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Kevin Hodges, a partner at law firm Williams & Connolly, was the first member of Amazon's defense team identified in a court document in the case. Amazon General Counsel David Zapolsky, a 24-year veteran of the company's legal department, can turn to a stable of top outside law firms that already represent it. Thomas Barnett, co-chair of the firm’s antitrust practice and a former senior Justice Department official, was involved in the effort. A Covington spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on whether the firm is defending Amazon in the FTC antitrust case. Amazon has also turned to U.S. law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison to navigate government scrutiny.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Kevin Hodges, Williams, Connolly, Hodges, John Schmidtlein, David Zapolsky, Lina Khan, Thomas Barnett, Covington, Paul, Weiss, Garrison, Paul Weiss, Andrew Goudsward, Mike Scarcella, David Bario, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Amazon Logistics, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Trade, Amazon.com, Amazon, Williams, U.S . Justice, Microsoft, BP, Big Tech, Alphabet's, Google, FTC, Burling, Department, D.C, Covington, Thomson Locations: Chicago . Illinois, U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington, Mexico, Covington, Rifkind, Wharton

☆ OpenAI gives ChatGPT an update that allows it to hear, see, and speak like a human
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —You can now speak aloud to ChatGPT and hear the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot talk back. OpenAI, the startup behind the wildly-popular chatbot, announced Monday that it is rolling out new features including the ability to let users engage in a back-and-forth voice conversation with ChatGPT. The updates from OpenAI come amid an ongoing AI arms race within the tech sector, initially spurred by the public launch of ChatGPT late last year. Google last week announced a series of updates to its ChatGPT competitor Bard. Also last week, Amazon said it was bringing a generative AI-powered update to its Alexa voice assistant.

Persons: ChatGPT, OpenAI, Amazon’s Alexa, Siri, Larry, ”, Bard Organizations: CNN, Amazon’s, OpenAI, ChatGPT’s, Enterprise, Google

Limp joins Blue Origin at a key phase of the company's multiple space projects. Earlier this year Blue Origin won a $3.4 billion NASA contract to build a lunar lander for the agency's astronauts. However, Blue Origin has since hired aggressively. Read Bezos' message to Blue Origin employees on Monday:I'm excited to share that Dave Limp will join Blue starting December 4th as CEO, replacing Bob, who has elected to step aside on January 2. JeffRead Smith's message to Blue Origin employees:Team Blue, It's been about six years since I joined Blue Origin.

Persons: Limp, Shepard, Smith, Panos Panay, Bezos, Alexa, Limp's, Andy Jassy, Jeff Bezos, Blue, Bob Smith, Origin's, Glenn, –, Read, Dave Limp, Bob, I'd, we've, We've, I've, Dave, Jeff Read, It's, Jeff, I'm, Ferociter, Dave Limp's Organizations: Amazon, Alexa, CNBC, NASA, Blue Origin, Bloomberg, Microsoft, Billionaire, Blue Origin's, Origin, Honeywell, Shepard, Pentagon, U.S . Space Force, Elon, SpaceX, Blue, Amazon Devices, Services, Apple Locations: Van Horn , Texas, U.S, Alabama, Florida, California , Arizona, Colorado, Kent

☆ Amazon gives Alexa an AI facelift as it launches new smart speakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon introduced a "smarter and more conversational" version of its Alexa voice assistant that the company hopes will bolster its position in the tech industry's artificial intelligence race. In his final keynote address at the event on Wednesday, Amazon's devices chief Dave Limp showed off a demo of an updated Alexa that's freshly equipped with features powered by generative AI. From an event space at its new second headquarters in northern Virginia, Amazon showed a montage in which Alexa users were seen asking an Echo smart speaker for information such as the "best dates to travel to Puerto Rico." Similar to ChatGPT or other generative AI applications, Alexa will be able to compose messages for users and send them on their behalf. As an example, Amazon showed an invitation that Alexa wrote to a friend, asking the person to come over for a football game.

Persons: Dave Limp, Limp, Alexa Organizations: Amazon.com Inc, Amazon Devices, Amazon, Alexa, Echo Locations: Arlington , Virginia, Virginia, Puerto Rico

☆ Amazon plays catch-up with Alexa generative AI, shows off new, refreshed hardware
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It will also be able to compose and recite poems, Amazon showed at the company's annual product launch in Arlington, Virginia. At the event, Amazon also introduced refreshed versions of children's Fire tablets, a soundbar for televisions and new search capabilities on the FireTV service to find free content. Among the new devices Amazon announced is the $180 Echo Hub wall-mounted touchscreen for controlling gadgets throughout the home. Amazon also showed off a new feature for its Alexa app that can map out internet-connected devices throughout a user's home for easier control. Additional announcements included updates to the Echo Frames eyeglasses, with Alexa embedded, and refreshed versions of its Blink outdoor security cameras and Eero Wi-Fi extenders.

