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Category: e-commerce

  • IPL 2022: Amazon Alexa unveils new feature of live commentary

    IPL 2022: Amazon Alexa unveils new feature of live commentary

    Mumbai: With IPL 2022 happening in full swing, cricket fever is on everyone’s mind. Amazon Alexa too joined the fervour with a new feature of live commentary. Users can ask a variety of questions to Alexa about live match updates.

    From match schedules to information about the participating teams and player stats, Alexa has answers to all of these questions and more. Here are a few things that you can ask Alexa:

    Participating teams

    With the shuffle in the players and the addition of new teams, it really becomes difficult to keep track of who is playing for which team this season. Well, worry not, Alexa’s got you. Just say, “Alexa, what teams are playing tomorrow?” or ask “Alexa, who is the captain of RCB?” and you will have this information delivered to you within seconds.

    Match schedule

    Keeping a track of your favorite team’s match schedule just got easier. A simple “Alexa, चेन्नई का मैच कब है” or “Alexa, Mumbai Indians match schedule” will ensure that you never miss watching your favorite team in action.

    Team and player stats

    It is always nice to have the stats of your favorite team and players handy to help you understand and predict the game better. Just ask, “Alexa, what is KKR’s rank?”, “Alexa, CSK का highest total क्या है?”, “Alexa, विराट कोहली ने कितने रन बनाए?” and your questions will be answered.

    Live Match details

    To get live updates of the match, just ask “Alexa, who won the toss?”, “Alexa, what is the score?” or “Alexa, क्रिकेट स्कोर बताओ.” If you are looking for the score of a specific team, then try “Alexa, what is Mumbai’s score?” or “Alexa, दिल्ली Capitals का score क्या है?”

    Post-match details

    Once the match is complete you can ask your Alexa Built-in device for information about the man of the match and the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker. Just say “Alexa, who was the man of the match?” or “Alexa, सबसे ज़्यादा wicket किस player ने लिए?” to know more.

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  • Amazon adds Kannada OTT NammaFlix to Prime Video Channels

    Amazon adds Kannada OTT NammaFlix to Prime Video Channels

    Mumbai: Amazon Prime Video has announced the addition of Kannada video streaming service NammaFlix to Prime Video Channels. Available as an add-on subscription at an introductory price of Rs 299/year, NammaFlix is the tenth channel to launch on the platform. It offers a range of Kannada language content, from films and TV shows to short films across genres, it said.

    In the past few years, Prime Video has been building its library of Kannada content with blockbuster films like “KGF: Chapter 1,” “Roberrt,” “Yuvarathnaa,” and “Kotigobba 3.” The addition of NammaFlix will further increase the choice of Kannada content available to viewers in India.

    “At Prime Video we have worked hard to bring the best of local stories to consumers across the country, expanding the linguistic palette of the Indian video viewing customer. Over the years, we have seen an increasing appreciation for Kannada content, with viewers across the country loving Kannada films on our service,” said Amazon Prime Video India head of Prime Video Channels and Sports Chaitanya Divan.

    “We are now delighted to add NammaFlix to Prime Video Channels, so that customers who enjoy Kannada stories can watch more of what they love. We are certain that Prime Members across the country will value the easy access with add-on subscriptions to NammaFlix’s library that offers Kannada content across genres and formats,” he added.

    “Over the years, Kannada entertainment industry has evolved to offer path-breaking stories that have won the hearts of millions,” remarked NammaFlix CEO Vijay Prakash. “Through our collaboration with Prime Video Channels, we believe that consumers from across the length and breadth of the country will have easy access to discover and watch some of the most popular, local Kannada stories.”

    Besides NammaFlix, customers can also opt for add-on subscriptions of other channels like hayu, discovery+, Lionsgate Play, Docubay, Eros Now, MUBI, hoichoi, Manorama Max, and Shorts TV, available on Prime Video Channels.

  • Jio invests $15 million in deep tech startup Two Platforms

    Jio invests $15 million in deep tech startup Two Platforms

    Mumbai: Jio Platforms Ltd on Friday announced an investment of $15 million in Two Platforms Inc, a Silicon Valley-based deep tech startup founded by Pranav Mistry, for a 25 per cent equity stake on a fully diluted basis.

