Australia Post has begun conducting experiments with mail delivery robots. With Amazon launching today in Australia, all eyes will be on whether these prototype robots will actually deliver.
Amazon this week purchased the global rights to J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings to turn it into a television series. What are the implications for Australia’s content and its global reach?
Amazon has pledged to continue slashing prices at Whole Foods now that it’s acquired the organic food mecca. Will that mean more affordable organic food for more people – delivered overnight?
Retailers are starting to realise the benefit of combining online and in-store shopping. And by encouraging you to click first and collect later, these businesses are saving on a number of costs.
The deal escaped scrutiny because the two aren’t direct competitors, yet Amazon’s huge marketing platform will help Whole Foods steamroll rivals. In the past, the Supreme Court has said this violates antitrust law.
The cost and confusion of having content tied to so many different streaming platforms could ultimately provoke a return to bundling and a pay TV model.
Despite dire predictions, bookstores are doing well: they are curators of taste and community hubs. But their challenges are many – from the arrival of Amazon Down Under to a ‘post-truth’ climate that devalues knowledge.