Gadget deals like Fire TV Stick point to subscription services
It's beginning to look a lot like Amazon's Christmas, everywhere you go.
Of course there are the billions of dollars that shoppers will funnel through Amazon.com. In Seattle, more than a few construction workers and property developers are in a giving mood, thanks to Uncle Jeff's building spree.
Then there's the huge variety of gadgets the company is now making and selling itself, at prices ranging from 99 cents for the bargain-bin Fire Phone to $379 for an 8.9-inch Fire HDX tablet.
Lots of people will be giving gadgets this year - 63 percent of Americans are planning to, according to the Consumer Electronics Association - so there's a good chance one from Amazon will end up in your house this holiday.
Aside from the underwhelming phone, the array of new Amazon's devices are all pretty nice.
I was pleasantly surprised by a $39 Fire TV Stick that I tried out last week.
It's a thumb-size device that fits into an HDMI port on a TV set (and a power outlet) and provides access to online video services, some Android apps and photos you've stored on Amazon's network.
This is a me-too device, blatantly emulating the $35 Chromecast TV device that Google introduced in summer 2013 and Roku's $50 Streaming Stick.
Amazon's version has a newer processor and works smoothly, using the polished interface it built for the Fire TV box it launched in April and sells for $99.
The box has a nicer remote control that takes voice commands. But you'll be able to control the Stick with your voice using a free app Amazon is releasing on Android and iOS devices.
Of course there are the billions of dollars that shoppers will funnel through Amazon.com. In Seattle, more than a few construction workers and property developers are in a giving mood, thanks to Uncle Jeff's building spree.
Then there's the huge variety of gadgets the company is now making and selling itself, at prices ranging from 99 cents for the bargain-bin Fire Phone to $379 for an 8.9-inch Fire HDX tablet.
Lots of people will be giving gadgets this year - 63 percent of Americans are planning to, according to the Consumer Electronics Association - so there's a good chance one from Amazon will end up in your house this holiday.
Aside from the underwhelming phone, the array of new Amazon's devices are all pretty nice.
I was pleasantly surprised by a $39 Fire TV Stick that I tried out last week.
It's a thumb-size device that fits into an HDMI port on a TV set (and a power outlet) and provides access to online video services, some Android apps and photos you've stored on Amazon's network.
This is a me-too device, blatantly emulating the $35 Chromecast TV device that Google introduced in summer 2013 and Roku's $50 Streaming Stick.
Amazon's version has a newer processor and works smoothly, using the polished interface it built for the Fire TV box it launched in April and sells for $99.
The box has a nicer remote control that takes voice commands. But you'll be able to control the Stick with your voice using a free app Amazon is releasing on Android and iOS devices.
No comments:
Post a Comment