    Two will work collaboratively with Jio to fast-track the adoption of new technologies and build disruptive technologies such as AI, metaverse, and mixed realities, said the statement.

    Two is an artificial reality company with focus on building interactive and immersional AI experiences. After text and voice, it believes the next chapter of AI is visual and interactive. Two’s artificial reality platform enables real-time AI voice and video calls, digital humans, immersive spaces and lifelike gaming. The company plans to bring its interactive AI technologies first to consumer applications, followed by entertainment and gaming, as well as enterprise solutions including retail, services, education, health and wellness.

    The founding team at Two has several years of leadership experience in research, design and operations with leading global technology companies.

    Speaking on the investment, Jio director Akash Ambani said, “We are impressed with the strong experience and capabilities of the founding team at Two in the areas of AI/ ML, AR, metaverse and Web 3.0. We look forward to working together with Two to help expedite development of new products in the areas of interactive AI, immersive gaming and metaverse.”

    “Jio is foundational to India’s digital transformation. We at TWO are excited to partner with it to push the boundaries of AI and introduce applications of artificial reality to consumers and businesses at scale,” added Two CEO Pranav Mistry.

  • Amazon hikes Prime membership fees in US

    Amazon hikes Prime membership fees in US

    Mumbai: Amazon has hiked the subscription fees for Prime membership in the US. The announcement was made during the fourth quarter financial results for 2021 held on Thursday.  The company has raised annual prices from $119 to $139 and monthly prices from $12.99 to $14.99. 

    This is Amazon’s first price increase in four years and will go into effect on 18 February. However, the hike does not apply to the Amazon standalone Prime Video option that continues to be offered at $8.99 per month. Recently, the company hiked Prime membership fees in India from Rs 999 to Rs 1499.

    When asked whether the company intends to hike prices in other markets, Amazon chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky replied, “We look at the relative price to the customer versus our cost to supply that and the usage and the value that we’re creating for customers. We felt, especially after not raising the price in the United States since 2018 that the time was right to raise it. And we think it’s a much more valuable program today than it was in 2020, let alone 2018. So, other countries, we’ll continue to evaluate every year and nothing else to announce right now.”

    In April 2021, Amazon shared that it had about 200 million Prime members worldwide. While in the fourth quarter, the management team at the company did not share an updated guidance on the number of prime users, Olsavsky said, “On the consumer side, we welcomed millions of new Prime members in both the United States and international during the quarter, while continuing to see consistently high member renewal rates across geographies.”

    Amazon has tripled its original releases since 2018 and will release its anticipated series ‘The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power’ series in September this year. Prime Video debuted 28 local originals internationally including India in the fourth quarter. The OTT platform also saw its strongest viewership for live sports globally during the quarter. Notably, Prime Video made its foray into live sports in India by streaming cricket matches between New Zealand and Bangladesh in the fourth quarter.

  • One in three Fire TV customers said farewell to cable/DTH in 2021: Amazon

    One in three Fire TV customers said farewell to cable/DTH in 2021: Amazon

    Mumbai: One in three Fire TV customers said farewell to a cable or DTH connection in 2021, while one out of every four added or upgraded to a newer, faster version of Fire TV devices to enhance their TV watching experience, according to findings from Amazon’s ‘Fire TV Streaming Trends for 2021’ released on Monday.

    The report, sharing detailed insights on content consumption across its Fire TV devices in India, also revealed that customers spent nearly four hours each day watching content on their Fire TV devices, up from three hours per day in 2021. They interacted with Alexa on an average of once every four seconds on Fire TV devices.

    The devices were purchased in 80 per cent of the pin codes across India, with smaller cities like Hisar, Tiruvallur, Chittoor, Alwar, Imphal, and South Andaman witnessing an increased growth in sales. Fire TV Stick was among the top 10 most popular products on Amazon.in during Prime Day and Amazon Great Indian Festival. 35 per cent of customers gifted or shared Fire TV devices with their friends and families

    Comedy retained its spot as the most preferred TV genre. Fire TV users asked Alexa to play “Tarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah” once every minute, making it the most searched TV show on Fire TV devices. “Peppa Pig,” “Doremon,” and “Cocomelon” were the most popular kids’ shows, with at least one user asking Alexa for these shows every minute.

