amazon

Business
March 12, 2013
by
Amazon Prime Members

Amazon Prime said to be huge success with more than 10 million members

By on March 12, 2013 at 9:32 PM.

Amazon Prime said to be huge success with more than 10 million members

Amazon’s (AMZN) Prime service is one of the Internet’s hidden gems. For $79 a year, the company offers Prime members free two-day shipping and access to thousands of streaming TV shows and movies. For frequent online shoppers, Prime is a no-brainer. While Amazon has never disclosed how many people have signed up for Prime, recent estimates suggest the service is quite successful. More →

No Comments
Business
March 12, 2013
by
Google Same-Day Shipping Service

Google’s same-day shipping service is now being tested in San Francisco Bay area

By on March 12, 2013 at 4:10 PM.

Google’s same-day shipping service is now being tested in San Francisco Bay area

The news broke last week that Google (GOOG) is working with a number of national retail chains to create a same-day shipping service that will compete with Amazon Prime. It was previously reported that Google would undercut Amazon (AMZN) and offer the service for between $64 and $69 per year compared to $79 for Amazon Prime. Sources speaking to TechCrunch have now explained that pricing hasn’t been finalized, however, and the service is being tested at a price of $4.99 per delivery. The same-day shipping service, which will be known as Google Shopping Express, is reportedly being tested in the San Francisco Bay area with local partners and national retailer Target (TGT). It is still unclear when Google plans to announce the service.

No Comments
Business
March 12, 2013
by
Amazon Gravity-based Links

Gravity-based link technology could make it easier than ever to buy things from Amazon

By on March 12, 2013 at 8:45 AM.

Gravity-based link technology could make it easier than ever to buy things from Amazon

The ease with which consumers can purchase just about anything on Amazon’s (AMZN) website has helped the company change the face of retail. In the future, spending money on Amazon’s website could get even easier thanks to technology revealed in a patent the company was awarded late last month. Amazon’s “Gravity-based link assist” technology would help users by drawing pointers toward a link or button using a virtual gravitational field, thus reducing the frustration of misclicks and missed taps. While the patent has some clear potential in terms of accessibility, the technology has the added benefit of helping users click links that lead to products available for purchase from Amazon.

No Comments
mobile
March 11, 2013
by
Rumor
Amazon Kindle Smartphone Delayed

Amazon’s rumored Kindle smartphone could be delayed

By on March 11, 2013 at 1:05 PM.

Amazon’s rumored Kindle smartphone could be delayed

It has been suggested that Amazon (AMZN) will enter the smartphone market this year with a new Kindle phone. The company has long been rumored to be developing a smartphone that will run a heavily customized version of Android, similar to its Kindle Fire tablets. Earlier rumors indicated that Amazon was planning to release the device in the second quarter of 2013, however manufacturing hiccups have reportedly caused the smartphone to be delayed until later this year. According to Digitimes, issues relating to the device’s mobile platform will see Amazon miss its original June timeframe for the launch. When the smartphone is finally announced, it is expected to cost between $100 and $249, and could even be bundled with six months of 4G LTE data.

No Comments
Business
March 6, 2013
by
Rumor
Google Next-day Shipping Service

Google may be prepping next-day shipping service to tackle Amazon Prime

By on March 6, 2013 at 10:30 PM.

Google may be prepping next-day shipping service to tackle Amazon Prime

Google (GOOG) has made a name for itself by entering established markets and launching bigger, often better products that ultimately become dominant, and the company may now be targeting a space currently occupied by rival Amazon (AMZN). According to TechCrunch, Google is quietly working with a number of nationwide retail chains — the blog speculates that retail parters may include the likes of Walmart, Target and Walgreens — to create a next-day shipping service that will undercut Amazon Prime. The service will reportedly cost between $64 and $69 per year compared to $79 for Amazon Prime, and no launch timeframe was provided in the report.

No Comments
Business
March 5, 2013
by
Amazon Kindle Tablet Analysis

Amazon: The second most desirable tablet vendor

By on March 5, 2013 at 10:45 AM.

Amazon: The second most desirable tablet vendor

Amazon (AMZN) has had a hell of a ride in the tablet market. The first Kindle tablet rode on the wave of Kindle eBook readers’ success and made a big splash. That turned into bitter backlash due to software and hardware quality problems, however. Now, Amazon has managed to stage a remarkable tablet comeback. According to a Yankee Group survey, Amazon is the second most desirable vendor among consumers planning to buy a tablet. More →

No Comments
Tablets
February 26, 2013
by
Tablet Video Consumption Study

Amazon could see huge boost from long-form video consumption trend on tablets

By on February 26, 2013 at 3:35 PM.

