Amazon is finishing off the year strong, selling "tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices." The Amazon Alexa app tops the U.S. Android and iOS app stores, suggesting it did better than its competitors over the past month.
Can Google and Apple catch up in the home assistant market? Sascha Segan, Lead Analyst at PCMag.com, thinks it could be tough. Segan says that the Alexa network is far more integrated than its competitors. Amazon's cheapest home assistant, the Echo Dot, is currently sold out. It was the first home assistant to sell for $30, putting pressure on Google to lower the price of its cheapest option to match Amazon.
Segan also takes a look at the rumors surrounding Apple and Samsung's flagship phones. Reports are circulating that sales of the iPhone X were lower over the holiday season than expected. Couple that with rumors that Samsung could launch the Galaxy S9 sooner than expected, and you could have a battle brewing in the mobile phone market.
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
About 780,000 pressure washers sold at retailers like Home Depot are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada, due to a projectile hazard that has resulted in fractures and other injuries among some consumers.
