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Alexa can now play that song you heard but can’t remember the name of
Sometimes you want to listen to a certain song but you can't quite remember what it's called. Other times you might just want to listen to some of your favorites that you haven't heard in a while. Now, Alexa can find those tunes for you. While listening to Amazon Music, you can now ask Alexa in very general terms to find music you listened to earlier or play something you haven't heard recently. You can do so with specific artists by saying, for example, "Alexa, play that Kendrick Lamar song I was listening to yesterday," or, "Alexa, play Rihanna songs I haven't heard in a while." You can also ask for genres, but you can get even more general than that by asking Alexa to just play something you haven't heard lately.
Amazon extends discounted Prime memberships to Medicaid recipients
Amazon announced today that recipients of Medicaid can now get reduced monthly Prime memberships. Individuals with a valid Medicaid card will be able to sign up for $6 per month, less than half of the standard $13 per month rate. The program is an extension of the Prime membership discount program Amazon makes available to those who receive government assistance and have a valid Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. It launched that program last June. The discounted Prime membership comes with all of the perks of a standard one including free, two-day shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music and Prime Now.
Amazon’s NFL series returns for a third season April 27th
Amazon's sports documentary series All or Nothing is coming back next month for a third season and this time it follows the Dallas Cowboys. The eight-episode season starts off on a handful of positive notes -- owner Jerry Jones was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and head coach Jason Garrett is 2016's NFL Coach of the Year. But it's not all good news. The league suspends running back Ezekiel Elliott for six games following an investigation into allegations of repeated instances of domestic violence -- a decision that was then appealed and put on hold multiple times. And the team is put in the spotlight over its and Jones' response to NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. Ultimately, the Cowboys' season, full of ups and downs, ends just short of the playoffs.
Amazon renews podcast-inspired 'Lore' series for a second season
Amazon's podcast-based series Lore will return for a second season. Production for the horror-tinged series begins in April, and in addition to new episodes, it'll feature a new showrunner, Sean Crouch, who worked on The Exorcist series. There aren't a ton of details, but Amazon promises that the new season will explore horror stories on a global level. Given the production timeline, it doesn't seem like a stretch to assume the new episodes will be available by Halloween -- just in time to compete with Hulu's forthcoming macabre show.
Amazon secures movie rights for Alafair Burke’s thriller ‘The Wife’
Amazon Studios is ramping up its efforts in the streaming space lately in a push to focus on bigger movies and television shows. The company hired NBC's Jennifer Salke as its new head executive to take the place of the disgraced Roy Price, and has picked up some high-profile content, like Ian M. Banks' well-regarded Culture novels for a television series. Now Amazon won the rights to Alafair Burke's novel The Wife, which is heavily influenced by the current #MeToo zeitgeist.
Amazon will reward Prime members for shopping at Whole Foods
Amazon has announced that its Rewards Visa will now offer users the same level of reward when they shop at Whole Foods as they receive at Amazon itself. Eligible Prime members will now receive a flat five percent bonus on all purchases at Whole Foods, just as they do online. By comparison, shopping beyond Amazon's universe will net you two percent back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores, and a single percent elsewhere.
'Devil May Cry' will be free with Twitch Prime on February 27th
Twitch Prime only occasionally offers sweet game deals, but this one might be worth grabbing if you want to brush up on video game history. Twitch and Capcom are offering the Windows version of the original Devil May Cry (specifically, from the HD Collection) for free to Amazon Prime subscribers starting on February 27th. In many ways, this is the archetype for stylish hack-and-slash action titles like Bayonetta -- Dante succeeds in his demon hunting saga by mixing up attacks to create an unbroken chain of death. Add in a story inspired by The Divine Comedy and it's fairly clear why the series spawned both multiple sequels and a remake, even if if they didn't always live up to the original.
In Amazon’s new sci-fi series, social media destroys the world
Amazon's Electric Dreams on Prime streaming might not make you feel bad about your technology habits the way Netflix's Black Mirror does, but the tech juggernaut has plans to remedy that with its latest show. The Feed is based off a book by the same name from author Nick Clark Windo, covering what happens when we're able to download a social media feed directly into our skulls. But instead of sharing links to news sources of questionable repute, you're sharing every thought and emotion you have. And you can see those of everyone else. The story picks up when the titular social network collapses and the world along with it.
Amazon pulls lock screen ads from discounted Prime phones
Amazon's Prime Exclusive phones are decent bargains over their regular counterparts, but there has always been a catch: your lock screen becomes a billboard. It doesn't really feel like your phone with those ads and offers. You won't have to put up with that marketing for much longer, however. Amazon will sell its Prime-only phones without lock screen ads as of February 7th, and it's pushing an update this week that will strip the promos from existing phones. Amazon's app shortcuts will still be front and center once you've unlocked your phone, but you can always remove those if you don't care for Kindle books or Prime Video. Those who paid to remove ads can get refunds.
