#Amazon Shares

[exeton]

Amazon takes minority share in ChatGPT rival Anthropic AI

Amazon Invests in Anthropic AI

Amazon fulfills its $4-billion investment commitment to Anthropic AI, securing a minority ownership stake in the startup and providing AWS cloud services.

Initial Investment and Recent Announcement

Amazon initially committed $4 billion to Anthropic, with an initial investment of $1.25 billion last September. The recent announcement confirms an additional investment of $2.75 billion, cementing Amazon’s position as a minority owner in Anthropic.

About Anthropic AI

Anthropic AI, founded in 2021 by former members of OpenAI, has emerged as a significant player in the AI landscape. The company has developed its own AI chatbot named Claude, which competes with ChatGPT, among others. In a notable advancement, Anthropic released Claude 3 in early March, enhancing its capabilities to include image analysis.

Collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Amazon disclosed that Anthropic has chosen AWS as its primary cloud provider for critical operations, including safety research and the development of foundational models. Anthropic will leverage AWS Trainium and Inferentia chips for building, training, and deploying future AI models.

Impact on Customers

Swami Sivasubramanian, AWS’s vice president of data and AI, expressed confidence in the collaboration, highlighting its potential to enhance customer experiences. He emphasized the significance of generative AI as a transformative technology in today’s landscape.

Amazon Q: AI Assistant for Businesses

In addition to its investments in Anthropic AI, Amazon introduced Amazon Q, an AI-powered assistant tailored for business use. Amazon Q’s capabilities include problem-solving, content creation, and more, positioning it as a versatile tool for businesses.

Competition and Legal Challenges

Amazon faces competition in the AI space, with Google also investing in Anthropic AI. Legal battles, including copyright and data infringement disputes, have arisen, reflecting the complexities of AI development. Anthropic addressed concerns by updating its commercial terms of service, emphasizing data protection and copyright compliance.

In conclusion, Amazon’s investment in Anthropic AI signifies its commitment to advancing AI technologies and enhancing customer experiences. The collaboration between Amazon and Anthropic, coupled with the introduction of Amazon Q, underscores the dynamic evolution of AI in business contexts.

Muhammad Hussnain Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Youtube

[mousedetective]

URGENT! Need Help With Bills & Loan Payments!

PATREON | KO-FI | GO FUND ME

AMAZON WISHLIST: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2IYLMSXNYF5HY?ref_=wl_share

PAYPAL: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/penaltywaltz

2/19/25 - Updated Post!

My mother and I have a ton of bills and loan payments to make, plus we're both overdrawn currently. Any help to pay these bills/loan payments would help us get back on our feet and be able to pay for most of our needs without asking for so much help each month.

I currently need $3000 to cover bills that came out February 3rd on both my mothers and my accounts, as well as paying part of our rent next month. Please help?

For those not aware, we currently do not have a working car, my mother was hospitalized for a week in December and still has lingering health issues, my daughter has just started HRT and I got second-degree burns on my neck and chest a few weeks ago that needs to heal. Once we get these loans paid off, we'll be able to start saving to fix the car, which we need for all the appointments we have each month that medical transport doesn't cover.

$234/$3000

[valar-did-me-wrong]

"ROP!Celebrimbor isn't buff enough for a smith"

EXCUSE ME?!?!!!?!

Look at lanky ass Halbrand's chest in comparison to Brimby!!

The Buff Smith was always there but people were too busy looking at his face to notice the Celebrimboobs ❤️‍🔥

[scoobit9]

red valley

[olowan-waphiya]

A huge ancient city has been found in the Amazon, hidden for thousands of years by lush vegetation.

The discovery changes what we know about the history of people living in the Amazon.

The houses and plazas in the Upano area in eastern Ecuador were connected by an astounding network of roads and canals.

The area lies in the shadow of a volcano that created rich local soils but also may have led to the destruction of the society.

While we knew about cities in the highlands of South America, like Machu Picchu in Peru, it was believed that people only lived nomadically or in tiny settlements in the Amazon.

"This is older than any other site we know in the Amazon. We have a Eurocentric view of civilisation, but this shows we have to change our idea about what is culture and civilisation," says Prof Stephen Rostain, director of investigation at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France, who led the research.

"It changes the way we see Amazonian cultures. Most people picture small groups, probably naked, living in huts and clearing land - this shows ancient people lived in complicated urban societies," says co-author Antoine Dorison.

The city was built around 2,500 years ago, and people lived there for up to 1,000 years, according to archaeologists.

It is difficult to accurately estimate how many people lived there at any one time, but scientists say it is certainly in the 10,000s if not 100,000s.

