Apple delays iPad-like smart home hub to 2026 amid Siri AI upgrade challenges
Gurman reports that Apple is testing both its own AI models and those from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic for Siri, and hasn't yet chosen a final direction. The work on Charismatic and Siri is also laying the groundwork for a separate tabletop robot Apple is rumoured to be working on for 2027. That product could feature a display on a robotic arm capable of tilting and rotating, making it more interactive.- Ends
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Economic Times
38 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Final warning: Amazon app shuts down on Android in days — see if you are owed refund before it's gone
Amazon has officially announced that its Android Appstore will close forever on August 20, 2025, ending years of slow decline. While Fire TV and Fire Tablet users remain unaffected, Android users are urged to check their accounts immediately. Any unused Amazon Coins will be refunded automatically, but only if payment details are up to date. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Amazon pulls the plug on its Android Appstore Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What happens to your Amazon Coins? Why the Appstore failed on Android What users need to do right now Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Check your Amazon Coins balance. Log into your account on desktop or mobile browser — the Appstore app may already be unreliable. Update your payment details. If your credit or debit card has expired since you purchased Coins, update your Amazon Wallet to avoid refund failures. Download or back up apps. While the store will stop functioning, some installed apps may continue running. Developers aren't guaranteed to push updates outside of Google Play. The bigger picture: Amazon doubles down on Fire ecosystem What this means for consumers and developers Act before August 20, 2025 FAQs: Amazon has confirmed that its Appstore for Android will permanently shut down on August 20, 2025, ending a 14-year run that never quite lived up to its early promise. While Fire TVs and Fire Tablets will continue to use the Appstore, Android users are being urged to act fast, especially if they still hold Amazon Coins, the platform's now-retired digital unspent balance will be refunded automatically after the cutoff date, but only if payment details are up to date — a detail many inactive users could closure underscores Amazon's shift away from competing with Google Play on open Android devices, choosing instead to concentrate on its controlled Fire ecosystem, where it can lock in customers and monetize more effectively. For users, this is the last chance to recover money tied to a marketplace that once aimed high but quietly faded into has confirmed that itswill shut down for good on, marking the end of a long, quiet decline for the once-hyped alternative to Google Play. The move doesn't affect Fire TVs or Fire Tablets — where the Appstore remains the backbone of Amazon's ecosystem — but it leaves Android users with a firm deadline to wrap up their millions of Android users who may have forgotten they even had the Appstore installed, this closure isn't just symbolic. It comes with financial implications tied to, the company's now-defunct digital you've bought or earned Amazon Coins in the past, this is the critical part: any unspent balance will be automatically refunded to your original payment method after August 20, stopped allowing new Coin purchases months ago, but thousands of users still have dormant balances in their accounts. According to Amazon's 2024 annual filing, the company had been holding 'tens of millions of dollars in deferred virtual currency liabilities.' That means there's a very real pool of unclaimed money waiting to be pushed back to catch? If your card details are outdated or linked accounts are closed, the refund could bounce. Amazon has said affected users will receive instructions to update their payment information, but those emails are easy to Amazon Appstore launched inwith bold ambitions: to challenge Google Play and position Amazon as a heavyweight in mobile software. It offered perks like a free daily app, competitive developer royalties, and the Amazon Coins incentive despite an early burst of attention — especially after Amazon bundled the store with its Kindle Fire tablets — the Appstore never cracked meaningful market share on Android. Google Play remained the default for most users, and developers largely ignored Amazon's marketplace due to limited reach. By 2022, Appfigures data showed Amazon Appstore downloads had fallen below 1% of the global app shutdown, then, isn't a sudden move. It's the final chapter in a long decline that insiders have described as 'death by neglect.'For most, this closure will be an afterthought. But if you've ever bought apps, games, or in-app content through the Amazon Appstore on an Android device, there are a few urgent steps:Amazon isn't retreating from apps altogether. On the contrary, the company