I’m Signing Off From This Column After 12 Years. Here’s What’s Changed in Tech. - WSJ

kept by eddie feb 06

After 12 years as a WSJ columnist, Joanna Stern reflects on the consumer-tech shifts that reshaped daily life, including phones becoming everything, cars becoming computers, and AI becoming the new interface.

I Test Drove a Chinese EV. Now I Don’t Want to Buy American Cars Anymore. - WSJ
After driving a Xiaomi SU7 Max, a WSJ columnist prefers its range, modular interior, and features (karaoke, minifridge) over her American Ford Mustang Mach-E.
also on Joanna Stern, #automotive, #consumer-technology
Just a moment...
Joanna Stern's book "I Am Not a Robot" recounts her year integrating AI into every aspect of life and is now a New York Times bestseller.
also on Joanna Stern, #consumer-technology, #culture, #ai
Amazon’s Panos Panay: We’re not necessarily going after a phone
Amazon's devices chief Panos Panay says the company is not primarily focused on making a smartphone, instead emphasizing Alexa+ as an AI-powered upgrade to its voice assistant after overcoming technical delays.
also on Alexa, #consumer-technology, #ai
The Smart Home Never Quite Worked. Now It’s Getting an A.I. Reboot. - The New York Times
Amazon and Google bet AI assistants like Alexa+ and Gemini will finally make smart home setup easy, but core usability and reliability problems persist.
also on Alexa, #consumer-technology
“Hill-climbing” is Silicon Valley’s latest bit of shit jargon - Nudged
The article critiques Silicon Valley's use of the buzzword 'hill-climbing' as vacuous jargon that disguises simple incremental improvement as sophisticated optimisation, signalling status while avoiding specificity.
also on Wall Street Journal, #culture