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Amazon now offers two-day Prime shipping within Europe
Amazon believes its European distribution network is pretty damn solid, so to prove that, it's added a new delivery tier for Prime members within Europe. From today, subscribers can enjoy free two-day deliveries on over a million products stored in other EU countries. Previously, Amazon would make you wait between 3-7 days, but thanks to a number of "improvements and innovations in its cross border delivery network," the company reckons it can offer expedited shipping on more than 3 million products by year end. Although most will continue to rely on domestic next-day deliveries (when available), Amazon's expansion will be welcome news to those who can only get what they need from sellers in other countries.
Galaxy S5 LTE-A is Samsung's first phone with a QHD display and Snapdragon 805 chip
Samsung has just announced a special variant of the Galaxy S5 for its home market. The phone -- simply dubbed Galaxy S5 LTE-A -- plays host to the manufacturer's first 2,560 x 1,440 display, which produces an even higher pixel density than the LG G3 (577 vs. 538 ppi) due to the use of a slightly smaller 5.1-inch panel. We're also seeing the first appearance of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 805 chipset (rather than an in-house Exynos processor), which is accompanied by 3GB of RAM and is built to handle 4K video playback and faster graphics in general. This chip supports LTE-Advanced too, which will apparently deliver data speeds of up to 225Mb/s to stunned, jaw-dropped customers on South Korean networks. Meanwhile, there's no word on whether this variant is headed to the West, or whether it's the fabled Galaxy S5 Prime that has been rumored for so long. But even if this is a Korea-only product, it can still be seen as a test-run for the global release of the impending Galaxy Note 4, which will almost certainly pack many of the same specs and components.
What you need to know about Amazon Prime Music
Remember all those rumors about Amazon launching a music streaming service? Well, they were absolutely true: Amazon pulled back the curtain on Prime Music earlier today, which gives paying Prime subscribers access to over a million songs for no additional cost and without a single obnoxious ad in earshot. Amazon Digital Music VP Steve Boom told us that customers have been clamoring for this little development for ages now -- here are a few answers to the burning questions surrounding Amazon's newest media play.
Amazon launches free streaming music service for Prime members
It looks like the rumors were true: Amazon has just launched Amazon Prime Music with a million-plus songs and unlimited streaming with no ads or restrictions. As we noted earlier, the service is free to Prime members (only in the US for now) who've paid $79 to $119 for a subscription, and Amazon clearly hopes that it'll be yet another carrot to lure new subscribers. You'll also be able to download music to listen offline, which will be available on Kindle Fire, iOS, Android and Mac/PC devices anywhere, thanks to Amazon's Cloud Player -- now known as Amazon Music. The site has already been stocked with hundreds of "expertly programmed" playlists like "Powerful Women of Pop" and we were able to successfully sign up and start listening ourselves. Note that while a million songs sounds like a lot, Spotify currently has 20 million songs and Deezer has 30 million. In addition, the site doesn't seem to carry much new music yet, with quite a few songs in the Billboard Top 100 missing. Still, given other Prime perks like free shipping, streaming and the lending library, it might be enough.
This is what Amazon's phone looks like
BGR has posted what it touts as the very first real pics -- OK, renders -- of Amazon's still-unannounced smartphone. If you'll remember the bits we've already heard and seen, one of the phone's most notable features is the inclusion of six cameras: four positioned across the face to enable the 3D and gestures of the OS. The above image certainly seems to confirm the earlier leaks with the position of the screws on the bottom and the smallest hint of the cameras on the face tying up the known details quite nicely. While the pictures finally offer us a better peek at the whole device, material choices are still a mystery. The face and back definitely appear to be glass with a thin metal bezel transitioning into a clown-shoe bumper. We'd also suggest that the back is a tad smaller than the face potentially offering a better fit when in-hand. With just about a month until the big unveil, we'd expect this handset to be completely polished long before the party.
Amazon's Alpha House wins re-election, six new series set to debut
Amazon's Alpha House will return for a second season, with production beginning this summer. The original series, starring John Goodman and three other guys, follows a group of Republican senators living together in Washington, D.C. Season one is currently ready to stream through Instant Video for Amazon Prime subscribers, with the first three episodes available to everyone for free. Amazon also greenlighted six other series from its selection of pilots, including The After, Bosch, Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street, Mozart in the Jungle, Transparent and Wishenpoof. Of course, you'll be shelling out more for Prime by the time any of these go live -- if two-day shipping wasn't enough to justify the price, at least you'll have another batch of fresh content to justify that $99 subscription.
