Tag Archives: amazon

Accessibility tech has a lot of unfinished business to get right

When Apple’s iPhone was released in 2007, Erin Lauridsen was frustrated. As someone who’s blind, she was worried mobile phone tech would leave people with disabilities behind.  Thankfully, with the iPhone 3GS two years later, it offered VoiceOver, a screen reading technology that’s part of Apple’s iOS mobile operating system. Ten years later, Lauridsen uses her iPhone XR, …

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Best gifts for grads looking to stay fit

There’s nothing worse than a big life transition to throw off your fitness routine and put a wrench in your healthy habits. Whether the recent grad in your life is transitioning from home to college life, or college to the real world, here are a few gift ideas to help them stay fit and keep them off the takeout food …

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iPhone owners can sue Apple over App Store, Supreme Court rules

iPhone users can sue Apple for allegedly operating a monopoly through its App Store, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. A majority of justices disagreed with Apple’s argument that app buyers aren’t direct customers of Apple. Instead, the court ruled in a 5-4 decision in Apple v. Pepper that the “iPhone owners were direct purchasers who may sue Apple for alleged …

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Mobile apps give the blind and visually impaired a new sense of freedom

Ask anyone who was around before smartphones, and they’ll tell you life was different. But for Nutsiri “Earth” Kidkul, who went blind eight years ago, life-changing doesn’t begin to describe the impact of mobile apps. Before specialized apps came along, Kidkul would have to plan and prepare much more for basic tasks like grocery shopping, traveling or reading documents. What’s …

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Amazon reportedly uses boxing machines to replace people

Amazon is apparently starting to replace people with machines. The e-commerce giant is adding machines for packing people’s orders to some of its warehouses, Reuters reported Monday, citing two anonymous sources who worked on the project. These Italian-made CartonWrap machines apparently scan items as they move along a conveyor belt and pack them in custom-built boxes. They can pack 600 …

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Dolby Atmos sound bars are finally affordable in 2019, thanks to Vizio

Dolby’s Atmos home theater audio standard debuted back in 2014, and brought with the biggest change since the creation of surround sound itself: height. Dedicated drivers fire toward the ceiling, creating an even more immersive feel for TV shows and movies.  You can find Atmos soundtracks on Blu-ray discs and streaming services like Netflix and iTunes via more devices than ever, including …

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This 32

To my thinking, any TV you buy today should have either Amazon Fire TV or Roku built in. Thankfully, you don’t have to pay a premium for those awesome “smart” interfaces. Proof positive: Today only, and while supplies last, Best Buy once again has the Insignia 32-inch LED TV with built-in Fire TV for just $99.99 (plus tax). That’s $70 …

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Last

This story is part of Mother’s Day Gift Guide. CNET editors round up the hottest gadgets for Mom this year. OK, it’s crunch time: Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 12, which means your online-gift-ordering window is closing rapidly. Indeed, if Mom lives far away and you’re hoping to have something delivered, it’s time to act. Fortunately, at least a …

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New AirPods are $19 off at Amazon

Apple’s AirPods traditionally haven’t been discounted by much, if at all, but Amazon has had the second-generation AirPods with the standard charging case on sale for $140 for the last few weeks. The list price for the 2019 AirPods with the non wireless charging case is $159. The only rub is that it’s unclear when you’ll get them. Amazon lists …

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Google Assistant

Your next pair of earbuds may be a lot smarter — and cheaper — thanks to efforts by Qualcomm and Google. Qualcomm on Thursday said it has created a smart headset platform that works with the Google Assistant and Google Fast Pair. The company’s reference design, which uses Qualcomm’s low-power Bluetooth audio chips, is meant to make it fast and …

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