Latest news with #BeeAI
RNZ News
31-07-2025
- RNZ News
Tech: Amazon Bee AI, UK age verification mess
Technology commentator Bill Bennett looks at Amazon's acquisition of Bee AI which makes a Fitbit-like device that listens in on your conversations while using AI to transcribe everything you and people around you say. The UK's move to age verification around certain websites has led to a massive spike in the downloads of Virtual Private Networks or VPNs that hide someone's location. And the breach at the Tea, a women's dating safety app, is even worse than first thought. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Analysts unveil bold Amazon stock price target before earnings
Analysts unveil bold Amazon stock price target before earnings originally appeared on TheStreet. Amazon () is doubling down on generative artificial intelligence. The retail and tech giant plans to acquire Bee AI, a start-up that makes AI-powered wearable devices. The move signals Amazon's entry into the world of personal AI hardware, competing with players like Meta () and Apple () . Bee makes a $50 bracelet that records and transcribes a user's daily conversations. It then uses AI to generate to-do lists, reminders, and other helpful tasks. Amazon confirmed that a deal has been signed, though it's not yet closed. The company did not reveal the purchase price. Shares of Amazon are up 4% so far this year, trailing the S&P 500's 8.1% gain. As the second-quarter earnings season heats up, and with Alphabet already posting strong results, Amazon's upcoming report could be another key factor, as a strong beat or a disappointing miss may spark sharp moves in the stock. Amazon is scheduled to report its second-quarter earnings on July 31 next week. What to watch in Amazon's upcoming earnings report Retail remains Amazon's largest revenue driver and an important source of profit. While the company's guidance earlier this year reflected caution around tariffs, Deutsche Bank analyst Lee Horowitz sees reasons for optimism. Horowitz wrote in a research note that tariff concerns were a key focus when Amazon gave its Q2 guidance, but with strong consumer demand and tariff-related cost hikes being delayed, there's room for Amazon to beat Q2 and Q3 estimates."What has become abundantly clear is that in the absence of Temu and Shein, Amazon share gains have accelerated," he added. Amazon's Prime Day, held in July, falls outside the second-quarter period but could influence the company's third-quarter guidance. Meanwhile, Amazon Web Services continues to draw attention. The cloud business is Amazon's most profitable segment and a key driver of long-term valuation. Although AWS remains the global leader in cloud market share, rivals Microsoft and Google are growing faster. In the first quarter of 2025, AWS held 29% of the market, followed by Microsoft at 22% and Google at 12%, according to data from Synergy Research Group. Compared to the previous quarter, AWS lost one percentage point while Microsoft gained one. Analysts raise Amazon stock price target before earnings Bank of America has raised Amazon's stock price target to $265 from $248 and reiterated a buy rating before the Q2 earnings. The firm expects a beat in the retail sector and will focus on AWS's growth for the year's second AWS, Bank of America estimates a profit of $17.8 billion in the second quarter, topping both the Street's estimate of $17 billion and Amazon's own guidance high of $17.5 billion. "We think 2Q Retail is setting up for a solid quarter, plus a strong 1Q for AWS backlog and accelerating quarterly AWS capex spending should drive accelerating 2H AWS growth," the analysts wrote in a research report. For the third quarter, Amazon expects revenue between $169 billion and $174 billion, compared with Wall Street's forecast of $172.8 billion. The company guided GAAP operating income between $14 billion and $18 billion, below the Street consensus of $19.4 billion. "Our revenue guide expectation assumes a longer Prime Day event is a modest benefit for full quarter, and that AWS accelerates slightly," the firm wrote. "Our profit outlook is based on Amazon's historical q/q conservatism." Citi also raised its price target on Amazon to $265 from $225 with a buy rating, citing improving retail trends. The analysts added that rising demand for AWS and better margins make the stock remain one of Citi's top internet picks. Amazon stock closed at $228.29 on July unveil bold Amazon stock price target before earnings first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 24, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Amazon buys Bee, the AI company that makes wearables which listen to and summarize your day
Amazon has acquired the wearable startup Bee AI, best known for its $50 device that listens to and summarises your day. Bee co-founder Maria de Lourdes Zollo confirmed the acquisition in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday. Based in San Francisco, Bee gained the spotlight earlier this year at the CES tech show in Las Vegas when it announced a $50 wristband that closely resembles a Fitbit. The device received an overwhelmingly positive response from those who tried the wearable, which leverages artificial intelligence and features microphones that can listen to and analyse conversations to provide summaries, to-do lists, and reminders for everyday tasks. 'When we started Bee, we imagined a world where AI is truly personal, where your life is understood and enhanced by technology that learns with you,' Zollo wrote. 'What began as a dream with an incredible team and community now finds a new home at Amazon.' Bee raised $7 million last year and currently offers a Fitbit-like bracelet (alongside a $19-per-month subscription) and an Apple Watch app. Amazon has also confirmed the acquisition and shared the details with several outlets; however, the terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Amazon is the latest big tech company looking to expand its footprint in artificial intelligence through apps, services, chips, and even devices. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant recently overhauled its Alexa voice assistant, originally launched more than a decade ago, with advanced AI capabilities, as the company is now in direct competition with OpenAI, Google, Apple, and Anthropic. Its home security brand, Ring, which sells security cameras and other hardware and services, has also added generative artificial intelligence capabilities. The motivation behind acquiring a small startup like Bee suggests that Amazon may have plans to launch an AI-powered wearable device in the future. Amazon's hardware division is led by Panos Panay, who was previously Microsoft's Chief Product Officer and was responsible for the development of Surface and Windows 11. However, it remains to be seen how Amazon will capitalise on Bee and its team. The biggest question is whether Bee will be folded into Amazon and shut down its operations, or if the startup will remain independent and continue selling its wearable device. Bee has faced scrutiny over its privacy policies, given that the wearable device records people's voices. The company, however, claims that users can delete their data at any time and that audio recordings are not saved, stored, or used for AI training. Amazon's track record with user privacy is already questionable. There is a rush to launch devices built on a foundation of artificial intelligence. So far, AI-infused consumer devices have received a mixed response. Over the past year, a flurry of AI-centered devices has made its debut, from the $200 Rabbit R1 to the Humane AI Pin. Both the Rabbit R1 and the Humane AI Pin were commercial flops, with Humane AI being sold to HP. However, one device that saw some success is Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, which were first released in 2021. OpenAI, the makers of the popular ChatGPT AI bot, has expressed intentions to launch a screenless AI device. The Sam Altman-led startup acquired Jony Ive's AI devices startup, io, in May for $6.4 billion. Anuj Bhatia is a personal technology writer at who has been covering smartphones, personal computers, gaming, apps, and lifestyle tech actively since 2011. He specialises in writing longer-form feature articles and explainers on trending tech topics. His unique interests encompass delving into vintage tech, retro gaming and composing in-depth narratives on the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture. He covers major international tech conferences and product launches from the world's biggest and most valuable tech brands including Apple, Google and others. At the same time, he also extensively covers indie, home-grown tech startups. Prior to joining The Indian Express in late 2016, he served as a senior tech writer at My Mobile magazine and previously held roles as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. Anuj holds a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University. You can find Anuj on Linkedin. Email: ... Read More
