Carbon Chemist

Tag: online shopping

  • Amazon Is Now Selling Hyundai Vehicles Through Amazon Autos

    Amazon Is Now Selling Hyundai Vehicles Through Amazon Autos

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    The next time you see a Hyundai online, you may just be able to hit Add to Cart.

    Assuming you want a new Hyundai specifically, you can now buy the car on Amazon. The online retailer has launched its long-awaited automotive service called Amazon Autos. Amazon announced the service in late 2023, saying it would come sometime in 2024. The service is available today, just in time to slide right under the deadline.

    The Korean automaker is the only manufacturer working with Amazon Autos, though Amazon says it will “roll out” (pun almost certainly intended) services with additional dealerships and manufacturers in 2025.

    Customers can hop on to Amazon Autos and search for the Hyundai make and model they want, then find vehicles at nearby dealerships with the combination of features they want. Shoppers can select trim, color, and interior features, then get a valuation on their current vehicle to estimate a trade-in price. (Amazon says it is working with an “independent third party” to determine trade-in values.)

    The checkout process gives options to pay in full or to find help securing financing—though interest rates may vary. Finally, shoppers can e-sign most of the paperwork on Amazon, then schedule a time to pick up their new ride at the Hyundai dealer. There are also the familiar features that have come to feel like the stalwarts of buying stuff on Amazon: user reviews, star ratings, and an add-to-cart button. (Throw some soap in there too while you’re buying that $66,000 Ioniq 5.)

    Unlike with everything else Amazon sells on its website, it will not offer shipping service for the vehicles, so you’ll still have to go pick them up from a dealership. There are also some stipulations that make the service not quite as simple as shopping on Amazon usually is. The service is available in 48 US states. (Sorry Alaska and Hawaii.) It will allow buyers to purchase only new Hyundai vehicles for now, so no used vehicles yet.

    Amazon’s move makes sense in an always-online world where cars are full of software and riddled with subscription fees. It is also illustrative of the changing consumer behaviors that are leading to, well, the Amazonification of car buying. Manufacturers like Tesla and Rivian sell their vehicles to customers almost exclusively online. Other automakers will surely follow, and it is clear that Amazon wants to not just get in on that trend but also be at the center of it. Still, some dealers are skeptical that the service will really work in Amazon’s favor long-term. Buying cars is a complicated business, compounded by rules in the US that prevent retailers like Amazon from selling cars directly.

    The service Amazon is providing here is not actually that of a seller—you still have to go to the dealership to get the thing—but a facilitator of the deal between the buyer and a dealership. The company is acting as a middleman of sorts, hoping that if it makes the process of buying a car more simple than the haggling and negotiating of going direct to a dealer, it will be enough to entice buyers to click the buy button.

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  • The Best Pimple Patches for Every Skin Type

    The Best Pimple Patches for Every Skin Type

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    Back in the day, getting a zit meant caking on disguising layers of foundation, concealer, powder …or maybe just a strategically angled hairstyle. But now, the game has changed: Why hide a pimple when you can dress it up? No frantic blending or pore-clogging products are required. Today, we’re embracing a radically different (and refreshingly low-key) approach to acne: slapping a bright yellow star-shaped sticker on it and calling it a day.

    Welcome to the era of the pimple patch, where blemishes aren’t shameful secrets to conceal but just part of the human experience. While putting a literal sticker on a zit may seem bold, it’s also an effective way to treat blemishes. Here, we dive into the science, benefits, and best ways to rock a pimple patch. If you’re interested in skin science, don’t forget to check out our guides to How an LED Mask Works and the ancient history of snail mucin.

    Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that’s too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.

    Table of Contents

    1. What Is a Pimple Patch?
    2. How Do Hydrocolloid Patches Work?
    3. Our Favorite Pimple Patches
    4. Other Spot Treatments
    5. How Often Can You Use Hydrocolloid Patches?
    6. Final Tips and Advice

    What Is a Pimple Patch?

    In simplest terms, pimple patches are tiny, adhesive stickers made to tackle acne one blemish at a time. These patches cover the pimple and absorb excess fluid, speed up healing, and keep you from picking at your skin—no small feat. Pimple patches come in various formulas, with different ingredients for different breakouts, but the most popular are hydrocolloid patches.

    How Do Hydrocolloid Patches Work?

    Image may contain Plate

    Photograph: Andrew Youngberg

    Hydrocolloid patches are a type of wound dressing that helps retain moisture and create a moist, healing environment for pimples, burns, or blisters. “They’re made of a water-attracting material, which is attached to a really thin plastic film,” says cosmetic chemist Michelle Wong. “So if you have an open pimple, for example, it can suck out the pus.”

    Although hydrocolloid has been used for wound care since the 1960s (originally developed in the 1930s by a dentist), it wasn’t until the early 2010s that pimple patches started showing up on skincare and beauty shelves.

