Eager To See Ahead, Amazon Carries The FTC On Its Back For The Search
Delivery robots that will 'spring out' of vans, a $10B AI data center in North Carolina, and surely more in the coming weeks. What you've read is just a sampling of the stories that found their way into news about Amazon recently. It's trying to discover a business future that will assuredly look nothing like the present.
It all raises a question: why is Amazon doing so much, trying so much, and spending so much? It's already one of the rare noun, verb and adjectives of commerce, and according to the FTC, it's a 'monopoly.' What's the point of spending enormous sums on the future when the future is allegedly already secure?
The answer to the questions posed is that Amazon has no choice. While the FTC is constrained by the known, and operates as though online shopping is the frontier of e-commerce, Amazon's executives recognize that the only way it can remain relevant is through discovery of what will eclipse what makes it appear so impregnable in the eyes of a sight-limited FTC in the present. It's a scary concept. For Amazon.
Against all odds, Jeff Bezos discovered a tomorrow of retail that was roundly dismissed by the powers-that-be of retail (including Walmart) in the 1990s. Amazon was a niche concept for the socially inept. The normal among us would always prefer to buy books in a store, around other people, and while physically seeing the books. Same with CDs and DVDs. Hopefully readers see where this is going.
Hard as it is to remember, Amazon's ascent from bookseller to one of the most prominent commercial names ever was the epitome of unlikely. No one thought Bezos et al had a chance. If you doubt this, check out Bezos's net worth and Amazon's market cap of roughly $2.2 trillion. Markets are way too efficient for established businesses to let a 2.2 billion business concept pass, let alone one that can be measured in trillions of dollars. What Bezos et al saw, they saw uniquely.
Which hopefully explains Amazon's frenzied experimentation in the present. To remain Amazon, executives at the Seattle giant must somehow discover what's next. Ok, so what's next?
In contemplating what's ahead, it's useful to backtrack to the FTC. To say that the Commission is looking backwards insults understatement. At the same time, it speaks to the difference between regulators who imagine tomorrow will look the same as today, and businesses with shareholders for whom the relentless demand is that executives see 5, 10 and 15 years into the commercial future.
In other words, for Amazon to yet again remain Amazon, it executive another miracle the scope of which measures up to its profound transformation of how we shop. Easy? Words won't be wasted answering such a question.
In truth, there's no need to answer the question. Instead, readers can simply scan the Amazon stories in the news now, and beyond. They're not committing large sums to various projects because they know what's ahead, but because they don't. What pays for all this experimentation is the past successes that the FTC is focused on.
In Amazon's case, it doesn't have the luxury of looking backwards. Which means it will carry an oblivious FTC on its back as it strives at great cost to see into the future. The irony is that the FTC is blind to the meaning of such substantial investment from Amazon, the very investment that thoroughly discredits the FTC's case.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
a few seconds ago
- Gizmodo
Blink Outdoor 4 and Mini 2 Security Camera Bundle Nearly 50% Off, Cheaper Than Buying Individually
Home security doesn't have to be a weekend project. The Blink Outdoor 4 + Mini 2 wireless smart security camera bundle gives you one weather-ready camera for the porch or driveway and one plug-in camera for the room you want to check most. Mount the Outdoor 4 and plug in the Mini 2 inside, and you've got eyes on the spots that matter without rewiring your schedule. If you're new to cameras, this is a friendly place to start. If you've used them before, it's a clean upgrade that doesn't get in your way. Head over to Amazon to get the Blink Outdoor 4 + Mini 2 Wireless smart security camera for just $120, down from its usual price of $230. That's a discount of $110 and 48% off. See at Amazon The Outdoor 4 uses batteries, so you can place it where it sees the door, stairs, or driveway and be done. The Mini 2 lives by an outlet and stays on around the clock for a steady view of an entryway, hallway, or nursery. Pair both in the Blink app and you can pull up a live view in seconds, talk through the speaker to a delivery driver, or check a clip when your phone buzzes. Video looks clear at typical home distances, and night vision keeps things useful after dark. Two way audio is handy for quick porch conversations or checking in with kids and pets. If your street is busy, motion zones help ignore sidewalks and swaying trees, while schedules let you set quiet times so alerts don't ping during dinner. Use Alexa. You can call up a feed on a smart display, arm the system with your voice, or get a chime when motion hits the front steps. Storage works the way you want. Choose the Blink cloud plan for a rolling history of clips, or keep recordings at home with a Sync Module 2 and a USB drive. The outdoor unit focuses on long battery life, so you're not charging every few weeks, and the plug in Mini 2 never asks for a top up. Privacy controls in the app make it easy to pause recording when you're home and move on. Small details help. The cameras are compact, the mounts tuck into corners, and the app puts common controls where you expect them. Start with the front door and a main room, then add more cameras later if you want to cover a side gate or garage. It's straightforward, expandable, and easy to live with, and at Amazon it's $120 instead of the usual $230. See at Amazon
Android Authority
a few seconds ago
- Android Authority
Get up to $350 to use in the Google Store when pre-ordering your new Pixel 10 phone
