As a tech addict who lives in a remote area, Amazon Prime is a godsend for me: getting stuff delivered to my door quickly when it would otherwise necessitate a three hour round trip is well worth the nominal fee. Amazon hopes you'll agree, and to that end they've now included the ability to sign up for an Amazon Prime free trial right in the official Amazon app.

If you qualify for Prime (and just about everybody does), you can sign up for a 30-day trial within the app itself. Cancel within the trial period to avoid the yearly charge, which is currently $79. It's just too bad that there's no way to watch all that free video on your phone. Ahem.

The Amazon store app also includes alternative payment methods, including "points" from partners like American Express, Discover, and Chase. Of course you'll need to be actively enrolled in one of these programs, and points may not be applicable to all items on Amazon. You can also add credit from an Amazon gift card or add a secure bank account payment method. Our Canadian readers will be happy to know that the Lightning Deals can now be viewed from the app if you've got an Amazon.ca account.

A few bug fixes are thrown in, as usual. The separate Amazon tablet app should be updated to match this functionality soon.