Would you pay for a better virtual assistant? Amazon seems to think so, with reports of a superior AI-oriented Alexa is coming. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Jim Rea, and Web Bixby look at whether this is a good idea, sparking a broader discussion of AI andsmart assistant satisfaction and expectations. They then turn their attention to yet another allegation against Apple by Spotify, and speculate on who might buy them and why.

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Show Notes:

Chapters:

00:00 Amazon's AI Ambitions

00:38 Alexa: Friend or Foe?

05:05 Developer Dilemmas with AI

10:26 Claude vs. Competition

16:25 The Future of Smart Devices

21:15 Spotify's Ongoing Struggles

Links:

Amazon to Launch New AI-Powered Alexa Using Anthropic's Claude

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/08/30/amazon-launching-new-alexa-claude-ai/

Spotify Blames Apple for Loss of iPhone Volume Button Control of Connected Devices

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/08/30/spotify-loses-iphone-volume-buttons-control/

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