Facebook (FB) is rebranding. The new corporate messaging is deliberately fuzzy. It is all about bedtime stories and using technology to catch up with friends and family. A month ago, the social media giant released Portal, a family of smart displays with always-listening microphones and lots of innovative software tricks. Now the reviews are coming in. They are unkind, to say the least. The best companies innovate around strengths. Facebook, not so much. Move over, Amazon Echo. Facebook is now in physical form, with its new Portal video-chat device. Portal has an AI-powered camera, a four-microphone array, and senses when you walk away from the device mid-call. The device, which starts shipping this month, even features Amazon's Alexa. Facebook had a terrific business. Despite user interface challenges and plenty of negative press, the company ...To read the rest of Jon Markman’s article, click here...
Retailers at war over the value of salespeople
The branding is perfect: No lines, no checkouts, no registers. Retail is going people-less. Technology can replace cashiers, and companies ...Read more
