.

How is artificial intelligence making marketers more productive? That’s one of the topics addressed on the latest episode of the Shift AI podcast. Read more and listen here.

• Anthropic, the AI startup backed by Amazon, released the latest version of its Claude model. (CNBC)

• Amazon CEO Andy Jassy met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss the company’s business in Germany, where it’s investing $11 billion. (Amazon)

• Sim Sin City: Microsoft Flight Simulator’s latest update adds a new level of detail to a virtual Las Vegas. (Flight Simulator)

• Smartphone ban: Two schools in Seattle are the latest to keep smartphones out of the classroom in a growing trend. (Seattle Times)