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Tag: Amazon

  • Amazon Says Its Appstore Is Just Like A Pizza Parlor

    Have you developed a game for the Amazon Appstore? Perhaps your still on the fence? If so, Amazon has a new infographic that should help you understand why it thinks you should be developing for its platform.

    In a new infographic released today called “Amazon Appstore’s Developer Parlor,” the retailer compares its digital app platform to a pizza parlor. Why? Well, it reasons that the process of making a pizza from scratch is similar to developing an app.

    Wait, what?

    In Amazon’s eyes, its AWS services are like the pizza crust. It’s the foundation for your app and the first thing any developer needs to establish before working on the app proper. It then later compares the sauce and toppings to all the tools available to developers to help make their apps even more appealing, like GameCircle, In-App Purchasing and Amazon’s Free App of the Day promotion. Finally, it compares the distribution model of pizza parlors (i.e. delivery) to its own app delivery via the Appstore, email recommendations and HTML5 Appstore.

    For more, check out the full infographic below:

    Amazon Says Its Appstore Is Just Like A Pizza Parlor

    Image via Amazon

  • Amazon Wants To Help You Write The Next Great Film With Storybuilder

    Earlier this year, Amazon launched a new tool called Storyteller that aimed to help aspiring screenwriters turn their scripts into storyboards. Now the retailer is launching a new tool to help those who need a little extra help during the concept phase.

    Amazon announced today that its launching a new writers tool today called Storybuilder. It takes the concept of writing stories through placing notecards on a cork board and brings it into the digital world. With this new tool, writers will be able to create digital notecards complete with text and images. From there, they can arrange them as they see fit to help them write screenplays.

    “Technology is already transforming how filmed entertainment is produced and distributed, and many of the tools writers use to craft stories could become more accessible with a technology update—paper notecards are a perfect example,” said Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios. “With Amazon Storybuilder, we are translating a writer’s physical index cards and corkboard into the digital world and giving them access to their ideas anywhere they are—if an idea pops up writers can edit their digital corkboard instantly on any mobile device. We can’t wait to hear what creators think of Amazon Storybuilder.”

    In even better news, Amazon says Storybuilder is free and that it claims no ownership on projects created using the tool. Of course, Amazon probably wouldn’t complain if you gave them exclusive streaming rights to your new film or TV series if it ends up being a hit.

    If you want to find out more about Storybuilder, you can join the beta here.

    Image via Amazon

  • Gift Baskets For The Music Lover

    Gift Baskets For The Music Lover

    When it comes to giving someone a gift basket, the one-fits-all approach usually isn’t the best way to go. At least that’s what a lot of experts on the subject say. So why not take the time to consider who you’re actually giving a gift basket to, because giving someone a bunch of smelly cheeses or dried fruit for example may be a nice gesture, but what good is it if the person has no need for them and decides to give everything away?

    So this holiday season try designing a gift basket according to one’s specific interests and hobbies, like music. Below are some cool items to create the ultimate gift basket for the music lover and they all make great stocking-stuffers as well.

    Ticket Stub Diary: Your average music lover typically heads to a lot of concerts and many of them keep the stubs. Why not give them something where they can keep a record of all the cool shows they’ve attended? Not only is this gift just $12 dollars on the site UncommonGoods.com, the person who receives it will probably start using it right away.

    Vintage Record Coasters: Imagine being able to set your drink on some of the most classic albums throughout history.That’s what you can do with this particular gift, as the vintage record coasters can add style to any coffee table and keep it from getting a nasty ring stain all in one shot. Any true music lover will appreciate this one.

    Guitar Pick Punch: It looks like a stapler, but it really converts one’s old credit cards into guitar picks. Pretty cool, huh? No more heading to the music store for these tiny things each time they get lost and for just over $20, this music lover’s gift shouldn’t break the bank at all.

    Headphone Earmuffs: Hey, it’s freezing outside, right? At least in many parts of the country, so why not keep the music lover warm this winter, while still allowing him or her to rock out if they wish. These special headphones will allow a person to do just that and in most cases you’ll be able to find styles for both men and women.

    Miniature Speakers: Sure, mini-speakers come a dime a dozen these days but why not purchase some that are made of actual quality, but still don’t cost an arm and a leg? The X-Mini speakers fit that description and for only $15.99 on Amazon you’ll be giving someone good speakers for an inexpensive price.

    Obviously, these are just some of the ideas you can go with when it comes to giving the music lover in your life a gift basket, plus, you’ll most likely have to add other stuff as well. But even if the entire basket isn’t all music related, at least you can stick some music stuff in there along with other items. Either way, you’ll have to start putting your basket together soon, as the big gift-giving-day is just a little over a week away.

