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Amazon's gamepad no longer works with newer Fire TVs
If you were hoping to use your recent Fire TV as a game console, you might need to shop carefully. According to AFTVnews, Amazon has used an update to pull support for its official Game Controller from the third-generation Fire TV, and has listed the pendant Fire TV, Fire TV Edition smart TVs and the Fire TV Cube as incompatible with the peripheral despite working properly as of this writing. You'll need a second-generation or earlier Fire TV box or Stick if you want to keep playing with first-party hardware.
Amazon is reportedly working on an ad-supported video service
Amazon is working on an ad-supported video service that would be available to users of its Fire TV devices, The Information reports. According to people familiar with the matter, the service will tentatively be called Free Dive and is being developed by the company's IMDB subsidiary. It will likely feature older TV shows and Amazon is reportedly in licensing talks with major studios.
Echo Show can now display recorded security camera footage
With Alexa's latest skill, users can now ask the digital assistant to show them recorded security camera footage on their Echo Show, Echo Spot, Fire TV or Fire tablet. Currently, the skill is supported by Alexa-enabled cameras from Ring, Arlo, Cloud Cam and August and all you have to do is say, "Alexa, show the event that just happened at the front door," for example. You'll then be able to view the last recorded event from that particular camera.
The best media streamers for dorm rooms
If you've decided having a TV in your dorm room is worth it to you, the next logical step is to hook up all your streaming services. Unless you've sprung for a smart television, you'll want to pick up a device that will let you watch media from your Netflix, HBO, Hulu and other subscription accounts. Lucky for your student budget, they're relatively inexpensive and almost all of the options are good ones.
Amazon could take on UK broadcasters with a smart TV launch
Cutting the cable cord could soon get a lot easier in the UK, as Amazon is getting set to release smart TVs with Fire TV built in, reports the Telegraph. A smart TV from the online retail giant is currently in testing by DTG, a UK standards body for digital terrestrial broadcast equipment. It's not clear who made the TV that's in for testing, but in the US, Amazon's Fire TV-equipped TVs are manufactured by Element Electronics. Best Buy also sells Fire-TV televisions under its in-house Insignia brand.
Amazon Fire TV Cube review: Alexa still needs work as a TV guide
Update: While we originally planned to do a deeper dive into the Fire TV Cube, several days of testing didn't reveal much more about the device. We've updated our first look with a new conclusion, and have assigned it a review score. When you consider the popularity of Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa and the company's Fire TV streamers, it was really just a matter of time before the folks at the Everything Store decided to mash them up. In fact, Amazon already has, sort of: The company started down that path last year by giving Echo devices the ability to pass commands along to a Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. With the new Fire TV Cube, though, Amazon is trying to break down the wall between Alexa and the content you want to see altogether.
Android malware is infecting Amazon Fire TVs and Fire Sticks
If you've loaded any apps onto your Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick that let you watch pirated movies and TV shows, you could be at risk from a cryptocurrency-mining Android virus. AFTVnews reports that the virus -- a malware worm variant -- is not specifically targeting Fire TV devices, but they're vulnerable because of their Android-based operating system.
Amazon's Fire TV Cube squeezes an Echo into its set-top box
It's been almost four years since Amazon first introduced the Echo smart speaker and its virtual assistant Alexa. It's also been just over four years since the the company first released its Fire TV set-top video box. Now, the two products are converging in a way they haven't before, in the form of the Amazon Fire TV Cube. As you might expect, it's a cube-shaped box you plug in to your TV; it runs the expected suite of apps like Netflix, Hulu, PlayStation Vue, HBO Go, Sling and Amazon's Prime Video service. And like the current Fire TV Stick and Fire TV box, you can talk to Alexa to search for movies and shows as well as access thousands of third-party "skills." But the Fire TV Cube is essentially a full-featured Echo, as well. It's always listening for the Alexa wake word, and you can talk to it even when your TV is off. The new box has eight microphones built in, similar to existing Echo hardware, which means you can speak to Alexa whenever you want as well as navigate the Fire TV Cube's interface with your voice.
DirecTV Now's revamped apps open up access to cloud DVR
AT&T is acting on its promise to roll out next-gen DirecTV Now service in the spring. The telecom giant is launching a revamped experience that not only includes new apps, but an updated beta of its cloud DVR service that's available to everyone. All subscribers get 20 hours of recordings that last for up to 30 days. If you need more, an extra $10 per month gives you 100 hours of video that lasts for up to 90 days.
