Amazon’s Consult-a-friend mobile commerce tool adds social component to shopping

Mobile commerce - Shopping Online via phone

The massive online marketplace is letting shoppers talk to people they know for purchasing advice. Amazon has been working on making its mobile commerce experience more social and collaborative, and its latest feature, Consult-a-Friend, is letting shoppers ask people they know for buying advice. The feature is meant to provide online shoppers with an experience more similar to in-person shopping. Amazon is looking to streamline the mobile commerce experience when it comes to asking people for their opinions regarding what they want to buy. While it is possible to talk…

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Amazon’s Ring unveils new QR code pet tracker

QR code - Pet Tag

The doorbell camera brand has expanded its surveillance tech into furry family members. Amazon’s Ring might be best known for providing consumer-grade surveillance technology and doorbell cameras, but it has recently announced that it is expanding into QR code tags that will help lost pets to find their way home again. The Ring Pet Tag is meant to make it easy for people to identify a found animal that has wandered off. The technology isn’t all that revolutionary, as it consists of a QR code on a tag that allows…

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Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and TomTom to develop Open Map to rival Google and Apple

Open Map - Google Map on phone

The companies are working together to create free geographical data for developers to use. Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and TomTom have announced that they are collaborating on a jointly released open map dataset meant for developers to use with free geographical data. The purpose of the release is to throw a wrench into the duopoly currently held by Google and Apple Maps. The four companies founded the Overture Maps Foundation last year in December, when they decided to work together on the open map data project. They each bring their own…

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Alexa voices will no longer include celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson

Alexa voices Celebrities

The smart gadget will also no longer be able to sound like Melissa McCarthy is speaking to you. Amazon has announced that it has stopped the sale of celebrity Alexa voices in the form of “personalities” for the device. The e-commerce giant posted a note on the product pages that used to include celebrities for personalities. According to Amazon’s note, the celebrity Alexa voices are no longer available for purchase. Melissa McCarthy and Samuel L. Jackson aren’t the only celebrities whose “personalities” are being removed from the availability list. Others…

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Amazon will flag frequently returned products as a heads up to shoppers

Frequently returned products - Amazon - Keyboard

The new tag is meant to encourage consumers to research the item they want to buy. Amazon is adding a new tag to label some of the items being sold through its website and app, in the form of a frequently returned product message. The tag will be used to flag items that are often returned after they’ve been purchased on the platform. The frequently returned product tag isn’t meant to tell people not to buy an item. Instead it is meant to give people a heads up that they…

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