    On Fire TV devices, consumers enjoyed watching the latest movies across languages, from the safety and comfort of their homes. Some of the most streamed films on Prime Video include Hindi – “Shershaah,” “Sherni,” “Sardar Udham,” Tamil – “Jai Bhim,” “Sarpatta Parambarai,” “Master,” Malayalam – “Drishyam 2,” “Cold Case,” “Malik,” Telegu – “Drushyam 2,” “Tuck Jagadish,” “Narappa,” and Kannada – “Rathnan Prapancha,” “Yuvarathnaa,” “Roberrt.”

    “The Family Man Season 2” was the most-streamed Indian show while “The Wheel of Time” was the most streamed international show on Prime Video on Fire TV devices.

    Further, one in every four users tuned into their Fire TV device to listen to music. Customers increased their streaming hours of Yoga and fitness apps by 15 per cent versus last year. Games on Fire TV devices emerged as another favourite for Indian customers. “Ludo King,” “World Cricket Championship,” and “Little Singham” were the top online games played on Fire TV devices.

    Smart home control requests by customers using Alexa on their Fire TV devices increased by over 150 per cent in 2021 versus last year.

    With the launch of the signature Fire TV Cube as well as Amazon’s first local manufacturing line to produce Fire TV devices, 2021 was a milestone year for Fire TV in the country.

    “With Fire TV, we want to keep the entire family entertained, especially now when people are spending more time at home,” said India head of Amazon Devices Parag Gupta. “There’s something for everyone, be it content for kids, grown-ups, movie buffs, or fitness enthusiasts. Fire TV is a preferred streaming media device for all-things-entertainment across India and globally—over 150 million Fire TV devices have been sold worldwide, with users streaming billions of hours of content every month. We will continue innovating on behalf of our customers to help them seamlessly discover and enjoy new shows, movies, and more.”

    Fire TV has sold more than 150 million devices worldwide and with users streaming billions of hours of content every month, Amazon aims to make it their go-to destination for all things entertainment.

  • National Poker Series set to return with second edition on 6 March

    National Poker Series set to return with second edition on 6 March

    Mumbai: National Poker Series (NPS) India is set to return with its second edition on 6 March. The series has announced a prize pool of Rs 18.5 crore for 84 tournaments across 15 days. Homegrown poker platform PokerBaazi.com will continue as the hosting partner for the NPS.

    This year’s edition will see #IndiaKhelegaPoker as its theme, calling out the c enthusiasts across the country to celebrate the game. The tournament series offers both new and experienced poker players an equal chance to win gold, silver, and bronze medals, as well as the renowned title of national poker gold medalist, said the statement.
     
    Additionally, NPS Podium finishers will get to play the world’s biggest international poker event in Las Vegas, USA, it added.

    “After the huge success of its first season, which saw a record-breaking entry from across the demographics and geographies, we are all excited and set to welcome the new players with the launch of the second edition of NPS,” said Baazi Games (parent group of PokerBaazi.com) founder and CEO Navkiran Singh. “This series is all about establishing poker as a sport in India while unveiling the hidden poker talent this country has to offer.”

    With 252 medals on the line to be awarded to podium finishers in all 84 tournaments and three NPS Podium medals for the three finishers with the highest medal tallies, this year’s NPS will yet again have Golden Rush as one of its marquee events.

    The qualifier tournaments, also known as satellite tournaments, have already commenced from 15 January, paving a path to play and win tickets to NPS events.

  • AMG, Google ink multi-year and multi-platform partnership

    AMG, Google ink multi-year and multi-platform partnership

    Mumbai: Allen Media Group (AMG) and Google have announced a new multi-year and multi-platform strategic partnership to accelerate growth across AMG’s entire portfolio of media and digital properties, providing data-driven and secure technology solutions in service of AMG’s current phase of rapid expansion.

