Bixby’s voice features aren’t finished, but US users can test them

Samsung’s virtual assistant Bixby generated untold levels of hype before the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus launched, but the version we actually got to use still feels half-baked. While the company still hasn’t locked down when Bixby’s voice search and control features will go live, it just confirmed that brave users in the US can enroll in an “early preview test” to get a taste of what’s coming down the pipeline.

There’s no word on how many people will be able to sign up, but Samsung says it’s only looking for a “limited” number of beta testers. If you happen to make the cut, Samsung will collect information about Bixby’s performance on your device, and may ask you for direct feedback. Samsung originally said that Bixby’s voice features would launch sometime in Spring 2017, which is basically already over — considering the amount of time it’ll take to collect Bixby feedback and performance data from all these tester devices, it seems likely that the wait for a more complete Samsung assistant will be even longer than we expected.

Then again, such a delay may not be a surprise considering Samsung’s lofty Bixby ambitions. In the days leading up the the S8/S8 Plus launch, company spokespeople said the goal was to build a voice interface that could effectively control those phones as effectively as as one could by using the touchscreen. Apple’s Siri and Google’s Assistant have some access to the system-level functions of the smartphones they’re installed on, but Samsung was keen to build a more robust, more capable and ultimately more valuable assistant. For now, though, the functionality on offer is more limited: according to Samsung, “you can send texts, change your settings or make a call by simply holding down the Bixby button and speaking.”

We’ve tried enrolling in the preview program ourselves to get a sense of the progress Samsung has actually made, but in case you make it in ahead of us, let us know how well Bixby is coming together.

Source: Samsung

Fight Zombies in a 1930s adventure serial with ‘Strange Brigade’

There was a time when video games about surviving a zombie horde was novel. They presented an exciting challenge wherein the player was pitted against a seemingly endless stream of mindless enemies. The Resident Evil series, the original Dead Rising and the Left 4 Dead games were hits for a reason — but the idea eventually grew stale. The Last of Us and The Walking Dead overcame that zombie fatigue by offering strong, character-driven stories. Rebellion games’ Strange Brigade takes another approach: throw in a silly announcer inspired by 1930s British newsreels.

Okay, technically the game is more of a parody of serial adventure movies — loosely following the adventures of four heroes as they plunder cursed ruins for treasure and fight off waves of mystical enemies. Think of it as a cross between the sillier part of the Indiana Jones franchise and the absurd mystical elements of the Uncharted games. It’s a funny idea, but maybe not quite funny enough. There’s nothing wrong with Strange Brigade, but it generally doesn’t feel very unique.

My 20-minute demo with the game at E3 played very much like a lighthearted (and significantly less stressful) round of Left 4 Dead. Players explore several confined areas while picking hordes of various undead baddies with guns, grenades and mystical powers. The core gameplay works well and is fun, but that’s not surprising — the game plays exactly as it looks. That makes it predictable, though not at all bad. Strange Brigade leans hard on the tropes of its 1930s setting, littering the game world with traps that players can activate to take out enemies with spinning blades, hidden spears and discrete bursts of fire.

Even so, my E3 experience with the title fell flat — but as I reached the end of my play time, it was clear that it wasn’t because Strange Brigade is poorly designed. It’s because I was playing alone. The answer is in the game’s name: brigade. The title focuses on a team of peculiar, specialized hero who work together. I was fighting a mass of undead mummies all by myself.

The game is set to launch later this year on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. If you’re planning to play it alone, maybe skip it — but if you’re looking for a lighthearted, silly shooter to play with friends, it might be worth a look.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

‘Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite’ and ‘Mega Man’ at E3 2017

Other than an impressive Monster Hunter World preview, the Capcom booth at E3 2017 is also home to demos for two big releases due later this year. Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 picks up where the first bundle left off, jumping into the 16-bit era with Mega Man 7, 8, 9 & 10. The pack will be released on PS4, Xbox One and PC August 8th for $20, and gamers who need an extra dose of nostalgia can dive into the archives of artwork or just play their favorite tracks.

