Kindle TV: Amazon Stakes Out a Spot in Your Living Room - The Fiscal Times - The Fiscal Times

Photo: REUTERS / Shannon Stapleton

By JON FRIEDMAN, The Fiscal Times

April 30, 2013

The competition for your living room is getting a whole lot hotter. Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is reportedly planning to take on dynamos Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) as well as upstarts zoals Roku by entering the television set-top box business this fall.

Those companies and others engaged in the content delivery business are locked in a blood sport to see who can capture your attention and win your undying loyalty. Who’s going to emerge victorious? With a plethora of world-class companies pitted against one another, it will likely be the entity That can grab the greatest degree of loyalty from consumers.

RELATED: Amazon Eyes More Profits with Less Shipping

This is why Amazon could wind up with an advantage. Its service record is unparalleled. The public loves-loves-loves Amazon’s breakthrough, the Kindle, Which has become identified with the e-book craze and revolutionized the way we read books and periodicals in the 21st century. Amazon That loyalty has earned over the years through its e-commerce presence and constant improvements.

So, why does Amazon now feel a need to vie for domination in the set-top market – to extend its Kindle with a “Kindle TV”

?

Casey Newton at The Verge put it best when he described Amazon’s audacious decision to crash the party in your living room this way: “The simplest explanation for Amazon’s entry into the set-top box space Is that the company has to.”
Amazon just can not ignore or overlook a market That has so much potential for sheer sales volume, not to mention the cross-marketing opportunities offered by Those blessed Kindle devices.

Does it matter thatthis market appears to be out of Amazon’s comfort zone? . Not one bit
Remember That Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), an innovator best known for phones, tablets and computers, sold five million Apple TV boxes last year. Google, not wanting to be left behind, has already lined up a combination of television instruments and hardware partners, though none has really stood out from the pack. Nintendo, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Sony (NYSE: SNE) havetheir video gaming consoles. Consumers – a nd Wall Street -. Are anxiously waiting for Microsoft and Sony to roll out Their new models later this year, but both of Those boxes will be capable of doing far more than play video games
Perhaps the clearest indication That Amazon had to enter the set-top sweepstakes could be found in the factthat upstart Roku sold 5 million units since it unveiled its first streaming box five years ago. Earlier this year, I asked the CEO of a powerful television company if he was afraid of the threat symbolized by Roku. He surprised me by saying: “Roku? I never think of it. “
He might be singing a different tune by now, though. Roku has become the second-most popular streaming video box, following Apple TV, by Assuming a much more modest strategy. Roku Roku’s $ 99 3 model, Which has received bullish write-ups, boasts 750 channels.

And do not discount Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), eventhough That formidable streaming company has yet to come up with its own hardware

.

So, today, new competitors come from all angles and Amazon has to stake out its own turf. Amazon’s video offerings have come a long way from the days of the “Unbox” service. Amazon’s Instant Video now offers more than 140,000 titles That You can either rent or buy, encompassing new movies and TV episodes. If you subscribe to the $ 79-a-year Amazon Prime service, you can check out thou sands of TV programs and movies at no extra charge.

Even without its own set-top offering, Amazon already has a large role in the fight for living rooms. “Many other set-top devices Their already give users access to Amazon’s video catalog,” Bloomberg Businessweek noted. “By building its own system, Amazon can put more content directly in front of consumers while expanding its lineup of devices and giving developers another reason to create apps for Amazon’s digital ecosystem.”
That word – ecosystem – has become key to understanding the evolving tech and media worlds. Each major player, from Apple to Google to Amazon, wants to lock users in to its Particular devices and corresponding thing content marketplaces.

Amazon already has a robust ecosystem in the making, with a commanding online retail presence, the Kindle tablet platform, an expanding video service and legions of loyal customers. It is even rumored to have a smartphone of its own in the works. “The living room,” as The Verge Noted, “was the missing piece.”
But not, it seems, for long. Amazon is ready to crash the party.

Samsung Galaxy Tab vs 3. iPad Mini, Nexus 7 + Kindle Fire HD - Silicon Angle (blog)

Samsung has Announced a revamped version of its 7-inch tablet, the Galaxy Tab 2. The Galaxy Tab 3 promises a more sleek and stylish design thats comfortable to hold in one hand for hours, and will be available in WiFi and 3G versions. Expect the two versions of the Galaxy Tab 3 to hit shelves in May and June, respectively.

But how does this new mini tablet from Samsung compare to other small tablets already out in the market? Today we’re comparing the upcoming Tab 3 to the Nexus 7, the iPad Mini, the Nook and the Kindle Fire HD HD.