Weekly Roundup: Apple releases iOS 7.1, Amazon raises the price of Prime and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Daily Roundup: Garmin Vivofit review, Amazon raises the price of Prime, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Amazon raising Prime subscriptions by $20 to $99 a year
We suspected a price rise was imminent for Prime subscribers in the US, especially after recent changes in the UK, and now we have the details. When you sign up or renew, you'll be charged an annual rate of $99, versus the steady $79 charge that has been in place since the service first launched. An email to Prime members vaguely attributes the increase to rising fuel and transportation costs, as well as to the general expansion of streaming content and e-book lending. There's a get-out clause if you're quick, however: New subscribers who sign up for a free trial within the next seven days will be able to lock in the old price for a year. Beyond that, there's no good news except that the increase wasn't larger. In what could turn out to be a clever bit of expectation management, Amazon had previously warned that it could raise the subscription by as much as $40.
500px now lets Prime sellers keep most of the cash from their photos
When 500px unveiled its Prime photo licensing store, it stirred up a hornet's nest -- many photographers were outraged that the image host would keep most of the cash from their sales. Give credit to the company for having a change of heart, though. It just launched Prime in beta, and the royalty rates have become much more favorable. While 500px now sells all photos at a $250 flat rate (instead of a $250 minimum), photo owners get 70 percent of that revenue; unless you regularly sell pictures at higher prices, you stand to earn considerably more per shot. You'll have to get an invitation to the beta to give Prime a chance, but the revamped service could be a sweeter deal if you'd make a pittance from rival photo services.
Lovefilm Instant becomes Amazon Prime Instant Video in the UK
Lovefilm Instant subscribers, prepare yourself for a welcome change. After three years flying under its own flag, the European movie streaming service will become part of Amazon's Prime subscription in both the UK and Germany on February 26th, rebranding as Prime Instant Video in the process. That name might sound familiar because it's the exact same package Amazon has been offering US Prime subscribers for the past 36 months. Before Amazon's changes begin kicking in next week, a full year of Prime will cost just £49 (€29) up until launch day (the original cost of Prime's one-day delivery service), rising to £79 (€49) thereafter. If you're an existing subscriber, however, you won't need to pay a penny until your yearly subscription expires. Amazon expects some won't be impressed by Prime, so it'll allow customers to stay on their existing monthly Lovefilm subscription. That means you could sign up for Lovefilm before the changeover to retain streaming for £5.99 a month, but you won't receive the wider benefits of speedy shipping and access to the Kindle Owners' Lending Library if you do. In an effort to rival iTunes and provide a local service that Netflix doesn't, the retail giant will also let customers buy and rent movies, some of which won't be available on Prime Instant Video. It will be accessible to all Amazon customers and carry Amazon's Instant Video branding. Offering both on-demand services as part of one yearly payment may tempt UK consumers to consider Prime over Netflix and Sky's Now TV, and you can bet Amazon will promote its low-cost subscription wherever it can. The company tells us that it is already in the process of rebranding its suite of mobile, console and Smart TV apps. They'll retain all of their original features but expect the familiar white, red and black branding to disappear. Not everything is set to change, however, Lovefilm will continue to run its DVD rental business, ensuring streaming luddites can still get their their entertainment fix via Her Majesty's postal service.
500px will sell your photos if it can keep most of the cash
Serious photographers who host their pictures at 500px will soon get to profit from their skills -- if not quite in they way they'd expect. The company has just unveiled Prime, a licensing store that's theoretically more lucrative than many cut-rate stock photo sites. Every image will carry a minimum $250 license fee, and photos will be ranked based on community reactions. A frequently shared photo may stand out from the pack, for instance. There's only one catch. 500px is only giving sellers a 30 percent commission, regardless of the licensing terms -- that's a considerably smaller cut than some pros are used to, and might not be as rewarding as selling the work directly to customers. Prime may be difficult to justify for full-time shutterbugs, then, but it could prove useful to hobbyists who'd like to earn some extra cash with minimal effort.
Newegg's $50 Premier is like Amazon Prime, but without the video streaming
While Amazon's debating whether or not it should hike Prime subscription fees in the US, now its decision may have to take into consideration a potential competitor. This morning, Newegg introduced Premier, a $50 shipping service that aims to cope with the likes of Amazon Prime. For that yearly fee, Newegg promises to get stuff to your doorstep in three days or less, as well as a number of other benefits including no restocking fees, free returns and dedicated customer service. You will, however, miss out on the Instant Video streaming offered through Prime, but this also means you'll end up saving $29 per year -- which is something that could make sense to folks who are already subscribed to Netflix. Or, there's always Newegg's free option, Super Eggsaver; just be prepared to wait a lot longer for your online purchases to arrive.