Hulu's new guide provides fast access to live TV
Hulu has gradually improved access to its live TV service over the past year. Now, however, it's ready for a proper overhaul. The streaming provider has launched a new live TV guide that promises speedier access to channels. If you have an Amazon Fire TV, a recent Apple TV, a Nintendo Switch or an Xbox One, you can quickly see what's airing (including your most recently viewed channels) and either watch or record them. You'll also find a lightning bolt near the home icon that jumps directly to live TV on the last channel you watched. Needless to say, that could prove a time-saver if you're a sports fan who usually returns to the same channel.
Amazon confirms the existence of a 'Fire TV Cube' (update)
The next-generation Fire TV might take on a cube-shaped form. AFTVNews has discovered a page on Amazon's website where you can sign up to receive more info about a certain "Fire TV Cube." While the page is pretty much empty other than the words "What is Fire TV Cube?" and the promise of more details coming soon, it could be all about the box-like device the same publication leaked last year. Back in September, AFTVNews published the photo you can see above. It said the boxy contraption on the right is some sort of a Fire TV-Echo Dot hybrid with hands-free Alexa support.
Amazon makes it easier to find live shows on Fire TV
While most movies and TV shows on Amazon Channels are available on demand, a few of them can be watched live at the same time they're broadcast on traditional TV. If you use a Fire TV stick to watch television and movies on the big screen, you might now see a new row of available live programming called On Now in the newly available channel guide.
Amazon’s flop of a phone made newer, better hardware possible
Amazon devices have taken root in our homes with almost alarming speed, but the tech giant hasn't gotten everything right. Back in 2014, Amazon released the Fire Phone, an ambitious smartphone that remains the company's biggest hardware flop to date. The comapany has never confirmed how many Fire Phones it sold, but considering that Amazon took a $170 million write-down in October of that year, it's fair to say the device bombed.
Canary’s new security cam offers simpler features for a low price
Canary announced today that it's adding two new camera features as well as one new product to its home security line. First up, Canary said last month that with the help of its new AI-powered intelligence, its cameras would soon be able to differentiate people from other moving objects. Soon, those with Canary Flex will also be able to receive notifications when packages arrive, courtesy of Canary's new Package Detection feature. Users will get alerts when packages arrive and they'll be able to keep monitoring those packages until they or someone they trust can secure them.
A USB power cable for Amazon's 4K Fire TV now exists
One thing that might deter you from getting Amazon's 4K Fire TV is that it has to be connected to a power outlet, and that visible cable could ruin your sweet home theater setup. Mission, an accessory-maker, has taken things into its own hands and created a USB power cable for the streaming device, which it says works with all powered ports. Is it a good idea to use it? We don't know, but the option exists if you want it.
Fire TV users lose access to the YouTube app earlier than expected
Amidst the ongoing disagreements between Google and Amazon, the version of YouTube currently accessible on Amazon Fire TVs was scheduled to be disabled starting January 1st. But TechCrunch reports that at least for some users, that appears to have happened a little earlier than expected. Quite a few Fire TV owners are reporting on Twitter and Reddit that launching the YouTube app now redirects you to a web browser.
Amazon’s Fire TV devices add web browsers to access YouTube
Browsing the web on the big screen in your living room isn't something many of us are clamoring for. Still, Amazon already added its own Silk browser to select Fire TV devices last month, but is expanding its availability to all Fire TV gadgets today. It's adding Firefox as a second web browsing option, too. Both browsers are available on every Fire TV device in all countries they are sold in starting today -- just in time too, since the browsers help owners get around Google's YouTube block.
Amazon will start selling Apple TV and Chromecast again
Amazon pulled Apple TV and Chromecast from its retail lineup back in 2015, ostensibly because neither device offered easy access to Prime Video. Now that Amazon Prime Video is finally an app on Apple TV, it appears as if Amazon is bringing Apple TV and Chromecast devices back to its web site again (after a false start a couple of months ago).
Google is blocking YouTube on Amazon's Echo Show and Fire TV
Google and Amazon have been battling a bit lately around the implementation of YouTube on the Echo Show. As of today, though, Google is putting its foot down and officially pulling support for YouTube on both the Echo Show and Amazon's Fire TV devices. "We've been trying to reach agreement with Amazon to give consumers access to each other's products and services," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. "But Amazon doesn't carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, doesn't make Prime Video available for Google Cast users, and last month stopped selling some of Nest's latest products. Given this lack of reciprocity, we are no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and FireTV. We hope we can reach an agreement to resolve these issues soon."
Amazon's Silk web browser is now on Fire TV devices
If you've been looking for a way to browse the web on your Amazon Fire TV, now's the time. The company has just released its Silk Browser for its media gadgets, making it compatible with the first and second generation Fire TVs, the second generation Fire TV Stick and the various smart televisions with Fire TV Edition built in.
