Amazon has acquired the AI wearables startup Bee. Bee makes both a stand-alone Fitbit-like bracelet (which retails for $49.99, plus a $19-per-month subscription) and an Apple Watch app. The product records everything it hears — unless the user manually mutes it — with the goal of listening to conversations to create reminders and to-do lists for the user. The company hopes to create a “cloud phone,” or a mirror of your phone that gives the personal Bee device access to the user’s accounts and notifications, making it possible to get reminders about events or send messages. At a $50 price point, Bee’s devices are more cost-accessible to a curious consumer who doesn’t want to make a big financial commitment. This acquisition signals Amazon’s interest in developing wearable AI devices, a different avenue from its voice-controlled home assistant products like its line of Echo speakers. Bee says that users can delete their data at any time and that audio recordings are not saved, stored, or used for AI training. The app does store data that the AI learns about the user, however, which is how it can function as an assistant. Bee also says it’s working on a feature to allow users to define boundaries — both based on topic and location — that will automatically pause the device’s learning. The company noted that it plans to build on-device AI processing, which generally poses less of a privacy risk than processing data in the cloud.
Amazon reveals most significant grocery expansion
Amazon has announced a major grocery expansion. Tens of millions of Prime members in more than 1,000 cities and towns can now shop for fresh groceries with their Same-Day Delivery orders. The company has plans to expand this offering to over 2,300 cities and towns across the United States by year-end. This marks one of the most significant grocery expansions for Amazon as the company introduces thousands of perishable food items into its existing logistics network. Amazon has been piloting the service in regions including Phoenix, Ariz., Orlando, Fla., and Kansas City, Mo., with these consumers having embraced the convenience. According to the company, many of these shoppers were first-time Amazon grocery customers who now return to shop twice as often with Same-Day Delivery service compared to those who didn’t purchase fresh food. “We’re seeing strong customer adoption as 75% of customers who’ve used the service this year are first time shoppers for perishables on Amazon, with 20% of customers who use the service returning multiple times within their first month,” commented CEO Andy Jassy. Amazon is finding success delivering perishables thanks to its specialized temperature-controlled fulfillment network that ensures customers receive fresh grocery items. Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores said, “By introducing fresh groceries into our Same-Day Delivery service, we’re creating a quick and easy experience for customers.
Amazon’s virtual assistant’s web-based version Alexa.com to be launched this summer; would be vastly more conversational and able to handle significantly more complex tasks
Alexa.com, a new web-based version of Amazon’s virtual assistant, will reportedly be launched “no sooner than July 31.” This version of Alexa was first announced in February and was previously scheduled to launch at the end of June, cites internal Amazon documents. Amazon spokesperson Lauren Raemhild said, Alexa.com is not delayed and “will be available with Alexa+ Early Access this summer.” The company’s Alexa+ Early Access web page said Monday that Alexa.com is “coming soon.” Several million people have early access to Alexa+ and 90% of the features Amazon announced in February. Raemhild said that Amazon is fine-tuning Alexa+ as it expands the new virtual assistant to more customers. “Customers love that Alexa+ is vastly more conversational and able to handle significantly more complex tasks, and this Early Access phase is really important as we learn how they want to use it, and what they expect,” Raemhild said.
Amazon’s Alexa+ voice assistant draws 100,000 users; but targets universe of half a billion Amazon devices in people’s homes, offices and cars; wake word needs to be said only once for an entire conversation
Amazon has rolled out Alexa+, the new version of its voice assistant, to more than 100,000 users so far, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said. Alexa+ will be made available to more users in the coming months, Jassy said. It is now starting to roll out in the U.S. and will be expanded to other countries later this year. The new version of the voice assistant is being made available on an Early Access basis, beginning with customers who sign up to be notified and own an Echo Show 8, 10, 15 or 21 and then expanding to more Echo customers over time. The new voice assistant is free to Prime members and available for $19.99 per month to non-members, Jassy said. He added that Amazon has more than half a billion devices in people’s homes, offices and cars to which Alexa+ will be able to be delivered. Jassy said that the new version is “meaningfully smarter and more capable than its prior self, can both answer virtually any questions and take actions.” He added that users no longer have to say “Alexa” before requesting every action; instead, they only have to say it once and can then have an ongoing conversation with the voice assistant.