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Tag: Amazon

  • Tons Of Classic MGM Movies Are Coming To Amazon Prime

    Tons Of Classic MGM Movies Are Coming To Amazon Prime

    If you’re stil on the fence about ponying up the $79 a year for Amazon Prime, the company hopes that a new deal with MGM is the kind of motivation you’re looking for.

    Film fans with Amazon Prime memberships will now be able to enjoy hundreds of classic movies and TV episodes courtesy of a deal between Amazon and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. The movies will appear as Prime Instant Video offerings – which means that Prime members can watch them at no additional cost.

    “Our customers tell us they love having tons of movies and TV shows to choose from, which is why we are focused on adding even more titles to our already extensive Prime Instant Video library,” said Brad Beale, director of digital video content acquisition for Amazon, and “MGM offers one of the most distinguished catalogs in all of Hollywood.”

    The deal brings films like Silence of the Lambs, The Terminator, Dances with Wolves, and Rain Man to Prime Instant video. Unfortunately, customers won’t receive all of the new additions at once – as they’ll be rolling out over the course of 2012.

    These MGM additions bring the grand total to 18,000 movies and TV episodes that are available for “free” through Prime Instant video. Just last month, Amazon inked a similar deal with Paramount Pictures that brought other big-name films like Braveheart and Forrest Gump to the service. Plus, Xbox 360 users will be able to enjoy these classic films through a newly launched app.

  • Amazon Prime to Offer Hundreds of Classic MGM Movies, TV Shows

    Variety is the the spice of life, they say, and thanks to a new deal struck up with MGM Studios, Amazon Prime members will be enjoying that spice soon as the online company will now be providing members with more video content, including hundreds of classic movies and television shows from MGM’s vault.

    “Our customers tell us they love having tons of movies and TV shows to choose from, which is why we are focused on adding even more titles to our already extensive Prime Instant Video library,” said Brad Beale, director of digital video content acquisition for Amazon.

    Some of titles listed by Beale include The Silence of the Lambs, Dances with Wolves, Rain Man, and The Terminator. Typically, when the term “classic” is affixed to television shows or movies, I think black-and-white, Humphrey Bogart- and Rita Hayworth-era types of videos and not movies that were made within my lifetime, but I suppose some may regard these selections as “modern classics.” Or, it’s a sign that I’m getting old.

    The new MGM videos will be available on any Amazon Instant Video-supported device as well as on the Kindle Fire. Last month, Amazon announced that Prime Instant Video would be available for streaming on Xbox for all Xbox Live Gold memberships. Amazon also recently partnered with several studios to offer its “Never Before on DVD” store that offers titles that have never been released on DVD although some of those titles will also be available for streaming via Prime Instant Video.

    Amazon Prime Instant Video boasts over 18,000 movies and television episodes to members and today’s announcement offers yet more proof that Amazon is striving to compete against Netflix in the online video market.

  • Amazon Cloud Player for iPhone Released

    Amazon announced today that the Amazon Cloud Player app is now available for iPhone and iPod touch devices. The app can now be downloaded for free through Apple’s App Store. The app provides streaming music or downloads through customers’ Amazon Cloud Drive. In addition, it functions as a normal audio player for music already on a device.

    “Customers tell us that they want access to all of their music, wherever they are, and on all of the devices they use,” said Steve Boom, vice president of digital music for Amazon. “By bringing Cloud Player to iPhone and iPod touch, we now have the most widely compatible cloud playback solution available, giving our customers the ability to buy once and enjoy their music everywhere.”

    The Amazon Cloud Player has already been available on the web and on Android devices, including Amazon’s Kindle Fire mini-tablet, for some time. The Android version of the app can be downloaded through either the Amazon Appstore or Google Play and is called “Amazon MP3 with cloudplayer.” Since all Amazon customers have 5 GB of free Amazon Cloud Drive storage, Apple fans have been asking Amazon for an iOS version of Cloud Player since the app launched. Storage for Cloud Drive can be increased through yearly subscription options that cost around $1 per GB. Customers who purchase one of these increased storage options will, for a limited time, receive unlimited Cloud Drive storage space for MP3 and AAC music files.