    When applied to an inflamed pimple—typically one with fluid—the warmth of your skin softens the lining of the sticker, helping it suck out the impurities. It also acts like a little seal that protects the blemish from further irritation or spread. If you’ve ever pulled off a patch to find the underside coated in an icky white substance, that’s a mix of the hydrocolloid gel and the drained oils pulled from the skin. This process also prevents you from picking at the pimple—a habit that can lead to longer healing times, infection, and scarring.

    Our Favorite Pimple Patches

    Other Spot Treatments

    “Spot treatments [tend] to contain benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or witch hazel,” writes Lindsey Zubritsky, a board-certified dermatologist at Premier Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center, in an email. “These are active ingredients—while they may work, they can also potentially cause dryness and irritation.” Pure hydrocolloid patches, on the other hand, don’t contain active ingredients, which makes them ideal for sensitive or reactive skin.

    How Often Can You Use Hydrocolloid Patches?

    [A GETTY IMAGE TO BREAK THIS UP WOULD BE GOOD]

    According to most dermatologists, you can use hydrocolloid patches as needed. Zubritsky (aka @dermguru on TikTok) suggests wearing them for up to 12 hours, ideally overnight. But they can also be worn during the day. They’re particularly effective on fluid-filled pimples, such as papules, pustules, or cysts.

    “Hydrocolloid patches are considered safe and effective,” writes Zubritsky, “I just wouldn’t recommend relying on them as the sole treatment for acne.” While they help treat individual blemishes, they don’t prevent outbreaks of acne blemishes, and they don’t treat cystic acne or blackheads.

    Wong adds that if you have oily skin, the patch may not stick as well, though it usually isn’t a major issue. Lastly, those with more melanin-rich skin may want to avoid daytime use, as UV exposure could lead to hyperpigmentation where the patch was applied.

    Final Tips and Advice

    Always clean the blemish before applying a patch. Hydrocolloids seal in whatever’s under them, so you want to start with clean skin. Dry the area as well—they won’t stick to a damp surface. Obviously, popping pimples is a no-no, but if one does happen to burst, a hydrocolloid patch can also help heal open wounds. Some skincare brands add ingredients like tea tree oil or niacinamide to their patches, so be aware if you have sensitive skin or known allergies.



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  • A Diamond-Making Machine Will Cost You $200,000 on Alibaba

    A Diamond-Making Machine Will Cost You $200,000 on Alibaba

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    In an age when you can get just about anything online, it’s probably no surprise that you can buy a diamond-making machine for $200,000 on Chinese ecommerce site Alibaba. If you, like me, haven’t been paying attention to the diamond industry, it turns out that the availability of these machines reflects an ongoing trend toward democratizing diamond production—a process that began decades ago and continues to evolve.

    The history of lab-grown diamonds dates back at least half a century. According to Harvard graduate student Javid Lakha, writing in a comprehensive piece on lab-grown diamonds published in Works in Progress last month, the first successful synthesis of diamonds in a laboratory setting occurred in the 1950s. Lakha recounts how Howard Tracy Hall, a chemist at General Electric, created the first lab-grown diamonds using a high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) process that mimicked the conditions under which diamonds form in nature.

    Since then, diamond-making technology has advanced significantly. Today, there are two primary methods for creating lab-grown diamonds: the HPHT process and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Both types of machines are now listed on Alibaba, with prices starting at around $200,000, as pointed out by engineer John Nagle (who goes by “Animats” on Hacker News). A CVD machine we found is more pricey, at around $450,000.

    Not a Simple Operation

    While the idea of purchasing a diamond-making machine on Alibaba might be intriguing, it’s important to note that operating one isn’t as simple as plugging it in and watching diamonds form. According to Lakha’s article, these machines require significant expertise and additional resources to operate effectively.

    For an HPHT press, you’d need a reliable source of high-quality graphite, metal catalysts like iron or cobalt, and precise temperature and pressure control systems. CVD machines require a steady supply of methane and hydrogen gases, as well as the ability to generate and control microwaves or hot filaments. Both methods need diamond seed crystals to start the growth process.

    Moreover, you’d need specialized knowledge to manage the growth parameters, handle potentially hazardous materials and high-pressure equipment safely, and process the resulting raw diamonds into usable gems or industrial components. The machines also use considerable amounts of energy and require regular maintenance. Those factors may make the process subject to some regulations that are far beyond the scope of this piece.

    In short, while these machines are more accessible than ever, turning one into a productive diamond-making operation would still require significant investment in equipment, materials, expertise, and safety measures. But hey, a guy can dream, right?

    The Great Diamond Glut

    Sometimes a Hacker News comment is worth more than its weight in gold (or diamonds), and John Nagle, who developed Nagle’s algorithm for improving the efficiency of TCP/IP networks in the 1980s, posted one in response to Lakha’s article. It contains factoids about diamonds, with sources, that are worth relaying for anyone curious about the current state of diamond production.

