Friday 21 September 2018

The Morning After: Amazon's Alexa-powered microwave and iOS 12 reviewed

Engadget Email Newsletter

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It's Friday, September 21, 2018.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

The Alexa-powered Amazon microwave you didn’t ask for is here. The company’s big hardware splurge encompasses your car, your kitchen and even your walls. There’s upgraded Echo devices, too, if that’s what you were looking for. Meanwhile, Apple’s iOS 12 is an update worth your time, and life insurance companies are very interested in your step count. (Read in browser)

Alexa vs. Everybody
 

Amazon's new Echo lineup targets Google, Apple and Sonos
 

Amazon's new Echo lineup targets Google, Apple and Sonos<br />   

The company announced not one, not two, but seven new Echo products at an event in Seattle. With so many new Echo speakers and companion products, Amazon is clearly flexing its dominance in the personal-assistant space, as if thumbing its figurative nose at the likes of Google and Apple, who both arrived relatively late in the smart-speaker category. Pretty soon, everything in your life will be powered by Alexa, and you might not even realize it.
 

Voice control everywhere.

Here's every Alexa device Amazon announced yesterday

Here's every Alexa device Amazon announced yesterday

Amazon caused a few gasps at its Alexa event Thursday when it revealed it had 70 things to announce. If that sounds like a lot to take in, fret not -- not all of those were hardware announcements. We've rounded up all of the Alexa-infused products Amazon showcased, including speakers, an in-car device and, um, a microwave?

The AmazonBasics Microwave is powered by Alexa

Amazon's new Echo Dot offers better sound at the same price

Amazon's new Echo Show packs a larger display and improved audio

Fire TV Recast offers both DVR and streaming on the go

Amazon's Echo Link is its answer to high-end audio

Amazon's Echo Input offers Alexa for your existing speakers

Amazon's Echo Auto puts Alexa in any car

Amazon's new Echo Plus has a better speaker and temperature sensor\

Amazon's new Echo Dot offers better sound at the same price

Screen Time can’t magically give you self control.
 

Apple iOS 12 review: Less mess
 

Apple iOS 12 review: Less mess<br />   

iOS 12 doesn’t pack loads of new features or a massive redesign -- just lots of polish and a few really thoughtful additions. Chris Velazco said “By focusing on polish over breakneck progress, Apple has put together what feels like the most complete, thoughtful version of iOS I've seen in a long time.” The best part, though, is that if you’re still hanging on to an older iOS device, you’ll probably notice a boost in performance, too.
 

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Experience the pleasure of a hot towel shave with every stroke. Limited quantities available today.

Experience the pleasure of a hot towel shave with every stroke. Limited quantities available today.

The company is completely doing away with traditional policies.
 

John Hancock will require fitness tracking for life insurance
 

John Hancock will require fitness tracking for life insurance<br />   

Life insurance company John Hancock, one of the oldest and largest underwriters in the US, has announced it will only sell policies that track fitness and health data. This isn't John Hancock's first foray into health and fitness tracking for its life insurance policies. The company began offering "interactive" programs back in 2015. Last year, John Hancock offered customers a $25 Apple Watch if they met certain fitness goals. Now, the company isn't offering its customers a choice; traditional life insurance plans will be converted to Vitality plans starting in 2019.
 

New features, same $399 price
 

GoPro Hero 7 Black review: An action camera for the social age
 

GoPro Hero 7 Black review: An action camera for the social age<br />   

The HyperSmooth upgrade in stability alone will save hours of potential memories from the trash can. SuperPhoto makes the GoPro a more robust choice for stills, and the addition of live streaming is a plus for everyone. If you live on social or love to share in real time, the Hero 7's portrait mode, snackable videos, TimeWarps, live streaming and improved HDR images are all going to sing to you, or at the very least, give your trusty phone a run for its money.
 

Heard of Xbox Game Pass? It’s like that.
 

PlayStation Now users can download certain PS4 and PS2 games
 

PS2 and PS4 on PlayStation Now are downloadable as well as streamable. Moving them to your system from the cloud cuts out annoying lag, but it does mean that Sony will require an occasional online check-in to verify your subscription to keep them functioning -- the same thing it teased for Xbox a few years ago.
 

But wait, there's more...

