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Below, I rounded up the best early Black Friday deals of 2024 from some of our favorite retailers, like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Home Depot and REI. SKIP AHEAD Best early Black Friday deals | More early Black Friday sales | How I picked the best early Black Friday deals | Why trust NBC Select? Best early Black Friday deals of 2024To find the best early Black Friday deals, I combed through dozens of discounts across retailers. Best early Black Friday salesHere are the best early Black Friday sales to know about. How I found the best early Black Friday dealsAll of my recommendations above are based on NBC Select’s previous coverage and reporting.

Persons: I’ve, I’ll, Siri, It’s, TikTok Organizations: Black, NBC, Target, Walmart, Home, Alexa, Garmin, Amazon, beechwood, Wellness, Facebook, Twitter Locations: REI, Samsonite, grippy

☆ Amazon shuts down secret project to develop fertility tracker
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon has discontinued a secretive effort to develop an at-home fertility tracker, according to internal documents and people familiar with the matter. The team sat within Amazon's Grand Challenge, also known as its Special Projects division, the sources said. In October, Amazon told people working on the tracker that it was disbanding the team. Other Grand Challenge projects, including the Amazon Care telehealth service, a video-calling device for kids, a virtual tours service, and an augmented reality headset for meetings, were discontinued. On the morning of Oct. 28, employees working on the fertility tracker were told to join a videoconference where a director of the team informed them that the project was ending.

Persons: Amazon, Andy Jassy, Jassy, Jeff Bezos, Bezos, Alexa Organizations: Amazon, Projects, CNBC, Amazon Care Locations: companywide

☆ Amazon shares jump 7%, approach record after earnings beat
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon shares jumped 7% on Friday and neared an all-time high after the company reported better-than-expected earnings, driven by growth in its cloud computing and advertising businesses. Revenue increased 11% in the quarter to $158.9 billion, topping the $157.2 billion estimate of analysts surveyed by LSEG. Sales in the Amazon Web Services cloud business increased 19% to $27.4 billion, coming in just shy of analysts' estimates, according to StreetAccount. That was an acceleration from 12% a year ago, but trailed growth at rivals Microsoft and Google , where cloud revenue increased 33% and 35%, respectively. The midpoint of that range, $185 billion, fell short of the average analyst estimate of $186.2 billion, according to LSEG.

Persons: Roth MKM, Brian Olsavsky, Andy Jassy, Jassy, we're, — CNBC's Ari Levy Organizations: Amazon, Revenue, LSEG, Services, Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, Meta

☆ Amazon CEO pledges AI investments will pay off as capital expenditures surge 81%
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"I think we've proven over time that we can drive enough operating income and free cash flow to make this a very successful return on invested capital business," Jassy said. "We expect the same thing will happen here with generative AI." The jump in spending is primarily being driven by generative AI investments, Jassy said. A day earlier, Alphabet CFO Anat Ashkenazi warned the company expects capital spending to grow in 2025. Amazon has said its cloud unit has picked up more business from companies that need infrastructure to deploy generative AI models.

Persons: Andy Jassy, Jassy, OpenAI, we're, Mark Zuckerberg, Anat Ashkenazi, It's, it's Organizations: Amazon Web Services, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon Locations: OpenAI

Below, I rounded up the best October Prime Day deals that are still available right now. If you’re curious, the NBC Select team also compiled readers’ favorite Prime Day products and what our editors purchased. SKIP AHEAD Best Prime Day deals still live | More Prime Day sales still live | Best sales at other retailers | Why trust NBC Select? Best Prime Day sales still liveThese Prime Day sales are still going on, but keep in mind that not every item from a brand is discounted as described below. Each deal in this article is currently at its October Prime Day price or up to $10 higher.

Persons: it’s, They’re, ”, Sadhana Daruvuri, “, You’re, Rosalie Sparaco, Nikki Brown, fryer, you’ll, Cory Fernandez, There’s, TikTok Organizations: Deal, NBC, Apple, Alexa, Bath, Amazon Reviewers, Adidas, Wellness, Giftable Tech, Facebook, Twitter Locations: men’s

Check out our main Prime Day deals hub for sales, broken down into categories like tech, home and kitchen, style and beauty, and more. View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark. Easy-to-use Alexa voice controlCheck mark icon A check mark. This is a relatively new product on the market, and we're seeing the first ever sale during Prime Day. Check out our roundup of all of the best Prime Day deals , or browse Amazon's website for the full selection.

