Amazon cited stats from Fed Reserve Bank of SF, which found 77% of payments made in the U.S. in 2018 were in person, and cash accounted for 39% of those in-person transactions. “With over 15,000 eligible locations, 80% of Americans live within five miles of a participating Western Union agent location, making this a convenient solution for customers paying with cash,” Amazon added. The move comes 5 months after criticism of Amazon for not accepting cash at its cash-free Amazon Go locations and allegations it discriminated against individuals without bank accounts.

HT @benedictevans For comparison: US Post Office delivery fleet = 140k, UPS = 123k

Only about 10% of India’s 1.3 billion people know English. Yet, that is the only language Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa, which was launched in India two years ago, understands in the nation. That is changing today.

Facebook has partnered with Ray-Ban maker Luxottica to develop augmented-reality glasses code-named ‘Orion’, people familiar with the matter told CNBC.

Users will be able to dial 000-800-9191-000 and they won’t be charged for the call or the service. Manuel Bronstein, a VP at Google, said through this program the company is hoping to reach hundreds of millions of users in India who currently don’t have access to smartphones or internet.

Bots still can’t converse like humans. But Facebook’s AI researchers are making major inroads—with implications for the company’s messaging apps and beyond.

By beaming an image directly onto the retina, Apple could build AR glasses with stylish design and marathon battery life.

HT @LauraB7 The @BrailleInst created a new typeface for people with low vision. Design of letters don’t match, but #accessibility is prioritized.

Every brand is a publisher!

RT @dorieclark Attention women entrepreneurs – the @ToryBurchFdn year-long #ToryBurchFellows program is a chance to join a community, grow your business, and access $5K for education! Apply now on http://ToryBurchFoundation.org or tag a woman who should!