Would You Connect Yourself Directly to Amazon?

September 20, 2017 By E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

Would you connect your movements and actions directly to Amazon? In some ways, you may be doing that already if your smartphone is loaded with Amazon’s apps, but now Amazon is developing its own wearable technologies that will connect to its Alexa artificial intelligence.

The first piece of technology Amazon is working on is a pair of eyeglasses equipped with a “bone-conduction audio system” that will allow the wearer to hear Alexa without earphones or speakers.

Tim Bradshaw and Leslie Hook explain the new tech in the Financial Times:

The glasses are not Amazon’s only upcoming Alexa product launch. The Seattle-based group is also said to be expanding its “smart home” hardware line-up with a new home security camera system. The internet-connected camera would tie into its Echo products, for instance allowing people to view the video feed on Echo Show’s screen, and letting Amazon customers see when their orders from the site have been delivered to their doorstep.

One or both of these products could be launched before the end of the year, alongside updates to existing Echo devices, according to the people with knowledge of Amazon’s plans.

Amazon declined to comment.

While Amazon has had its fair share of failures — including the Fire phone, whose high-profile flop ended in a $170m writedown — the success of the Alexa devices has emboldened Amazon’s push into the home.

Proximity to customers, and the ability to listen to them and respond to their needs, makes the Echo devices a key portal for Amazon. The company has sold “tens of millions” of Alexa-enabled devices worldwide.

Its plans for Alexa show Amazon is willing to take risks in new technologies and double down on areas of proven success.

The question remains though, would you connect yourself directly to Amazon? Read more here.

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West (RIP JB) and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.

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