    Image via YouTube

  • Amazon Has Reportedly Acquired Gopago

    Amazon Has Reportedly Acquired Gopago

    Update: It looks like Amazon only bought certain technologies and hired certain talent from Gopago, while Doublebeam actually acquired the rest.

    According to reports, Amazon has acquired Gopago, a PoS solutions company.

    The reports (later picked up by TechCrunch) appear to have originated in the Italian press.

    Gopago’s slogan is “modern commerce now affordable.” It offers mobile and tablet PoS solutions associated apps.

    According to reports, the terms of the deal were not disclosed and co-founder Vincenzo di Nicola will not be joining Amazon, though that may also be true for others at the company.

    It’s unclear when the acquisition actually took place. Gopago has been pretty quiet lately. The company blog has’t been updated since June.

    Image: Gopago

  • Rare Christmas Card Sells for $6,800

    An 1843 Christmas card reading “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You” sold for roughly $6,800 on Saturday at auction. An anonymous bidder paid £4,200 for the greeting card, equal to $6,846, at British auction house Henry Aldridge & Son. The black-and-white stationary is of a set of the world’s first Christmas cards, and depicts a Victorian-era family eating and drinking.

    Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneer Andrew Aldridge commented, “It’s a documented fact that the first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole, a great Victorian pioneer who also had the idea for the Penny Black, the world’s first postage stamp. In 1843 he had a bright idea of creating a Christmas card, creating 1,000 copies and selling them, while also sending ones to his friends and family.”

    The first run of Christmas cards commissioned by Cole were illustrated by John Callcott Horsley in London on the May 1, 1843. The image of the family drinking wine together was a bit scandalous at the time, and two sets of 1,025 cards were printed and sold that year for a shilling each.

    The traditional English greeting featured on the card auctioned, “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” has since been translated into several other languages. Here’s how to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in varied tongues:

    Albanian: Gëzuar Krishtlindjet dhe Vitin e Ri
    Basque: Gabon Zoriontsuak eta urte berri on
    Catalan: Bon Nadal i Feliç Any Nou
    Chinese Traditional: 聖誔快樂，新年進步
    Croatian – Hrvatski: Čestit Božić i sretna Nova Godina
    Czech: Veselé vánoce a šťastný nový rok.
    Danish: Glædelig jul og godt nytår! or simply God jul
    French: Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année
    Georgian: გილოცავთ შობა-ახალ წელს
    German: Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches/gutes Neues Jahr
    Greek: Καλά Χριστούγεννα και ευτυχισμένος ο Καινούριος Χρόνος
    Icelandic: Gleðileg jól og farsælt nýtt ár
    Irish: Nollaig Shona Duit
    Italian: Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo
    Japanese: メリー・クリスマス
    Norwegian: God jul og godt nyttår
    Persian: کریسمس و سال نو مبارک
    Polish: Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku
    Romanian: Crăciun Fericit și La mulți ani
    Russian: С Новым Годом и Рождеством
    Spanish: Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo
    Swedish: God Jul och Gott Nytt År
    Vietnamese: Chúc mừng Giáng Sinh và chúc mừng năm mơi (acute accent over ơ in “mơi”)
    Urdu:آپکو بڑا دن اور نیا سال مبارک ہو

    With the holiday season upon us, retailers like Hallmark, Amazon and Walgreen’s will be moving loads of greeting cards. Starbucks Corp. reported Thursday that it expects record purchases and activations of its own Starbucks Cards. Last holiday season Starbucks sold over 2 million cards in the U.S. and Canada on the Thursday before Christmas.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Amazon Prime Members Get Free Holiday Shipping Until Dec. 22

    Are you still trying to decide what to get your family and friends this Christmas? Well, your deadline to find a gift has just been extended if you happen to have an Amazon Prime membership.

    Amazon announced today that all Amazon Prime members can get free holiday shipping as long as they purchase the item before midnight EST on Sunday, December 22. While free two-day shipping is a hallmark of Amazon Prime, this is one of the few times throughout the year when the perk goes from convenient to necessity.

    “This is a unique holiday season. With so few shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, this weekend can be hectic for many holiday shoppers – fighting crowds while struggling to find just the right gift,” said Greg Greeley, Vice President Amazon Prime. “We would like to make your weekend just a little easier. Prime members can order anytime this weekend, as late as midnight on Sunday, Dec. 22, and still receive unlimited free two-day shipping in time for Christmas. This allows members to enjoy the same fast, free shipping and convenient online shopping experience they have come to expect from Amazon.”

