[Updated 9/12/19 1:10 p.m. See below.] Swiftly, a Seattle-based startup developing software to provide discounts and rewards for buying goods at grocery stores, exited stealth mode this week with an announcement it has raised more than $15 million in outside investment. The company, which has been keeping many details about its business under wraps, launched in … Continue reading “As More Grocers Embrace Tech, Swiftly Snags $15M to Launch in Seattle”
Tag: Amazon Go
Dave, More Chips on Aisle 3: Walmart Opens AI-Enabled Store in NY
Walmart has unveiled its “store of the future,” which uses artificial intelligence-enabled cameras to tip off employees when products need to be replenished on shelves or expired meat and produce needs to be replaced. The “Intelligent Retail Lab,” or IRL as the retailer calls it, has been installed at an existing Walmart store in Levittown, … Continue reading “Dave, More Chips on Aisle 3: Walmart Opens AI-Enabled Store in NY”
Microsoft, Kroger Advance Grocery Tech to Fend Off Amazon
From the cloud on down to the floors of supermarkets, the rivalry between Microsoft and Amazon spans many sectors in software, gadgets, and increasingly, retail. The Seattle-area tech giants are battling—both with one another, and other competitors—to further digitize grocery shopping. The latest salvo came on Monday from Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]), which announced new details … Continue reading “Microsoft, Kroger Advance Grocery Tech to Fend Off Amazon”
Walmart, Microsoft Deepen Partnership as Both Grapple With Amazon
The enemy of my enemy is my friend—even in the retail and cloud computing businesses. So says retail giant Walmart (NYSE: [[ticker:WMT]]) as it announced this morning a five-year partnership with Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) to use machine learning and other technologies, deepening an existing partnership between two of Amazon’s biggest rivals. “Whether it’s combined with our … Continue reading “Walmart, Microsoft Deepen Partnership as Both Grapple With Amazon”
E-ZPass Links With PayByCar to Advance In-Vehicle Payments
In the future, you might pay for gas or a parking spot by touching a button on your vehicle’s dashboard. Car companies are already starting to introduce these kinds of in-vehicle payments systems. But it’ll likely take years before they come standard in most new automobiles, and even longer for cars equipped with such systems … Continue reading “E-ZPass Links With PayByCar to Advance In-Vehicle Payments”
Amazon Go Reviews: Praise for Shopping Speed, Caution Around Privacy
Whole Foods has always been on the bleeding edge of improving the efficiency of the grocery store checkout. The New York Times praised the chain a decade ago for its single-line strategy, which other retailers copied. Other trade publications have noted unique tactics Whole Foods uses in its busiest stores, like the color-coded system at … Continue reading “Amazon Go Reviews: Praise for Shopping Speed, Caution Around Privacy”
As Automation Disrupts Everything, Michigan Must Seize Opportunity
Detroit is buzzing again. Optimism about the city’s future is high. Unemployment in the state of Michigan is under 4 percent, approaching 20-year lows, and is lower than the national average. There’s lots to be excited about, and I share that excitement 100 percent. In fact, it’s part of the reason why I recently moved … Continue reading “As Automation Disrupts Everything, Michigan Must Seize Opportunity”
Mapbox, Bill.com, Standard Cognition, Empowered by New Cash
—Mapbox announced Tuesday it had raised a hefty $164 million in a Series C financing round led by the SoftBank Vision Fund, which was joined by Foundry Group, DFJ Growth, DBL, and Thrive. The new capital will speed up Mapbox’s progress in vehicle navigation and autonomous driving, enlarge its virtual reality and augmented reality gaming capabilities, and fund its … Continue reading “Mapbox, Bill.com, Standard Cognition, Empowered by New Cash”
Amazon, Uber, and Bill Gates’s Robot Tax: An Automation Snapshot
As we gear up for Robo Madness 2017: A.I. Gets Real, our annual robotics and artificial intelligence conference at Google’s offices in Kendall Square, let’s connect a few dots around the topic of automation. In just the past day or two: —Uber has started testing self-driving cars in Tempe, AZ, after having its tests banned … Continue reading “Amazon, Uber, and Bill Gates’s Robot Tax: An Automation Snapshot”
With “Go,” Amazon Identifies Another Job It Can Do Better
Early last year, I “fired” talk radio along with NPR’s morning and evening editions. That same day, I “hired” Amazon Audible as my commute companion. It wasn’t a difficult decision. Audible is far better than its predecessors at doing the job I need done as I travel to and from my office – provide on-demand … Continue reading “With “Go,” Amazon Identifies Another Job It Can Do Better”