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USPS made an ornament that displays package tracking updates (updated)
Shipping presents to loved ones during the busy holiday months can be a stressful endeavor, but the US Postal Service is testing something new this year that puts a seasonal spin on the task. Officially called "The Most Wonderful Ornament," the Christmas decoration changes color as the the status of your package is updated. When your package is out for delivery, the ornament lights up blue. Red means the box has been dropped off and green will glow when the recipient has opened it.
Amazon plans to streamline shipping with an app for truckers
Uber may have already jumped into the logistics and trucking business with its purchase of Otto's self-driving truck platform, but as one of the biggest shippers in the country, Amazon can't afford to sit back on its heels. As Business Insider reports today, Jeff Bezos and company are building their own in-house "Uber for trucking" app meant to connect truck drivers with cargo and secure Amazon's place in a massive $800 billion industry.
US couriers issue strict guidelines for returning your Galaxy Note 7
If you can't walk into your carrier's store to turn in a Galaxy Note 7 in person, you'll have to ask them for Samsung's fire-proof box and wait for it to come in. FedEx and UPS have announced that they won't ship out the phone unless it's inside one of the special containers Samsung has prepared for it. This container is actually comprised of several boxes you'll have to stack like a Russian doll, though the outermost one is lined with ceramic fiber designed to keep potential fires under control. Meanwhile, the US Postal Service will accept your shipment, so long as it's inside hard cardboard or plastic boxes.
Amazon launches 'Prime Air' with a cargo plane, not a drone
The first time we heard about Prime Air it was emblazoned on drones Jeff Bezos showed off for 60 Minutes in 2013. Now Amazon is revealing the logo on a flying machine that operates on a much larger scale. Amazon One is just one of its 11 dedicated planes, and the Boeing 767-300 will be flying this weekend at a Seattle airshow. The company says that maintaining its own air cargo network -- the planes are leased from shipping partners, with plans to expand to 40 over the next couple of years -- will help it keep shipping speeds up.
Amazon explores using street lights as delivery drone perches
Amazon's Prime Air delivery drones already have a glaring problem: how do you keep them charged and sheltered when dedicated facilities are likely to be few and far between? The company has an idea. It recently received a patent for a "UAV docking station" concept that would offer a temporary perch for drones in need. If a drone runs low on battery or needs to take shelter from an impending storm, it would only have to travel to a station on top of a street light, cell tower, church steeple or another high-up location. The drone could even drop off a package for another drone, turning a delivery into an aerial relay race.
FAA fines Amazon for two more shipments of unlabeled chemicals
Last week, the FAA announced a $350,000 fine for Amazon after the retailer mishandled chemical shipments that resulted in injuries to UPS workers. Today, the agency hit the company with two more fines totaling $130,000 for similar incidents. In 2014, Amazon shipped separate packages, corrosive rust remover and a flammable gas used to clean air conditioners without properly labeling the boxes or sending along the required paperwork. Failure to do so violates the FAA's hazardous materials guidelines. The box containing Rid O' Rust Stain Preventer Acid leaked through, but there were no injuries reported.
Walmart tests two-day shipping to compete with Amazon Prime (updated)
A key advantage that Amazon has over other online retailers is the free two-day shipping included with a Prime subscription. According to The Wall Street Journal, retail giant Walmart wants in on the e-commerce and quick shipping game as well. The company was already testing the concept with its ShippingPass option that handled three-day shipping for those willing to pay $49 a year. Now, starting Thursday, those members will get two-day delivery for the same price. Of course, that's half of what Amazon's $99 annual Prime subscription costs. Amazon's plan includes other extras, though, like streaming streaming music, video and more.
Coolest Cooler asks backers for more money
Coolest Cooler is the latest proof that there are a lot of interesting ideas on Kickstarter from companies that lack a plan to execute them. The company set a funding record in 2014 with $13 million for a do-it-all cooler with a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, USB charger, cutting board and blender. However, it burned through the entire amount after shipping just a third of the products, showing that the tempting $185 price tag was way too generous. To complete orders, the company now says that existing backers (who already paid the full Kickstarter price) will have to pony up another $97 for "expedited" shipping of their Coolest Coolers.
Amazon Prime same-day delivery expands to 11 more US cities
You know what's better than free two-day shipping? Free same-day shipping, and folks in 11 more US metro areas can now take advantage of Amazon's speedy delivery times. Prime members in Charlotte, Cincinnati, Fresno, Louisville, Milwaukee, Nashville, central New Jersey, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Stockton, and Tucson are now privy to free same-day shipping on over a million items. For those keeping track at home, the latest additions bring the tally to 27 cities for the online retailer's quick delivery. There is a $35 order minimum, so you'll want to keep that in mind if you're hoping to receive something before the end of the day.
HTC starts shipping its Vive virtual reality headset
Oculus may have gotten a little head start by shipping its Rift virtual reality headset almost two weeks ago, but HTC's VR gadget is heading to customers today. The HTC Vive is heading out to folks who pre-ordered the $799 device that arrives with two location sensors and a pair of wireless controllers. The company confirmed reports of payment processing issues a few days ago, promising to send out shipments based on position in the pre-order queue. Of course, Oculus is facing shipping delays of its own due to "unexpected component shortage."
