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Associated Press
10-04-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
BrandXR and Glaze Car Wash Unveil Atlanta-Themed 3D Augmented Reality Mural Experience
Interactive Art Installation Transforms Traditional Car Wash into Immersive Brand Experience 'This collaboration with Glaze Car Wash illustrates how augmented reality can turn ordinary consumer experiences into unforgettable brand moments that foster engagement and encourage social sharing.' — Moody Mattan ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, April 10, 2025 / / -- BrandXR, a leader in augmented reality experiences, and Glaze Car Wash™ have partnered to launch an industry-first interactive augmented reality (AR) mural that transforms the traditional car wash experience into an immersive brand journey. The unveiling event will occur on April 15, 2025, at Glaze Car Wash's Kennesaw location. This cutting-edge 3D mural installation was painted by Chris Carlson, a professional 3D chalk artist and muralist, and signifies a major advancement in how brands can utilize physical spaces to craft memorable digital experiences. The AR mural, part of Glaze's innovative 'Art Walk,' encourages visitors to scan a QR code that animates Atlanta's iconic skyline, featuring interactive elements that respond to user engagement. 'We're redefining the way brands engage with consumers in physical spaces,' said Moody Mattan, CEO of BrandXR. 'This collaboration with Glaze Car Wash illustrates how augmented reality can turn ordinary consumer experiences into unforgettable brand moments that foster engagement and encourage social sharing.' The AR experience features multiple interactive touchpoints, including: - A dynamic 'breaking through' animation that reveals Atlanta's skyline being 'glazed' in vibrant colors - A 'Glaze Meter' that fills as users tap on factory elements, triggering a shower of glaze effects - A surprise 'Peach Drop' countdown animation, paying homage to Atlanta's New Year's tradition - Interactive elements, including a Ferris wheel and birds that respond to user movements - A personalized 'You've Been Glazed' selfie feature that applies a shimmering effect to users' photos 'At Glaze Car Wash, we strive to create immersive and interactive experiences that you wouldn't find in an ordinary car wash,' stated Joe Wilson, CEO of Glaze Car Wash. 'Our partnership with BrandXR enables us to bring our 'Life is Sweeter with Glaze' tagline to life in a way that surprises and delights customers and fosters shareable moments.' The AR mural is the centerpiece of Glaze Car Wash's Art Walk, a collection of 3D street art and interactive installations that aims to transform the ordinary car wash into a destination experience. Business Impact and Marketing Innovation For marketing leaders aiming to enhance physical locations through digital experiences, this collaboration offers a blueprint for utilizing emerging technologies to: - Extend average customer dwell time by 10+ minutes per visit - Increase social media mentions by creating highly shareable moments - Transform utilitarian consumer experiences into memorable brand engagements - Drive foot traffic through digital-physical installations that can't be experienced online A recent study by Snapchat found that AR experiences enhance brand recall by 70% compared to traditional advertising, with 85% of users sharing their AR experiences on social media. Event Details What: Unveiling of the Glaze Car Wash AR Mural Experience When: April 15, 2025, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Where: Glaze Car Wash, 1480 George Busbee Pkwy NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144 Media Opportunities: Demonstration of AR technology, interviews with executives from BrandXR and Glaze Car Wash, photo and video opportunities with the interactive mural Media representatives and marketing executives interested in attending the unveiling or scheduling a private demonstration should contact Brandie Wilson, Owner of Glaze Car Wash, at [email protected] About BrandXR BrandXR is a no-code Augmented Reality platform and award-winning XR creative studio revolutionizing how brands engage audiences through immersive storytelling. Renowned for its Augmented Reality Billboards and Murals, BrandXR transforms static surfaces into captivating, interactive experiences that blend art, technology, and culture. Learn more at About Glaze Car Wash Glaze Car Wash™ is redefining the car wash experience through innovation, art, and technology. With locations across the Atlanta metro area, Glaze combines premium car care with immersive experiences that delight customers and transform a routine errand into an adventure. Learn more at Glaze Car Wash YouTube Legal Disclaimer:
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
States try to rein in health insurers' claim denials, with mixed results
A prescription is filled in Morganton, N.C. North Carolina is among the states considering legislation designed to regulate health insurers' prior authorization and claims reviews. (Chris Carlson/The Associated Press) Health insurance companies are under increasing scrutiny for allegedly using artificial intelligence bots and algorithms to swiftly deny patients routine or lifesaving care — without a human actually reviewing their claims. The high-profile killing late last year of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has focused even more attention on so-called prior authorization, the process by which patients and doctors must ask health insurers to approve medical procedures or drugs before proceeding. There had been protests and outrage over the company's practices for months before Thompson's death, and UnitedHealthcare has been accused in a class-action lawsuit of using AI to wrongfully deny claims. As more patients and doctors voice their frustrations, states are responding with legislation designed to regulate prior authorization and claims reviews. So far this year, lawmakers in more than a dozen states are considering measures that would, for example, limit the use of AI in reviewing claims; exclude certain prescription medications from prior authorization rules; ensure that emergency mental health care is not delayed for more than 48 hours; and require that insurers' review boards