Counterfeits aren’t the only problem when shopping on Amazon, reports CNBC. The grocery section is “littered” with expired foods. From baby formula and coffee creamer to beef jerky and granola bars, items are arriving spoiled and well past their sell-by date, Amazon customers say. Interviews with brands, consumers, third-party sellers and consultants all point to loopholes in Amazon’s technology and logistics…
Tag: brands
India’s Reliance Jio Unveils Video Call Assistant To Help Businesses Automate Customer Support
Before Google moves to bring its human-sounding robot calling service Duplex to help users automate their interactions with businesses to international markets, an Indian giant is deploying its own solution to get a jumpstart on the local market. From a report: Reliance Jio today unveiled AI-powered Video Call Assistant service that will allow businesses to automate their customer support and other…
Was Flash Responsible For ‘The Internet’s Most Creative Era’?
A new article this week on Motherboard argues that Flash “is responsible for the internet’s most creative era,” citing a new 640-page book by Rob Ford on the evolution of web design. [O]ne could argue that the web has actually gotten less creative over time, not more. This interpretation of events is a key underpinning of Web Design: The Evolution of…
How Reddit’s CEO/Co-Founder Plans To ‘Clean Up’ Reddit
An anonymous reader quotes the Financial Times: After what the company acknowledges as its “wild” early days, the 35-year-old co-founder is now trying to clean up the edgy website known for provocative discussions and fringe groups, while revamping its advertising offering in a bid to woo big brands and move toward profitability…. [T]empering extreme conversation while also maintaining Reddit’s reputation as…
As Netflix Loses TV favorites Like ‘The Office’ To New Rivals, DVD and Blu-ray Sellers See a Big Opportunity
An anonymous reader shares a report: First, we learned “Friends” would leave Netflix for the upcoming streaming service, HBO Max. Now, “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” are on their way out, as NBCUniversal prepares to launch its new streamer, Peacock. With legacy media brands like Disney, WarnerMedia, and NBCUniversal launching streaming services of their own, Netflix and Hulu subscribers face…
Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products
Amazon.com has adjusted its product-search system to more prominently feature listings that are more profitable for the company, WSJ reported Monday citing people who worked on the project, a move, contested internally, that could favor Amazon’s own brands. From the report: Late last year, these people said, Amazon optimized the secret algorithm that ranks listings so that instead of showing customers…
Are Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Really Healthier Than Meat?
Plant-based/meat-free entrees are coming to major fast-food chains including White Castle, KFC, Del Taco, the Cheesecake Factory, and Subway. There’s just one problem, argues an opinion piece by a certified nutritionist at NBC News: “these offerings aren’t actually any healthier.” The Impossible Whopper, for instance, not only has comparable caloric and fat levels as its meat-based counterpart, but it has more…
Volkswagen’s Bold Plan To Create a New Car OS
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: VW Group is now consolidating its software all under one new internal group, similar to the way that financial services or the ride-hailing Moia exist alongside individual vehicle brands. And that means in the future, a single unified automotive OS will run on everything from a VW Polo to an Audi A8….
Does Playing Video Games Improve Your Workplace Performance?
“Businesses are waking up to the skills gamers can bring to the workplace,” argues the BBC, adding that “Even the military is hiring gamers.” “The ability to assimilate information, react swiftly and co-ordinate actions whilst remaining calm under pressure are often attributes of people that are good at gaming,” a Royal Air Force spokesperson tells the BBC. Those skills are part…
Jaguar and Audi SUVs Fail To Dent Tesla’s Electric-Car Dominance
Tesla has managed to expand its electric-car marketshare, despite two new battery-powered luxury SUVs that have been in U.S. showrooms for the last 10 months: Jaguar’s I-Pace and Audi’s e-tron. Bloomberg reports: Their starts are the latest indications that legacy automakers aren’t assured instant success when they roll out new plug-in models. Tesla’s Model S and X have largely held its…