Tech Report: Amazon quietly raises prices amid tariff tensions, while Google tackles wildfires from space

In the months following President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcements, Amazon has quietly raised prices on many low-cost household essentials.

(LILAMAX)- In the months following President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcements, Amazon has quietly raised prices on many low-cost household essentials, according to the Wall Street Journal. WSJ analysis of nearly 2,500 products found that items like deodorant, protein shakes, and pet care supplies saw an average price increase of 5% by July—despite Amazon’s April pledge to hold the line on pricing. Some items even spiked as much as 136%.

The data, compiled by e-commerce analytics firm Traject Data, reveals that Amazon raised prices on roughly 1,200 of its most affordable items. In contrast, competitor Walmart lowered prices on many of the same products by nearly 2%, signaling a sharp divergence in pricing strategies.

In reference to the Wall Street Journal analysis, an Amazon spokesperson released the following statement:

“This story is false and misleading. We have not seen the average prices of products offered in our store change up or down appreciably outside of typical fluctuations across millions of items on Amazon. This study is seriously flawed, cherry picking a mere 2,500 items out of the hundreds of millions we sell, and failing to accurately compare like-for-like offers in stock and available for sale across retailers. For the full set of 2,500 items investigated, we found the vast majority had no price change or a price decrease, and further we were still competitively priced compared to other retailers. Amazon has always worked hard to meet or beat the prices of products available for sale at other retailers, and nothing has changed in our approach.” 

Amazon asserts that its prices remain among the lowest across a broad selection of products, with typical fluctuations rather than significant shifts. The company challenges a recent analysis that used a limited sample of 2,500 items, saying it does not accurately represent overall pricing across its platform. Citing third-party research, Amazon points to long-standing data showing its prices as consistently lower than major U.S. retailers, including on everyday essentials. It also highlights that price comparisons should account for identical products, availability, and differences between product categories, which Amazon says the analysis  overlooked. Amazon maintains that comparing prices at only two points in time does not reflect the ongoing variability in pricing throughout the year.

Meanwhile, Google is looking to the skies to combat another major challenge: wildfires. Teaming up with satellite company Muon Space, Google is launching fire-detection satellites into orbit. These high-tech tools are capable of spotting wildfires as small as a swimming pool — with the goal of catching them before they spread and become unmanageable. The partnership also aims to provide valuable data on how fires behave, potentially improving prevention and containment strategies.

In the food delivery world, Domino’s Pizza reports a surge in orders, crediting its focus on home delivery, digital innovation, and a revamped menu. The company’s app and website have become key drivers of growth, while new menu options are helping Domino’s appeal to more health-conscious and diet-specific consumers.

And finally, OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform experienced a widespread outage Monday morning. According to OpenAI’s status page and reports from Downdetector, disruptions began around 7:00 a.m. EDT. The company says it’s actively working on a fix.