  • HBO Go Is Now On Fire (The Kindle Fire)

    HBO Go Is Now On Fire (The Kindle Fire)

    Just in time to relive Game of Thrones’ epic second season and catch any episodes you may miss of the new season of True Blood, HBO Go has finally landed on the Kindle Fire. This marks the first time that HBO’s streaming service has ever been available on an Android-powered tablet.

    The app is now available for download over at Amazon, and it’s free. Of course, you’ll need an existing subscription to HBO to use it.

    Not only that, but you’ll have to be a customer of a cable provider with HBO Go support. According to CNET, two big customer bases who’ll be missing out at launch are Time Warner and Brighthouse Communications (both of which are supported on the iOS version).

    This new app launches as an online push for HBO to launch a standalone streaming service intensifies. Thousands flocked to Twitter to ask HBO to take their money if they could watch HBO programming without having to go through a cable provider.

    This is a nice addition for Kindle Fire users, a group that according to a recent survey were not as satisfied with their device as iPad owners. Still, Amazon’s tablet continues to dominate the Android tablet market, holding 54.4% of the market share according to recent data from comScore.

    So, Kindle Fire users will now be able to enjoy over 1,400 original HBO shows plus comedy specials, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes programming. An app like HBO Go could really boost the popularity of the device, especially if Amazon comes out with that rumored 10.1-inch version some time in the near future.

  • Amazon Acquires Avalon Books Back Catalogue

    Amazon made the announcement today that they have acquired the publishing rights to over 3,000 Avalon Books. These titles are predominately in the categories of Ramance, Mystery, and Western.

    Avalon Books was established in 1950 by Thomas Bouregy, and has since been home to writers in these categories. Holly Jacobs, Carolyn Hughey and Carolyn Brown have all found their home here. Carolyn Brown’s recent books “The Ladies’ Room” has been nominated for a 2012 RITA by the Romance Writers of America.

    “I’ve been running Avalon Books–which was founded by my father–since 1995, and it is time for me to explore the next chapter of my life,” said Ellen Bouregy Mickelsen, Publisher of Avalon Books. “I chose Amazon Publishing because they care deeply about the writers, readers, and categories that have long mattered to our family business and they are uniquely positioned to assure that our titles make the leap forward into the digital future. I am pleased they have asked me to assist during a period of transition to provide continuity and support for our authors.”

    “Avalon has a long tradition in publishing wonderful stories that affirm a positive way of life,” said Philip Patrick, Director, Business Development, Rights and Licensing. “We are thrilled to have these talented writers join our publishing program. None of these titles have been digitized yet and we know Kindle customers will delight in this great new offering.”

    Avalon books will be published under the West Coast imprints of Amazon Publishing, including Montlake Romance and Thomas & Mercer. They will continue to be available in book stores in their current paper format while authors attempt to have e-book amendments added to their right agreements. Avalon does not hold the digital rights to soe older titles.

    This new addition to Amazon and Kindle’s libraries is going to help Amazon cement its title as the frontrunner in ebook publishing. The Amazon Store sells more titles than any other ebook retailer, and they are read on Kindle over all other readers.

    [Amazon]

  • Kindle Update Improves Contrast and Parental Controls

    Amazon has announced a software update for the $79 kindle, the most affordable and the most purchased of the Kindle line. The changes are said to improve the reading experience with the device.

    The update will be delivery automatically with the devices wi-fi connectivity the same way that new ads are delivered.

    • The reading font will be improved, offering higher contrast and a crisper image. This update will make the screen appear even closer to its non-electronic counterpart – paper.
    • Parental Controls are getting a reboot. They will allow you to restrict access to the Experimental Browser, Archived Items, and the Kindle Store. As well as protecting young ones, it offers more security.
    • Kindle Format 8 will be introduced, allowing the user to view books with complex page layouts and formats. This software is already available for the Kindle Fire, but it is still in Beta.
    • New children’s book formats and Text Pop-up comic books will be introduced and you will be able to view them with Kindle Panel View. This new format allows the reader to view a comic panel by panel. Books must be formatted to support these views and Amazon will begin rolling them out over the next few weeks.
    • Dictionaries will be grouped into a single collection in Home.
    • It will now support table and image viewing with pan and zoom features on supported titles

    The Kindle will update itself automatically, but for those who can’t wait to try it out, go to the Kindle software update page here. You can also view trouble shooting tips if something goes wrong.