Amazon could see huge boost from long-form video consumption trend on tablets

The new Ooyala study on video consumption patterns highlights just how much tablets are now outperforming the PC, smartphone and video game console platforms when it comes to long-form video watching. The long-form video category is the lucrative Holy Grail of content delivery. Videos longer than 60 minutes tend to be feature-length movies, the product category that commands a stiff premium compared to network TV shows or online comedy clips. Apple (AAPL), Samsung (005930), Microsoft (MSFT), Nintendo (NTDOY), Sony (SNE), Netflix (NFLX), Amazon (AMZN)… who isn’t trying to hit the jackpot in the digital movie distribution competition? More →

No Comments
Business
February 18, 2013
by
Amazon Neo-Nazi

Amazon cuts ties with security firm linked to neo-Nazis

By on February 18, 2013 at 2:41 PM.

Amazon cuts ties with security firm linked to neo-Nazis

Amazon (AMZN) has quickly learned that having alleged neo-Nazis guard your warehouses isn’t the best PR move. The Associated Press reports that Amazon has cut ties with HESS, a security company that has alleged ties to neo-Nazi groups and that shares a name with Rudolf Hess, who served as Hitler’s deputy in the Nazi party. Although Amazon didn’t say whether HESS had actual links to neo-Nazi groups, the company did acknowledge that HESS engaged in “discrimination and intimidation” against Amazon warehouse workers, as revealed during a documentary that aired last week on German TV channel ARD.

No Comments
Legal
February 15, 2013
by
Amazon Criticism Neo-Nazis

Amazon under fire for allegedly hiring neo-Nazi-linked security firm to guard warehouses

By on February 15, 2013 at 8:00 PM.

Amazon under fire for allegedly hiring neo-Nazi-linked security firm to guard warehouses

The last thing Amazon (AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos probably wanted to read this week was that his company had allegedly hired a security firm to guard its warehouses in Germany that just happens to be linked to neo-Nazis. Per the International Business Times, a documentary that aired on German TV channel ARD this week accused Amazon of hiring HESS, a security company that has alleged ties to neo-Nazi groups and that shares a name with Rudolf Hess, who served as Hitler’s deputy in the Nazi party. According to the International Business Times, “the documentary showed the guards invading and searching [warehouse workers'] bedrooms and kitchens, and telling the workers that they were mandated to ‘keep order’ in their homes.” Amazon, for its part, denies that it hired HESS and says that it is “currently examining the allegations concerning the behavior of security guards and will take the appropriate measures immediately” and that it does “not tolerate discrimination or intimidation.”

No Comments
Business
February 14, 2013
by
Nook Sales Analysis

Nook’s death spiral and Kindle’s triumph

By on February 14, 2013 at 11:40 AM.

Nook’s death spiral and Kindle’s triumph

Companies very rarely warn twice in 40 days about the same problem. When it happens, it usually indicates that something so unexpected is taking place that executives just cannot wrap their minds around it. One example is HTC’s (2498) string of warnings last winter when its Android success story suddenly unraveled. Another is Barnes & Noble (BKS) and its Nook warnings on January 2nd and February 13th. More →

No Comments
mobile
February 13, 2013
by
Apple Samsung Mobile Profit

Amazon could be the next mobile powerhouse to compete with Apple and Samsung

By on February 13, 2013 at 1:35 PM.

Amazon could be the next mobile powerhouse to compete with Apple and Samsung

More than eight multinational companies compete in the mobile market, however Apple and Samsung pull in all the profit. According to a new report from Canaccord Genuity, per Forbes, Apple (AAPL) earns 69% of all operating profit among leading device makers, while Samsung (005930) controls a 34% share. In 2012, companies such as BlackBerry (BBRY), LG (066570), and HTC (2498) barely broke even, while Nokia (NOK), Motorola and Sony (SNE) operated at a loss. Apple’s mobile business has the highest operating margin of all companies, measuring in at 41%, compared to Samsung’s 21% and HTC’s 6% margin. More →

No Comments
Retail
February 12, 2013
by
Amazon Apple Mobile Satisfaction Index

Amazon and Apple found to be top destinations for mobile shoppers

By on February 12, 2013 at 9:00 PM.

Amazon and Apple found to be top destinations for mobile shoppers

A new customer satisfaction survey from analytics firm ForeSee has ranked Amazon (AMZN) as the top destination for shoppers who used their mobile devices to browse for gifts. According to the survey, the online retail giant scored 85 points out of a possible 100, ranking it ahead of every other company. Apple (AAPL) tied with shopping network QVC for second place with a score of 83, while NewEgg and Victoria’s Secret rounded out the top five with a score of 80 points. The firm found that consumer satisfaction with the mobile retail experience is improving as a whole, climbing two points in 2012 for an overall score of 78 points. More →

No Comments
Tablets
January 25, 2013
by
European Cheap Tablet Sales

Amazon and Samsung are poised to win big as cheap tablets catch fire in Europe

By on January 25, 2013 at 10:31 AM.

Amazon and Samsung are poised to win big as cheap tablets catch fire in Europe

Retailer Carphone Warehouse surprised retail observers in the United Kingdom by delivering a torrid 16% revenue growth for the December quarter. Interestingly, CW specifically pointed to cheap tablets from Amazon (AMZN) and Samsung (005930) as key drivers. Tablet sales spiked to a weekly peak unit sales rate of 40,000, up from just a 5,000 unit pace during the 2011 Christmas season. More →

No Comments