HiTechEdge

Tag: Amazon

  • IMDb TV App Available On More Platforms

    IMDb TV App Available On More Platforms

    IMDb, the free streaming service owned by Amazon, has released apps for iOS and Android.

    IMDb currently offers an impressive library of streaming content, but it has traditionally been hampered by a lack of availability. The streaming content was available via Amazon Prime, but the service has been rolling out dedicated apps in recent months, on both smart TVs and streaming devices.

    The IMDb TV app is now available for iOS and Android, giving streaming fans even more ways to access free content.

  • Amazon Pushes Back New World MMO to September 28

    Amazon Pushes Back New World MMO to September 28

    Amazon has, once again, delayed the launch of its much-anticipated New World MMO to September 28.

    Massively multiplayer online (MMO) games are some of the biggest, grandest games a company can tackle. Games like World of WarCraft and EVE Online are some of the most successful games, thanks to the freedom they offer users to build and explore virtual worlds.

    Amazon’s New World has been under development for some time, with an initial release day set for May 2020. That date has been pushed back several times, with the most recent being announced via Twitter. The development team says the delay, while not easy, is to polish up parts of the game based on feedback from its closed beta.

    https://twitter.com/playnewworld/status/1422969580394319877?s=20
  • Ring Rolls Out Video End-to-End Encryption

    Ring Rolls Out Video End-to-End Encryption

    Ring has announced end-to-end encryption is now available to customers internationally.

    Ring made headlines in late 2019 with a string of security issues, including devices being hacked and giving outsiders the ability to watch and communicate with a home’s occupants. VICE reviewed Ring’s security and found it was abysmal, not doing nearly enough to protect user privacy. Ultimately, the issues led to a lawsuit over Amazon and Ring’s failure to protect users.

    Ring has now announced end-to-end encryption for its products, with a goal to protecting user privacy.

    “We believe that our customers should control who sees their videos,” writes Ring’s Josh Roth. “By default, Ring already encrypts customer videos when they are uploaded to the cloud (in transit) and stored on Ring’s servers (at rest). Now, customers around the world, with eligible Ring devices, can opt into video End-to-End Encryption, to add an extra layer of security that only allows their videos to be viewed on their enrolled mobile device. This advanced security option is simple to set up via the Control Center in the Ring App, and offers additional peace of mind and protection.”

    While Ring is to be commended for finally adding end-to-end encryption, it’s puzzling why the company has made it opt-in instead of opt-out. Given the issues Ring has already experienced, one would think the company would take every measure possible to protect users, while giving them the ability to opt-out.

  • Amazon Buying MGM for $8.45 Billion

    Amazon Buying MGM for $8.45 Billion

    Following days of speculation and rumor, Amazon has entered an agreement to purchase MGM for $8.45 billion.

    Rumors first broke last week that Amazon was looking to purchase MGM to help boost its content for its Amazon Prime streaming service. Additional details confirmed the likely price was in the $9 billion range.

    The two companies have officially announced they have entered an agreement for Amazon to purchase MGM for $8.45 billion.

    “MGM has a vast catalog with more than 4,000 films—12 Angry Men, Basic Instinct, Creed, James Bond, Legally Blonde, Moonstruck, Poltergeist, Raging Bull, Robocop, Rocky, Silence of the Lambs, Stargate, Thelma & Louise, Tomb Raider, The Magnificent Seven, The Pink Panther, The Thomas Crown Affair, and many other icons—as well as 17,000 TV shows—including Fargo, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Vikings—that have collectively won more than 180 Academy Awards and 100 Emmys,” said Mike Hopkins, Senior Vice President of Prime Video and Amazon Studios. “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team. It’s very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.”

    “It has been an honor to have been a part of the incredible transformation of Metro Goldwyn Mayer. To get here took immensely talented people with a true belief in one vision. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank the MGM team who have helped us arrive at this historic day,” said Kevin Ulrich, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MGM. “I am very proud that MGM’s Lion, which has long evoked the Golden Age of Hollywood, will continue its storied history, and the idea born from the creation of United Artists lives on in a way the founders originally intended, driven by the talent and their vision. The opportunity to align MGM’s storied history with Amazon is an inspiring combination.”

    Amazon emphasized its commitment to preserving MGM’s long history of great storytelling, and its intention to help the studio keep doing just that.

