Amazon

An Amazon Prime report card: Is it really worth $79 per year?

I've been an Amazon Prime customer for nearly a year now, meaning it's time for me to decide whether to continue subscribing to the program.

In case you're unfamiliar with it, Prime works like this: For $79 annually, you get unlimited movie and TV streaming, one free borrowed e-book per month, and automatic two-day shipping on nearly everything you buy (with no minimum dollar amount).

Awesome deal, right? Maybe, and maybe not.

Let's start with the streaming. Amazon has vastly expanded its movie- and TV-show libraries over the past year, to the point where I'd … Read more

Vroom, vroom: Amazon Cloud Player now available in Ford cars

Amazon's Cloud Player is now available in Ford Sync AppLink-equipped cars, the Internet giant said today, giving drivers another option for accessing music while on the go.

Ford owners can wirelessly connect the Amazon MP3 app on their Android smartphones to the Sync connectivity system to access their entire music library using voice commands or audio controls.

"We want customers to be able enjoy their entire music library wherever they want, from whatever device they choose," said Steve Boom, vice president of digital music at Amazon. "And we know that cars and music go hand-in-hand."… Read more

Amazon squeaks past Apple as most reputable U.S. company

Amazon is the most reputable company in the U.S, at least according to the results of a new Harris poll.

Released today, the 2013 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient measured the reputations of the most prominent companies in the United States based on the opinions of more than 14,000 people. The poll analyzed companies based on six criteria: social responsibility; emotional appeal; financial performance; products and services; vision and leadership; and workplace environment.

Amazon came out first in emotional appeal and products and services, and was among the top five companies in the other four categories. The retail giant … Read more

Amazon satisfies mobile buyers most; Apple ties with QVC

Amazon proved No. 1 among consumers shopping for the holidays via their mobile devices, according to a new report from analytics firm ForeSee.

Released today, ForeSee's "Mobile Satisfaction Index: Holiday Retail Edition" awarded Amazon a score of 85 out of 100 based on satisfaction among shoppers who used its mobile retail store.

Apple tied with QVC for second place with a score of 83. After that came NewEgg, Victoria's Secret, Barnes & Noble, Footlocker, HSN, Costco, and Hewlett-Packard to round out the top 10.

The poll specifically focused on the 25 largest U.S. mobile retailers … Read more

Inkling takes on Amazon, Apple with new e-book publishing tool

The launch of Amazon's first Kindle e-reader in 2007 upended the publishing industry. Now a San Francisco startup founded by a former Apple executive wants to shake things up again.

Inkling, which counts Sequoia Capital and publishers McGraw-Hill and Pearson among its investors, yesterday at an event in New York City unveiled a new digital book publishing tool for professionals, dubbed Habitat. It also launched the "Inkling Content Delivery Platform" to allow people to comb through books using search engines like Google and read limited amounts of content for free.

With its new products, Inkling aims to … Read more

Amazon to stream CBS show based on Stephen King novel

Amazon has scored the rights to stream a new CBS TV series called "Under the Dome."

Based on a Stephen King novel and produced by CBS and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television, the new show will air on CBS TV starting June 24. And just four days after that, the series will be available for streaming to Amazon Prime members.

The deal between Amazon and CBS (which is also the parent company of CNET) means that Amazon Prime Instant Video will be the exclusive online home for "Under the Dome." Amazon Prime subscribers will be able … Read more

Grammy nominees climb in music store rankings

Grammy nominees and winners are getting a post-show bump in music store rankings, while online retailers are riding the coattails of the awards show to higher sales.

Amazon, which tracked the change in artists' rankings after the Grammy's officially ended, found Rihanna, Sting, and Wiz Khalifa to be some of the biggest winners.

The company, as well as Apple and other online music retailers, today is promoting songs and albums by Grammy artists, which is likely helping them move up the rankings.

Rihanna's "Unapologetic" climbed 40 spots, while Sting's "The Very Best of Sting … Read more

Amazon, Overstock argue in NY court against sales tax demand

Amazon and Overstock are duking it out with New York state in a court battle over the issue of collecting sales tax.

In a case being heard by the State of New York Court of Appeals, attorneys for both retailers claimed yesterday that a 2008 New York law requiring them to collect sales tax on online purchases is unconstitutional, as reported by Reuters.

A 1992 Supreme Court decision found that retailers can't be forced to collect sales tax on out-of-state purchases unless they have a physical presence in those states. But the New York law skirted that decision. The … Read more

Why Amazon's virtual coins raise my hackles

When I heard about Amazon Coins, the company's virtual currency for making Kindle Fire app and in-app purchases starting in May, I immediately grew worried.

Amazon's customer focus, something I find sorely absent at money-extraction engines such as airlines and banks, has kept me loyal for years. I'm concerned, though, that the Amazon Coins program is a step in the wrong direction for Amazon customers.

In short, I don't like the inflexibility, costs, changeable rules, and risks that can be attached to virtual currency. I dislike it when there's a special form of money that … Read more