The archaeologists combined ground excavations with a survey of a 300 sq km (116 sq mile) area using laser sensors flown on a plane that could identify remains of the city beneath the dense plants and trees.

—

"The road network is very sophisticated. It extends over a vast distance, everything is connected. And there are right angles, which is very impressive," he says, explaining that it is much harder to build a straight road than one that fits in with the landscape.

The scientists also identified causeways with ditches on either side which they believe were canals that helped manage the abundant water in the region.

There were signs of threats to the cities - some ditches blocked entrances to the settlements, and may be evidence of threats from nearby people.

Researchers first found evidence of a city in the 1970s, but this is the first time a comprehensive survey has been completed, after 25 years of research.

It reveals a large, complex society that appears to be even bigger than the well-known Mayan societies in Mexico and Central America.

—

Some of the findings are "unique" for South America, he explains, pointing to the octagonal and rectangular platforms arranged together.

The societies were clearly well-organised and interconnected, he says, highlighting the long sunken roads between settlements.

Not a huge amount is known about the people who lived there and what their societies were like.

Pits and hearths were found in the platforms, as well as jars, stones to grind plants and burnt seeds.

—

Prof Rostain says he was warned against this research at the start of his career because scientists believed no ancient groups had lived in the Amazon.

[alonelystargazer]

so if any of y'all have ever purchased e-books from Amazon, then you should log in to your Amazon account, and under your Content Library, download all your e-books to your computer and transfer them to your kindle reader via USB, or send them directly to your preferred device (if you have more than one connected to your Amazon account) via wifi by clicking "Deliver or Remove from this device" and switching the device you want to send it to

Once you've downloaded all your purchased e-books, not ones that are borrowed from Kindle Unlimited or Prime Reading, download the free Calibre e-book management software and this DRM removal plugin to remove the DRM (digital rights management) from your e-books, which converts your kindle e-books into the universal e-book format EPUB or whatever other ebook format you'd like, bc the Kindle ebook format AZW and AZW3, can only be used on Kindle readers, but by removing the DRM, they can then be used on any device that reads the EPUB format

BUT why should you do all this? bc on Feb. 26, 2025 (one week from now as of the time I posted this) Amazon will no longer provide this download option bc they're aware that people have been downloading their e-books from their kindle libraries and using software like Calibre to convert those e-books into EPUBs and not have to be tied down to Amazon's ecosystem, which makes them lose money (boohoo), and also the switch towards cloud-based storage

Basically, any e-books you have purchased from Amazon are not yours to own, you're essentially being licensed the e-book, so they can use this loophole to alter or completely remove those e-books from the website at their whim, and you would no longer have access to those e-books, even though you legally purchased them, which is wild bc we should be able to legally own, forever, any digital media we buy and do what we want with it, and this is something that has been happening with other forms of digital media like movies and video games, where you "buy" a digital copy but you don't actually own it

You should also stop buying e-books from amazon from now on since you don't even own them, and cancel your Kindle Unlimited subscription if you have one, and you might as well download any audiobooks you've purchased on Audible (which is also owned by Amazon)

[watch this video and this video for more thorough explanations about this issue and this video for a tutorial on how to use Calibre and the DRM ]

Alternatives to kindle readers include: Kobo (has integration with Libby) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble), or sell or donate the one you have if you don't want to use it anymore

Alternatives to amazon e-books: Libby (free app that links to your local library if you have an active library card where you can borrow ebooks and other digital media), Internet Archive, Project Gutenburg, 🏴‍☠️ ebooks and PDFs, and research whether your favorite author has books available to purchase directly on their website

....and you can always purchase or borrow physical books and other media as well! support your local libraries and indie bookstores!

TL,DR: this is a matter of media ownership, censorship, and archiving, so download your Amazon e-books NOW before Amazon takes away your ability to access the items that you legally purchased and locks you down to using their devices and ecosystem

FEBRUARY 26 IS THE LAST DAY TO DOWNLOAD YOUR AMAZON EBOOKS

[alvindraperzzz]

"Great time to find out I'm technically an Amazon, huh?"

Cassie and Grace run into each other in the aftermath of the invasion. Amazons Attack (2007) was garbage start to finish and is better off forgotten, but I wish we got more exploration of Grace afterward. There was that one Outsiders: Five of a Kind issue where she got to bond a little with Diana, but that… was pretty much it. Grace found out she was an Amazon, part of a family she’d never known, only for almost all the Amazons to vanish immediately after. Of those remaining, Hippolyta’s confined to Themyscira, Diana is undercover most days, and idk what Donna was up to at this point. But Cassie’s still there. Cassie is also an Amazon who grew up apart from the rest, except she was welcomed into their sisterhood and taught their ways, whereas Grace never had the chance.

