In this photo illustration, the Amazon Alexa logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen and Amazon logo in the background. (Photo Illustration by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Amazon and EVgo are partnering to enable voice-activated virtual assistant Alexa to help drivers locate electric vehicle charging stations. Drivers in Alexa-enabled vehicles will be able to ask for help navigating to the nearest station operated by EVgo and then pay for the charge through a voice-initiated transaction. The new in-vehicle functionality will be available later this year.
“We want Alexa to be useful for customers in their everyday lives, and EV charging is a great example of a task that can be simplified and made more convenient through the power of AI,” said Anes Hodžić, vice president of Amazon Smart Vehicles, in a statement. “By partnering with EVgo, we’re bringing Alexa’s AI and multi-modal experiences to improve the EV charging experience for drivers and streamline the process of locating, initiating and paying for a charging session.”
The software behind the feature is called PlugShare. It's essentially a comprehensive public map of EV charging infrastructure that will now be integrated with the Alexa app. The map encompasses 150,000 public charging stations, while EVgo itself operates 850 fast charging locations
“EVgo and Amazon’s shared principles of being customer-centric and committed to a sustainable future make innovative experiences like voice-initiated charging possible,” said Cathy Zoi, CEO at EVgo, in a press release.
The companies announced the partnership at the the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Check out Cheddar News' real-time coverage on Instagram and Twitter.
Visitors in Santa Monica are now getting a whole new look into the new metaverse world. Starting on December 1st, the Downtown Santa Monica District Is Getting Fully Immersed in AR and VR. It's All in Partnership with 'Flick Play' which is the first-ever 'Play to Earn' Metaverse App that Basically Takes the Gamification of 'Pokemon Go' and combines It with more social aspects of an App like Tiktok. Founder of the FlickPlay App Pierina Merino, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
On a platform as massive as TikTok, there are bound to be some negative implications. While we know that social media sites can have harmful health effects for teens and adolescents, the research on TikTok's health effects is slim to none. Skye Barbic, assistant professor at the University of British Columbia joins Cheddar News.
If your kid was on Santa's "nice list" this year, maybe you're willing to shell out $1,900 for Tesla's new Cyberquad. The automaker's all-electric ATV for children 8 years old and up is available to order now and is expected to begin shipping in two to four weeks.
Grab, a Southeast Asia-based ride sharing, e-wallet, and delivery service, made its public debut on the Nasdaq via SPAC merger. CFO Peter Oey joined Cheddar's Brad Smith to talk about the IPO and why it was an ideal time for the company to go public. Oey noted that while Grab operates in 465 cities in eight Southeast Asian countries, there is still more opportunity to grow and expand while balancing profitability and growth.
Voltus is going public by combining with a special purpose acquisition company, Broadscale Acquisition Corp., in a deal that values the electricity market technology startup at about $1.3 billion dollars. The company aims to deliver less expensive, more reliable, and more sustainable electricity to its more than 600 customers, including Home Depot, Coca-Cola, and Simon Property Group. Gregg Dixon, co-founder and CEO of Voltus and Andrew Shapiro, chairman and CEO of Broadscale Acquisition Corp., joined Cheddar News to discuss the deal.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Kemtai Co-Founder breaks down how computer vision and artificial intelligence can improve your workout form; Wove Co-Founder explains how it's creating a one-of-a-kind engagement ring design process; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'History By The Numbers.'
Mike Telem, Co-Founder at Kemtai, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how the platform is using computer vision and artificial intelligence as a virtual personal trainer through a laptop's camera, and how this technology can be adapted for physical therapy.
Fintech company Square, led by the now-former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, will undergo a name change to Block as it expands its product offerings and goes beyond just a payment processing platform into blockchain and crypto spaces.
Jill and Carlo discuss what appears to be the beginning of the end of Roe v. Wade, another victim dies following the school shooting in Michigan, Omicron in the U.S., Trump's Covid chronology and more.