For a more modern touch, the booth also has Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite on display. This iteration reverses the change 3v3 hero teams introduced with Marvel vs. Capcom 2, going back to a 2-on-2 tag team format. The story mode I played is also available now as a free demo on PS4 and Xbox One, where players can use the new Infinity Stones against Ultron’s minions. The new game has been criticized for its art style and smaller roster of characters — we could use most of the 24 it will launch with, far fewer than the 48 in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Check out out game play above, along with two trailers embedded below.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Source: Capcom (1), (2)

Microsoft Executive Says iPad Pro Was Apple’s Response to Surface

Microsoft executive Ryan Gavin this week suggested Apple released the iPad Pro in response to its Surface devices, per Business Insider.

“When Surface initially launched, everyone was skeptical, including them,” said Gavin, general manager of Surface commercial devices at Microsoft. “And then they followed, and the iPad Pro is a clear example of that.”

Microsoft positions the latest Surface Pro, released on Thursday, as a “best-in-class laptop” with the “versatility of a studio and tablet.”

The new Surface Pro features Intel’s latest Kaby Lake processors and up to 13.5 hours of battery life on a single charge. The tablet-notebook hybrid can be configured with up to a 1TB SSD, up to 16GB RAM, and up to Intel Iris Plus 640 graphics, with a USB 3.0 port, microSD card reader, and Mini DisplayPort.

During a 2012 earnings call, when asked to comment on why the MacBook Air and iPad would not eventually converge, Apple CEO Tim Cook argued that combining the products would result in compromises.

“You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator but those won’t be pleasing to the user,” said Cook, a comment that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella poked fun at four years later, alluding to the iPad Pro.

“I mean, take even Surface,” said Nadella, speaking to The Australian Financial Review. “Three years ago, the two-in-one as a form factor was questioned. Does anybody need one? And now guess what, even our competition has decided that it’s not a refrigerator and a toaster but it’s actually a two-in-one.”

While the iPad and Mac remain two fundamentally different products, the iPad Pro is Apple’s closest attempt at a two-in-one hybrid device.

Apple released the original iPad Pro with a large 12.9-inch display and Smart Keyboard in November 2015, over three years after Microsoft launched its first Surface tablet with a 10.6-inch display and detachable keyboard.

In contrast, the Surface was arguably Microsoft’s response to the iPad as a whole. Apple’s tablet launched in early 2010, and the Surface arrived in late 2012.

Cook has said the iPad Pro is a notebook or desktop computer replacement for “many, many people,” adding that “they will start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phones.”

As for Microsoft following Apple? “We don’t really look at Apple,” said Gavin.

Tags: Microsoft, Microsoft Surface, Surface Pro
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Hints of iPhone 8 Showing Up in Web Analytics

Back in February, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo laid out his expectations for the display resolution on the so-called “iPhone 8,” a brand-new iPhone scheduled for release later this year that forgoes the traditional Home button and LCD screen in favor of an OLED display that fills essentially the entire front of the device.

Working from his expectations, we believe we are seeing increasing evidence of iPhone 8 devices visiting MacRumors. The numbers are unsurprisingly extremely low, but what we’re seeing matches what we’d expect from Kuo’s resolution claims. It has also become consistent enough that it’s increasingly unlikely these data points are fakes or one-off blips in our analytics.

According to Kuo, the iPhone 8 will feature a 5.8-inch display, but with a strip along the bottom of the display reserved for a “function area.” Details on exactly what the function area will be used for are unclear, but it will likely be some sort of dock-like area that could include fingerprint sensing, Home button functionality, and likely other dynamic icons and buttons for interacting with the device.

While Kuo says the overall 5.8-inch display will have a resolution of 1242 x 2800 pixels, he claims the active “display area” will measure 5.15 inches diagonally with a resolution of 1125 x 2436. That’s likely the screen size that would be presented to Safari and other apps as the usable display space.

Ever since the release of the iPhone 4 in 2010, Apple’s Retina displays have used pixel doubling or tripling to increase the sharpness of text and other elements shown on the screen. For example, the iPhone 7’s display has a native resolution of 750 x 1334, but it presents itself as a device running at half of those numbers in each dimension, or 375 x 667. This logical resolution, known as points, keeps screen content at reasonable sizes but with four pixels making up each point, thus allowing for increased sharpness.

