Amazon

Study shows Apple TV fell to fourth most popular streaming device in U.S. last year

Cody Lee ∙ August 20, 2015

The Apple TV fell to the spot of the fourth most popular streaming media device in the US last year, according to a newly-released study by Parks Associates. The research firm says that sales for Apple's set-top box were eclipsed by those from Roku, Google and Amazon.

"Roku continues to lead streaming media device sales in the U.S.," said Barbara Kraus, the director of research at Parks Associates. Their data shows that Roku accounted for 34% of units sold in 2014, with Google in second at 23%, and Amazon overtaking Apple for third.

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Amazon launches dedicated iOS app for its Cloud Drive service

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 6, 2015

Online retail giant Amazon on Monday launched a brand new application in the App Store to give iPhone and iPad owners a quick way to access their documents, spreadsheets, music, photos and videos stored in Cloud Drive, Amazon's storage locker in the cloud.

The new app, called Amazon Cloud Drive, is available at no charge in the App Store. For the uninitiated, Amazon's Cloud Drive service offers you a choice between unlimited storage for your photos in exchange for twelve bucks per year, or $60 per year for an Unlimited Everything plan.

A free 90-day trial of Cloud Drive is available here.

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Amazon removed as a Cydia payment option

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

If you've tried to make a purchase on Cydia lately, you may have noticed one big difference with the available payment options. Amazon is no longer available as a means to make payment, leaving only PayPal as an option.

For me, this is really unfortunate, because Amazon allowed you to authorize a set number of dollars in advance, making it easy to make multiple Cydia purchases over a period of months without necessitating a reauth. I've never been a fan of PayPal and its business practices, but I also hate how cumbersome it can be to simply log in to PayPal.

As of today, we're down to a single option for Cydia purchases, but that could be changing soon.

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Kindle update adds new font and a number of readability enhancements

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 27, 2015

Amazon's Kindle for iOS app received an update this morning adding new features for “faster reading, less eye strain.”

Kindle 4.9 for the iPhone and iPad now includes larger font sizes, in addition to an exclusive new font that was specifically crafted for prolonged reading on digital screens.

The application now does hyphenation and has smoother word spacing, with layouts that dynamically adapt drop caps, text and images as you change fonts and adjust font sizes.

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Audible audiobooks service gains support for Apple’s CarPlay in latest update

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 18, 2015

Audible, an audiobooks service owned by Amazon, pushed a major update to its iPhone and iPad application this morning which added CarPlay functionality along with a couple nice-to-have improvements in the app's iOS edition.

After downloading today's update, the Audible app will automatically appear on the dashboard of CarPlay-enabled vehicles and those supporting CarPlay via aftermarket solutions from Pioneer, Alpine and other companies.

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Amazon’s Lightning cable gives you six feet of charging flexibility for cheap

Lory Gil ∙ May 1, 2015

Apple’s included Lightning cable just seems to fall short of useful. Maybe that is because it is too short. The charging cable that comes with your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is only about 3 feet long. If your wall plug is right next to your bed, then you will be OK, but otherwise, you need extra feet.

Amazon makes an MFi-certified Lightning cable that is six feet long, twice the length of Apple’s. So, if you need the extra length, or just want a second cable, Amazon has you covered.

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Amazon’s Instant Video for iOS can now stream content in HD and over cellular

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 30, 2015

Amazon's Instant Video client for the iPhone and iPad has received an update Thursday, bumping version number to 3.0 and bringing out several improvements to streaming video quality.

Users can now stream Instant Video content on their iOS device through their carrier's cellular network while controlling their mobile data usage settings. In addition, the ability to watch video streams in high-definition has been added, too.

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Amazon launches survival horror game ‘Lost Within’ for iOS

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Amazon's Game Studios made good on its promise today to bring mobile games to iOS, launching Lost Within in the App Store. The title falls in the 'survival horror' genre, costs $6.99, and supports both the iPhone and iPad.

Set within an abandoned asylum that “holds a horrific secret,” Lost Within tasks players with solving mysteries, fighting monstrous inhabitants and using stealth tactics to sneak down haunted hallways in an effort to survive.

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Apple said to currently not have 4K plans for new Apple TV

Jake Smith ∙ April 5, 2015

So you thought the new 4K television you paid ridiculous amounts of money for during Christmas was going to be supported by Apple soon enough? Sorry bud, maybe a couple more years.

Apple scoopster John Paczkowski of Buzzfeed reports that when Apple's next-generation Apple TV is released to the market later this year, it will lack 4K video capability, even as the television industry grasps onto the new technology that provides a more detailed and immersive viewing experience.

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Amazon offers to store all your files for $60 per year, or just photos for 99 cents per month

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 26, 2015

Amazon has just upped the ante in the cloud-storage arena by announcing Thursday a pair of disruptive cloud storage plans, with a new Unlimited Everything tier available to store as many photographs, video clips and documents as you possibly have, for a flat fee of sixty bucks per year, a massive price reduction over previous prices.

Another, lower-priced tier called Unlimited Photos will keep an unlimited number of photos backed up in the Amazon cloud, and up to five gigabytes of videos and files, in exchange for twelve bucks per year, or just 99 cents per month.

Both new plans store your files securely on Amazon's Cloud Drive services and are available now on the web.

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New Amazon commercial says Kindle Fire HD is twice as durable as iPad mini 3

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2016

Forget about side-by-side software and hardware comparison, Apple's iPad mini 3 is twice as likely to break into pieces should it slip out of your hand than Amazon's Kindle Fire HD.

That's the key message of Amazon's latest television commercial which paints its tablet “twice as durable” as the iPad mini 3.

The 30-second video, which shows the Kindle Fire HD being subjected to various durability tests, is meant to reinforce the notion that Amazon tablets are sturdier than Apple's.

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