Why Amazon Is Releasing a Set-Top Box

Apple TV's pointer makes it frustrating to use. Roku's search needs workChromecast has "poor performance."

That was the message Amazon delivered at a press event on Tuesday before it announced plans to release a set-top box of its own called Fire TV. The device has dual-band WiFi, 2GB of RAM and voice search, among other features, and goes on sale Tuesday for $99.

The new product, which was originally rumored to be scheduled for last year, may give Amazon more footing in customers' living rooms and pit the company against the likes of Apple, Google and Roku. As with pretty much everything Amazon does, though, it's not really about the hardware — it's about what you can buy through the hardware. Read more...