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10 Amazon Prime hacks besides free two-day shipping

Your membership comes with books, music and more.

Amazon is a go-to for almost anything. A few clicks and two or so days later, what you need is at your door. But your membership is worth much more than fast shipping. Prime Video and Prime Music, for Amazon Prime members, are just a few of the bonuses. These are just a few of the perks that make the annual cost worth it.

Amazon expanded its sphere during the pandemic — visits to its site reportedly increased by 37% from February 2020 to January 2021 — as it pushed new programs, including Amazon Sidewalk, the auto-on broadband-sharing program for Amazon Echo speakers and Ring devices. But its shopping experience continues to be its bread and butter.

We’ve hacked through Amazon’s jungle of services to find the most useful (and surprising) Amazon programs that you can use today.

Read more: Amazon Prime Video: The 25 best films to see this week

1. Over 2,500 free books and magazines

Prime Reading is your own personal lending library that comes with a Prime membership. With a rotating selection of over 2,500 books and magazines, you can access Prime Reading with the Kindle app on your desktop or portable device or your Kindle e-reader. This Amazon service also lets you share titles with members of your household. Some books in Prime Reading come with Audible narrations so you can multitask while you listen.

Prime Reading also includes First Reads, which gives members a sneak peek at books before they’re released to the general public.

Kindle Unlimited is a $10-a-month subscription service separate from an Amazon Prime account. It gives you unlimited access to more than 1 million ebooks and up to three magazine subscriptions on a Kindle device or Kindle app.

2. Gift cards when you trade in used devices

Amazon is boarding the train to sustainability station, and it’s something you can directly benefit from. With Amazon Trade-In, you can send back your used electronics in exchange for Amazon gift cards. Make sure to check on the eligibility of each product — some trade-in options are only available for a limited time.

3. Discounts on preowned products

Amazon Renewed gives you access to products that may have been opened but unused by their original owners — or were refurbished. Amazon assures that these preowned items work and look like new, coming with the Amazon Renewed Guarantee. A variety of products and brands are available, even from premium names like Apple and Vitamix.

4. Amazon Warehouse discounts

Amazon Warehouse resells millions of like-new or preowned items that have been returned by customers. Some of the products only had their boxes opened by original purchasers before they were sent back, unused, so they’re resold at a discount. While there’s no regular manufacturing warranty on these products, they are backed by Amazon’s 30-day return policy and 90-day renewed item return policy.

To read more about how you can get the most out of Amazon Warehouse, check out our guide on shopping for the best Amazon Warehouse deals.

5. Amazon Outlet’s overstocked items

Just like a brick-and-mortar outlet store, but without the gas money. The Amazon Outlet features overstocked items and other products at discounted prices. Like at an outlet, you can find premium brands, items under $10 and products ranging from home furniture and clothing to books and pet supplies. It’s a good place to stay within a budget while being the first owner, unlike some items in the Amazon Warehouse.

Keep in mind that although the online shopping experience is convenient, just like an outlet, the best deals can take sifting to find. Luckily, you can do it from the couch.

6. Limited-time Lightning Deals and discounts

Amazon’s Lightning Deals are a promotion where a product or service is on sale for a short period of time or until it’s sold out. You can find them all throughout the site, but especially on Prime Day and in Today’s Deals. On Prime Day, Lightning Deals are only for Prime members.

There is one lightning deal per customer until the promotion ends or all the deals are claimed by other shoppers. You can join a waitlist for a deal, but keep in mind that these discounts are extremely time-sensitive, so grab them fast. Unless refreshing the page over and over is your thing, these deals aren’t necessarily the tool to find something specific because of their fleeting nature and limited availability.

7. 5GB of storage with Amazon Photos

Amazon’s online shoebox for photos and videos offers secure and unlimited full-resolution photo storage plus 5GB of video for Prime members. To use this feature, you can choose to manually or automatically upload media in the Amazon Photos app. You can personalize the displays on Amazon devices like Fire TV, Echo Show and Fire tablets as long as you have the app. There are also ways to create keepsakes using the pictures you upload, such as custom cards and prints.

With the Family Vault perk, up to five family members can share in the same plan. If you want more beyond what Prime offers, there are paid plans available. If you choose to switch — which can be done anytime — there is a 100GB option for $2 per month and 1TB plan for $7 per month.

8. Discounts on Whole Foods hauls

Healthy shopping can rack up the number at the bottom of the receipt. But if you enter your email address, phone number or scan the QR code on your Whole Foods Market app at checkout during your next grocery haul, Prime members receive discounts on select products.

Blue tags indicate sales exclusive to Prime members, while yellow tags mean an extra 10% off of an item already on sale. This gets you discounts on weekly bestsellers, including produce, packaged goods and beauty products, but note that it excludes alcohol. The few cents saved on items may seem insignificant individually, but savings do add up at the end of the shopping trip.

Also, if you don’t want to make the trip across town, Amazon offers two-hour delivery of groceries for free, as long as you meet the minimum purchase amount. But if you don’t mind the drive, there are also one-hour pickup windows depending on your location — just remember to check in with the Amazon app to see if you need to enter the store.