include licensed physicians, dentists or pharmacists with clinical experience. Insurers have long required doctors to obtain their approval before they'll pay for certain drugs, treatments and procedures. They argue it is necessary to rein in health care costs and limit unnecessary services. But many doctors and patients say the practice has gotten out of hand, causing delays and denials of care that are harming and even killing people. In a survey last year by the American Medical Association, 93% of doctors said that insurers' prior authorization practices delayed 'necessary care' for their patients. Twenty-nine percent said such delays had led to a 'serious adverse event,' such as hospitalization, permanent injury or death. In 2023, insurers selling plans on the marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act denied a combined average of 20% of all claims. Of the 73 million in-network claims they denied, only 1% were appealed, according to KFF, a health policy research group. Under the Biden administration, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice took a firmer hand against health care corporations alleged to be engaging in behavior resulting in limited and more expensive care for patients. The administration also approved rules requiring that beginning in 2026, Medicare and Medicaid plans create a streamlined electronic process for reviewing claims, making decisions more quickly and providing specific reasons for denying care. States want to make it harder for health insurers to deny care, but firms might evade enforcement But it's difficult to hold insurers accountable, according to Timothy McBride, a health policy analyst and co-director of a program at the Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis. 'Each part of the health care industry — hospitals, pharmaceuticals, insurers — they all have a lot of concentrated power,' McBride said in a phone interview. 'And unless somebody actually takes it on directly, it's going to stay that way. I think the Biden administration tried to take it on, but didn't make a lot of progress.' It's unclear whether the Trump administration and Congress will reverse course. During his confirmation hearing on March 14, Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, defended the use of artificial intelligence in reviewing claims. 'AI can be used for good or for evil, and it to a large extent depends on who's using it and for what purpose,' Oz told members of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. 'I think AI could play a vital role in accelerating preauthorization.' In the past, Trump has supported measures to help patients, such as increasing hospital price transparency and lowering prescription drug prices, McBride noted. But 'Republicans and conservatives generally are anti-regulation,' he said. 'My gut feeling would be that they back off on the Biden push on this.' States have limited power to act on their own. They have authority only over state-regulated health plans, which include Medicaid, plans for state workers and policies residents purchase from the ACA marketplaces. About 90 million people are covered that way. State laws do not apply to the 156 million workers, retirees and dependents who get their coverage through employer-sponsored health plans, which are regulated through a federal law known as ERISA. Furthermore, health insurance companies are large and have deep pockets, allowing them to easily absorb state fines. But Kaye Pestaina, the director of the program on patient and consumer protection at KFF, said states have an important role to play. 'Much of the focus around prior authorization at the federal level has kind of originated from state protections, so I imagine there will be continual activity by state legislatures to come at the problem,' Pestaina told Stateline. Pestaina said states are trying a number of solutions. For example, states such as Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania have given their insurance regulators more authority to directly access claims denial information, in order to overturn decisions or potentially enforce state rules. And these efforts have largely had bipartisan support. There is a role for some oversight to make sure that things are covered. But right now, I think the system is out of balance. – North Carolina Republican state Rep. Timothy Reeder In Pennsylvania, Republican state Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill pushed through bipartisan legislation in 2022 to streamline prior authorization practices for state-regulated health plans after hearing numerous complaints from patients and doctors. The legislation created an Independent External Review organization that allows Pennsylvanians to submit an online form to request a review if their insurer denies a service or treatment. If the review organization decides the service should be covered, the insurer must do so. Before then, patients could turn only to a federal review process, which may have been more challenging to navigate and taken more time. 'Our reforms created clear rules, clear timelines for the prior authorization process, and it removed ambiguity or uncertainty from the system that at times, insurers could exploit and providers could be confused over,' Phillips-Hill told Stateline. 'Prior to that reform, if you had a denial from your insurer, you had very little recourse.' The program began in January 2024, and in its first year the Pennsylvania Insurance Department overturned half of 517 denials, which amounted to claims from 259 people. Jonathan Greer, president and CEO of the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania, said his trade group worked with lawmakers to come to an agreement on how to change the prior authorization process in a way that worked for insurers and patient advocates. Greer says he thinks Pennsylvania could be a model for other states. 'Prior authorization, I think unfairly, has been characterized as a reason to say 'no' by insurers,' Greer said. 'The purpose of prior authorization is to make sure that you know the care that you get is consistent with the care that you need.' In North Carolina, Republican state Rep. Timothy Reeder is hopeful that his prior authorization bill will make it across the finish line this year. Reeder's bill would set tight deadlines on insurers' claim decisions and require companies to have licensed practitioners on their claim review boards. Insurers would also have to publicize a list of services they require authorization for. 