TL;DR Google's own pre-order deals for the Pixel 10 series are now live. Shoppers will get between $100 and $350 in Google Store credits depending on the Pixel 10 model they choose. Pre-orders must be made by September 4, and your credit will be applied when your order ships. Today Google introduces its latest Pixel 10 smartphones, and Android fans everywhere are no doubt feeling some serious temptation to pick one up. If you're going to take the plunge, though, we want to make sure you're getting the most bang for your buck — and that's exactly why you need to be aware of all the various pre-order promos being offered out there. Don't want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a preferred source in Google Search to support us and make sure you never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. We already started looking at what the big US carriers are offering for Pixel 10 pre-orders, and now Google's own page of deals has gone live on the Google Store. If you're picking up a Pixel 10 Pro or Pixel 10 Pro XL, you'll be getting a $200 Google Store credit to use on a future purchase. Go for the base Pixel 10, and you can still snag a $100 credit. And for you fat cats splurging on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, you've got $350 coming your way. Remember, to get these pre-order deals, you can't wait around forever, and you'll need to make your choice before September 4. Don't count on immediately redeeming that Google Store credit and tacking on a bunch of accessories — at least not yet — as Google won't be adding that to your account until your phone actually ships out to you. And if you need to sweeten the pot a little more, Google will offer you up to $760 in trade-in credit for your old phone. Follow
Fast Company
a few seconds ago
- Fast Company
Google's Pixel 10 phones just got a long-overdue upgrade
Google's latest Pixel 10 phones, which were just announced today, don't come with many external physical changes. The most tangible hardware addition across the lineup, in fact, is completely invisible: a set of magnets beneath the phones' back panels. With the new Pixelsnap system, Google is the first major Android manufacturer to finally catch up to Apple's MagSafe. Apple launched its magnetic wireless charging system on the iPhone 12 range in 2020, and it's quietly become one of the best things about using an iPhone. MagSafe has enabled a whole range of accessories and use cases that let you keep your phone powered up without having to mess around with cables, whether you're using a slimline portable magnetic battery or a charger plugged into your car. It's one of those things that's hard to go without once you're used to it—and I feel it almost every day as someone who constantly bounces back and forth between iOS and Android. With Pixelsnap, Google is finally bringing Android up to speed. It works with the Qi2 standard, allowing for fast wireless charging at up to 25W on the Pixel 10 Pro XL, or up to 15W on the Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro Fold. Google is selling a $39.99 Pixelsnap charging puck that looks similar to Apple's MagSafe equivalent and can be slotted into a vertical charging stand. There's also a Ring Stand attachment that doesn't provide any power but uses the same magnets to provide a handy kickstand that can prop your phone up in landscape or portrait mode. This is great news for Pixel fans—or at least new Pixel buyers—who'll now be able to see what the MagSafe hype was all about. Qi2 is backwards-compatible with MagSafe, in fact, since Apple itself contributed to the standard, so a huge range of accessories designed for iPhones will now work with Pixel phones as well. What took so long? That raises an obvious question, though: what exactly took so long, given that Qi2 launched in 2023 and is an open standard based on existing technology that anyone can use? Even before Qi2, it seemed inevitable that Android phone makers would rush to follow Apple. Chinese brand Realme was the first, announcing its own proprietary solution called MagDart in 2021. The technology did work—the company even sent me prototype chargers and a compatible phone—but it never launched on any commercial devices. More recently HMD, perhaps best known for taking on the Nokia brand, released a niche phone called the Skyline that appears to be the only true Qi2 magnet-equipped device on the market. I say 'true Qi2' because a lot of phones, for example Samsung's current flagship Galaxy S25, are certified as 'Qi2 Ready' without actually having the magnets in place. What this really means is that it'll work with Qi2 chargers if you buy a compatible case, which is also true of any Qi phone—albeit potentially at slower speeds. I'm not a hardware engineer so I don't presume to understand the challenges here, but it doesn't seem like including Qi2 magnets necessarily requires making major compromises on industrial design. The Pixel 10 and 10 Pro are just 0.1mm thicker than their predecessors, while the 10 Pro XL has kept the same thickness. Each phone has gained a few grams in weight, but they also all have bigger batteries. Part of the issue might have been that no one was willing to jump in first. Most Android hardware innovation comes from Chinese manufacturers these days, but wireless charging has historically not been as important in their home market. High-end Chinese phones only started adopting Qi as a standard around 2021 or so, and companies like Oppo and Huawei remained more focused on pushing their ultra-fast wired charging solutions. While nowadays every Chinese flagship has fast wireless charging built in, they also all require proprietary accessories that don't support Qi2. But even if that really was a factor, I have no idea what Samsung's excuse is. The 'Qi2 Ready' Galaxy S25 Ultra only supports 15W wireless charging, and Samsung hasn't invested in a proprietary system of its own. It's inexplicable that the most dominant brand in the US market hasn't kept up here. A return to best practices My hope is that Pixelsnap sees Google return to the role it once played in the Android ecosystem. Before the Pixel line, Google's Nexus devices—produced in partnership with other OEMs—served as examples of best practices for manufacturers to adopt. They weren't always the flashiest of products, but coupled with Google's understated yet definitive take on Android software, they tended to provide the most user-friendly experience. Magnetic wireless charging is all about the user experience. It's not something that necessarily excites power users by reading about it on a spec sheet, but it can help you fit your phone into your life in a more natural, less messy way. With any luck, Pixelsnap will be the catalyst for other Android phone makers to get on board.
