"Are you my mother?"

 Amazon unveils new Alexa for kids designed to give suggest child-friendly content and answer all their awkward questions. [The Hustle]( Fri, Apr 27 Brought to you by [Launchpeer]( fertilizer for your budding startup. Amazon unveils Alexa for kids… and there’s a lot at stake for them to get it right On May 9, Amazon will release the [Echo Dot Kids Edition]( -- which is, as it sounds, a child-friendly version of its popular voice assistant, Alexa. The hardware itself looks almost identical, save for a protective case and beefed-up warranty. But, the software comes with additional features, like more forgiving recognition of its name for kids who can’t pronounce ‘Alexa’ yet, plus parental controls to turn off swearing and monitor usage. The way this version of Alexa interacts with kids is different, too According to [Buzzfeed News]( Alexa will reward kids for good manners (like saying “please”). It will also temper its response to sensitive questions like “Where do babies come from?” (A: “People make people.”) and “Why are kids mean to me?” (A: “People bully, or are mean, for many different reasons. Bullying feels bad and is never OK.”) *Pause to collect yourself after picturing that heartbreaking scenario* The implications are massive In both scenarios above, Alexa also tells kids to talk to a trusted grown-up, but there’s no question it would play a pivotal role in the development of a child who regularly interacts with it. Whereas Facebook doesn’t have access to kids until they turn 14 (the age limit to create an FB account), Amazon will theoretically have access to kids from birth -- long before they can even read or write. For kids that grow up with the device, Alexa will theoretically have a record of everything they’ve asked or listened to. And, as Amazon says on their site, “She’s always getting smarter.” AI for kids hasn’t gone over well in the past Last year, Mattel was [forced to cancel production on Aristotle]( its Echo-like device for kids, after 15k parents, psychologists, and privacy experts signed a petition to keep them from releasing it to the public. It’s TBD whether Amazon will face similar backlash, or if kids will soon grow up with their own AI Mary Poppins. You guys as creeped out as we are?  The truck driver shortage impacts everything from food prices to stock market performance As [reported]( by USA Today, there’s a shortage of 51k truck drivers nationwide -- which has driven shipping costs up by 6-10%, an increase that consumers will soon have to pay for. As baby boomers retire and young people fail to take their spots at the wheel, the shortage is expected to grow to more than 100k drivers by 2021 -- a problem even self-driving trucks won’t fix. As drivers get more expensive, so do chicken nuggets The average truck driver is 49 -- and despite [increasing]( wages 10% in the past 18 months, shipping companies are struggling to recruit new workers to jobs that require up to 200 nights away from home per year. But, producers paying for increased shipping costs won’t be able to do so for much longer. Tyson Foods -- the country’s biggest chicken distributor and the geniuses behind Any’tizers -- say they’re going to have to [increase]( the cost of your favorite frozen tenders to offset the $200m increase in cost. The entire economy takes a hit with no one in the driver seat When costs increase across the shipping sector, the whole economy -- which is increasingly reliant upon e-commerce Goliaths like Amazon --- will be affected. Although [investment]( in driverless trucks accelerated last year -- hitting more than $1B -- the leaders of the pack (Uber and Google’s Waymo) are still in the fledgling phases of [testing]( their rigs. So, even if Uber hits its optimistic [target]( of getting 1.5m self-driving trucks on the road by 2028, the cost of immediate last-mile deliveries -- which has already increased 30-80% over the last year -- will continue to climb. [Hold on to your dino nuggets](  Nintendo had a killer fiscal year as profits continue to fly from Switch sales The gaming giant that graced us with titular characters like Link, Donkey Kong, and, of course, everyone’s favorite mushroom-loving plumbers, had a big 2017 all thanks to their newest gaming console. According to their annual earnings report, the company’s profits increased [505%]( to roughly $1.6B this last fiscal year as they sold 15m Nintendo Switch units. Riding Yoshi straight to the top Since the Switch went on sale in March 2017, Nintendo