Primecast app puts Amazon Prime Instant Video content on Chromecast
Are you hooked into the Amazon ecosystem? Then take a look at Primecast. Then take a look at Primecast. No, it is not an official Amazon app; however, it will do something that the company would seemingly never dare to do. Primecast mirrors content from Prime Instant Video on Chromecast.
Amazon’s video streaming service only received Android support within the last two months. Jeff Bezos & Co. are very slow to make its services available on many platforms. Why? So you crack and purchase an Amazon device. We highly doubt Chromecast support will arrive come directly from Amazon due to its direst competitor — the Fire TV Stick. Primecast is an easy go-to solution for just $2.99.
Hit the break for the gallery and download links.
Source: Phandroid
Come comment on this article: Primecast app puts Amazon Prime Instant Video content on Chromecast
Scribd adds 30,000 audiobooks to its subscription service
Scribd’s e-book subscription service seems to be making some inroads on Amazon’s turf, and now the company is looking to take a swipe at Audible’s lunch. From today, subscribers will be able to access a library of 30,000 audiobook titles that include big name authors like Suzanne “Hunger Games” Collins, Haruki “Norwegian Wood” Murakami and Cormac “The Road” McCarthy. Fortunately, there’s no extra charge despite the bounty of new content, so users will still only be paying their regular $8.99 fee, and is available on Android, Kindle Fire and Nook devices. What about iOS users, you presumably ask? The company’s still working on that particular app, but it’s scheduled to land “in the coming days.”
Filed under: Misc, Internet, Amazon
Source: Scribd
Amazon’s Echo voice-controlled speaker delivers music, news and more
Last week it was a new streaming stick, and this week it’s a speaker. Today, Amazon announced the Echo: a $199 speaker that caters to your Prime music, news and weather needs at the sound of your voice. Similar to “OK Google” command, a “wake word” gets the gadget to perk up before sorting those spoken cues like searches, setting alarms, relaying the forecast for tomorrow and more. It’s kind of like having Siri, Google Now or Cortana stuffed into a diminutive household speaker. The audio accessory is connected to the retailer’s cloud via WiFi, and it also allows for beaming Spotify or Rdio via Bluetooth. Thanks to a cylindrical design, the unit blasts out tunes and other bits in all directions so that everyone in the room can hear.
A group of seven microphones are scattered around the top of the speaker, which Amazon says allows the Echo to pick up your commands while it’s playing Taylor Swift’s 1989. What’s more, that cloud connection enables the device to get smarter as it learns your speech patterns, vocabulary and personal preferences. There’s a companion app to sort music, alarms, shopping lists and more on Fire OS and Android (also inside desktop and iOS browsers), as well as on-board controls to cue commands, adjust volume or disable the listening feature during weekend festivities.
Echo plugs in, so it’s not portable like more straightforward efforts from Jawbone or Beats. While those devices were designed to be mobile, Bezos & Co. are clearly focused on the living room here, hoping you’ll splurge for another purchase on top of the Fire TV to round out the entertainment arsenal. If you’ve been following voice-controlled gadgets, you’re likely familiar with Ubi — the compact device that plugs into a wall outlet to allow spoken commands to wrangle appliances and more. Amazon went a step further with this effort and stuffed the voice controls right into the speaker itself. Unfortunately, Echo is invite-only for now, but Prime subscribers that are lucky enough to nab one can do so at a $100 discount.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Amazon
Source: Amazon
Amazon is exploring taxi deliveries in San Francisco and Los Angeles
Amazon is reportedly testing taxis to help speed up its delivery service, which is sadly not nearly as cool as drones. According to the Wall Street Journal, the online retail giant is using Flywheel’s taxi service for one-hour deliveries in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Sources say Amazon is also considering more ways to tap into taxi deliveries. It’s unclear when and if it’ll expand beyond those two markets.
The news isn’t exactly surprising. Amazon will need as many methods as possible to make the dream of one-hour deliveries a reality. We’re also seeing plenty of startups like Deliv and Postmates offering retailers and consumers ways to get whatever they need quickly (often within an hour). It’s also competing with Google and eBay when it comes to same-day deliveries. And we’re sure Amazon is paying close attention to the mistakes of its competitors, given that eBay’s entry is essentially dead.
[Photo: Mike Seyfang/Flickr]
Filed under: Transportation, Amazon
Source: Wall Street Journal
Amazon commits to Fire Phone after acknowledging failure
The Fire Phone has performed poorly critically and commercially. An Amazon executive admitted to the handset’s pricing being off; however, it was much more than that. The company’s vice president of devices in Europe, Jorrit Van der Meulen, had no issue acknowledging the Fire Phone is a failure. The expectations were high for Amazon and the handset did not deliver on any level. Van der Meulen sat down with The Guardian to discuss the Fire Phone’s status.