Screen Size and Display

Galaxy Tab 3: 7 “WSVGA (1024 x 600, 169 PPI) TFT

Nexus 7: 7 “1280 × 800 HD display (216 ppi), Back-lit IPS display, Scratch-resistant Corning Glass

iPad mini: 7.9 “Retina Display with 2048 × 1536-pixel resolution (256ppi) with Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, LED backlit, Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating

NOOK HD: 7 “1440 x 900 pixel resolution, 243 PPI (pixels per inch), Supports 720p, fully laminated with no air gaps Reduces screen glare and Provides extra-wide viewing angles

Kindle Fire HD: 7 “1280 × 800, up to 720p HD, HD display with polarizing filter and anti-glare technology for rich color and deep contrast from any viewing angle

Dimensions

Tab 3: 111.1 x 188.0 x 9.9mm, 302g for the Wi-Fi version and 306g for the 3Gversion

Nexus 7: 198.5 x 120 x 10:45 mm, 340g

iPad mini: 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm, 308g WiFi, WiFi + cellular 312g

NOOK HD: 194.4 x 127.1 x 11 mm, 315 g

Kindle Fire HD: 7.6 “x 5.4″ x 0.4 “7″, 395g

Memory

Tab 3: 8/16GB + 1GB Internal Memory (RAM), can be upgraded to up to 64GB via the microSD slot

Nexus 7: 16 and 32GB internal storage, 1GB RAM

iPad mini: 16, 32 and 64GB, 512MB RAM

NOOK HD: 8 and 16GB / 32GB and 16; Add up to 32GB5 with microSD ™ memory card, 8GB: 512MB RAM, 16GB: 1GB RAM

Kindle Fire HD: 7 “16 + and 32GB free cloud storage for all Amazon content

Battery Life

Tab 3: 4,000 mAh standard Li-ion battery, no information on battery life yet

Nexus 7: 9 hours video playback, 10 hours web browsing or e-reading, 300 hours on standby

iPad mini: 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video or listening to music

NOOK HD: Up to 10.5 hours of reading and up to 9.5 hours of video

Kindle Fire HD: 7 “11 hours continuous use

Processor

Tab 3: 1.2 GHz Dual Core processor

Nexus 7: Quad-core Tegra 3 processor

iPad mini: 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 processor

NOOK HD: 1.3 GHz Dual-Core OMAP 4470

Kindle Fire HD: 7 “Dual-core 1.2GHz OMAP4460

Wireless / Connectivity

Tab 3: WiFi and 3G versions: 3G: HSPA +21 / 5.76 Quad 850/900/1900/2100; 2G: EDGE / GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 Quad, WiFi a / b / g / n (2.4/5GHz), Wi-Fi Channel Bonding, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth 3.0

Nexus 7: WiFi only: 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth, NFC (Android Beam); WiFi + Cellular: 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth, NFC (Android Beam), GSM / UMTS / HSPA +, GSM / EDGE / GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz), HSPA + 21

iPad mini: WiFi only: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0 technology

NOOK HD: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n)

Kindle Fire HD: Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) for faster streaming and Fewer dropped connections than standard Wi-Fi. Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots That use the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer -to-peer) Wi-Fi networks

Camera

Tab 3: 3MP rear camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera

Nexus 7: 1.2MP front-facing camera

iPad mini: 5-megapixel iSight camera, 1.2-megapixel VGA FaceTime camera

NOOK HD: None

Kindle Fire HD: Front-facing HD camera

Input / Output

Tab 3: USB 2.0, microSD card slot – not enough information on the device’s specs sheet

Nexus 7: micro USB, Microphone, NFC (Android Beam), 3.5 mm stereo jack

iPad mini: WiFi only: Lighting connector, 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack, built-in speaker, microphone, WiFi + Cellular: Lightning connector, 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack, built-in speaker, microphone, Nano-SIM card tray

NOOK HD: Universal 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack, Charging port, Expandable microSD slot, HDMI port, dual stereo speakers

Kindle Fire HD: USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) port for connection to a PC or Macintosh computer or to connect to the Kindle Power Fast charging accessory. Micro HDMI (micro-D connector) port for high definition video output to televisions or A / V receivers, 3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated stereo speakers with Dolby exclusive audio engine. Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) support for streaming audio to compatible headphones and speakers. Built-in microphone.

Sensors

Tab 3: WiFi: Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Light, 3G: Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Light, Proximity

Nexus 4: Microphone, NFC (Android Beam), Accelerometer, GPS, Magnetometer, Gyroscope

iPad mini: Three-axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor

NOOK HD / HD +: No Information

Kindle Fire HD: No Information

Operating Software

Tab 3: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Nexus 4: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

iPad mini: iOS 6

NOOK HD: Custom-designed Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Kindle Fire HD: Customized Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich

.

The display already sets back the Galaxy Tab 3, as competitors all sport HD displays. The processor is not that bad, but the Nexus 7 That takes the prize in the category as it has a quad-core processor that makes it faster than all the devices in this round.

The Tab 3 takes the cake in the weight category, as both the WiFi and 3G versions are the lightest. The Tab 3′s OS is up to date, unlike the Kindle and the NOOK tablet, so that’s a plus. And having a front and rear camera gives it another point, though the iPad mini’s cameras are better.

All in all, the Galaxy Tab 3 is not that bad, though Samsung could have improved more of its features aside from the sleeker design. Hopefully, the device would be Justified with a low price to reflect the Seemingly made minimal changes from previous versions.

