Amazon

Amazon Key to deliver into your home when you’re not there

Since Amazon Prime, Amazon has added a series of new options to make delivery faster and more convenient for its customers. Not long ago, we heard of the drones Amazon was using to drop off packages in customers’ backyards. The latest announcement by Amazon is that they will operate an in-home delivery service, which has had mixed responses. The new service will be available in the US from November 8^th in 37 different locations, and it’s only open to Prime customers. Read on to find out more:

Amazon Prime lets you get same-day delivery and some purchases can even be dropped off in 1-2 hours. If customers won’t be home when their package arrives, they can ask for it to be sent to one of the Amazon lockers in their local convenience store. Looking for something even more convenient? Amazon’s got you! The latest idea Amazon have come up with is dropping off packages safely inside the homes of their customers. Yes, you read right.

The novel service is called Amazon key, and works with Amazon’s new Cloud Cam and the compatible smart lock. Here’s how it works:

The Amazon courier arrives with your package for in-home delivery, scans the barcode and sends a request to Amazon’s cloud with a feature called Unlock.
Amazon then carries out a check to ensure it’s the right person trying to enter your home, and to the right address.
This lets the courier in and the drop-off footage is recorded for you to see.
Amazon will keep access codes secure from staff, and your home will need to be securely locked until they are able to access the next one.

It’s not only a delivery service that Amazon Key proposes. Want your home cleaned while you’re away? Amazon Key is offering a home service deal too, along with live camera footage so you can always see what’s going on. It’s definitely an intriguing concept but there will evidently be a lot of concerns for customers to weigh out before splurging on the service.

Peter Larsen, Vice President of Delivery Technology, Amazon, says: “Amazon Key gives customers peace of mind knowing their orders have been safely delivered to their homes and are waiting for them when they walk through their doors.”

Would you let Amazon deliver inside your home? We’re interested to see how popular the Amazon key service is, especially as most may find it intrusive, and you’ll have to fork out $249.99 for the Amazon Cloud Cam key for it to work.

Want to keep up with the latest tech news? We’ve got you covered at www.laptopoutletblog.co.uk.

November 2, 2017 0 comment

Amazon

BMW integrating Amazon’s Alexa in 2018

German car manufacturer BMW announced yesterday that Alexa will be integrated into BMWs and some Minis from mid-2018. A BMW executive stated: “It’s a complete, comprehensive set of internet capabilities that is available inside your vehicle”.

Microphones will be fixed in the car for the integration to work and Alexa’s visual display will operate on the internal head unit of the car. Alexa will let BMW and Mini owners ask questions, call, play music and control smart home products, so there’s no need to stop and use your smartphone while on-the-go. It’ll be integrated into the infotainment system for the cars so there’s no need to download a separate app for it to function.

Left your smartphone at home? You won’t need to rush back because it’s not required for Alexa to work in the car because the BMWs and selected Minis will include a built-in SIM card!

Source: BMW Blog

It’s not the first time BMW and Amazon have worked together, and it’s also not the first time Alexa is integrated into a car. At CES 2017, Ford introduced a line of cars that lets users sync their Alexa device to unlock or start their car using voice commands.

BMW’s Senior Vice President of Digital Services and Business Models, Dieter May, said:

“By making this step and integrating Alexa into our models from 2018, BMW and MINI will form a more intrinsic part of our customers’ digital lifestyles. Voice control first featured in BMW Group cars many years ago, and we are now enhancing its functionality by adding a digital ecosystem, which will open up all sorts of new possibilities that customers can access quickly, easily and safely from their car.”

The integration of Alexa in BMWs means you can use its functions on-the-go as well as at home. We’re already excited for its release in mid-2018! Keep up to date with this and more of the latest tech news at www.laptopoutletblog.co.uk.

September 28, 2017 0 comment

Amazon

How voice technology is changing computing

The fast emerging expansion of voice technology is transforming computing by providing a natural way of interaction for users. Voice technology allows computers to be more useful than they have ever been, and allows users to operate computers without the need for complex keyboard commands. Controlling computers with the human voice has had issues in the past, with different tones and accents not being understood, however the advancing capabilities of once mediocre voice technology assistants are apparent.

Surprisingly, it’s not smartphones that are leading the way in voice technology – Amazon Echo takes that prize! Amazon Echo is a home-based device which answers to the name Alexa; its features include playing music tracks and radio stations, telling jokes, answering trivia questions and controlling smart appliances.

There is a growing interest in the convenience of voice technology, however it isn’t always enough alone, and the option for users to type is still needed. Amazon has plans to include a built-in screen in an Echo device. Greg Hart, the Vic President of Amazon Echo says:

“The customer response to Amazon Echo has been incredibly positive, and we’ve been working hard to build more as quickly as possible. We are grateful to our early customers for their incredible engagement and for providing us with invaluable feedback to help shape Echo as it evolves—with their help, we’ve been able to add features like Audible, Pandora, home automation, sports scores, calendar, and more. We’re excited to get Echo into the hands of even more customers and continue to invent new features and experiences.”

It’s not only Amazon Echo that’s changing the face of computing through voice technology. Apple’s Siri has a massive 2 billion commands every week. Google search is also transforming with the growth of voice technology. 20% of all Google searches on Android headsets are now by voice input. The growth in voice technology is due to it becoming more advanced; users can now dictate emails and texts reliably, a huge transformation from before.

