Amazon’s Scout robot

This looks terrific. Amazon has been developing its Scout robot in-house for some time after making a small acquisition of a company who originally developed them. They look identical to the original machine, albeit with the well known Prime logo.

Amazon Scout

“Currently, in Amazon’s trial, the robots are always accompanied by human assistants. Those assistants — and they probably look a bit like robot dog walkers as they trot through the neighborhood — are currently the ones who are taking the packages out of the robot when they arrive at their destination and put it on the customers’ doorsteps. For now, that also means the customers don’t have to be home, though chances are they will have to be once this project rolls out to more users.”

Via TechCrunch

It’s fascinating to also read that they built a real-world environment to test the robots and combine this with computer simulations.

Amazon Scout's robot

I cannot wait to see the Amazon Scout (and drones!) in the UK. However, my only concern is that there are some people who won’t be able to stop themselves from stealing them, vandalising them and generally misbehaving. Sadly this a reflection on society and especially so in Britain right now.

I’m hoping Amazon have something planned for these circumstances. I’m thinking of a partnership with Tazer.

Do not let others define you and your life.

Do not let others define you and your life. Do not be defined by other people’s expectations of you. Do not be defined by time, either by what you’ve done up to this point, as that is the past or by your ambitions, as that is the future.

Tune into yourself and define yourself by being your authentic true self in every given moment. Find out what things feel good for your soul and do that.

That’s your freedom that you have. And it gives you the ballast to resist a world that’s trying to manipulate or categories you in some way.

Nitin Sawhney

Apple Card

Apple Card in Apple Pay – image Apple.

Apple Card has just been launched at the live event. Use your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay using Apple Pay, on your Apple card.

No fees. Advanced security. Nice UI on the app. Plus 2% cash back on everything when you use Apple Pay and 3% back for Apple services and hardware which immediately goes to the Apple Cash card in Apple Pay. (1% back when using Apple Card).

Smart and compelling.

And if you don’t have your device?

The actual card.

The titanium card – image Apple.
https://youtu.be/HAZiE9NtRfs

They’ve really thought it through. A titanium card will be cheap but the manufacturing scale and Apple know-how will help here.

What’s in it for Apple?

  • more reasons to use Apple payments (cash back, security etc)
  • slight nudge to buy more Apple services and hardware to get the additional 3% cashback
  • more reasons to buy iPhones
  • brand reinforcement with the card which will be seen as premium, even with wide adoption

Trust is a key part of this.

People trust Apple way more than banks IMHO (they won’t see GS sitting behind it, only the Apple brand).

Security is a big part of this.

One very important feature is a one-off unique dynamic security code. This will make it nearly impossible for anyone to use the credit card to make fraudulent purchases. So you don’t have to rely on just the CVV number, which seems pretty old tech.

You also have face or fingerprint security too when using your iPhone.

Overall, this card is a very smart move by Apple.

This is a financial service, deployed at scale. Never forget just how many iPhones are out there.

For an excellent write up and analysis of the entire Apple event and the other offerings that were launched, MC Siegler has written this post.

Update – from online speculation and yes, pure gossip, it looks like it could be available outside of the US at some point. Please Tim.