9. Prime’s registries for weddings, babies and more

If the big day is coming up, Amazon’s wedding registry can get a gift wish list set up for everything from daily essentials to group presents. Amazon can help you cover all the gifting bases, and that makes it a convenient option for you and your wedding guests.

The registry includes lists of editors’ picks and bestsellers to help you sort through Amazon’s options, while the browsing feature can inspire new ideas or highlight something you may have forgotten about. You can also buy any item that’s left on the registry for 20% off — which can be returned within 180 days if you decide you don’t like it.

10. Share Prime benefits with loved ones using Amazon Household

Sharing is caring, and Amazon Household lets you extend access to Prime benefits and digital content with others. Using Household, share your Prime account with:

  • Up to two adults, each with their own Amazon account. Adults can manage accounts of teens and children.
  • Up to four teens (ages 13 through 17). Teens can have their own Amazon login to stream content and shop with parent approval.
  • Up to four children (children can’t shop on Amazon).

For more, here are our picks for the best Alexa devices and which e-reader is right for you.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, July 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 17.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.


I breezed through today’s Mini Crossword. There’s a little something for everyone. Birders will appreciate 3-Down while musicians will immediately know the answer to 6-Down. Read on for an assist with today’s Mini Crossword. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Workout facilities
Answer: GYMS

5A clue: Pipe dream? Just the opposite!
Answer: LEAK

6A clue: In good spirits
Answer: JOLLY

7A clue: Up to the task
Answer: ABLE

8A clue: Headache-inducing situation
Answer: MESS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Boston newspaper
Answer: GLOBE

2D clue: TALKS LIKE THIS
Answer: YELLS

3D clue: Mallard ducks with green heads, e.g.
Answer: MALES

4D clue: Drone’s zone
Answer: SKY

6D clue: Rock out
Answer: JAM

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Technologies

WeTransfer Backtracks on AI File Training After Backlash: What You Need to Know

The company has updated the changes to its policies after some users objected to new terms.

WeTransfer, the service that allows users to send large files to others, is explaining itself to clients and updating its terms of service after a backlash related to training AI models.

The company published a blog post, «WeTransfer Terms of Service — What’s Really Changing,» that details more updates the company made to its policies, after users noticed that recent changes seemed to suggest WeTransfer was training AI models on the files users are transferring.

In the blog post, the company says: «First things first. Your content is always your content.»

The post goes on to say, «We don’t use machine learning or any form of AI to process content shared via WeTransfer.» WeTransfer explains that its use of AI would be to improve content moderation and enhance its ability to prevent the distribution of harmful content across its platform.

The company adds that those AI tools aren’t being used and haven’t been built yet. «To avoid confusion,» it says, «we’ve removed this reference.» 

A representative for WeTransfer did not immediately return an email seeking further comment.

The backlash over the terms prompted users such as political correspondent Ava Santina to write on X, «Time to stop using WeTransfer who from 8th August have decided they’ll own anything you transfer to power AI.» 

What this means for users

Anxieties are high about what information users share or store in services such as social media accounts is accessed by companies to train AI models. WeTransfer may be used for highly sensitive file transfers, raising fears that private information might be accessed by AI. According to the company, this isn’t the case.

To further explain, the company said in its post:

  • «YES — Your content is always your content. In fact, section 6.2 of our Terms of Service clearly states that you ‘own and retain all right, title, and interest, including all intellectual property rights, in and to the Content’.»
  • «YES — You’re granting us permission to ensure we can run and improve the WeTransfer service properly.»
  • «YES — Our terms are compliant with applicable privacy laws, including the GDPR.»
  • «NO — We are not using your content to train AI models.»
  • «NO — We do not sell your content to third parties.»

When the Terms of Service change

While eagle-eyed experts understood the potential implications of what WeTransfer’s new terms could mean for people using the service, it’s unlikely that most people would be able to spot such changes.

«Expecting users to fully understand Terms of Service is unrealistic. These documents are often too complex to navigate,» says Haibing Lu, associate professor at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. 

Lu told CNET that companies would do well to clearly highlight any changes they make to AI-related terms and explain them clearly to give people a real choice. «That’s what true transparency looks like,» Lu says. «Companies are increasingly risking backlash when they update Terms of Service to include AI, especially when users’ data is involved.»

Companies including Adobe, Slack and Zoom have had similar issues with terms changes related to AI, but it’s not just AI that’s the problem, Lu says — rather, it’s the lack of transparent communication.

In the case of WeTransfer, Lu says the company’s response, including revising the terms and blogging about them, «was a smart move and helped rebuild trust. It showed they were listening and willing to act fast.»

WeTransfer could include more understandable language in its terms, or communicate the changes better or sooner, Lu says, adding: «Transparency shouldn’t start after a backlash.»

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Technologies

Best Galaxy Z Flip 6 Deals: Get The Previous Generation Foldable for Less Now That the Z Flip 7 Is Available

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