Amazon is set to rake in $3.6 billion in sales this Prime Day — a full $1.2 billion more than last year, one analyst predicts. Daniel Ives, the head of technology research at the market-research analytics firm GBH Insights, says the uptick is caused in part by the sale's lasting 36 hours this year — up from 24 previously — and also by how heavily Amazon has pushed discounts, especially on Alexa products. "There's a much broader push this year, from discounts, to the type of inventory, and Amazon's marketing push as well," Ives said in an interview. "When you think about Alexa, smart speakers, and smart home products, ... (full story)