Newsmakers 2011: Jeff Bezos marks a new era for Amazon

Why is Jeff Bezos so happy?

Whether or not the Kindle Fire ultimately succeeds as a low-priced alternative to Apple’s iPad, 2011 will be remembered as a year when Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos tried, once again, to change how we think about a market we thought we knew. That willingness to make risky bets has earned Bezos a spot on GeekWire’s… Read More…

Bezos: Amazon is perfectly happy with its low profit margins

Jeff Bezos

Today’s must-read for anyone interested in Amazon.com is Steven Levy’s interview with CEO Jeff Bezos in Wired magazine. It covers the waterfront on Amazon, focusing largely on the new Kindle Fire but also giving Bezos a chance to explain how he thinks about almost every aspect of Amazon’s business. The piece draws a clear distinction… Read More…

Take that, B&N? Amazon lines up retail titans for Kindle Fire

kindlefiresmall

Amazon.com says its new Kindle Fire tablet and Kindle e-readers will be available in more than 16,000 stores across the U.S. starting on Nov. 15, touting its retail partnerships with such giants as Best Buy and Target a day after rival Barnes & Noble poked fun at Amazon for lacking its own stores. Kindle products… Read More…

Amazon adds Deepak Chopra memoir to publishing lineup

chopras

Amazon.com has added another big name, spiritual doctor Deepak Chopra, in its effort to expand beyond the business of selling books and into the world of actual book publishing. The company’s publishing initiative has taken on added importance as the Amazon starts to offer Kindle e-books through its Amazon Prime subscription service, putting it at odds with… Read More…

Amazon stokes Kindle Fire as Barnes & Noble preps response

kindlefiresmall

Amazon.com this weekend released a new television ad promoting its upcoming Kindle Fire by tying the $199 tablet to its e-commerce heritage. The move comes on the eve of an event where Barnes & Noble is expected to announce a Nook Tablet computer for $249, while dropping the price of its existing Nook Color to… Read More…

Amazon patents gift cards that can tattle on what you buy

amazonlogo

Happy Birthday! Here’s the Creepiest Gift Card Ever! U.S. Patent & Trademark Office records show that Amazon today received a patent on something called “customizing gift instrument experiences for recipients.” Yeah, it sounds OK from the title. But digging into the text, the approach includes the option for the giver to not only recommend items via… Read More…

Amazon goes sci-fi with latest book publishing arm, 47North

mongoliad

Amazon.com this morning moved further into the world of book publishing, beyond its traditional sales and distribution business, with the announcement of its seventh publishing imprint, 47North, focused on science fiction, fantasy, and horror titles. 47North is starting with a coup, announcing that it’s publishing the ”The Mongoliad: Book One,” the first in the collaborative five-book Foreworld… Read More…

Full Video: Watch Jeff Bezos unveil Amazon’s new Kindles

kindlefamilyss

There’s nothing quite like watching a big product unveiling in its entirety, and getting to know the ins and outs of a new gadget from a company’s top executive. ‘ Granted, in terms of showmanship, Jeff Bezos isn’t quite on the level of Steve Jobs, but Amazon’s unveiling of its new Kindle lineup and Kindle… Read More…