Latest news with #ALEXA
New Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Where are the users of Alexa+?
ALEXA, where are your users? More than six weeks after began rolling out the new Alexa+ generative artificial-intelligence (GenAI)-powered voice assistant to hundreds of thousands of people, there is scant evidence it is in regular customers' hands. The new service was meant to be a triumph for Amazon after several delays in revamping Alexa in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like ChatGPT. The company signalled its significance by bringing chief executive officer Andy Jassy to a February press event in New York where it showcased Alexa+'s capabilities and promised customers would start getting invite access in late March. "There seems to be no one who actually has it," said Avi Greengart, lead analyst at Techsponential, who attended the Alexa+ announcement event. "This fits a pattern of a lot of companies announcing services or products when they are awfully close to being ready, but not quite — that last mile is a lot farther away than they anticipated," he said. In an ultimately unsuccessful effort to locate real-world users of Alexa+, Reuters searched dozens of news sites, YouTube, TikTok, X, BlueSky and Meta's Instagram and Facebook, as well as Amazon's Twitch and reviews of Echo voice-assistant devices on Two posted on Reddit claimed to have used the service, but did not provide hard evidence and their identities could not be corroborated. "Hundreds of thousands of customers now have access to Alexa+ — of course, some are employees and their families, but the overwhelming majority are customers that requested early access," said an Amazon spokesman. That is up from the approximately 100,000 users that Amazon reported on May 1. Amazon did not say why there were no verifiable public reviews or reactions to the new service and declined to make available for an interview any active Alexa+ users. The rollout of Alexa+ was proceeding slowly and the service had struggled with speed in answering some questions or prompts, said three sources. It also occasionally generated inaccurate or fabricated information, like other AI models, and was expensive to operate, they said. Accessed mainly through Amazon televisions and Echo devices, Alexa can set timers, answer search queries and tell the weather if a user requests it out loud. While Apple's Siri voice assistant preceded the original Alexa by three years, it was the Amazon service that supercharged the acceptance of voice assistants. The overhaul resulting in the GenAI-infused Alexa+ is meant to revitalise the decade-old service and help Amazon compete with chatbots from OpenAI, Meta and others. Amazon has plowed billions into developing Alexa since it was introduced in 2014, but it has been unprofitable and the vision of customers using it for voice-shopping never materialised. Technology companies typically rely on a mix of analysts, product reviewers, social media influencers and reporters to help get the word out about their newest devices or services. Apple, considered a master of marketing, gives launch-event attendees limited access to its iPhones or laptops for initial reviews, followed shortly by lengthier scrutiny within days or weeks of announcement. Amazon itself gave reviewers time to test out its new colour Kindle device at an event in October before making it available to buy just two weeks later. In September 2023, Amazon showed off a prior iteration of the GenAI-infused Alexa and said customers would be getting an "early preview" of it within weeks. It never came. Alexa+ will be able to respond to multiple prompts in sequence and even act as an "agent" on behalf of users by taking actions for them without their direct involvement. That contrasts with the current iteration, which generally handles only a single request at a time. During Amazon's first-quarter earnings call two weeks ago, Jassy said more than 100,000 people were already using the new voice service and that "people are really liking Alexa+ thus far". Americus Reed, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, said by leaving a large gap between product launch and general availability, Amazon was failing to build anticipation for Alexa+.
