Amazon Music Unlimited Rolls Out Across Germany, Austria, and the U.K.
Amazon’s streaming music service has gone live in the U.K. and will roll out to Germany and Austria later today, according to TechCrunch.
Amazon Music Unlimited launched in the U.S. last month to compete with the likes of Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play Music, which just got a revamp. Amazon Prime members in the U.K. will pay £7.99 per month or £79 per year, while non-Prime members can subscribe to the service for £9.99 per month. A Family Plan for up to six members “coming soon” costs £14.99 per month or £149 per year.
Additionally, owners of Amazon’s Echo smart speakers have the option of using the service on only those devices for a discounted price of £3.99 per month.
“If you want a sense of the future of voice-controlled music, go ahead and ask Alexa for a free Amazon Music Unlimited trial, and play around on your Echo,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, in a statement. If you don’t know the name of a song but know a few lyrics, if you want to hear songs from a specific decade, or even if you’re looking for music to match your mood, just ask. Our U.S. customers love Amazon Music Unlimited on Echo, and we think our UK customers will too.”
Amazon said it was “thrilled” with customer reaction to the launch of the service in the U.S., but did not divulge subscription numbers. Amazon Music Unlimited is distinct from the company’s Prime-only music library, which offers access to two million songs, whereas the former service offers access to 40 million songs from all the major labels.
Prices in the U.S. start at $7.99 per month for Prime members and $9.99 per month for non-members, which puts it in the same price bracket as Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play Music, and Tidal’s standard price plans.
Tags: Amazon, Amazon Music Unlimited, Amazon Prime
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Amazon Japan’s manga-centric Kindle is all about storage
Japanese comics, called manga, are hugely popular. Although you probably knew that, you probably don’t know the extent of it. In 2015, Japan’s bestselling manga series, One Piece, sold more than 14 million copies. It helps that the format runs a hugely broad spectrum of topics; they’re not just action-packed comics aimed at children but foodie series, sports, alcohol, comedy, romance and more. There are also plenty of one-off manga novels, like Steve Jobs: The Manga, to name one (ridiculous) example. It makes plenty of sense, then, for Amazon Japan to launch a special manga-focused edition of its e-reader, with faster page turning and eight times the storage for your digital manga collection.
This is the Kindle Paperwhite Manga edition, in white! The storage has been cranked up to 32GB, and Amazon says the device can flip through pages 33 percent faster than its predecessor. And while it has eight times the storage space of existing Kindles, the rest of the spec sheet remains unchanged — same screen resolution, same brightness, same weight, same dimensions. In fact, it even slots nicely into my existing Kindle case. It’s impressive that the company has managed to keep the weight identical to the existing Paperwhite; presumably other components have been swapped to lighten the device regardless of the storage increase. The Manga edition does, however, cost 2,000 yen ($19) more than the standard Kindle Paperwhite.
Amazon shoppers have been able to buy manga and comics on Kindle devices for several years now. Fortunately, most manga series are grey-scale, making them ideal for a Kindle’s e-ink display. There are a few drawbacks, however. Relative to typical books, these all-image comics take up a lot of file space, regardless of their monochrome design. Standard Kindles have roughly four gigs of storage, but when you’re trying to read an entire comic-book series, that’s not gonna cut it. (Even the high-end Kindle Oasis has the same storage as Amazon’s entry-level readers.) With a smartphone-level 32GB of storage, the made-for-manga Kindle can cram 700 volumes of manga, according to Amazon estimates. It was (way) more than enough for the manga and comics in my existing collection.
One minor issue with the Kindle line in general is how the devices take a bit of time between dense e-paper image refreshes. It’s hardly a deal-breaker, but the lag might grate as you try to flip through dialog-light action or scene-setting vistas. The Paperwhite Manga edition improves on this in two ways. First, there’s that 33 percent speed increase on page turns. While I wasn’t able to measure this down to the millisecond or what have you, it’s noticeably faster. It seems less like the display is quicker to update, and that the touch panel is more responsive.
