This week’s episode arc: the future is a nuclear hellscape full of zombies to the future filled with sustainable food, vibrant public transit systems, voice ux assistants for non sighted developers, and a technologically innovative rebuilt Puerto Rico. Sometimes you need the dark to see the light.
Google Home vs. Amazon
- Game over? Target partners with Google for voice enabled online shopping, joining Walmart to give Google two huge retailers. Amazon, what happened? You had a two year head start.
- Brian reminds Phillip: Amazon doesn’t need to partner with Walmart or Target.
- Amazon’s Alexa is trying to be branded the same way, but at some point, is it a blender, too? Its definitely a fridge.
- Amazon’s been blowing their lead to Google
Google Missteps
Amazon Acquires Body Labs
- Amazon Acquires Future Commerce podcast alum Body Labs for $70MM
- Brian called it, and he’s excited; confirms that Jeff Bezos listens to Future Commerce.
- Body Labs is a body modeling software that takes a 2D picture of your body and turns it into a 3D representation.
- Ramifications for: private label brands, custom clothing, new sizes, sporting goods, and even video game avatars.
Uber eVTOL
- Phillip got an Uber survey; subject: rockets. Specifically, eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing).
- 100 questions almost entirely on eVTOL, e.g. does it need a pilot for you to feel safe, or can it be autonomous?
- Show title idea: “I’m running a little late, my eVTOL crashed.”
- Phillip peers into the future and sees only two options: eVTOLs, or scrap metal fortified shelters protecting the huddling remnants of humanity from zombies and nuclear apocalypse.
Facebook
Oculus Go: VR for the common folk
- Exciting development, Facebook announces Oculus Go.
- Affordable entry point, stand alone, embedded audio, “near high VR experience.”
- Phillip says, “it doesn’t sound good to me, that’s like saying ‘it’s not diarrhea, it’s near diarrhea.’”
- A clear upgrade in the affordable VR realm: this is not pseudo-experience that feels like a phone hack.
- Not only visual VR, but spatial audio as well.
- Hugo Barra, Zuckerberg, if you’re listening, send the guys over for a demo.
- VR still kitsch: it’s not clear how it makes life better for consumers.
Magic Leap gets some serious Series D funding
- 1 billion dollars of Series D funding. That’s a lot of money, especially for an unknown product.
- Prediction: Magic Leap is the Solyndra of 2017
- Exceptional at fundraising, but nothing else?
- Or maybe the CEO of Magic Leap is just Killgrave from Jessica Jones.
Technology for good in the public sphere
- Brent Toderian, tweets Enrique Penalosa, Mayor of Bogota’s, inspiring quote: “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich ride public transportation.”
- Real disruption comes when convenience outweighs other factors: need innovation in public transit.
- “The whole world depends on disrupting food delivery and public transit systems.”
- Shoutout to Jason L Baptiste and his new company, Studio Live.
- Google’s Project Loon connects Puerto Rico to wifi using hot air balloons.
- Mark Zuckerberg uses Puerto Rico to shill for his new Facebook feature.
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