    [GeekWire]

  • Amazon Offers ‘Never Before on DVD’ Store

    For all the film buffs out there that love to talk about rare and unreleased movies comes a new collection from Amazon that showcases rarely seen “classics” (with quotations) and classics that never made it to DVD.

    All of the titles are from movies that were released years ago, but only recently made there way to DVD. Right now there are around 2,000 titles available covering most major network and production companies. Most are available as a physical DVD and on demand, a good feature to have for those that are unsure of a title. Sometimes the nostalgia factor can wear off after a few minutes and your just left with a crappy movie. It’s much better to rent in these cases.

    While browsing through the collection you will notice that most of them are rated from 4 to 5 stars. Lovers of classic cinema will find films they have never heard of before, but are well received by those that know about them.

    After browsing for just a few minutes, I found some that look intriguing for their camp or artistic value. Seminole Starring Rock Hudson, Barbara Hale, Anthony Quinn and Lee Marvin (2011), Brothers Karamazov, starring Yul Brynner, released just this year. Jack the Ripper with Michael Caine. Class Act Starring Christopher ‘Kid’ Reid, Christopher ‘Play’ Martin. Abbott & Costello Meet Captain Kidd [Remaster], all look like they could be winners.

    But it’s all a matter of taste. Go to Never Before on DVD, to peruse the selection. If you are a hoarder of rare films, you will not be disappointed.

    [via: BoomstickComics]

  • Publishers Strike Back at Amazon

    Publishers Strike Back at Amazon

    It was recently reported that the U.S. federal government is suing Apple and book publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster, on the assumption that they’d worked together to raise the prices of e-books. Three of the merchants so far have settled and restored discounting options to Amazon. Those remaining, Apple, Penguin and Macmillan, have called out the U.S. Department of Justice, accusing it of siding with “monopolist retailer Amazon,” manipulating facts and piling “innuendo on top of innuendo”.

    Apple and the publishers named in the suit were trying to stop Amazon from selling digital editions of new releases for $9.99, which cuts into profits for new hardcovers. Apple has been important to publishers, as before the launch of the iPad, Amazon controlled 90% of the e-book market – but as the iPad became popular, publishing executives were able to negotiate with Apple in order to set new release prices to whatever they’d like. This drove new book prices up to $14.99, with Apple taking 30% of the profits. The federal complaint states that this cost consumers tens of millions of dollars that they otherwise wouldn’t have had to pay. As of now, Amazon controls 55 to 60% of the e-book market, against Apple’s 10 to 15%.

    Macmillan’s response was that the DOJ found a “lack of direct evidence of conspiracy”, and its complaint is thus “based entirely on the little circumstantial evidence it was able to locate during its extensive investigation, on which it piles innuendo on top of innuendo, stretches facts and implies actions that did not occur and which Macmillan denies unequivocally.”

    Penguin’s response took more shots at Amazon, calling the retail giant “predatory,” and that it “threatened the long-term, overall health of the book publishing industry.”

    Apple chimed in last week, stating that the fed “sides with monopoly, rather than competition, in bringing this case.” Now that all parties have filed their responses, the Department of Justice will move forth with their case.

  • Amazon Collecting Sales Tax in New Jersey

    Amazon Collecting Sales Tax in New Jersey

    Amazon, who is planning to install two new distribution centers in New Jersey, which would create 1,500 new jobs, is now going to be charging sales tax in that state in July, 2013. Amazon has had issues with taxes in various locales, where ‘Amazon Laws” have been revoked in states like Hawaii and Colorado, and upheld in California.

    Now New Jersey will begin charging 7% on all Amazon orders, regardless of whether or not the distribution centers are actually built. NJ governor Gov. Chris Christie states, “We will now in the state of New Jersey begin collecting sales tax at least from a fraction of the market we otherwise would not have gotten.” Out of state retailers presently don’t collect tax from New Jersey customers, and consumers are expected to pay when they file their tax returns, though not many do.

    Amazon had been lobbying for a 2-year tax break on the state which was delayed in the senate, essentially in return for the facilities. Now taxation is moving along regardless of what Amazon plans to do – New Jersey Assembly member Al Coutinho (D-Essex), commenting on allowing Amazon their tax holiday, stated, “We need jobs, economic growth and a level playing field, and we get all three with this agreement.” Still, Christie points out that the new taxes will create thousands of jobs in the state, and bring in roughly $40 million. Paul Misener, Amazon’s vice president for global public policy, states, “Certainly we’re going to have to work out the economic development arrangements.”