Apple’s “Plus” sized iPhone displays with native resolutions of 1080 x 1920 are a bit more complicated, presenting themselves as devices running at 414 x 736 points but in “3x” mode so that a total of nine pixels would be used to make up a single point on the screen. This multiplication factor yields a rendered display resolution of 1242 x 2208, which is then scaled down to fit the actual 1080 x 1920 display.

Example from Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines showing increasing sharpness of 10 x 10 point image at 1x, 2x, and 3x
Taking a look at Kuo’s claimed resolution of 1125 x 2436 for the active display on the iPhone 8, this would neatly correspond to a 3x Retina display at 375 x 812 points, exactly the same width in points as the iPhone 7 but taller. (A 5.15-inch display area at an 1125 x 2436 ratio would actually be slightly narrower physically than the iPhone 7’s display, so content would appear slightly smaller on the screen at around 174 points per inch rather than the 163 points per inch of the iPhone 7.)

With iPhone 8 models having been in testing for many months now and production likely to start ramping up soon, it’s likely some of these devices are being used to browse the web, and every once in a while one of them may visit MacRumors. Checking into our analytics, we are indeed seeing some activity from devices reporting themselves as having displays of 375 x 812.

Visits to MacRumors from devices reporting themselves as iOS devices running at 375 x 812
Aside from a couple of visits last September, we didn’t see substantial activity from devices reporting themselves with resolutions of 375 x 812 until March, and even then things were very sparse until late May when things began to pick up. Since June 1, we’ve been seeing anywhere between one and four visits from these devices nearly every day. All of them are also reporting themselves as running iOS 11.0, which is both unsurprising and reassuring, given that the iPhone 8 will undoubtedly ship with iOS 11 as its operating system in the fall.

A handful of the visits came from IP addresses controlled by Apple, but even those coming from other IPs are localized to Cupertino or nearby cities of Sunnyvale and San Francisco when such data is available.

The number of visits we’ve seen from these devices is extremely low, totaling roughly three dozen sessions. We do on occasion see strange resolutions being reported by devices in our analytics, but the regularity with which we’re seeing this resolution pop up suggests that this is likely a real device.

The 375 x 812 resolution is also the only one we’re currently seeing appear associated with iOS 11 devices that can’t be explained by an existing product. We similarly saw devices reporting a resolution of 834 x 1132 over a period of months leading up to last week’s launch of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, which corresponded to the 1668 x 2224 Retina display that was rumored for and ultimately appeared on the device.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 8 and more traditional “iPhone 7s” and “iPhone 7s Plus” models around the usual September timeframe for iPhone updates, although rumors have suggested supplies of the iPhone 8 could be extremely tight for up to several months after the official debut.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8
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Charitybuzz Auctions Lunch With Eddy Cue at Apple’s New Headquarters

Charitybuzz today launched an auction in which the winning bidder will have lunch with Apple’s services chief Eddy Cue at the company’s newly constructed Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, California.

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Here’s your chance to have lunch with Eddy Cue at the stunning new 175-acre Apple Headquarters in Cupertino, CA, where you will learn more about Apple’s industry-leading content stores and online services. This is a rare opportunity to see “Apple Park” and engage in a one-on-one, in-depth conversation with one of the most innovative business minds of our generation.

The auction has an estimated value of $50,000. Bids can be placed between now and June 28 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time, in support of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to bring attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today’s student-athletes. Cue is a longtime basketball and Golden State Warriors fan.

The private meet and greet will be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon date by June 30, 2018. The winning bidder must be at least 18 or older. The cost of the meal and gratuity is included, but travel and accommodations are not. The experience cannot be resold, re-auctioned, or transferred.

The lunch does not include a formal tour inside Apple Park facilities, and photography is not permitted, according to Charitybuzz.

Cue, who is officially Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, currently oversees the iTunes Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, Siri, Apple Maps, iCloud, and Apple’s iWork and iLife suites of productivity apps.

