Amazon quickens push into tough local services market | Reuters

Mechanical Turk + trucks and tools

"Eventually, Amazon plans to build an online marketplace for services from plumbing to babysitting. For now, it's focused on assembly, installation and repair in Seattle, New York and Los Angeles, such as installing toilets or adding speakers to a car, according to its website.

Building a local services marketplace has been Chief Executive Jeff Bezos' vision for over a decade, three people familiar with the matter said. The Amazon founder was an early admirer of the OpenTable model of dinner reservations, according to one of the sources.

Amazon's efforts are aided by the ubiquity of the smartphone, which allows service providers to field calls and book appointments on the go."

Amazon quickens push into tough local services market | Reuters