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Amazon will disconnect Dash Buttons on August 31st
Amazon stopped selling its Dash buttons earlier this year, which spelled the death knell for the gimmicky product. After this month, you won't be able to instantly order household necessities when you tap the button. As an Amazon spokesperson told Engadget in a statement:
Germany outlaws Amazon's one-click Dash buttons
Amazon has run afoul of consumer protection laws in Germany over its click-to-buy Dash buttons for Prime members. A Munich regional court ordered the company to stop taking orders from the dinky devices because they fail to provide customers with up-to-date pricing information. The ruling comes in the wake of a case brought against Amazon by Germany's consumer protection watchdog, which claimed it was acting after receiving complaints by Amazon customers. Amazon plans to appeal the ruling, according to local media.
Amazon opens up virtual Dash Buttons to third-party developers
If you're a regular Amazon shopper, you're probably aware of the virtual Dash buttons on the site's homepage. The site will auto-generate buttons that allow you to re-buy your most recently purchased items with one click. You can also create your own Dash buttons. Today, Amazon announced the Virtual Dash Button Service (VDBS), a developer kit that will allow third parties to create Dash buttons and display them inside their own devices with screens.
Amazon’s ready to own the future of grocery shopping
"When I look at the menu," Jeff Bezos allegedly said, "you're the thing I don't understand, the thing I've never had." He was explaining to Matt Rutledge, founder of Woot, why Amazon had bought his online anti-retailer for $110 million. Bezos justified the purchase of the site the same way he'd ordered octopus for breakfast in a famous meeting, as described by D Magazine. Rutledge understood the point: If Amazon doesn't understand something, it will use its financial clout to buy it and dissect it in search of its je ne sais quoi.
Walmart eyes a future Dash replacement that could reorder for you
When Amazon's Dash buttons first debuted two years ago, many thought it was an April fool's joke. A device you could press just to order toilet paper? Isn't that the height of laziness? As it turned out of course, it wasn't a joke at all. From surprise chocolates to Calvin Klein underwear, there are now well over 250 brands that have joined the one-button-press bandwagon. It's no surprise then that Walmart wants to get in on the action too. The retail giant apparently filed for a patent back in October (though it was just published today) for what looks like an Amazon Dash rival, but with an IoT hook. Instead of having to press a button to replenish an order, the Walmart version would do so automatically.
Amazon's latest Dash button orders you fresh undies
Living in an apartment without an in-unit washer and dryer means that occasionally you go to great lengths to avoid carrying all your dirty clothes to the basement's laundry room. Every now and then that entails saving time ahead of a date or trip (but not necessarily money) by buying new underwear instead of washing what you already have. Amazon is making that slovenly life a little more stylish and easier by offering a slew of new Dash buttons, including one for Calvin Klein undies. That's right: One press is all it takes to get a fresh pack of Calvins delivered straight to your door.
Amazon made a Dash button just for boxes of assorted candy
If you're a creature of habit who doesn't mind introducing a little branding into your home, Amazon's one-touch ordering buttons are useful for re-stocking everything from laundry detergent to Nerf ammo. They can even be programmed to remind you that you have Dash buttons. Now, Amazon wants to help brighten your day with random boxes of small-batch candies.
Amazon brings its Dash grocery scanner to the UK
Now that Amazon's grocery delivery service has launched in the UK, many of the devices that make it easier to order food and household items are starting to make their way here too. The first is the Dash, a small handheld gadget that lets you add products to your basket with its barcode scanner or by simply using your voice. All that's then needed is to open the Amazon website or mobile app and complete your order.
Whirlpool washer and dryer can order refills with Amazon Dash
If you hate having to swing by the store to get washing detergent and dryer sheets, Whirlpool has you covered. The appliance maker's Smart Top Load Washer and Dryer can now use the Amazon Dash Replenishment Service to automatically re-order supplies. Once you've synced your Amazon account, you don't have to lift a finger -- the machines will estimate when you're running low and ship accordingly. This is just one part of a smarter design (they already talk to your smartphone and Nest thermostat), but it could make the biggest difference.
Amazon's new Dash buttons restock Nerf, Play-Doh and more
Since first introducing its connected buttons for easily ordering the goods Prime members use most, Amazon has regularly added new Dash options to its arsenal. Today the retailer tacked on 50 more, including easy ordering for Nerf, Play-Doh, Goldfish crackers, Campbell's soup and dozens of others. You know, in case you lost all of your Nerf darts the day after you bought that last pack. There are new additions for toilet paper, cleaning supplies, groceries and beverages as well.