Cassie, who has once again been left to pick up the pieces on her own. Who’s cleaning up the mess as best she can, despite the public viewing her as a traitor and despising the Amazons for a war that went against every principle her sisters in arms held. I think she’d appreciate being able to talk with someone about the Amazons and everything that happened. 

[darunyama]

Very in character

[drtbrennan]

#SaveMyLadyJane

In a Variety interview, the Amazon MGM Studios head made a statement surrounding their "commitment to female programming". They recently held a trailblazer event in London, which celebrated the women of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios.

As you've guessed, My Lady Jane, a show that has critical claim, a 95% rotten tomatoes score, an endorsement from George R.R. Martin, and was top 10 throughout the summer on the platform in multiple countries, was omitted from this event. The show has an all female EP team and it is VERY clear when watching the show. The show emphasises consent and healthy communication, and does not resort to violence nor features egregious (often hard to watch) content.

Seeing a show be excluded from such an event is so disheartening.

If My Lady Jane was airing week to week it wouldn't have even finished before it was cancelled. No time was given for it to reach everyone, especially with no marketing (fan-driven only!), and being dropped in the middle of the Euros and right before the Olympics. People have lives!!!

There is a difference between a commitment to women in programming and simply having women in your show @ Prime. Celebrate your successes, and all of your trailblazers.

Please sign the petition and keep talking about the show. Visit the website and the #SaveMyLadyJane tag everywhere for further discussions.

[mousedetective]

URGENT! Need Help With Rent, Bills & Transportation!

PATREON | KO-FI | GO FUND ME

AMAZON WISHLIST: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2IYLMSXNYF5HY?ref_=wl_share

PAYPAL: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/penaltywaltz

1/15/25 - New Post!

We need serious help. A friend was able to cover our electric bill and the remaining storage unit, but she can't cover our rent, and all our SSI/SSDI will go towards more loan payments next month. I now need to come up with an additional $1720 for my rent next month by the 5th and other assorted charges we need to pay. I can't be homeless again. Please help?

I need $217 for the electric bill, my mother still needs $474 to pay off a loan by the 29th as well, and I need $150 to cover a debt. Please help?

For those not aware, we currently do not have a working car, my mother was recently hospitalized for a week and still has lingering health issues, my daughter is about to start HRT and I got second-degree burns on my neck and chest over a week ago that needs to heal. We can't be homeless again. It would literally kill us.

$2062/$2750

[slasher-smasher]

What's your favorite Homelander pose/scene?

Rb with your favorite gif/picture of Homelander. I wanna see our babygirl through people's eyes and maybe see that some are the same as others' favorites.

I'll start.

I am an absolute SUCKER for anything dadlander related. Any interactions with his son just make me a pile of pathetic mush. Especially this scene. Not only is Homelander so pretty, he is enjoying his milkies and seeing Ryan all cuddled against him?? Ugh. My heart. Sorry, I had to take a screenshot from my phone ☠️

Bonus:

[muldermuse]

does anyone remember that stepdad!butcher thing i wrote and it was about butcher being basically a father to your daughter bc you got together and you were a single mum???? but you kinda weren’t together anymore but butcher loves your daughter so much he stays in touch? and butcher is like im not the step dad- im the dad who stepped up??? ANYWAY i think about him all the time

your daughter being in the Christmas play and butcher running lines with her :((((((

christmas time means that your daughter is spending most early evenings with butcher as your work is hectic. you’ve given butcher his key to your home for the first time since your break up and every time you come home- butcher is sat on the sofa with your daughter pacing around the living room reciting lines to him

you try to go and give her a kiss before you start making dinner for the three of you but you get, “mom! butch and i are in the middle of rehearsing!”. butcher laughs as you roll your eyes and go to raid the fridge for any meal you can make for the three of you

you get two tickets for her show, one for you and one for butcher. butcher shows up dressed smart in a jumper and suit pants, which kinda takes you aback.

“you never dressed this nice when we dated” you quip harmlessly

“need to put on a good showing for my little mate, got ‘er some roses in my car an’all. I’ll give ‘em to her at dinner”

“dinner?”