Then there’s a fast-forward feature. Just hold the far left of a page, and the Kindle will bound through comics at a speed of around seven pages per second. You’re not expected to read that fast, but it offers a speedier way to navigate through a medium that doesn’t offer much menu-based navigation. Unfortunately, this feature didn’t work on the western graphic novels and comics I tested — you’ll still have to tap your way through the pages.
Better still, both of these speed improvements are now part of the latest firmware update being delivered to existing Kindles, including the $80 version, the Kindle Paperwhite (6th generation or later), Kindle Voyage and Kindle Oasis. If you update your Kindle this month, you should see the difference. It does, however, diminish the benefits of the Manga edition for those who already own a recent Kindle device.
Another note about reading manga (or comics) on Kindle hardware: Another part of the software update allows you to double-tap on individual comic panels to expand them to full-screen. You can also pinch to zoom, making reading and navigating through picture heavy books much easier.
So who is the Kindle Manga edition for? While the idea of a comic-specific Kindle is pretty tempting, the reality is that you’re probably fine with your existing Kindle, especially with that free software update mentioned above. This Manga edition is aimed at those owning or growing a pretty substantial manga library. (Manga, not western comics.) I own about 25 different volumes, but storage-wise my old Paperwhite is more than enough for me. It’s definitely a Japan-specific e-reader, but those looking for an e-ink comic reader for their entire manga library — bought through Amazon, I may add — it may be worth the extra few thousand yen (a few bucks) more. You’ll just have to figure out how to import one.
Amazon owes parents cash refunds for their kids in-app purchases
Back in April, a judge found Amazon liable for in-app purchases made by children without their parent’s permission, and now he’s established a method for the retailer to pay them back. According to Reuters, Amazon will have to set up a notice-and-claims process next year to let parents know they’re eligible for the reimbursements.
While calling an FTC request for a $26.5 million lump-sum payout “too high,” Judge John Coughenour also declined Amazon’s offer of gift cards, since that would return some of the money to the company itself. The result of a case filed by the FTC in 2014, the whole thing happened because Amazon didn’t provide protections for apps labeled as “free,” and now it has to pay up. We assume this will be one of the platform talking points for Kanye 2020.
Source: Reuters
UK bookstores found selling banned US bomb-making handbooks
Three major online retailers in the UK have been listing a number of bomb-making manuals on their websites, according to The Guardian.
These books were originally made back in the 1960s for US military personnel and include titles like Improvised Munitions Handbook, Boobytraps, and Explosives and Demolitions. But since the end of the Vietnam War, these books have become popular resources for terrorists of all stripes. Thomas Mair, the man who assassinated Labour MP Jo Cox, reportedly owned a copy of Improvised Munitions, for example.
The surfacing of these books for sale on the WH Smith, Amazon UK and Waterstones websites, has at least one of the companies scrambling to scrub the listings. WH Smith shut down its entire website for more than four hours on Thursday to eliminate the offending material, however it appears they are still available on Amazon and Waterstones.
“We offer millions of titles on our website that we don’t stock as, like other major book retailers, these titles are supplied through a distributor,” a WH Smith rep told Ars Technica. “On this occasion, a small number of books which breach our guidelines have been shown as available on our website, and we have taken immediate action to remove them.”
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Guardian
The Wirecutter’s best deals: Save $50 on a Breville Smart Oven
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.
You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends atThe Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot—some of these sales could expire mighty soon.
Denon AVR-S510BT Receiver
Street price: $280; MSRP: $280; Deal price: $230
The first good sale we’ve seen on our new budget pick, which matches a low it’s only been twice in the past year.
The Denon AVR-S510BT is our budget pick for the best receiver. Chris Heinonen wrote, “However, this model still has the same great setup routine as our top pick, and it supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. If you don’t want to get integrated streaming and you’re simply looking for an affordable surround receiver, the Denon AVR-S510BT is the best fit.”