    Google Cloud will provide its secure and scalable cloud infrastructure to power AMG’s digital evolution, deepening its connection and relationships with its audiences worldwide. “Using Google Cloud will also enable AMG to build apps faster, make smarter business decisions, and connect to its audiences anywhere, while also enabling access to business insights using Google Cloud’s data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning capabilities,” said the statement.

    “All of our Allen Media Group properties are growing at an unprecedented rate, and our partnership with Google is a key step in our continued global transformation,” stated AMG founder, chairman and CEO Byron Allen. “By leveraging Google’s technology, distribution, marketing, ad sales platforms, enormous capital support, and expertise, Allen Media Group will seamlessly build and enhance our reach and revenue worldwide.”

    AMG will also expand its YouTube TV carriage in 2022, initially with The Weather Channel and select Allen Media Group Networks, with additional nets launching later.

    Additionally, Allen Media Digital and Google will continue to work together to bring AMG’s streaming offerings to more consumers on the devices of their choice via Google Play to Android phones and tablets, as well as Google TV and other Android TV OS devices.

    “Allen Media Group’s vast portfolio of properties represents a tremendous opportunity to engage audiences worldwide,” said Google president of global partnerships Don Harrison. “We’re thrilled to partner with Allen Media Group to offer Google’s secure technology solutions, data analytics and distribution platforms as it continues to transform its business digitally and connect with more viewers globally.”

  • Intel unveils 12th gen Intel Core mobile & desktop processors at CES 2022

    Intel unveils 12th gen Intel Core mobile & desktop processors at CES 2022

    Mumbai: Intel has unveiled the new 12th gen Intel Core H-series mobile and desktop processors at the ongoing CES 2022 event. The company claims that its new flagship CPU, the Core i9-12900HK is the “fastest mobile processor” and “the world’s best mobile gaming platform.” 

    The new Core i9-12900HK processor features performance-cores (P-cores) and efficient-cores (E-cores) with the help of the Intel Thread Director. It supports up to 5GHz frequencies and 14 cores (six P-cores and eight E-cores). There is 24MB of L3 cache and while the base power rating is 45W it can go up to 115W. The integrated Intel GPU features 96 execution units. Intel claims up to 28 per cent better performance in games compared to the Core i9-11980HK.

    The new 12th gen Intel chip ensures three times faster connectivity, supports Wi-Fi 6E, and Thunderbolt 4 for faster transfer speeds. It is also expected to deliver “desktop-caliber” performance and is meant for gamers, creators, and even engineer professionals. It will start shipping with devices in February 2022, the company said.

    Intel has also detailed the upcoming U- and P-series mobile processors. These processors support up to 14 cores, 20 threads, and Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics. While the U-series processors work at 9W to 15W and are designed for thin and light laptops, the P-series processors operate at up to 28W and are also meant for thin performance-centric laptops. The processors will find their way in foldable, two in ones, detachable, and others devices in 2022. 

    Intel has also introduced 22 new Intel 12th Gen Core desktop processors, ranging from Intel Core i9 chips to Pentium and Celeron. The new 35-Watt and 65-Watt desktop processors can provide scalable power and enhanced performance for gaming, content creation, and other productivity tasks.

    Additionally, Intel has updated its IntelEvo platform for laptops. The company has also introduced new versions of the Intel vPro platform (Intel vPro Enterprise, Intel vPro, and Intel Evo Design, Intel vPro Essentials) for businesses.  

    Intel has previously confirmed that its first-generation Arc GPUs is codenamed ‘Alchemist,’ with subsequent ‘Battlemage,’ ‘Celestial,’ and ‘Druid’ generations following in alphabetical order over the next several years. These will be based on derivatives of the current Xe-HPG (high performance gaming) architecture. The company had previously promised to ship discrete GPUs by 2020, and the Iris Xe Max did begin appearing in laptops in late 2020. At CES 2020, Intel announced the DG1 development kit for OEMs and testers, but gamers have had to wait since then.

