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Rakuten is closing its UK marketplace
Before Amazon became the online behemoth it is today, it used to go toe-to-toe with another big web retailer: Play.com. The site initially specialised in DVDs, video games and music -- selling products from Jersey to escape VAT charges and lower its prices -- before expanding into electronics and personal computers. In 2009, at the height of its popularity, UK consumers even rated it their favourite retailer. Unfortunately for the company, that success didn't last and Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten swept in to buy the company for £25 million in 2011. It spun it off into a marketplace for independent sellers in 2013 and it's operated that way ever since. Well, it will until August.
Amazon's 'All or Nothing' NFL series debuts July 1st
The league first announced NFL Films' All or Nothing back in March, and now the series is set to debut on Amazon's Prime Video July 1st. The 8-episode show will follow one NFL team throughout the season, chronicling the 2015 Arizona Cardinals in this first installment. All or Nothing begins with the season-ending injury to quarterback Carson Palmer in 2014 and follows the team through the NFC Championship game against the Carolina Panthers this past year.
Blue Origin and NASA team up to test new technologies in space
NASA has just added Jeff Bezos' space travel company Blue Origin to its list of carriers approved for carrying new technologies to space. The partnership is part of the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), which allows other space travel organizations outside of the government to test new technologies in microgravity or zero gravity environments. Blue Origin's part in all this is its payload system that works something like a stack of miniature shipping containers, with each one wired with power, cameras, telemetry data and control systems to carry out and monitor microgravity research on its New Shepherd suborbital vehicle. Experiments sent up on the New Shepherd will get about three minutes time in "a high-quality, microgravity environment" at a height of over 100 km. In the future, as Blue Origin gets closer to manned flights, researchers will eventually be able to fly along for hands-on space experiments. Until then, Blue Origin will sell a benchtop development unit that can be used to program experiments from the comfort of your own lab. Rounding out the rest of NASA's STMD roster are: Masten Space Systems, Near Space Corporation, UP Aerospace, Virgin Galactic and World View Enterprises.
Amazon gives its Fire HD 10 tablet a classier metal shell
If you've been eyeing Amazon's Fire HD 10 tablet, but aren't a fan of its plastic shell, you're in luck. The company now offers a metal version of the tablet, addressing one of the main gripes about the mobile device. The best part? Pricing remains the same as the current Fire HD 10, starting at $230 for the 16GB model (with "special offers"). Alongside the new aluminum design, Amazon is also debuting a 64GB version that will set you back $290.
OnePlus starts selling phones via Amazon UK
If you've been eyeing up a OnePlus phone, there's now another place you can order one in the UK. The company is selling the OnePlus 2 on Amazon UK for £249 -- the same, recently reduced price found on its own website. A spokesperson for OnePlus has also confirmed to Engadget that both the OnePlus 2 and smaller OnePlus X will, eventually, be sold through Amazon US too. The move should improve the sales of both handsets, due to the added exposure and consumer trust associated with Amazon. It could also be a useful way to sell off old stock ahead of the OnePlus 3 launch.
Amazon Japan adds 12 new original series to Prime Video
Amazon isn't wasting any time making good on its original programming plans for Japan. As part of its Prime Video service, which launched in September of last year, the company had announced plans to offer about 20 original shows tailored to that market. And today, Amazon Japan has unveiled a slate of originals detailing 12 new series that span a variety of genres, including documentaries, dramas and children's shows. Standouts include Magi, a time-traveling historical drama about teens that return to Japan to find Christianity's been banned; new versions of Ultraman and Kamen Rider; and manga adaptations like Businessmen vs. Aliens and Baby Steps. While some of these series are already available to stream now, others are planned to debut later in the year or even in 2017. It's also worth noting that Prime Video subscribers in Japan get access to these originals, as well as other Amazon series like Mozart in the Jungle for the bargain price of $32/year. Doesn't seem fair, now does it?
Take Amazon's Alexa for a spin in your browser
Alexa's gradual procession toward ubiquity is proof that the Echo speaker isn't the heart of Amazon's voice assistant, it's the server farms that run it. Now you can tap into Alexa with the device sitting on your desk or lap thanks to Echosim.io, a website that replicates the experience of talking to Jeff Bezos' smart speakers. Sign in with your Amazon info, give the website permission to access your microphone and you're good to go.
Blue Origin's next flight will end in a crash-landing
While Blue Origin has shown it can successfully land a reusable rocket multiple times, the space tourism company will hit the ground a little harder on the next test. As Jeff Bezos announced this week, his space venture will intentionally crash the empty crew compartment to see what happens when the parachutes fail.
Amazon's got eight more TV show pilots for your perusal
Rather than letting shadowy commissioners decide on what TV shows to make in secret, Amazon lets everyone get involved. As it's done so several times before, the company will debut a number of pilots and ask members of the public to vote on what gets turned into a series. This time 'round, there are two one hour dramas, both of which will be available in 4K and HDR, as well as six kids series for you to weigh in upon.
EU wants Netflix to offer 20 percent European content
The European Union is updating its broadcasting laws to cover online services like Amazon and Netflix. As part of the move, the union is looking to prevent these firms just leeching money out of the 28 member states without putting something back. That's why the new rules mandate that 20 percent of each company's content library needs to be European in origin. Rumors of the ruling prompted fears that on-demand businesses would have to pay millions for obscure content that nobody wanted. But it turns out that Netflix is already doing more than the bare minimum to promote European film and TV.