The company has gained a ton of knowledge from analyzing the performance of the Fire Phone. Amazon is “undeterred, but we’re not immune to the criticism either.” Specifically, Van der Meulen clarifies that the company has put its ear close to customer and journalist reviews. With this understanding, Amazon is suited to deliver a much better product in the future.
Not every product Amazon launches is an instant success. Look no further than the Kindle e-readers. The first version was not very good and Amazon kept at it. Now, it is the most dominant e-reader line in the market and has spawned best-selling tablets. Van der Meulen says “The number of times we’ve been written off or received lumps because of short-term speed bumps – the list is really, really long.”
The Fire Phone is a project for the long-term; therefore, Amazon is not worried about the immediate results being poor. While there has been a considerable amount of backlash due to Amazon locking Fire Phone users into its ecosystem, nothing will change. Amazon makes money “when people use the devices” and not when the device is actually purchased.
Source: The Guardian
Via: Business Insider
Come comment on this article: Amazon commits to Fire Phone after acknowledging failure
Amazon lends Prime perks to other online retailers
In an effort to get Prime in more places around the web, Amazon announced its first effort with an outside retailer today. AllSaints, a British clothing retailer, is the first to opt in to the online shopping giant’s paid membership. Customers can sign-in and pay with an Amazon account all while the same free next shipping that comes from shopping at the mothership (with no minimum purchase). AllSaints products show up in search results on Amazon, but the transaction happens at its own site, and it handles the logistics. “Prime could be the VIP pass to the Internet,” AllSaints’ Rich Ascott told Recode.
The deal appears to me more like an ad agreement: Amazon doesn’t take a cut of sales, but instead charges a fee each time a shopper clicks through from its listings. As you might expect, other retailers have been hesitant to sign on, not wanting to water down brands by having them show up next to discounted options. Of course, this news comes on the heels of Amazon adding unlimited photo storage for Prime members at no extra charge. We’ll have to wait and see if the annual subscription will indeed unlock access all over the interwebs, but Bezos & Co. are certainly hard at work adding more benefits to pad the user count.
[Photo credit: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Source: Recode
Amazon offering free unlimited cloud photo storage for Prime members
As if you needed another reason to sign up for Amazon Prime, Amazon has just announced that Prime members will get unlimited photo storage on Amazon’s Cloud Drive service. This is a pretty competitive move against Google’s free photo backup with Google+ and other services like Dropbox and Box.
Photos can be automatically backed up from nearly any device you own, including Android devices, iOS devices, Kindle Fire phones and tablets, and a web browser. Users can access those photos from several different devices, including smartphones and tablets as well as Sony’s Playstation devices and some smart TVs. Plus, Amazon backs up photos at full resolution, so you won’t lose any image quality with the service.
If you’re a Prime member, this should take effect immediately. If you aren’t, will this convince you to sign up?
source: Amazon
Come comment on this article: Amazon offering free unlimited cloud photo storage for Prime members
Amazon giving Prime Members unlimited cloud photo storage
If speedy delivery, a subscription music and video service wasn’t good enough, Amazon is now throwing another sweetener in to convince you to sign up to Prime. The retailer has announced that it’ll offer Prime subscribers unlimited photo storage in the company’s cloud drive. According to the release, users will be able to upload their collections in full resolution to ensure that their image is always protected. As well as the company’s own smartphone and tablets, the service will work on iOS and Android devices, and the snaps can be accessed with a variety of hardware including the Fire TV, Stick, PS3, PS4 and, presumably, any device that can already access the company’s other online attractions.
Source: Businesswire
Amazon’s flagship Kindle Voyage e-reader now available in the UK for £169
Amazon’s announced today that its new Kindle Voyage e-reader and updated Fire HDX 8.9 tablet are now up for grabs in the UK. The Kindle Voyage is by far Amazon’s best e-reader to date, but it commands a pretty penny as a result. At £169 for the WiFi-only model and £229 if you want 3G connectivity, the Voyage is significantly more expensive than the Paperwhite, which starts at £109, and almost three times the price of the bog-standard Kindle. While the Voyage will enjoy all the attention that comes with being a brand new device, the new Fire HDX 8.9 is merely an upgrade. The 8.9-inch tablet has a faster processor and better sound quality, among other tweaks, and is still the biggest, baddest Amazon tablet around. The 16GB, WiFi-only model is now on sale for £329, but if you want more storage or an LTE radio up in there, that’ll be costing extra.
Source: Amazon
Amazon offering unlimited Cloud Drive storage for photos to all Prime members
Amazon recently began offering unlimited Cloud Drive storage for its Prime users who want to store photos. Previously relegated only those who were Fire Phone owners, it’s yet another really great value included in the annual Prime membership.
With Prime Photos, Android and iOS handset and tablet owners can upload, access, and share their photos. Additionally, users can do all of this from the web, via Fire TV, Fire HD tablets, and more.
Amazon Cloud Drive : Prime Photos.
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