Persons: Dyson, Rocco, seltzer Organizations: Business, Deal, Samsung, Alexa Voice, Amazon, Shark, Dyson, Upright, Amazon Philips, Philips, Amazon Samsung

That’s why I’ll continue updating this article throughout October Prime Day, which is halfway over — if you haven’t started shopping, what are you waiting for? SKIP AHEAD Best Prime Day deals | More Prime Day sales | Best sales at other retailers | How I found the best Prime Day deals | Why trust NBC Select? Best Prime Day salesHere are the best Prime Day sales to know about. Best Prime Day home essentials salesBest Prime Day beauty and wellness salesBest Prime Day tech salesBest Prime Day grocery salesBest Prime Day home salesBest Prime Day kitchen salesBest Prime Day pet supplies dealsBest sales at other retailersHow I found the best Prime Day dealsAll of my recommendations above are based on NBC Select’s previous coverage and reporting. I’m an associate updates editor for NBC Select who's covered deals and sales for five years.

Persons: I’ve, ”, Sadhana Daruvuri, “, Lindsay Schneider, shea butters, Rosalie Sparaco, You’re, It’s, Rebecca Rodriguez, Alexa, you’ll, Bianca Alvarez, deodorant, Ashley Morris, TikTok Organizations: NBC, Deal, Bath, Alexa, AA, Wellness, Giftable Tech, Facebook, Twitter Locations: —, New York City

I combed through Amazon’s many deal pages — through thousands of discounted products — to find the best October Prime Day deals. SKIP AHEAD Best Prime Day deals | More Prime Day sales | Best sales at other retailers | How I picked the best deals | Why trust NBC Select? 4.6-star average rating from 7,532 reviews on AmazonThese are some of the best wireless earbuds I’ve tested. Best Prime Day salesHere are the best Prime Day sales to know about. Best sales at other retailersHow I found the best Prime Day dealsAll of my recommendations above are based on NBC Select’s previous coverage and reporting.

Persons: I’ve, I’ll, Rosalie Sparaco, you’ll, ”, Lindsay Schneider, shea butters, You’re, Alexa, Rebecca Rodriguez, It’s, TikTok Organizations: NBC, Big Deal, tote, Alexa, Wellness, Bath, Giftable Tech, Deal, Facebook, Twitter Locations: New York City, —

☆ The best October Prime Day deals on Amazon Kindle, Fire tablets and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Henry St. Leger | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is here, offering discounts on Amazon devices during the 48-hour sale, exclusive to Prime members. SKIP AHEAD Best Prime Day Amazon device deals | How I picked the best Amazon device deals | Why trust NBC Select? Best Prime Day Amazon device deals3.9-star average rating from 9,304 reviews on AmazonAmazon’s Echo Buds were at their lowest price ever on the last Prime Big Deal Day, and are well worth a look this time around. How I found the best Prime Day Amazon device dealsAll of my recommendations above are based on NBC Select’s previous coverage and reporting. To round up the best Prime Day sales on TVs, I found highly-rated products at their lowest price ever or their lowest price in three months.

Persons: I’ll, Alexa, TikTok Organizations: Amazon, NBC, Big Deal, Deal, Alexa, Echo, Amazon Music, Spotify, Netflix, Disney, Marvel, Wellness, Bath, Giftable Tech, Facebook, Twitter

The best Fire TV Stick deals right now include 42% off the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. The best Prime Day Fire TV Stick dealsAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) $34.99 $59.99 Save 42% This is Amazon's top streaming stick. View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark. Not a huge upgrade over previous modelAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) $24.99 $49.99 Save 50% The Fire TV Stick 4K is a good fit for 4K TV owners looking to spend less. View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark.

