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Amazon discounts Prime for customers with EBT cards
Amazon announced today that customers enrolled in a number of different government assistance programs can now get Prime subscriptions for $6 per month. As of now, the offer is limited to those with a valid EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card, but the company plans to extend the benefits to assistance programs that don't use EBT in the future.
Amazon opens up Twitch Prime's ad-free streaming worldwide
Twitch Prime subscriptions are more than a little handy. If you already have Amazon Prime, it lets you watch your favorite game stream ad-free (and support a favorite streamer) at no extra charge. However, it's only been available in a handful of countries so far. That changes today -- Twitch has made Prime subs available in over 200 countries and territories. So long as you can score an Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription membership, you can throw your weight behind one subscription-enabled channel every month. You'll also get perks like free games, including the Twitch-exclusive PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds clothing that arrives on June 9th.
Amazon Prime Video launches on Apple TV 'this year'
Well, that took longer than it probably should have: Amazon Prime Video will finally be available on Apple TV sometime "later this year." Yep, that means if you'd rather watch Man in the High Castle via an Apple device instead of the myriad other options that were available prior to this announcement you'll totally be able to do that. Now we're wondering if there will be no-Gary-Busey-required voice search via SIri.
Walmart recruits its employees to deliver your packages
Walmart has been struggling to compete with shipping perks offered by companies like Amazon. And in its latest attempt to contend,it has turned to employees -- asking them to deliver packages on their way home.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's last work heads to Amazon's silver screen
Amazon's turning to literature once again for an original series. Only this time, Jeff Bezos' video wing is eschewing Philip K. Dick in favor of The Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Period piece The Last Tycoon tells the story of young Hollywood studio executive Monroe Stahr in the 1930s as he battles his boss (played by Kelsey Grammer) "for the soul of their studio" amid The Great Depression and the rise of Hitler's Germany. The story is loosely based on the short, but highly influential career of MGM producer Irving Thalberg -- the man responsible for sneak previews, reshoots and story conferences with scriptwriters. If the trailer below proves interesting enough, you can check out the pilot episode right now ahead of the full season's July 28th premiere. Still not enough Fitzgerald? Then maybe check out Z, the story of F. Scott's wife, Zelda, on the service.
Amazon’s attempt to reinvent TV shopping has failed
Style Code Live seemed like the perfect bridge between Amazon's online retail dominance and its increasingly accomplished Prime Video service. Nothing is that easy, however, and it all didn't quite pan out: the show is over. The cancellation was unceremoniously abrupt: According to a Page Six report, the show's staff were informed of the end of last week, with social media accounts deleted the same day.
Amazon UK's new video options will require a TV licence
Live TV viewers in the UK are supposed to pay a fee that supports services and content from the BBC. Lately, despite changes that closed the "iPlayer loophole," that still doesn't apply to people who only watch streaming video on-demand, so some cord-cutters can avoid the charge. However, the TV Licensing agency is reminding people that as Amazon UK rolls out its new Channel add-ons with live TV, it means that viewers are again responsible for paying the fee. Amazon's packages include channels like Eurosport, ITV Hub+ and Discovery, so as TV Licensing spokesperson Jason Hill explains "If you watch or record live TV, either through your TV or live online through a website, then you need to be covered by a TV Licence...Around 94 per cent of people are correctly licensed so are already covered to watch live TV online." Currently, an annual colour TV Licence costs £147.
Amazon offers UK Prime members a free, rotating e-book library
While Amazon offers a variety of Prime perks for Britons, it can often take a while for some of them to make it across the Atlantic. Take, for example, Prime Reading: a "free" book subscription that launched in the US last October but is only now coming to the UK. Unlike Kindle Unlimited -- which offers unrestricted access to over a million books, magazines and audiobooks for £8 a month -- Prime Reading is bundled with Amazon's annual subscription and delivers a rotating selection of popular e-books, magazines and short content.
Supernatural indie hit 'Oxenfree' is, well, free with Twitch Prime
Last year's supernatural indie hit Oxenfree was arguably one of 2016's best games-- and today, Twitch is giving it away for free. Amazon Prime users and Twitch Prime subscribers can claim their copy of the indie hit here, launching it through Twitch's desktop app.
Amazon's latest Prime incentive is exclusive music concerts
Not content with merely streaming music, Amazon is preparing to put on its own live shows. Prime Live Events will be ticketed and exclusive to Prime members, adding an extra incentive to its "all-in" subscription. The initiative starts on May 23rd with a Blondie performance at the Round Chapel in Hackney. Alison Moyet will then take the stage on June 12th, followed by a Texas set at Porchester Hall four days later. Finally, Katie Melua will be throwing a concert at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea on July 25th and 26th. Amazon says more shows will be announced in due course.