Amazon's Kindle Turns A Page, to OTT - MediaPost Communications

Amazon’s Kindle will be the next entry into the Over the Top marketplace, reportedly, giving its customers the ability to download movies and games and no doubt, original content.

There is a lot of original content That going around.

Bloomberg’s BusinessWeek.com reported last week That Amazon will be ready to go to market with the new Kindle set-top later this year.

It’s a decision

That holds some risk, I suppose. Apple and Roku and Boxee have not changed the world withtheir devices, though there’s some certainty That someday they-or at least one of them – will.

Amazon already has a video on demand service and Amazon Prime gives its subscribers ($ 79 a year) free shipping from its end retail merchandise and access to streaming thou sands of movies and TV shows to Their computers.

It just floated 14 TV pilots out to its audience, waiting to get feedback from viewers about which ones to produce. It bought the rights to the PBS hit “Downton Abbey,” which will have appeal for the short run, at least. And the short run might be long enough for Amazon to get some traction. Now all it needs is customers.

Right now, Amazon’s Kindle Fire gives consumers access to YouTube and Netflix. It would seem to be dumb marketing to pull that away from customers when and if Amazon has its own box looking for customers who want to watch on the big TV set.

As

Amazon makes its moves into what is Essentially, untested waters, it just seems obvious That sooner, not later, traditional TV and cable networks are going to make Increasingly bigger splashes in the more traditional online realm.

What will take consumers there is something they can not get somewhere else. That is, in short, original content. Whether good, bad or in between, something new and exclusive trumps the competition.

NBCUniversal last week said it would be producing “Family Frames,” an online show for its Fandango website, and adding an online companion video attachment to a new series, “The Wanted Life” on its E! Channel.

With the debut today of Comedy Central’s Comedy Fest on Twitter and CBS’s online coverage of NCAA March Madness, a small and not too subtle move by established broadcasters and cable networks to use online for original programming is becoming a natural part of the universe . New versions of the old ABC soap operas, “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” re-debut today on Hulu. Even “60 Minutes,” with an audience Whose median age is nearly in triple digits, Regularly sends viewers online for extended video material it chose not to put on the air.

Most of what’s happened so far, online and in the OTT business, have been baby steps, and a lot of it doomed to fail. Maybe it shouldering, too. It is hard to argue the world needs another video-on-demand service, or thatthere is a dearth of original programming or whiz-bang ways to access it. But the shakedown cruise is interesting to watch. Inevitably something is going to stick.

pj@mediapost.com

Xbox comes to Amazon Kindle - MCV

Microsoft’s Xbox SmartGlass app has Launched on Amazon’s smash-hit Kindle tablet.

The leg has

app available on Windows Phone, iOS and Android for some time, but needed to be created Specifically for Amazon’s Fire tablet.

Smart Glass, Which was unveiled at E3 last year, allows users to view Their Xbox friends list, send messages, as well as use the tablet as a companion screen with Xbox games. The tablet can be used to simply Obtain information about a game or movie, or as a supplementary controller.

The app is available on both Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD.

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New design for Kindle app on Google Play - eReaders.nl - eReaders.nl

Amazon Kindle application for Android has received a major update. Thus considerably modified the appearance. Amazon Kindle Fire brings the famous “cover flow” now the app for Android devices.

The Kindle app is between 10 and 50 million downloads one of the most popular reading apps in Google Play. By comparison, the Kobo app has between 1 and 5 million downloads. The Boekenbol app is downloaded from Bol.com ‘only’ between 500,000 and 1 million times.

Besides the updated layout of the library in the Kindle app, is also revamped the layout of the built-in Kindle Store. Through a new navigation menu you also have quick access to the various parts of the app. The read mode is not further adjusted.

The Kindle application is free to download from Google Play. The iOS app has had in February of last update.

Amazon Prime and Kindle ecosystems CFO on growth, barriers to AWS - ZDNet (blog)

Summary:. Amazon’s chief financial officer responds to rumors about a possible set-top box while boasting about the growth of digital product sales

There have been a number of rumors swirling what big new products Amazon might be working on right now, ranging from a Kindle-branded smartphone to a set-top box for Prime streaming video.

See also : Amazon’s Q1 solid, ‘other’ AWS sales surge

Regardless if

Those reports are based on solid ground or not, what we can be sure about is That both the Kindle and Prime brands are doing very well right now, to say the least.

During Thursday’s conference call with analysts, Amazon Chief Financial Officer Tom Szkutak pointed That Q1 2013 was the first quarterback ever when the top 10 best-selling items worldwide were either digital and Kindle-related (or both). He cited That the White Paper Kindle e-reader took first place overall.

“We’re very pleased with our Kindle and digital businesses,” boasted Szkutak. “We’re super excited in terms of the ecosystem.’re Certainly seeing tat in our results.”

As for the Prime ecosystem In particular, Szkutak was asked about How often subscribers opted to pay to stream digital TV shows and movies on top of free content included in the annual fee.

