Mercury levels in Amazon fish exceed WHO’s safe limit: Study

According to a  recent study, mercury contamination in 28.7% fish sampled from five regions in Amapa State, Brazil, exceeded the WHO’s safe limit for human consumption

Nearly one-third of the fish in the Brazilian Amazon state of Amapa have such high levels of mercury caused by illegal mining

The researchers sampled 428 fish from 18 sites across inland and coastal aquatic systems.

Read More ... Mercury levels in Amazon fish exceed WHO’s safe limit: Study

Amazon unveils shopping cart that knows what you”re buying

Amazon unveils shopping cart that knows what you”re buying

New York: Amazon has a new cure for long supermarket lines: a smart shopping cart.

The cart, which Amazon unveiled on Tuesday, uses cameras, sensors and a scale to automatically detect what shoppers drop in. It keeps a tally and then charges their Amazon account when they leave the store. No cashier is needed.

It”s the latest attempt by Amazon to shake up the supermarket industry and offer a solution to long checkout lines.

The online shopping giant opened a cashier-less supermarket in Seattle that uses cameras and sensors in the ceiling to track what shoppers grab and charge them as they leave. Amazon.com Inc. also has roughly 25 cashier-less convenience stores with similar technology.

The cart, called Amazon Dash Cart, will first show up at a new Los Angeles supermarket Amazon is opening later this year.

The store will have cashiers, but Amazon said it wanted to give shoppers a way to bypass any lines. In the future, it could be used at Amazon”s Whole Foods grocery chain or other stores, if Amazon sells the technology, but there are no plans for either right now.

Several startups are already making similar smart shopping carts that are being tested in stores, but many require scanning groceries before dropping them in.

There”s no scanning on the Amazon cart. A screen near the handle lists what”s being charged, and the cart can detect when something is taken out and have it removed from the bill. And there”s also a way to let the cart know if you need to throw a jacket or purse in the cart so you don”t have to carry it around.

Amazon to host Small Business Day on June 27 to help SME sellers

Amazon to host Small Business Day on June 27 to help SME sellers

New Delhi: E-commerce major Amazon on Sunday said it will host the third edition of its sale event – Small Business Day (SBD) 2020 – on June 27 to help small businesses, artisans, weavers, micro-entrepreneurs and start-ups rebound from economic disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sale, which will coincide with the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Day, will offer customers the opportunity to discover and purchase unique and hard-to-find products from start-ups, women entrepreneurs, artisans, and weavers under its various programs such as Local Shops, Amazon Launchpad, Amazon Saheli, and Amazon Karigar, a statement said.

Products across categories including work from home essentials, regional weaves in fashion, handcrafted accessories and footwear, wall decor and hangings, idols and figurines, kitchenware, and sports essentials will be available on several theme stores like ‘India Bazaar,’ ‘Budget Buys’ and ‘Bestsellers’ among others, it added.

“SMBs are the backbone of the Indian economy who also make the most unique selection of products. These businesses were on a consistent growth trajectory until COVID-19 disrupted many of them,” Amazon India Vice President Seller Services Gopal Pillai said.

“We are committed to support them and help generate customer demand for their products,” he added.

“Hence, this year, Amazon is organizing Small Business Day on June 27 with several themes,” Pillai said.

“Customers will be able to discover some hidden gems from these theme stores on the marketplace while also empowering millions of lives across India through their purchase on Small Business Day,” he added.

During the second edition of SMB in December last year, over 1,200 sellers witnessed their highest single-day sales ever, Amazon said.

Artisans and weavers who were part of Amazon’s ‘Karigar’ program witnessed a 2.5X growth on Amazon after the event, while women entrepreneurs selling as part of ‘Amazon Saheli’ program witnessed a growth of 1.7X, it said.

Sales for start-up brands under ‘Amazon Launchpad’ program had grown by 1.4X, it added.

Amazon provides free COVID-19 health insurance for its sellers

Amazon provides free COVID-19 health insurance for its sellers

Bengaluru: Amazon.in on Wednesday announced that it was providing a COVID-19 health insurance, completely free of cost, for its sellers in India.

The insurance will help cover the expenses related to COVID-19 hospitalization and treatment as well as ambulance assistance and ICU charges of up to INR 50,000, and it will be valid for one year after activation, the company said in a statement.

Amazon has partnered with Acko General Insurance (Acko) to manage the policy delivery and handling of claims and reimbursements. This will benefit lakhs of Amazon sellers – anyone who has had an active product listing on Amazon.in between January 2019 and May 26, 2020, the statement said.

Vice President, Seller Services, Amazon India, Gopal Pillai, said, While we sincerely hope none of our sellers need to use this, we want to make sure they have a sense of security and one less thing to worry about and can focus on developing their business.

Chris Pratt’s ‘The Terminal List’ picked up by Amazon

Chris Pratt’s ‘The Terminal List’ picked up by Amazon

Los Angeles: Chris Pratt-starrer conspiracy thriller series “The Terminal List” has been acquired by Amazon Prime Video.

Antoine Fuqua, best known for “The Equalizer” series and “Training Day”, will direct the series, based on Jack Carr’s bestselling novel of the same name.

David DiGilio is adapting the book for the show, which marks Pratt’s return to television after he featured in shows such as “Parks and Recreation” and “Everwood”.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, The story follows Reece (Pratt) who’s an entire platoon of Navy SEALs is ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission.

“Reece returns home with conflicting memories of the event and questions about his culpability. However, as new evidence comes to light, Reece discovers dark forces working against him,” the plotline of the show read.

Pratt and Fuqua previously worked together on 2016’s “The Magnificent Seven”, which also featured Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.

“The Terminal List” will be produced by MRC TV and Civic Center Media in collaboration with Amazon Studios.

Pratt, Fuqua, and DiGilio will also executive produce the series.

Amazon’s Kindle unlimited service: Here is how you can avail the offer

Amazon’s Kindle unlimited service: Here is how you can avail the offer

Amazon Kindle is popular among those who love to read. As now India is under a lockdown, Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited subscription service will give one access to millions of books for free.The users are not required to pay individually for each books, instead will pay monthly cost.

How to sign up?

The subscription can be accessed from the Amazon website. Search for Kindle Unlimited and you will find details of the subscription. The first 30 days are free. After that trial period, the subscription service is renewed at a cost of Rs 169 per month.

You will have to enter your debit or credit card details on Amazon, so that the auto-charge can be applied each month.

What if I Don’t have kindle?

If  you do not have a Kindle e-reader, you can download the Kindle reading app on your smartphone or tablet, and then sign into your Amazon account to access the Unlimited subscription service and you can download books directly to these devices.

How many books can be downloaded?

You can only keep ten books from the service in your digital library. If you cross more than ten books, you will be asked to return one title to Amazon’s library.

How do I know which title is a part of the kindle unlimited?

Books which are part of the Kindle Unlimited service will usually have a tag on top of them highlighting the same.

Can I cancel the service?

Yes, you can cancel the membership at any time.