Latest news with #ZeroOne
India Today
2 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Amazon hires Xbox co-founder to lead ZeroOne team that will create breakthrough products
Amazon has a new team under its devices unit called the ZeroOne team, which will be led by the co-founder of Xbox and former Microsoft executive, J Allard, according to a report by CNBC. The team has been tasked with creating 'breakthrough' products. Allard, who worked with Microsoft for 19 years, co-founded Xbox. He was one of the prominent members at the time of the Xbox and Xbox 360 console launches. In 2010, Allard stepped down from his role as the technology chief of consumer products at Microsoft, and then worked at GoFundMe as their chief technology and product officer for a year. According to his LinkedIn profile, he then worked on his own company, Project 529 (which he founded in 2007), worked as a board member, and got his fellowship, until he joined Amazon in September 2024. At the time of writing the story, his current role at Amazon was listed as the vice president of ZeroOne. advertisementReportedly, the ZeroOne team will have people across Seattle, San Francisco and Sunnyvale, California. ZeroOne members will reportedly be working on both hardware and software projects. The name ZeroOne apparently signifies that the team will be working on the entire cycle of the product, from the concept to its launch. The Verge notes that a job listing for the new team reveals that one of these breakthrough products could be a smart home device. Reportedly, the ZeroOne team has job listings for senior roles in applied science, product marketing, and customer insights. The description for the role in applied science reveals that the person will be working on 'a new smart-home product', The Verge report reveals. Amazon already has a series of smart home devices under the Echo range of products that are powered by its AI software Amazon has reportedly also brought together people from across its various divisions, drawing on expertise from teams behind Alexa, the Luna cloud gaming platform, and the Halo sleep-tracking device, according to LinkedIn profiles of those now working on the ZeroOne initiative. One of the group's leaders is the former head of Lightform, a projection mapping startup previously acquired by Amazon is setting up a new team, the company is also cutting some corners at the same time. Earlier this year, Amazon laid off 100 employees from its Devices and Services unit, which oversees products like Echo speakers, Alexa, Kindle, and Zoox self-driving cars. According to the company, these layoffs were needed to align better with its product roadmap and streamline operations. Was it preparing to set up the ZeroOne team? Maybe. At the time, the company had said that the layoffs will help the company move faster.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Amazon confirms hiring Xbox co-creator J Allard to lead new product invention team
Amazon's devices unit has established a new team, named ZeroOne, which is tasked with inventing 'breakthrough' consumer products, a report claims. This new team is reportedly being led by J Allard, a former Microsoft executive who contributed to the creation of the Xbox. The ZeroOne team, which is said to be focused on both hardware and software projects, aims to develop product ideas from conception to launch – a "zero to one" mission, as its name suggests. The team operates across Seattle, San Francisco, and Sunnyvale, California, according to recent job postings. An Amazon spokesperson has confirmed to CNBC that Allard is overseeing the ZeroOne team but didn't provide further details about the group's specific projects. Allard's LinkedIn profile also shows that he's working as the VP of the ZeroOne team since September 2024. What are the major achievements of Xbox co-creator J Allard Allard, who worked at Microsoft for 19 years and previously served as its technology chief of consumer products before departing in 2010, was an architect of the Xbox game console. He also worked on the Zune, Microsoft's portable media player. Allard joined Amazon in September and reports to Panos Panay, who also moved from Microsoft to Amazon in 2023 to head the devices and services group. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like A perfect start needs the perfect ride – Shine 125! Honda Learn More Undo What is Amazon's ZeroOne team and what it is working on As per the CNBC report, job postings for Amazon's ZeroOne unit revealed limited specifics about the team's projects. One of the listings mentions involvement in 'conceiving, designing, and bringing to market computer vision techniques for a new smart-home product,' the report noted. The description of ther job posting (as seen by CNBC) says: 'You'll be part of a team that embraces design thinking, rapid experimentation, and building to learn. If you're excited about working in small, nimble teams to create entirely new product categories and thrive in the ambiguity of breakthrough innovation, we want to talk to you.' According to LinkedIn profiles of ZeroOne employees, Amazon has brought in personnel from other divisions with backgrounds in developing technologies such as the Alexa voice assistant, Luna cloud gaming service, and Halo sleep tracker. The group is also being led in part by the former head of Lightform, a projection mapping startup acquired by Amazon. As Amazon expands certain parts of its devices division, such as the ZeroOne project, it is simultaneously scaling back others. Earlier this month, the company laid off around 100 employees across its devices and services group, affecting teams working on Alexa, Amazon Kids, and its hardware R&D arm, Lab126. More than 50 of those job cuts were at Lab126's Sunnyvale facilities, according to WARN filings. While Lab126 has been behind major successes like the Kindle and Echo, it has also produced flops such as the Fire Phone and Halo tracker. Amazon noted that the layoffs impacted only a small fraction of its devices and services workforce, which numbers in the tens of thousands.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Xbox cofounder joins Amazon to lead ZeroOne in an attempt to create ‘breakthrough' consumer products
