According to rumors, we’ll see new iPads and possibly new Macs and even AirTags.
Category: Amazon
AWS Adds Mac Instances, Powered by Intel Mac minis⇢
Jeff Barr, on the AWS News Blog:
Powered by Mac mini hardware and the AWS Nitro System, you can use Amazon EC2 Mac instances to build, test, package, and sign Xcode applications for the Apple platform including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and Safari. The instances feature an 8th generation, 6-core Intel Core i7 (Coffee Lake) processor running at 3.2 GHz, with Turbo Boost up to 4.6 GHz. There’s 32 GiB of memory and access to other AWS services including Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS), Amazon FSx for Windows File Server, Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), AWS Systems Manager, and so forth.
Amazon Slashing Affiliate Program Comissions
New Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro Available for Pre-Order on Amazon
I didn’t expect this, but here they are, in both 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes.1 Amazon doesn’t list a ship date, but Apple has said the new keyboard/trackpad combo will arrive in May.
These pages show the weights of the new keyboards at 1.81 pounds (822 grams) for the small one, and a whopping 2.41 pounds (1,093 grams) for the 12.9-inch model.
If we assume that these weights include the iPads in their totals (and doesn’t include the box), the new Magic Keyboards should weigh in at:
Apple and Spotify Podcasts Supported by Alexa⇢
Great news if you have an Amazon Tube Friend.
Apple Music Now Available on Amazon Echos, For the Most Part
I got it set up per Joe Rossignol’s screenshots, and once Apple Music is set as the default music source, it works really well. I could play music from my library, but the Echo could not find any of my personal playlists. Likewise, it could not play music that I had uploaded to iTunes Match.
I don’t know if these features will be available after the service’s official launch date, but as of right now, Apple Music on the Echo feels half-baked.
Apple Building New Campus in Austin, Texas⇢
Apple today announced a major expansion of its operations in Austin, including an investment of $1 billion to build a new campus in North Austin. The company also announced plans to establish new sites in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City and expand in cities across the United States including Pittsburgh, New York and Boulder, Colorado over the next three years, with the potential for additional expansion elsewhere in the US over time.
Apple Music Coming to the Amazon Echo⇢
Big news today in the smart home assistant world: Apple Music will soon become a source for the Amazon Echo devices. Here’s a bit from Amazon’s blog post about the move:
“Music is one of the most popular features on Alexa—since we launched Alexa four years ago, customers are listening to more music in their homes than ever before,” said Dave Limp, senior vice president, Amazon Devices. “We are committed to offering great music providers to our customers and since launching the Music Skill API to developers just last month, we’ve expanded the music selection on Alexa to include even more top tier services. We’re thrilled to bring Apple Music – one of the most popular music services in the US – to Echo customers this holiday.”
New Kindle Paperwhite is Waterproof⇢
I really like my Kindle Oasis 2, but the new Paperwhite is the obvious Kindle to buy at this point.
Amazon Has 100 Million Prime Members⇢
13 years post-launch, we have exceeded 100 million paid Prime members globally. In 2017 Amazon shipped more than five billion items with Prime worldwide, and more new members joined Prime than in any previous year — both worldwide and in the U.S. Members in the U.S. now receive unlimited free two-day shipping on over 100 million different items.
Wowzers.
Alexa is Laughing at Users (Updated)⇢
Over the past few days, users with Alexa-enabled devices have reported hearing strange, unprompted laughter. Amazon responded to the creepiness in a statement to The Verge, saying, “We’re aware of this and working to fix it.”
As noted in media reports and a trending Twitter moment, Alexa laughs without being prompted to wake. People on Twitter and Reddit reported that they thought it was an actual person laughing near them, which can be scary when you’re home alone. Many responded to the cackling sounds by unplugging their Alexa-enabled devices.
A HomePod Intervention
Since wrapping up HomePod vs. iPod Hi-Fi video, my HomePod has been in our kitchen, sitting where our Amazon Echo has been for the last year and a half. I unplugged the Echo and put it away, leading to many questions about where Alexa went, voiced by our three year old son.
That was about three weeks ago, and in those three weeks, the entire family has gotten acquainted with HomePod and this iteration of Siri.