Amazon
Amazon Prospers During Pandemic With Expectation-Beating Results
Amazon dodged a coronavirus bullet in its second quarter, posting big gains in sales and operating income as shoppers around the world stayed home and did the bulk of their shopping online. The online retail giant, which operates the Amazon Music streaming platform and is one of a small handful of tech companies in the “trillion-dollar club”, reported net sales of $88.9 billion in the quarter ending June 30, 2020, beating analysts’ expectations with a whopping 40 per cent improvement on the same period last year. Also during the period, operating income almost doubled to $5.8 billion, up from $3.1 billion in second quarter of the previous year. Revenue from subscription services ballooned to $6 billion, well advanced from the $4.6 billion reported in the corresponding per...
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Grilled at Big Tech Hearing About Being Unfair to Streamers
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos might be the richest person in the world, but he’s also a rookie. Until Wednesday, he had never before been grilled by lawmakers on Capitol Hill. That changed today when top executives at the nation’s leading technology companies gathered — at least virtually — for testimony before a House of Representatives antitrust subcommittee. There, Bezos faced blistering questions about whether the e-commerce giant has abused its market power. “A lot of people want to know when the HBO Max app will be available on your Fire devices,” Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) told Bezos. “I understand negotiations are ongoing but your company is not only asking for financial terms but also for content from Warner Media…. Is it fair to use your gatekeepe...
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost Reunite in Truth Seekers Trailer: Watch
Longtime collaborators Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are ready to unveil their newest project. It’s a comedy-horror series called Truth Seekers, set to premiere this fall on Amazon Prime. In Truth Seekers, Frost plays Gus, the leader of a group of part-time paranormal investigators who team up to uncover and film ghost sightings across the UK. “As they stake out haunted churches, underground bunkers and abandoned hospitals with their array of homemade ghost-detecting gizmos, their supernatural experiences grow more frequent, more terrifying and even deadly, as they begin to uncover a conspiracy that could bring about Armageddon for the entire human race,” notes a plot synopsis. For his day job, however, Gus works at a broadband company called Smile, which is where Pegg comes in....
A Fallout TV Series is Being Made by Amazon and the Producers of Westworld
Sourced from Screen Rant. Amazon Studios has licensed the rights to Fallout, a series of action RPGs developed by industry leaders Bethesda Game Studios. A TV/web series is being developed by Amazon’s OTT service Amazon Prime based on the story of the games. The new series will be produced by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s Kilter Films, which also produces HBO’s Westworld. The announcement came by way of a series of tweets. The world of #Fallout is headed your way in a new series in partnership with @AmazonStudios and #KilterFilms. https://t.co/zk9s2qDN1m pic.twitter.com/r5KZHvRM1s — Bethesda (@bethesda) July 2, 2020 “Fallout is one of the greatest game series of all time. Each chapter of this insanely imaginative story has cost us countless hours we could have spent with family and friends...
What’s Coming to Amazon Prime Video in July 2020
Amazon Prime Video is a maze. Like its global namesake, the streaming service is a digital jungle of titles. That’s why each month Consequence of Sound puts together a full list of new TV and film titles being dropped into the thick of it. July 2020 is not so good, Al. There’s the second season of Hanna, Vivarium is finally streaming without the VOD charge, and, um, we can all revisit the time Owen Wilson got swallowed whole by a snake in 1997’s Anaconda. In terms of other Flicks We’d Maybe Revisit on Rainy Days During the Summer, there’s Michael Mann’s Ali, Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects, David Fincher’s Panic Room, and Adam Sandler’s underrated turn in Spanglish. Check out the entire list below and act accordingly. To help round out your streaming sessions, be sure to read our recent g...
South Africa’s President Praises Amazon’s Job Creation Efforts
Sourced from 2OceansVibe. South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa has commended Amazon for its commitment to creating over 3000 jobs for locals. Ramaphosa notes, in his weekly newsletter, that this development comes at a time when many businesses are doing all they can to stay afloat in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. “Our economy is in the throes of the anticipated fallout from this global crisis. The predictions of businesses shutting down and jobs being lost are materialising,” he writes. In spite of this, Amazon is investing in the creation of new virtual jobs in Customer Service in South Africa. The company says that these roles will range from customer service associates to technical experts who will work virtually and provide 24/7 support to Amazon custo...
