Amazon's Alexa is losing billions
Amazon launched Echo and Alexa at a loss, expecting people to buy more Amazon products through them. Turns out, that’s not happening a ton.
Tags: Amazon, Amazon Alexa, buy, download, loss, open, products
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Amazon launched Echo and Alexa at a loss, expecting people to buy more Amazon products through them. Turns out, that’s not happening a ton.
Tags: Amazon, Amazon Alexa, buy, download, loss, open, products
If your kids play Roblox, listen up. The kids’ gaming platform is also a haven for pedophiles. Take sicko DoctorRofatnik, aka “Doc,” creator of Sonic Eclipse Online, a Roblox game popular with thousands of kids.
In 2020, a player posted messages Doc sent to a 12-year-old on X: “I’ll corrupt you beyond your wildest dreams. Words cannot explain what I want to do with you.” So, Roblox kicked Doc off the platform, but he immediately created new accounts.
🦍 Please don’t stream the apes: Gorillas in zoos like seeing pics and watching videos of themselves on your phone. When a visitor shows them their screen, they’ll even flick or tap on the glass to “scroll” to the next vid (paywall link). Now, even the gorillas are addicted to screens.
Rep. Jennifer Wexton of Virginia delivered what is believed to be the first speech ever from the House floor using artificial intelligence voice technology. Wexton was diagnosed last year with a rare neurological disorder that robbed her of her ability to speak clearly.
Worry AI will become uncontrollable. It’s already made us way more vulnerable to scams. It might be time to rewatch “The Terminator,” “The Matrix,” “I, Robot,” “Blade Runner,” “Westworld” … you get the point.
Another stupid viral video trend: A Maine man fired 14 rounds from a handgun at teens who ding-dong-ditched his house at 1 a.m., clipping one kid in the leg. Luckily, the teen is OK, but the homeowner faces multiple charges of assault and reckless conduct with a firearm. Tell your kids not to prank homes for video views.
Removed for sextortion scams. Does that number seem a little low to you? It does to me, considering the billions of people on FB and IG. Meta says it’s cracking down on Nigerian scam rings like the Yahoo Boys. It’s a drop in the bucket.
I don’t think I can bring myself to eat this unless is it utterly necessary.
To take a four-day class at Harvard. The course, Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports, is open to non-Harvard students and covers the economics of modern-day brands (paywall link) from Nike to MrBeast. Alumni include celebrities looking to build an empire, like Channing Tatum and LL Cool J. Oh, to be a fly on the wall.
For the ULTRA Air Force drone. Short for Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft, the ULTRA has an 80-foot wingspan, can carry hundreds of pounds and fly twice as long as similar military drones. The Air Force will spend $35 million in 2025 to build four more. The age of drone surveillance is just beginning.
How ironic: Security training company KnowBe4’s latest remote hire turned out to be a collection of North Korean hackers. When they mailed the “employee” a company-issued Mac to the guy’s phony home address (that was really a hacker farm), it was immediately loaded up with malware. How’d he get through HR screening? An AI-edited stock headshot — something they should’ve checked before hiring the guy.