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Amazon UK will stream some English Premier League games for free
Premier League fans can watch what would have been un-aired matches for free on Prime.
Amazon is offering free access to kid-friendly Prime Video content
With kids stuck at home amid school shutdowns, some parents are likely struggling to find things to occupy their children's minds. Amazon has confirmed to Engadget that it is stepping in by making some of the kids' shows on its Prime Video streaming service free during the coronavirus pandemic -- you just need a standard Amazon account to sign into the platform and start watching. Some examples of the free content include Amazon originals like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Pete the Cat, as well as select seasons of PBS shows like Arthur and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. According to Variety, this initiative is in effect worldwide, though the free shows may vary depending on which country you live in.
Amazon is cutting Prime Video streaming bitrates in Europe
Amazon has begun lowering streaming bitrates for Prime Video viewers in Europe. In a statement, the company said it agreed with the notion that telecom services need to be managed carefully during the coronavirus pandemic, otherwise people won't be able to work from home and minimize economic turmoil. "Prime Video is working with local authorities and Internet Service Providers where needed to help mitigate any network congestion, including in Europe where we've already begun the effort to reduce streaming bitrates whilst maintaining a quality streaming experience for our customers," a Prime Video spokesperson added.
‘Frontline’ documentary tackles Jeff Bezos and the ‘Amazon Empire’
Amazon is the subject of the latest Frontline documentary, which airs on PBS today at 9PM ET and is probably worth checking out if you have any interest in the tech giant. From the same team that was behind a 2018 Frontline examination of Facebook, Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos charts the rise of Bezos and his company from shipping books from a Washington garage in the mid-'90s through to its current status as a trillion-dollar colossus.
Amazon reinstates FedEx Ground as a shipping option for Prime sellers
Amazon is once again allowing third-party sellers to use FedEx Ground for Prime deliveries. Last month, it said it would no longer permit such that delivery method via the courier, citing poor performance. Amazon said FedEx Ground is now consistently meeting its on-time delivery requirements, so it's lifting the ban. Sellers can use that option once again starting today, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed to Engadget.
Facebook's big Portal update adds livestreams and 'Mic Drop' karaoke
Facebook is adding a slew of new features to Portal, and just in time for all the video calling the holiday season demands. First up, Facebook Live -- you'll now be able to livestream from Portal directly to your Facebook profile, a feature which is arguably overdue given what Portal is all about. Watch Together is now available on all Portal devices -- not just Portal TV -- so you and your loved ones can snuggle up in front of videos together even if you're apart.
Amazon Prime arrives on cable-provided TiVo boxes
There's no such thing as regular ol' TV anymore. There's cable and satellite, and a seemingly endless selection of streaming services and content platforms, so clicking around your options can be a bit time consuming and clunky. But TiVo is trying to streamline the process. From today, Amazon Prime members will be able to access Prime Video content directly through their TiVo box. Sitting alongside other video streaming apps already offered by TiVo, the Prime Video app will also include select 4K Ultra HD and HDR content, as well as behind-the-scenes exclusives for top movies and TV shows. Find it through TiVo's OneSearch function.
Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' TV show is already renewed for season two
While season one of Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV series hasn't started filming yet, Deadline reports there's already plans for season two. In fact, the industry outlet reports that the plan right now is to shoot the first couple of episodes of season one, then take a "four to five month break" while working out scripts and approach for the rest of the first two seasons. Recently, we saw Apple had signed up early for second seasons of its original TV shows, and Variety reports that while Amazon greenlit the show for two seasons, it wasn't fully locked in until now. Like the movies, the series will film in New Zealand and production won't be cheap, so it's important to get everything right before the cameras roll. From what we've heard, it will cover a time period well before the books and movies, and the cast still hasn't been fully filled out. Deadline speculated that renewing the show early and planning a long hiatus in the middle of shooting could let the streamer squeeze footage for season two in during S1, or shoot both seasons back-to-back.
Disney+ vs. the competition: Which offers the best bang for your buck?
With so many different streaming services coming out of the woodwork it's getting harder to keep up with everything — as well as more expensive. That's not going to get any better now that Disney's launched its own offering, with shows from popular franchises like Star Wars and Marvel to entice you to sign up. With only so much time and money to go around, you might need to make a choice as to which offers the best bang for the buck. While we can't tell you which shows you'll like, we can certainly help you out with some of the more technical details, so check out the chart below to see how Disney+ will stack up against established players like Netflix.
Amazon discounts Prime subscriptions by $40 for veterans
With Veterans Day coming up, Amazon has launched a new promotion aimed at armed forces members. Starting today and until November 11th, if you've served in the military, or are a current active duty or reserve member, you can get $40 off the first year of an Amazon Prime subscription. If you're already a subscriber, fret not: you can use the promotion as a way to extend your membership at a discount.