New York Post
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
The best celeb engagement rings of 2025: Selena Gomez, Zendaya
Selena Gomez can't stop, won't stop showing off her engagement ring. Since record producer Benny Blanco proposed to Gomez in December, the 32-year-old actress has shared a flurry of Instagram pics of the big rock on her finger: an elongated marquise sparkler, set on a diamond-studded eternity band. 'I've just dreamed of this moment my whole life,' she wrote. Indeed, in her 2015 song 'Good for You,' Gomez compared herself to a marquise diamond, a rare, unconventional cut with pointed ends that originated in the 18th-century French court of Versailles. (It was reportedly named after Louis XV's mistress, La Marquise de Pompadour, and modeled after the shape of her lips. Ooh la la.) 5 Getty Images; Courtesy of London Jewelers 'It's definitely a style for somebody who wants to be a little different or avant-garde,' Vice President of London Jewelers Scott Udell tells ALEXA. 'It's for somebody who wants to stand out, or at least to not have a shape that you see on everybody.' Gomez is not alone. It seems that these days, everyone wants to stand out. Forget the demure stones and subtle designs that characterized the restrained COVID era. Quiet luxury is over. The 'boom boom' aesthetic is in: slick business suits, towering bouffants, flamboyant furs and diamonds as big as the Ritz. 'I'm starting to see these retro styles that were popular in the 1980s and '90s come back,' Udell says. In terms of engagement rings, that means marquise cuts, pear shapes, bold yellow-gold bands and a general more-is-more ethos. 'These styles were phased out for a while, but they're now being rejuvenated.' 5 Getty Images; Courtesy of London Jewelers Take Adele's enormous pear-shaped stunner from sports agent Rich Paul — an ostentatiously old-fashioned cut that matches the 36-year-old diva's powerhouse voice and classic style. 'I think it's stunning,' Udell says of the ring, adding that the slim platinum band gives the 1980s staple a modern twist. 'I love the super thin band that the diamond kind of floats on. It really lets it pop.' 5 Getty Images; Courtesy of London Jewelers Lady Gaga debuted a similarly over-the-top engagement ring at the Venice Film Festival this past September. Though the 39-year-old performer and her fiancé, Michael Polansky, went for something utterly original. Designed by Sofia Jewelry, it features a brilliant oval set on an 18-karat white-and-rose-gold diamond pavé band, which is then adorned with natural pink ombré diamonds. There's even a hidden white-diamond halo under the center stone, in case anyone thought there wasn't enough sparkle. 5 Getty Images; Courtesy of London Jewelers 'Challengers' and 'Dune' actress Zendaya also chose a cushioned oval diamond for her engagement ring to 'Spider-Man' co-star Tom Holland. Yet, the 28-year-old fashion plate is known for doing things her own way. The Georgian-style cut-down setting — in which a layer of metal surrounds the stone — has a vintage feel. And instead of a vertical diamond, the stone has an east-west setting, said to symbolize an equal relationship with both partners working alongside one another as a team. 'It's both antique and modern,' Udell says. It's the perfect ring for a woman who wears the most cutting-edge couture and classic vintage styles with equal elegance and aplomb. 5 Getty Images; Courtesy of London Jewelers Like Zendaya, actress Emma Roberts also unveiled a vintage-inspired engagement ring. Hers (bestowed by actor Cody John), features a round, European-cut diamond with — like Zendaya's ring — a thicker gold band. While thinner bands are still a more popular way to show off a big stone, Udell says he's seen more brides recently gravitate toward heftier bands to balance out round stones and add texture and depth. 'If it's done to scale properly, it can look really nice and elegant,' he says. 'And it can withstand a lot of wear and tear, and that's the whole point. You gotta design something that you can wear day to day.'
Fox News
01-03-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Fox News AI Newsletter: Brand new Alexa
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER: - Amazon rolling out AI-driven Alexa+ service - Simon Cowell warns AI 'shouldn't be able to steal' human talent - Would you hop on this driverless electric city bus? RAMPING UP ALEXA: Amazon revealed Wednesday it will be rolling out an Alexa+ service infused with artificial intelligence. NOTHING FOR FREE: The "America's Got Talent" judge, Simon Cowell, wrote commentary in the Daily Mail this week criticizing potential changes to U.K. law that would allow companies to use any online material to train AI models unless they explicitly opt out. NO DRIVER HERE: Cambridge, U.K., is taking the lead in testing a revolutionary public transit system that could transform urban mobility. The Alexander Dennis Enviro100AEV, equipped with Fusion Processing's cutting-edge CAVstar automated drive system, is poised to change how people move around the city, offering a sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional buses. DANGEROUS TREATMENT: Health experts say that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots posing as therapists could cause "serious harm" to struggling people, including adolescents, without the proper safety measures. FOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA FacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedIn SIGN UP FOR OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERS Fox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News Health DOWNLOAD OUR APPS Fox NewsFox BusinessFox WeatherFox SportsTubi WATCH FOX NEWS ONLINE STREAM FOX NATION Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.