    One notable development comes from De Beers, the diamond corporation known for its dominance in the natural diamond market. Through its R&D operation Element Six, the company is now capable of producing synthetic diamonds with flaw levels in the parts-per-billion range. This level of purity far exceeds what’s necessary for jewelry, entering the realm of high-tech applications. Element Six has even managed to create diamond windows for lasers up to 10 centimeters across, showcasing the potential for large, extremely pure synthetic diamonds.

    On the natural diamond front, there’s been a surprising breakthrough. Nagle points out that the industry has developed an industrial x-ray system to examine rocks before crushing, helping to preserve large diamonds that might otherwise be broken during extraction. This technology has led to some impressive finds, including a 2,492-carat diamond discovered last month. The sorter for this job comes from TOMRA, a company known for high-volume sorting systems used in recycling and food processing.

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  • Google Taps AI to Show Shoppers How Clothes Fit Different Bodies

    Google Taps AI to Show Shoppers How Clothes Fit Different Bodies

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    One of the new ad formats Google announced today will allow brands to link short-form videos they made—or ones they hired creators to film—to their advertisements in Google’s search engine. AI-generated text summaries of the clips will be included below. “I’ve got three Gen Z-ers at home, and watching them shop, it’s very video-based,” said Madrigal.

    Google also launched a tool that allows companies to create entirely new, AI-generated product images, based on photos from earlier marketing campaigns and pictures that represent their brand identity. For example, a home goods brand could upload a picture of one of their candles and an image of a beach, and ask Google to “put the candle on a beach that looks like this one under some palm trees.”

    Shannon Smyth, the founder of a perfume and body care company called A Girl’s Gotta Spa!, said she began using Google’s AI image tools last year when the company first began rolling them out as part of software called Product Studio. Initially, Google only allowed merchants to swap the backgrounds on existing product photos and make small tweaks, like increasing the resolution.

    “It coincided with struggling to keep up on our social channels with professional-looking photography, and as finances became more strapped, I decided to give it a try,” Smyth says. She uses it to generate images for use on social media, in an email newsletter, and on her Amazon store. (Google put Smyth in touch with WIRED to discuss her experiences with its AI products.)

    Smyth said Google’s AI tools save time and have gotten better as she’s continued using them. “I admit, I was frustrated at first if it would generate images without shadows or reflections, or have an unidentifiable object in the photo,” she explained. “I’ve found that as I give feedback on every image, those issues begin to get resolved.”

    Google is trying to help advertisers create compelling imagery without needing to spend as much of their time and budget on graphic designers, photographers, set designers, and models. That may not be good news for those workers and if the product images aren’t accurate shoppers could be left disappointed. But Google hopes AI imagery will make ads more engaging and draw more clicks—boosting its revenue.

    Yet the company and its competitors may also be simply helping retailers avoid paying for expensive software like Photoshop or spending so much on creative services. It’s not clear how many customers will necessarily feel compelled to advertise more. Smyth said her company doesn’t purchase ads on Google, despite how much she appreciates Product Studio.

    AI-generated advertising is increasingly becoming a fixture of the internet. Earlier this month, Meta began giving advertisers on Facebook and Instagram the ability to generate new versions of existing product photos using AI, after previously offering just AI-generated backgrounds. Meta and Google also allow advertisers to generate marketing copy for their ads.

    Amazon announced a similar beta image generation tool last fall that can also create backgrounds for product photos. Instead of advertising a garden hose against a plain white backdrop, it allows brands to create, say, a scene of a backyard with a garden and trees—no actual dirt required.

    The looming question is if consumers will find AI-generated ads off-putting, if they notice them in the first place. Some fashion brands have faced backlash from their customers after they announced they were experimenting with artificial intelligence, including Levi’s and the dressmaker Selkie. But for many smaller e-commerce companies, the potential benefits of using AI may outweigh the risks.

    “Let’s face it, small businesses are crumbling like a house of cards. We’re barely hanging on,” said Smyth. “It has helped me to stay top of mind to customers and potential customers visually. I’m pretty confident my aesthetic would’ve tanked or I would’ve abandoned many social channels without it as an option.”

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  • How Social Media Turned Into a Shopping Mall

    How Social Media Turned Into a Shopping Mall

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    Michael Calore: I’m going to go watch a bunch of shorts and see what I get served and I’ll report back.

    Lauren Goode: Hims and Hers?

    Michael Calore: Yeah, Hims and Hers.

    Lauren Goode: All right, let’s take another quick break and then we’re going to come back with our recommendations.

    [Break]

    Lauren Goode: Amanda, what’s your rec?