  • Amazon Instant Video Comes To Xbox 360

    Amazon Instant Video Comes To Xbox 360

    Microsoft is usually king of the content acquisition deals. They get more content like Netflix sooner and usually in better forms than the competition. That’s why it was so weird to see the PS3 getting Amazon Instant Video before the Xbox 360. The Sony faithful can no longer hold the Amazon flag over their castle anymore, however, as the service has now made its way to the Xbox 360.

    The service is essentially the same as it is on the PS3. Users can buy and rent the massive collection of movies and TV shows available to users through Amazon and watch them in hi-def on the Xbox 360. Amazon Prime members can also access the large catalog of instant streaming titles which puts it directly in competition with Netflix. Unlike the PS3, the Xbox 360 version requires that users have a Xbox Live Gold membership to use instant streaming.

    The Amazon Instant Video app also got an Xbox 360 centric facelift with its conversion to Microsoft’s console. It now sports a Metro interface in line with the rest of the console. It goes without saying that the app also supports the Kinect accessory for gesture and voice recognition.

    Amazon is also introducing a new feature to its Instant Video service alongside the arrival of the Xbox 360 app. It’s called Watchlist and it basically allows users to create a list of things they wish to watch at a later time. When the time comes for the family to sit down to enjoy Santa Claus and the Ice Cream Bunny, they can easily find and start watching the holiday classic in seconds.

    If you’re an Xbox 360 owner and find the choices offered by Netflix and Hulu Plus just not doing it for you, Amazon Instant Video might just be your ticket. They offer a lot of series, especially through the service’s buying and renting feature, that other services don’t have. For instance, the first season of Game of Thrones is available at $2.99 per episode.

    Amazon also recently inked a deal with Paramount that will see the studio’s numerous films coming to Instant Video. If you ever wanted to have a marathon featuring the likes of Mission Impossible, Forrest Gump and Mean Girls; now is your chance.

    As mentioned, users can also access instant streaming alongside buying and renting videos through Amazon Prime. Prime is $79 a year and gives you access to instant streaming and free two-day shipping. I’m going on to my third year of being an Amazon Prime member now and it really does pay itself in free shipping costs over the years. If you’re only going to use it for the video, however, I suggest you stick with Netflix.

  • Amazon’s “Never Before on DVD” Store Launched Today

    Amazon announced today that it’s created a new Never Before on DVD store that, if you couldn’t discern from the name, is a new service where you can browse through movies that were never deemed worthy of being issued on DVD and, presto, purchase the movies in DVD format.

    The service is made possible by Amazon’s CreateSpace DVD on Demand service and offers over 2,000 titles from a wide assortment of movie and television studios like CBS Networks, Lionsgate, MTV Networks, Universal Studios, Nickelodeon, and Disney. In addition to nearly-forgotten movies and shows, the Never Before on DVD store will also offer more current wares such as Mob Wives: Season 1 and Teen Mom: Season 1.

    Brad Beale, director of digital video content acquisition for Amazon, extolled the new store for offering fans a way to finally put an end to the seemingly endless wait for certain movies and television shows to finally be released on DVD. “In addition to being available on DVD, many titles are available digitally to enjoy right away through Amazon Instant Video and Prime Instant Video,” he said. “We will continue working to bring our customers even more great video content on DVD as well as digitally.”

    Since you’ve been waiting forever for some of these titles to finally make it to DVD, don’t worry that this is a brief opportunity. Amazon says that the releases will always be available and they never go out of stock because the DVDs are only made to respond to customers’ demand. More, some of the Never Before on DVD titles will also be viewable on Amazon Instant Video.

    Most of these newly available titles have been listed on Amazon in formats other than DVD so there are already lots of reviews for the items. Interestingly enough, several of the reviews lament the lack of DVD for the titles. At last, you patient cinephiles can finally sleep a little better knowing you can add such neglected classics like Fastest Gun Alive, Travels With My Aunt, The Green Slime, Class Act, The Wonderful Country, or the 1993 ode to rollerblading, Airborne, to your DVD collection.

  • Amazon Eliminates Kindle Store Spam

    Amazon Eliminates Kindle Store Spam

    Amazon has announce that they will finally call an end to junk content on the Kindle Store, including things that are available for free on the internet. This includes public domain titles and “fast cash” internet garbage.

