Tue. 12/10 – Amazon Autos

Dec 10, 2024 16m

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You can now buy a car on Amazon. A new AI unicorn doing something with AI I hadn’t heard about before. New AI enhanced smartglasses. Microsoft says it has a new datacenter design that uses zero water. And if you were able to use Sora yesterday, what was that like?

Sponsors:

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Links:

You Can Buy a Car on Amazon Now (Wired)
US finalizes $6.1 bln Micron chip-making subsidy (Reuters)
Memory chip maker Micron’s $6.1 billion grant confirmed by Commerce Dept. (Washington Post)
OpenAI-Backed Language Tutor Startup Doubles Value to $1 Billion (Bloomberg)
Solos challenges Meta’s Ray-Bans with $299 ChatGPT smart glasses (The Verge)
Microsoft Unveils Zero-Water Data Centers to Reduce AI Climate Impact (Bloomberg)
Bluesky teases paid subscription, Bluesky+, in new mockup (TechCrunch)
I just went hands-on with Sora — the good, the bad, and the wow (Tom's Guide)

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AI-Generated Summary

Amazon Autos: A New Era in Car Buying

Amazon has launched 'Amazon Autos', allowing users to purchase Hyundai vehicles directly through the platform, an exciting addition to their e-commerce empire. The service simplifies the car buying experience by letting customers search for vehicles, estimate trade-in values, and choose financing options—all online. However, it currently only offers new Hyundais, requires dealership pickup, and is limited to 48 states. This move indicates a trend where vehicles are treated as digital products, akin to computers on wheels.

AI Unicorn Speak and Language Learning

Introduce AI into the language learning arena, Speak has raised $78 million, hitting a valuation of $1 billion. Unlike competitors that gamify learning, Speak focuses on conversational fluency with AI-powered verbal interaction. Their subscription-based model appeals to both consumers and enterprises. As language learning becomes more integrated with AI, this reflects a growing trend of companies focusing on consumer applications of AI.

The Rise of AI-Enhanced Smart Glasses

In a bid to capitalize on the smart glasses trend, Solos has launched 'Air Go Vision', competent with OpenAI's GPT-40 for visual recognition. Priced at $299, these smart glasses provide a competitive option to existing products like Meta's Ray-Bans. The glasses enable on-demand features such as text translation and provide information about surroundings, illustrating how AI is become integral in consumer tech.

Microsoft's Zero-Water Data Centers

Microsoft has unveiled a revolutionary data center design that utilizes zero water for cooling. The innovative closed-loop system drastically reduces water consumption, essential for sustainability, especially in arid regions. Despite its existing data centers still using traditional cooling methods, this new design represents an important innovation amidst rising demand for AI services, showing Microsoft's commitment to climate-conscious tech solutions.

Bluesky's Path to Subscription Services

Bluesky is trending towards a subscription model with the potential launch of 'Bluesky Plus', which may offer enhanced features for a fee. This reflects a broader strategy typical in tech services where premium features cater to user demand, countering declining ad revenues. The mockups indicate pricing and feature considerations while maintaining ambiguity about final offerings.

Early Reception to Sora

Sora has generated buzz, overwhelming account creation capacities. Initial user experiences highlighted both its strengths in video generation utilizing AI and limitations, such as inconsistencies in physics representation. Reviews are mixed but show that users are intrigued by the innovation, despite challenges in video realism.