    If you’re running really late this year, you can still place an order through December 23 and have it arrive on Christmas Eve if you choose one-day shipping at checkout. For Amazon Prime members, this will cost you $2.99 per item.

    Here’s the full holiday ordering deadline schedule:

  • Dec. 18: Free Shipping and Standard Shipping
  • Dec. 22: Two-Day Shipping (order as late as midnight EST; varies by item; free with Amazon Prime)
  • Dec. 23: One-Day Shipping (order as late as midnight EST; varies by item; as low as $2.99/item with Amazon Prime)
  • Dec. 24: Local Express Delivery (while available; select cities; $3.99/item with Amazon Prime)
  • Dec. 25: Email and printable Amazon Gift Cards can be sent immediately, at any time

    • Besides holiday shipping deadlines. Amazon also wants you to know that it still has a number of holiday deals that will last throughout Friday. You can find more here.

    [Image: Amazon]

  • Amazon’s Best-Selling Book of 2013 Is Dan Brown’s ‘Inferno’

    If you’re thinking about buying Dan Brown’s new thriller Inferno for the voracious reader in your family, you’re not alone. Amazon has just published their 2013 Best-Selling books list, and Brown’s 6th novel sits at the top.

    Apparently, it was a big year for mysteries and thrillers across the board.

    “Last year’s best seller list was filled with Fifty Shades and contemporary romance, but in 2013 Mysteries & Thrillers captured readers attention, with 11 of the top 20 books falling in that category,” said Sara Nelson, Editorial Director of Books and Kindle at Amazon.com.

    This list also features books by notable authors like John Grisham, Stephen King, and Bill O’Reilly.

    Here’s Amazon’s complete top 20 best-selling books of the year (taking into account both Kindle and print):

    1. Inferno by Dan Brown
    2. And the Mountain Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
    3. The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith
    4. The Husband’s Secret by Liana Moriarty
    5. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
    6. The Hit by David Baldacci
    7. Sycamore Row by John Grisham
    8. Entwined with You by Sylvia Day
    9. Never Go Back by Lee Child
    10. The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult
    11. Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson
    12. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
    13. 12th of Never by James Patterson
    14. Damaged: The Ferro Family by H.M. Ward
    15. Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O’Reilly
    16. Second Honeymoon by James Patterson
    17. Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts
    18. The Billionaires’ Obsession: The Complete Collection by J.S. Scott
    19. Surrender Your Love by J.C. Reed
    20. Six Years by Harlan Coben

    Kindle ruled the bestseller list, with 19 of the top 20 selling more digital copies than print. The only book in the top 20 to sell more in print than on Kindle was Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.

    Amazon has set up a dedicated hub for some additional best-of lists, including specific ones for Kids & Teens.

    Switching away from books for a sec – last week, Amazon announced their best-selling albums of all time. Unsurprisingly, Michael Jackson’s seminal classic Thriller topped that list.

    Image via Dan Brown.com

  • A Friendly Reminder That You Actually Don’t Own Your Digital Content (Christmas Edition)

    Here’s a scenario: It’s Christmas Eve and you’ve gathered the entire family around the TV to watch your favorite Christmas classic. You thought ahead and purchased the video through Amazon Instant Video just for this very occasion. Good thinking on your part, right? Unfortunately, all that good thinking is for naught as the video is not in your collection, and it’s not even showing up as available for sale on Amazon. What gives?

    This scenario may seem like something of a joke, but it has become a very real situation for Bill this holiday season. Writing into Boing Boing, he says he purchased the second episode of Disney’s Prep & Landing last year and wanted to watch it again this year. He soon found that the video was removed from his account, and is even listed as unavailable on Amazon Instant Video.

    Seriously, what gives?

    When Bill wrote in to Amazon about his legitimate purchase being removed, he’s told that it’s just all part of the licensing agreement they have with Disney. The company reserves the right to remove any video content offered for sale on Amazon.com at any time for any reason. The reason this time is that Disney wants to keep this particular show exclusively for itself this holiday season to broadcast on its channels. To rub salt in the wound, Disney won’t make the content available to those who purchased it on Amazon again until July – well after the holiday season is over.

    This is just another reminder that everything we purchase in the digital world doesn’t actually belong to us. We are simply buying a license to view the content, but the company, in this case Disney, still fully owns it. Think of it like buying a car, but you’re merely indefinitely renting it instead of owning it. That means the manufacturer or dealer could show up at any time and take the car back without any prior warning.