has sold 17.7m units, making it the fastest-selling home game console in the US -- outpacing the Nintendo Wii and Playstation 4 in first-year sales. Yesterday the Kyoto-based company said it expects operating profit to rise almost [27%]( through next March, which would be a 9-year high if the Switch continues to sell in its second year. And by the beard of Bowser, they believe it will The company projects [20m]( sales in the next 12 months -- their secret weapon? More nostalgia. Mario and Zelda made it into the fold in its first year, and the company recently announced [plans]( to re-unleash the carnage first brought on by the N64 with a new Super Smash Bros. Looks like it’s time to buy a new gaming console. [Yoshi fan for life](  MoviePass reduces their 1-movie-a-day subscription plan to 4 movies per month We knew this day would come. Now, with great sadness, we report that MoviePass has [terminated]( its dreamy $10-a-month, 1-movie-a-day subscription plan -- with no return in sight. In its place, MoviePass is offering a bundle package that includes 4 movies per month, along with a 3-month trial of iHeartRadio All Access for $29.85. ...iHeartRadio?… sweeeet The promotion comes as the company looks to increase its subscriber base -- similar to a previous temporary [offer]( for new subscribers that came out to $7.50 a month for the first year. But... iHeartRadio?? While the bundle deal is temporary, the 4 movies a month rule unfortunately is indefinite according to the company’s CEO. The question is -- why? Well, they aren’t making any money. Literally. Since MoviePass began, everyone’s big question was, how are these guys making money? As it turns out, they aren’t. While the company hit 2m subscribers in February, they lost money on every subscriber, according to Variety. MoviePass’s parent company, Helios & Matheson (who bought it for [$27m]( last August), disclosed they lost [$150m]( last year, and according to auditors, the size of the loss raises “substantial doubt” about MoviePass’s ability to continue. That said, MoviePass remains confident it will survive the financial hemorrhage -- and expects to be cash flow positive by 2019 through ad sales and selling subscriber data. iHeartRadio?? Seriously? [Come on!](   friday shower thoughts - A bag of M&M’s is just the ideal bag of trail mix. - The acronym "ASAP" was created by someone who wanted to say "as soon as possible" as soon as possible. - Beanbags are boneless chairs. - Carnivals are casinos for kids. - Saying "you have a nice smile" is just the less awkward version of "you have a pretty mouth." - via [Reddit]( This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by Okay, so you want to be a founder... Facebook for house plants? Now, that’s a good in. Who wouldn’t love it? So, what’s next? Well, before Sand Hill Road you need a prototype; you know, the thing that gets you that coveted VC attention. That’s where [Launchpeer]( comes in. Launchpeer’s team of developers and growth hackers know every trick in the book. From the wireframes and technical documentation, to brand design and UX implementation, [Launchpeer’s prototyping service]( has you covered and on your way to closing your first round. But funding is only half the battle You got the prototype and a whole lotta commas in the bank account. Now all that’s left to do is [build the product]( Wait, what’s that? Your one developer is backlogged from here ‘til infinity? Investors breathing down your neck? [Launchpeer]( can help with that, too. You come to [Launchpeer]( with a goal and a budget. They deliver you a product ready to hit the market. It’s that simple. So, whether you’re prototyping the MVP -- or launching on every major platform -- Launchpeer has the technical chops to get you there. Talk with [a real person]( from Launchpeer and find out just how little it’ll cost you. But brace yourself, you’re a founder now.  0 [SHARE THE HUSTLE]( REFERRALS [ YOUR UNIQUE URL Zack Crockett NEWS WRITER Wes Schlagenhauf NEWS WRITER Conor Grant NEWS WRITER Kolby Hatch AD WRITER [Lindsey “Truck stops are my ‘quiet place’” Quinn]( MANAGING EDITOR Etienne Wheeler Long-Distance Truck Driver [SUBSCRIBE]( [JOBS]( [ADVERTISE]( [EVENTS]( [SHOP]( [Join our Facebook community →]( You opted in by signing up, attending an event, or through divine intervention. [771 CLEMENTINA STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, UNITED STATES]( • [415.506.7210](tel:+1-415-506-7210) Never wanna hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](