Persons: they're Organizations: Business, Deal, Amazon Prime, Alexa Voice, It's, Apple, Alexa

View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark. View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark. View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark. View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark. View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark.

Persons: Matte, Slim, It's Organizations: Business, Deal, Samsung, LG, Buyers, Shoppers, Fire, Alexa, Samsung S95D, Dolby, Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba

Amazon's second 2024 Prime Day event, Big Deal Days, is one of the best opportunities to save money on an Amazon Echo device. Below, we've combed through all of the best Amazon Echo deals to find the top options that are already on sale. The best Prime Day Amazon Echo dealsAmazon Echo (4th Gen) $54.99 $99.99 Save 45% Amazon's flagship smart speaker is the best Echo for most people thanks to its room-filling sound, reliable Alexa voice control, and built-in smart-home hub capabilities. View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark. View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark.

Organizations: Business, Amazon, Black, Apple, Big Deal, Echo, Alexa

I’ll frequently update this list leading up to October’s Prime Day sale on Oct. 8 and 9. SKIP AHEAD Best early Prime Day deals | More early Prime Day sales | Best sales at other retailers | How I picked the best early Prime Day deals | Why trust NBC Select? Best early Prime Day kitchen deals4.3-star average rating from 68,314 reviews on AmazonThis microwave popcorn maker is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. Best early Prime Day salesHere are the best early Prime Day sales to know about. Best sales at other retailersHow I found the best early Prime Day dealsAll of my recommendations above are based on NBC Select’s previous coverage and reporting.

Persons: I’ve, I’ll, It’s, petrolatum, You’ll, it’s, you’re, —, popper, fryer, Lindsay Schneider, TikTok Organizations: NBC, October’s, Alexa Voice, Amazon, Bluetooth, Wellness, Bath, Giftable Tech, Deal, Facebook, Twitter Locations: California

Persons: I’ve, I’ll, It’s, petrolatum, popper, fryer, Lindsay Schneider, TikTok Organizations: Deal, NBC, October’s, Alexa Voice, Amazon, Bluetooth, Wellness, Bath, Giftable Tech, Facebook, Twitter Locations: California

Amelia is the latest generative AI tool that Amazon has brought to market in the past year as it seeks to capitalize on the hype sparked by OpenAI's ChatGPT. The company has introduced an AI-powered shopping assistant named Rufus, a chatbot for businesses dubbed Q and Bedrock, a generative AI service for cloud customers. More than 400,000 of Amazon's millions of third-party sellers have used its AI listing tool, up from 200,000 in June, he said. With Amelia, Amazon is counting on generative AI to help with a key issue for third-party merchants — account troubleshooting. Amazon said the tool uses retrieval-augmented generation, or RAG, a popular AI industry framework that combines generative AI with long-established methods of information retrieval.

Persons: Nathan Stirk, Amelia, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Rufus, Anthropic, Andy Jassy, Jassy, Thos Robinson, it's, Dharmesh Mehta, Mehta Organizations: Getty, Central, CNBC, New York Times, Google, Microsoft, Merchants Locations: New York City, Seattle .

☆ Leaked messages show early challenges for Amazon's big AI product and concern about losing customers to Microsoft
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-05 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Amazon Q, a big new AI product, faces issues such as high costs and lack of features. Neighorn told BI that Amazon had clear pricing for Amazon Q and that customers could use the AWS Pricing Calculator to calculate Amazon Q charges. "Amazon Q only launched in April, and we continue to add new features based on customer feedback," Neighorn said. "Amazon Q has a rapidly growing customer base that is using Q for a variety of use cases." AdvertisementFor now, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy may be the biggest salesperson for Amazon Q.

Persons: —, Q, It's, Slack, Q's, AWS's, Microsoft's Copilot, Patrick Neighorn, Neighorn, Matt Garman, Garman, Andy Jassy, Jassy Organizations: Amazon, Service, Web Services, Business, Microsoft, Google, ChatGPT, BI, Microsoft's Exchange, Bayer, Smartsheet, National Australia Bank, AWS, Q, LinkedIn Locations: North

Olivia Ott / NBC NewsHow we tested Windmill and July’s air conditionersTwo of my colleagues and I tested Windmill and July’s ACs for at least five weeks in our New York City apartments. July sent me its small 6K BTU air conditioner, which I put in my bedroom. My LG air conditioner was so loud that I felt like I couldn’t hear myself think. JulyEven after over a month, I’m still shocked when I walk into my bedroom and barely notice my air conditioner. For this article, I tested July’s air conditioner for over a month, and two members of NBC Select’s staff tested Windmill’s air conditioner for over a month.