Amazon is once again taking a shot at creating revolutionary consumer products—this time more seriously—with a new team called ZeroOne, led by J Allard, who helped create the Xbox game console. According to CNBC, Allard has been tasked with developing 'breakthrough' consumer products. The ZeroOne team is spread across Seattle, San Francisco, and Sunnyvale, California, and is focused on both hardware and software projects, based on multiple job postings. Listings for the ZeroOne team at Amazon include senior roles in applied science, product marketing, and customer insights. The description for the applied scientist role notes that the position will work on 'a new smart-home product,' while the product marketing role vaguely refers to work on 'an Amazon device.' Amazon has a mixed record when it comes to creating hardware products, with more misses than hits over the years. While the company has delivered knockout successes like the Kindle and Echo smart speakers, it has also produced flops such as the Fire Phone, the Halo fitness tracker, and the Astro household robot in recent years. The e-commerce giant has a separate devices unit responsible for creating hardware products such as Kindles, Fire TV Sticks, and Echo speakers. In fact, many of Amazon's successful devices have come from Lab126, the company's hardware research and development unit based in Silicon Valley. Two years ago, Amazon brought in Microsoft alum Panos Panay to lead its Devices & Services (D&S) business. Panay had been with Microsoft for over 19 years, serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer, where he led the Windows + Devices division. During his time at Microsoft, he played a critical role in the development of Surface computers—Microsoft's answer to Apple's Mac. Panos's move to Amazon surprised many in Silicon Valley. He replaced Amazon's former hardware chief, Dave Limp, who became the CEO of Jeff Bezos' other company, the aerospace outfit Blue Origin. Under Panos, Amazon's only major new hardware releases have been the updated Kindle lineup announced last year, including a version with colour e-ink. Panos was the face of the product launch event, and earlier this year, he appeared again during the debut of the long-delayed Alexa Plus voice assistant. Today marks the anniversary of a gaming revolution! 🎮 On November 15, 2001, the original Xbox was released in the USA, bringing us iconic games like Halo and changing the landscape of console gaming forever. Here's to the console that dared to innovate and brought online gaming… — Nova's Nostalgia & Tech (@Nostalgia_Nova) November 15, 2024 Allard has joined Amazon after spending 19 years at Microsoft, where he was most recently the technology chief of consumer products—a role he left in 2010—at a time when the Seattle-based tech company desperately needed a new hit hardware product that could match the success of the Kindle. Allard was a key architect of the Xbox game console and also worked on Zune, a new type of MP3 player from Microsoft that ultimately failed to compete with Apple's iPod. Allard has experience in creating new hardware, though it remains to be seen what he will do next at Amazon. It's also unclear when a product from ZeroOne might actually be shipped to consumers. Allard's joining Amazon comes at a crucial time, as the company's devices unit has faced layoffs over the past few years. This year alone, Amazon laid off 100 employees from the devices unit. 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
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Amazon (AMZN) Looks to Invent Brand-New Consumer Products with Its New ZeroOne Team
E-commerce giant Amazon (AMZN) has created a new team called ZeroOne within its devices division. This group is focused on inventing brand-new consumer products and is led by J Allard, a former Microsoft executive who helped create the Xbox and Zune. The team is based in Seattle, San Francisco, and Sunnyvale, and works on both hardware and software projects. The name 'ZeroOne' comes from its goal of taking ideas from nothing (zero) to launch (one). Confident Investing Starts Here: Amazon has had a mix of successful and failed products over the years. While it found success with devices like the Kindle, Echo, and Fire TV Stick, it also had flops such as the Fire Phone and the Halo fitness tracker. Many of these products were developed by Amazon's hardware team, Lab126. However, ZeroOne is seen as a new push for innovation. Interestingly, Job postings are hinting at smart-home products that use computer vision, and say that the team values design thinking, rapid testing, and building new product categories. The group includes staff with experience from Alexa, Luna gaming, and the Halo sleep tracker, and is led in part by the founder of Lightform, a startup Amazon bought. However, while Amazon grows the ZeroOne team, it has cut jobs in other parts of its devices and services division. In fact, it recently laid off about 100 employees, including people working on Alexa, Amazon Kids, and at Lab126. Over 50 of these layoffs happened at the Sunnyvale facility, according to California records. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that Amazon said the cuts only affected a small percentage of the division, which has tens of thousands of workers. Is Amazon Stock Expected to Rise? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on AMZN stock based on 47 Buys and one Hold assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average AMZN price target of $240.62 per share implies 17.4% upside potential.
The Verge
2 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
Xbox cofounder J Allard is working on ‘breakthrough' devices at Amazon
Amazon has a new ZeroOne team focused on 'breakthrough' devices, and it's led by Xbox cofounder and former Microsoft executive J Allard, CNBC reports. Based on a job listing for the team, one of those products is a smart home device. J Allard was one of the main faces of the original Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles, and during his nearly 20-year tenure at Microsoft, he also worked on the Zune MP3 player, Kin phones, and Courier tablet prototype. He joined Amazon to focus on 'new ideas' in late 2024. Job listings for his ZeroOne team at Amazon include senior roles in applied science, product marketing, and customer insights. The description for the applied scientist role says the person will work on 'a new smart-home product,' while the product marketing job description vaguely mentions work on 'an Amazon device.' It's unclear when a product from ZeroOne might actually be released. Smart home tech isn't anything new for Amazon, as the company already has various product lines within its Alexa ecosystem, including Echo devices, and even other brands it owns, like Blink and Eero. Amazon's Alexa event in February was focused almost solely on its new AI-powered Alexa Plus smart assistant, which is still invite-only and carries a $20 per month subscription fee.
