Page 2 - Amazon

Amazon to cut thousands more jobs in efforts to streamline bureaucracy

The cuts, conducted in rounds on either side of Amazon's busy holiday quarter, echo layoffs the Seattle-based company instituted in late 2022 and early 2023 that ultimately snared about 27,000 people

Soon, Spotify may sync audiobooks with your physical book reading progress

Spotify is reportedly testing a new Page Match feature that could sync physical books with audiobooks by scanning pages using OCR to match reading progress with audio playback

Tech Wrap Jan 20: Samsung AI Bixby, Amazon Echo Show, Vivo X200T launch

Samsung plans AI revamp for Bixby. Amazon launches Echo Show 11, Echo Show 8 (gen 4). Vivo X200T launch on Jan 27. iQOO 15R launching soon. Realme P4 Power launch on Jan 29. Asus pivots to AI devices

'Victorian Disease' confirmed at Amazon UK warehouse, Union raises concern

Amazon says the TB cases are non-contagious, but unions are demanding the Coventry facility be shut until stronger safety measures are put in place

Amazon launches Echo Show 11, Show 8 gen 4 in India: Check price, features

The new Echo Show 11 and Echo Show 8 bring larger displays, redesigned speakers, and sensor-based smart home routines to Amazon's smart display lineup in India

Trump wants tech giants to fund power for AI data centres; they'd love to

Under Trump's plan, grid operator PJM Interconnection LLC will hold an auction for tech companies to bid on 15-year contracts for new electricity generation capacity

Wikipedia ties up with Microsoft, Meta, Amazon to monetise AI training

Wikimedia Foundation said the move will give tech platforms access to reliable content for their AI models, while helping sustain Wikipedia in the long term

Amazon can't evade liability for defective TV, rules consumer commission

A consumer commission has asked Amazon to pay a refund to a TV buyer along with compensation, holding that an e-commerce platform cannot avoid liability for a defective product by claiming to be a "mere intermediary" and not the actual seller. District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (suburban Mumbai) on January 6 held Amazon Seller Services Private Limited (ASSPL) guilty of deficiency in service for resolving the issue. The commission, led by president Pradeep Kadu and member Gauri Kapse, ordered ASSPL to refund the customer, stressing that an online marketplace "cannot absolve itself of responsibility merely by describing itself as an intermediary, especially when it actively facilitates the sale, receives commercial benefit, and engages directly with consumers post-sale". "A consumer purchasing goods online does not have direct access to the manufacturer or service centre. The only visible and accessible entity is the online platform. The consumer relies not only on the

Amazon may auto-upgrade Prime users to Alexa+ as it expands beyond speakers

Amazon is rolling out Alexa+ more widely, adding browser access, deeper Fire TV integration and auto-upgrades for some Prime users

Amazon Pay partners with 7 financial entities for fixed deposits

The company said it had partnered with two non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), Shriram Finance and Bajaj Finance, along with five banks

CES 2026: Amazon unveils redesigned Fire TV OS and new Ember TV line

Amazon unveils a redesigned Fire TV OS, bringing a faster, cleaner interface, unified content discovery across apps and deeper Alexa+ integration as a free update

Amazon allows H-1B employees stranded in India to work remotely till March

Amid prolonged US H-1B visa delays, Amazon has allowed affected staff in India to work from home until March 2026, but strict restrictions on coding, decision-making and client work remain in place

AWS denies global outage report, says services functioning normally

The outage left many users in the US unable to access gaming platforms such as Fortnite, Rocket League and other Epic Games titles

Amazon warns of North Korean IT infiltration, blocks over 1,800 applicants

Amazon said it blocked over 1,800 North Koreans from applying for remote IT jobs, warning that fake identities and laptop farms are being used to earn and secretly route funds back to Pyongyang

Starbucks appoints Indian-origin Amazon veteran Anand Varadarajan as CTO

Starbucks has appointed Indian-origin technology executive Anand Varadarajan as its new executive vice president and chief technology officer (CTO), tapping a nearly two-decade Amazon veteran to lead its global technology operations. Varadarajan will take charge on January 19, join the company's Executive Leadership Team, and report directly to Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol, Starbucks said. He succeeds Deb Hall Lefevre, who retired in September. At Amazon, Varadarajan spent close to 19 years building large-scale, customer-focused technology platforms, most recently overseeing technology and supply chain for its Worldwide Grocery Stores business. Earlier, he worked as a software engineer at Oracle and with several startups. Starbucks said Varadarajan brings deep experience in developing secure, reliable systems and scaling technology to support operational excellence while keeping customers at the centre. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Varadarajan hol

Amazon's Luxembourg hub faces 370 job cuts, the biggest in two decades

Amazon's European headquarters in Luxembourg will see 370 job cuts in the coming weeks, the biggest in over 20 years, as the company trims staff and shifts focus to AI

Amazon in talks to invest in OpenAI as AI firm eyes $500 billion valuation

The potential deal comes at a time when OpenAI is laying the groundwork for an initial public offering that could value the company at up to $1 trillion

Amazon's 'Ask This Book' feature gives Kindle users spoiler-free answers

Amazon's new 'Ask This Book' feature lets Kindle users ask questions about books they're reading and get spoiler-free answers, with no opt-out option for authors or publishers

India Inc's big year: IPO boom, major splits, fundings and global AI push

From record fundraising and landmark listings to high-stakes corporate splits, global tech partnerships and boardroom disputes, here's how 2025 reshaped India's corporate landscape

A curious case of duopolies: IndiGo crisis exposes cracks across sectors

Multiple industries in India, including food delivery, payments, and paints, are experiencing emerging duopolistic trends