'I'm not saying that we need to get rid of it completely,' Reeder told Stateline. 'There is a role for some oversight to make sure that things are covered. But right now, I think the system is out of balance.' But some state laws have proven to be less effective than advertised. In 2021, Texas enacted a first-of-its-kind law creating a 'gold card' standard, under which physicians whose care recommendations are approved by insurers at least 90% of the time are exempt from the prior authorization process. But as of the end of 2023, only 3% of Texas physicians had earned gold card status, according to the Texas Medical Association. That's why the group is pushing legislation that would require insurers to report which preauthorization exemptions they granted and denied and how many claims went to independent review. Dr. Zeke Silva of the Texas Medical Association's legislative council said it would be 'in the same spirit' as what Pennsylvania has done. 'Our focus with the [Texas Medical Association] is our physicians being able to provide the best care possible. And we want that to be free of burden,' Silva told Stateline. 'We want to minimize third parties coming in and inappropriately denying care that our physicians and our patients think is in their best interest.' Stateline reporter Shalina Chatlani can be reached at schatlani@ SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
March Madness' top seeds have faced trickier Final Four paths than ever in the transfer portal era
March Madness' top seeds have faced trickier Final Four paths than ever in the transfer portal era Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara (10) and Johni Broome (4) react to play against Tennessee during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Duke head coach Jon Scheyer cuts the net after their win against Louisville after an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes speaks to an official during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Florida in the final round of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Clemson forward Ian Schieffelin vies for the ball with SMU forward Matt Cross during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) FILE - Saint Peter's Jaylen Murray, left, and Latrell Reid celebrate after their team won a college basketball game against Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) Fairleigh Dickinson guard Grant Singleton (4) celebrates after a basket against Purdue during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, March 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File) Fairleigh Dickinson guard Grant Singleton (4) celebrates after a basket against Purdue during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, March 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File) Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara (10) and Johni Broome (4) react to play against Tennessee during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Duke head coach Jon Scheyer cuts the net after their win against Louisville after an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes speaks to an official during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Florida in the final round of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Clemson forward Ian Schieffelin vies for the ball with SMU forward Matt Cross during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) FILE - Saint Peter's Jaylen Murray, left, and Latrell Reid celebrate after their team won a college basketball game against Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) Fairleigh Dickinson guard Grant Singleton (4) celebrates after a basket against Purdue during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, March 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File) It seemed a perfect and even relatively safe setup for Arizona. The Wildcats held a No. 2 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament and headed to Los Angeles within their long-running Pac-12 regional footprint with a chance to reach the Final Four. Instead, a sixth-seeded Clemson team that had traveled across the country and hadn't reached a regional final in more than four decades sent the Wildcats home. 'It's all about matchups at the end of the day,' said Tigers forward Ian Schieffelin, who had 14 points in that upset and is part of Clemson's fifth-seeded team this year. 'Whether you're a 6 or an 11, it really doesn't matter.' Advertisement That's always been one of the biggest selling points of March Madness, that anything-can-and-will-happen vibe on everything from buzzer-beaters and memorable upsets to the best teams abruptly stalling at a shocking time. But the road to college basketball's biggest stage for the top seeds has been even trickier in the four tournaments since the COVID-19 pandemic, with lower-seeded opponents making deeper runs to put more potential chaos into the bracket. It just so happens that volatility has come amid the growing use of the transfer portal, which has granted freer player movement to distribute talent more widely in the college version of free agency. That's been particularly true with many players carrying a fifth year of eligibility after competing during the pandemic, though this year largely marks the final crop of those players coming through the tournament. Tougher ask 'I think winning a championship is harder, the path is harder,' said ACC Network analyst Luke Hancock, who was the Final Four's most outstanding player during Louisville's run to a later-vacated national title in 2013. "You don't have teams that have just five, six, seven upperclassmen who have played together three, four and five years, where they play a certain way and know each other and there's continuity. Advertisement 'It's more about how you build your team, roster management, how you can navigate the portal. ... I think there will be more variance.' There's already been an uptick in that starting with the bizarre 'bubble' tournament of 2021, both when compared to the four years immediately before the pandemic as well as going back to the expansion