Refurbished Amazon Kindle Voyage Ebook Reader
Street price: $200 (new); MSRP: $200 (new); Deal price: $120
This is a great price for an Amazon Kindle Voyage if you don’t mind buying refurbished. At $120, it comes in at $30 under the lowest deal price we’ve seen on a new Voyage. It’s certified refurbished by Amazon and comes with a 1-year limited warranty.
The Amazon Kindle Voyage is our upgrade pick in the Best Ebook Reader guide. Nick Guy wrote, “The Kindle Voyage is Amazon’s top-of-the-line e-reader. It adds features that aim to make it a luxury reading experience, including a side light that adjusts brightness automatically, buttons on the side of the screen that you can squeeze to turn pages, a micro-etched glass front that further reduces reflections, and a smaller, slimmer body. Amazon seems to have thrown in just about every feature that it could have added to the Voyage to make reading a book more enjoyable.”
Logitech Harmony Elite + Echo Dot bundle
Street price: $350; MSRP: $350; Deal price: $290
This bundle is part of a big Echo Dot push from Amazon—they’ve been making all sorts of bundles with good sale prices on a variety of products we recommend. This particular bundle is on our enthusiast pick for the best universal remote, which very rarely drops in price. We’ve seen it for $270 once, and there was a brief $225 refurbished deal, but assuming you’re interested in the Dot, this beats any other discount we’ve seen on a new model.
The Logitech Harmony Elite is our theater enthusiasts pick for the best universal remote control. Darryl Wilkinson and Grant Clauser wrote, “If the relative ease of programming, vast control database and smart activities of the Companion just isn’t enough for you, and what you really want is a cool touchscreen to let you tap your home theater into action, and you’d like to integrate even more of your smarthome devices into your system, then you’ll want to investigate the Harmony Elite, the top dog remote in the Logitech lineup.”
They went on to say, “The Elite is a pleasure to use, and has the responsiveness and polish of a professionally-installed control system, but it also costs around $200 more than the Companion. It’s the king of do-it-yourself remotes, but it comes with a kingly price.”
Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven
Street price: $250; MSRP: $250; Deal price: $200
Our upcoming pick is on sale for a big $50 off, matching the best price we’ve seen in the past year.
The Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven is our upcoming runner-up pick for the best toaster oven, “The Breville Smart Oven toasts very evenly and has a larger oven cavity than our top pick, so it can fit a 12-inch frozen pizza or 6 slices of bread. Though it doesn’t have an internal light, it has a more modern, intuitive interface compared to the Panasonic FlashXpress and an easy-to-read display.”
Deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.
12 tech gifts for the geekiest people in your life
There’s one in every family: The uber geek who pretty much has it all when it comes to tech basics. They don’t need a laptop or a fancy TV. But don’t worry, there’s always some gap in their collection of gadgets that you can easily fill. And remember, the more niche the product, the better gift it is for these folks.
You could get them started on building out their smart home with a lock like August or Kevo. Or maybe they need a central hub to control their sprawling network of connected goods from, like an Amazon Echo Dot. If the nerd in your life is too young for a smart home, you can always pick them up a high-tech take on the paper airplane or a box of tinker toys like LittleBits, to get them start on their journey to become the next great inventor.
For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don’t forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
Amazon UK now offering one-hour deliveries from local London shops
In a bid to boost its Prime Now offering in London, Amazon has teamed up with a pharmacist and a wine dealer to deliver more than 7,000 additional products in under an hour. The company announced today that customers in selected London postcodes can grab “luxury health, wellbeing and beauty products” from John Bell & Croyden — pharmacists to Her Majesty The Queen — and fine wines and spirits from Spirited Wines.
Amazon already offers a small selection of beauty products and alcoholic drinks but its new alliances will expand its product offering by around 47 percent. Prime Now customers can browse as they would normally or visit Amazon’s dedicated John Bell & Croyden or Spirited Wines stores, adding purchases to a separate shopping basket (with a £20 minimum spend). One-hour deliveries will cost £6.99 but a two-hour delivery slot won’t cost a penny.