    They have set new rules for public domain and “other non-exclusive content”.

    Amazon made the announcement through an email to Seth Godin at The Domino Project:

    Public Domain and Other Non-Exclusive Content
    Some types of content, such as public domain content, may be free to use by anyone, or may be licensed for use by more than one party. We will not accept content that is freely available on the web unless you are the copyright owner of that content. For example, if you received your book content from a source that allows you and others to re-distribute it, and the content is freely available on the web, we will not accept it for sale on the Kindle store. We do accept public domain content, however we may choose to not sell a public domain book if its content is undifferentiated or barely differentiated from one or more other books.

    Amazon appears to be officially banning private-label content. This is could be bad news for legitimate private publishers. Although, it does say that if you are the original copyright holder and it is not available for free on the internet, you will be able to sell it. Who they are really trying to weed out are content mills that buy articles online and quickly format them into an e-book. Public-domain titles like Moby Dick and the works of Edgar Allen Poe are also prohibited for sale. The company has taken steps in the past to limit this kind of content, but this is a stricter policy.

    Amazon has banned undifferentiated public-domain works before. But spam e-books have started making their way into the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, which may be the cause for newer, stricter policies.

    [via: paidContent]

  • Samsung Galaxy S III Available For Preorder On Amazon

    If you’ve been chomping at the bit for the latest Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy S III, then today is your lucky day. Amazon has posted the Galaxy S III for preorder today. You can get either the white or pebble blue version, and have it arrive in your hands shortly after it releases on June 1.

    Now, before you get too excited, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is, these particular Galaxy S IIIs are unlocked, which means all you have to do is get a SIM card and a contract from your carrier and you’re good to go. The bad news is that it’s an unlocked phone, so you won’t be getting the carrier subsidy you get when you purchase your device and your 2-year contract at the same time. That means that the price tag on this particular phone is $800. Certainly nothing to sneeze at.

    But wait, there’s more. Not only does this particular Galaxy S III come with a hefty price tag, it’s also a very particular model. As PCWorld points out, this particular model – the GT-i9300 – is the international GSM version. That means a few things: first, it’s not 4G LTE-capable. Second, it’s not CDMA-capable, which means it won’t work on Verizon’s network, or Sprint’s. Third, while it will connect to T-Mobile’s voice network, it will not connect to their data network, which means you’ll be stuck using wi-fi for data. Pretty much the only network where you can get anything like full functionality will be AT&T, as the phone will connect to both their voice network and their HSPA+ (not-quite-4G) network.

    Samsung Galaxy S III Preorder Amazon

    So, if you prefer AT&T, live in an area where AT&T doesn’t have 4G LTE coverage yet, and have an extra 800 big ones to shell out for a new phone, then this deal is for you. Failing that, it might be better to just let this one slide on by, and wait for the U.S. carriers to announce the phone themselves.

  • Amazon’s Next Kindle Fire May Be Coming In A 10.1-Inch Model

    With all the news and rumors zipping around about new Apple products, Samsung’s next phone, and other tech-related goodies, there hasn’t been a lot of attention paid lately to the top Android tablet on the market: Amazon’s Kindle Fire. With Amazon’s popular tablet having just passed the six month mark since its release (on November 15th, 2011), people are starting to wonder what might be next from Amazon.

    A report from DigiTimes today suggests that a 10.1-inch version of the tablet might be on its way. While earlier rumors had suggested that Amazon might launch an 8.9-inch version alongside the current 7-inch model. This rumored 10.1-inch tablet, which would be targeted at Apple’s iPad, would replace the 8.9-inch model. DigiTimes’s “industry sources” also said that they expect Amazon’s orders of Kindle Fires to start increasing toward the end of the second quarter and beginning of the third.

    While Amazon certainly wants to compete with the iPad, and other larger tablets, it seems unlikely that they’ll move all the way up to a 10.1-inch model. After all, the Kindle started out as a dedicated e-reader, and grew into the tablet market. It seems unlikely that a tablet that got its start from a line of e-readers could fare quite as well in the larger tablet market. It’s also worth noting that the source for this information is DigiTimes, a publication with a less-than-stellar record for accuracy in such matters.

    On the other hand, there are fewer large tablets in the Android market as a whole. If Amazon expands the Kindle Fire into that segment of the market as well, its current popularity is bound to give it a significant advantage over those tablet makers that are already in the space.

