What to expect from Amazon earnings: The pandemic-driven e-commerce surgeis expected to fuel record sales and profit, with Amazon likely topping $100 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time when it reports its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday afternoon. Investors will also be keeping a close eye on revenue growth for Amazon Web Services, a key driver of profits for the larger company. Last week Microsoftreported a 50% increase in revenue for its Azure cloud computing platform and related services.
Related: Amazon is expanding its new Amazon Onepalm-reading biometric identification system to three additional Amazon Go stores in Seattle. Amazon ultimately envisions the technology being used for everything from accessing office buildings to entering sports stadiums.Read our first-hand experience trying Amazon One when it debuted.
“The current Microsoft seems like the kinder and gentler Microsoft … but don’t be fooled.” That’s one of the observations from independent journalist Mary Jo Foley, the longtime Microsoft watcher, on a new episode of the GeekWire Podcast over the weekend.Read more highlights and listen to the full episode here, orsubscribe to GeekWirein any podcast app.
Trust > Data: Trust has become the most important asset in the modern economy, even more than data, asserts Stein Broeder, a marketing executive at Microsoft, in his new book, “The Business of Trust.”Read an excerpt.
Thanks for reading, have a great week, and see all our latest headlines below. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com,and GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, editor@geekwire.com.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
Calling all startup geeks! Check out this sample of GeekWire Startups, our weeklynewsletter that includes all the latest headlines from the tech startup scene in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. To subscribe, visit geekwire.com/newsletters and update your email newsletter preferences.
Last week, Facebook and Apple announced another quarter of profits (while at each other's throats), and we start this week with Nintendo doing incredibly well. Despite lacking any major game launches in the last few months, the company's Switch console had its best quarter ever. Nintendo has sold more of its hybrid console than the 3DS: just shy of 80 million.
Despite next-gen consoles from both Sony and Microsoft, the Switch's versatility has shined through in lockdown. With lots of families indoors, perhaps sharing a single TV, the ability to play Nintendo's console independently fits well with groups vying for control of the big screen.
Later this week, Sony, Spotify, Google's parent company, Alphabet and more will be announcing how their businesses fared in the most recent quarter. Judging by previous results, expect most tech companies to have weathered, if not thrived during, the pandemic story.
The program is less likely to make its 2024 target.
NASA
NASA's Artemis program might not bring people to the Moon on time. According to a report from The Verge, NASA quietly pushed back the award timeframe for two lunar lander contracts from late February to April 30th, including the lunar landing system contract involving companies such as Blue Origin and SpaceX. The space agency said it needed more time to evaluate proposals and maintain a "seamless transition" from the development phase. Continue reading.
Departments requested videos for over 22,335 incidents last year.
Ring's police collaborations didn't slow down in 2020 despite controversies — if anything, they ramped up. According to the Financial Times, the Amazon-owned smart home security brand now has 2,014 police and fire department partnerships in the US, with 1,189 of them added in 2020. Montana and Wyoming are the only two states where Ring doesn't have some kind of alliance.
Those departments are making use of the team-ups, too. Ring said that departments requested videos for over 22,335 incidents in 2020. While users gained more control over Ring video sharing in 2020 and just recently got end-to-end encryption, some of the privacy issues with these partnerships remained the same. Just because you're comfortable with sharing videos doesn't mean you're in the clear — the Electronic Frontier Foundation told FT that neighbors and passers-by might be caught on camera without granting consent. Continue reading.
Apple has bought Siân Heder's coming-of-age tale CODA ("Children of Deaf Adults") at the Sundance Film Festival for roughly $25 million — the largest-ever deal at the event. The previous record-setter was Hulu's Palm Springs, which sold for $22.5 million in 2020. The purchase reportedly came about after a bidding war with Amazon — another company with lots of cash to burn. Meanwhile, Apple is also working on a series about WeWork's fall from grace, starring Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto. Continue reading.
Nintendo sold 11.57 million Switch consoles last quarter, bringing lifetime sales to 79.87 million. That's a seven percent increase on the same period last year. That said, Nintendo didn't have many big game releases last quarter, beyond The Legend of Zelda spin-off Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Yes, there was Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit and Pikmin 3 Deluxe, but these only sold 1.08 million and 1.94 million units respectively. Hardly smash hits.
The next quarter should offer more temptation. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, an updated version of the critically acclaimed 3D platformer, comes out on February 12th. It'll be followed by Persona 5 Strikers on February 23rd and Bravely Default II, a true successor to Square Enix's RPG franchise. Continue reading.
The Nintendo Wii logo isn't one of the most exciting logos of all time, but it does the job. However, it all could've been quite different. This week, the Nintendo Memories Twitter account shared unused designs for the logo – and some are rather outlandish.
The constant delays to No Time to Die have left the film's sponsors unhappy - and it seems reshoots might be in order to keep 007's tech from looking too old.
Apple's iPad Pro is one of the most powerful tablets around, but it doesn't come cheap. Luckily, there are some incredible deals to be found right now.
To unsubscribe from Creative Bloq emails or update your email preferences, please click here.
We've updated our Privacy Policy. The updates include additional information we have added in response to the California Consumer Privacy Act. The updated policy is effective as of January 2020. We encourage you to read the complete updated Privacy Policy here.
.jpg)
