Weekly News Roundup March 5-March 10

0

Authors: Alexandra White & Sean Smith

47.3 Million U.S. Adults Have Access to a Smart Speaker, Report Says

The number of smart speaker users has grown to 20% of the U.S. adult population in just two years. Smart speaker use has grown exponentially faster than its digital counterparts, like television use and even internet use. Amazon is taking the lead with the highest percentage (71.9%) of installed bases versus Google and other companies that provide smart speakers. In other countries, however, Google has more of a stronghold in households.

TechCrunch (@TechCrunch), March 7, 2018

SquareCash Now Supports Direct Deposit 

Much like a bank account, the Square Cash app now allows users to accept direct deposits from their employers on the app. Partnering with banks to make this option possible, the Square Cash app is becoming very appealing to younger users, who may already use the app to send and receive cash to and from their peers. While this is helpful for younger users, it is also beneficial for people who may live in areas with a low number of banks near their homes.

TechCrunch (@TechCrunch), March 7, 2018

Alexa Speaker Has Started Randomly Laughing, Users Freaked Out

Many Alexa users have noticed that the smart speaker, Alexa, has started to laugh randomly without being prompted. Amazon was able to get to the bottom of the mystery when they realized that Alexa was mishearing phrases sounding similar to, “Alexa, laugh.” Alexa would then start laughing, startling users and freaking them out. As a further precaution, Amazon has disabled the “Alexa, laugh” trigger.

USA Today (@USATODAY), March 7, 2018

Details emerge from ‘Silicon Valley,’ TJ Miller split

Ahead of the HBO comedy’s return for a fifth season, details and anecdotes regarding actor TJ Miller’s behavior on set were revealed in a recent piece from The Hollywood Reporter. Miller reportedly showed up to shoot under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, sometimes hours late to call times. Other times, he wouldn’t show at all. Miller refuted the claims and blamed his intense standup tour schedule for his less-than-preferred behavior on set. Regardless, the actor was offered a three-episode send off in season five, but declined and exited following season four’s conclusion.

BlackBerry security tech heads to third-parties

Former smartphone pioneer BlackBerry is shifting further from its hardware creation days and will start licensing its security tech to third-party developers. BlackBerry has been known for it’s secure devices, hence why President Obama was required to use one instead of an iPhone, but this time BlackBerry is not in control of the hardware or software. The main focus is on strenghthening Android devices.

Bye Bye, Bezos. Hello, BnB.

After nearly two decades with Amazon, the VP who oversaw the Prime subscription services is leaving the company for an executive position at Airbnb. Greg Greeley joined Amazon in 1999 and announced his departure from the online retail, streaming, home assistant and tech company via a LinkedIn post. Prior to taking over Prime in 2013, Greeley held executive roles over media, international expansion and operations finance.

 

Leave a Reply