    At any rate, we’re not likely to see the launch of a new Kindle for awhile yet, assuming Amazon follows anything like a yearly schedule. So for now we’ll have to just keep waiting and watching.

  • Microsoft, Google Working on Competing Cloud Storage

    Will Amazon’s popular EC2 cloud soon be facing competition from Google and Microsoft? If reports are true, Amazon’s position as the preferred cloud storage facility for a number of web properties, including WebProNews, could be directly threatened.

    Thanks to a scoop from GigaOM, word is both tech giants are hard at work on cloud storage services, and both are expected to formally announce their existence later this summer. Apparently, the willingness of other companies to pay for these cloud storage services plays a big role in the motivation behind these developments:

    Although Google declined to comment on whether the offering is indeed on the way, an IaaS cloud would make a lot of sense for the company. It already has a popular platform-as-a-service offering in App Engine that is essentially a cloud-based application runtime, but renting virtual servers in an IaaS model is still where the money is in cloud-based computing… Microsoft clearly got the message on where developers are spending in the cloud, too, which is why it’s reportedly expanding its Windows Azure cloud to compete with Amazon more directly than it already does.

    Apparently, a willingness from both giants to compete with Amazon in relation to cloud computing prices. Amazon’s willingness to slash prices for their Amazon Web Services platform has not been lost on Google or Microsoft. In fact, Google has already shown a willingness to reduce prices on their Google Cloud Storage service.

    Currently, Google and Microsoft’s cloud services operate under the Platform as a Service (PaaS) model, while Amazon operates with under the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). The difference between the two methods is PaaS offers a computing platform, where the user/customer creates the interface based on tools and programs provided by the company offering the service. While the IaaS model is considered the more basic of the two, is it also gives customers access to storage facilities, all provided by the company instead of the consumer. The following graphic, borrowed from Wikipedia, gives you an idea of how each service functions:

    Cloud Computing

    With that in mind, GigaOm’s report indicates both Google and Microsoft may be offering the IaaS version to consumers:

    In terms of timing, this looks like a case of both companies realizing they got ahead of themselves and the market by centering their cloud computing plans around PaaS rather than IaaS. If Google really does roll out an IaaS offering, maybe it’s also a sign of its newfound maturity when it comes to rolling out new services that fit naturally into its existing business and that it can actually sell.

    If Google and Microsoft indeed dive into the arena that’s currently ruled by Amazon’s Web Services platform, does this mean Amazon’s days as the top provider of could storage are numbered?

    [Lead Image Courtesy]

  • Wii U Details And Launch Titles Emerge From Amazon

    I love retail outlets. They always get information before the press when it comes to new console launches. One of the more mysterious consoles has been the Wii U with Nintendo remaining tight-lipped regarding their next console’s launch later this year. Barring a leak from Ubisoft last month, there hasn’t been much in the way of details, until now.

    Amazon.com has an updated Wii U page with more details about the console itself. Under the details, we now know the final size of the Wii U – 1.8 inches tall, 6.8 inches wide and 10.5 inches long. It’s much smaller than what I originally anticipated, but I’m not complaining.

    The tablet-based controller is also detailed as having a 16:9 display at 6.2 inches. The controller also features a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope, rumble, camera, microphone, stereo speakers, sensor strip and a stylus. While we knew most of those features, it’s still nice to have them confirmed by a retail outlet.

    For those concerned over the Wii U’s ability to play games and media in high-definition, the listing says that it supports all screen resolutions up to 1080p. It’s compatible with everything from HDMI to composite video. It can also output audio either through AV or six-channel PCM through HDMI.

    Now here is where things get interesting. We always knew that the Wii U would allow users to expand its onboard memory with SD cards, but Amazon confirms that the Wii U will also have an external USB hard drive. The CPU is listed as an IMB multi-core processor while the GPU is an AMD Radeon-based HD graphics card. All in all, it should be on par, if not a little more powerful, than current generation consoles.

    The Amazon listing also reveals the current Wii U launch line-up. The games included are New Super Mario Bros. Mii, Darksiders II, DiRT, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Ghost Recon Online, Metro Last Light, Tekken, Ninja Gaiden 3 and other unnamed Mii-based software. The only problem with this list is that Metro Last Light was announced as delayed until 2013 back in February. Unless Amazon knows something that we don’t, the Metro 2033 sequel probably won’t make the Wii U launch. Everything else is entirely plausible though.