That

Szkutak described Prime customers are doing a lot of “cross-shopping” in general, explaining That it’s not surprising to see a customer who has traditionally only made a few purchases across categories in pre-Prime days to expand Their shopping habits .

“It’s the same thing on digital content. They might start with free content and then purchase paid content,” Szkutak continued. “It’s a nice effect That we’re seeing, Prime Which is why we like so much.”

However, as for what Szkutak had to say (or not say) about a standalone set-top box, some eager beavers might be disappointed – at least for now

.

“We have a longstanding practice of not talking about what we might or might not do there,” retorted Szkutak.

A few other notes of interest from the call:

• Amazon Web Services : There was little talk about product development around one of Amazon’s core departments and its number one priority for the enterprise. Szkutak stuck more to praising the team for “developing services That are great for many different customer types,” adding thatthey are focused on customers from “operational” and “security” position points.
• Amazon Fresh : Another growing segment That Amazon leadership is keeping mum about. Szkutak said there was “nothing to announce” despite remarking That the company is “very pleased with what we’ve seen in the Seattle area.” “It’s been a test and we are continuing to monitor That test,” Szkutak said. “Certainly somethingthat customers love, the experience. The challenge has leg making sure we get the economics right. “
• Geographical expansion : Particular Analysts seem to be keen on learning how much Amazon (Notably the AWS department) plans to expand in Brazil. Much like the set-top box and smartphone topics, Szkutak stayed coy, commenting that “there’s not a lot I can say about Specifically Brazil.” But he did note diplomatically That currently shouldering expect to see the Washington state-based operation expanding into additional markets over time.

Amazon Kindle Android app updates with carousel navigation, redesigned library - The Verge

Today Amazon updated its Kindle app for Android with a few visual tweaks That bring the overall experience Typically closer to what you’d find on the company’s Kindle Fire tablets. Chief among the additions is a “carousel” view on the app’s main home page, Which lets users swipe through Their recently-read content. This navigation scheme has long leg a feature on the Fire devices, but Amazon is only now Incorporating it within the standalone Kindle application.

Other changes include a “redesigned library experience” which features a new left-side navigation pane offering immediate access to sections for your books, documents, and newsstand content. Amazon usefull now lets users choose between having Kindle display only locally-stored content or Their entire cloud library. The latest update to Kindle for Android is now available from Google Play.

• Source Kindle (Google Play)
• Related Items kindle Amazon kindle app for android

Amazon Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite Now $ 79 and $ 129 in Canada - The Next Web

Amazon on Thursday Announced it has trimmed the prices of its Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite devices in Canada. The Kindle is dropping from $ 89 to $ 79 and the Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi is being reduced from $ 139 to $ 129.

The prices are effective immediately. You can find the former over on amazon.ca / kindle and the Latter at amazon.ca / kindlepaperwhite.

The price changes are likely in response to criticism That Amazon is charging Canadians more than Americans, despite the factthat Their currencies have been very close in value for a very long time. In fact, it just so happens That today they are exactly the same: CDN $ 79 is equivalent to $ 79 and CDN $ 129 is equivalent to $ 129

.

In January, Amazon Kindle finally Launched the line in Canada. In addition to the duo listed above, the company released the Kindle usefull Paperwhite with 3G and Wi-Fi, but this device is apparently keeping its $ 199 price tag. Also in January, Amazon Prime arrived in Canada, but was another perfect example of limitations Canadians know all too well:. Instant Video feature remains the US-only

In December 2012, Amazon Launched its Kindle Store in Canada, featuring e-books priced in Canadian dollars. Canadian customers can usefull access the Canada Kindle Store;. Kindle books can be read on Kindle devices as well as on Android smartphones and tablets, iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), as well as Windows Phones using the free Kindle apps

At the time, Amazon said the store features over 1.5 million Kindle books, directly accessible from Kindle devices. The company said it usefull includes 250,000 books exclusive customers will not find anywhere else, 35,000 free books, and 50,000 French-language titles. Those numbers have presumably grown over the last few months.

So what else do shouldering Amazon for its Canadian customers? We think it shouldering extend its price parity to all devices as well as all e-books. Oh, and we really would not mind getting the Kindle Fire.

Top Image credit: Nicolas Raymond

Here Comes Kindle TV - Slate Magazine (blog)

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon introduces new Kindle Fire HD Family and AMAZON Kindle Paper white during the press conference on September 06, 2012 in Santa Monica, California.

Photo by JOE Klamar / AFP / Getty Images

Word on the street Is that Amazon Kindle is developing a TV set-top box Comparable to a Roku or an Apple TV or the non-gaming features of an Xbox or a PS3. If the box reflects Amazon’s general business principles, it’s bad news for the other players in this field.

Basically

Unless Amazon has a radical change of philosophy they would want to sell a box like this at cost. At the main customers for it would be Replace existing Amazon Prime members, who would use the box to access the large library of free streaming video available to Prime members. The attraction to Amazon would then be That it serves as an access point for additional sales of digital content through Amazon and for the sale of additional Prime memberships. Why sell Prime memberships? Well, Prime Because The more members you have the more people who’ll turn to Amazon for delivery of the broad set of basics, toilet paper, toothpaste-and not just sporadic large-scale purchases.