ComiXology Unlimited offers all of the comics for $6 a month
ComiXology, Amazon's online comic book service, unveiled a new unlimited content subscription option on Tuesday. The $6 per month ComiXology Unlimited plan gives subscribers unfettered access to the service's archive, which includes titles from Image, Dark Horse, IDW and a bunch more -- basically every notable publisher outside of Marvel and DC. ComiXology will continue to sell individual issues from the Big Two, it just won't offer them on the unlimited plan.
Amazon no longer offers refunds for after-the-sale price drops
Say goodbye to the days when Amazon would cut you a break if the price of a product dropped right after you ordered it. Customers are reporting that Amazon has stopped offering partial refunds on orders if a price drop happens within 7 days -- if you pull the trigger shortly before a sale, you'll just have to live with your choice. Amazon tells Recode that it didn't officially have a policy like this outside of televisions, but it's now clear that the company no longer hands out exceptions like they were candy.
Cat treats and the secret to livestreaming success
As livestreaming has grown into a billion-dollar business, it's prompted a series of important questions about the future of technology and society. For example: When people share every moment of their lives with the internet, what is privacy? Does accessible, global communication build more community or less? How many AmazeBalls would you spend to feed a treat to a stranger's cat?
The best USB battery packs
By Mark Smirniotis This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. We brought in almost 50 pounds of batteries and tested them in a specialist lab in Vancouver, British Columbia, to find the best USB battery pack for any situation. If you need a pocketable pack to get through an evening out, we recommend the TravelCard Charger because our previous top pocketable pick, the AmazonBasics Portable Power Bank with Micro USB Cable 2,000 mAh, is inconsistently available. If you need a unit to leave in your bag to keep your device going for a busy day of meetings, pick up the EasyAcc 6000mAh Ultra Slim Power Bank. If you need to charge your phone repeatedly, grab the larger AmazonBasics Portable Power Bank 16,100 mAh, and if you require a pack that can power a bagful of devices for a full day, buy the RAVPower 26800 mAh Xtreme Portable Charger.
Amazon's screenwriting tool lets you easily share scripts
We all have at least one great story to tell, and Amazon's free screenplay writing software is intended to help you spin that tale. Like other screenwriting tools, Amazon Storywriter auto-formats your work to the required industry standard, with the added benefit of letting you submit your script directly to Amazon Studios if you think you've created the next Prime Video original. Before you get to that point, though, you might want a second opinion. Which is why Amazon's added a new quick-sharing feature to Storywriter that lets you easily put your script in front of reliable critics (aka Mom and Dad).
Bezos confirms more brick-and-mortar Amazon stores
Amazon is building more brick-and-mortar stores and beefing up Prime membership perks, company CEO Jeff Bezos has confirmed at the company's annual meeting for shareholders. At the moment, the mostly online-based retailer has a single bookstore in Seattle, but it's already building a new outlet near San Diego. "We're definitely going to open additional stores," he said, "how many we don't know yet." It's unclear if the new location is going to be another bookstore or if it will be selling other items, as well. If you'll recall, reports came out earlier this year that the company could open other types of retail outlets.
WSJ: Amazon is making an Alexa-powered tablet
Amazon is working on a new device imbued with Alexa's powers, according to The Wall Street Journal. It won't be yet another speaker, though: it's a device with a "tablet-like computer screen" that's codenamed Knight. Lab126, the company's secretive hardware facility, is reportedly in the midst of developing the tablet, which sounds like it's meant for the kitchen. WSJ says it'll allow users to load websites or images "even when their hands are covered in flour." Amazon has been working on a high-end kitchen computer for quite some time, but it's unclear if this is the reimagined version of that old project.
Amazon gives Alexa more control of your Fire TV
Amazon's virtual assistant was already hard at work helping with tasks via its Echo speakers and Fire TV, but now Alexa is getting more control of your television. The online retailer announced today that Alexa can handle more requests on its streaming gadgets, including launching apps, playing selections from Amazon video and add-on subscriptions (HBO Go, Starz, Showtime, SeeSo) and browsing local movie times. Fire TV already offered voice search and Alexa has been available on those devices as well, but this update expands the virtual assistant's workload.
Amazon opens up its product recommendation tech to all
For a company like Amazon, product recommendations are hugely important. They can be the difference between a one-off order and an unexpected spending spree. The company has spent years adapting its algorithms to produce the most relevant suggestions, but now it wants help. It's taken the wraps off DSSTNE -- its Deep Scalable Sparse Tensor Network Engine (pronounced destiny) -- and is asking for companies, researchers and developers to make its artificial intelligence framework even more powerful.
Amazon will sell its own food brands to Prime members
Amazon is no stranger to selling self-branded goods, whether they're tablets, USB cables or baby wipes. However, it's reportedly close to venturing into uncharted territory: food. Wall Street Journal sources understand that the internet shopping pioneer is weeks away from a "broad push" into selling its own brands of perishables. The Happy Belly label would offer everything from cooking oil to tea, while the Wickedly Prime badge would focus on snacks. There's also talk of a wider move into around-the-home products like the Presto line (things like laundry detergent) and Mama Bear (baby-oriented goods, including food).