Microsoft Won’t Sell its Facial Recognition Tech to Law Enforcement
Tech juggernaut Microsoft won’t sell its facial recognition software to police or law enforcement until more federal regulations for facial recognition technology are set in place. This is what company president Brad Smith said during an interview. “The bottom line for us is to protect the human rights of people as this technology is deployed,” Smith adds that the company hasn’t previously sold the technology to law enforcement. Both consumer advocates and civil liberties groups have long warned about the dangers of facial recognition technologies, particularly with respect to the police. Two years ago, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) began calling on tech giants to stop providing the technology to governments and law enforcement agencies, arguing that it posed a potential threat...
Amazon Won’t Allow Police to Use it’s Facial Recognition Technology
Image sourced from Detroit Metro Times Amazon has announced that it will implement a one year ban on law enforcement from using its facial recognition platform, Rekognition. “We’re implementing a one-year moratorium on police use of Amazon’s facial recognition technology. We will continue to allow organizations like Thorn, the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and Marinus Analytics to use Amazon Rekognition to help rescue human trafficking victims and reunite missing children with their families,” reads a statement from the tech giant. In the last decade, incredible milestones in the development of facial recognition technology have been achieved – often due to breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. However, according to The Verge, “the technology — because i...
YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Pledge Support for Blackout Tuesday
Image by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images YouTube Music, Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music have all pledged in support of Blackout Tuesday – a campaign calling for the music industry to put normal day-to-day operations on ‘pause’ and “and instead spend time reflecting on how to support the black community.” According to The Verge, this movement is “aimed at protesting police violence and racism as well as honouring George Floyd, whose death at the hands of police has sparked universal outcry and demonstrations in US cities and around the world.” The global music streaming platforms have each attempted to do just this through social media blackouts, specially dedicated and curated playlists as well as moments of silence. “June 2nd is Black Out Tuesday, a day of collective disconnect from w...
Amazon Removed Racist Images That Appeared With AirPod & Bluetooth Headphones Listings
Source: Thomas Trutschel / Getty Amazon customers looking to purchase AirPods and Bluetooth headphones on were recommended racism instead. Amazon says it has removed racist images from listings on its UK site. The Financial Times reports that customers searching for AirPods and Bluetooth headphones were greeted with racist imagery saying racist language like “you n****r” and “bloody n****r.” AirPods and Bluetooth were both trending on Twitter upon the discovery, and one user @benjaminteacher share a video of a customer completely disgusted and cycling through the racist listings. The listings in question were only relegated to the company’s UK site and have since been removed on Sunday (May.31), and interestedly appeared on pages of new sellers with little to no customer reviews The Financ...
What’s Coming to Amazon Prime Video in June 2020
Amazon Prime Video can get confusing. Like its global namesake, the streaming service is a digital jungle of titles. That’s why each month Consequence of Sound puts together a full list of new TV and film titles being dropped into the thick of it. June 2020 is kind of meh. There aren’t many new titles, per se, though there are a number of sleazy and sticky popcorn classics. You know, like Hard Rain, or Double Jeopardy, or 2 Days in the Valley. All great trash to consume. What’s more, those who miss Jordan following The Last Dance can check out Space Jam. Saturday Night Fever is worth a boogie. And there’s also not one, not two, but seven goddamn Leprechaun movies to binge. Check out the entire list below and start stocking up on some snacks. To help round out your streaming sessions, be su...
Homecoming Season 2 Adds More Stars, Builds a Bigger World, But Loses the Mystery: Review
The Pitch: As opposed to the first season of Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg’s Homecoming—which saw Colin Belfast (Bobby Cannavale) covertly feeding returning soldiers a memory loss drug designed to speed their return to active duty—the Geist Emergent Group thrives. The conglomerate has now re-tooled the substance into a stress-reducing product called The Roller. Belfast’s former assistant Audrey Temple (Hong Chau) continues to climb at Geist, even while several fires erupt around her. Walter Cruz (Stephan James) is one such blaze. Now living in a secluded forest, he looks for answers after his repressed memories begin to surface. Meanwhile, an amnesiac woman (Janelle Monáe) wakes up with questions and Leonard Geist (Chris Cooper) plans to take back his company. Forget Me Not: To begin, M...
