Majority of consumers will embrace digital assistants like Google Now and Siri
Like it or not, we’re all going to have Batman’s Alfred Pennyworth soon. In a digital format, that is, but nonetheless an assistant.
This was concluded by research specialists Gartner, which said that by 2019, at least a quarter of households in developed countries will use the services of a digital assistant, either on a smartphone, or in a standalone device.
Amazon killing off older Versions of Cloud Drive
Cloud storage has become a prominent part of everyone's life these days, with services abounding. But what happens when one either goes out of business or sets an end-of-life date for support for one of its apps?
Amazon is encountering that very situation right now, with older versions of its Cloud Drive app. The company is now sending notifications to customers explaining the situation.
Report: Amazon is on the verge of launching its own music streaming service
A report from Reuters, citing two sources close to Amazon, says that the online retail giant is about to launch a music streaming service to rival the likes of Spotify. The as-yet-unnamed service is expected to launch towards the end of summer or beginning of fall, pending negotiations with record labels.
With a rumored monthly fee of $9.95, the streaming service does nothing to compete with its rivals financially, but Amazon will still be hoping that it will help boost its Echo product. The paid-for streaming service will sit alongside the free one currently available to Amazon Prime subscribers. Amazon believes its ecosystem will help it stand out from Google Play Music, Apple Music et al.
Amazon Fresh now delivers groceries in London
Amazon Fresh has arrived in the UK and starting this week the online retailer delivers groceries in London.
This is the first time that the service will be available outside of the US and initially it will offer over 130,000 grocery items to consumers living in north and east London. A host of new items including thousands of fresh produce, dairy and bakery items will be available through the online delivery service.
Now you can try out Amazon Echo's Alexa in your web browser
There is something of a trend for voice activated devices at the moment, and you might well be wondering if any of them are worth investing in. If you've been thinking about buying an Amazon Echo, you can now try it out in your web browser to get a feel for what it's like.
Amazon has launched the Alexa Skill Testing Tool which gives everyone the opportunity to test drive the virtual assistant for themselves. It's the perfect blend of try-before-you buy blended with clever marketing.
Alexa gets new features for Amazon Fire TV
Amazon has been actively pursuing improvements to its line of products, be it Echo, Fire TV, Kindle or Fire tablet. Of all of the products, perhaps the most updated one and the one which gets the most attention, is the Echo, often referred to as Alexa.
The latest improvements are to Fire TV, gaining Alexa-like features. This isn't technically an Echo update, but an update to the set-top box.
Amazon will sell private-label brands to Prime subscribers
Amazon is preparing to expand its business with the addition of several new lines of private label brands that it will begin selling in the coming weeks.
The company’s private brands will initially be available to Amazon Prime subscribers and will include perishable foods, tea and coffee, vitamins and baby food as well as other household items such as laundry detergent and diapers.
Alexa gets travel search with new Kayak integration
"Alexa, play Jeopardy". Many phrases uttered around here lately begin with "Alexa". Amazon's Echo can do an ever growing number of things from simply playing music to controlling home automation. Other tricks are always in the works from both Amazon and third-parties.
The latest "skill", as these things are called, is integration with travel giant Kayak. The company is announcing integration with all Amazon Echo devices, including Dot and Tap.
Amazon's DSSTNE deep learning software now open source
Amazon has decided to follow in the footsteps of Google and other technology companies by open-sourcing its deep learning software.
The company has released its deep learning software DSSTNE (pronounced destiny) on GitHub under an open-source Apache license. Deep learning has gained a lot of traction in recent months and many tech companies are currently developing their own software to help teach computers.
UK ebook sales drop for the first time
It seems that our love affair with ebooks could be turning sour. For the first time since digital book sales were recorded, the number of ebooks sold in the UK dropped in 2015.
The drop could be partly explained by the fact that we seem to be reading less in recent years. While sales of printed books rose by 0.4 percent according to the Publishers Association, digital book sales declined by 1.6 percent.
Embark on The Grand Tour with the Top Gear gang
It's been a while since the boys were together on your screen. But Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are reuniting, but this time the offering has a brand new title. And on this go-around they won't be on the BBC, they'll instead be debuting on Amazon Prime.
Now the brand new show, which is currently in production, has finally got a name. It's been decided it will be called The Grand Tour, because of the way it is being made.
Amazon announces Video Direct in an effort to compete with Google's YouTube
Despite competition from the likes of Vimeo, YouTube has remained at the top of the heap for streaming videos, mostly because of content that comes from its users. While it's hard to see it being toppled anytime soon, it will have a new rival trying to do just that.
Amazon, which already runs its Prime Video service filled with TV shows and movies, is expanding its footprint, adding user content.
Amazon held to account for billing parents for in-app purchases made by their kids
A federal judge has ruled that Amazon is liable for sending out bills to parents of children who made in-app purchases without permission. Amounting to millions of dollars, the bills have now been deemed unauthorized, and Amazon faces having to pay back a large percentage of the money.
The case has echoes of similar legal action brought against Google and Apple for purchases made by children in the App Store and Google Play. Amazon, Apple and Google have all implemented systems to prevent unauthorized purchases since being investigated by the FTC back in 2014.
Amazon Prime Music debuts on Sonos systems in the UK
Amazon Prime has become hugely popular, and it's easy to see why. For $99 per year, customers get free two-day shipping, streaming video, streaming music and Kindle lending library. Sonos is less adopted because of the price, but if you've invested in it then you have a great whole-house audio system.
Six months ago, the two came together in the US to add to your musical enjoyment and today Amazon Prime Music will be debuting on Sonos in the UK and filling British homes with tunes.
Amazon Fire and Fire Kids Edition tablets get new colors and additional storage options
Times are tough for many consumers financially, making new technology purchases a hardship. While a tablet such as the iPad is wonderful, the high starting price makes it unachievable for some. Luckily, thanks to Android, some companies, such as Amazon, have created affordable slabs for the masses.
Speaking of Amazon, its 7-inch Fire tablet -- which starts at $49 --is getting a minor refresh. You can now purchase it with a series of new colors and storage options.
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