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Here's your first look at the all-new 'Top Gear'
The BBC is still filming the next season of Top Gear, but to get fans excited it's taken some time out and put together a short teaser trailer. As you would expect, it's a minute of pure motoring adrenaline, with plenty of exotic cars and jaw-dropping cinematography. Top Gear host Chris Evans and Hollywood actor Matt LeBlanc take center stage, although racing car driver Sabine Schmitz also makes an appearance towards the end. It's hard to judge a show based on 60 seconds of footage, but here's one obvious takeaway: the show's budget and production values are still sky high.
Amazon bans crappy USB Type-C cables
One Google engineer's quest to test USB-C cables sold on Amazon ended in a disaster when a particularly shoddy one fried his gadgets. Thankfully, Amazon has decided to take a stance against subpar adapters to prevent more people from going through the same thing. Benson Leung, the unfortunate engineer who sacrificed his Chromebook Pixel 2015 for our sake, reported on Google+ that the e-commerce website has officially banned substandard USB Type-C cables.
Amazon's Alexa controls Nest thermostats
Beginning today Amazon's digital assistant Alexa can control Nest thermostats. If you're home is too warm or too cold, just shout at the voice-activated helper and it'll adjust the temperature. It's going to be incredibly helpful on those summer days when it's too hot to move.
Amazon shows you how to make an Echo with Raspberry Pi
If you're into messing with hardware and have some basic programming skills, you can put together an Amazon Alexa device of your very own. Amazon has even put together an official guide to do so on GitHub, Lifehacker reports. You'll need to snag a Raspberry Pi 2 and a USB microphone to make it happen, but you've probably got the other required hardware (a micro-SD card for storage, for example) lying around. Unfortunately, due to limitations with Amazon's Voice Services, your creation can't listen for trigger words like Echo and Echo Dot. Instead, you'll have to hit a button to issue commands.
Google is reportedly working on an Amazon Echo rival
Nest might not be building a challenger to the Amazon Echo, but that doesn't mean its sister company Google is standing idle. The Information's sources claim that Google is building its own voice-controlled "personal assistant device" to beat Amazon at its own game. Just how it would work isn't clear (though it would likely rely on Google's existing voice search tech), but the search giant is believed to be working alone -- unlike Google's OnHub line, you won't find any hints of Nest technology inside.
Amazon says it pays men and women equally
Over the last week, Amazon has been resisting pressure from investors and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to show gender pay statistics. However, it has now relented and revealed that women are effectively paid the same (99.9 percent) as men. In addition, it found the minority salaries are on par with white staffers doing the same work. The company's diversity page shows that women make up 39 percent of the workforce, but hold just 24 percent of management positions. Those figures are above the norm for the technology industry, but well off the national average.
Amazon organized a secret robot, AI and space conference
Amazon brought a number of AI, robotics and space exploration experts together for a secret conference this week, according to Bloomberg. It was called MARS, or Machine-Learning (Home) Automation, Robotics and Space Exploration conference. Apparently, Jeff Bezos himself attended this very exclusive, invitation-only event in Palm Springs. He mingled with guests from various robotics companies, automakers like Toyota, research institutes like ETH Zurich and educational institutions, including MIT.
Amazon Video gets an NFL reality show this summer
NFL Films isn't confining its efforts to conventional TV and movies. The sports video producer has unveiled All or Nothing, a football reality show destined solely for Amazon Video. The series will follow a given NFL team's internal drama through a whole season, starting with the Arizona Cardinals' 2015 path to the NFC Championship Game. The initial eight-episode run will be available this summer on any device that can handle Amazon's internet video services, so you'll have no shortage of gridiron action to watch on your Fire TV while you're waiting for the next season to start.
Amazon starts selling Comcast cable TV and internet
Amazon has moved into some unexpected areas recently, like a physical bookstore, and apparently the spot on its list is cable TV. TV Predictions was first to notice the Amazon Cable Store, which so far is only stocked with Comcast's Xfinity TV and Internet services for customers living within areas it covers. According to Comcast, the site offers easy ordering and simplified pricing that is identical to its new customer offers sold elsewhere, so what's really new is the storefront. There's also a dedicated support team for the site, equipped to cover everything from sales to followup via phone, email chat and social media -- which is hopefully enough channels to avoid some of the installation nightmares we've all heard about.
Your old Amazon Kindle needs an update to stay online
Most Kindle updates focus on nice-to-have improvements, but this is one you won't want to ignore. Amazon is warning owners of pre-2013 Kindles (that is, the original Kindle Paperwhite and earlier) that they need to update to recent software before March 22nd if they want to stay online. If you're rocking one of the older e-readers and don't heed the advice, you'll lose access to the Kindle Store, your books in the cloud, and anything else that depends on Kindle services -- basically, some of the reasons you bought a Kindle in the first place.
