Amazon is testing the future in labs around the world

Look at how Amazon is rolling out new technologies and how it is commercializing them. Who knew that when Amazon built its own data center for selling books online, it would turn this spare computing capacity into the Amazon Cloud (AWS)? And that it would build a multi-billion dollar business out of it? If this innovation is good for Amazon, it must be good for everyone else and Amazon will provide access to it to everyone — right? Sharing (for profit) is caring.

Here are two examples of how Amazon continues in this tradition.

Maybe you remember when Amazon was testing ‘Just Walk Out’ technology? That’s where sensors followed you through the store and were able to recognize the items you put into a shopping basket. Then it could charge your account accordingly.

This time, Amazon is testing palm scanning technology in its Whole Foods store in Seattle.

Let’s say you’re at the checkout. Now, instead of using your credit card or phone, you simply wave your hand above a reader and your (previously registered and paired with your credit card) palm print is scanned and your account charged. Is pulling out your credit card really that much to ask? That’s not the point. It is simply testing and perfecting a technology. Next, that technology can be used in an office setting. Instead of…