Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Amazon Go

amazon.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

751–760 of 1001 posts

Re: Amazon Go

#751

Post by brians »

politician wrote: post #724
tekklloneer wrote: post #529

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's why coffee shops haven't been made obsolete by vending machines I really don't think that's why. Vending machines can't compete with humans still for freshly produced goods. There have been a few shots across the bow, but producing food that requires adjustment is still beyond the range of our sensors. I can't imagine a robot "dialing in" an espresso machine based on taste like a barista would, at least for an…

Well, at Starbucks they appear to literally press a single button to pull a shot. So, not much art to that.

Those machines cost $10-$30k, and require cleaning every few hours (minimum wage, only significant skill is the diligence to do it) and maintenance every few days or weeks by a steam plumber. The operator/button pusher is a little bit like a flight attendant: most days here to get you your drinks—but every once in a while, here to notice steam coming from the wrong place and take the machine out of service.

Re: Amazon Go

#752

Post by dmvaldman »

Why is this a machine learning problem? Why not use some low-power tag for items, and scan all items on customer exit?

Personal opinion: Amazon is not interested in creating supermarkets/wal-marts. Instead it wants to sell an ML solution to other brick & mortar stores, and this current effort is to prove plausibility. Selling an ML solution, with cameras and software, is harder to compete with than a tagging solution (especially if based on open and accessible hardware).

Re: Amazon Go

#753

Post by smellycat »

bdamm wrote: post #737
smellycat wrote: post #699

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't take into account the value of forced social interaction. Seeing a human at the grocery, exercising patience if the line is a little longer than I would perhaps like, being forced to engage in conversation with my neighbor...There is a value to these social behaviors and value to how they shape psychological development. I worry about the world where everything is catered to Me and I, and I can go about…

Your government may enforce these interactions if it so chooses. I'd prefer my government did not, and leaves the choice of where I get my social interactions up to me.

At no point did I say this should be outlawed. But as a society, we should look at these types of "innovations" and question whether it's actually providing benefit to the longterm, wellbeing of our people and our ability to function together collectively.

Re: Amazon Go

#754

Post by pimlottc »

mattferderer wrote: post #609
jarjoura wrote: post #492

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't actually think it'll be a difference in monetary value. I suspect machine run markets will feel cold and lifeless, while human run ones will feel warm and welcoming. I've been to restaurants where you order from a terminal and your only human contact is someone who delivers your food without a word. There were a bunch of them at one point and they all closed down, and I don't remember thinking they were cheap…

I would also argue that any store I've been to with a self checkout line tends to have a majority of the use. I find them faster. My wife was hesitant the first few times she used them, now she prefers them as well. I would argue that odds are you & the people in front of you, who often are in a hurry, will be faster than the person who checks out people all day & is suffering from fatigue & boredom. I would also arg…

In my experience, it's hard to judge the popularity these days as there tend to be more self-checkout kiosks than traditional checkout lines that are actually manned.

Re: Amazon Go

#755

Post by Theodores »

rescripting wrote: post #522
mikeash wrote: post #489

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might be worthwhile to re-frame it. Rather than say "10 fewer jobs," say "10 people are no longer forced to spend eight hours a day sitting in front of a cash register." That assumes we can find something better for them to do, of course. But man, we have to try! Forcing people to do things a machine can do is inhumane.

I'm a bit worried that most of us here on HN are feverishly working on ways to automate away jobs, and there is quite a strong economic incentive for us to do so, but there is hardly any effort and no incentive for policy makers to catch those affected. Who is building and planning for this new social utopia once people no longer have to bag groceries? Right now it looks like a lot of misery and poverty on the horizo…

> Right now it looks like a lot of misery and poverty on the horizon before things get better.

So what is new? We have been automating jobs out of existence for a long time. Every era has had a lot of people that are redundant, every era has had useless governments get to grips with it.

Recently I automated three jobs out of existence, making the computer do the data entry work with the customer filling in forms. This is great for the customer as they now get what they want done instantly instead of having to wait a week for the human to do what the computer can do. It is great for the company as 3 people don't have to be managed, provided office space and paid. But as for my colleagues?