Persons: Bard, Alexa, longform, Dave Limp, Limp, Eero, Greg Bensinger, Richard Chang Organizations: Amazon.com Inc, Wednesday, Amazon, Reuters, Alexa, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, Seattle

☆ Amazon devices unit morale wanes amid cuts, weak development pipeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Amazon hopes consumers will install Alexa-enabled devices in more rooms of their homes and become accustomed to using the system throughout the day, the sources said. Amazon has said its devices and services business is not profitable, without providing figures. Amazon is set to name as successor Microsoft's Panos Panay who oversaw development of the Surface, according to Bloomberg. Alexa employees were included in rounds of layoffs beginning last year resulting in 27,000 job cuts across Amazon. For years, Amazon has said it can sell devices for close to production cost and see a profit through services offered on them.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Dave Limp, Alexa, Kinley Pearsall, Amazon, hasn’t, “, ”, Avi Greengart, Limp, Microsoft's Panos Panay, Gregg Zehr, Tom Taylor, Ken Washington, Andy Jassy, Siri, That’s, Bruno Borges, I‘m, Greg Bensinger, Ken Li, Claudia Parsons Organizations: FRANCISCO, Reuters, Alexa, Amazon, Devices, Google, Microsoft, Echo, “, Bloomberg, Astro, Medtronic, Intelligence, Amazon.com, Lightform, Thomson Locations: Amazon’s, Lab126, Alphabet’s, Vancouver, Canada

The list of the best Fitbit devices is headed up by two distinct flagship wearables: the Versa 4 and the Sense 2. Fitbit Versa 4 The Fitbit Versa 4 disappoints as a fourth-generation smartwatch as it lacks third-party app support, has issues with fitness tracking, and doesn’t allow for music storage. Fitbit Sense 2 vs. Fitbit Versa 4: Smartwatch performanceOne of the main nitpicks I have with these watches is their disappointing lack of smartwatch capability. Fitbit Sense 2 vs. Fitbit Versa 4: Health and fitness trackingFitness tracking features are available on both devices, but the Sense 2 seems to be more reliable. Fitbit Sense 2 vs. Fitbit Versa 4: Battery lifePerhaps the best feature native to both the Sense 2 and the Versa 4 is their battery life, which lasts roughly six days depending on how it's used.

Persons: Rick Stella, they're, There's, Grey, That's Organizations: iOS Battery, Alexa, Google, Apple Watch, Versa

☆ Amazon hardware chief Dave Limp is stepping down this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Limp regularly appeared at Amazon hardware events, which are typically held each fall but sometimes occur more than once a year, to announce new products. Amazon said Limp would remain in his role for the next few months and the company will announce his successor in the coming weeks. Amazon is set to unveil new products at its annual event Sept. 20, hosted at the company's Northern Virginia headquarters, known as HQ2. "It pains me to have to deliver this news as we know we will lose talented Amazonians from the Devices & Services org as a result." In January, Limp said Amazon remains "fully committed" to the Alexa unit despite the job cuts in the division.

Persons: David Limp, Amazon's, Limp, Andy Jassy, Jassy, —, Annie Palmer Organizations: Amazon.com Inc, Amazon, CNBC, Wall Street, Devices, Services Locations: Seattle, Virginia

☆ Amazon saved children's voices recorded by Alexa even after parents asked for it to be deleted. Now it's paying a $25 million fine.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Amazon has agreed to change how it handles children's data recorded by Alexa. Under a settlement, the company will now delete all data, including voice recordings, when requested. Amazon will also have to flag the settlement on its "Parent Dashboard," where adults can set limits on children's use of Amazon services. The division is also now responsible for Amazon having to pay the US Treasury Department a $25 million civil penalty. "For too long, Amazon has treated children's sensitive data as its own property," Golin said in a statement provided to Insider.

