Stunning Images Show the Earth's Imperiled Water Medical Devices Are the Next Security Nightmare Want to Explore the Deep Sea? The Secret Is Sound All Hail Wolverine, King of the X-Men's Terrifying Future Mass Spying Isn’t Just Intrusive---It’s Ineffective After walking miles of expo hall carpeting, watching countless live demos, and sitting through god knows how many press announcements, we’re ready to declare these ten products to be the best things we saw at CES 2017. Of all the amazing and beautiful gadgets on display here in Las Vegas, these are the products which exhibit the strong sense of innovation and vision within their categories. They achieve this through exquisite industrial design, innovative engineering, and simply seeing the future and realizing it in a product you can touch and hold.Amazon today unveiled a new subscription program aimed at parents called STEM Club, which delivers educational toys to your home for $19.99 per month.
The retailer says it will hand-pick which toys are shipped, and will ensure the items are age-appropriate. And by “STEM,” of course, Amazon means the toys will be focused on the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The subscription program won’t feature just any ol’ STEM toys, however, but will rather only include those that have recently launched or those that are exclusive to Amazon. To sign up, parents visit the STEM Club homepage, then select the age range of their child (3-4, 5-7 or 8-13). The first toy will arrive in under a week’s time with free shipping. From that point forward, a new item will arrive on a monthly basis. The service is only available in the U.S., the website notes. This isn’t Amazon’s first attempt at highlighting STEM toys on its site. In 2015, the retailer launched the STEM Toys & Games Store as a destination for browsing through this type of product in a dedicated area. Of course, for Amazon, the launch of the new storefront wasn’t so much about trying to spark young minds and encourage learning, but to better capitalize on parents’ interest in the STEM toy trend in order to impact Amazon’s own bottom line.
At the time, STEM toys were the second-most visited section and had seen the highest sales volume during the prior holidays. Similarly, Amazon’s interest in launching a subscription service for these toys is also motivated by being able to capture a recurring revenue stream. Like its “Subscribe & Save” program, the hope is that the new subscription service will encourage a sort of “set it and forget it” mentality among shoppers. But whether parents will sign up in the first place remains to be seen. After all – I don’t know about you – but we certainly have enough toys around here. I can’t imagine wanting to receive one more every month.Everything is NOT awesome between Amazon and Warner Bros. The online retailer has pulled all pre-orders for next week's DVD and Blu-Ray releases of "The Lego Movie." The New York Times reports that Amazon and Warner are locked in a contract battle that's also seen pre-order delays for other upcoming Warner films, including “300: Rise of an Empire,” “Winter’s Tale” and “Transcendence."
An Amazon spokesperson reached by the Times would not comment on the business dispute, and Warner Bros. spokesman Jim Noonan told Reuters that his company's "policy is to not comment on contract points or any proprietary issues involving our partners." Fans of Warner Bros. movies aren't the only ones affected by the dispute. VizMedia, which produces Japanese animated DVDs such as the "Bleach" and "Naruto" series that are distributed by Warner Bros., has noticed customers posting complaints on Facebook about their inability to pre-order upcoming titles from Amazon. "Our products are distributed by Warner Brothers, and currently they're in contract negotiations with Amazon. Pre-orders are disabled while that goes on, but we're hoping it will be resolved soon," VizMedia stated on May 29. Other movie fans have taken to Amazon's forums to vent. "I guess I can thank Amazon for steering me back towards brick and mortar stores," a user named John A. wrote while complaining about the inability to pre-order "The Lego Movie."
Amazon is also currently fighting with the Hachette publishing company, pulling pre-orders for some books and delaying shipments for others. At one point, Amazon suggested that customers who want those titles shop elsewhere. Although that dispute remains unresolved, Amazon began restocking some Hachette titles last week. "Lego Movie," "300: Rise of an Empire" and "Winter's Tale" were released online ahead of the DVD and Blu-Ray, and as of this writing, the streaming versions remain available via Amazon Instant Video. 8 Dividend Stocks Every Retiree Should Own 17 Tax Breaks You Won't Believe Are Real Are You Saving Enough for Your Retirement? Kiplinger's Financial Field Manual for Military Families 12 Things You Can't Return to Amazon You made your list and checked it twice, yet you're still concerned that someone will get stuck with an unwanted gift. According to Deloitte's 2016 Holiday Survey, 48% of all shoppers say that ease of returns is the second-most important policy they look for in a retailer, after free shipping.
And among online shoppers specifically, an overwhelming 82% expect there to be no charge to make returns.See Also: 9 Money-Saving Hacks for Amazon ShoppersThankfully, it’s usually pretty easy to send an item back for a refund or exchange. And, yes, some of those returns are free (but be sure to check the Product Detail page to see if the item qualifies). Amazon’s standard return policy allows customers to return most items within 30 days of receipt. The return policy is more generous for holiday purchases: Items shipped by Amazon between November 1 and December 31, 2016, can be returned through January 31, 2017. Return policies for merchandise sold and shipped by third-policy sellers on Amazon can vary, so be sure to read the fine print. Sometimes, though, there are purchases that simply can’t be sent back. If you’re thinking about buying any of these items from Amazon, you might want to check your list a third time before adding them to your online shopping cart. Alternatively, shop at retailers with the most generous return policies.
Amazon won’t accept returns of the following 12 items: games and software downloads including apps, videos and digital music; groceries (including Amazon Fresh and Prime Pantry items, though refunds are possible in cases of spills or spoilage); customized handmade products with personalized inscriptions or designs (unless there’s an error or damage); hazardous materials including flammable liquids or gases; live insects (Amazon sells everything from ladybugs to Madagascar hissing cockroaches); prepaid game cards (for Xbox, Wii, etc.); Amazon also has strict return policies for certain high-value items. Collectibles including coins, sports memorabilia and fine art can’t be returned if the original packaging and documentation such as appraisals and certificates of authenticity are missing. The same goes for jewelry and watches. New desktops, laptops and tablets can only be returned within 30 days if they arrived damaged, failed to start up, or are still in the original unopened box.
Otherwise, there’s a restocking fee of 15% or more. The return policy for Amazon’s own Kindle e-readers and Fire tablets is more forgiving. See Also: 15 Things You Should Never Buy During the Holidays , Amazon’s strict return policy on computers and tablets isn’t unusual. “Many retailers have additional return requirements when it comes to electronics,” she says. “Customers should make a point to return electronic gifts first to ensure they don’t miss the deadline.” So what can you do if an item isn’t returnable or you miss the return window? Re-gifting is one option. Another is giving the items to charity, which could allow you to get a tax break for your donation. Yet another option to recoup some cash is selling unwanted items online. specialize in buying and selling electronics. Popular gift cards from the likes of Walmart and Starbucks tend to fetch the most money. compares prices across multiple sites. As for the live insects you ordered on Amazon?