Amazon may raise Prime subscription pricing in the US
Amazon Prime has cost $79 per year since it became available -- a bargain given that it covers both speedy shipping and a whole host of media services. Unfortunately, that low pricing might not last for much longer. During a conference call discussing its fourth quarter earnings, the retailer said that it might raise the yearly price of an Amazon Prime subscription in the US by $20 to $40. It's simply getting too expensive to offer everything at the current rate, Amazon says; shipping costs have gone up, and people are using the media services much more often. There's no guarantee that we'll see a price hike, but it's pretty clear that those future Prime Air delivery drones won't pay for themselves.
Amazon tipped to launch online wholesale store called Pantry in 2014
While Amazon has no shortage of rivals, it's now reportedly gearing up to take on big players in the warehouse store business, like Costco. According to USA Today's anonymous sources, Amazon is prepping the launch of an online service called Pantry that'll initially carry around 2,000 common grocery items to be sold at low cost. As long as you're an Amazon Prime member, you'll be able to fill a box up with Pantry goods that the retailer will ship for a nominal fee, assuming you're within the weight limit. Amazon hasn't commented on the report, so while there's no firm word on when you can start shopping in your bathrobe for month-long supplies of canned goods, sources say it'll be sometime in 2014. [Image credit: Mike Seyfang/Flickr]
Amazon now allows you to gift Prime, just in time for the holidays
If you're still looking for gift ideas for that special someone, Amazon is looking to lend a hand. The online retailer has announced that customers can now give a $79 one-year membership to Prime. Recipients will get an email on the day of the giver's choosing with instructions on how to get started. For folks in the US, this means unlimited streaming of certain titles from Prime Instant Video on top of a Kindle book each month from the Owners' Lending Library, Kindle First and free two-day shipping that also come with the annual dues. In a giving mood? Jump down to that first source link below to add 12 months of access to your shopping cart.
Amazon begins deliveries to US and UK customers on a Sunday
If you can't wait for the working week to begin again in order to receive your latest delivery, Amazon has some good news for you. The company says it has teamed up with the US Postal Service (USPS) to deliver packages to all customers on Sundays, starting this week in New York and Los Angeles. Amazon's so excited that "now every day is an Amazon delivery day" it'll expand its service to include customers in Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Phoenix and other US cities within the next year. There's no word on whether the company intends to bring extended weekend deliveries to other countries, so for now, people living in Amazon's first two test cities will be the only customers seeing the new Sunday delivery promise when they go to checkout. Update: The Wall Street Journal reports that Londoners will get Sunday deliveries too. Amazon is set to use its own vehicles to deliver packages "later this month." We've also updated the article to show that, contrary to wording in Amazon's press release, Sunday deliveries will be available to everyone -- not just Prime members.
Amazon green-lights five kids shows, assures that parents will never see their Kindle Fires again
Amazon's officially pumped its original programming push up to 11. The mega-retailer's studio has just green-lit five kids series, enlisting the help of some of the industry's top creators. The list includes Teeny Tiny Dogs, produced by The Jim Henson Company, Creative Galaxy, created by Blues Clues' Angela Santomero and Oz Adventures, based on the classic L. Frank Baum books. Once production is wrapped, the shows will be available for free on Amazon Instant Video, Prime Instant Video, Lovefilm UK and Lovefilm Germany. More info on the shows can be found in a press release after the break.
Amazon Prime arrives in Canada: Free two-day shipping, no Instant Video
Canadians can now register for Amazon Prime and get free two-day shipping on eligible orders for $79 a year. As a welcome, the company's giving new sign-ups a free one-month trial to reel them in -- unless they live in Quebec. Unfortunately, our northern neighbors won't be picking up Instant Video, with Amazon Canada's Steve Oliver telling The Canadian Press that there are no plans for the video service to join Prime there any time soon.
Amazon, A&E deal brings Pawn Stars, Storage Wars and Dance Moms to Prime Instant Video
Those in need of another reason to stare at their computer screen for long stretches of time will be pleased to learn that Amazon has struck a deal with A&E Networks that'll be bringing shows from its titular network, along with History, Bio and Lifetime to the online retailer's Prime Instant Video service. Amongst the arty entertainment offerings are Pawn Stars, Storage Wars and Dance Moms, which users will be able to consume en masse on a number of devices including the iPad, iPhone, Roku, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U.