    Amazon is also listing Wii U games as being only $49.99. That’s extremely good news for those concerned that Nintendo would join Sony and Microsoft in the trend of charing $60 for new games. Since the development costs for this generation have gone down since its debut five years ago, it makes sense to keep the prices lower. It will also make people more likely to buy more games.

    Sure, a lot of the information here was already assumed, but retail information is more than assumptions. Nintendo and other hardware manufacturers regularly meet with retailers to provide the most up-to-date information about their consoles. We can assume that Amazon isn’t just assuming things, but rather got this information from Nintendo themselves.

    It’s less than a month until E3 and you can expect that Nintendo will reveal more about the Wii U there. For now, we can just look at the Amazon listings and just speculate what the company has in store for us come June. Just going off of this limited information, however, it looks like the Wii U will have one hell of a launch.

    [h/t: Daily Game Sales]

  • Congrats Alexandria, VA, You’re The Most Well-Read City In America

    Do you think your city is full of readers? Are your local parks full of literary warriors laying on benches an blankets, curled up with e-readers? If this scenario sounds like cultural utopia, you might want to consider moving to one of the places on Amazon’s 2012 list of the most well-read cities in America.

    Amazon compiled sales of books, magazines, and newspaper sales in both print and electronic format to come up with their annual list which tracks the most book-happy cities with a population over 100,000. Of course, their data doesn’t include many of those off-the-radar book sales happening at your local used bookstores and other independent outlets – but their list does give us a good snapshot of which American towns can find time away from the TV and Xbox to enjoy one of the world’s simplest pleasures.

    Without further ado, check out the top 20 most well-read cities in the United States (in order):

    1. Alexandria, Virginia
    2. Cambridge, Massachusetts
    3. Berkeley, California
    4. Ann Arbor, Michigan
    5. Boulder, Colorado
    6. Miami, Florida
    7. Arlington, Virginia
    8. Gainesville, Florida
    9. Washington D.C.
    10. Salt Lake City, Utah
    11. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    12. Knoxville, Tennessee
    13. Seattle, Washington
    14. Orlando, Florida
    15. Columbia, South Carolina
    16. Bellevue, Washington
    17. Cincinnati, Ohio
    18. St. Louis, Missouri
    19. Atlanta, Georgia
    20. Richmond, Virginia

    As you can see, Virginia really showed up this year with three different cities on the list. Amazon tells us that Virginia is indeed for lovers, as Arlington was tops in the romance book category.

    Other specifics? Berkeley readers love travel books and Boulder readers are concerned with staying in shape with the most books per capita purchased in the health & fitness category.

    In the last year, we’ve seen a changeup at the top. Cambridge, MA and Alexandria, VA have flip flopped since 2011.

    Although we failed to make Amazon’s most well-read list, my hometown of Lexington, KY still holds the title of “most e-literate” city, according to a recent survey.

  • Rumor: Amazon to Launch Color E-Ink Kindles Later This Year

    Amazon is rumored to be adding a new line to their kindle e-reader collection this year, CNet is reporting. This one is unique in that it will feature the first full color e-ink display.

    The news was first broken by Digitimes, who says sources close to the supply chain have already begun shipping the relavent components. TPK holding has already received touch module orders for Amazon’s color e-readers. The new technology will include multi-touch capacity, instead of infrared touch panels seen on most black and white e-readers.

    According to their source, Amazon should ship six million e-readers in 2012.

    CNet reminds us that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the color screen was “multiple years away” back in 2009, saying “I’ve seen the color displays in the laboratory, and I can assure you they’re not ready for prime time.” Well, “three” does fit into the category of “multiple years”. Is Digitimes right? What do you think of the possibility of color-ink displays? Tell us in the comments below.

    [via: Digitimes]

  • Amazon Web Services Gets Billing Alerts

    Amazon Web Services Gets Billing Alerts

    Amazon has just announced that it’s adapted its CloudWatch metrics and alarms functionality to Amazon Web Services Cloud accounts, to help users better track usage and likewise receive billing alerts. With the AWS Cloud running on a pay-as-you-go basis, bills reflect actual usage, which can vary by the hour. Amazon seeks to allow users to better and more easily monitor their activity.