Where do you make the money in this? Well it’s not clear. That’s the terrifying part about competing with Amazon and the joy of being an Amazon customer. Axis we’ve seen time and again, Jeff Bezos has persuaded Wall Street to back a strategy of “growth now profit later” that has no obvious endpoint.

In some markets, Amazon’s competitors still have a decisive edge quality. The Kindle Fire line of tablets are interesting, but they’re cheap eventhough they feel cheap to use. But I’m not surethat things like build quality matter for set-top boxes the way thatthey do with phones and tablets. The Apple TV is a very elegant piece of industrial design, but it’s usefull That little box sits on your shelf not something you pick up and handle. Even if Kindle TV can not quite match it, a combination of good price and good accesses to Aggressively priced digital content seems like a winning strategy.

Amazon "Kindle TV" Coming This Fall? - KIRO Seattle

Amazon will not confirm it, but Bloomberg Businessweek reported the company has a new web-based device to stream video to TV and it will be out as soon as fall. And it could help the company find another way into your wallet.

Bloomberg is calling it “Kindle TV,” after Amazon’s popular e-reader, but there is no official word on the device’s existence, let alone a name for it.

If Amazon does build Such a device, it will compete against established products like Apple TV, Boxee, Roku and Sony. But Amazon has something Those companies do: warehouses of stuff to sell you. According to technology reporter Emily Parkhurst, a Kindle TV could help them sell it.

“They would like to be your only set-top box that’s sitting in your living room,” she said from her office at Puget Sound Business Journal in Seattle. “So as a consumer you’re going to turn to them only and them first to buy your content from them. “

This Means viewers could be watching TV and buying groceries from the same set-top device.

Another lure, original content from the new Amazon Studios – the in-house production company Brought That has more than a dozen original series to the web and That can be accessed by members of Amazon’s “Prime” program usefull That cuts shipping costs.

Parkhurst said Amazon’s combination of content, existing customer base and trusted name brand will make it an instant threat to competitors.

“If somebody can providence That content all in one place that’s easy to search, easy to use, they’re going to win,” she said.

Amazon is known for undercutting competitors – the Kindle is cheaper than the iPad, for example -. so it’s a good bet that Amazon TV will be well-priced, maybe under a hundred bucks

Amazon Has not’ve responded to requests seeking confirmation the product is in development.

Amazon Kindle is making a TV set-top box? - VentureBeat

Updated:. Updated with a response from Amazon

After successfully storming the industry with successful e-readers and a line of tablets, Amazon is rumored to be launching its first set-top box for streaming media.

The information comes from a Bloomberg Businessweek That report cites three different anonymous sources familiar with the matter. Amazon declined to comment VentureBeat about the company’s set-top box plans.

While we obviously do not have confirmation, the notion That Amazon would make its own streaming media set-top box Is not entirely surprising. Amazon already had a successful Android app store That it could easily parlay into a set-top box. It’s usefull got a streaming video service (Prime Instant Video) that’s trying to compete with Netflix in terms of a collection of unlimited movie and TV shows and iTunes when it comes to video rentals and sales. It’s usefull Brought its Prime Instant Video service to a slew of other set-top boxes like the Roku and Xbox 360.

The report indicates

That Amazon, Which has toyed with the idea of ??producing a set-top box for years, is producing the project through its Lab126 under former head of Cisco video products Malachy Moynihan and former TiVo and Vudu engineer Andy Goodman.

Bloomberg’s sources make no mention of a price for the rumored set-top box, or even a name – Although the most likely choice would be Kindle TV. The set-top box is scheduled to debut in the fall, Which would be just in time for the holiday sale season.

As for what an Amazon TV set-top box might look like, I’d imagine there’s be a heavy emphasis on video. Currently the company is its promoting its original content and recently released 14 pilot episodes That are available to everyone. Amazon is letting people vote on the shows before deciding whichwill gain a full season of episodes. And while there’s never been mention of advertising during thesis programs (or any others That it’s hört licensing from other media companies), it would not surprise me if the company ended up adding commercials and using data from Their customer’s purchasing history to determining advertising That was appropriateness for each individual.

Illustration by Tom Cheredar

Amazon Will Go Head-To-Head Against Apple TV With New Kindle Box [Report] - Cult of Mac

John Brownlee (10:31 am PDT, Apr 24th)

Amazon is reportedly ready to take on the likes of the Apple TV and Roku with a set-top box of its own, presumably some sort of Kindle Box.

accordng to Business Week , Amazon Kindle is going to introduce a TV set-top box this fall thatwill deeply integrate the e-commerce behemoth’s Video on Demand Store, and its Instant Video service available to Amazon Prime subscribers.

The set-top box initiative is being handled by Amazon’s Lab126 division in Cupertino, and is being run by Malachy Moynihan, an ex-Apple fat who spent nine years at Infinite Loop in the 80s and 90s before moving on to become the vice president of emerging video products at Cisco Systems. A forkmer top engineer at a former architect from Tivo and ReplayTV are helping.

