11.3.2015
Good to Know: Looks like Facebook’s Virtual Assistant for Messenger aka “M” can do almost anything. Weather updates? Finding tickets? You got it. The technology behind “M” is still developing so things are looking pretty good …
THE SKINNY
Everyone Loves A Good Surprise …
On Monday, e-commerce company Amazon announced that it’s changing up company policies for new moms and dads.
family first …
Previously, paid paternity leave didn’t exist at Amazon while new moms had eight weeks to be with their new bundle(s) of joy. Amazon thought things over and extended its maternity leave to 20 weeks. New dads now get 6 weeks off. Beyond that, Amazon is also offering parents a flexible return to work program so that employees can have more choice in planning what works best for their families.
Why Now?
CEO Jeff Bezos never wanted Amazon to have that “country club” type feel. But, it’s hard to stay a certain course when competitors are increasingly offering robust benefit options. Also, in the not too distant past, the New York Times published a less than flattering review of Amazon’s company culture. The company denies that article having any impact on its decision. A rep said the company routinely reviews its policies and started looking into its leaves policies earlier this year.
Oh, One More Thing …
Amazon also announced that its opening a physical book store. The new store called Amazon Books opens today in Seattle and will feature about 5,000 book titles. The company’s tight-lipped on any future plans and remains focused on this single store…. for now.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
Whatchu Talkin’ Bout, Willis?
Late last week, we heard reports that Google planned to phase out Chrome OS, the operating system behind its Chromebook laptops, by merging it with the Android mobile operating system. Turns out this may not be true. Yesterday, Google’s Senior Vice President Hiroshi Lockheimer, who oversees both operating systems, published a blog post denying almost everything. He says Chrome OS is here to stay and pointed to Chomebrook sales in the education market and its use by corporations like Netflix, Sanmina, Starbucks to make his point. Also, Lockheimer says that the new Google Chromecast runs on a variation of Chrome OS. In other words, nothing to see here, folks.
When You See A Rare Sight …
Google co-founder and CEO of Alphabet Larry Page doesn’t say much publicly these days, partly due to a medical condition. But, Page recently made an exception to talk China, Project Loon, and Alphabet. On the topic of China, Page admitted he typically punts questions about China to new Google CEO Sundar Pichai. He simply said “we’d like to do more.” Page is pretty amped about Project Loon and bringing Internet access to developing areas. Lastly, why did he and Co-founder Sergey Brin choose to set up a Berkshire Hathaway-type conglomerate aka Alphabet? Simple. They wanted to see how far they could take an innovative company with endless resources. Anything is possible …
THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’
When you start making money, everyone wants to be your friend. Advertisers are drawn to Snapchat because the kids love it, it’s mobile-friendly, and it hosts tons of videos. But, now advertisers want Snapchat to tell them how their ads are doing. One small problem: Coming up with those numbers is a work in progress for the company.
In 2017, Google plans to bring packages to your door via drones. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is expected to come out with final rules to help guide commercial drone use by early next year.
American Express loyalty points for AirBnB bookings? That’s a thing now. The two companies are working together to make paying for your next AirBnB with your AmEx loyalty points a little easier.
Gaming company Activision Blizzard (Activision) just bought out King Digital Entertainment (King), makers of Candy Crush for $5.9 billion. Both parties are pretty pleased with themselves. Activision says the purchase will better position the company when it comes to mobile, console and PC platforms. And, King CEO Riccardo Zacconi is looking forward to the company’s next phase. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that Zacconi’s now filthy rich …
Instagram wants to curate content for you, and it started over the weekend by pulling together users’ best Halloween videos. Expect this trend to continue with Twitter and Snapchat already doing something similar on their platforms.
Last chance for success? This week, Blackberry is out with new smartphones powered by Android called ‘Blackberry Priv.’ The phone still keeps its physical keyboard, but there’s a touch screen overlay as well. And, there are new features for security purposes. It comes complete with a pre-loaded app that tells you how your others apps are getting up all in your personal and location information. *Fingers crossed*