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Amazon shuts down Blue Jay warehouse robot project after less than a year

Last October, Amazon announced Blue Jay, a new robotic arm system that was supposed to act as “an extra set of hands” for its warehouse workers. This week, Amazon decided Blue Jay is no longer needed.

The news was reported first by Business Insider and then corroborated by TechCrunch. Blue Jay was meant to be a multi-arm helper system for same-day delivery facilities, and it was being tested in South Carolina at the time of its announcement last fall. After six months, though, Amazon is winding down project Blue Jay and moving its core tech and employees to other projects.

Amazon Blue Jay robot

Look at it go!
Credit: Amazon

While this was not made explicitly clear when Blue Jay was first announced, an Amazon spokesperson told TechCrunch that it was always meant as a prototype.

“We’re always experimenting with new ways to improve the customer experience and make work safer, more efficient, and more engaging for our employees,” the spokesperson told TechCrunch. “In this case, we’re actually accelerating the use of the underlying technology developed for Blue Jay, and nearly all of the technologies are being carried over and will continue to support employees across our network.”

Blue Jay was not the only warehouse robotics initiative Amazon has under its belt, and it won’t be the last. But for whatever reason, this one just didn’t work out as planned.

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Entertainment

Dark mode is coming to Kindle Colorsoft e-readers — plus, Smart Shapes added to Kindle notebooks

For nighttime Kindle users, or maybe those who just have their phone set to dark mode at all times, a long-awaited feature is coming to Kindle Colorsoft e-readers. Available in the coming weeks, dark mode is coming to Colorsoft devices. This includes the Kindle Colorsoft, Colorsoft Signature Edition, and Scribe Colorsoft.

A Kindle Scribe Colorsoft in dark mode.

Dark mode will be available on the Kindle Colorsoft and Colorsoft Scribe.
Credit: Amazon

Dark mode will be customizable, too. For example, you can set your home screen, library, and settings in dark mode but keep your notebooks in light mode. Once dark mode comes to your device, it will be available on the Quick Actions screen of your Kindle.

In addition to dark mode, Amazon is already rolling out Smart Shapes within notebooks on Kindle Scribes. Smart Shapes brings structured lines and shapes to your drawings on a Kindle Scribe. It also means that when you draw freehand, your drawings will snap to create straight lines.

On the left, a free hand triangle drawing and on the right, a triangle with straight lines.

Smart Shapes is coming to Kindle Scribe e-readers. It turns your free hand drawings into precise, straight lines.
Credit: Amazon

Both features will be available to users worldwide. Amazon did not provide a date for the rollout, instead saying that these features will be “rolled out in the coming weeks.” The update requires the latest software update, which can be found here. If you’re the owner of one of the Kindles that Amazon is bricking in May 2026, now could be a good time to upgrade.

$189.99
at Amazon

$249.99
Save $60

 

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Gay dating app Sniffies just got $100 million from Match Group

Dating app conglomerate Match Group announced yesterday it’s making a $100 million investment in Sniffies, a gay cruising app that makes “getting laid as a gay man almost too easy,” according to Mashable’s review.

The investment is a minority stake in the company and includes the option to acquire the remaining equity in the future, according to a press release shared with Mashable. Founder and CEO of Sniffies, Blake Gallagher, shared on LinkedIn that it will remain led by him and independently operated.

“The product, the tone, and the community will continue to be shaped by the people who use it,” Gallagher continued, saying the app can now move faster to make improvements users are asking for while building it by being “grounded in real-world connection, with our community leading the way.”

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In the press release, Gallagher stated that with Match Group’s support, the Sniffies team can improve the product and expand their network while investing in Trust and Safety (a growing issue on dating apps) and giving users what they want.

Sniffies has around three million monthly active users globally, according to the press release, and 20 million messages sent daily. And Sniffies’ iOS app only launched last year, only to be pulled from the App Store shortly after.

The investment comes around a year after Match Group acquired sapphic dating app HER, which drew mixed reactions from users. The same is true for this announcement, with a Reddit thread asking, “Are we cooked?“, and most comments answering in the affirmative. But how Sniffies changes with this investment is yet to be seen.

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The 34-inch ultrawide Asus Rog Strix OLED gaming monitor is back at its lowest price ever — save $250 at Amazon

SAVE $250: The 34-inch ultrawide Asus Rog Strix OLED curved gaming monitor (XG34WCDG) is on sale at Amazon for $749, down from the normal price of $999. That’s a 25% discount that matches the lowest we’ve ever seen at Amazon.


$749
at Amazon

$999
Save $250

 

Some of us spend plenty of time in front of the gaming monitor. That’s espeically true for anyone who works from home on the same monitor used for gaming. If you’ve toyed with the idea of getting a top-tier curved gaming monitor but have felt meh about the prices, there’s a special deal in store today.

As of April 28, the 34-inch ultrawide Asus Rog Strix OLED curved gaming monitor (XG34WCDG) is on sale at Amazon for $749, marked down from the standard price of $999. That works out to a 25% discount, shaving $250 off the price. It also matches the lowest we’ve ever seen at Amazon.

Asus meant business when designing the Rog Strix. For starers, it has a 34-inch OLED display with 3440 x 1440 resolution. Additional bragging rights come from the 175Hz refresh rate and 0.03 millisecond response time. Asus also added its Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) technology to this model which is said to reduce motion blur and any ghosting effect.

Combating a typical problem with gaming monitors, the Asus Rog is designed to detect when you’re away and automatically switch to a black screen when you’re gone, helping reduce the risk of burn-in. Asus also upped the cooling game on the Rog Strix with integrating a custom heatsink and internal airflow system.

On top of the excellent stats, the Asus Rog comes with an ergonomic and adjustable stand. It can swivel, tilt, and adjust in height to match your exact preferences. You can also wall-mount the Asus Rog instead, if that’s a better fit for your space.

While it’s still at an all-time low price, give yourself the upgrade you deserve to the 34-inch ultrawide Asus Rog Strix OLED curved gaming monitor. It’s $250 off at Amazon for a limited time only.

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