Amazon’s leg making a bigger and bigger push into video lately, culminating with a recent push into original content by producing up to 14 pilot episodes or prospective television shows the company would like to create, a la Netflix’s House of Cards .

Speaking of Netflix, Business Week Is not sure Whether or not Amazon would allow streaming on its competitors Box Kindle, but Amazon already payback from Netflix, Hulu and the like access to the Kindle Fire. Presumably you’d be usefull to use bootable thesis streaming subscription services on your Kindle TV box, Although Amazon’s own offerings would be more deeply integrated and prominently placed.

It’s getting crowded in Apple’s “hobby” market segment, is not it? Amazon’s Kindle Box, though, could be uniquely situated to compete with Cupertino in at least one way the competition can not, though:. An AirPlay-like second screen experience provided by the Kindle Fire

John Brownlee is Cult of Mac’s Deputy Editor. Usefull He has written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his girlfriend and two parakeets. You can follow him on Twitter here.

(sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address) |. Read more posts by John Brownlee

A 'Kindle TVs Might Be Amazon's Latest Play To Get You To Buy More Stuff From ... - Huffington Post

                                

            

                                    

Amazon’s planning a streaming TV set-top box for release next fall, reports Bloomberg Businessweek. The move would put the giant online retailer into a crowded space, alongside Apple TVs, Rokus, Xboxes and PlayStations, Which already populate the homes of so many cord-cutters and sacrifice feeds to Amazon’s streaming video and video-on-demand services.

The chances of this to-be-named Amazon TV – already dubbed a “Kindle TV” by observers – breaking into this online TV market and coming out with profits seem smart. So why bother?

Here’s a theory: The Notoriously profit allergic company did not build Kindles expecting to make a profit selling the device. Indeed, Bezos recently Admitted That Expects Amazon to just break even on its latest two tablets. If the same is true of a “Kindle TV,” the device could end up being well below the Apple TV’s $ 99 price tag, or even Roku’s starting price of $ 49.

A rock-bottom price could convince more people to buy a box That connects Their televisions to the Internet. And on a “Kindle TV,” Amazon could make sure its own videos, zoals its just-Announced original series, are front and center. Cable companies (much much more profit-hungry) must be thrilled Amazon is getting into this game, as it makes Their expensive channel packages even less appealing.

Even ignoring price, an Amazon-made television experience might end up making TV watching a whole lot more like surfing the Internet. Already, younger people – after years of watching video On Their laptops and, more recently, tablets – are used to toggling between a tab playing the latest “30 Rock” on Hulu and another buying shoes on Amazon.

On a “Kindle TV,” just like on a Kindle tablet, the same feat could be accomplished by switching apps. Reading an e-book might not make much sense with a remote and an 80-inch display, but shopping for clothes on Amazon’s store right from a TV? That we’d rather have than yet another fire or smartphone.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Amazon.com, Inc.. (AMZN) Is Positioning Itself Well For The Long Term - Insider Monkey (blog)

Amazon.com, Inc.. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is positioning itself for revenue growth, and is making various investments to Achieve this. It continues to make acquisitions zoals Goodreads, as well as investments in Improving its core business. These investments Often sacrifice margins for long-term growth, but this is a strategy That has worked for Amazon.com, Inc.. (NASDAQ: AMZN) in the past and its stock Helped outperform its large cap tech peers

.

Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime customers account for around 15% of Amazon.com, Inc.. (NASDAQ: AMZN) ‘s customer base, and their numbers are growing. They pay $ 79 a year for cheaper and faster delivery, access to lending library books, and other services. These customers spend 2-4x the amount of non-Prime customers annually. The percentage of customers who subscribe to Prime is expected to grow, as are the services offered. While Prime boosts revenue per customer, it carries a negative mix impact in the near-term.

Add Fulfillment Centers

Amazon has bone building more and more order fulfillment centers every year since the downturn – 20 in 2012 versus 13 in 2010. This will reduce shipping costs and improvesleep customer service through reduced shipping times. Amazon’s value proposition has always included best in class customer service, and this investment helps it maintain the 2 day shipping policy for items sold to Prime customers. In the near-term, the investment and mix shift to higher cost Prime customers will Negatively impact margins. That said, lower shipping costs through more ground vs. air shipments and an Increased bundle rate will help to somewhat offset this.

Kindle Services

The Kindle offerings have expanded over recent years, and now Amazon offers a range of e-readers and tablets. The Amazon Kindle has positioned to benefit from the transition from buying physical books, music, and other physical media into the consumption of digital media. Selling the device Allows the customer to purchase more digital media from Amazon versus competitors like Apple Inc. . (NASDAQ: AAPL) ‘s iTunes. Amazon will continued to invest in devices and sacrifice margin to gain customers for its digital services.

