A team of Utah entrepreneurs has launched Siftbooks, what the group says is the world’s first audiobook filtering subscription service, to allow listeners to enjoy popular books without offensive content. The Lehi-based service helps audiobook listeners filter explicit content — including sexual scenarios, profanity and religious exclamations — out of audiobooks.
As the demand for audiobooks climbs, the creators of Siftbooks hope their service will enable consumers to read the books they want without unwanted sexual or profane content.
Adam Coffey, one of the startup’s founders, said the idea for Siftbooks began in 2022 when his friends and family were discussing the lack of regulation of offensive content in books.
“Movies and shows (have) ratings for everything,” said Coffey. “There are also laws about what you play on the radio, what you play if you’re in a store. Basically, when the public or kids are around, there’s certain rules about what can or can’t be played. For other sorts of media, like audiobooks, they don’t have any sort of that information.”
Siftbooks offers a monthly subscription that connects with the user’s Audible account and blocks explicit content in select books from its library. Listeners can tailor the filters to their personal preferences by choosing to block all types of explicit content or only certain types. Siftbooks offers a catalog of on-demand options that have already been filtered. Users can request up to one new book to be filtered each month, which typically becomes available within 48 hours, depending on the book.
Xevant, a Lehi-based health care analytics company that provides pharmacy benefits management software, has launched VerX, a new platform that improves on how pharmacy benefits are optimized, managed and controlled. VerX optimizes pharmacy benefits claims management (PBM) by reverse-engineering the claims to reveal the lowest achievable net cost for every charge in real time, the company said. VerX combines predictive modeling, AI simulation and automated plan correction in a single, scalable platform. “The industry doesn’t need more dashboards. It needs action,” said Brandon Newman, CEO of Xevant. “VerX isn’t just another reporting tool. It’s the backbone of next-generation cost containment and entirely new PBM strategies never conceived before. Most platforms monitor; VerX predicts, simulates and prescribes actions — backed by proof.” VerX is designed for brokers, health plans, PBMs and self-funded employers looking to identify immediate savings opportunities, Newman said.
Park City-based breakfast brand Kodiak has launched two new products: Trail Bars and frozen breakfast sandwiches. “Kodiak has always been about fueling adventure with real, nourishing food that tastes great and powers your day,” said Valerie Oswalt, CEO of Kodiak. “With the introduction of our Trail Bars and frozen breakfast sandwiches, we’re not just expanding our product offerings; we’re meeting our consumers where they are, whether they’re hitting the trail, racing through a busy morning or needing a hearty, satisfying bite on the go.” Trail Bars are available in two flavors, cranberry chocolate chip and chocolate almond, and contain seven grams of protein. Maple flapjacks replace the expected bread in the frozen breakfast sandwiches, available in sausage and cheddar or bacon and Colby Jack cheese varieties. The sandwiches feature 100 percent whole grains and 20 grams of protein, Oswalt said.
Draper-based OP Media Inc. has added Agent AiBL, a suite of AI agents purpose-built to amplify human expertise within the company’s OP System platform. The system is designed to manage a company’s enterprise knowledge, whether helping subject matter experts draft procedures, evaluate submissions or surface insights. Agent AiBL uses advanced AI to close the gap between documentation and daily operations, merging human expertise with artificial intelligence, OP System said. The new system was developed by founder D.Afu Taumoepeau and Chief Engineer Sean Woodward. “OP System empowers organizations to capture what’s working on the ground and turn it into living intelligence,” said Taumoepeau. “We’re making expertise shareable, searchable and scalable in real time.” OP System replaces stagnant repositories with interactive, intelligent systems that evolve with the business, Taumoepeau said. It’s already in use across industries like health care, defense, government and franchising.
RunDiffusion, an AI creative suite for professional designers based in Lehi, has released Runnit, which contains five specialized training pipelines for AI image generation and model training. Runnit allows creators to maintain complete ownership of their images while applying advanced AI capabilities. The company says the release marks its evolution from providing model access to offering a comprehensive design platform for creators, professionals and teams. “Many AI platforms retain control over creative projects and input data, but Runnit takes a different approach,” said Darin Holbrook, chief technology officer and co-founder of RunDiffusion. “Our five training pipelines operate on a straightforward principle: Your images remain yours throughout the creative process, secured in a private cloud and never used to train our systems.” The five training pipelines address distinct creative categories: human form, fictional characters, art style, object modeling and animal form.
American Fork-based KT Health has introduced KT Plantar Fasciitis Tape. The company is a producer and marketer of kinesiology tape products. Plantar fasciitis causes heel pain and stiffness due to inflammation or degeneration of the plantar fascia, a band of tissue that runs the length of the foot. One in 10 people experience the condition, with a disproportionate number being women. “Plantar fasciitis sufferers struggle to find solutions that are both affordable and effective,” said Jennifer Holahan, KT’s chief marketing officer. “With this in mind, we developed our patented Plantar Fasciitis Tape system to meet this growing need, providing targeted, all-day relief that fits into any lifestyle.” KT Health’s Plantar Fasciitis Tape utilizes a dual-strip system featuring a sole strip made from a thin, rigid and abrasion-resistant material that provides comfort and support, and an arch strip composed of KT Tape PRO Extreme.
Health care technology company Merit Medical Systems Inc. of South Jordan has announced the U.S. commercial release of its Ventrax Delivery System, the latest addition to the company’s electrophysiology and cardiac rhythm management portfolio. Ventrax is intended to facilitate placement of devices used in ablation procedures commonly performed to treat an abnormally fast heartbeat known as ventricular tachycardia arrhythmia (VT). The device provides a streamlined pathway for ablation catheters to enter the left ventricle through the aorta, an approach known as retrograde aortic access, which makes it easier to reach certain areas of the ventricle compared to traditional methods. “Effective access is essential to supporting the growth of VT ablation,” said Fred P. Lampropoulos, Merit’s chairman and CEO. “We are proud to take another significant step toward providing electrophysiologists with a valuable tool that helps fill this need in patient care.”