Latest news with #PanosPanay
Geek Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Geek Wire
Amazon has a secretive new hardware group led by former Xbox leader J Allard
In-depth Amazon coverage from the tech giant's hometown, including e-commerce, AWS, Amazon Prime, Alexa, logistics, devices, and more. (GeekWire Photo / Taylor Soper) New job postings shed more light on what J Allard is up to at Amazon. GeekWire reported in October that the former Xbox leader had joined Amazon's Devices and Services team, which is the part of the company that includes the Alexa voice assistant and Echo devices, among other products and initiatives. Allard's profile on LinkedIn now shows that he's the VP of 'ZeroOne.' Citing recent job posts, CNBC reported Thursday that the group is focused on developing new hardware and software products. One posting for a senior applied scientist within ZeroOne notes that the position will be 'conceiving, designing, and bringing to market computer vision techniques for a new smart-home product.' We reached out to Amazon for more details. Allard is working under former Microsoft Windows and Devices executive, Panos Panay, who joined Amazon in 2023 to lead its Devices and Services team. Allard was at Microsoft from 1991 to 2010. As chief experience officer and chief technology officer of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, he co-founded Xbox, Xbox Live, Live Arcade and Xbox 360, among the more than 40 products he launched. Amazon has had a longtime hardware group called Lab126, best known for creating its Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets and Echo smart speakers. Earlier this month Amazon cut about 100 jobs in its Devices & Services division, the part of the company that includes its Alexa voice assistant, Echo smart speakers, Zoox robo-taxis and Project Kuiper satellite internet venture. The company said at the time it was still hiring in Devices & Services, with hundreds of open roles. Amazon recently rolled out Alexa+, the new version of its voice assistant that uses generative AI for more natural interactions.
India Today
16-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Microsoft has probably killed the Surface Studio laptop
Microsoft seems to have quietly pulled the plug on one of its most ambitious laptop lines — the Surface Laptop Studio. Production of the Surface Laptop Studio 2 has reportedly ended, and the device is expected to be marked as end-of-life by June, as per sources aware of the company's internal hardware plans. While Microsoft has not issued any formal statement on this, its official resellers have confirmed that manufacturing has stopped and availability will now be such reseller acknowledged that while stocks may still be available in some regions, production has officially ceased. Microsoft, however, will continue to provide firmware and driver updates for the device, staying in line with its support policies for Surface Surface Laptop Studio was once seen as Microsoft's fresh take on premium laptops with its unique folding design and focus on creators. But this quiet exit mirrors the recent phase-out of other Surface products like the Surface Studio 2 all-in-one PC and the dual-screen Surface Duo. Over the last couple of years, Microsoft has gradually trimmed its hardware portfolio, favouring mainstream, safe designs instead of experimental ones. The company recently introduced refreshed versions of its regular Surface Laptop and Surface Pro models. These newer devices stick to familiar designs and sizes, signalling a more cautious approach. There's also been no sign of a Surface Laptop Studio 3, suggesting that Microsoft isn't looking to continue the series — at least not anytime of this change seems to have begun after the departure of longtime Surface head Panos Panay, who left for Amazon in 2023. Since then, Microsoft has focused on simplifying its Surface lineup, likely aiming to make its hardware offerings more streamlined and change is also visible on Microsoft's website, where only the core Surface Pro and Laptop lines are highlighted for consumers. Devices like the Surface Go 4 still remain available for business customers, and there's talk of a potential Arm-based successor, possibly tied to Microsoft's growing push into AI-powered PCs under the Copilot Plus interest in AI appears to be influencing its hardware ambitions. In earlier interviews, the company hinted at developing devices built specifically for AI assistants — possibly following the path it once explored with Cortana. With features like 'Hey, Copilot' voice activation now part of Windows 11, the focus seems to be on integrating AI more deeply into the Windows now, though, the departure of the Surface Laptop Studio — a product that once promised to shake up conventional laptop design — is a clear sign that Microsoft is rethinking its hardware playbook. Whether this is just a pause or a complete exit from creative-focused devices remains uncertain.