Amazon.com, Inc.. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is expanding its usefull digital media footprint through acquisitions. It Announced it is acquiring Goodreads on March 28, 2013. Goodreads is the largest book recommendation site and reading related social media site on the web. It has 16 million users, 530 million books, 68,000 authors, and 23 million reviews. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Goodreads will fit well into Amazon’s Kindle business and expands its core capabilities into social media. It usefull shouldering have synergies with the IVONA Audible and acquisitions. Depending on the integration, and the promotion Ultimately products through Amazon or Goodreads, Apple Inc.. (NASDAQ: AAPL) ‘s iTunes and Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) Play could lose some of their digital books market share to Amazon. Currently Amazon makes up 27% of the book sales in the U.S., while Apple and Google sell much less.

As of Feb. 6, 2013, Apple’s iTunes had sold 25 billion songs – however, iBook sales have been considerably lower. Apple Inc.. (NASDAQ: AAPL) Announced in October 2012 That book sales had Reached 400 million units. This would account for a very small portion of Apple’s revenue.

usefull Apple has taken a shot at creating a social network with Ping. Ping was not very successful and shut down in late 2012. Of course, Google has Google+, but it is not revolving around hört products zoals books.

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Xbox SmartGlass is Now Available for Kindle Fire and Fire HD - TechnoBuffalo

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Xbox SmartGlass now available on Kindle Fire tablets - Android Authority - Android Authority

Xbox SmartGlass has finally Appeared on the Amazon Appstore for use with your Kindle Fire tablet version. This is the second big application being ported to the Amazon Appstore this month, with the Spotify app being Brought to the store as well.

The inclusion of Smart Glass is certain to bring smiles onto the faces of gamers clutching onto a Kindle Fire. Microsoft’s application, Which has leg available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store since last fall, is bringing to Amazon’s tablet the same capabilities, zoals letting users navigate Their Xbox 360 remotely, push and pull content, as well as-allowing access to achievements , messaging and Xbox music.

Want to enjoy a second screen experience to further Top your gaming prowess? Then hit the source link for the free download to the living room of the future.

Xbox SmartGlass now available on Kindle Fire HD - GottaBeMobile - Gotta Be Mobile

Microsoft Xbox 360 owners can now use Their Kindle Fire HD as a way to extend Their entertainment experiences using the console in the living room.

While an Xbox SmartGlass for an Android device Is not something new, that Kindle Fire users can download the app, since users can only can only download applications from the Amazon App Store. Unfortunately, Xbox SmartGlass is only available to users of Amazon’s second generation Kindle Fire HD devices. First generation Kindle Fire users still will not be bootable to use Xbox SmartGlass.

Xbox SmartGlass is Microsoft’s way of turning every device That A user might have into a companion for it’s Xbox 360. Studies by Nielson Media Group have shown a rapid increasement in the amount of users who watch television with a smartphone, computer, or tablet in front of them. According to Neilson, thesis viewers then use That smartphone or tablet to tweet about or find more information on the programs they are watching.

Read: Xbox SmartGlass Coming to iPad, iPhone, Android and Surface This Friday

When it was

Announced during Microsoft E3 2012 briefing, it was seen as Microsoft’s way of trying to appeal to users who might purchase Nintendo’s Wii U. With Xbox SmartGlass, users can get up to the minute updates on a game they might be playing or a short biography on the actor Whose scene is coming up in a movie Currently they are enjoying. Microsoft used the Xbox SmartGlass application to allow for real time polling and voting during its live coverage of the 2012 United States Presidential Debates last fall.

Xbox SmartGlass usefull acts as a remote for any Xbox it’s connected to. With it, users can browse Microsoft’s entertainment offerings and control playback. The application is Particularly useful for users who want to take advantage of Internet Explorer for Xbox. Using Smart Glass, users can navigate to websites using a onscreen keyboard On Their mobile instead of instead of having to use the console’s somewhat cumbersome on-screen keyboard with a controller.

Xbox SmartGlass was updated to add compatibility with more Android devices just last month. Xbox SmartGlass is usefull currently available for users on Windows 8, Windows Phone, iOS.

Amazon Broadens Its Terrain - New York Times

David Blum does not have a regular table at the Four Seasons or host celebrity parties at the top of the Standard Hotel.

He does not get a lot of fawning press. After he was fired by The Village Voice and left The New York Press, Gawker Media in 2009 pronounced him “a sad bumbling doctor dying for New York City weeklies.”

But four years is an eon in the digital realm, and in Mr. That Time. Blum has transformed himself from doctor or midwife to the dying of the up-and-coming. As such-, he is a man Whom authors want to court.

Mr.. Blum is the editor or Amazon Kindle Singles, a Web service thats helping to Promote a renaissance or novella-length fiction and journalism, known as e-shorts.

Amazon Kindle Singles is a hybrid. First, it is a store within the megastore or Amazon.com, offering a showcase of carefully selected original works of 5,000 to 30,000 words That come from an array of outside publishers as well as from in-house. Most sell for less than $ 2, and Mr.. Blum is the final arbiter of what goes up for sale.