Apple executives have participated in several Charitybuzz auctions over the years, with CEO Tim Cook most recently raising over $680,000 for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

Tags: Eddy Cue, Charitybuzz
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Keep your Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus crystal-clear and smudge-free with a screen protector

Update: Added offerings from ZAGG, Skinomi, IQ Shield, iTURBOS, and Olixar.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus have gorgeous curved displays that you’ll want to protect. It’s worth looking into Galaxy S8 cases, screen protectors, and other accessories now. If this particular aspect of owning a new phone is usually tedious for you, don’t worry, because we’ve already done some digging of our own and compiled a list of the best Galaxy S8 screen protectors from a variety of mostly well-known brands. Some are on the pricier side, but having a good screen protector is going to be a lot cheaper than replacing the display, or the entire phone. Scroll down to see which companies have screen protectors we think you should look into.

Incipio Plex Plus Shield Edge ($35)

The Plex Plus screen protector immediately addresses any concerns you may have about covering the entirety of the Galaxy S8’s display, as it was designed with the curved edges in mind. This S8 screen protector is tempered glass, so only a serious scrape or fall will leave a blemish, and its static-free finish prevents a build up of dust and lint, keeping the S8’s screen pristine and as clear as the day you got it. If you have the Galaxy S8 or the larger Galaxy S8 Plus, then the Plex Plus will protect your display from harm.

Buy one now from:

Incipio (S8) Incipio (S8 Plus)

Moshi IonGlass ($40+)

Moshi’s IonGlass is another glass screen protector, but unlike the above Plex Plus, Moshi has used a unique strengthening process to make their IonGlass more effective than tempered glass. The end result is an S8 screen protector that will be very hard to scratch, dent, or shatter, and one that provides complete edge-to-edge display protection. It’s made to perfectly fit the Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus, is thinner than other screen protectors (meaning it’ll be hard to feel after application), and any fingerprint smudges or stains can be easily wiped away thanks to the oleophobic coating applied during its production.

Buy one now from:

Amazon (S8) Moshi (S8 Plus)

OtterBox Alpha Glass ($40+)

You probably know OtterBox for their protective cases, but their screen protectors are also worth looking into. The company’s Alpha Glass, for example, is a tempered glass protector that can match up with any other offering on this list. It’s curved to complement the Galaxy S8’s design, and is both shatter- and scratch-resistant. The sensitivity from the smartphone’s touchscreen isn’t compromised, nor are the clarity and quality of the display. It’s a completely clear screen protector that is backed by OtterBox’s 1 year warranty, so you can buy one knowing you have the company’s support if the Alpha Glass under performs.

Buy one now from:

Amazon (S8) Amazon (S8 Plus) OtterBox (S8) OtterBox (S8 Plus) MobileFun (S8)

Verizon Ultra Screen Protector ($45)

Verizon doesn’t have a special name for their screen protector, only referred to as the “Ultra Screen Protector;” it’s simply a really good protector for your Galaxy S8. Aside from the features you’ve come to expect, such as edge-to-edge coverage, smudge-resistance, and incredible transparency, its most unique trait is that it was made using Dragontrail Pro, a chemically enhanced glass that is used on a number of laptops, TVs, and smartphones. The end result of using such a glass is similar to that of the Moshi IonGlass: A stronger glass screen protector that is hard to damage. Once it’s applied (and a case is used), those around you will have a hard time believing it’s not an unprotected screen.

Buy one now from:

Verizon (S8) Verizon (S8 Plus)

Spigen Neo Flex ($9+)

The Neo Flex screen protector from Spigen isn’t made out of glass like the others on this list. Instead, it’s made using a flexible TPU material that is like the film protectors many of us are probably used to. What it lacks in glass materials, it more than makes up for in capabilities, like the one that allows it to self-heal, or subtly erase minor scratches over time. It cuts down on the amount of oils and fingerprint residue that could appear on the display, prevents bubbling during application and use, and touchscreen sensitivity remains unaffected. The one potential downside may be the spray-on solution required to make it stick to the Galaxy S8, but if you’re not bothered by a small amount of mist, then Spigen’s Neo Flex is definitely one of the cheaper solutions to keep your display intact.