Amazon surprise releases 'Jack Ryan' season two a day early
In a move that is surprisingly rare, Amazon Prime has decided to release the new season for one of its flagship shows a few hours early. Season two of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan is available now, so fans don't have to wait until 3AM to binge. If you're avoiding trick or treating, then it might make for a good watch, plus it gets Amazon's series out of the way of Apple TV+ and its flood of content -- quality notwithstanding -- that will launch tonight. Series star John Krasinski announced the release on his Twitter account this afternoon, so you can watch it right now -- and in 4K if you have the right hardware. Season two also features Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly and Noomi Rapace. Netflix pulled a similar stunt for Orange is the New Black a few years ago, we'll see if this remains a rare event, or if streamers decide to give binge watchers a break on staying up late to see everything first.
Amazon told to stop tricking UK users into signing up for Prime
Think Amazon is a little too eager to sign you up for Prime? You're not alone. The UK ad industry's Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that an Amazon promo for Prime was "likely to mislead" and could have tricked users into subscribing to the service. A page in the checkout process pitched a 30-day Prime trial and prominently displayed a gold "order now with Prime" button, complete with a gray box promising "free one-day delivery," but relegated the skip option to a plain, subdued "continue and don't gain Amazon Prime benefits" link. This may have made it look like the only two options were the gold and gray boxes signing you up for Prime, the ASA said.
Amazon's Fire tablets and Kindles are on sale for Prime members
Amazon's next big hardware event is just days away, and it appears the tech giant is using that as an opportunity to provide hefty discounts for Fire tablet and Kindle models for Prime subscribers. Most notably, Prime members get $40 off the Kindle Paperwhite (down to $90), and $25 off the base Kindle (now $65) -- if you've been looking for an e-reader for the daily commute, it might not get much better than this for a while. It's also a good time to look for a basic tablet for young ones, as Amazon is lopping $40 off the price of both the Fire 7 Kids Edition tablet (reduced to $60) and its Fire HD 8 counterpart (down to $90).
Walmart takes its $98 Delivery Unlimited service nationwide
Walmart began trialling its Delivery Unlimited service -- its grocery-based take on Amazon Prime -- at select locations earlier this year. Now, the company is rolling it out to a further 1,400 stores across all 200 metro areas where regular grocery delivery is already available. Walmart aims to have more than 50 percent of the country covered by the end of the year.
Amazon's new Fire TV Cube is faster at understanding your voice commands
Amazon has announced a raft of new products today in Germany, although a leak revealed the bulk of them several hours before showtime. The highlight of the evening was the advent of a second-generation Fire TV Cube, the enthusiast-level unit in Amazon's Fire TV family. Amazon hasn't sought to change the outside of the box, or the number of ports that you can connect to it, but did make some substantial changes inside.
Amazon offers students Music Unlimited for 99 cents per month
Amazon is offering Prime Student subscribers a solid deal on a Music Unlimited plan. Members can gain access to the music streaming service for an extra 99 cents per month. Students who don't have a Prime Student plan can opt for a six-month trial, and then add the Music Unlimited subscription at the cut-price rate. Six bucks for half a year of ad-free music is nothing to sniff at.
Amazon's next foray into fashion is a personal shopping service
Amazon's adventures in fashion haven't usually set the world on fire, but it might have a more appealing option: have someone else pick your apparel choices. It just launched a Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe service that, for $5 per month on top of Prime, has a stylist choose clothes based on your tastes. You start with a survey that helps set your preferences and measurements (a tight fit, a retro look and a long torso, for example), and then stay in touch with the stylist through the Amazon app to fine-tune the selection. You get as many as eight of those hand-picked items in a monthly box (you can preview the contents) and pay only for what you keep beyond the one-week try-on period.
This week in tech history: Amazon's 25th birthday
At Engadget, we spend every day looking at how technology will shape the future. But it's also important to look back at how far we've come. That's what This Week in Tech History does. Join us every weekend for a recap of historical tech news, anniversaries and advances from the recent and not-so-recent past. This week, Amazon turns 25. Few companies have done more to shape the modern internet (and, some might argue, modern capitalism) than Amazon. CEO Jeff Bezos incorporated the company 25 years ago today, and it was another year before Amazon launched as an online bookstore. It was still longer before it became the internet Goliath it is now -- but the list of things that Amazon has significantly changed 25 years in is dizzying.
Five 'Star Trek' movies come to Amazon Prime on July 31st
There's more Star Trek available for streaming -- although it might not be on the service you were expecting to use. Amazon is adding five pre-Abrams Star Trek movies to Prime Video in the US on July 31st. Two of them come from the cast of the original series (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country), while the rest are from the Next Generation crew (First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis). It could be a good way to brush up on Jean-Luc Picard's history ahead of his new streaming series.
eBay promises 'can't-miss' deals if Amazon crashes on Prime Day (again)
July is almost upon us. That means it's nearly time for Amazon's huge Prime Day sale, which it's expanding to two days this year. But, like Target, eBay isn't content to give its rival all the spotlight, and plans to be right there with its own deals. eBay is running its own Crash Sale on July 15th, aka the first half of Prime Day.
