In Season 5, Episode 26, Karl and Jon are joined by AWS Hero Johannes Koch to discuss recent developments across the AWS ecosystem, including Amazon's satellite broadband initiative, the retirement of Amazon Mechanical Turk, updates to coding tool Kiro, a new MCP server for accessing public data, and the announcement of a free AWS sandbox account. Along the way, Johannes also discovers that bloopers don't get edited out!

03:20 - Amazon Leo: Starlink Competitor

Amazon Leo, Amazon's answer to Starlink, aims to provide satellite broadband services. While Starlink has a significant lead with thousands of satellites already in orbit, Amazon is preparing to launch its own constellation. The discussion highlights the technical challenges and potential markets for satellite broadband, including enterprise use cases and connectivity for remote areas.

13:45 - Amazon Mechanical Turk Retirement

Amazon has decided to stop accepting new customers for its Mechanical Turk service, which allowed users to complete small tasks for payment. The service, which has been around since 2005, has faced competition from other freelance platforms and AI advancements. The decision raises questions about Amazon's strategy and the future of human-in-the-loop tasks in AI development.

19:48 - Kiro: Amazon’s Coding Tool

Kiro, Amazon's coding assistant, has recently made other coding models available, including GPT models. This flexibility allows users to choose from various models directly within Kiro, setting it apart from other coding tools. The discussion explores Kiro’s positioning within AWS, its potential for future monetization, and how it compares to other AWS development tools.

36:42 - New MCP Server for Public Data

AWS has launched a new MCP server to access Rhoda, the Registry of Open Data, which contains over 1,122 public datasets. This development aims to make public data more accessible but also brings concerns about the increasing number of MCP servers and the potential for sprawl. The conversation touches on the value of knowing how to query these servers and the future of data access in the AWS ecosystem.

43:40 - Free Sandbox Account

AWS now offers a free sandbox account that users can run for up to 8 hours without incurring any costs. This feature is aimed at making it easier to run workshops and experiments without the hassle of managing accounts and cleaning up resources. While the initiative is praised for its potential, there are discussions about its limitations, such as the single-use nature and the 8-hour time constraint.