Buy one now from:

Amazon (S8) Amazon (S8 Plus) Spigen (S8) Spigen (S8 Plus)

ZAGG InvisibleShield Sapphire Defense Curve ($50)

Zagg is well known for making (pricey) smartphone cases and screen protectors, and the recent Sapphire Defense Curve, while as expensive as its predecessors, has a variety of features that justify the high price tag. The aptly-titled Sapphire Defense Curve was made with the Galaxy S8’s curved display in mind. When applied, it covers the entire front of the phone, including the curved edges. This screen protector has also been infused with sapphire crystals, making the glass protector more durable and difficult to shatter. Its impact-absorption properties allow it to handle even the most dangerous of everyday drops. It maintains your phone’s touch capabilities and clarity, fingerprint smudges are easy to deal with, and it’ll even stay on and intact when used with a protective case. If you’re been a fan of Zagg in the past, their latest creation for the Galaxy S8 will keep them on your good side.

Buy one now from:

ZAGG (S8) ZAGG (S8 Plus)

Skinomi TechSkin ($8)

People often use screen protectors with their phone cases, and Skinomi’s TechSkin respects your desire to do so. For the modest asking price, you get a screen protector that’s self-healing, flexible, and tough to puncture. The film protector will also prevent yellowing, and if ever removed, will not leave a sticky residue behind. It’s an affordable screen protector that will get the job done, and a good option if you’re not looking for anything too fancy.

Buy one now from:

Amazon (S8) Amazon (S8 Plus) Skinomi (S8) Skinomi (S8 Plus)

IQ Shield LiQuidSkin Full Coverage Screen Protector ($8)

IQ Shield’s offering is similar to the aforementioned Skinomi TechSkin, which is to say it won’t empty your bank account. This is another film protector that should work nicely with your case of choice. It requires a squeegee and a liquid solution to apply, but the process is relatively easy and should leave your device bubble-free. This screen protector will also heal itself from minor scratches, and shouldn’t interfere with your phone’s touchscreen capabilities, or change how your device feels during use. If you’re at all familiar with IQShield’s products, you know what you’re in for this time around, too.

Buy one now from:

Amazon (S8) Amazon (S8 Plus) IQ Shield (S8) IQ Shield (S8 Plus)

iTURBOS Screen Protector ($8)

This screen protector from iTURBOS doesn’t offer anything special in terms of protection, but it can still provide the front — and curved edges — of your Galaxy S8 with solid protection. Like most offerings on the market, the film protector is scratch-resistant, and will maintain the quality of your HD display. It’s a good alternative if you’ve already tried the aforementioned film protectors, but want to keep experimenting. Applying the protector is also as easy as expected, and it should be both dust- and bubble-free during and after application, which is ideal if you struggle to keep your display clean while using a screen protector.

Buy one now from:

Amazon (S8) Amazon (S8 Plus)

Olixar Tempered Glass Screen Protector ($22)

Olixar is another company often associated with smartphone accessories, and its tempered glass protector makes a solid case for the company’s continued investment in keeping your devices pristine. This particular screen protector is, as the name implies, made of glass, making it more durable than those of the film variety. It also covers the Galaxy S8’s curved sides, which is what all Galaxy S8 owners want from their screen protectors. It doesn’t negatively affect your phone’s display either, and it has been tested with several smartphone cases — including those from OtterBox and Spigen — to ensure it won’t slide off or keep your case from fitting correctly.

Buy one now from:

Mobile Fun (S8) Mobile Fun (S8 Plus)

Go hands-free with Anker Soundsync Drive Bluetooth receiver, now just $17

People hardly go anywhere without their smartphones. Nonetheless, concerns over road safety and the fact that many jurisdictions have passed hands-free driving laws necessitate either turning off one’s phone in the car or, better yet, investing in a handy wireless receiver like the Anker Soundsync Drive.

The Anker Soundsync Drive does much more than allow you to take hands-free calls, which you can already do on most phones with built-in speaker modes. This handy little Bluetooth receiver instead turns your car’s cabin into a hands-free ecosystem by connecting your smartphone to your vehicle’s stereo and routing audio through the speakers.

The compact Soundsync Drive is less than two inches wide and easily mounts to your car’s dash. The receiver utilizes Bluetooth 4.0 technology to effortlessly sync with your smartphone or other compatible wireless device and hooks up to your stereo via USB and a 3.5mm audio jack. After that, you can pair the Soundsync Drive with your chosen device with the press of a button. The device itself also features three controls for media playback, taking and ending calls, and activating voice-controlled smartphone functions like Siri or Cortana.