is consolidating around itsandplatforms, where the Appstore remains critical. These devices sold over, according to IDC estimates, and rely heavily on Amazon's walled-garden a strategic perspective, shutting down the Android Appstore frees Amazon from the cost of maintaining a marketplace that barely moved the needle. It also signals a sharper focus on hardware ecosystems it controls outright — where Prime subscriptions, Alexa integration, and in-house advertising bring in more predictable everyday users, the immediate impact is minimal — most people haven't opened the Amazon Appstore in years. The only real risk lies in unclaimed Coin refunds. For developers, though, it underlines a hard truth: if you want to reach Android users, Google Play remains the only game in Appstore's demise also raises questions about the shelf life of digital ecosystems. What happens when the store where you bought your apps simply disappears? Unlike physical purchases, digital ownership often depends on ongoing corporate support. And as Amazon just proved, even the biggest players can quietly shutter entire Appstore's shutdown may not make headlines like a new iPhone launch or a TikTok ban, but it carries a simple warning for consumers: check your balance, update your details, and secure your refunds before it's too insists the process will be automatic, but in practice, automatic refunds only work if the financial rails are intact. For anyone with a dormant Amazon account, a lost login, or an old card, August 20 could be the last chance to reclaim money you didn't even realize was still Amazon Appstore for Android will close on August 20, Amazon Coins will be automatically refunded to your payment method.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Final warning: Amazon app shuts down on Android in days — see if you are owed refund before it's gone
Amazon has confirmed that its Appstore for Android will permanently shut down on August 20, 2025, ending a 14-year run that never quite lived up to its early promise. While Fire TVs and Fire Tablets will continue to use the Appstore, Android users are being urged to act fast, especially if they still hold Amazon Coins, the platform's now-retired digital currency. Any unspent balance will be refunded automatically after the cutoff date, but only if payment details are up to date — a detail many inactive users could overlook. The closure underscores Amazon's shift away from competing with Google Play on open Android devices, choosing instead to concentrate on its controlled Fire ecosystem, where it can lock in customers and monetize more effectively. For users, this is the last chance to recover money tied to a marketplace that once aimed high but quietly faded into obscurity. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Undo Amazon pulls the plug on its Android Appstore Amazon has confirmed that its Appstore for Android devices will shut down for good on August 20, 2025 , marking the end of a long, quiet decline for the once-hyped alternative to Google Play. The move doesn't affect Fire TVs or Fire Tablets — where the Appstore remains the backbone of Amazon's ecosystem — but it leaves Android users with a firm deadline to wrap up their business. ALSO READ: iPhone 17 leak hints at next-level privacy features that could end hackers for good — here's what to expect Live Events For millions of Android users who may have forgotten they even had the Appstore installed, this closure isn't just symbolic. It comes with financial implications tied to Amazon Coins , the company's now-defunct digital currency. What happens to your Amazon Coins? If you've bought or earned Amazon Coins in the past, this is the critical part: any unspent balance will be automatically refunded to your original payment method after August 20, 2025. Amazon stopped allowing new Coin purchases months ago, but thousands of users still have dormant balances in their accounts. According to Amazon's 2024 annual filing, the company had been holding 'tens of millions of dollars in deferred virtual currency liabilities.' That means there's a very real pool of unclaimed money waiting to be pushed back to users. The catch? If your card details are outdated or linked accounts are closed, the refund could bounce. Amazon has said affected users will receive instructions to update their payment information, but those emails are easy to miss. Why the Appstore failed on Android The Amazon Appstore launched in 2011 with bold ambitions: to challenge Google Play and position Amazon as a heavyweight in mobile software. It offered perks like a free daily app, competitive developer royalties, and the Amazon Coins incentive program. But despite an early burst of attention — especially after Amazon bundled the store with its Kindle Fire tablets — the Appstore never cracked meaningful market share on Android. Google Play remained the default for most users, and developers largely ignored Amazon's marketplace due to limited reach. By 2022, Appfigures data showed Amazon Appstore downloads had fallen below 1% of the global app