Monday, June 08, 2015

TECH SAVVY WORLD - Your Future Butler, 'Alfred'

"Tech-age butlers aren’t just for superheroes anymore" PBS NewsHour 6/4/2015

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  If you're too busy and you want to outsource your chores, there are apps galore these days.  Now there’s Alfred, a new online service that aims to scale up the business of butlering by offering relatively low-cost help with shopping, cleaning and errands in certain neighborhoods.  Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour):  Finally tonight, an on-demand assistant for those with too much to do and too little time.

Our economics correspondent, Paul Solman has the story.  It’s part of our ongoing reporting Making Sense, which airs every Thursday on the “NewsHour.”

EMMA STANTON, Hello Alfred Client:  As a single person living on my own, the only reason I have so much stuff in my fridge is because somebody else has bothered to do the shopping for me.

PAUL SOLMAN (NewsHour):  When Dr. Emma Stanton moved to Boston this spring, work left little time for prepping her new apartment.

EMMA STANTON:  It was cleaned when I moved in, which was about nine days ago.

PAUL SOLMAN:  Or choosing a new coffee maker.

EMMA STANTON:  I just asked for particular recommendations, and this was one of three they suggested.

PAUL SOLMAN:  Cleaning her clothes.

EMMA STANTON:  This is my laundry.  I just chuck it in here.  The Alfred comes and picks it up.

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