In addition to a record-setting Q4 earnings call, Amazon gave us a first look at their second headquarters planned for Arlington, Virginia. Called “The Helix,” HQ2 is essentially a 350-foot-tall spiraling vertical forest, complete with outdoor walkways lined with trees and plants. Aside from being a workplace for their employees, the company plans on opening it up to the public a few weekends each month.
Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming service has just launched early access, and currently, the library consists of 50 titles. You won’t need a high-powered PC to use this service, just a high-speed internet connection, or to be more specific, at least 10Mbps for 1080p gaming and 35Mbps for 4K gaming. It’s currently compatible with Windows 10 PCs, macOS 10.13+ devices, as well as FireTV (Fire TV Stick – 2nd gen, Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Cube – 2nd gen). Sign up here.
Unlike other smart displays, Amazon’s all-new Echo Show 10 is basically Alexa with a screen. Featuring a 10-inch adaptive HD display that automatically stays in view when you interact with Alexa regardless of where you are in the room, and a brushless motor that is completely silent, even when rotating. You can also tell Alexa to make a video call without worrying about being out of frame since it follows your movements. Its 13-megapixel, wide-angle camera ensures you’re in the center of the frame.
Amazon Game Studios latest game is Crucible, a 12-player, class-based adventure where players form alliances fight to become the last man standing. Another player will direct the game, enabling viewers interact with the game’s elements and trigger special events. In other words, this PvE (player versus environment) game not only has you fighting the other team, but also different beasts scattered throughout the game world.