market. The shutdown, then, isn't a sudden move. It's the final chapter in a long decline that insiders have described as 'death by neglect.' What users need to do right now For most, this closure will be an afterthought. But if you've ever bought apps, games, or in-app content through the Amazon Appstore on an Android device, there are a few urgent steps: Check your Amazon Coins balance. Log into your account on desktop or mobile browser — the Appstore app may already be unreliable. Update your payment details. If your credit or debit card has expired since you purchased Coins, update your Amazon Wallet to avoid refund failures. Download or back up apps. While the store will stop functioning, some installed apps may continue running. Developers aren't guaranteed to push updates outside of Google Play. The bigger picture: Amazon doubles down on Fire ecosystem Amazon isn't retreating from apps altogether. On the contrary, the company is consolidating around its Fire TV and Fire Tablet platforms, where the Appstore remains critical. These devices sold over 40 million units globally in 2024 , according to IDC estimates, and rely heavily on Amazon's walled-garden approach. From a strategic perspective, shutting down the Android Appstore frees Amazon from the cost of maintaining a marketplace that barely moved the needle. It also signals a sharper focus on hardware ecosystems it controls outright — where Prime subscriptions, Alexa integration, and in-house advertising bring in more predictable revenue. What this means for consumers and developers For everyday users, the immediate impact is minimal — most people haven't opened the Amazon Appstore in years. The only real risk lies in unclaimed Coin refunds. For developers, though, it underlines a hard truth: if you want to reach Android users, Google Play remains the only game in town. The Appstore's demise also raises questions about the shelf life of digital ecosystems. What happens when the store where you bought your apps simply disappears? Unlike physical purchases, digital ownership often depends on ongoing corporate support. And as Amazon just proved, even the biggest players can quietly shutter entire platforms. Act before August 20, 2025 The Appstore's shutdown may not make headlines like a new iPhone launch or a TikTok ban, but it carries a simple warning for consumers: check your balance, update your details, and secure your refunds before it's too late. Amazon insists the process will be automatic, but in practice, automatic refunds only work if the financial rails are intact. For anyone with a dormant Amazon account, a lost login, or an old card, August 20 could be the last chance to reclaim money you didn't even realize was still yours. FAQs: Q1: When will the Amazon Appstore shutdown happen? The Amazon Appstore for Android will close on August 20, 2025. Q2: What happens to unused Amazon Coins after shutdown? Unused Amazon Coins will be automatically refunded to your payment method.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Jeff Bezos' Biological Father Didn't Know He Was A Billionaire Until 2012
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' biological father, Ted Jorgensen, was unaware of his son's immense success until 2012, decades after losing contact with him, according to a Benzinga report. Bezos was born in 1964 to teenage parents Jacklyn Gise and Ted Jorgensen. The couple separated shortly after his birth. When Bezos was still a toddler, his mother remarried Miguel Bezos, a Cuban immigrant who later adopted Jeff and became a central figure in his life. Jorgensen exited Jeff's life early and remained out of contact. For most of his life, he did not know what had become of his son. It wasn't until journalist Brad Stone, author of The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and Amazon, located Jorgensen in 2012 that he learnt of Bezos' identity and success. According to Benzinga report, at the time, Jorgensen was running a small bicycle shop in Arizona. According to Stone, he had not even recognised the name "Jeff Bezos". Only after being shown photographs did he realise the truth, reacting with visible regret and stating, "I wasn't a good father or a good husband." Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos credits Miguel Bezos as his true father. In a 1999 interview, he said he considers Miguel his natural father and rarely thinks about Jorgensen, except for medical history purposes. Jacklyn and Miguel played a pivotal role in Bezos' early life. In 1995, they invested nearly $250,000 into Amazon, a risk they were told had a 70% chance of failure. Jorgensen passed away in 2015, just three years after learning about his son's achievements. In 2019, Page Six shared a quote from a family source who said, "Ted was just a teenager when Jeff was born; he was good and bad, just like anybody else." They also added, "But the sad part is that he never met Jeff after he found out he was his biological father. He went to his grave never having spoken to him. He would never talk about it, but I know it was hard for him."
