Amazons

Amazon Ordered to Release Advertising Library in the EU

Gettyimages 535058999
Amazon will have to publish an ads library in EU after allAmazon will have to provide information about the ads running on its platform in a publicly accessible online archive after all, following a decision by the European Union’s highest court Wednesday. Other tech giants designated under the DSA have complied with the ads transparency provision. However, on Wednesday, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) reversed the September decision by the EU General Court to grant Amazon the partial suspension. It is also a win for platform transparency as it will force Amazon to be more open about the ads it displays and monetizes. In a statement following the CJEU decision provided to TechCrunch, and attributed to an Amazon spokesperson, the company said:

Potential EU Intervention Looms Over Amazon and iRobot Partnership

Gettyimages 1451099623 E1680772849833
The deal’s latest hurdle is the European Commission, which has set a February 14 deadline to reach a final decision. According to a new report, the EU regulatory body is set to vote against acquisition, citing the perceived anti-competitive nature of deal. In July, Amazon announced that it was lowering its asking price from $61 to $51.75 per share. The day the initial deal was announced, iRobot cut its headcount by 10% — around 140 people – as part of a restructure. As of this writing, share prices have dipped below $20 – one-third of where things where when the deal was announced.

“Employee Badges Now Gain Access to Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ Technology”

Amazon Just Walk Out Hospital
The retail giant announced today the launch of “badge pay,” a new option that will initially bring Just Walk Out technology to a hospital setting. With the launch, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff will be able to grab food and beverages from their hospital’s Just Walk Out store by scanning their employee badges. The employees will also be able to look up their receipts and see their account balance in their hospital’s badge pay web portal or mobile app, Amazon explains. At this location, Amazon worked with healthcare automation provider CBORD on the implementation of the tech at the hospital store. The Candler Hospital’s store, meanwhile, is operated by food and nutrition provider Morrison Healthcare, which serves over 950 hospitals and healthcare systems.

New AI technology enhances Amazon’s Alexa with generative capabilities

Splash Alexa Image 1
In September 2023, Amazon announced to developers that it would be launching new tools to build LLM-powered experiences. Today, the company revealed three developers delivering new generative AI-powered Alexa experiences, including AI chatbot platform Character.AI, AI music company Splash and Voice AI game developer Volley. All three experiences are available in the Amazon Alexa Skill Store. Volley introduced its generative AI-powered “20 Questions” game, giving Alexa users a modern version of the well-known game. The game uses generative AI to interact with users by asking them questions, providing hints and explaining “yes or no questions” if the human opponent gets stuck.

New Amazon Alexa Generative AI-Powered Functions

Splash Alexa Image
In September 2023, Amazon announced to developers that it would be launching new tools to build LLM-powered experiences. Today, the company revealed three developers delivering new generative AI-powered Alexa experiences, including AI chatbot platform Character.AI, AI music company Splash and Voice AI game developer Volley. All three experiences are available in the Amazon Alexa Skill Store. Volley introduced its generative AI-powered “20 Questions” game, giving Alexa users a modern version of the well-known game. The game uses generative AI to interact with users by asking them questions, providing hints and explaining “yes or no questions” if the human opponent gets stuck.

“Revolutionizing Wellness: Amazon’s Newest Endeavor to Uncover Digital Solutions for Chronic Illness Management”

Gettyimages 1447436907
Amazon announced today that it’s launching Health Condition Programs, a new initiative that aims to make it easier for people to discover digital health benefits to help manage chronic conditions like prediabetes, diabetes and high blood pressure. Digital health company Omada Health is Amazon’s launch partner for the new initiative. Omada Health’s over 20 million eligible members can now discover and enroll in Omada’s programs for diabetes prevention, diabetes, and hypertension through Amazon. Members can initiate a general coverage check via the Amazon Health webpage to see if they are eligible for a program. “Many people aren’t aware of the health care benefits they’re eligible for, that are typically no cost or subsidized by their employer or insurance plan.

“Success in Space: Amazon’s Project Kuiper’s Lightning-Fast Satellite Communication Technology Validated”

Project Kuiper Optical Mesh Network
Amazon’s Project Kuiper successfully validated key technology that will increase throughput and reduce latency for customers using its satellite internet service, the company said Thursday. That technology is called “optical inter-satellite links” (OISL), a type of optical communication that uses infrared lasers to send data between spacecraft on orbit. OISL has been around for a while to enable inter-satellite communications, but earlier generations were limited to linking just two satellites at a time. Kuiper’s satellites will be able to connect with many other spacecraft simultaneously, which will form a mesh network in space. “With optical inter-satellite links across our satellite constellation, Project Kuiper will effectively operate as a mesh network in space,” Kuiper VP of technology Rajeev Badyal said in a statement.