Fedex and Microsoft unite against rival Amazon
Today Microsoft and FedEx announced details of their partnership to best Amazon by combining Microsoft’s cloud services with FedEx’s logistics network to create a better shipping experience for customers. Amazon, the kingpin in cloud services, is rapidly growing its own logistics business, adding both trucks and planes to rival FedEx and UPS. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: The smart people at Microsoft continue to amaze, and perhaps they have some impressive strategies to beat Amazon at their game of total world domination. But Amazon has been fueled by the quarantine, with growth well in advance of projections. Stopping Amazon will be difficult without assistance from the Department of Justice, and that looks unlikely at the current time.
A robot that guesses your emotions from your walk
Researchers at the University of Maryland have developed ProxEmo, a robot powered by software that reads people’s gait and body language to determine their emotional state. By observing people’s facial expression and mapping their walking gait onto a model, the technology determines if the person should be given more space, or if they are potentially in need of support. Wired
dis-rup-shun: Technology to improve health and wellness is on the rise, but few applications are designed to monitor and manage mental health and wellness. Public school systems around the country have spent significant dollars for cameras with facial recognition technology that is designed to identify hostile visitors who may intend harm. Mental wellness is an under-served need that will benefit greatly from artificial intelligence.
An app for NYC subway sounds
For the hundreds of thousands of people who used to spend a part of their day on a subway, and are missing the familiar sounds, there’s an app for that. TheVerge
dis-rup-shun: Thanks to the Internet for bringing really long-tail content to the general public.
Best smart locks
Digital Trends reviews the growing smart lock category and chooses August Smart Lock Third Generation as the best, most secure, and easiest to install. The review also categorizes the best lock for your chosen smart home platform (Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Home). The review also includes Level Lock, a unique option that fits all of the electronics inside the door, concealing the fact that you even have a smart lock.
dis-rup-shun: This review implies that consumers are choosing their smart home products based on their preferred control interface (Alexa, Google, iPhone, Android phone). But most smart home products work with all of these interfaces, so this approach does not help a confused consumer. It will take apartment communities and builders to make smart locks a standard offering for this product to reach a mass market, but the Gen Z consumers who are never without their smartphones will prefer buildings and homes that offer smart home technologies.