Amazon opts for truce, prepares sales of Apple TV, Chromecast

MENLO PARK, Calif. — Amazon is angling for a truce in its two-year battle with Apple and Google over streaming gadgets: It says it is preparing to put Apple TV and Chromecast back on sale.

A spokeswoman for Amazon confirmed Friday it is preparing to sell the devices. However, fresh links for the products that went live on Thursday indicate they are still unavailable.

Amazon stopped selling Apple TV streaming devices in late 2015 in retaliation for Apple not making Amazon’s Prime Video app available on Apple TVs. It said at the time the move was to reduce possible confusion caused by items sold on its store not playing videos bundled with its Prime shipping plan. It also stopped selling Google’s popular Chromecast streaming device that year.

In a major sign of the coming armistice, Apple made the Prime Video app available on Apple TV last week.

Amazon’s decision to start reselling Google’s Chromecast comes after the search giant had stepped up the pressure by threatening to pull its subsidiary YouTube from Amazon’s Fire TV on Jan. 1.

Google had said last week that it would also disable YouTube on Amazon’s new voice-activated speaker that comes with a screen attached — the Echo Show. Shortly after, Amazon also stopped selling Nest’s Thermostat E, which had once been “Amazon’s Choice” in home programmable thermostats. Nest, like Google, is part of Alphabet Inc.

Google argued that Amazon’s version of YouTube was unauthorized and a violation of its terms of service because it initially failed to support features like the ability to log in, comment and see one’s subscribed channels. Google had also pulled YouTube from Windows Phone platforms in 2013 when the app failed to live up to its standards.

Mountain View, California-based Google hailed Amazon’s move, saying it is in “productive discussions with Amazon to reach an agreement for the benefit of our mutual customers.” Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Apple mulls original online television shows -report

Apple is dabbling with the idea of making online television programming in a move that would challenge established players such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, according to show-business magazine Variety.

Variety cited unnamed sources as saying that the California-based company has chatted in recent weeks with Hollywood executives to assess interest in leading an effort to make original content for Apple.

Apple told AFP that it would not comment on what it referred to as "rumor and speculation."

Industry trackers have wondered what the vision is for Apple TV set-stop boxes, which the company downplayed as a "hobby" after the original version was released in 2007.

Online streaming of films and television shows has since become a mainstay of home entertainment, setting up the potential for Apple to combine iTunes digital offerings with its hardware for delivering content to the biggest screens in living rooms.

Apple TV news is expected to be part of a September 9 media event the company will host in San Francisco.

In trademark enigmatic style, the emailed invitations to the event provided little more than the time and place of the event. Beneath graphics based on the Apple logo was written "Hey Siri, give us a hint."

The timing of the Apple event did not come as a surprise since the company is known to host September events to announce iPhone updates.

Rumors about the coming event included the possibility of new iPhone models and news about Apple TV set-top boxes. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com