Amazon's next comedy series stars Danny DeVito and Jeff Goldblum
In case it wasn't already clear that Amazon is capable of attracting serious stars, it is now. Variety understands that the internet giant is developing a comedy series that stars Danny DeVito and Jeff Goldblum as an antagonistic music duo forced to get back together. It's The Odd Couple with guitars, really. The behind-the-camera talent is important, too. The Simpsons' Tim Long will be the series' creator, while Brian Grazer (of A Beautiful Mind fame) takes the role of executive producer.
Amazon gives Prime to everyone in Manchester-by-the-Sea
Amazon just highlighted one of the bonuses of both producing movies and running the internet service that plays them: you can offer viewer perks that conventional studios can't match. The online giant is giving away a year of free Prime membership (plus some Amazon popcorn) to every home in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts in order to mark the streaming availability of Manchester by the Sea on May 5th. It's clearly a publicity stunt, and a modest one when it would cost just over $500,000 to give the entire 2010 population (a whopping 5,136 people) Prime access. However, the scale of the giveaway isn't what's significant here -- it's more the long-term ramifications that matter.
The best movies on Amazon UK Prime Video
One of the most comprehensive Netflix rivals around, Amazon Prime Video is packed with a varied selection of films to choose from including cult classics, documentaries and new releases. Here's our pick of the best films to watch for free with your Amazon Prime subscription. See also: The best movies on Now TV and Netflix UK
Amazon Prime will replace Twitter to stream Thursday NFL games
Last year Twitter made Thursday Night NFL games a centerpiece of its video streaming/group chat efforts. This year, the NFL is taking its 10-game simulcast package to Amazon Prime, according to reports by Recode, the Wall Street Journal and Variety. While Twitter made the games available for free (alongside the broadcasts on CBS or NFL Network), on Amazon they will be a part of its Prime subscription, just like two-day-shipping, movies, music and other things it offers.
Amazon's new Prime perk gets you the best seats in the house
With the weather beginning to brighten up, Amazon's introducing a new perk for Prime members that aims to get you to down your Kindle, drag yourself off your comfy sofa and venture out to see some live gigs and events. Starting this Thursday, Amazon Tickets -- the UK-only service (for now) we'd also kinda forgotten about -- will begin offering Prime members early dibs on gig and theatre tickets at least 24 hours before they go on general sale, starting with the upcoming tours of acts including Art Garfunkel and The Darkness. And if you really want to make a night of it, Prime subscribers can also splash their cash to get on the list for Amazon's premium seating and luxury lounges at various London venues.
Moto G5 Plus is now available in an Amazon-subsidized flavor
Amazon may have given up on the Fire phone, but the company's line of low-cost "Prime Exclusive" ad-subsidized smartphones is getting a refresh today. The program launched last year with a respectable lineup of discounted, unlocked handsets that have topped Amazon's sales charts for ever since. This week, Amazon is adding more choice to that lineup with the recently launched Moto G5 Plus and the thrifty Alcatel A30, which will retail for $184.99 and $59.99 respectively.
Amazon nabs 'Moonlight' streaming exclusive
Competition between Amazon Prime Video and Netflix remains fierce. At the moment, both streaming platforms are doing whatever they can to gain an edge. Netflix is scooping up premium content like Dave Chappelle stand-up specials and an unfinished Orson Welles film. Meanwhile, Amazon made a move today to bring the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight to Prime Video starting May 21st.
Hugh Hefner docuseries bares all on Amazon Prime next month
An Amazon series detailing the life and impact of Hugh Hefner is heading to the service on April 7th. Announced last year, American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story is a new docuseries that will combine dramatic re-enactments of Hefner's life with rare unseen footage uncovered from his personal archive. Featuring interviews with celebrities like Gene Simmons and Jesse Jackson, the series promises to give audiences an unprecedented look into the rise of the Playboy empire. As well as the expected mansion shenanigans, the show also aims to delve into the social impact of the iconic brand - emphasizing Hefner's often forgotten commitment to social justice and gay rights.
'RunGunJumpGun' is currently free for Twitch Prime members
If you're a fan of the weirdly fantastic indie game RunGunJumpGun, you'll be excited to hear that Amazon is offering a free download of the PC version for a limited time. The only catch is you need to have a Twitch Prime account, which you can access at no extra cost if you already have an Amazon Prime membership. Otherwise there's an option to sign up for a 30-day trial. Developed by ThirtyThree Games, RunGunJumpGun is like Super Mario on steroids, featuring dark colorful worlds and quirky characters. You only have until this Sunday, February 5th, to grab it for free from Twitch Prime so you better move fast.
Walmart kills its Amazon Prime-style shipping service
After launching it less than a year ago, Walmart is scrapping ShippingPass, a subscription program meant to compete with Amazon Prime's free shipping. Instead, it will offer free two-day shipping without a membership, provided you order goods worth up to $35, down from $50. By contrast, ShippingPass members got free shipping on all items with a $50 membership -- half the price of Amazon Prime, but without major perks like same-day shipping and music and video streaming.