The next big thing in smartphones is uncertainty
You've probably noticed something about smartphones. They haven't been exciting lately. Chances are, your current smartphone looks and works a lot like your last one. Your next will probably seem pretty familiar, too. But there are signs that smartphones, and the ways we use them, could be about to significantly change -- even if no one can quite agree on exactly how.
On the Brink of Greatness: Startup Culture
If you've been wondering what it's like to work for a hot Silicon Valley startup, you're in luck. Bambu's new promo video offers a behind-the-scenes look at what makes the company tick. On this week's episode of On the Brink of Greatness, Steve Goldbloom and the crew discuss what makes the work environment at the startup so great. They cover important topics like work/life balance, diversity, giving back, inspiration and, most importantly, the future. We'll totally understand if you want to submit a resume after watching, because really this is the only company that matters.
Audible wants you to share audiobook passages like Vine clips
The next time you discover a notable passage in an audiobook, Audible wants you to share it among your friends like you would a meme or Vine clip. The audiobook company announced a Clips feature today, a tool that allows you to select a short passage or excerpt to download for future listening. The feature also lets you share the snippet of audio via social channels, email and text message. In the Audible app, just tap the Clips icon when you hear something you want to save or share. The software will then let you select up to 45 seconds of audio. And yes, you can make edits should the need arise.
Now you can ask Amazon's Echo about your Fitbit stats
It was only a matter of time until someone integrated a fitness gadget with Amazon's Echo -- we should have guessed that Fitbit would be first. Starting today, you'll be able to ask any of Amazon's speakers about your Fitbit performance with a new Alexa skill. Once enabled, you can say "Alexa, ask Fitbit how I'm doing today" for a basic overview of your activity. But even more intriguing, you can ask Alexa things like how you've slept, or how much activity you've tracked, for any of the previous seven days.
Apple will power part of iCloud with Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud Platform has reportedly scored another major client after getting Spotify in February: Apple. Cupertino has struck a multi-million dollar deal with its staunchest rival to move part of iCloud and its other cloud-based offerings to GCP, according to Financial Times and CRN. Sources say the company's using a combination of Amazon Web Services, Microsoft's Azure and its own data centers at the moment. Neither corporation has confirmed the info yet, but CRN's sources told the publication that the deal is worth between $400 and $600 million.
Amazon working on an education platform for course materials
Following in the footsteps of Apple and Google, Amazon's another tech company with sights set on education. As TechCrunch reports, earlier this month the e-commerce giant quietly opened the floodgates to its Amazon Education Wait List, which encourages educators to sign up for more information about an upcoming "revolutionary" platform. "The future of education is open," reads the landing page for Amazon's new venture.
Pay your credit card bill using the Amazon Echo
Too busy whipping up a soufflé to check your bank balance online? You can now ask Amazon's Echo devices to give you the info, thanks to a partnership with Capital One. You just need to say "Alexa, ask Capital One for my Quicksilver card balance" or "Alexa, ask Capital One to pay my credit card bill," for instance. The voice assistant can already turn on your lights, play Spotify music, get you an Uber and check election results. However, Capital One is the first credit card or banking service to work with the expanding family of devices, which are only sold in the US.
Amazon now sells Japanese video games internationally
If you've ever paid an astronomical price to import a Japanese game, here's some good news: Amazon Japan will now ship video game hardware and software internationally. The change happened recently with no fanfare -- Twitter and NeoGAF users started reporting it yesterday. Not every game can be shipped; it's restricted to products sold by Amazon, rather than third-party sellers. There are also some products that don't seem to want to ship, for reasons unknown.
Amazon's first live show is QVC for the YouTube generation
Now that Amazon has its own private fashion labels, it's launching its its first ever live TV show called Style Code Live. Hosted by a trio of reality and fashion show personalities, the show looks like a youth take on QVC's home shopping channel. The hosts and their guests will offer fashion and makeup advice, while viewers will be able to buy the corresponding products from a carousel under the video player. "We're live, interactive, and covering the latest trends in fashion and beauty each weeknight -- with guest experts, celebrities, and viewer tips," producer Terrence Noonan told Variety.
All Amazon Fire TV devices now have the major UK catch-up apps
If you prefer to catch-up on TV shows instead of watching them as they air, Amazon's latest announcement might be of interest. After bringing all major UK broadcasters to the Fire TV, the company has turned its attention to the streamer's smaller sibling, the Fire TV Stick, confirming today that the HDMI dongle now supports BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and My5. It doesn't matter which Fire TV or Fire TV Stick model you own, they now all feature catch-up apps provided by the UK's biggest broadcasters. Add to that support Amazon's own Video service, Netflix and other major streaming services and you've got yourself a few reasons to skip your traditional TV box entirely.