There is also the issue of privacy concerns with voice assistants, because as soon as you vocalise personal information, you’re at the risk of it being available to third parties. Also, many think that Amazon is doing too much with the quickly progressing abilities of Alexa and the drone deliveries. Amazon’s goal is to get buyers to buy more products, so it’s amusing to think that casually mentioning you’re out of something like fairy liquid, would mean that Alexa will have your credit card automatically billed, and a drone will drop it off at your door.

The success of Amazon’s Echo and Siri shows that people are becoming more comfortable with talking to screens. We’re wondering how long it will be before voice assistants can have meaningful conversations with users. Keep up with the latest tech news at www.laptopoutletblog.co.uk

January 24, 2017 0 comment

Amazon

Amazon $100 Tablet For Kids Tempting Parents To Switch

When it comes to a tabloid, no company can beat the iPad, especially for the little ones. Apple has been quite successful in developing some of the most loved games and educational applications for children. The reason why parents lean towards the iPad is all the applications and games are quite age appropriate, and they have a huge selection in the App Store. To date, Amazon has a strategy to launch a tabloid that is far more affordable than the iPad, make its software children friendly and to top it off, they are concentrating on eliminating all those concerns parents have over its hardware damage.

But, as of today, along with a number of new, low priced Fire tabloids and the Fire TV being upgraded, the Amazon Company is more than happy to announce Fire tablet, kids edition, has now been upgraded. Not only that, the tabloid can be bought for under $100 which features a kid-proof case. Although the previous ones also had this case, but the new one has been updated to make it more durable.

For all those parents who might have one or two kids around the house, and they have now updated them to an iPad 2 – that could have a cracked bezel after a number of drops – from the all original iPad one that was all tucked inside a case, the idea that there can be an all kids-friendly tablet is quite intriguing and appealing. The idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a Fire tablet with the availability of the iPad in the market was simply quite not appealing in the past. The iPad has a way better selection of children’s applications in the market, and even with a few cracks in the screen, the tablet seems to work quite well. But now Amazon seems to have turned the tables around in their favor with the latest launch.

When Amazon launched its kids tablet the last year, there was a lot going on. Although they offered a number of features and a year long subscription, the tablets were over a hundred dollars and the people were not pleased with the idea of buying a Fire device that wasn’t quite durable enough. But this update they have made in their Fire Kids Edition makes parent want to buy junior this tablet. Though there are some minor changes to the tablet, but it looks more appealing with the new packaging and updated kids friendly version. And to top it off, now that Amazon has dropped the prices of their Kid’s Fire devices from above $100 to under, parents are now leaning towards purchasing this touchscreen computer for their little ones.

But the real kicker to this is they get an entire year of FreeTime Unlimited; this is the biggest factor to what is making parents buy an Amazon device. But all in all, it is a gadget value for money.

September 28, 2015 0 comment

Amazon

Amazon Beats Netflix To Offline Movie And TV Show Streaming

Producing powerful content and snagging aren’t the only ways to go while you make an attempt to differentiate you from your rival’s streaming service. This battle goes a long way than you think, therefore you need to take all measures to improve access to the mentioned content.

Amazon did exactly that; it beat the all famous Netflix at its own game. The subscribers of Prime Video were given the good news that they will be able to download certain TV shows and movies and watch them even when there is no internet connection. This streaming service is available to nearly all mobile devices. While Amazon made this huge achievement, their rival company Netflix failed to do the same.

Earlier, this streaming feature was available on Fire devices only; the feature has been there for some time now. But as of now, this service has been expanded to Android and iOS users respectively. Now the users of Android and iOS platforms will be able to stream videos offline and no additional cost will be charged. On the other hand, the users of Netflix had been clamoring about this feature.

With the addition of this new feature, Amazon now has a leg up in the race of video streaming. Furthermore, Amazon seized the chance to make the point that Netflix has failed to offer any such service – which is absolutely correct on their part. Netflix has certainly been outwitted by Amazon with the addition of this feature.

But little do you know, not every video will be available for offline playback. However, the subset contains a decent list which includes Amazon’s originals Transparent, Bosch and Mozart in the jungle – as they were expected to be. As naturally as was expected that Amazon’s own original content would be easily downloadable, they have made a little more effort to include a number of HBO shows in the list including The Wire. Surprisingly, even HOB’s own subscribers aren’t allowed to do that – which is a big win on Amazon’s part.

The downloaded content can be viewed for nearly 15 days to a month. Once that time is over, the movie or show gets deleted from your device automatically.

There is no doubt to the fact that this feature can really come in handy. One obvious example is Flights. Mainly, the in-flight Wi-Fi is not strong enough to support any content streaming. Having said that, the feature has its own benefits even when it comes to your daily activities. There are many places like the subway where you won’t find any internet connection. You can stream songs and listen to them while riding the subway. Other places being where there is a weak data connection, this feature can work heaps in your favor.

How convenient it would be to beat boredom at places where you can’t make much use of your mobile device because you are either out of data connection range or it’s too weak. But this video and show streaming feature from Amazon will certainly allow you to kill time in an entertaining way.

September 21, 2015 0 comment