Amazon releases Prime Video Mac app, allowing offline downloads, but not 4K

Why it matters: This week Amazon released a version of its Prime Video app on macOS, making it the first major streaming service to have a Mac app. Its functionality is similar to other versions but offers a download option for offline viewing. Starting this week, the Apple App Store page for the Amazon Prime Video …

Consumer Protection Agency orders US tech giants to hand over data on payment systems

What just happened? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has ordered several of the largest tech companies in the US to hand over information about how they use personal payments data and manage access to consumers’ payment information so the agency can ensure consumers are being adequately protected. Request were initially sent to Apple, Amazon, Facebook, PayPal, …

Amazon reportedly working on a smart fridge that tracks its contents

In brief: It seems Amazon is adding smart fridges to its extensive product line. According to a new report, Project Pulse will use some of the same technology found in Amazon Go stores, allowing it to track food items inside the fridge and order more when supplies run low. Insider writes that the company has been working on …

Dutch Amazon is listing the 12900K, 12700K, and 12600K

In a nutshell: Dutch Amazon has become the latest retailer to list part of the Alder Lake series ahead of their launch. Although the listing doesn’t purport to be selling the CPUs, unlike some questionable Chinese listings, it confirms prior information about packaging and includes new pricing information. By now, you’re probably familiar with Alder Lake, …

Amazon Astro developers claim the robot is “a disaster that’s not ready for release”

In brief: Amazon has just introduced its new Astro home robot, and it's already being targeted by controversy. According to leaked documents and developers who helped build Astro, the robot still has major flaws that shouldn't be well-accepted by those who spend $1,000 or more to buy one. When designing Astro, it's clear that Amazon was aiming …

Amazon Astro brings a personal robot into your home

The big picture: We’ve been talking and thinking about robots for decades now. Between Isaac Asimov’s seminal science fiction writing on the subject, Star Wars heroes R2-D2, C-3PO, and BB-8, and the innumerable other movies, TV shows, comics, and other media that they’ve inspired, robots have become a part of mainstream culture. But, despite grandiose …

Amazon overhauls Kindle e-reader interface offering easy-to-use features

What just happened? Amazon's latest software update for the Kindle e-reader comes with a significant interface refresh. The update changes the home screen, library view, and settings to make reaching specific options easier. More interface upgrades are coming later this year. The update (version 5.13.7) is for eighth-generation Kindles or above and seventh-generation or newer Kindle …

Amazon planning to monitor customer service workers’ keyboard and mouse strokes

Why it matters: According to an internal Amazon document obtained by Vice, the company plans to use increasingly close surveillance measures on its customer service workers to better detect outside actors who try to access customer data. Amazon thinks this surveillance is sorely needed in a time when more Amazon employees are working from home. According to …

Give Amazon your palm print and receive $10 in credit

Through the looking glass: Have you ever thought of selling your biometrics to a tech company? Well, now you can, as Amazon will be giving $10 for those who scan their palm in one of the company's checkout-free stores and link it to your Amazon account. When Amazon One launched in September 2020, only two Amazon Go stores …

Amazon hit with record $885 million fine for violating EU privacy rules

Why it matters: The previous record holder for the highest fine received for GDPR violations was Google who received a €50 million penalty. However, Amazon was recently fined an eye-watering €746 million, signaling that violating privacy rules in the EU is getting a lot more expensive as time goes by. Amazon seems to be doing relatively …