Home Latest News Amazon rolls out free Roku-like TV channels for Fire devices – Engadget

Amazon rolls out free Roku-like TV channels for Fire devices – Engadget





Amazon just announced the impending launch of Fire TV Channels, allowing customers access to a wide variety of “premium, free content” on Fire streaming sticks, streaming boxes, and, of course, Fire-branded televisions. The company promises there will be no forced sign-ups or fees associated with this content.
Just like the similar offering from Roku, there looks to be plenty of free content to wade through here. There are channels for local and national news, sports, travel, cooking, music videos, old TV shows and just about everything else. Amazon announced content partnership deals with professional NHL hockey, PGA golf, gossip site TMZ, ABC News and media giant Condé Nast, among others. All told, the company says it has lined up over 400 publishing partners ready for the summer launch.
This is an ad-supported service, so if you have an aversion to that dang Liberty Mutual song, look elsewhere for content. Amazon already offers some FAST (free ad-supported TV) channels, but this is a major boost for the platform. Additionally, there will be an easily accessible “Free” tab right on the home screen of all Fire devices for instant perusal. This tab breaks down into more category-specific menus.
“With Fire TV Channels, we’re delivering a simple, category-based experience that makes it easy to discover what you want to watch while constantly expanding content offerings.” said Charlotte Maines, director of Fire TV advertising, monetization, and engagement.
The company says that channels will feature live content, linear content and VOD content. It also says that new stuff will be added throughout each day, so binge, baby, binge. Amazon is not the only player in the FAST space. Along with the OG Roku, Google recently announced its own 800-channel offering.
Microsoft has announced new features coming to its Paint app. The new features are currently available for Microsoft Insiders and will likely be available to all users soon.
The newly upgraded particle accelerator at the DoE’s Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) has produced its first X-rays. The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) upgrade, called LCLS-II, can emit up to a million X-ray pulses per second (8,000 times more than the original) and an almost continuous beam 10,000 times brighter than its predecessor.
Agility Robotics, the maker of humanoid robots, is opening a new manufacturing plant in Oregon that is expected to produce 10,000 "Digits" a year. The warehouse robots are designed to fill a gap in the logistics and distribution industry.
It didn’t take long to learn Panos Panay’s new home. The industry veteran, instrumental in developing Windows 11 and the Microsoft Surface line of 2-in-1s and laptops, will land at Amazon.
Just ahead of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 arriving later this week, the company has released watchOS 10. If you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or above, you can install it now.
iPadOS 17 is available now. The annual update lacks a single headline-grabbing feature, but the sum of its smaller changes enhances the experience of using Apple’s tablet. Changes include Stage Manager refinements, along with Lock Screen additions and interactive widgets to match the iPhone’s new features from a year ago.
iOS 17 is here. Apple has made the annual update available to all users on eligible devices, meaning you can install it right now without bothering with beta programs. The 2023 iPhone software update includes significant updates to Messages, FaceTime, the keyboard and more.
Social engineering psychologically manipulates a target into doing what the attacker wants, or giving up information that they shouldn’t.
GE Health is developing an AI-assisted ultrasound imaging tool that is so easy to use, that even healthcare providers without specialized training will be able to operate it.
Writing for Their Lives by historian Marcel Chotkowski Lafollette recounts the work of America's first female science and tech reporters working for E.W. Scripps' Science Service.
Say goodbye to cooking while on Google Meet or Zoom.
Panos Panay is leaving Microsoft after 19 years with the company, as confirmed via an official tweet. He’s been operating as the chief product officer with Microsoft, heading up Windows development and the company’s Surface line. Rajesh Jha, Microsoft’s vice president of experience and devices, broke the news in an email to employees.
Amazon will not be streaming it to the public, but Engadget will be there to liveblog so you can follow along and read about its new products as soon as they're announced.
Just like X (formerly Twitter), would-be competitor T2 Social has a new name, and it’s one that might ring a bell. Starting today, the service is called Pebble. And no, it's not a revival of the e-ink smartwatch company of yore.
The sale includes Anker's 511 Power Bank and 12-in-1 Docking Station.
The new AirPods Pro features are arriving today alongside iOS 17. Here's what you can expect.
Intel has announced a a glass substrate breakthrough, which will make its future chips faster and more efficient.
The new Sonos Move 2 portable speaker improves on its predecessor in a lot of ways. But, like a lot of recent Sonos products, it also costs more than it used to.
Here's everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2023, including when it will take place and how you can prepare for the members-only shopping event.
The biggest news stories this morning: Spider-Man 2 is following Sony’s sequel playbook, Apple promises software update to address iPhone 12 radiation concerns. Meta starts testing Horizon Worlds on mobile and the web.
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