    Here is a screen of the interface:

    was billing metrics

    The following estimated metrics are tracked and logged over a 14 day period:

    Estimated Charges: Total
    Estimated Charges: By Service
    Estimated Charges: By Linked Account (if you are using Consolidated Billing)
    Estimated Charges: By Linked Account and Service (if you are using Consolidated Billing)

    Again, these numbers are merely estimates, based on the cost of one’s AWS usage to date within the current billing cycle, and how they might increase per services used. Users can now set up billing alerts – mainly to track when an account might be exceeding Amazon’s Free Usage Tier. Other uses of the tools include:

    – Relate the billing metrics to business metrics such as customer count, customer acquisition cost, or advertising spending (all of which you could also store in CloudWatch, as custom metrics) and use them to track the relationship between customer activity and resource consumption. You could (and probably should) know exactly how much you are spending on cloud resources per customer per month.

    – Update your alerts dynamically when you change configurations to add or remove cloud resources. You can use the alerts to make sure that a regression or a new feature hasn’t adversely affected your operational costs.

    – Establish and monitor ratios between service costs. You can establish a baseline set of costs, and set alarms on the total charges and on the individual services. Perhaps you know that your processing (EC2) cost is generally 1.5x your database (RDS) cost, which in turn is roughly equal to your storage (S3) cost. Once you have established the baselines, you can easily detect changes that could indicate a change in the way that your system is being used (perhaps your newer users are storing, on average, more data than than the original ones).

    Amazon encourages users to visit their AWS Account Activity page to get started. CloudWatch allows up to 10 alarms and 1,000 notifications via email per month in its free tier range. The upgrade comes soon after Amazon launched the AWS Partner Network (APN).

  • Harry Potter is Finally Headed to the Amazon Kindle

    Although ravenous Harry Potter fans were able to purchase e-book versions of their favorite literary series courtesy of author J.K. Rowling’s official site Pottermore, the novels have been absent from the Amazon and Kindle stores. Apparently, that’s all about to change.

    Information regarding the release of the Potter series on Kindle is currently very limited, though a pair of images on Amazon.com are clearly indicating to readers that “Wizardry is on the Way”. This is good news for Kindle users who can’t be bothered to cart those hefty books around while they’re traveling.

    Given the popularity of the e-book reader, I’m a little surprised that it’s taken this long for the series to make an appearance on the device. I suppose Rowling and company decided they could make a pretty penny selling the tomes directly to fans. It’s reported that the electronic versions of Potter’s magical adventures have sold an estimated $1.6 million through the Pottermore website. Since there’s very little overhead and the titles are essentially being sold directly to fans without the hassle of a middleman, that’s pretty much pure profit.

    Amazon doesn’t have much to say on the subject at the moment. “We’ll have to ask you to stay tuned for an upcoming announcement,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

    However, according to the folks at Galley Cat, the series will soon be available via the Kindle Lending Library, a service that’s currently available only to those who subscribe to Amazon Prime. Members can start borrowing their little heart out on June 19th. No word yet if fans can actually purchase a copy to own.

    If reading books on handheld devices ever catches on in my world, there’s a very strong possibility that I’ll collect these electronic incarnations despite owning physical copies of each novel. That’s just the type of sad little Potter fan I am.

  • Amazon Beats Netflix in Customer Satisfaction

    As retail giant Amazon further expands into the realm of streaming media and impending original content, a new ForeSee report on customer satisfaction shows that the company has exceeded Netflix.

    The report surveyed roughly 21,000 repsondents who patron the top 100 retail sites on the web, including merchants of apparel, books, music and video, computers and electronics, mass merchants, home improvement and more. The survey scores on a 100 point scale, and shows that Amazon comes in at #1, with a score of 89, the highest ever in the 7 years the survey has been conducted.

    Here are the results from web-only vendors:

    amazon report

    Netflix likewise did well with a score of 81, and that company has been doing well in turning things around as of late, posting a Q1 earnings report that exceeded analyst expectations. Amazon has also seen an improvement in its most recent assessment, with sales being up 34%.

    Below are the results for the broad sampling of stores:

    amazon

    Apple tied for 2nd with QVC with a score of 85, and Netflix achieved a score of 81, along with Victoria’s Secret, Swiss Colony, Kohl’s and HSN.