Amazon updates its Echo Dot, Echo Plus and Echo Show
At its surprise reveal today, Amazon took the wraps off an Alexa-powered microwave, a smart plug, and a whole host of other devices.
It also announced updates to its Echo Dot, Echo Plus and Echo Show products, with improved audio and the nicer, fabric look Amazon introduced to the Echo last year.
Amazon Smart Plugs let you control home devices with Alexa -- but you’ll need an Echo device
At its surprise event today, Amazon revealed a new smart plug which lets you control home appliances with Alexa.
It doesn’t actually come with an Echo -- or microphones -- built in, but that’s to be expected given it will sell for just $25 (which is pretty much on par with other similar products).
Amazon announces an Alexa-powered microwave with a built-in popcorn Dash button
Amazon hosted a surprise event today in Seattle where it took the wraps of a whole raft of Echo products.
One of the weirdest devices it revealed is an Alexa-powered microwave with a built-in Dash button that will allow you to order popcorn should you run out -- prefect for movie night!
Amazon investigates allegations that workers accept bribes to leak data and delete bad reviews
Amazon has been hit with allegations of staff bribery which the company says it is investigating.
A report in the Wall Street Journal this weekend claims that employees have been accepting bribes in return for leaks of sales data. It is also alleged that staff help out independent sellers by deleting negative reviews in exchange for payment, and restore accounts that have been banned.
Amazon announces all-new Fire HD 8 with Alexa Hands Free
Amazon updates its own hardware products on a regular basis, often with little fanfare. There are no major press events, or hyped launches. Today, the retail giant announces another product update that likely won’t thrill the world, but will prove to be another big earner for the company.
The new Amazon Fire HD 8 with Alexa Hands-Free is what you’d guess from the name. An 8-inch HD Fire tablet with added, always ready, Alexa support.
Grab yourself a cheap Microsoft Surface in Amazon's massive bank holiday sale
If you're in the UK, you'll know that this weekend is the August Bank Holiday. This not only means a day off work -- for most people, at least -- but also big Black Friday-type sales from major retailers.
Amazon is one of those offering big discounts, and you don't have to wait until the weekend to make a saving. For the next week, from today until next Wednesday, the online retailer has some incredible deals on Surface tablets and laptops meaning that there's never been a better time to buy one.
Starting next month, even if you pay for Twitch Prime you will see ads
One of the incentives to pay for a service -- from Spotify through Duolingo to YouTube Premium -- is the pleasure of an ad-free experience. Advertising exists in the free versions to help pay for the services, so it only seems fair that those who decide to pay a monthly fee aren't pestered by ads.
Twitch doesn't agree. Starting next month, even if you pay for a Twitch Prime subscription you will still be subjected to ads. The reason? Money, of course.
Amazon finally lets users collaborate on lists
After years of pleading from its customers, Amazon is finally making it possible to collaborate on lists on the site.
While it has long been possible to share a personal list with friends and family, the ability to allow other people access has remained a distant dream -- aside from the event-specific Wedding Registry feature. At long last, people are now able to contribute to a shared list for any sort of event.
Microsoft joins forces with Walmart to take on Amazon with cloud technology
Microsoft has announced that it has formed a strategic partnership with retail giant Walmart to help "make shopping faster and easier for millions of customers around the world".
The five-year deal between the two companies will see Walmart making use of Microsoft's cloud technology solutions such as Microsoft 365 and Azure. The retailer already uses some Microsoft services, but with the new partnership this expands into cloud tools that use machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Get $50 off Acer Alexa-enabled Windows 10 laptops on Amazon, plus a free Echo Dot
While summer has only just started, it is already time to start thinking about Back-to-School shopping. Yeah, sorry to bum you out, students. But hey, you don't want to return to school or university without a capable laptop, do you? Come on, isn't it fun convincing your parents you need a new computer for "studying and research?"
If you are looking for a good deal on a laptop, whether for school or any other purpose, Acer has a pretty sweet deal going on Amazon. All of its computers with integrated Alexa are $50 off. In addition, you will receive a free Echo Dot. How cool is that? Best of all, this offer is immediate -- you do not have to wait for Prime Day!
Grab your wallets, Twitch fans -- TwitchCon 2018 tickets on sale now!
Twitch started out as a platform that let users stream themselves playing video games. For the most part, that is still its main focus. Since Amazon bought it, however, Twitch has wisely embraced all video streaming -- even when no video games are involved. Slowly but surely, the service is becoming a big threat to YouTube, and Google should be worried.
There are so many passionate fans of Twitch, that every year, the company has an official conference. Called "TwitchCon," This 3-day event is dedicated to content creators and their fans. Today, tickets for the aforementioned conference go on sale.
Amazon Prime Day 2018 is July 16, but you can score some early deals NOW!
Amazon Prime Day. Sigh. Yet another annual holiday dedicated to shopping -- we are at peak capitalism, I suppose. To be honest, it's not much different than Black Friday or Cyber Monday. If you have the money to spend, you might as well score some great deals and stimulate the economy, right? Heck, if you are an American, you will probably spend money even if you don't have it!
This year, Amazon Prime Day is on July 16. There will be many deals to be had on all product categories, including tech. If you are in the market for a new laptop, smartphone, or other device, it is probably a good idea to wait until July 16 before pulling the trigger on any purchases. For instance, this year, Huawei is offering some particularly nice deals on some of its smartphones and wearables.
Amazon's new Show Mode turns a Fire tablet into a slimmed-down Echo Show -- for free
Amazon is always looking for new ways to get its Alexa digital assistant into more homes. It’s rolled out a variety of Echo products over the years, most recently the Fire TV Cube, and Echo Dot Kids Edition.
A year ago, the company introduced the Echo Show, an Alexa powered device with a built-in 7-inch touchscreen. Today, the retail giant announces a free software update to turn an existing Fire tablet into a slimmed down Show, and there’s a new optional charging dock to complete the experience too.
Amazon introduces its largest and fastest tablet for kids
Amazon’s Fire tablets have been a big success for the company, with the Kids Editions proving very popular with parents. As well as offering age-appropriate content, they come with a kid proof case which makes them much harder to break than regular tablets.
Today the retail giant introduces a new model to the range. The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is its largest kid friendly device to date, and for a price that’s very reasonable.
Amazon Kindle now supports Arabic language books
Amazon’s Kindle hardware and associated online ebook store have revolutionized the reading experience. While some folks are scared of change, and desperately clutch their paper books, the future is clearly digital. Quite frankly, it’s wasteful to produce paper books. Not to mention, they take up too much room in a home.
Surprisingly, Kindle does not support the Arabic language. Today this changes, however, as Amazon launches more than 12,000 ebooks in that language.