Persons: Tessa M, Gorman, Josh Golin, Golin, Biden, Lina M, Khan, Suzanne Bernstein, Bernstein Organizations: Amazon, Alexa, Federal Trade Commission, COPPA, US Treasury Department, FTC, Department of Justice, Trump, Privacy, Big Tech Locations: Washington

☆ US says Amazon agrees to penalty for Alexa's alleged violations of children’s privacy law
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Amazon.com Inc FollowWASHINGTON, July 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday that Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and a subsidiary agreed to a permanent injunction and to pay a $25 million civil penalty as part of a settlement to resolve alleged violations of a children's privacy law relating to its Alexa voice assistant. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kanishka Singh, Leslie Adler Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . Justice, Inc, Thomson Locations: Washington

The best Prime Day deals that are still liveDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price Casper Nova Hybrid Mattress (Queen) The Casper Nova Hybrid is the best soft mattress and the best mattress for side sleepers that we've tested. On July 11 of Prime Day 2023, this deal matches the lowest price Amazon offers on this kit. Great Price Apple MagSafe Charger This Prime Day sale is one of the best discounts we've seen on the official MagSafe charger. Lightning Deal Vitamix Explorian E310 Blender For Prime Day, the Vitamix Explorian Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz.

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The 60+ best Prime Day deals that are still liveDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. While we've seen it for less in the past year, this is still a great deal on our top mattress. On July 11 of Prime Day 2023, this deal matches the lowest price Amazon offers on this kit. Great Price Apple MagSafe Charger This Prime Day sale is one of the best discounts we've seen on the official MagSafe charger. Lightning Deal Vitamix Explorian E310 Blender For Prime Day, the Vitamix Explorian Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz.

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$199.99 from Amazon Originally $279.99 Save 29%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. The 20% discount is the lowest price we've ever seen, making it a great time to buy. $199.00 from Amazon Originally $249.00 Save 20%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $166.99 from Amazon Originally $250.00 Save 33%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Lowest Price Amazon Kindle Oasis (8GB) Amazon revolutionized the e-reader with the Kindle Oasis' daring design, great page-turn buttons, sharp screen, and giant ebook library.

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The best Prime Day TV dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $89.99 from Amazon Originally $149.99 Save 40%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Lowest Price Amazon 43-inch Omni Series 4K Fire TV The Omni Series The smallest version of Amazon's flagship TV brand boasts 4K picture quality and Alexa-powered voice controls. Prime member exclusive $429.99 from Amazon Originally $559.99 Save 23%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal Amazon Fire TV Cube (2022) Amazon's latest Fire TV Cube offers 4K streaming support, hands-free Alexa, an HDMI input, and video upscaling.

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Amazon Prime Day 2023 is on to its second day, and you don't have to purchase any big-ticket items to get big savings. Here are the best products you can get for under $25 this Prime Day. Best Prime Day beauty deals under $25Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. The Prime Day sale is over 25% on this product, making it a great time to buy. $19.54 from Amazon Originally $22.98 Save 15%Best Prime Day tech deals under $25Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Persons: it's, Kit Burt's, Kit, Anastasia Beverly Organizations: Amazon, Prime, frizz

Prime Day 2023 ends tonight and we're still working hard to round up all the best deals of day 2. Down to $164.99, this Prime Day price matches the record low we saw for Black Friday. On select sizes and colors, you can get up to 60% off, the lowest Prime Day price to date. Even with a newer C3 model out this year, this remains a better value, especially at this current Prime Day deal price. This Prime Day deal is the best price we've ever seen, and it's only available by invite for Prime members during Amazon Prime Day.

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Down to $164.99, this Prime Day price matches the record low we saw for Black Friday. $10.14 from Amazon Originally $25.00 Save 59%Prime Day deals: StyleWe've got you covered for head-to-toe deals across the fashion world today. This Prime Day deal is the best price we've ever seen, and it's only available by invite for Prime members during Amazon Prime Day. $12.99 from Amazon Originally $23.99 Save 46%More Prime Day dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. You'll also get a bonus of $10 with this Prime Day deal when you use the code "HAPPY" and spend $50.

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Limited-Time Deal Amazon Music Unlimited (Prime Member Plan) Amazon Music Unlimited lets you stream more than 90 million songs ad-free and millions of podcasts. $16.99 from Amazon Originally $29.99 Save 43%Prime Day deals: AudioDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal Amazon Echo Buds (2023) If you need a new pair of wireless earbuds with decent sound, try the newest Echo Buds. $279.99 from Amazon Originally $499.99 Save 44%Prime Day deals: BeautyDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $145.00 from Amazon Originally $210.00 Save 31%More Prime Day dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

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Persons: it's, Kit Burt's, Kit, Price, Melissa, Doug Organizations: Amazon, Prime

That's why this deal on Hisense's 50-inch U6 QLED TV is worth checking out. As early Prime Day deals go, for anyone who's a Prime member, it's one of the best we've seen. One of the best TV deals for Prime DayHisense 50-inch U6HF QLED 4K Fire TV This 50-inch 4K display has Amazon's Fire TV platform built-in for easy access to tons of popular streaming apps. Now just $299.99, this is an incredible value for a QLED TV. In fact, the newest line makes an appearance in our lineup of the best 4K TVs.

