Amazon | The Verge

Zoox can now charge for rides in its steering-wheel-free robotaxis

2026-07-30T10:35:43-04:00

Zoox just got permission to charge for robotaxi rides in its boxy, steering-wheel-less vehicles. On Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it has granted the Amazon-owned Zoox a temporary exemption, allowing it to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles annually over the next two years, as reported earlier by Reuters.

The NHTSA's decision exempts Zoox from rules requiring vehicles to have traditional controls, like a steering wheel, pedals, windshield defrosting, and mirrors. Zoox's vehicles are built with passengers in mind, rather than drivers, featuring an interior with two bench seats and sliding doors. Until now, Zo …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Amazon’s short story collections are one of the best reasons to own a Kindle

2026-07-29T15:06:24-04:00

Over the last few years, I've gradually shifted away from ebooks. It's been part of a general return to physical media, an attempt to create a deeper sense of ownership over the art I love and collect. A Kindle is obviously more convenient than a paperback: It's tiny, holds a huge library, and you can purchase new books instantly. But, much like with retro game cartridges, I find there's a deeper connection formed with a book dug out of a stack in a used book shop versus simply choosing the next thing in a series from a menu on an e-reader. But I haven't completely given up on my Kindle, and there's one big reason - actually, there are lots …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Amazon’s trying to launch a global satellite cellphone network in 2028

2026-07-27T11:40:38-04:00

Amazon filed an FCC application on Saturday to launch a new Leo satellite constellation that will provide direct-to-device satellite service for "voice, messaging, data, and emergency services." If approved, Amazon will begin deploying the new constellation of 5,105 satellites in 2028. It says it plans to partner with mobile network operators to offer direct-to-device satellite service, similar to Starlink's partnership with T-Mobile.

Earlier this year, Amazon announced it's acquiring Globalstar's satellite network and taking over its deal to provide direct-to-device satellite services for Apple devices. Amazon says its new constellation w …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Blade Runner 2099’s moody dystopia streams on Amazon in November

2026-07-24T13:43:50-04:00

After teasing the series with some first-look images yesterday, Amazon is finally properly unveiling its Blade Runner streaming series. Called Blade Runner 2099, the show hits Prime Video on November 25th with all eight episodes dropping at once. We also got the first trailer for the series, which is full of Blade Runner staples: a bleak futuristic LA, dramatic narration, and some really good coats.

The show is helmed by Silka Luisa, previously showrunner on Apple TV's adaptation of Shining Girls, while original Blade Runner director Ridley Scott is signed on as an executive producer. 2099 stars Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer and, as the …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Alexa Plus is getting an AI update to handle more complicated instructions

2026-07-23T18:02:15-04:00

Amazon is launching an update to its Alexa Plus assistant that will allow it to connect to smart home devices in new ways. With the update, which is currently in preview, Alexa Plus can link up with tech from Bosch, Delta, Ecovacs, iRobot, Yale Home, Whirlpool, Tapo, Eufy, and others, while automatically routing requests to the correct device.

In an example shared by Amazon, a person with a supported washing machine can say, "Alexa, my kid's soccer jersey could use a deep clean, but the tag says cold wash only." From there, Alexa Plus would navigate the washer's cycle options and choose the correct setting. The new integrations are powered …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Amazon puts Luna cloud-streamed games like Fallout 4 inside Prime Video

2026-07-23T13:39:00-04:00

The new strategy that Amazon gaming exec Jeff Gattis talked to The Verge about last month is getting clearer now that Prime Video has added a new Games tab on Fire TV devices. With Prime Gaming, Amazon Game Studios, and Luna now combined into one organization, it's aiming at the more casual audience of people already using Prime Video to stream movies, TV shows, and sports, instead of trying to compete directly with "core" gamers playing MMOs and shooters.

Luna was already included in Prime, but now users in the US and UK can access it directly within Prime Video to play titles like Dispatch, Fallout 4, Hogwarts Legacy, EA Sports FC 26, and …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Starlink deployments on record pace

2026-07-13T08:35:13-04:00

SpaceX" data-portal-copyright="Image: SpaceX" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/HMyCU5QWIAAQUoo.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />

Another 29 Starlink satellites were deployed last night. | Image: SpaceX

SpaceX is currently ahead of last year's record-setting pace for Starlink satellite deployments. SpaceX launched 1,589 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit in the first half of 2026, according to launch data compiled by Jonathan McDowell's satellite tracker, compared to 1,489 satellites deployed at the same point in 2025.

2025 was already a record year for SpaceX, with the company deploying 3,180 Starlink satellites in total. SpaceX has launched over 12,400 Starlink satellites since the constellation's inception, with nearly 11,000 still functioning.

To put these numbers into perspective, Amazon's fledgling Leo service has only deploye …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Amazon updated 2023’s Fire HD 10 tablet with 4GB of RAM

2026-07-03T13:43:08-04:00

The Fire HD 8 that launched in 2024 was the last new addition to Amazon's budget-minded tablet lineup, but the company has quietly updated the Fire HD 10 that debuted the year before. In 2023 it was offered with multiple storage configurations that each came with 3GB of RAM, but the 32GB version now ships with 4GB of RAM, and a small price bump from $139.99 to $154.99.

The Fire HD 10 with 64GB of storage still only comes with 3GB of RAM and the other specs for both tablets remain the same, including a 10.1-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 display, a 2GHz eight-core processor, a 13-hour battery, and expandable storage through a microSD card. The refreshe …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Amazon has enough satellites to launch its Starlink competitor

2026-07-13T08:36:03-04:00

Payloads of Amazon’s Leo satellites sorted by launch vehicle. | Image: Amazon

Amazon says it now has enough satellites operating in low-Earth orbit to light up its Starlink internet competitor. With last night's launch, Amazon Leo has 396 satellites deployed, which is "enough to support continuous service across initial latitudes," according to Chris Weber, VP heading up business and product for Amazon Leo. That puts the company on track to meet its "mid-2026" target for commercial availability. Just don't expect miracles on day one.

SpaceX went live with its "Better than nothing beta" back in 2020 when it had almost 900 satellites operating in low-Earth orbit. It initially served a narrow band of users in the upper …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Amazon fined $2.25 million for failing to help identity theft victims

2026-06-30T17:20:01-04:00

The Federal Trade Commission fined Amazon $2.25 million to settle claims that the company failed to help customers who fell victim to identity theft, as reported earlier by Bloomberg. In its complaint, the FTC accuses Amazon of refusing to provide customers with information about purchases made with fraudulent accounts, in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

As alleged in the filing, identity theft victims who contacted Amazon "would often enter a Kafkaesque sequence" where a support agent wouldn't provide records related to a fraudulent account unless they could name the person who opened it.

In one instance, a victim attem …

Read the full story at The Verge.