Google’s crackdown on in-app billing on Android has resulted in changes to quite a few apps. Now, the main Amazon Shopping app for Android has removed the ability to purchase digital content on Android.
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Ad-supported streaming services have a limited barrier of entry, and Amazon’s iMDb TV service has offered a solid catalog and wide availability across Google TV and various other platforms. Now, Amazon has announced that iMDb TV will become “Freevee” this month.
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Amazon’s Fire TV platform is built on top of Android, just like the company’s tablets – this adds a lot of flexibility to the platform, but with its latest update, Amazon seems to be going out of its way to block Android launchers on Fire TV.
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Roku has been battling Google for the past few months over YouTube and YouTube TV, but it seems that may not be the only fight. According to a new report, Roku and Amazon may also be feuding over access to user data, which could have effects on Prime Video and other services if things go down the same path as they have with Google.
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In an effort to move away from third-party cookies, Google is working on rolling out the Federated Learning of Cohorts, better known as FLoC, to Chrome users. The initiative has been highly controversial, with several online companies publicly opposing it. Amazon, though, has quietly started blocking FLoC on its site and properties.
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Google and Amazon are the two biggest players when it comes to smart speakers and displays, and today, Amazon has refreshed its popular Echo Show lineup for 2021. It’s got us thinking — is Google falling behind?
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Despite being the world’s largest e-commerce retailer, Amazon’s mobile app has always been a bit of a hot mess. After redesigning its app icon earlier this month, Amazon has now given its Android app a minor redesign with better navigation through a bottom bar layout.
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The Amazon app is used by millions but is also notoriously awful in terms of design and functionality. Now, the Android version of the app is getting a bit of a facelift, but only with a new Amazon icon for your homescreen.
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In the wake of the shutdown of Google’s Stadia Games and Entertainment division, Amazon’s new CEO has shared his commitment to the company’s efforts to create video games.
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Over the past couple of years, Google-owned Waze has been building out a collection of music partnerships that allow control directly within the Waze app. Now, Amazon Music is joining Waze.
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Nearly a year after Google Stadia’s debut, the rumors of Amazon’s competitor have come true. Amazon “Luna” is the company’s new cloud-gaming service, coming soon.
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Considering how janky the experience can be on some of the older Amazon Fire tablets, the lack of “real” support and general bargain basement experience, only the recent models have managed to get our seal of approval. However, if you own an older 2018 Fire HD 8, 2017’s Fire HD 7, and 2019’s Fire 7 tablet, the Android Pie-based Fire OS 7 is now available to download.
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Amazon on Monday started taking preorders for the Pixel 4a even before the phone was officially announced. Google’s mid-range phone is now “Currently unavailable” from the online retailer after becoming a “#1 Best Seller.”
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In light of Google Stadia and Microsoft xCloud, Amazon’s entry into the game streaming field as a large cloud provider is not surprising. A new report details Amazon’s gaming interest with a competitor to Stadia and original content.
Smart home devices have become much more popular over the last several years, thanks in part to the smart speakers and displays Google and Amazon have been releasing to the market. Today, Google has announced that it will join forces with Amazon, Apple, and others to create a new standard for smart home connectivity.
Google Assistant is bar none the best when it comes to voice assistants, and it comes in some great hardware packages, too. The Google Home series has some great designs, and the recent Nest Hub smart displays are good-looking. However, Google just doesn’t seem as interested in experimenting with Assistant hardware as Amazon is with Alexa, and sometimes I really wish it was.
Gmail finally started rolling out its dark theme today, but other important stories of the day included a leak of Amazon’s new earbuds, changes to the Lyft app, and also the news that Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot is heading to some businesses.
The Sony Xperia 1 is a device that’s known best for its super-tall 21:9 display. Today, Amazon has announced that the Xperia 1 will be its latest Alexa hands-free smartphone, and it’s going to be $100 off to celebrate.
Smart speakers are inherently terrifying to many users. After all, a speaker with microphones could gather a lot of data on you. Now, a report has revealed that Google’s competitor Amazon is apparently giving a team of Alexa “reviewers” access to customer data including their location and audio clips.
Last year, Amazon made waves in the smart home space by acquiring Ring for over $1 billion. Known for home security doorbells, a new report today claims that the company has a lax stance towards privacy that allowed more employees than seemingly necessary to access customers’ live camera feeds.
The petty feud between Google and Amazon have resulted in a lot of headaches for consumers, but one of the biggest has revolved around the Chromecast. For years, the product has been unavailable from the world’s largest online retailer. Today, though, the Chromecast is finally available from Amazon once again.
Android TV is slowly making a comeback, and Amazon wants in, despite recent overt competition between the two tech giants. To dip its toes in the water, Amazon is starting by creating an Amazon Music app for Android TV.
While Google offers its own option for buying and reading e-books on Android, Amazon’s Kindle service is still the most popular option for that on the market today. Now, the Android app is finally adding split-screen support, as well as announcing a new feature.
Just like with Microsoft’s Cortana, you can now set Amazon Alexa as the default on your Google Pixel 2 and many other Android handsets. If you aren’t a fan of Google Assistant, here’s how to change your default voice assistant to Alexa on the Google Pixel 2.