    In the car example, we wouldn’t stand for it if the manufacturer suddenly showed up and took away our car. Why do we stand for it when it happens to digital content then? For starters, this is still a relatively rare occurrence. It’s not often that a rights holder makes content unavailable after putting it on sale. After all, it seems kind of counterintuitive to stop making money on something, especially when people are more likely to buy it.

    All of this really boils down to the fact that consumers just aren’t educated on their digital rights. They think that the digital marketplace is the same as a physical marketplace. Once they purchase something, they think it belongs to them forever. It should work like that in the digital marketplace, but it doesn’t. It’s a despicable practice, but it will continue happening until people realize just how awful it is and demand change.

    If there’s any good news to be had out of this, it’s that Amazon realizes Disney is being an absolute Scrooge with the abuse of its licensing policy. The online retailer gave Bill “a very generous credit” to pick up some other holiday films for the family this year.

    Speaking of which, might I suggest The Muppet Christmas Carol. What’s that? TorrentFreak says it’s also been pulled? Well, what about the sub-standard, but still kind of enjoyable, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas? That’s been taken away too? Well, I hope Disney’s happy that it has singlehandedly killed Christmas for the few potential customers who wanted to buy these movies through Amazon Instant Video.

    [Image: Amazon]

  • Amazon Really Wants You To Buy A Kindle Fire HDX, Will Let You Pay It Off In Installments

    Over the years, Amazon has used various deals and promotions to increase sales of its Kindle Fire tablet line. Those promotions seemingly work as the tablets remain the best-selling items on Amazon. Now the online retailer is trying a new method to get more Kindle Fires into the hands of even more customers.

    Amazon announced over the weekend a new payment plan that will let customers buy either a Kindle Fire HDX or Kindle Fire HDX 8.9″ for a quarter of the price. After the initial down payment, customers will then pay back another quarter of the device’s price every ninety days.

    For example, the Kindle Fire HDX, which normally costs $229, can now be yours for only $57.25. After purchasing the tablet at this price, you’ll be automatically billed $57.25 every 90 days until the device is paid off in full. As for the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9″, you’ll pay $94.75 upfront and then pay that same amount three more times over the course of the next 270 days.

    What’s interesting about this latest ploy is that everyone can take part. For these kind of deals, most retailers would want to apply interest or credit checks. Amazon is having none of that, however, as this is strictly a no strings attached kind of deal. The only thing you’ll have to look out for is that the payments will be automatically billed to your card every 90 days.

    That being said, you will want to read the fine print as there are some rules you’ll need to be aware of. For example, the above deal is only available until midnight on December 24. Amazon notes that you customers must use a credit card to make the initial down payment, but a debit card is fine for the remaining payments. You can also pay back the full remaining balance at any time, but the same can’t be said of the installments.

    If all of that sounds good to you, you can check out the promotion page here. If you’d rather pay for the entire device upfront, Amazon will most likely put the Kindle Fire HDX on sale one last time before Christmas.

    [h/t: Engadget]
    [Image: Amazon]

  • Last Minute Gifts for the Frugal Holiday Shopper

    Christmas is fast approaching and I’m sure a lot of you didn’t take advantage of the Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping craze.

    Hey, I understand that things happen and you couldn’t find the time or money to go holiday shopping. Well, for all of you who are slackers, here are five ideas of last minute gifts that would surely save the day and your wallet.

    1. Gift Cards-This is one of the most obvious gifts, of course. Plus, it’s allows your gift recipient to use the card on any purchase from the associated store. Amazon’s gift cards are some of the most popular and easiest options available online. Also, if you’re looking to give your recipient a little bit more free will, look into the Visa gift card provided at stores like Walgreens.
    2. Flowers-This is a very endearing gift usually for a special someone. Although sending flowers are customarily intended for someone’s Birthday, Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, it could also be a perfect gift to receive on Christmas day. It’s a way of saying “I’m thinking of you even during the holidays.” I’m sure you would touch the heart of the person who receives this kind gesture.
    3. Baked Goodies-Who doesn’t like to be treated to some homemade Christmas cookies? Whether it’s brownies, a pie or cake, you could place the treats in a cute woven basket dressed in a red holiday bow and present it as a thoughtful yummy gift.
    4. Stocking Essentials-You could either buy a new stocking or recycle one of your own and stuff it with basic necessities you assume the person needs. This could include: soap, facial tissue, hand sanitizer, socks, etc. The possibilities are limitless.
    5. Christmas Cards-Although this sounds like a lazy way out, a lot of people really do enjoy the thought that people put into buying them the perfect card. No matter if it comes from the Dollar Tree or Hallmark, you could include money, a cute note or even one of those Amazon gift cards!

