News
Samsung Releases Food, An AI-Powered Smart Recipe App
The app uses a database from Samsung-owned Whisk, whose website now redirects to the new app.
Tech giant Samsung has unveiled a new app, known as Food, offering “personalized, AI-powered food and recipes” in eight languages and 104 countries.
The app uses the Whisk food database — also owned by Samsung and now rebranded — and seems a smart move for the Korean electronics giant, considering its vast range of domestic appliances.
Food allows users to search some 160,000 international recipes, which can be saved and curated into eating plans. The app works on smartphones as well as Samsung Family Hub appliances such as fridges and freezers, allowing families to plan ingredient lists and grocery deliveries.
Food can provide recipe recommendations based on available items and has a “personalize recipe” function that uses AI to create bespoke vegan or vegetarian versions of popular dishes. Nutritional breakdowns can be viewed at any time, and users can add items directly to shopping carts at e-commerce checkouts. In addition, using connected cooking, ovens can be preheated and timer set on compatible devices.
Samsung has ambitions to add over one million users to the app worldwide. Although numerous recipe apps already exist (Paprika, Mealtime, Yummly, etc..), Samsung may have an edge due to its position in the smart appliances sector, making it a known quantity to consumers.
Also Read: Bang & Olufsen Unveils Exclusive Ferrari Collection
Integration with Samsung Health is also planned for future updates, syncing with parameters like BMI and calorie consumption, plus offering diet management suggestions. By 2024, the app will also incorporate AI vision tech, allowing Samsung Food to recognize items through smartphone cameras and provide instant nutrition information.
Samsung Food is available to download now on Android and iOS, or you can head to the official website to create an account.
News
Checkout.com Set To Launch Card Issuing In The UAE
The payment service provider’s expansion is a first-of-its-kind investment and could reshape digital transactions across the region.
Checkout.com is laying the groundwork to become the first global payments platform to introduce card issuing in the United Arab Emirates — a move that could reshape how businesses in the region manage financial transactions.
The company plans to roll out its domestic card issuance offering in the UAE by 2026, subject to regulatory approval. The launch would give businesses the tools to issue both physical and virtual branded cards. This, in turn, opens up new ways to reward customers, streamline expense processes, and handle B2B payouts efficiently.
Checkout.com’s CEO and Founder, Guillaume Pousaz, revealed the plans during Thrive Abu Dhabi, the firm’s debut conference in the Emirates. Joined on stage by Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA, Pousaz presented to an audience of over 150 partners and merchants at Saadiyat Island. Also in attendance was H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.
Abbondandolo highlighted the strategic importance of the announcement: “As a global business, we focus on bringing products to markets that our customers want and need. Today’s announcement is proof of our commitment to the MENA region and its rising influence in the digital economy. The appetite for innovation here is real, and we’re proud to be building the infrastructure that powers it”.
One early adopter of Checkout.com’s UAE acquiring services is Headout, a travel experiences marketplace, which recently named the payment provider as its main partner in Europe. The company has already begun card issuing there and is keen to expand that offering into MENA once approval is granted.
The expansion of services in the UAE and beyond builds on Checkout.com’s track record in the region. It was the first global payments firm to secure a Retail Payment Services license from the UAE’s Central Bank and was instrumental in rolling out Mada and Apple Pay in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Also Read: Protecting Your WhatsApp Account From Hackers: Kaspersky Expert Tips
The firm has also been rolling out new products: One of the latest is Flow Remember Me, currently in beta testing. It allows shoppers to store their card information once and access it across Checkout.com’s entire network, potentially cutting checkout times by up to 70%.
Earlier this year, Checkout.com also introduced Visa Direct’s Push-to-Card solution in the UAE, enabling both domestic and international payouts. Its collaboration with Mastercard has grown as well, making it easier for businesses to send funds directly to third-party cards securely and quickly.
With regional tech ambitions on the rise — spurred by initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s 2031 Agenda — Checkout.com sees its role as one of a key enabler. “Our mission is to help ambitious businesses navigate the complexity of payments, so they can move faster, go further, and make the most of every opportunity,” said Abbondandolo. “In MENA, performance is personal. It’s local. It’s built on trust. And when payments perform, businesses thrive”.
Free VPNs: Should You Be Using Them?
Checkout.com Set To Launch Card Issuing In The UAE
Hyper-Personalization: How Far Is Too Far?
Rabbit Expands Hyperlocal Delivery Service In Saudi Arabia
