1 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content
The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.
The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.

Amazon Archive

Archives for August 2024

Amazon’s new Alexa voice assistant will use Claude AIAmazon’s new Alexa voice assistant will use Claude AI
The Rings of Power season 2 is an even stronger expansion of Tolkien’s mythos

Amazon’s Lord of the Rings show continues to be phenomenal in ways that only a truly wild budget could make possible.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Taylor Swift’s podcaster boyfriend has a new deal with AmazonTaylor Swift’s podcaster boyfriend has a new deal with Amazon
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Amazon’s new Alexa AI subscription could launch in mid-October.

The Post cites internal documents saying the voice assistant’s upgrades could include daily “Smart Briefing” AI-generated news summaries to drive more “recurrent engagement.” Other features like asking users about their preferences, and tracking sales of Amazon products could also help Amazon turn around losses in its devices business.

The documents also said Project Metis, Amazon’s rumored web-based ChatGPT competitor, could launch alongside it.

Amazon aims to launch delayed AI Alexa subscription in October

[The Washington Post]

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
You can now stream Xbox games on more Amazon TV devices.

The Xbox TV app is now available on Amazon’s first-gen Fire TV Stick 4K Max and the third-gen Fire TV Cube. The Xbox app was first available for an initial set of Amazon devices last month.

Promotional art for the additional Amazon devices that can now use the Xbox TV app.
Image: Xbox
Ring’s flexible Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is on sale for the first time todayRing’s flexible Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is on sale for the first time today
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
NLRB says delivery drivers are Amazon employees.

A decision about drivers in Palmdale, CA, “found that Amazon is a joint employer of its Delivery Service Partner (DSP) drivers.” The Teamsters union that represents them now says it’s “confident” the determination will eventually apply to drivers nationwide, allowing them all to organize and negotiate with Amazon.

Brandy Diaz, Amazon driver:

We wear Amazon uniforms, we drive Amazon vans, and Amazon controls every minute of our day. Amazon can no longer have all the benefits of their own fleet of drivers without the responsibilities that come with it.

Teamsters Win Groundbreaking Joint Employer Decision Against Amazon

[International Brotherhood of Teamsters]

DC’s antitrust suit against Amazon is back from the deadDC’s antitrust suit against Amazon is back from the dead
The ad-free Kindle Kids has dropped below $100 for the first time this yearThe ad-free Kindle Kids has dropped below $100 for the first time this year
Amazon cancels the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition’s main feature — focusing on photosAmazon cancels the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition’s main feature — focusing on photos
Amazon’s Echo Hub is down to its best price yetAmazon’s Echo Hub is down to its best price yet
Justine Calma
Justine Calma
Google and Amazon are reportedly at odds over renewable energy.

They’re on different sides of a debate over how to counteract pollution from data centers’ energy use, Financial Times reports.

Amazon and Meta are part of a lobby group that wants more lax standards for renewable energy certificates, which can pose similar risks as carbon offset credits. Google, meanwhile, backs a different strategy for bringing more renewables online wherever data centers operate.

Amazon and Meta’s bid to rewrite the rules on net zero

[Financial Times]

In 1997, the BBC asked Jeff Bezos when internet shopping would take offIn 1997, the BBC asked Jeff Bezos when internet shopping would take off
Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
The UK is investigating Amazon’s $4 billion Anthropic investment.

The Competition and Markets Authority says it has “sufficient information” to launch a merger inquiry into Amazon’s partnership with Anthropic. The regulator has until October 4th to launch a more in-depth probe.

Amazon told the Financial Times that its Anthropic deal “does not raise any competition concerns or meet the CMA’s own threshold for review.”

Amazon / Anthropic partnership merger inquiry

[GOV.UK]

Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Audible tests a more specific way to search for audiobooks.

The feature, called Maven, lets you type prompts like, “show me fantasy audiobooks that I can complete on an 8-hour road trip.” Audible will then use AI to come up with matching audiobooks.

Audible is rolling out Maven as a beta to half of US-based users on Android and iOS. Amazon just debuted an AI-powered discovery feature on its Music app as well.

Image: Amazon

Most Popular

Most Popular
  1. Trump fires the entire National Science Board
  2. Alex Jones has uncovered another massive conspiracy
  3. 360-degree cameras have a new superpower
  4. The US gets the worst phones
  5. THE PEOPLE DO NOT YEARN FOR AUTOMATION
    Video