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The idea is old, it's called an concierge service: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concierge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concierge It is/was available in various
by frik 12y ago
The idea is old, it's called an concierge service: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concierge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concierge
It is/was available in various countries in Europe from several companies (call center companies, telekom companies, credit card companies). Several "magic" like concierge services were already on HN, never heard about them again. On Reddit it was mentioned a small startup company with seed money is behind 'magic'.
The next step is a personal software agent, a vision that Bill Gates proposed in his famous 1995 book "The Road Ahead". It's basically the next logical step of Siri/Cortana/Watson.
- drzaiusapelord 12y agoExcept conceirge services are usually high-ticket items. So if I'm wealthy I know that there's a major incentive to be treated right and be given premium quality goods. Reputation in these services is everything. What the hell is magic going to sell me when I ask for roses from my wife? From the great florist down the block who wants $79 or from the chain florist that wants $49 and has 1 star ratings because he only delivers beat up looking flowers? When I dont like the goods, what happens then? I've already been charged. Who do I complain to? Magic directly? This florist? Even then, who cares? I imagine magic is busy making connections to the low price leaders to be their exclusive dealers. Now you don't have some tastemaker worried about offending you, you have put yourself in a captive market situation where one organization decides what vendor to use, and that vendor may or may not have your interests in mind. In fact, it would be stupid if they did. They are there to please magic, not you. Making you happy with over-priced cut-rate flowers is magic's job.
- flomo 12y agoGates may have been referring to a greatly-hyped 1990s mobile startup called (coincidentally?) General Magic, who promised software agents which could do things like book flights. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Magic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Magic
- nostrademons 12y agoIronically, a number of General Magic alumni have gone on to found companies that deliver on parts of the general promise, eg. Andy Rubin of Android ("talk to your phone and get any answers you want"), Tony Fadell of Nest ("tell your thermostat about the comfortable home you want"), and Pierre Omidyar of E-Bay ("tell the Internet what obscure item you want").
- frik 12y agoBill Gates's vision was about a "wallet PC", "information highway" and software based "personal agents". You can think of smartphone with BitCoin wallet, 3G web connection, Siri meets Watson. He hoped Microsoft's "pen-based computing" (later Pocket-PC/WinCE) would get traction. Microsoft Bob (from Gates wife) and Office agents (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_Assistant http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_Assistant) flopped. The Microsoft Network 1.0 (short MSN 1.0) integrated in Windows 95 (was a serious Web competitor based on Win32 controls and Explorer as browser instead of HTML and Mosaic/Internet Explorer 1) flopped. The second edition of the book features the Internet/web instead of "information highway". Bill Gates vision can be seen in the Comdex 1995 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XxeY-OchwY&feature=youtu.be&t=1m59s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XxeY-OchwY&feature=youtu.be... (shows the "wallet PC") General Magic was definitely a competitor. AT&T was on the General Magic bandwagon, see their TV ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZb0avfQme8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZb0avfQme8 (triva: Jenna Elfman of Dharma & Greg in her first role in 0:48)
- robmccoll 12y agoThis was my first thought too. Aren't there other services / apps that do the personal concierge thing (can't think of any off the top of my head)?