Persons: you’ll, Zoe Malin, Nikki Brown, Olivia Ott, Bianca Alvarez, you’re, I’ve, ”, Brown, Alvarez, I’d, she’s, “, it’s, Windmill’s, I’m, Both Alvarez, hasn’t, —, TikTok Organizations: NASA, NBC, British, Units, National Council, Aging, Alexa, July’s, ACs, Windmill, AC, July’s AC, LG, Amazon Alexa, decibel, Facebook, Twitter Locations: New York City, BTUs, Taskrabbit, NYC, France

☆ Amazon has discussed a 'DoctorAI' tool to automate routine healthcare tasks
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAmazon's One Medical team has discussed building a new large language model called "DoctorAI" to automate routine healthcare tasks, according to an internal planning document obtained by Business Insider. In one section, the One Medical team discusses their most disruptive ideas, and this is where the new AI tool was proposed. Big foundation models are often used as a starting point to develop more focused, specialized AI models and tools. "We do not use our customers' protected health information to train our current health AI models, and to imply we do would be incorrect." It also hoped to handle 87,000 customer service contacts in 2024 through "additional self-service content and the AI healthcare assistant service," the document stated.

Persons: —, Andy Jassy, Rohit Prasad, Sunita Mishra Organizations: Service, Business, Amazon Pharmacy, Olympus, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Amazon Web Services

It's your last chance to shop Amazon Prime Day deals on tech, beauty products, vacuums and more. SKIP AHEAD The best Prime Day deals | More Prime Day sales to check out | The best sales at other retailersWant more from our everyday experts, straight to your inbox? Other Amazon Echo smart speakers are also on sale during Prime Day, including the Echo Spot ($44.99) and Echo Dot ($24.99). Best Prime Day salesHere are the best Prime Day sales to know about. Best Prime Day clothing, shoes and accessories salesBest Prime Day tech salesBest Prime Day home and kitchen salesBest Prime Day pet supplies salesBest Prime Day beauty and wellness salesBest Prime Day travel salesBest Prime Day food and beverage dealsPrime Day: Best sales at other retailersFrequently asked questions When does Amazon Prime Day end?

Persons: I’ve, they’re, It’s, Chamberlain, They’re, fanny, —, Siri, Differin, dermatologists, shea, Alexa, Lindsay Schneider, Mili, it’s, you’ll, Chili Crisp, Zhong, TikTok Organizations: Amazon, NBC, AA, AAA, Apple, Netflix, Apple TV, Hulu, Spotify, Apple Music, Sirius XM, Chengdu Crunch, Amazon Prime, Wellness, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Chili, Zhong Sauce

☆ Amazon's amazing turnaround: How Andy Jassy secretly wooed Wall Street and overhauled a bloated tech giant
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

This person is one of over a dozen Amazon employees, investors, and analysts that BI interviewed to better understand Jassy's first 3 years as CEO. Andy Jassy replaced Jeff Bezos (pictured here) as Amazon's CEO in July 2021. In his first 3 years as CEO, Jassy has lost many senior staff. Amazon's spokesperson said the company has "strong retention and continuity" among senior leaders. Amazon's spokesperson said the company is making "huge investments" in AI across AWS and the retail business.