“superstar has gotta have a slap up meal after all the hard work she’s put in- don’t ya think?”

butcher gives your daughter a thumbs up before her line and you can see it calm any nerves she had. butcher’s applause at the end of the play is louder than anyone else’s in the audience. your daughter runs up to the two of you and hugs you both so tight, thanking butcher for being the best

he's booked your daughter's favourite restaurant for her celebration meal and when he hands her the roses; you try so hard not to fall back in love with him. after ordering whatever she wanted on the menu and finishing with a huge chocolate sundae, neither you or butcher are surprised when she falls asleep on the sofa

butcher carries her upstairs and helps you tuck her in. she wakes up briefly to ask butcher if he can spend christmas here, "please butch... it doesn't feel like christmas if we're not all together"

he presses a kiss to her head and promises that he'll be back on christmas eve to help her get ready for santa <3

[heybiji]

You versus Your Era

Clint was a nature boy. And he enjoyed living next door to a park named after another one. And he told me something, Clint, about von Humboldt, and that was this: von Humboldt lived in our nineteenth century, and von Humboldt couldn’t kiss the one he wished to kiss either. Such was the era.

You versus Your Era.

One of the fights, the fights of your life, is the fight between you and your era. Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1942. Age 18, he won a gold medal in Rome. Olympian. Then Heavyweight Champ. Then the greatest of all time was in fight with his era.

Change your name. Approach me and say, hey, I changed my name, man. And I say? I say, “Cool, man, it’s your name.” When Muhammad Ali changed his name, people did not say, “Cool, man, it’s your name.” 

Hate. (Hate) Hate. (Hate) It’s there. In hearts. It’s the nutrition of some many interior lives. 

Imagine how often the then young man, only 22 then, was cursed at America’s little dinner tables by the big man of the family. Then, when the champion would fight all up-and-comers, every one, said, “Well, you can keep your Vietnam,” a panel of older men took his title and charged him with a crime, and kept him from his living for longer than four years. Then he storms back and wins the title again. And he keeps it. And keeps it. Loses it. Wins it back. Where there is hate in the hearts of some, here, in this man, there was a fight. And he fought, and fought, until that name, once cursed, became beloved. Muhammad. Ali.

He fought an era. And though he lost much, he won. We fight our eras, us. 

-from New Techniques in Modern Practical Close Combat, written by Steven Conrad

[mayas-reviews]

Amazon is removing our right to download Kindle books onto our computers on Feb 26.

What does this mean? It means, if you buy an ebook from Amazon and you want to use a different ereader, you will not be able to download the file onto your computer, remove its DRM using Calibre, and transfer the book to any device of your choice. After February 26, you’ll be locked to Amazon’s ecosystem indefinitely. Books will only be transferable between Amazon devices and apps. You do not own the ebooks you buy. Amazon can (and has) remove ebooks from your library.

Download them now and use the Calibre to remove the DRM. I highly suggest buying ebooks from other places from now on. Links to resources below.

Video about Amazon removing downloads

Article explaining how to download Calibre and remove DRM

Alternative Ebook/Physical Book Stores

Bookshop.org

ebooks.com

Barnes and Noble

Halfpricebooks.com

Pango

Thrift Books

Betterworldbooks.com

Free Ebooks

Project Gutenberg

Libby/Overdrive (libraries)

The Internet Archive

Alternative Audiobook Apps

Audiobooks.com

Libby/Overdrive

Chirp

Libro.fm

Using a Kindle without Using Amazon

If you’re like me, you have a kindle and you’re not financially in the position to buy a new $130 ereader from a different brand. So what are you to do? The best thing you can do is use Libby/Overdrive. It’s very simple. The Libby app has an option to link your Amazon account to the app and so when you borrow a book from your library, it’ll automatically go to your kindle.

You can also sideload books onto your kindle if the file is compatible and DRM free. Here’s an article listing DRM free book sources.

Edit: or you know… you can just jailbreak it 😏

Supporting Indie Authors

Now this is where things get tricky. Most indie authors make the bulk of their sales on Amazon. It’s awful, but that’s the nature of the beast. Use your own discretion when buying indie books from Amazon. Check and see if that author sells their books on other platforms or buy their book physically (if the option is available) so that you actually own the book you buy.

Edit: To my indie authors out there, I recommend selling a PDF or EPUB version of your book on a website or on Ko-Fi or somewhere similar. That way folk like me who refuse to buy from Amazon and know how to sideload books onto their ereader can buy your book and directly support you :D

[klanced]

I need you to know that I have been living a voltron free life for many many happy years now. I do not even THINK about them (aside from when I go cycling bc my cycling gloves remind me of fictional character keith kogane). And now. In the year of our lord who art in hell, clearly, 2024 you are telling me there are is a live action movie happening. I am going to die.

who wants to organize a watch party with me 😍

[kideternity]