    Here are a few online stores specializing in other last minute shopping ideas:

    As long as you’re not waiting until Christmas day to finally get your gifts together, being a last minute person has its perks.

    Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

  • Amazon’s Best-Selling Album of All Time Shouldn’t Surprise You Too Much

    It’s hard to believe that this is the first time that Amazon has ever compiled all the data on total sales to bring us the most-purchased albums and songs of all time, but that’s what they’re saying. Today, on a dedicated hub, you can browse through the best-selling albums, CDs, mp3s, and songs of all time – and maybe luck out on some ideas for that hard-to-shop-for music lover.

    Without further ado, here’s Amazon’s best-selling album of all time (both digital and physical formats):

    Yeah, not too shocking, right? The King of Pop’s Thriller has sold more digital and physical copies on Amazon than any other album in history.

    Here’s the rest of the top 10:

    2. Eagles – Their Greatest Hits
    3. Billy Joel – Greatest Hits Vol 1-2
    4. Pink Floyd – The Wall
    5. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV (ZOSO)
    6. AC/DC – Back in Black
    7. Garth Brooks – Double Live
    8. Shania Twain – Come on Over
    9. The Beatles – The White Album
    10. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

    Just FYI, Hootie & The Blowfish’s Cracked Rear View cracks the top 20 at #17.

    Moving along to the best-selling CDs of all time, Adele’s 21 takes the top spot, followed by Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream.

    Images via Amazon, Thinkstock

  • Amazon To Target Sam’s Club, Costco With ‘Pantry’ [Report]

    Amazon To Target Sam’s Club, Costco With ‘Pantry’ [Report]

    Amazon is really cranking out the new initiatives these days. I’m sure you heard about Amazon Prime Air. This week, the company expanded its grocery delivery service AmazonFresh into its third market.

    Now, we learn that Amazon is headed into Sam’s Club/Costco territory with a service called Pantry. This is according to USA Today, which cites three people familiar with the effort.

    According to the report, the service, which would be run by Billy Hegeman, will launch in 2014, and will target existing Amazon Prime customers with about 2,000 grocery products initially. Customers, the report says, will be able to “put as many of these items into a set sized box, up to a specific weight limit,” and “if the products fit and they don’t exceed the maximum weight, Amazon will ship the box for a small fee.”

    Don’t expect these boxes to be delivered by drones anytime soon, as Amazon says it could be a few years before it’s able to start that service up, due to regulations. Some are very skeptical about whether Prime Air will really even be able to exist.

    But targeting businesses like Sam’s Club and Costco is much more realistic, and probably the next logical step in Amazon’s business. We expect AmazonFresh will be expanding more rapidly in the coming year as well.

    Image: Amazon

  • You Can Now Gift Amazon Coins To Your Kindle-Owning Friends And Family

    Earlier this year, Amazon got into the digital currency game with Amazon Coins. In essence, Kindle users can use Coins to buy games, apps and in-app purchases on mostly everything in the Amazon Appstore. Now those same Kindle users can gift Amazon Coins to other Kindle users.

    Amazon announced today that it’s now letting users gift Amazon Coins to others just in time for the holidays. It’s being billed as an easy, yet effective, gift for those in among your family and friends that own a Kindle or use the Amazon Appstore on their Android device.

    So, how does this all work? You simply buy Amazon Coins as you normally would, but choose to gift them at the store page. From there, you put in the email address of the person receiving the coins and Amazon takes care of the rest.

    “Customers love using Amazon Coins in the Amazon Appstore and on Kindle Fire to purchase apps and games,” said Mike George, Vice President of Apps and Games at Amazon. “We know that during the holidays finding that perfect gift can be hard. So, we’re making it easy for you to give the game-playing kids or app-savvy friends and family in your life just what they want – great apps and games to use on their phones and tablets. And remember, if you are a Kindle Fire owner, we automatically deposited 500 Coins in your account. So, if you haven’t used them yet, happy shopping.”

    It goes without saying, but the practice of gifting Amazon Coins won’t be restricted to just the holidays. You will get 20 percent off your Coins purchase, however, if you buy them before January 5. You can start giving Amazon Coins here.

    [Image: Amazon]

  • While It’s Not Using Drones Yet, Amazon’s Grocery Delivery Service Is Expanding

    While It’s Not Using Drones Yet, Amazon’s Grocery Delivery Service Is Expanding

    Update: AmazonFresh has now officially launched in San Francisco. You can browse here.