Speaker mode, while handy, is generally an inelegant solution that merely amplifies your phone’s small built-in audio driver. This usually results in loud, muddy sound that is not pleasant to listen to and is certainly not ideal for enjoying music. In comparison, the Anker Soundsync Drive receiver uses active noise suppression and delivers clear audio directly through your car speakers, giving your music the sound quality it deserves.

The Anker Soundsync Drive retails for $40, but a solid 58 percent discount shaves $23 off the price. This lets you score this road-safe Bluetooth receiver for just $17 from Amazon. The highly rated Soundsync Drive is the perfect hands-free solution for using your phone safely on the road and for saving some money while you are at it.

Amazon

Microsoft’s photo editor Pix gets smart art styles, faster performance

Why it matters to you

The painter-like style transfers popularized by Prisma are now accessible inside an app that also offers smart shooting with AI capabilities.

Artificial intelligence powers Microsoft Pix’s ability to shoot better photos, from choosing the best shot using a pre-burst to automatically adjusting settings. Now, that same neural network is allowing users to turn their shots into stylized art. On June 15, Microsoft announced updates to Pix that give the photo app Prisma-like painterly effects.

The app update gives the photo editor the ability to apply style transfers. Unlike the traditional photo filter, style transfers actually alter the structure of the image by applying texture and pattern adjustments along with color changes. The update brings 11 new transfer styles from rendering fire into photos to creating pointillism-like art.

Microsoft says that additional style transfers are expected to be released in the next few weeks.

“These are meant to be fun features,” Josh Weisberg, a principal program manager in Microsoft’s Computational Photography Group, said in a blog post. “In the past, a lot of our efforts were focused on using AI and deep learning to capture better moments and better image quality. This is more about fun. I want to do something cool and artistic with my photos.”

Along with the style transfers, the app update includes Pix Paintings, which shows those photos rendering into the new styles in a time-lapse video.

Both new options were developed by training deep neural networks with a large number of different paintings. By analyzing what makes a particular style different from another, the program is able to learn how to transform photographs into those specific styles.

With the update, Microsoft is also pushing to keep the AI program off the cloud and on mobile devices. The size of neural networks traditionally requires running the program on a cloud system, but the update will now run on the device, which means users can apply the effects faster and without using data.

Microsoft Pix’s latest update is now available for download for iOS devices from the App Store.

Amazon goes all-in on physical stores, buys Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion

Why it matters to you

Prime members may have tantalizing new benefits when Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods Market closes.

Any question about Amazon’s intentions to compete with traditional brick and mortar grocery stores has been answered. Today Amazon and Whole Foods Market announced that the e-commerce giant will buy the Whole Foods Market grocery store chain.

Calling it a definitive merger, the all-cash deal is worth $13.7 billion, or $42 per share, of Whole Foods stock. The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2017, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.

Whole Foods Market stores and its headquarters operation won’t look much different after the sale. Whole Foods co-founder and CEO John Mackey will stay on as CEO, while the stores will continue to operate using the Whole Foods Market brand. Whole Foods will also retain its same sources worldwide, Mackey said. The headquarters will remain in Austin, Texas.

“This partnership presents an opportunity to maximize value for Whole Foods Market’s shareholders, while at the same time extending our mission and bringing the highest quality, experience, convenience, and innovation to our customers,” Mackey said in the joint statement.

The Whole Foods deal is Amazon’s largest purchase. According to Bloomberg, Amazon’s biggest purchase to date has been its 2014 $970 million acquisition of Twitch Interactive, Inc. Bloomberg also reported that at the end of March 2017, Amazon was holding about $21.5 billion in cash and equivalents.

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said, “Millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it fun to eat healthy. Whole Foods Market has been satisfying, delighting and nourishing customers for nearly four decades — they’re doing an amazing job and we want that to continue.”

Whole Foods Market, the first “Certified Organic” grocer in the U.S., posted sales of $16 billion, according to its fiscal 2016 report. The chain has more than 460 stores in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

In March, Amazon announced AmazonFresh Pickup service for Prime members, a convenience with which customers could order groceries online and pick them up at AmazonFresh depots. The program was reportedly being tested for Amazon employees at two Seattle locations.