This isn’t the first time Amazon has partnered with specialist retailers; the company announced a partnership with a wine dealer, a luxury food group and organic food chain in Paris last month. It shows that the e-commerce giant is keen to improve the quality of its products, even if it ever-so-slightly overlaps with its grocery delivery service.
Source: Amazon UK
Amazon might launch a Prime housekeeping service
After years selling the products you need to keep your home tidy, Amazon may soon actually help you clean it. Two job postings, first spotted by The Seattle Times, show that the company is looking for “Home Assistants,” who work with customers to tidy people’s homes, do laundry, put groceries away and “assure that customers return to an errand-free home.”
The ads originally stated (they were originally posted on October 13th) that Amazon’s goal was to offer “timesaving assistance to Amazon Prime members,” suggesting that its new cleaning service would be offered as a Prime perk. However, the company has since updated its listings to remove any link to the subscription service.
Currently, the positions are open to people living in or around Seattle but it’s worth noting that Amazon is looking for dedicated employees, not independent contractors who will feed into the “gig economy.” It will offer applicants on-site training as well as Amazon stock, health insurance and flexible working hours.
While Amazon isn’t commenting on its job listings, the fact that the company is only looking for a small number of staff suggests it’s looking to trial the service to see if there’s demand. Even if it does become one of Amazon’s next Prime perks, it’ll probably take some time for Bezos and co. to amass a housekeeping army capable of keeping America’s (and possibly Europe’s) homes clean.
Via: Seattle Times
Source: Amazon Jobs
Twitch will show you more (but higher-quality) ads
Like it or not, Twitch is about to make it harder to escape ads… but you might not mind it as much as you think. It’s introducing SureStream video technology that has Twitch hosting ads itself, saving it from having to insert promos from third-party sources. This will increase the chances that you see ads during a stream, especially if you use ad blocking software. Sorry, folks, you’ll probably have no choice but to subscribe if you want to guarantee uninterrupted viewing. There will be some upshots if you do have to sit through commercials, though.
As Twitch won’t have to rely on outside ads nearly as often, you should see fewer freezes and other technical problems stemming from the switch to and from third-party providers. Twitch will also have greater control over the quality of the ads you see: you should get more consistent volume levels, higher overall visual quality and quicker removals of “problematic” (read: glitchy) spots. And of course, partnered streamers should get a “more reliable” source of income. If you can’t justify a subscription, you can at least find some comfort in knowing that your favorite streamers could receive more ad money.
SureStream starts rolling out today, and should reach everyone sometime in the “coming months.” Twitch isn’t shy about its underlying goals — this will ideally “attract and retain” advertisers worried that they might not reach you, and help serve more ads overall. However, the streaming giant is clearly betting that the reduced anguish when you do see ads will make up the difference, or at least soften the blow.
Source: Twitch Blog
Amazon’s bookstores charge more if you’re not a Prime member
If it wasn’t clear already, Amazon really wants you to sign up for Prime. As GeekWire reports, the company has adopted a unique pricing model inside its physical bookstores: one sticker price for Prime members, another for regular customers. Subscribers get the same amount shown on Amazon’s website, while everyone else has to pay the normal (usually higher) list price. The unusual system has been in place since August, according to one store clerk, but this is the first we’ve heard of it. The message from Jeff Bezos is simple: sign up for Prime if you want the true Amazon experience.
Credit: GeekWire
Much of the company’s revenue comes from Prime subscriptions. You can pay on a yearly basis or subscribe month-to-month; either way, it’s a sizeable chunk of change that builds on Amazon’s baseline e-commerce business. The bookstores in Seattle, Portland and San Diego (Amazon is planning two more in Chicago and Boston) are, therefore, ideal places to explain and sell Prime to the public. Amazon’s strategy is to increase the perceived value of Prime until it’s impossible to avoid taking out a subscription. Access to better book prices is but one lever at its disposal.
Via: The Digital Reader
Source: Geekwire
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