It is usefull small, in-house publishing fire – analogous to a grocery store that makes an in-house brand of salsa to compete with other manufacturers. Mr. Blum comes up with his own ideas or cherry-picks pieces from the more than 1,000 unsolicited manuscripts hey these receives each month. He then edits them and helps pick cover art.

Amazon Singles Usually pays nothing upfront to the author (there are rare exceptions) and keeps 30 percent of all sales. Yet it is an enticing deal for some authors, Singles Because now delivers a reliable purchasing audience, giving them a chance to earn thounsands for Their Work. (A quick calculation shows That the authors make an average of roughly $ 22,000, but the amount varies Widely by piece.)

“Every day I become more obsessed with how the concept is brilliant,” Mr. Blum, 57, said over coffee at the Lamb’s Club in Manhattan, crediting the idea entirely to Amazon.

For him, the brilliance Is that authors can now share in the profits instead of getting a flat fee. “The idea That writers would participate in the publishing model is just very bold,” he said.

Singles Amazon says the store is profitable, having sold nearly five million copies since it opened in January 2011. But the program is as much about gaining entrance into the literary world as it is about revenue.

Amazon has become the bête noire of the industry, using its market share to keep the prices lower than publishers of books and authors would like. Its New York publishing branch, founded in 2012, has struggled partly Because Of That enmity, as brick-and-mortar bookstores have refused to carry its works. Amazon has usefull to pay large sums to attract even second-tier authors.

But Because Singles is filling a literary terrain not crowded by other retailers, it has established itself with far less resistance than Amazon’s other publishing industries did. With magazines folding or shrinking Because of financial pressures, long-form storytelling has few places to flourish, and the company has leapt Firmly into That void, alongwith other digital publishers like Atavist and Byliner and even some traditional houses like Penguin.

Still, little That does Amazon fails to Arouse suspicion. Authors are intrigued and covet the stream of money, but some are still afraid thatthey will alienate Their book publishers by using Singles for novella-length work. Publishers are watching to see Closely Whether Amazon is building a next generation of talented authors who will have no connection to them – and in the process acquiring legitimacy in literary circles

.

Already, reliable best-selling authors like Stephen King have turned to the site for Their Own purposes. In January Mr. King published an 8,000-word essay on gun control as an Amazon Single. He opted for Singles Because of its speed, he said. A week after he offered the script, it had leg copy-edited, and had cover art was for sale online.

Publishers point out That the best-selling Kindle Singles, like “Second Son,” by the British thriller writer Lee Child, come through them and are usefull distributed across other Web Sites That Sell fiction or similar length , like Apple and Barnes & Noble.

However, more than 250,000 copies of “Second Son” were sold through Singles, by far the largest share of the market.

For now, it falls to Mr.. Blum to allay the Suspicions, and he is using his deep connections in the New York media world to try to do so.

It helps That he has worked for a range of publications, including The Wall Street Journal (where he with his wife, the television writer Terri Minsky, who created Disney’s “Lizzie McGuire”), Esquire, New York magazine and The New York Times Magazine.

He has taken part in a long-running poker game with the likes of Richard Ben Cramer, the author and journalist who died in January, and David Hirshey, now executive editor of HarperCollins.

Mr.. That Mr. Hirshey Recalled. Blum played so badly thatthey nicknamed him “Deaf, Blind and Blum.”

And his connections Have Helped in other ways. Breaking into journalism in the 1980s, Mr.. Blum shared office space with Susan Orlean, now a New Yorker writer and the author of “The Orchid Thief,” and Donald Katz, founder of Audible, Which makes audiobooks.

Mr.. Katz, Whose company was bought by Amazon in 2008, lobbied for Mr.. Blum to get the job heading Singles. Ms. Orlean readily agreed to write an early single, “animalish” (2011), lending the brand prestige and credibility.

Besides luring luminaries like Ms.. Orlean, Mr.. Blum has tried to maintain the brand’s prestige by tightly limiting the number of offerings. Although the digital bookshelf is infinite, Kindle has posted only 345 Singles since its inception in January 2011, According to the company’s figures. (As of March 20, the company says, about 28 percent of the works have sold more than 10,000 copies, and nearly 8 percent have sold over 50,000 copies.)

Evan Ratliff, chief executive and co-founder of Atavist, said his company likes one thing about Singles Is that it does not accept every submission. “They actually make a concerted effort to find something great,” he added. “While we might disagree is on the specifics of what that, our overall Sensibilities are aligned.”

But while remaining choosy, Mr.. Blum takes a special pride in nurturing undiscovered authors. A favorite is Mishka Shubaly, a musician and recovered alcoholic who under Mr.. Blum’s tutelage has written three best-selling memoirs on Kindle Singles.

Mr.. Shubaly said he admired Mr.. Blum but hey That could be a challenge to work for.

“He is a very frustrating editor Because He will identify the problem, but will not give you a solution,” he said. “He is like a therapist, and I meansthat as the lowest possible insult.”

Still, said Mr.. Shubaly, who has been living off the income from his Singles, in the end “it is something Dramatically better than you could have done, and somethingthat you feel is really your own.”