1. Jordan XXXIII adds tech 'informed' by Nike's self-tightening HyperAdapt shoe

2. Switch NES emulator already hacked to run unofficial games

3. Facebook could launch its video chat devices this month

4. Tesla Model 3 receives a perfect safety rating from NHTSA

5. Capcom releases 'Mega Man' classics cartridges

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Thursday 20 September 2018

E-Commerce Minute


E-Commerce Minute: Thursday -- September 20, 2018

The E-Commerce Times -- E-Business Means Business
http://www.ecommercetimes.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
10 Things People With Disabilities Wish Online Retailers Knew
ACLU Sues Facebook for Facilitating Gender-Biased Job Recruitment
Utopia or Disaster? AI's Transformation of Sales
Despite Emmys, Road Ahead Is Bumpy for Streaming Services
Blockchain (Re)Emerges

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Today's Story Highlights

10 Things People With Disabilities Wish Online Retailers Knew
Many shoppers would be just fine if they could never set foot in a
retail store again. After all, everything is available online: books,
groceries, pizza, household necessities, even big ticket items like
mattresses and cars. However, 15 percent of people worldwide have a
disability that affects their daily life, and many retailers are unaware
that their websites are not always accessible to them.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85578.html

ACLU Sues Facebook for Facilitating Gender-Biased Job Recruitment
The ACLU has filed charges of unlawful gender-based discrimination with
the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Facebook and 10
employers accused of targeting job ads at males only. The ACLU, Outten &
Golden, a Washington, D.C. law firm, and the Communications Workers of
America brought the class action. The complaint alleges that Facebook
delivers job ads selectively.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85575.html

Utopia or Disaster? AI's Transformation of Sales
If there's one thing that can be said with certainty about AI in the
field of sales, it's this: It's coming. Solutions for sales leaders,
account executives and business development reps tout various AI-enabled
features and the benefits they offer to sales. Writers breathlessly
forecast the loss of millions of jobs due to AI, including the
decimation of most professions, sales included.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85577.html

Despite Emmys, Road Ahead Is Bumpy for Streaming Services
Netflix had a very good showing on Monday, winning 23 Emmy Awards and
tying longtime Emmy-winning powerhouse HBO. Netflix, an over-the-top
streaming service, claimed 112 nominations this year, four more than its
premium pay-TV channel rival HBO, which had dominated the Emmys for
nearly two decades. Although the Emmy wins were good news for Netflix,
other recent news has been far less rosy.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85573.html

Blockchain (Re)Emerges
More often than you might think, disruptive innovations travel in pairs
-- at least until they are separated by the markets, which decide one is
useful and the other no so much. Sometimes they're symbiotic. Both may
be useful or even necessary -- like hardware and software -- but that's
not always the case. Consider the strange pairing of blockchain
technology and cryptocurrency.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85572.html

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Editor's Pick: 10 Things People With Disabilities Wish Online Retailers Knew


Derek Featherstone
Sep 20, 2018 5:00 AM PT
Many shoppers would be just fine if they could never set foot in a retail store again. After all, everything is available online: books, groceries, pizza, household necessities, even big ticket items like mattresses and cars. However, 15 percent of people worldwide have a disability that affects their daily life, and many retailers are unaware that their websites are not always accessible to them. [More...]

More Picks:
Utopia or Disaster? AI's Transformation of Sales
If there's one thing that can be said with certainty about AI in the field of sales, it's this: It's coming. Solutions for sales leaders, account executives and business development reps tout various AI-enabled features and the benefits they offer to sales. Writers breathlessly forecast the loss of millions of jobs due to AI, including the decimation of most professions, sales included. [More...]
ACLU Sues Facebook for Facilitating Gender-Biased Job Recruitment
The ACLU has filed charges of unlawful gender-based discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Facebook and 10 employers accused of targeting job ads at males only. The ACLU, Outten & Golden, a Washington, D.C. law firm, and the Communications Workers of America brought the class action. The complaint alleges that Facebook delivers job ads selectively. [More...]
In Technology We Trust... But Should We?
Since the industrial revolution, technology has changed society continually. Largely due to innovations in semiconductor electronics, software and computer technology, the pace of technological development has continued to accelerate over the past 50 years. Personal computers now fit into your pocket. You have access to people and information all over the world through the Internet. [More...]
Amazon Has Big Plans for Alexa in Homes, Cars
Amazon will unveil eight new Alexa-powered devices for the car and home before the end of the year, according to a report. They include a microwave oven, an amplifier, a receiver, a subwoofer and an in-car gadget. Amazon is expected to reveal some of the devices at an event later this month. All the devices will connect easily to Alexa, and some will have the voice assistant built in. [More...]
The Future of Open Source
Linux and the open source business model are far different today than many of the early developers might have hoped. Neither can claim a rags-to-riches story. Rather, their growth cycles have been a series of hit-or-miss milestones. The Linux desktop has yet to find a home on the majority of consumer and enterprise computers. However, Linux-powered technology has long ruled the Internet. [More...]
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