Amazon's Alexa has made its way into augmented reality smart glasses. Paul Boris, Chief Operating Officer at Vuzix, showcases the company's integration of voice-technology into its glasses at CES in Las Vegas.
Vuzix, a supplier of smart glasses and augmented reality technologies, looks to launch the first pair of its kind during the second quarter of 2018. Users will be able to use their voice to activate Alexa and project information in the new field of view. Boris explains that the goal of the $1,000 smart glasses is to help people stay digitally connected while remaining present in the real world.
Vuzix isn't the first company to take on smart glasses. Google struggled with Google Glass, and many would say Snap's Spectacle product underperformed. Boris responds by describing how Vuzix's product is different and breaks down why now is the right time for his company to roll out a consumer product with Amazon Alexa integration.
Parallel Systems has been selected to receive $4.5 million from the Department of Energy for an advanced testing program of its autonomous, battery-electric rail vehicles. The startup, which has raised more than $53 million to date, was founded by former SpaceX engineers to reimagine the rail system by creating a more efficient, decarbonized freight network. Matt Soule, Co-founder & CEO of Parallel Systems, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what the company hopes to achieve.
A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) aims to tackle the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, as well as the addictive nature of the sites and negative mental health impacts they have on users. The 'Nudge Act' would require studies to find and compile potential interventions that platforms could use to encourage people to think before they share a post, or log off after spending too much time on an app. The FTC would create rules based on these findings, and hold the platforms accountable. But will it work? Jesse Lehrich, co-founder of Accountable Tech, joins Closing Bell to discuss the bill, whether real results and regulations could come from it, and more.
A.I.-based entertainment company, Deedub, recently raised
$20 million in a Series A round, led by Insight Partners. Deepdub uses A.I. technology to automate the dubbing process for foreign-language movies or TV shows, while using actors' original voices. The company says it can take just two to three minutes of data from an actor's voice and transform the voice into a different language. The funding comes as foreign-language films and shows like Netflix's 'Squid Game' have recently become more popular with audiences in the U.S. and around the world. Oz Krakowski, Chief Revenue Officer at Deepdub, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