Pirates hacked a shipping firm to find boats to raid
Seaborne pirates just borrowed a page from their land-based counterparts. A Verizon security report has revealed that raiders hacked a shipping company's content management system to determine which ships were worth boarding, and where the valuable cargo was located. They not only knew when to launch a raid, but the exact crates they had to pry open -- they could get in, steal the cargo they want and leave without the risk of a days-long, Captain Philips-style hostage situation.
Amazon pushes its free shipping minimum to $49
Amazon has increased the minimum price of an order that qualifies for free shipping from $35 to $49, unless you're buying more than $25 worth of books. The last time that the cost went up was the back end of 2013, when it was bumped by $10 from $25 to $35. Of course, shipping is free if you opt to pay $99 a year for Prime, which has whip-fast shipping as well as music and video streaming. As well as pushing people toward the paid service, TechCrunch points out that Amazon has been feeling some pain of late. In its latest financials, the company reported that its logistics costs had increased by nearly 33 percent in a single year. So, really, we're all paying the price for our insatiable lust for instant deliveries.
Weather could keep delivery drones on the ground
A key threat to delivery drones isn't regulation, it's weather. DHL cancelled a demonstration of its package-toting UAV this week due to snow and a drop in temperatures. The shipping company was originally scheduled to show off a drone that can drop off 2-kilogram packages (around 4.5 pounds) at lockers. This proposed solution is different from the delivery aspirations of Amazon and others that plan to leave orders at your door.
Get an Amazon Prime subscription for $73 this weekend
Making Mozart in the Jungle free to watch this weekend isn't the only way Amazon is celebrating those Golden Globe wins. Starting tonight at midnight ET and running through 11:59 PM local time on Sunday, Prime memberships will cost $73 for new customers, down from the regular $99 annual rate. In addition to two-day shipping on a truckload of items (like soda in glass bottles), the subscription also gets you Prime Music, Photos and Video. There's the recently-added 20-percent discount on games and those handy Dash buttons, too. Opting in gives you access to Amazon's other original series like Man in the High Castle and Transparent as well. [Image credit: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Amazon]
Amazon is getting into the oceanic freight shipping game
Virtually every product produced in Asia comes to the US by boat and, as such, oceanic shipping has become a $350 billion industry. Now, Amazon wants a piece of that action. The online mega-retailer's China division has been awarded clearance by the Federal Maritime Commission to conduct ocean freight services as a licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary. That means it can legally ship goods for other companies. The new service, dubbed Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), won't do much directly for individual consumers. However, it will allow Amazon's Chinese partners to more easily and cost-effectively get their products across the Pacific and into said customers waiting hands.
Amazon is reportedly leasing jets to power shipping network
Amazon-branded trailers aren't all the online retailer has planned to improve is shipping network. The Seattle Times reports that Jeff Bezos & Co. are in talks to lease a fleet of Boeing jets to handle the air cargo duties. As the company looks to avoid the headaches of using UPS and other carriers, it has already put a group of trailers on the road to carry loads to its distribution centers.
Shyp now lets you send packages without entering an address
Shyp, the smartphone app that finds you the cheapest courier and even boxes up your deliveries, has just been redesigned. On top of an aesthetic overhaul, the biggest change is that you no longer need to enter your recipient's address when you want to send them something. Instead, your recipient can create a username with that information, which you just need to enter to complete the delivery. The Shyp app will also sync with your address book and auto-populate any of your existing contacts.
Uber's latest service delivers just about anything in minutes
Those rumors of Uber launching a general-purpose delivery service, rather than the niche options it had before? They're true. Meet UberRush, an option that lets you order most anything from local shops and get it in a matter of minutes. Theoretically, this eliminates the need to run out whenever you need something -- you just ask a courier to do it for you. Stores have to sign up for this to work (and use a common online shopping platform like ChowNow or Shopify), but there are already "hundreds" of them ready to go. The main catch? Right now, UberRush is only available in Chicago, New York City and San Francisco. You may have to wait longer before these rapid-fire deliveries are available in other cities and countries.
Amazon's one-hour delivery service arrives in Seattle (updated)
You'd think that Amazon would have been quick to offer its super-fast Prime Now delivery service in its home territory of Seattle, but nope -- it's just getting around to correcting that seeming oversight. The company has confirmed part of a recent scoop by launching Prime Now in both Seattle as well as nearby locales like Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond (hi, Microsoft!). As before, how much you spend depends on just how urgently you need your order. It's free (outside of your Prime subscription, of course) if you can afford to wait up to two hours, while one-hour shipping will cost you $8. The expansion still leaves much of the US without Prime Now, but this is still a big step toward covering America's larger urban hubs. Update: It's important to note that this also marks Amazon's return to delivering alcohol -- you can get wine and other tipsy drinks through Prime Now.
Pebble's Time Steel smartwatch ships to backers at month's end
While Pebble Time on its way to backers and available for pre-order, the company's metal-clad smartwatch is also scheduled to arrive soon. Via Kickstarter update, Pebble announced that production of the Time Steel is set to begin this week with the goal of shipping the gadgets to backers at the end of the month. It'll take some time to send out all of the units, but even the folks at the end of the line should receive tracking info by the end of August. However, due to limited availability, some backers may receive their metal bands in a separate shipment, rather than both a leather and metal band bundled with the watch itself. What's more, when the Time Steel hits retail, the metal bands will be separate purchase, so plan accordingly.
