amazon

Apple hammers Google witness hard in e-book pricing trial

NEW YORK -- Apple had a field day with Google in court here on Thursday.

Apple started to pick away at the Department of Justice's claim that the tech giant conspired to inflate e-book prices by repeatedly and rapidly firing questions at a key Google witness.

The tactic paid off for lead Apple attorney Orin Snyder, who began to wear down on Thomas Turvey, director of strategic relationships for Google. Turvey appeared increasingly frazzled and frustrated as the afternoon went on.

During his testimony, Turvey admitted that he couldn't remember which publishing executives he spoke to, the circumstances … Read more

Amazon promotes the little guys with Indie Game Store

Independent game developers surely have wished they could lob their own angry birds at juggernaut game makers dominating the market and keeping their own products off players' radars.

Amazon today launched an Indie Games Store to address just that problem. A new category on Amazon in the Digital Video Games Store, it is designed to help indie developers get better exposure for PC, Mac, and browser-based games.

For gamers, it means a new way to discover gems.

The storefront has features and promotions like Indie Spotlight, which is just what it sounds like: a focus on individual developers, with Q&… Read more

Focus, criticism shifts to Amazon in Apple e-book trial

NEW YORK -- Amazon acted like a bully and threatened the publishers when discussing a new e-book sales structure, according to two publishing CEOs who testified during the Apple e-book price-fixing trial over the last two days.

David Shanks, CEO of Penguin Group USA, and Carolyn Reidy, CEO of Simon & Schuster, said Amazon's e-book pricing, in which the publishers had little power, was the main factor that drove them to pursue deals with Apple that allowed them to set their own prices. But when the publishers attempt to change their agreements with Amazon to fall more in line … Read more

Amazon quietly launches online marketplace in India

Amazon on Tuesday quietly launched an online marketplace in India that allows users to list and sell their products directly to consumers.

The site, Amazon.in, lists more than 7 million print books, as well as 12,000 movies and TV shows on DVD and Blu-ray. It plans to introduce mobile phones and cameras in the coming weeks, the company said in a statement.

"Our vision, at Amazon, is to be Earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover virtually anything they want to buy online," Greg Greeley, … Read more

New Intel chips to boost battery life

CNET Update is fully charged:

In this episode of Update:

- Wait to buy your next laptop to get the latest batch of Intel processors, which are said to help extend battery life.

- Secure your folders with a fingerprint in the upcoming Windows 8.1.

- Brace for battle with a new Halo game for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.

- Find Dora and other Viacom shows on Amazon Prime Instant Video.

- Give the WikiPad game tablet another chance when it launches next week at a lower price.

CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in … Read more

Amazon supersizing its food delivery business?

Never mind the books, movies, music, computer gear, and whatever else you might buy from Amazon. How about a nice banana?

The e-tail giant is seriously considering a big move into the grocery-delivery business, according to a report.

The company is set to expand its Seattle-only AmazonFresh service to Los Angeles as early as this week and to the San Francisco Bay Area later this year -- with launches in 20 other urban areas in the U.S. and abroad contingent on the success of the LA and SF businesses -- Reuters reports, citing two unnamed sources.

It's true … Read more

Amazon's secret weapon: $600 million in annual ad revenue

Amazon might be making the bulk of its cash on online sales and tablets, but the company has been quietly building an awfully large advertising business.

According to new data released on Tuesday by research firm eMarketer, Amazon generated $610 million in ad revenue last year, up 45.5 percent compared to 2011. What's more, eMarketer expects Amazon to generate $835 million this year, generating a 37 percent gain over the previous period.

So, how did Amazon do it? The company has been generating revenue from ads in search results on its own pages. The company also generates ad … Read more

Amazon, Viacom sign deal for MTV, Comedy Central programs

Amazon and Viacom have inked a deal that will deliver "thousands of episodes" of popular shows to the e-retail giant's streaming-video service.

According to the companies, they have signed a multiyear deal that will bring hundreds of shows from Nick Jr., MTV, and Comedy Central, including "Tosh.0," "The Backyardigans," and others, to Amazon's Prime Instant Video streaming service. The shows will be available exclusively on Prime Instant Video.

All of the shows are available to customers in the U.S. Lovefilm, Amazon's streaming service in the U.K. and Germany, … Read more

Hulu, Amazon nibbling at more of Netflix's streaming-TV pie

People who stream are streaming television, they're streaming more of it, and they're probably streaming it from Netflix.

TV streaming -- which accounts for 80 percent of subscription video-on-demand, or SVOD -- was up 34 percent in the first three months of the year compared to a year earlier, according to a report from tracking-firm NPD.

Netflix commands 89 percent of that. Smaller rival Hulu Plus increased its share three points to 10 percent of TV streams. Amazon Prime doubled its share -- to 2 percent.

The figures coincided with Netflix's biggest and most successful foray yet … Read more