The Verge
06-05-2025
- The Verge
Microsoft's new Surface devices ditch magnetic charging port for USB-C
Microsoft has just announced two new Surface devices, and neither comes with the company's Surface Connect charging port. The Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch can now only be charged through USB-C ports on the devices, after years of Microsoft equipping its Surface laptops and tablets with the company's proprietary magnetic charging port. While this isn't the first time Microsoft has ditched the Surface Connect port on a new device, it does feel like the company is now finally happy with charging over USB-C. This all but confirms that the next iterations of the larger Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models will also ship without the magnetic charging port. The Surface 3 shipped with just Micro USB charging, but the company has always included the Surface Connect on its Surface Pro line of devices. The compatibility has meant you can use an existing Surface charger across a wide variety of Microsoft's hardware dating back many generations. Microsoft also no longer ships a charger in the box for its latest Surface devices, in compliance with EU initiatives to reduce e-waste. The switch to just USB-C charging on Surface devices comes nearly eight years after Microsoft was originally under pressure to add USB-C ports to its hardware. At the time, Microsoft created a USB-C dongle instead with former Surface chief Panos Panay joking that it was for 'people who love dongles.'
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alexa+ Takes a Page From Apple Intelligence With Staggered AI Rollout
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. Alexa+ is expected to debut on Monday with a few new features, but it may be months before we see what Amazon's new voice assistant can really do. As The Washington Post reports, next week's launch will be limited to summoning an Uber or asking what you should cook for dinner. You can also upload documents for Alexa+ to summarize, but you can't delete what you feed into Alexa+ for now, the Post says. The document uploads—from instruction manuals to kids' soccer practice schedules—aim to give Alexa more information about users' lives so it can act as a comprehensive assistant. At launch, the updated voice assistant will work on newer Echo devices (no first-gen versions or Echo Show 2nd Gen). The Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21 are the first in line, but Alexa+ Early Access will also roll out to the Echo Show 8 and 10, according to the fine print. Early access also includes a mobile app experience, where users can "chat with the new Alexa on mobile, get personalized recommendations, and manage your home on-the-go," Amazon says. Eventually, you'll be able to summon Alexa+ on the web and via Fire TVs and tablets. When Early Access ends, Alexa+ will become part of Prime or $19.99/month on its own. "Features will be released on a rolling basis as Alexa continues to get smarter and more capable every day," Amazon says. "Alexa may not get everything right, and we value feedback from everyone who participates. Just say, 'Alexa, I have feedback.'" This revamped Alexa promises a more humanlike conversational flow—no more rigid "Alexa voice," as Amazon's head of devices, Panos Panay, said at last month's reveal. Whether it works as expected remains to be seen. Other features in the works include the ability to order takeout on Grubhub after talking through dinner options with Alexa+ and identifying family members on the device's camera, the Post says. At the launch event, Panay showcased camera recognition by asking Alexa+ to access his home's Ring camera to confirm if his daughter had walked their dog that day. This gradual rollout of AI features mirrors what Apple is doing with its AI platform, Apple Intelligence. However, this strategy has left customers confused about what features are available and on which devices. A group of iPhone 16 buyers are suing Apple for false advertising since Apple Intelligence features did not launch until a month after Apple's flagship devices hit stores. And even then, it only included a handful of marginally helpful AI tools and a barebones Siri update. As Amazon preps for a larger Alexa+ rollout, meanwhile, it turned off the ability for users to store their Echo device recordings locally. Now, all that data will go to Amazon's servers to feed "generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazon's secure cloud."
Washington Post
31-03-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Amazon's AI assistant Alexa+ launches with some features
Amazon's new AI-enabled assistant Alexa+ is launching Monday but not all of the features the company showcased at a splashy event last month are ready, and not every Alexa owner will get access to them right away. Some of the new features Amazon previewed at the February event won't become available for two months after Monday's launch, and some will take even longer, according to internal company documents seen by The Washington Post. At the event held in New York, Amazon head of devices Panos Panay said Alexa+ would 'start to roll out' in March 'and in waves over the subsequent months.'
