Tag Archives: subscription

Amazon’s AI Powered Shipping: BIG Box –> Small Box –> BIG Box –> NO BOX!

by Anura Guruge
on September 24, 2023

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Click to ENLARGE. Just in 3 weeks … back to BIG, unnecessarily large box.

AI can be an iterative process & I guess this means that it is learning — learning from its mistakes — & getting better.

So we get a 40 lbs bag of dog food delivered every 3 weeks from Amazon. It is much cheaper & of course, easier, than buying it locally & lugging it home.

I liked the BIG BOXES that they used for the delivery. They made IDEA, disposable GARBAGE CONTAINERS for the garage. I would leave it in the garage & fill it up with thrash. Then on my next trip to the dump I would throw it away — now full of trash. Good recycling, really.

The small box was too small to serve my purposes.

Now, NO BOX.

Our main Amazon delivery person is a lithe, young lady. Good height but very slim. I saw her carrying this 40 lbs bag DRAPED over her arm! I couldn’t do that. Too heavy by half for I. She was just carrying it like it weighed NOTHING. Wow. I was impressed.

Lets see how long the NO BOX approach lasts. I really would like the BIG boxes to be brought back. I make good use of them.

Amazon’s Supposed AI Powered Shipping Algorithm Is Regressing — Fast.

by Anura Guruge
on May 17, 2023

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Click to ENLARGE. Just in 3 weeks … back to BIG, unnecessarily large box.

Click image to access post from just 3 weeks ago.

In the last few weeks Amazon has been all over the media claiming that they are using AI to make their shipping smarter.
I am NOT convinced.


I have a ‘3 week’ subscription for a 30 lbs bag of dog food. {It used to be monthly but I used to run out}

From the start they used very large (i.e., tall (but skinny)) boxes to ship the dog food. The dog food bag, compressed by its own weight, took up half the box. The rest was just air.

Last month, to my AMAZEMENT they shipped the dog food in a smaller box. The dog food bag was SNUGLY fitted into it (as you can see from the top pictures).

I was glad — though to be fair I like the BIG, TALL boxes because they make great disposable trash bins. But, I was willing to forgo that to be a bit greener.

Well, I was expecting a small box again.

WRONG.

Back to the BIG box. Not good.

Is this AI?

IF so, it needs to get much, much smarter.

Amazon Is Getting Smarter (& Thus Better) When It Comes To Optimal Packaging (I.E., Boxes).

by Anura Guruge
on April 29, 2023

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Click to ENLARGE. The boxes they use to ship my 30lb bag of dog food.

New, much, much smaller box on left, older BIGGER box on right — being used as a trash container in the garage.


Given that I do 99% of my non-grocery shopping on ‘Amazon‘ (to a large extent because I also own a fair number of Amazon shares {SMILE}) it should be no surprise that I get my dog food through them. I am a monthly subscription for a (now) 30 lbs bag of dog food. I got the latest a few days ago.

I thought that the wrong BOX had been delivered because it was SO SMALL! But, as soon as I lifted it, I knew my dog food was in it. I know the heft.

Wow. The box was so, so, so much smaller than the one I had been getting since the start — maybe 9 months ago.

To be honest, I LOVED those big, tall boxes. I looked forward to getting them! With the top cut (as shown above) they make wonderful, large, disposable trash bins for the garage. I fill them up & them take them to the dump. I don’t feel guilty about not recycling the cardboard because I use the boxes to save on trash bags etc. It works out.

The small box is cute. I will still use it for trash BUT it won’t hold as much.

But, I am GLAD (primarily as a shareholder). Over the years Amazon’s wanton profligacy when it came to packaging would drive me insane. But, of late they are becoming NOTICEABLY savvier & better. Good for all of us.

I am proud of MY Amazon. {Smile} My ownership of AMZN is (alas) NOT huge, but it isn’t trivial either. {Smile}

I Switched From ‘Avast Premium Security’ To The NEW ‘Avast One’ & I Am Glad I Did; Less Expensive Too.

by Anura Guruge
on November 3, 2021


Click to ENLARGE.

Click to ENLARGE.


‘Avast’ (to be precise PAID Avast as opposed to their free products) & I go back at least a decade, if not longer. It has not always been smooth selling, especially in the bad old days, but, by & large, Avast appears to have kept me safe, on multiple PCs, during that time.

Yes, of course, I looked at other options, but, in reality, none seemed to be as ‘viable’ as Avast. Over the last few years I haven’t even bothered to look. I just renew my paid subscription — around this time of year, i.e., November. Over the years Avast has got better about such renewals — i.e., updating the expiration date without having to jump through hoops.

I happened to read about ‘Avast One‘. Since it is new it had some aggressive, & hence attractive, promotional pricing. Avast One offered more features than what was available in ‘Premium Security‘. Avast One is a superset of Premium Security; i.e., ALL the features in Premium Security PLUS more. So, in a way it was a no brainer.

I downloaded it a few days ago. You can’t install it over Premium Security. You have to first remove Premium Security using Avast’s special uninstall tool. (Google it.) Uninstallation was not bad. Worked first time. Installing Avast One was also easy — error free.

I liked it. Nice, clean, modern look. Avast does let you control what you want done. That is important. I wanted that. So, for example, I can turn off using VPN. I used it, on two PCs, for 2 days & was impressed. I paid the $35.88 fee, for 5 licenses, for a year. That was cheap enough. Now I have the paid version running on two machines. I like it.

I just wanted to let you know that. Rather than getting or renewing one of their older products you might be better off just getting Avast One — as I did.

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