Amazon sucks up Roomba for $1.7 billion
There are plenty of robot vacuum cleaners available to buy these days, but the best-known brand remains Roomba. I was lucky enough to test and review the first generation model Roomba vacuum cleaner in 2002 and I've been a big fan ever since.
Today, retail giant Amazon announces that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Roomba creator iRobot. What will this mean for fans of its products?
Amazon Fire 7 (2022) tablet is very cheap
Nobody really wants a Fire 7 tablet. Most consumers would prefer an iPad or proper Android device with Google Play support. So why are Amazon's tablets being purchased? Price. Yes, folks, Amazon's little tablet is very cheap, making it a fairly decent consumption device for young children and the elderly. Don't want to spend too much on grandma for her birthday? Get her a Fire 7 tablet. She will think it is an iPad even though it is just a cheap knock-off with dismal performance.
Today, Amazon once again refreshes the Fire 7, and despite sky-high inflation, the tablet remains inexpensive. You see, the 2022 variant of the 7-inch tablet can be had for just $59.99, making it pretty much a disposable device. At that price, if it gets broken, who even cares? If you are concerned about your child breaking it, you can opt for a special "Kids" model for $109.99 that comes with a rugged case and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.
If tech giants were countries Apple and Microsoft would be among the top 10 richest
In an interesting bit of equivalence, UK-based insolvency specialist Real Business Rescue has compared the market value of the world's richest companies to countries' GDPs to show how big these businesses have become compared to the rest of the world.
As the table below shows, Apple -- which became the first trillion dollar company in 2018 -- would rank eighth in the world, just behind France, while Microsoft is ranked ninth and worth more than Italy.
Your Amazon Prime subscription is about to get much more expensive
Amazon has announced a significant price hike for Prime membership. The company is blaming the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in labor costs for the subscription fee jumping by nearly 17 percent annually, or just over 15 percent for those paying monthly.
Starting later this month, new Prime members in the US can expect to pay $139 per year, or $14.99 per month. The same price increase is also coming to existing Prime subscribers, but not until the end of March.
Amazon backs down on not accepting UK Visa credit cards
Back in November last year we reported on Amazon's decision to stop accepting UK issued Visa credit cards due to high processing charges.
The change was due to take place this Wednesday (January 19) but it seems that an 11th hour deal may have been reached to allow customers to continue using their Visa cards.
Washington cannot let Amazon water-down consumer protection legislation
The holiday season is a reminder that with more Americans than ever heading online to do their shopping, lawmakers must continue taking action to prevent consumers from falling prey to internet scammers. That’s why it was welcome news when Amazon recently reversed course on its longstanding opposition to bipartisan consumer protection legislation in Congress that would require third-party online marketplaces to verify independent sellers, with the goal of reducing counterfeits and stolen goods from these platforms.
But while Amazon’s public change of heart seemingly paves the way for the eventual passage of the bill, known as the INFORM Consumers Act, lawmakers must ensure that the retail giant and other tech companies do not work behind the scenes to water down the legislation and render it toothless. Counterfeits pose great harm to consumers and small third-party sellers, and Congress must pass strong, comprehensive enforcement mechanisms to adequately protect both groups.
Google or Amazon dropped the ball after Amazon Music outage
For most of one day last week, a majority of Amazon Music and Ring customers suffered a catastrophic outage when Amazon’s own Amazon Web Services (AWS) went down for hours. Whether you were missing music or vital security, it was a long day for many people.
The system came back up gradually; here and there a site or app would work, but sometimes only briefly. By that evening, US east coast (EST) time, everything was back up and running as normal.
Amazon to stop accepting UK-issued Visa credit cards
Ecommerce giant Amazon is to stop accepting payments made from Visa credit cards issued in the UK as from January 19 next year.
Visa debit cards and credit cards from other issuers like Mastercard and Amex will still be accepted. The reason for the move is cited as Visa’s high processing charges.
Cybershoes announces integration with several new Oculus Quest 2 VR games, and Amazon Europe availability
Strapped to your feet and connected to your HMD via Bluetooth, Cybershoes for Quest is a cool accessory that let you walk or run through VR games. When I reviewed the product back in March, the selection of titles offering native support was rather limited.
Today, the company announces integration with a number of additional Oculus VR games, including Until You Fall, Contractors, Grapple Tournament, and Larcenauts.
Documents show Amazon gaming search results to promote its brands while copying rival products in India
When it comes to accusations of fixing search results, it is usually the likes of Google in the firing line, but documents seen by Reuters show that Amazon has engaged in such activities.
The news agency obtained thousands of internal Amazon documents cited as evidence that the company not only "ran a systematic campaign of creating knockoffs", but also that it was "manipulating search results to boost its own product lines".
Home security service Home8 is currently down, blames AWS [Update: Back up now]
These days a lot of us have home security systems to one degree or another. You may simply control your locks and perhaps a light; or you may be a little more invested in the technology, adding motion sensors, cameras, leak sensors and other little toys.
The thing you need most with all of this is an operational system keeping an eye on everything when you can’t. You rely on this for protection for yourself, your family and your property.
Amazon unveils new Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition e-readers
For years I was against the idea of e-readers, preferring to read actual books. When I did eventually make the switch though I was instantly converted, and these days my Kindle Paperwhite is a constant companion, traveling with me everywhere. Its days may be coming to an end soon though.
Not because I’m planning to start reading 'dead tree' books again, but because Amazon today announces two stunning new Paperwhites.
Amazon announces its own 4K Fire TVs with Alexa voice control
It’s been rumored for a while that Amazon was planning to make its own smart TVs -- rather than just partnering with other television manufacturers to offer 'Fire TV Editions' (sets with Fire TV and Alexa built-in) -- and today the retail giant confirms this with the announcement of two new 'Amazon-built' smart TVs -- the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series and Fire TV 4-Series.
The Fire TV Omni Series is Amazon’s premium offering and it comes with far-field voice controls so you can talk to Alexa from across the room. Alexa voice controls are always available, even if the set if turned off. Don’t worry though, you can disable this feature if you’re not keen on the idea of a television set listening to your every word.
Best-selling router ships with vulnerable firmware
Researchers at CyberNews have uncovered security flaws within the default firmware and the web interface app of the TP-Link AC1200 Archer C50 (v6) router.
The router -- an 'Amazon's Choice' product -- is shipped with outdated firmware that is vulnerable to dozens of known security flaws and could put users at risk of man-in-the-middle and Denial of Service attacks.
Lexar HADES RGB DDR4 desktop memory is designed for PC gamers and creators
For those of you that build your own desktop computers, you know that choosing the right brand really matters. For instance, if you opt for an unknown company for your RAM, power supply, or storage, there is a very good chance you will run into problems. This is why I always recommend sticking with reputable brands -- saving a few bucks is never worth it if you end up having to troubleshoot crashes.
Lexar is a trustworthy company that has been around for a long time. The company is most known for its quality memory products. Today, Lexar launches beautiful new DDR4 memory that both creators and gamers should absolutely adore. Called "HADES," the RAM comes equipped with attractive RGB heat spreaders and is offered in both 3200MHz and 3600MHz speeds.
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