Amazon wades into the US video streaming market
Amazon has announced a new partnership with Viacom which allows Amazon Prime members and Kindle Fire owners to stream unlimited television onto their devices.
Extending Amazon's partnership to include streaming puts them ahead of the race against Netflix and the new Verizon and Redbox partnership as the retail giant looks to capitalize on a market wanting more TV on demand.
Amazon rumoured to be opening shop on the high street
Amazon is said to be opening a trial brick-and-mortar store in Seattle to see if a chain of shops could be profitable.
Though this might seem like a step backwards for Amazon, the need to give its tablets and e-readers a physical shop window seems to be the main motivation.
Amazon planning a Kindle smartphone for next year?
Amazon is said to be launching a Kindle smartphone in 2012, according to reports.
Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney is quoted on AllThingsDigital saying that the device is set for launch in Q4 next year.
Amazon readies the Kindle Fire: report
Amazon's Kindle e-reader may be one of the most popular e-readers, but the company's long-term position in the market is far from certain.
On one flank, the Kindle competes with the most popular tablet device, the iPad, and on the other, competitors like Barnes & Noble have built more sophisticated devices like the NOOK Color.
So Amazon is rumored to be responding later this week with a new version of the Kindle that's more like the iPad and NOOK Color.
Dubbed the Kindle Fire, it will reportedly feature a 7" backlit display, books (of course), plenty of magazine subscriptions, and apps to boot.
Can ad-supported hardware trump ad-supported content?
When it comes to online content, consumers by and large prefer to pay for it in attention rather than currency. As a result, it's no surprise that far more publishers have built successful ad-based business models than paid content business models.
Advertising, of course, usually isn't a path to easy money for publishers. Yes, advertisers love the internet, but digital still accounts for a minority of total ad spending, and advertisers generally pay less for digital ads than traditional ads.
Digital may not save book publishers, but...
For many industries, digital technology is both destroyer and savior. Take the newspaper and music industries, for instance. The internet is frequently blamed for their demise, yet new technologies are also expected by many to help save them.
When it comes to how digital is killing and saving established industries, book publishing may not grab the most headlines, but it is arguably one of the most affected.
Amazon's Android app store pricing model could be good for developers
It's no surprise that Amazon is launching an app store for Android. The ecommerce giant has come a long way since it started selling books online. Today, Amazon is rapidly evolving into a content company. And mobile apps are already a big part of the digital content business.
But despite Amazon's brand and size, there's no guarantee that it will become a successful player in the mobile app space. Apple is the 800 pound gorilla, and history isn't exactly conclusive when it comes to Amazon versus Apple. While Amazon's Kindle seems to be holding its own with the iPad, its MP3 store has hardly put a dent in the success of iTunes.
Three content-based ad units to watch in 2011
Yes, it’s that time of the year again: time for the lists and discussions about the best of 2010 and what’s ahead in 2011. I’m keeping my first list simple by trying to answer just one question: What are the ad units/ad platforms to watch out for in 2011?
Hint: None of them involve users accessing the web via desktop or laptop.
Why Google's ebook store could be better for indie publishers
Ebooks have been called the cornerstone of a new literary economy, and
blamed for the slow death of so-called “tree books.” But
recent spats between publishers and Amazon over pricing, and Apple over
content control, have made the ebook market seem slightly less rosy.
Now, Google could change the game (again) with the long-awaited launch of Google Editions, its “universal format” ebook store.
Even with the iPad, Amazon's Kindle achieves "rapid growth"
Apple's iPad may have struck fear in the hearts of e-book makers when it launched three months ago, but the e-book market continues to grow.
This week, Amazon revealed strong sales for its Kindle device during its earnings call. And Amazon's price performance with the Kindle and its e-books could be enough to continue that growth.