Program Amazon's new Dash button for tasks, not products
I have a trio of Amazon Dash buttons scattered around my house to lend a hand when I run low on flushable wipes, whey protein powder and dish soap. There's really no downside to trying them out, since the online retailer reimburses you for the device after your first purchase. Amazon's latest Dash button isn't for re-ordering products though, it's a programmable option that lends a hand with tasks and controlling your IoT devices.
WSJ: Next Amazon Kindle comes with rechargeable cases
Amazon Kindles can already last for weeks on a single charge, but the upcoming "top-of-the-line" model could last even longer than that. According to The Wall Street Journal, it will come with a rechargeable protective casing for extra juice. The publication says this case allows it to be slimmer than its predecessors, which could mean that the device alone will have a battery life shorter or similar to older models. Amazon is reportedly working on a solar-powered casing, as well, though that one won't be ready in time for the new e-reader's launch next week.
Amazon now has Dash buttons for over 100 brands
Amazon's Dash buttons are making shopping lists a thing of the past. You're a Prime member, after all, and shouldn't have to trouble yourself with such things. Since the little connected buttons became available, nigh on 30 brands have made ordering mac and cheese, diapers and washing powder that bit more convenient. And to celebrate Dash's first birthday, Amazon today announced a significant expansion, with a total of over 100 different buttons now on hand to take your orders for thousands of individual products.
Brita's smart water pitcher orders its filters from Amazon
Amazon's automatic Dash refills are reaching all kinds of devices... and now, that includes the gadgets in your fridge. Brita has launched the Infinity water pitcher, a WiFi-equipped container that automatically orders replacement filters whenever your current purifier is near its limit. It's not cheap at $45, and that's not including the $6 you'll pay every time you need a new filter. However, it might be just the ticket if you can't imagine drinking from the tap (or heading to the store) for even a brief moment.
Whirlpool integrates Amazon's Dash into its smart appliances
Whirlpool has come out swinging at this year's CES with a slew of connected kitchen appliances and an app that will be integrated with Amazon's Dash Replenishment Service. It's actually one of many appliance brands to have the integration this year, and it's doing so with its brand new Smart Kitchen Suite. Simply hook up your Amazon account to the Whirlpool app, and you can reorder a new batch of, say, detergent whenever your supply is low.
Amazon reimburses you for Dash Buttons after your first purchase
In late July, Amazon quietly made its Dash Buttons available to all Prime members, without any announcement or fanfare. Today, the company finally made its new program official, and added products from 11 new brands in the process, though it's still limited to Prime subscribers only. The new additions bring the total to 29 brands that tally over 500 products -- all of which can be ordered with the push of a button. What's more, Amazon will also reimburse you for the $5 buttons when you use them to make your first purchase. In other words, you can give it a shot and if you end up not liking it (or even if you do), you'll get your money back. In addition to household items like laundry detergent and food, you can now use the buttons to order mints, gum and protein powder, among other things. For a full list of the available items, take a look here.
Hack Amazon's Dash buttons to do things other than buying stuff
Amazon's Dash buttons are tiny adhesive physical triggers that can order for you, through the magic of WiFi, anything you need to stock up on. But that's not the limits of their power, if you're willing to tinker with them. Ted Benson, (who works at a company that likes to regularly perform such shenanigans with the aid of its web tools), reckons it''ll you take under 10 minutes to repurpose Amazon's physical iteration of Buy It Now. (I think he's underestimating the degree of incompetence this editor possesses, but anyhow.) Benson managed to hack a diaper-ordering Dash button to act as an Internet Of Things-style tracker for how often his (adorable) baby poops. Or how many times he wakes up in a night. The trick lies in the fact that Amazon's buttons aren't constantly connected to WiFi. For the sake of battery life, the buttons only come to life when pushed, meaning the workaround picks up when your button is trying to access the internet, and registers that as a trigger for anything but buying stuff from Amazon.
Amazon's Dash lets you refill your pantry using your voice and LEDs (updated)
Let's be real: Amazon isn't going to stop until you can go your entire life without setting foot in an actual brick-and-mortar store. Now the company wants to make buying groceries and sundries from its AmazonFresh same-day delivery service even easier, and it's doing it with a tiny little gadget called the Dash. Yes, move over Fire TV -- Amazon's newest bit of hardware is a free (for now?), WiFi-capable barcode scanner.