I obviously have had thoughts about automating my friends on the next desk out of existence, how I see it is that there are actually plenty of vacancies in the company, there are plenty of vacancies outside the company and the writing has been on the wall for the last year regarding the changes we put through. 2 of my 3 former colleagues are now working elsewhere, having moved on fine, but there is the one that did not step up and go for other interviews within the company or look elsewhere. Now I am sure that government handouts are available, however, if someone does not look out for their own job and assumes it will always be there for them, what can you do? Is it always the government's fault in this situation?

My above sentiment is a tad Thatcherite, it was Norman Tebbit who said 'on your bike', i.e. if there isn't a job for you in your home town then you have got to move, the government isn't going to magically create a job for you. The 'on your bike' remark didn't go down too well in the 1980's, but 'on your bike' it has been since then.

Re: Amazon Go

#756

Post by anonbanker »

LyndsySimon wrote: post #731
anonbanker wrote: post #659

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Added evidence to the link you scrutinized, but don't let that get in the way of a good rant. Here's the evidence, because I'm sure you'll have difficulty scrolling up: https://ilsr.org/walmart-charged-predatory-pricing/ I look forward to the creative way you will dismiss this as well.

> Here's the evidence, because I'm sure you'll have difficulty scrolling up: > I look forward to the creative way you will dismiss this as well. Please cease the personal attacks. I've been nothing but professional in tis conversation. > https://ilsr.org/walmart-charged-predatory-pricing/ The case in Wisconsin was settled out of court, with no admission of wrongdoing. The case in Germany was about pricing products to…

You claim it's a personal attack, and then you do exactly what I said you would; take the evidence, and do your best to dismiss it.

My favorite part of your post is how you acknowledge that you knew about court cases related to predatory pricing (Arkansas Supreme Court), while simultaneously pretending you didn't know about Wal-Mart being accused of it, and demanding evidence to prove it anyway.

Combined with your clearly detailed knowledge of the history of Wal-Mart, you can't even properly accuse me of throwing out an ad-hominem without contradicting yourself.

Thanks for the laughs. I had karma to burn. :)

Re: Amazon Go

#757

Post by xaduha »

Supermarket retail has razor thin margins, last I heard. If it's going to save money in the long run, then it's the future.

Re: Amazon Go

#758

Post by jimbokun »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #601
mikeash wrote: post #489

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might be worthwhile to re-frame it. Rather than say "10 fewer jobs," say "10 people are no longer forced to spend eight hours a day sitting in front of a cash register." That assumes we can find something better for them to do, of course. But man, we have to try! Forcing people to do things a machine can do is inhumane.

>That assumes we can find something better for them to do, of course. // In practice what [is and] is going to happen is that the jobs of the poor are removed, because they are more easily automated and the capitalists will retain much of the revenue that would formerly have been spent on wages. Nothing is going to be done politically until there is either civil unrest or until there is so much impact to those with l…

"Nothing is going to be done politically until there is either civil unrest or until there is so much impact to those with lowest wealth in society that the capitalists start getting poorer returns because too few people can afford to purchase the goods produced."

The problem is the civil unrest seems to be moving in the direction of ethnic nationalism and isolationism, which may not turn out to be the best long term solution to this problem.

Re: Amazon Go

#760

Post by julianozen »

hackermailman wrote: post #540
excalibur wrote: post #91

What happens when you don't have enough money available to Amazon to cover all the things you grabbed? Do they give you a window to return items before banning you from the store and/or notifying police?

What happens if somebody compromises Amazon accounts by the hundreds and hires a shoplifting crew to clean out that store everyday, selling the goods for 1/2 price on the black market. Retail organized theft is already a major problem here and this is with stores that have F/T security. There is no shortage of drug addicts willing to jack items for $0.10 per $1 retail value, the goods are then exported and sold in Ch…

This is a strategy you could only accomplish a single time. The losses would be on the order of $10,000 for food only currently on display. you probably wouldnt be able to sell your stock before it expired. and the whole thing would be recorded on camera.

not to mention you'd be arrested for hacking

Post reply on HN