Amazon

Amazon launches VoIP and video conferencing service Chime

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 14, 2017

Amazon Web Services, a subsidiary of Amazon, today announced it's launched Chime, a new Voice over IP (VoIP) and video conferencing platform for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows and Android.

Aimed at business users, Chime allows you to host or join virtual meetings, take advantage of content and screen sharing across platforms and more.

Amazon promises noise-cancelling wideband audio and crystal clear high-definition video with the new service. Chime for iPhone is available at no charge from App Store. The Mac client can be downloaded directly from Amazon.

Apple hires former Netflix executive and Amazon Fire TV chief to head up Apple TV business

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Apple appears poised to shake up its Apple TV business amid data showing that sales of the media-streaming box saw a year-over-year decline. Apple TV was last refreshed in October 2015.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple in February hired Timothy D. Twerdahl to lead Apple TV operations and beef up teams seeking content deals.

Twerdahl is the former head of Amazon's Fire TV operating unit. Prior to his tenure at Amazon, he served as an executive at Netflix and later as a Vice President in charge of consumer devices at Roku. He was also Vice President of Products at smartwatch startup WIMM Labs from 2009 to 2012, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Amazon and Apple end Audible exclusivity deal to avoid antitrust probe by German government

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 19, 2017

Quietly announced two weeks ago following discussions with both the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office, Apple and Amazon have decided to end their deal which made Amazon-owned Audible an exclusive provider of audiobooks for iTunes.

According to a Reuters report Thursday, the move puts an end to antitrust complaints by the German government and is likely to boost competition.

The agreement had been in place for over a decade, since 2003.

Amazon’s shopping app is now available for Apple TV with purchasing support for Prime members

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 13, 2016

Online retail giant Amazon today rolled out a tvOS version of its existing shopping app for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple Watch.

With Amazon App for Apple TV, you can browse Amazon's entire product catalog on a big screen TV from the comfort of your couch using Siri Remote and your fourth-generation Apple TV.

The app lets you get product details and watch videos for products that are available on Amazon.com and from other merchants. And if you're a Prime member ($99 per year), you'll even be able to make purchases on your Apple TV.

Amazon’s new grocery store uses artificial intelligence and sensors to eliminate checkout

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 5, 2016

Online retail giant Amazon is testing a new type of brick-and-mortar convenience store where you simply walk in, pick up your items and walk out, no clerk or a cash register required whatsoever because everything you've put in the shopping basket is automatically charged to your Prime account as soon as you leave the store. Located at 2131 7th Ave in Seattle, the futuristic grocery store, dubbed Amazon Go, has been four years in the making.

The system uses computer vision, sensor fusion and deep learning to detect when goods are removed and returned to the shelves. Amazon's retail store of the future that eliminates checkout is launching in early-2017.

Amazon working on premium Echo model with 7″ touchscreen to “fend off competition”

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 29, 2016

Bloomberg's well-informed Mark Gurman reported Monday that online retail giant Amazon is developing a brand new premium model of its Echo wireless speaker that will feature a built-in seven-inch touchscreen in an effort to “fend off competition” from Google's Home device and Apple's rumored entry into the connected home market with its own Siri-powered hardware.

Amazon may release a higher-end Echo device, known internally as “Knight,” early next year. It will target kitchens and cost more than the current Echo models.

Early Black Friday Amazon deals: $50 Kindle, $16 battery pack, $397 4K drone and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

We're still a few days away from the holiday weekend, but in an effort to get a head start, several retailers have launched what they are calling "early" or "pre-" Black Friday sales. We're going to be covering as many of these deals as possible, with a particular focus on quality products and notable discounts. Here are a few we've found from Amazon thus far.

Amazon Music Unlimited expands to UK, Germany and Austria

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 14, 2016

After making its U.S. debut last month, Amazon's $9.99 per month music-streaming service is set to expand to the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria beginning Monday, announced the online retail giant. The service was live in the United Kingdom at post time, with roll-outs in Germany and Austria following later today.

Earlier this morning, rival Google released revamped Play Music apps with machine learning-driven recommendations based on user location, activity and time of day.

How to remove items from your Amazon browsing history

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated December 19, 2023

Amazon keeps a history of everything you look at on their platform, and in this tutorial, we'll show you how you can hide or remove items from your browsing history using the Amazon app or website. We will also show you how to stop the shopping giant from saving your browsing history.

Amazon Music Unlimited launches: $9.99 per month, $3.99 for Echo-only streaming

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 12, 2016

Amazon today announced its long-rumored music streaming service to better compete with the likes of Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play Music, Tidal and others. The service is called Amazon Music Unlimited and starts at $9.99 per month for individual accounts or $14.99 per month for a family of six, which is the standard pricing offered by Apple Music and others.

However, Amazon has undercut Apple Music with a $7.99 per month tier for members of its $99 per year Prime service. And if you want to only stream music to your Echo wireless speaker, Amazon Music Unlimited is just $3.99 per month.

Bloomberg: Apple’s Echo-like Siri appliance is now in prototype testing

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 31, 2017

Apple's rumored Amazon Echo-like Siri hardware has exited the company's research and development lab and is now in prototype testing, Bloomberg reported Friday. The project started more than two years ago, but Apple is now “pressing ahead” with the development of its unnamed Siri-driven smart home appliance after Amazon's Echo proved a surprise hit, even to Apple engineers working on the project.

Amazon to take aim at Apple with $9.99 a month music service, due in September

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 29, 2016

Amazon already has a music store, but its catalog of songs is limited and streaming is only available to those subscribed to the company's $99 per year Prime service. As Re/code said, the online retail giant has also considered a bargain-priced music service that would only work on Echo hardware and be priced at $4 to $5 per month.

Monday, The Financial Times newspaper reported that Amazon has a third offering in the works, a $9.99 per month music-streaming service that would offer the full catalogue of songs that Spotify and Apple offer.