    Amanda Hoover: So another product I first saw on TikTok Shop, while we’re on themes, all got me thinking. It’s like this cap that you pull down over your face. You keep it in the freezer. So it’s advertised as being for hangovers. It’s also great for headaches, and it just immediately cools down your head, helps with any pressure, tension, whatever. And it’s called—HungovrAF is one of the main brands of it, but I think there are a couple of others, but that was the one that I first saw.

    Lauren Goode: What a great brand name.

    Michael Calore: So do you keep it in the freezer?

    Amanda Hoover: Yeah. You got to keep it in the freezer. If you wake up hungover, it’s not going to be ready in time. You got to do some prep.

    Lauren Goode: Does it actually cover your face?

    Amanda Hoover: Yes. Covers your eyes. It’s like a soft cap.

    Lauren Goode: Wow. I could see how that would be great for migraines.

    Michael Calore: Amanda, have you considered not drinking?

    Amanda Hoover: I actually had a friend who loved this too. Always was talking about having headaches, and I’d had this cold roller thing, like a skin roller, and I let her borrow that once and she had a really bad hangover. And then I saw this and I was like, “This is going to totally change the game.”

    Lauren Goode: Don’t be a scold, Michael. She’s 30 years old living in New York City. I mean, come on.

    Amanda Hoover: Thirty is where you start to get the hangover sooner than you expected to.

    Michael Calore: Just wait, just wait. A bottle opens across the room and immediately I start to feel terrible.

    Lauren Goode: Every time Mike goes to CES, it’s like, “Oh, good luck.” You’re going for five days, six days, and he is like, the first five: bitters and soda.

    Michael Calore: That’s right. I do not drink at CES until the last night. That’s my move.

    Lauren Goode: That’s a good method.

    Michael Calore: People ask me for Las Vegas recommendations. I’m like, “Don’t drink until you’re going home.”

    Lauren Goode: Right. You could sleep on a plane home. Thank you for that, Amanda. I look forward to linking to that in the show notes because we’re going to become our own little shopping platform. Did you also know you can buy WIRED merch?

    Michael Calore: We’re going to be recommending this thing.

    Lauren Goode: We have to hype the merch.

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  • TikTok Shop’s Era of Super Subsidies Is Ending

    TikTok Shop’s Era of Super Subsidies Is Ending

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    The days of buying ultracheap stuff on TikTok Shop may be winding down.

    Starting today, the fees TikTok charges sellers increase from 2 percent to 6 percent of the price of each order. They will creep up to 8 percent in July. The changes may mark a crucial moment for people who shop on TikTok and for the platform itself, potentially forcing up prices and testing shopper’s loyalty to the social app’s ecommerce play.

    TikTok Shop launched in the US in September with strikingly low prices compared to other online stores, thanks to its subsidies to sellers and shoppers. Influencers and entrepreneurs embraced the opportunity: TikTok saw a surge of sellers that outpaced growth in vendors at competitors like Shopify and Amazon, according to a March report from SimilarWeb, which tracks web traffic. But from the beginning TikTok Shop has hosted deals that appear too good to be true, such as deeply discounted—and possibly counterfeit—snail mucin skin care products and Stanley tumblers, as well as jewelry, socks, and other odds and ends for less than $1.

    After a successful holiday shopping season, TikTok Shop’s fee increases see the platform trying to prove it can become a sustainable, habit-forming mainstay in ecommerce. “The true test for [TikTok Shop’s] longevity and its sustainability will be as these incentives start to roll back,” says Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst for social media at Insider Intelligence, a market research firm. “A lot of the sellers that have found success on TikTok Shop are smaller businesses that really benefited from the incentives.”

    If TikTok Shop continues to increase its fees, those sellers may struggle, Enberg predicts. TikTok did not provide a comment on the fee changes for this story.

    TikTok Shop’s seller fees are still lower than many fees for Amazon sellers, which vary by type of product. The lowest are 5 percent, for low-cost apparel, but they generally range between 8 and 20 percent for jewelry and fine art. But TikTok Shop is a different beast than the everything store. While many people turn to Amazon to search for necessities, on TikTok Shop buyers often find products they didn’t know they wanted through influencers and algorithmic discovery—more similar to Temu or Shein.

    TikTok sellers face the additional challenge of needing their pitches to stand out from the parade of loud, viral video content the app services up. Influencers and brands selling through TikTok Shop have to convince people scrolling for entertainment to stop and shop. People are often “in the app to do something completely different,” says Michael Yamartino, an ecommerce expert and CEO of Route, a platform that helps brands ship orders.

    Sellers that respond to higher fees by raising prices may discover that they’ve lost a key ingredient needed for success in TikTok’s ecommerce model. To get TikTok users’ attention and items into their virtual carts, “you have to be loud,” Yamartino says. “You have to be shockingly cheap, shockingly engaging, and super on trend.”



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