    Intel Arc is the brand for Intel’s upcoming consumer high-performance graphics product. Intel said it delivers a new choice for the industry, including many all-Intel discrete graphics platforms. Intel Arc GPUs will also feature in new Intel Evo platform laptops for creators, with new 12th gen H-series 45W CPUs and 15-inch or 16-inch screens. The company is hoping to bring strong competition to Nvidia and AMD who have dominated the GPU space for over a decade.

  • Flipkart collaborates with Moj for video and live commerce

    Flipkart collaborates with Moj for video and live commerce

    Mumbai: Home grown e-commerce marketplace Flipkart has collaborated with short video platform Moj to enable video and live commerce experiences at scale. The collaboration will help Flipkart to scale video commerce in the country and engage the next 200 million e-commerce customers.

    Moj currently has over 160 million monthly active users. Besides making e-commerce accessible to millions of first-time users, this collaboration also incentivises content creators in the Moj ecosystem by enabling new commerce-led revenue streams to deepen socio-economic impact.

     

    “The strategic collaboration between Flipkart and Moj will play a key role in onboarding the next 200 million e-commerce users while creating an ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders involved – from brands and sellers to content creators,” Flipkart senior VP and head corporate development Ravi Iyer said. “Given the diverse cultural fabric of our country and with the intention to offer an inclusive e-commerce experience to every consumer, we continue to bridge the gap between audiences through our regional language interface experience which has played a key role in onboarding first-time consumers. Moj’s wide reach through the Indic languages it operates in is another step in this direction.”

    Mohalla Tech Pvt Ltd (parent company of Moj) chief financial officer Manohar Singh Charan said, “The creator economy led revenue streams are globally seeing a massive upsurge and this collaboration with Flipkart is a step towards developing a concrete revenue stream for creators in India, while also enhancing the social experience of our users on the platform. This also opens the universe for creative in-app integrations towards personalized marketing. The seamless amalgamation of content and commerce will push brands to reimagine how they connect with their consumers and ignite the digital social commerce revolution in India.”

  • This Diwali, Amazon Prime urges viewers to log out and spend time with family

    This Diwali, Amazon Prime urges viewers to log out and spend time with family

    Mumbai: Amazon Prime Video has launched a unique campaign to celebrate the festive season, urging its customers & fans to reconnect with their loved ones. In a year that saw people turning to streaming platforms like Prime Video as their preferred entertainment destination, the campaign urges viewers to press pause on the world of Prime Video, and instead celebrate with their family and friends, following all necessary health and safety precautions.

    “Over the last four years, we have had the amazing privilege of entertaining our customers with a slate of compelling Amazon Originals and movies across multiple languages. Especially over the last 18 months, as the country went into lockdowns, Prime Video has become the go-to entertainment destination for customers across the country and we are truly humbled by this. At the same time, we want to encourage our customers to take a moment to reconnect and rediscover the joy of togetherness – in real life or virtually,” said Amazon Prime Video (India) director marketing Sushant Sreeram.

    The streaming platform is reminding customers that Prime Video and the world of their favourite stories and characters are always going to be around, but they shouldn’t miss the beautiful opportunity to celebrate the festive season with their loved ones. “We couldn’t think of a better way to say this than have some of our iconic characters do it for us! We hope customers enjoy many joyous moments and create some amazing new memories this festive season and we can’t wait for them all to be back to their favourite world of Prime Video,” added Sreeram.

    Led by two of Prime Video’s iconic characters, Kaleen Bhaiyya (“Mirzapur”) and Siddhi (“Four More Shots Please!”), the campaign features two films that will run on digital platforms and TV. The films were conceptualised in-house and created and directed by Big Momma Productions founder Sohini Dasgupta.

    Actor Pankaj Tripathi who returns as Mirzapur’s Kaleen Bhaiyya in one of the films, said, “I want to tell my fans that Kaleen Bhaiyya would love for them to spend time with their families. Diwali gives us the opportunity to connect with our loved ones and the time spent with them adds to the joy of the festival. Kaleen Bhaiyya and the many characters that you love will be there on Prime Video tomorrow and every other day, but Diwali should be all about family and friends.