Persons: —, Andy Jassy, Jeff Bezos, Jassy, Bezos, EMMANUEL DUNAND, Mark Shmulik, Bernstein, Bernstein's Shmulik, He's, Shmulik, Amazon's, That's, spokespeople, Jassy doesn't, Doug Herrington, Jay Carney, Dave Limp, Adam Selipsky, Dave Clark, Clark, Ted S, Babak Parviz, Parviz, Mark Mahaney, We're, Jeff Organizations: Service, Business, Amazon, Washington Post, BI, Warren, Echo, Microsoft, AWS Locations: Seattle

☆ Amazon beefs up AI development, hiring execs from startup Adept and licensing its technology
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The front desk of the Amazon office is pictured in New York, May 1, 2019. Amazon is ramping up its development of artificial intelligence technology, hiring top talent from AI agent startup Adept and licensing the company's technology. Luan will oversee Amazon's "AGI Autonomy" division, and report to Prasad, he wrote in the memo, which CNBC obtained. Amazon's cloud unit has launched a range of AI services, including its own models, which are generally viewed as lagging behind the top competitors. Last month, Amazon announced Adam Selipsky, the head of Amazon Web Services, would be stepping down and succeeded by Matt Garman, the head of sales at marketing at AWS.

Persons: Rohit Prasad, David Luan, Luan, Prasad, Geekwire, Anthropic, Adam Selipsky, Matt Garman Organizations: CNBC, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Alexa, Amazon Web Services, AWS Locations: New York

Some of Best Buy's best deals this weekend include the highly sought-after PS5 Slim for only $400 — a rare discount on the premium gaming console. Below we've highlighted 10 of the best deals you can shop on Best Buy this weekend. You can find some present inspiration in our guides to the best Father's Day gifts, the best graduation gifts for him, and the best graduation gifts for her. 10 best Best Buy deals available nowSony PS5 Slim (Digital Edition) $399.99 $449.99 Save 11% The PS5 Slim Digital Edition is for downloadable games only and costs $50 less than the standard PS5 with a disc drive. Shop at Best BuyCheck out more of Best Buy's weekend sale here.

Persons: Slim Organizations: Business, Apple, Sony, Alexa, Toshiba, Fire

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Nvidia shares top $1,000 on AI boom
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Abid Ali | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Nvidia to split stock, sales to soarShares of Nvidia rose more than 7%, topping $1,000 for the first time, in after-hours trading after its first-quarter earnings and sales beat analysts' expectations. The company plans to split its stock 10 for 1. The media outlet went public in 2021 and has seen its shares fall 94% since then.

Persons: OpenAI, Vivek, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, Goldman Sachs Organizations: CNBC, Nvidia, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Dow, Google, GOP, Securities and Exchange Commission

☆ Amazon plans to give Alexa an AI overhaul — and a monthly subscription price
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Kate Rooney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon is upgrading its decade-old Alexa voice assistant with generative artificial intelligence and plans to charge a monthly subscription fee to offset the cost of the technology, according to people with knowledge of Amazon's plans. Amazon's subscription for Alexa will not be included in the $139 per year Prime offering, and Amazon has not yet nailed down the price point, one source said. The Alexa team worried they had invented an expensive alarm clock, weather machine and way to play Spotify music, one source said. When reached for comment, Amazon pointed to the company's annual shareholder letter released last month. It has undergone a massive reorganization, with much of the team shifting to the artificial general intelligence, or AGI, team, according to three sources.

Persons: OpenAI, Siri, Apple's, Scott Galloway, Alexa, Jeff Bezos, Andy Jassy, Jassy, Alexa didn't Organizations: Alexa, Google, Amazon, Gemini, iPhones, NYU, Spotify Locations: Seattle

☆ Leak: Amazon retail CEO tells employees about his 'AI show and tell' and warns of companies that 'failed to adapt' to big technology shifts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

“I would say it's important to remember that history is littered with big successful companies who faced big technology shifts,” Herrington said during the event. Internally, Amazon is scrambling to brainstorm new AI projects . Herrington oversees Amazon’s entire retail business, including the online marketplace, healthcare unit, and logistics service. While mentioning big companies that failed to adapt to these transitions and ultimately phased out, Herrington said he’s confident Amazon is going to be a leader in AI. Advertisement“It's all of our responsibility together to make sure that's not going to be the Amazon story,” Herrington said.

Persons: —, Doug Herrington, ”, Herrington, “, ” Herrington, didn’t, ’, There’s, Andy Jassy Organizations: Service, Amazon, Business

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