Amazon Prime monthly subscriptions now cost $2 more
Amazon has offered a monthly Prime subscription for a good long time now, but today it's unfortunately getting a bit more expensive. As of today, the price for a monthly Prime subscription is going up $2, from $10.99 to $12.99. Students with a valid .edu email address will continue to save money, but that option is going up as well, from $5.49 to $6.49. Both changes go into effect today for new customers; existing customers will see the increase on their February bill.
Amazon shipped over 5 billion items with Prime in 2017
As we close out one year and welcome another, Amazon has a few stats for us to better reflect on how we spent 2017 -- evidently by sending each other a colossal volume of stuff. The company announced today that Prime members shipped over 5 billion items using the service this year.
The best subscriptions and gift cards to buy as (last-minute) gifts
Need a last-minute gift? No one will argue if you buy them a gift card to a streaming service. Included in our holiday gift guide are all the usual suspects: Apple Music, Amazon Prime, Netflix in UHD, Hulu, Sling TV and HBO Now. (And there were many others that we considered that didn't quite make the cut, but that still make for solid options.) Assuming you order soon, you also still have time to pick up a streamer with which your loved one can actually enjoy these services. We recommend two in particular: the Apple TV 4K at the high end, and the Roku Ultra in the $100 range.
Amazon's latest Prime perk is an early 'Jumanji' screening
Amazon Prime members will have a new perk soon for all the Jumanji fans in the house. Subscribers can book tickets for a December 8th advance showing of the upcoming movie, which will screen a full 12 days before its public release.
Amazon Prime's sports streaming expands with more ATP tennis
Like other streaming services, Amazon has been hunting for sporting events to feature on its Prime Video platform. Earlier this year, the company took over NFL Thursday game livestreaming from Twitter. Today, the company announced it's snagged rights for a string of tennis matches. Amazon Prime owners in the UK and Republic of Ireland will have access to 37 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) events from 2019 to 2023, while US owners get access to ATP's streaming service, Tennis TV.
'The Grand Tour' returns to Amazon Prime December 8th
Following a bit of a hiatus, Amazon Prime's The Grand Tour will return with season two December 8th. Earlier this year co-host Richard Hammond was involved in a nasty EV wreck with a Rimac Concept One supercar. He fared "mostly OK" according to co-host Jeremy Clarkson at the time. Clarkson himself was hospitalized this year as well, but for entirely different reasons. Namely, he had a particularly nasty case of pneumonia that almost killed him.
Amazon Prime Video is available on Xbox consoles worldwide
There's more to the Xbox One X than just 4K gaming. Beyond playing UHD Blu-rays, the console will stream media from your provider of choice in 4K, too. That includes Amazon Prime Video, which is now available worldwide on Xbox consoles following its launch last year.
Amazon discounts LG's G6 if you accept Prime ads
Amazon didn't have much joy selling its own phone, but has achieved plenty by selling other people's under its Prime Exclusive Phones label. The deal is that users get a discount off the price of a mid-range handset in exchange for Amazon slinging you ads on your lock screen. If you turned your nose up at an Alcatel A50 or Moto G5, then perhaps LG's early-2017 flagship, the G6, might be more of a temptation.
Amazon takes aim at Staples with two-day shipping on office supplies
Free shipping is a big reason many of us are Amazon Prime members. Now, businesses looking to save on shipping costs for office supplies will be able to do the same. The company just announced the launch of its new Business Prime Shipping service in the US and Germany. In the US, multiple users from a registered Amazon Business account can take advantage of free two-day shipping. There's a 30-day free trial if you want to try it out, too.
Nielsen is tracking streaming services like it does broadcast TV
To address the new normal of cord cutting, Nielsen is going to start tracking subscription-based streaming numbers in a big way. The idea is to measure streaming services in the same way that the outfit has tracked broadcast TV for decades: with demographic info and the number of people streaming a program. As TechCrunch notes, Nielsen is only tracking Netflix for now, but expects to start getting data from Amazon and Hulu streaming services by next year.
College students can pay for Amazon Prime by the month
Amazon is no stranger to discounting its services for college students. You've still had to pay for Prime by the year, however, which can seem wasteful if you're only on campus for some of the year. Thankfully, you won't have to pay more than you have to. Amazon has introduced a by-the-month option for students that asks you to pay $5.49 per month only for as long as you need it. If you don't need fast shipping when you leave for summer break or have no inclination to watch The Tick during exams, you can put that money to better use.