Persons: they're, who's, it's Organizations: Sony, Samsung, LG, Dolby Vision, PlayStation

☆ Amazon's iRobot deal in EU antitrust crosshairs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, July 6 (Reuters) - Amazon's (AMZN.O) $1.7 billion acquisition of robot vacuum cleaner maker iRobot (IRBT.O) may reduce competition and strengthen Amazon's position as online marketplace provider, EU antitrust regulators warned on Thursday. The European Commission opened a full-scale investigation and will decide by November 15 whether to clear or block the deal. The acquisition announced in August last year would add iRobot's Roomba robot vacuum to Amazon's portfolio of smart devices, which include the Alexa voice assistant, smart thermostats, security devices and wall-mounted smart displays. IRobot made its first Roomba robot vacuum in 2002. The EU competition enforcer's decision confirmed a Reuters story last month and came a month after the UK antitrust agency cleared the deal unconditionally after a preliminary review.

Persons: IRobot, Dow Jones, Foo Yun Chee, Benoit Van Overstraeten Organizations: European Commission, Amazon, Reuters, Antitrust, Big Tech, Dow, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS

☆ Amazon to soon face big FTC antitrust suit over online marketplace power, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon will soon face a long-anticipated antitrust lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Such a lawsuit would be a huge milestone for FTC Chair Lina Khan, who became a known figure in the antitrust world in 2017 when The Yale Law Journal published her note, "Amazon's Antitrust Paradox." But the antitrust complaint against Amazon's core business is the action most FTC watchers have been waiting for. According to Bloomberg, the expected complaint is based in part on evidence the FTC has collected that Amazon allegedly disadvantages sellers that don't use its logistics services. The FTC and Amazon declined to comment to CNBC.

Persons: Lina Khan, Khan, Meta Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Bloomberg, Yale Law, FTC, Amazon, CNBC, YouTube Locations: Arlington , Virginia

☆ AWS is investing $100 million in generative A.I. center in race to keep up with Microsoft and Google
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But the announcement shows that Amazon Web Services recognizes the significance of the current moment in generative AI and the importance of being in the conversation, alongside rivals Microsoft and Google . However, those rivals have had splashier entrances into generative AI, even though Amazon has drawn broadly on AI for years to show shopping recommendations and operate its Alexa voice assistant. For Amazon, that momentum applies to its Bedrock generative AI service and its Titan models as well as the new innovation center. Really, you need the cloud for generative AI." Also, the way Selipsky sees it, AWS provides a measure of credibility in offering generative AI that eludes others in the space.

Persons: OpenAI, Adam Selipsky, Selipsky, isn't, Jeff Bezos, we're, I've Organizations: Web Services, Microsoft, Google, CNBC, RyanAir, Lonely, Amazon, Nvidia, Fortune, FTC Locations: Twilio

☆ Amazon's iRobot deal faces EU antitrust investigation, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 22 (Reuters) - Amazon's (AMZN.O) $1.7 billion acquisition of robot vacuum cleaner maker iRobot (IRBT.O) faces a full-scale EU antitrust investigation, people familiar with the matter said, weeks after the U.S. online retail giant won UK approval for the deal. IRobot made its first Roomba robot vacuum in 2002. IRobot shares fell about 10%, their largest percentage drop since February last year, while Amazon shares trimmed gains after the Reuters story was published. Amazon has previously said the vacuum cleaner market is very competitive, with lots of Chinese players. It blocked Microsoft's Activision deal while the Commission cleared the deal conditional on Microsoft's licensing deals with rival streaming platforms.

Persons: IRobot, Foo Yun Chee, Alison Williams, Kirsten Donovan, Jan Harvey Organizations: Amazon, European Commission, Activision, Antitrust, Big Tech, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS

☆ CNBC Daily Open: The FOMO momentum
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

(Photo by I RYU/VCG via Getty Images)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. Stocks' streak snappedU.S. stocks fell Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite snapping their six-day winning streak. Tesla's self-driving ambitionsElon Musk said the value of Tesla depends on whether it can crack the code to self-driving vehicles. There are three factors, according to Hartnett, that'll allow stocks to continue their current rally — though he worries it'll be a "big rally before big collapse."

Persons: RYU, Elon Musk, Tesla, Antony Blinken, Qin Gang, Biden, Bull, Michael Hartnett, Hartnett, it'll Organizations: Microsoft, Getty, CNBC, Nasdaq, gilts, Amazon, China U.S, Foreign, Qin, Bears, Bank of America Chief Investment Locations: Seattle , Washington, Blinken, China, Beijing, U.S

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