    It looks like AmazonFresh, Amazon’s grocery delivery service, is expanding into its third city – San Francisco.

    The service initially launched in Seattle a few years ago, but expanded into the Los Angeles area earlier this year. Soon, San Francisco residents will be able to order groceries online, and have them delivered to their home right from the Internet retail giant.

    And no, these groceries will not be delivered by drones. At least not yet.

    All Things D is reporting that a launch may come next week, and that AmazonFresh trucks have already been spotted in the area. As further confirmation, a job posting in October indicated a coming Bay Area launch for the service.

    AmazonFresh provides Amazon Prime members with free same-day and early morning delivery on orders over $35 of more than 500,000 Amazon items, including fresh grocery and local products (including from restaurants).

    Rival Google Shopping Express is already available in San Francisco:

    And its best-sellers are simple grocery items:

    Best-sellers

    We imagine that drones, robots and self-driving cars will eventually be doing a lot of the delivery for both services if everything goes according to plan.

    Images: Amazon, Google

  • Is Amazon’s Drone Delivery a ‘Long-Term Fantasy’?

    Is Amazon’s Drone Delivery a ‘Long-Term Fantasy’?

    Although Amazon claims that one day unmanned delivery drones will be “as normal as mail trucks,” one high-profile CEO isn’t really buying into it yet. eBay CEO John Donahoe is skeptical, and thinks that delivery drones are a “long-term fantasy.”

    In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Donahoe was asked about Amazon’s recent announcement that they want to start delivering small packages to customers’ doors with unmanned delivery drones (as soon as possible, pending FAA approval). After a quick chuckle, Donahoe responded with a pretty clear dismissal.

    “Now, Amazon made a lot of headlines a few days ago talking about delivery by drone – they’re working on octocopters. Are you gonna show me an octocopter today? I was sorta hoping I’d see one,” said Bloomberg TV’s Emily Chang.

    “No, we’re not really focusing on long-term fantasies – we’re focusing on things that will change consumers’ experience today,” said Donahoe.

    “So you think it’s a long-term fantasy?” said Chang.

    “We’ll see.”

    But to Amazon, the tech is no fantasy.

    “It looks like science fiction, but it’s real. From a technology point of view, we’ll be ready to enter commercial operations as soon as the necessary regulations are in place,” says Amazon.

    Other companies would disagree with Donahoe – take UPS for instance. They’re testing drone delivery. You know who else is interested in drone delivery? Pizza chains.

    Donahoe isn’t scoffing at innovation or anything. In fact, he says that “moonshot” ventures and technical innovation are important.

    “I think bold innovation is important,” he says. “But our focus on our bold innovation is around commerce. So the notion of making a storefront window a touchscreen? I’d call that bold innovation. The notion of saying you can get a product delivered to you within an hour? I’d call that a bold innovation.”

    Donahoe is referring to a couple of recent eBay experiments – Shoppable Windows in New York City and eBay Now, which first began in San Francisco a little over a year ago and has since expanded.

    What do you think? Are Amazon’s drones a pipe dream? Are they the future of delivery?

    Image via Amazon

  • Kindle FreeTime Gets New Education Features

    Kindle FreeTime Gets New Education Features

    More and more kids these days are making the switch from TVs and video games to consuming everything on tablets. While tablets are great, the personal nature of the device also makes it harder for parents to make sure their children are fulfilling their obligations before they start to play games or watch TV shows on Netflix. That’s where Amazon FreeTime comes in.

    Amazon announced that its FreeTime app – an app that allows parents to control when and how their children use a Kindle Fire device – will soon be getting an educational shot in the arm. This update will allow parents to set educational goals that their children must complete before they’re allowed to play games or use other entertainment apps on the device.

    “Kindle Fire is already the best tablet for kids and families—and now we’re making it even better,” said Peter Larsen, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “We know kids spend a lot of time every day looking at screens, and we’re excited to add new tools that help parents make this time more educational. Parents can use features like ‘Learn First’ to ensure study comes before play and set daily educational goals for reading and learning. If you subscribe to FreeTime Unlimited, your kids will enjoy thousands of new educational books, apps, games and videos.”

