Were you just about ready to start lining up for the Christmas sales marathon? This could very well be your last chance to take a load off before the orders come rushing in. But don’t look now: Amazon launched its Black Friday pre-sale sale…sale! What’s the hurry, you ask?
Read on to see why Amazon’s so keen on Black Friday sales.
One thing about Amazon – there’s never a dull moment. Much is at stake when you’re both an e-commerce and cloud computing company, and the largest online retailer in the USA. Black Friday fits in with that forward-thinker image Amazon’s created for itself. That’s right, it’s not all books and chocolate flavored ant candy. See for yourselves:
Did you know?
1. Bezos funded a cuckoo clock with investments to the tune of $42 million, so that it would keep time for 10,000 years. What’s so odd about that? It’s designed to generate a different chime every day for 10 millennia, but it’s being built deep within the Sierra Diablo Mountain Range. Let’s hope there’s a decent echo.
2. Another side project for Bezos was the Blue Origin venture founded in 2000. Aspiring astronauts get a taste of outer space as they soar to 100 km above the surface of the planet, thrusted beyond our atmosphere at speeds that make 3G force sonic spinballs sound like a walk in the park. Beat that, Google, with your fancy Lunar Xprize!
3. You’ve no doubt heard about Amazon Prime Air. It’s probably not the fact that the project has some job openings that’s tickled your fancy, but the use of drones meant to deliver across the world in 30 minutes or less. The question on everyone’s lips is: ‘Will the 30-minute money-back pizza policy apply here?’
4. The first Kindle prototype was named Fiona, after a character in Neal Stephenson’s sci-fi novel ‘The Diamond Age’, which centers around the concept of an interactive book called ‘the illustrated primer’. The second one was codenamed Turing after the man who cracked the Enigma Code. Well, nothing beats that, does it? So, no nickname for you, Kindle 3.
5. Amazon uses robots to fetch some of the items in the warehouse. In fact, when the warehouse floor turned into a mechanised picking palooza in 2014, it bought the robot manufacturer and rebranded the business. R&D at Amazon Robotics is now in full swing, but new recruits still only get a backpack with a laptop dock, an adapter, and some handbooks. And they’re asked to return them if they resign. Go figure!
So, what could Amazon’s pick ambassadors or busy bots be fetching for us this month? Let’s look at five gadgets that should be featured on the Black Friday deals page recently launched by Amazon.
For those who want to do away with old-fashioned peripherals, nothing comes in as ‘handy’ as a virtual motion controller. Is that pesky 3D molecule not responding to your mouse commands? Is there a blind spot in your 3D Solar System simulator? Say no more. This gadget will take scrolling off your hands, literally.
Floating Bluetooth Speaker
What’s not to like? Flashing lights, a spinning orb that uses a magnetic base to float, and music all rolled into one. Come on, give it a whirl! You know you want to.
Laser Projected Keyboard
You know that awkward moment when you don’t want to borrow a keyboard, but don’t want to hurt the user’s feelings either? Well, you can spare yourself the embarrassment, now that you have your very own virtual keyboard!
Dimmable LED Light Bulb
Ever wondered what a cross between a light bulb and a diamond would look like? Thought not. Still, perhaps you’d like to have one brighten up your evenings at home.
Keyless Door Lock
No home is spared the less than punctual handyman, the absent-minded grandmother, the rushed dog-walker, the uninvited neighbour, or the old housemate who conveniently forgot to hand over the key. Now you can grant or withhold access to your home to anyone, at any time, and from anywhere else in the world using an app. Tax collectors welcome? We don’t think so.
These any many other gadgets can be found on Amazon, and Prime members get early access to this year’s ‘Lightning Deals’, too. But don’t get your hopes up. If subscribers’ reaction to Prime Day is anything to go by, Black Friday could turn out to be a bit of a let down. So, keep your eyes peeled for those deals if you’re not a fan of the in-store Black Friday mayhem.
Melanie takes an active interest in all things Amazon. She keeps an eye on the latest developments, and keeps Amazon sellers up to speed