Amazon was founded on July 5, 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Seattle, WA, which is actually, where their headquarters is located. In 1995, Bezos launched Amazon.com. Not only is he the founder but Bezos is also the chairman and CEO of Amazon. When he started Amazon, he originally wanted the name to be Cadabra, but according to sources, he opted out due to the fact that Cadabra sounded similarly close to “cadaver”.  It sounds silly, but if you try saying cadabra fast, a few times in a row it does start to sound like cadaver.

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Amazon is more known for its online retailing but they have branched themselves out into different parts of the spectrum to better their business and customers. Examples of those that we are familiar with are Amazon Echo and Amazon Prime. Both in which many of Amazon’s users are familiar with due to the benefits and convenience they provide for them.  However, there are others that have been up and running for a while now that we do not really think about and a few that are brand spankin’ new. In this video we will go into more details on a few such as Amazon Robotics and Amazon Go.

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But let’s start with the overwhelming and widely advertised, Amazon Echo. Echo is a smart speaker that is interactive using a voice activated virtual assistant who we all know to be Alexa, the voice.  Using automatic speech recognition and natural language understanding, Echo was successful in using our voice to be able to collect the data needed to transfer and collect.  The first generation Echo was created in 2014. Following after that came a couple other styles such as the Echo Tap, Echo Show, Echo Spot, Echo Dot and more. The most recent Echo is the second generation which came out in 2017. Although Echo was created for enjoyment and to help customers, there have been some bad press such as Alexa laughing randomly. The only response to this issue that Amazon has state is that “in rare circumstances, Alexa can mistakenly hear the phrase ‘Alexa, laugh.’”. I find their response unfulfilling as an explanation to the issue. A part of me is curious if there was some sort of hacking into their system’s code for Alexa to randomly laugh. Sadly, this is not the only issue that has been fired about Echo. Unsure of whether it’s truly a conspiracy or not, through the media and small talks between people, there’s a discussion going around about how Echo devices still recording or collecting data on owners of the device when being unused.

 

Another new technology that you probably didn’t know much about was created by Amazon Robotics LLC, formerly known as Kiva Systems LLC before the acquisition by Amazon. * There were about 3,000 Kiva robot working when Amazon had first incorporated them into their warehouse. But in 2017, it was noted that there were more than 100,000 robots in action.  According to the New York Times, “the robots make warehouse work less tedious and physically taxing” especially since they take on the heavy load while the workers that used to do their job now babysit and troubleshoot them when needed. One issue that pops up when it comes to robots, and it seems to always be the same one every time, is that they are replacing people which leads to cuts.  However, during an interview with CNET, David Clark, Senior Vice President Worldwide Operations, stated “…our focus in automation is about helping people do their jobs not replacing people…”. There are still tasks that are performed better by people than robots, such as “picking individual items off shelves, with all their various shapes and sizes” so maybe it’s not a lost cause to have robots working along side people.

 

A new release for Amazon is Amazon Go, a grocery store that does not have any cashiers or check out stations. How is that possible? Well just sit back and experience a short snippet of what their first store is like. * Currently, the only Amazon Go store is in, you guessed it, Seattle, WA. However, according to recent news, they are expanding the stores to Chicago and San Francisco. Amazon seems to have the right idea when it comes to this. However, in the video, there were a few good points made that would cause or are issues when it comes to Amazon Go. One point was that they had customers lined up to get into the store. Which defeats the purpose of not having cashiers and check out stations because instead of waiting in line to get checked out, people are waiting in line to get in. Another issue was the fact if consumers were to try to return items, they would not really be able to return the items. However, they would be able to get their money back. Which would hurt Amazon more than the customers, especially if the consumer were lying. There was a thought brought up in the video that by using data analysis on their customers they would probably be able to weed out those who were trying to cheat the system.

 

For the future of Amazon, it was mentioned not that long ago that Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase were interested in making health-care easier and cheaper of some sort. How they intend to do, it is still unknown. With how much money all three have combined and Bezos’ key ideas to success, putting the customer first, invent and be patient, it is possible for them to find some sort of technological solution to simplify the health-care system.