    Of course, edutainment doesn’t mean what it used to mean. Amazon wants parents to know that there’s plenty of content available in Kindle FreeTime that will make kids want to learn. Here’s what you will find:

  • Thousands of common core-aligned leveled readers and supplemental readers are coming to Kindle FreeTime Unlimited and the Kindle Store—most of these books will be available for the first time digitally. Hundreds of these titles will be available in time for Christmas, with the rest coming early next year, from trusted educational publishers like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Starwalk Kids Media LLC, The Child’s World, Sleeping Bear Press, Lerner Publishing, and Cherry Lake Publishing.
  • Kid-friendly educational apps such as Team Umizoomi Math, Super Why!, Stack the States, Curious George at the Zoo, Elmo Loves 123’s, Write the Alphabet, Kids Learn To Read and more.
  • Award-winning and engaging educational apps from BrainPOP and Agnitus.
  • Over 2,000 educational TV Shows and Movies from well recognized educational content providers including Sesame Street, PBS, Reading Rainbow and BabyFirst TV.
  • Beginning level foreign language video learning programs for Spanish, French, Chinese and more from Little Pim.

    • Alongside all of the educational content, FreeTime will also be updated with two new features to make sure your kids are using the Kindle when you want them to:

  • Bedtime: No more cartoons in the middle of the night—set a Bedtime so FreeTime only works the time of day you choose—for example, between 8 am and 8 pm.
  • Weekend and Weekday Time Limits: All days of the week aren’t created equal—configure educational goals and screen time limits differently for weekends and weekdays.

    • On a final note, Amazon says that parents will soon be able to check out an eBook from a public library and then make it available to their children in FreeTime. Prime members who use the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library will be able to do the same.

    If you want to learn more about FreeTime, check out Amazon’s landing page.

    [Image: Amazon]

  • Kindle Fire Tablets See Record Sales on Amazon

    Amazon’s line of Kindle Fire tablets saw record-breaking sales over the weekend, as the second-generation Kindle Fire HD, and the third-generation Kindle Fire HDX 7″, were the two top-selling items this holiday season for the world’s largest online retailer.

    A report released by Amazon detailing the success of Kindle Fire tablets from Black Friday through Cyber Monday says that they saw the best sales numbers for Kindle tablets of all time. The site offered extra savings this year, with a $50-off rebate on Kindle Fire tablets. The price for an HD model was just $119 and the HDZ 7″ was reduced to the lowest-ever price of $179.

    The announcement from Amazon came yesterday just after the 2013 IBM Holiday Benchmark report was released, indicating that Black Friday’s 2013 sales had dropped to their lowest since 2009.

    Many retailers offered extra savings this year, as well as longer store hours, and had record-breaking sales numbers, despite the information that sales were the lowest in five years.

    Amazon Kindle Vice-President, Neil Lindsay, said, “We’re excited that so many customers have chosen Kindle this holiday season—and it’s just getting started! Our new Kindle Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers are the best we’ve ever built, and we can’t wait for customers to unwrap their gifts this holiday.”

    Main image courtesy @amazon via Twitter.

  • Amazon Has Worked With Vendors To Eliminate 24.7 Million Pounds Of Packaging

    Amazon Has Worked With Vendors To Eliminate 24.7 Million Pounds Of Packaging

    Back in 2008, Amazon announced its “Frustration-Free Packaging” initiative, working with nineteen manufacturers, including Fischer-Price, Mattel, Microsoft and Transcend, to make product packaging easier to get into so the whole buying-and-receiving process is less annoying.

    The phrase “first world problems” comes to mind, but even still, who doesn’t want opening a new toy to be as easy as possible?

    The following year, Amazon launched the Frustration-Free Packaging certification program aimed at convincing more manufacturers to participate. Apparently it worked.

    The company announced this morning that it now offers 200,000 items that are delivered in “smaller, easy-to-open, recyclable cardboard boxes that reduce the overall amount of packaging used while still protecting what’s inside”.

    Others now participating include Unilever, Seventh Generation, Belkin, Victorinox Swiss Army and Logitech, to name a few.

    “We’ve all experienced the frustration of trying to remove a product from nearly impenetrable packaging like plastic clamshell cases and products bound by dozens of wire ties,” said CEO Jeff Bezos. “We’ve worked with both manufacturers and customers to design Frustration-Free Packaging that is easy-to-open, protects the product and reduces waste. We now have more than 2,000 manufacturers in the program.”

    As a result of the program, Amazon says it has eliminated waste to the tune of 58.9 million square feet of cardboard, 24.7 million pounds of packaging, and 14.5 million cubic feet of box size.

    Amazon is encouraging other vendors to participate, and consumers can shop for certified frustration-free products at this destination.

    Image: Amazon (YouTube)

  • Kindle Fire HDX Was Best Selling Item On Amazon Over The Black Friday Weekend

    For the past few years, the Kindle line of eReaders and tablets have been the best selling electronic devices on Amazon during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you thought that was going to change this year, think again.

