Amazon’s ad revenue could reach $4.5 billion in 2018, according to an analyst note by JPMorgan. The company is set to emerge as a challenger to Facebook and Google’s dominance of online advertising. Its scale and data, fast growth, investments into developing advertising channels and reputation among advertisers make it well-positioned to emerge as a big player. Advertisers are not the only ones betting on Amazon’s rise as a crucial ad vehicle countering Facebook and Google’s dominance of digital advertising. Wall Street is too. Amazon is well-positioned to emerge as the third scaled digital ad platform after Google and Facebook, with its ad revenue set to surpass $4.5 billion in 2018, according to a note by JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth. Here is why JPMorgan thinks Amazon’s ascent is inevitable: Amazon’s sheer scale and data makes it a considerable alternative to the duopoly. … [Read more...] about JPMORGAN: Amazon’s ready to take on the Google-Facebook duopoly in advertising
What it’s like to walk away from a job at Google to pursue a career in stand-up comedy
Comedian Sarah Cooper quit her job at Google three years ago to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. Cooper chatted with Recode’s Kara Swisher and former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo about the difficulty of giving up her job at Google, her observations on tech culture, and her aspirations as a comedian in a recent podcast. Three years ago, Sarah Cooper made an unusual career move. The Georgia Tech graduate had spent the past eight years working in user experience (UX) design at tech companies including Yahoo and Google, but now she was giving up her coveted career in tech to pursue her passion: comedy. Cooper recently chatted about her decision to quit Google with journalist Kara Swisher and former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo – who once pursued a career in standup comedy himself – on Recode’s latest Recode Decode podcast. Cooper talked about how she first decided to take a stab at stand-up to improve her acting skills … [Read more...] about What it’s like to walk away from a job at Google to pursue a career in stand-up comedy
Google teams with Sony, Lenovo for smart speakers with touchscreens
Alphabet Inc’s Google said on Monday its voice-controlled virtual assistant will show up this year in new tablet-like devices designed by LG Electronics Inc and Sony Corp as the technology company seeks to challenge Amazon.com Inc’s dominance in a fledgling market.Dubbed smart displays by Google, the new devices introduce tablet-like screens to speakers that can obey oral commands to perform tasks like playing music, dimming lights, locking doors and setting alarms. JBL and Lenovo Group Ltd also are developing smart displays, Google said.Amazon kick-started the market for smart speakers in 2014 with its Echo device, which included the Alexa virtual assistant. The company added a screen for the first time in June, calling the device the Echo Show.Neither Apple Inc’s assistant Siri nor Microsoft Corp’s Cortana are currently available on a speaker with a tablet-like display.The new Google Assistant gadgets unveiled Monday at the CES trade show in Las Vegas mark the … [Read more...] about Google teams with Sony, Lenovo for smart speakers with touchscreens
Google’s expanded presence at CES will help promote its digital assistant
LAS VEGAS—More than 3,900 companies are on hand to show off their latest technologies at CES this week, but there’s one giant name that stands out from the pack: Google.This is the first time in several years that the Mountain View, Ca., titan has had a big, stand-alone booth at the show, and its presence not only reflects the changing dynamic of the show, but also serves as a declaration of war on the battlefield of digital assistants.CES is changing from a show where you show up with the flashiest gadget. Now, there’s a greater focus on creating partnerships between small and large companies to make each product work within constellation of others to help people get through the day more efficiently, said Gary Shapiro, chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association, which hosts CES. Tech giants want their assistants to be the glue of that life operating system — the voice that helps you turn on your lights, power your car’s dashboard and control … [Read more...] about Google’s expanded presence at CES will help promote its digital assistant
Google hired 30 employees whose only job is to retrieve stolen ‘Gbikes’ from Mountain View residents
Google changed Silicon Valley with its free company bikes that help employees get across its giant corporate campus. But locals in Mountain View, California – where Google is based – reportedly view the bikes as their own and end up displacing 100 to 250 bikes on a weekly basis. Now Google is trying to cut its losses. It’s hired a team of 30 contractors to retrieve bikes from around the city, and it is testing other solutions like GPS trackers and bike locks, according to The Wall Street Journal. Google changed corporate America and Silicon Valley with company perks, like free bikes for employees to get across sprawling office parks. But the community of Mountain View, California – where Google is headquartered – has caught on, forcing Google to rethink just how “free” its bikes really are, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company estimates that between 100 and 250 of … [Read more...] about Google hired 30 employees whose only job is to retrieve stolen ‘Gbikes’ from Mountain View residents