Tech news today is led by 9to5Mac’s roundup of favorite cases for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, alongside Google’s test letting some shoppers in India buy directly from Flipkart through Gemini.
Table of Contents
Also in this roundup: this weekend’s best Apple deals, an insurer’s claim that AI is driving up healthcare costs, and why AI weather models still struggle to predict hurricane intensity.
The TLDR
- Tech & Apps: 9to5Mac’s favorite iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max cases
- AI Tools: Google lets some Indian shoppers buy directly from Flipkart via Gemini
- Science & Space: Why AI weather models still struggle to predict hurricane intensity
Tech & Apps
9to5Mac’s favorite iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max cases
A 9to5Mac editor tested a wide range of cases for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which launched in new colors including Glacier, Burgundy, and Deep Black. Picks span budget options like the $21 Spigen Nano Pop up to premium builds like the $75 Xtremm Inno E-Ink case, covering different priorities from rugged protection to leather styling. 9to5Mac frames it as a personal roundup rather than one definitive “best” case, since protection needs vary by user.
This weekend’s Apple deals: AirPods Pro 3, Beats 360, and more
9to5Mac’s weekend deals roundup highlights AirPods Pro 3 at $199, a $50 drop from their regular price, plus 80% off the new Beats 360 Cushion Kit alongside the recently launched Beats 360 headphones. The 13-inch M5 MacBook Air is down $150 to $1,449, and a black Apple Watch Ultra 3 with Milanese Loop is marked to $700, a $200 clearance cut. See the full list at 9to5Mac for Mac Studio and Mac mini pricing too — and if you’re setting up a new machine, our free PDF editor guide is a good place to start.
AI Tools
Google lets some Indian shoppers buy directly from Flipkart via Gemini
Google is running a limited test in India that lets select users complete Flipkart purchases directly inside Gemini and AI Mode, using a “Buy” button that hands off to Flipkart’s checkout flow. The pilot currently covers items like smartphones, electronics, and accessories, according to TechCrunch, with a wider rollout planned for October ahead of India’s festive shopping season. Google holds a minority stake in Flipkart, which is majority-owned by Walmart — if you’re into everyday AI tools generally, we also compared Rosebud vs. Reflectly journaling apps.
Blue Cross Blue Shield says hospital AI tools are driving up costs
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association says hospitals’ use of AI tools in claims documentation added an estimated $942 million in healthcare spending over a two-year period. According to TechCrunch, the group found a sharp rise in patients coded as having complex conditions without a matching increase in the care actually delivered. The claim adds to an ongoing debate over whether AI coding tools help hospitals bill more accurately or simply inflate costs.
Science & Space
Why AI weather models still struggle to predict hurricane intensity
Even as AI has closed much of the gap with physics-based models on general weather forecasts, predicting exactly how strong a hurricane will get remains a weak spot. As explained at Phys.org, storms form over open ocean where direct observations are scarce, and small errors in a storm’s starting conditions can snowball quickly, making rapid intensification especially hard to forecast. Researchers say closing that gap will take better data and a deeper understanding of the chaotic dynamics inside hurricanes, not just bigger AI models.
Explore more: free PDF editor guide, Rosebud vs. Reflectly journaling apps.
Tech News FAQs
When did the iPhone 18 Pro launch?
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launched about a week before 9to5Mac’s case roundup was published on September 26, 2026.
Can I buy from Flipkart inside Google Gemini right now?
Only a limited group of users in India can currently buy select Flipkart products through Gemini and AI Mode; Google plans a wider rollout in October.
Why can’t AI reliably predict how strong a hurricane will get?
Hurricanes form over open ocean where direct data is scarce, and small errors in a storm’s starting conditions can grow quickly, making intensity especially hard to forecast even for advanced AI models.
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