    Amazon announced today that the Kindle family had its best holiday weekend ever thanks a number of sales across Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In fact, the retailer notes that more people bought Kindle eReaders and Kindle Fire tablets this past weekend than any other weekend on record, and that the Kindle Fire HDX and Kindle Fire HD were the best selling items on Amazon all weekend long.

    “We’re excited that so many customers have chosen Kindle this holiday season—and it’s just getting started!” said Neil Lindsay, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “Our new Kindle Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers are the best we’ve ever built, and we can’t wait for customers to unwrap their gifts this holiday.”

    If you missed out on the Kindle holiday weekend rush, you will probably have more chances to score one on the cheap before Christmas. Amazon is known for its absurd holiday sales, and the retailer will undoubtedly put its Kindle Fire devices on sale again before Christmas. If not, you can always see if retailers like Best Buy, Radio Shack or Staples will put Kindle Fire devices on sale.

    It will be interesting to see just how well Barnes & Noble Nook did over the holiday weekend as the retailer dropped the prices of its Nook Simple Touch and Nook HD to $39 and $79 respectively. While the low prices were certainly attractive, was it enough to give a boost to the bookseller’s ailing consumer electronics business? We won’t know for sure until the company’s next quarterly report, or if they had a good enough holiday weekend to gloat like Amazon has.

    [Image: Amazon]

  • UPS Is Reportedly Testing Drones Too

    You’ve no doubt heard all about Amazon’s drones by now. Just in case you haven’t, the company introduced an ambitious new project called Amazon Prime Air, which delivers goods to people’s homes via drone. As soon as the FAA sets regulations that will make this possible, Amazon says it’s ready to go.

    As you would probably guess, Amazon won’t be alone in sending drones out to deliver products to people. Not only are pizza providers interested, but according to a new report from The Verge, UPS has also been experimenting with its own fleet. Ben Popper reports:

    Sources familiar with the company’s plans say it has been testing and evaluating different approaches to drone delivery. Asked for a comment, a company spokesman said that, “The commercial use of drones is an interesting technology and we’ll continue to evaluate it. UPS invests more in technology than any other company in the delivery business, and we’re always planning for the future.”

    Amazon says that one day seeing its drones will be “as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today.”

    Perhaps seeing UPS drones will be as normal as seeing UPS trucks.

    Image: UPS

  • Buy A Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Will Donate $20 To Charity

    In late October, Amazon announced a new charitable giving initiative called Amazon Smile. When you sign up for it, the retailer will donate 0.5 percent of your total purchase price to a charity of your choice. Now Amazon is tugging at your heartstrings in an attempt to sell some Kindle Fire HDX tablets.

    Amazon announced today that it will donate $20 to your charity of choice through Amazon Smile if you buy a Kindle Fire HDX this week. The tablet, which retails for $229, would normally only give $1.15 to the charity of your choice. With this promotion, Amazon is obviously hoping that the Christmas spirit will compel you to buy a Kindle Fire HDX for a friend or family member while simultaneously giving more to charity.

    “We’ve been thrilled by the overwhelmingly positive response to AmazonSmile—our customers love knowing that we’ll donate to their favorite charitable organization every time they shop AmazonSmile at smile.amazon.com,” said Ian McAllister, General Manager, AmazonSmile. “In celebration of the holiday season, we’re excited to offer AmazonSmile customers a special offer for this week only—buy a Kindle Fire HDX at smile.amazon.com, and we’ll donate $20 to your favorite charitable organization. Happy Holidays!”

    In other news, Amazon has shared the following facts about the Amazon Smile program:

  • Customers have chosen to support tens of thousands of different charitable organizations by shopping at AmazonSmile.
  • The first items purchased on AmazonSmile were a Beach TrueAir Compact Pet Air Purifier and Bravo-fit Premium Shoe Stretchers, bought by a customer in Nashua, New Hampshire, in support of the Humane Society for Greater Nashua. In Nashua alone, there are more than 190 eligible organizations for customers to choose from on AmazonSmile.
  • By the end of AmazonSmile’s first day, customers had supported charitable organizations in all 50 states.
  • There are more eligible charities on AmazonSmile than there are people in San Francisco, California.

    • While many of us become desensitized and cynical during the holiday season, Amazon Smile takes the many negatives of rampant consumerism and gives it a positive spin. While we’re buying toys for our ungrateful nieces and nephews out of obligation, we can at least know that we’re doing some good in the world through small charitable donations.