of the tournament to 64 teams in 1985. A look at the combined seeds of teams reaching specific points in the tournament offers a glimpse as to just how much, with higher averages indicating the presence of more teams with bigger numbers alongside their names in the bracket. And trouble has come throughout the bracket for the teams carrying those No. 1, 2 or 3 seeds, most notably Fairleigh Dickinson joining UMBC as the only 16-seeds to take down a No. 1 by beating Purdue in the 2023 first round. Final Four Advertisement The average combined seeds of teams in the Final Four was 17.0 from 2021-24, up from 13.5 from 2016-19 and 11.3 for the 35 tournaments from 1985-2019. It was only two years ago when 4-seed UConn was the top team in an unusual Final Four in Houston, marking the first time there was no 1-, 2- or 3-seed in the national semifinals dating to '85. Additionally, there has been at least one team seeded eighth or lower in four consecutive Final Fours for the first time dating to the 1985 expansion, with 11th-seeded N.C. State as last year's improbable example. Elite Eight The average combined seeds for teams in the regional finals has been 38.3 from 2021-24, up from 27.8 from 2016-19 and 25.6 dating to 1985. The biggest outlier came in 2022, when St. Peter's stunned Kentucky in Round 1 on the way to becoming the only 15-seed ever to reach a regional final. Advertisement The Peacocks' opponent? Another surprise team in eighth-seeded North Carolina, which went all the way to the national title game. Meanwhile, only six No. 1 seeds have reached the Elite Eight from 2021-24. That's half the total of the same span immediately before the pandemic. Sweet 16 Just getting to the tournament's second week has been tricky, too. The average combined seeds since the pandemic is 77.5. That's up from 66.3 immediately before the canceled 2020 tournament and 70.6 from 1985-2019. The aforementioned 2023 tournament had only two No. 1 seeds — Alabama and Houston — survive the opening weekend. And that had happened only three times previously going back to 1985 (2000, 2004, 2018). Advertisement Managing the pitfalls Tennessee coach Rick Barnes has been around long enough to understand the seismic changes across college sports, including players being able to profit from their own fame through use of their name, image and likeness. He points to the portal as a key factor in these tournament-changing moments, and examples abounded in a Southeastern Conference that put a record 14 teams in the field. There's fifth-year Auburn forward Johni Broome, who started his career at a mid-major and this year is an unanimous Associated Press All-America first-team pick. Or on Barnes' roster with Jordan Gainey (previously USC Upstate) and Chaz Lanier (North Florida) as examples this year, as well as AP first-team All-American Dalton Knecht (Northern Colorado) last year. 'Just goes to show you there's players at every level, certainly guard play,' Barnes said. Advertisement Duke's Jon Scheyer sees the impact, too, in terms of teams having to essentially start over every year with roster overhauls whether they gain valuable transfers or lose them, then try to build cohesion over potentially a lone season together. But does he think that equates to a trickier path now for top teams like his Blue Devils, the East Region's No. 1 seed? 'As a player we were a 1-seed, as an assistant coach — I always think there's a lot of risk,' Scheyer said. 'It's how I'm wired, to never assume anything. But sure, I think the thing you have to consider is you just don't have the continuity, no matter what. I don't care if you're a 1-seed all the way through 16. Less teams have that.' Hancock looks at the volatility as a potential argument toward expanding the tournament field, which has been a multiyear topic when mulling the future of the sport. He sees the path being tougher through the portal mixed with older players sticking around college longer because of NIL. Advertisement Still, that's not to say it's ever been easy to win those last six games. 'Outside of the 1-16 game,' Auburn big man Dylan Caldwell said, 'it's going to be a gauntlet regardless.' ___ AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Withers' lane violation adds improbable twist to UNC's failed comeback against No. 1 Duke in ACCs
Duke celebrates a lane violation call in the final seconds against North Carolina during an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis yells during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) North Carolina forward Jae'Lyn Withers pull a rebound away from Wake Forest forward Efton Reid III during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) North Carolina forward Jae'Lyn Withers pull a rebound away from Wake Forest forward Efton Reid III during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Duke celebrates a lane violation call in the final seconds against North Carolina during an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis yells during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) North Carolina forward Jae'Lyn Withers pull a rebound away from Wake Forest forward Efton Reid III during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina nearly completed a comeback from a 24-point deficit against top-ranked Duke in the ACC tournament, only to see it slip away on the most unusual of mistakes. With the Tar Heels trailing by one with 4.1 seconds left, Jae'Lyn Withers committed a lane violation to negate Ven-Allen Lubin's tying free throw. The Blue Devils then closed out a 74-71 win in Friday night's semifinals. Withers, a graduate forward who had helped lead the Tar Heels' final-month surge to revive their NCAA Tournament hopes, stepped into the paint with his right foot as he tried to be ready to get the jump on any potential rebound. The whistle blew for the violation as Lubin's shot dropped through the net. Advertisement The Tar Heels missed a desperation 3-pointer on one final possession, and Withers immediately covered his face with his jersey at the bench in anguish. He later spoke to reporters with coach Hubert Davis standing at his side in a show of support. Duke won depsite playing without freshman star Cooper Flagg and versatile defender Maliq Brown due to injuries. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: and