  • Amazon Bans Facial Recognition for Police Use Indefinitely

    Amazon Bans Facial Recognition for Police Use Indefinitely

    Amazon has extended a ban on the use of its facial recognition tech by police until further notice amid ongoing privacy concerns.

    Last year, amid a wider backlash against police use of facial recognition, Amazon, Microsoft and IBM announced they would no longer sell their technology to police departments. Clearview AI had already been drawing scrutiny for its shady privacy practices, scraping social media platforms and websites to amass a database of billions of photos it used in its facial recognition platform. The death of George Floyd was the final straw, forcing tech companies to evaluate how their technology was being used.

    Facial recognition, in particular, has struggled to ensure fairness and equality. Studies have shown that facial recognition software often has racial biases that unfairly impact people of color. There have been published examples of Black individuals wrongly accused of a crime after being misidentified by facial recognition.

    Amazon had initially put a one-year hold on sales of its tech, but is now extending that ban until further notice, according to Reuters. Amazon did not comment on the reasons for the move, but its decision has already been met with support.

    “Face recognition technology fuels the over-policing of Black and Brown communities, and has already led to the false arrests and wrongful incarcerations of multiple Black men,” said Nathan Freed Wessler, a deputy project director at the American Civil Liberties Union.

  • Amazon Offering $9 Billion for MGM

    Amazon Offering $9 Billion for MGM

    On the heels of news Amazon was in talks to acquire MGM, a new report says the offer on the table is $9 billion.

    Amazon is already one of the leading streaming platforms, thanks to its Prime Video service being bundled with its Amazon Prime package. Nonetheless, the company has enjoyed critical and popular success with shows like Bosch and The Man in the High Castle. Reports emerged yesterday that Amazon was in talks to purchase MGM in an effort to boost its content catalog even more.

    According to a new report by Variety, Amazon is offering $9 billion to make the deal happen. MGM was reportedly looking for a buyer as early as December, but Amazon has emerged as the front-runner among possible suitors.

    MGM has an extremely deep movie catalog, boasting the James Bond franchise, Hobbit, the Rocky/Creed franchise, The Silence of the Lambs, The Magnificent Seven and Four Weddings and a Funeral. It’s TV catalog includes the Stargate franchise, Fargo, Vikings, American Gladiators and more.

    A successful deal would be a major win for Amazon and give it a leg up in the streaming wars.

  • Amazon May Purchase MGM to Boost Its Media Content

    Amazon May Purchase MGM to Boost Its Media Content

    Amazon is considering purchasing MGM in an effort to boost its already impressive TV offerings.

    Amazon Prime is one of the leading TV streaming platforms, with some 200 million subscribers. The platform has an impressive list of original content, including Bosch, The Man in the High Castle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and more.

    According to The Information, via AppleInsider, Amazon is considering acquiring MGM in a bid to further its media library. MGM owns Epix and has a large library of film and TV franchises, such as James Bond, The Handmaid’s Tale, Fargo, Shark Tank and others.

    It is unclear how far along the discussions are, so it’s possible nothing will happen. Should a deal be reached, however, it could give Amazon a significant advantage in an increasingly competitive streaming TV market.

  • AT&T and Discovery Create Joint TV Streaming Company

    AT&T and Discovery Create Joint TV Streaming Company

    AT&T and Discovery are joining forces and creating a new company that will combine their media assets to better compete.

    The streaming market has become a fiercely competitive one, with YouTube TV, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling, Netflix, Amazon, Disney and Apple spending big bucks to gain subscribers and release original content. For smaller players, like Discovery+ and AT&T’s HBO Max, it can be difficult to compete.

    According to The Associated Press, the two companies believe their best option is to combine their media offerings, creating a single company that will open the door to better bundling options. Given the two companies control CNN, Food Network, HGTV, HBO, TBS and TNT, it’s a safe bet subscribers would pay to have a bundle including those channels.

    The new company may even be able to offer complimentary plans that fill in holes in other streaming packages offered by other companies. For example, fuboTV doesn’t carry CNN, TBS or TNT, making an affordable add-on package an attractive option for fuboTV users.

    If the deal is approved, AT&T shareholders would own 71% of the company, as opposed to Discovery’s 29%. It’s believed the combined company would save some $3 billion annually, freeing up more money for original content.

    Provided Discovery shareholders sign off on the deal, it is expected to close the middle of next year.