901am » Amazon

Amazon Associate Launches “Share on Twitter” Feature, Sponsored Tweets in Sheep’s Clothing?

Arnold Zafra — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:34:24 +0000

I’ve created an Amazon Associate account a long time ago but never get to earn significantly from the referral program. The only time I got a commission from a sales coming from Amazon links from my blog is when a friend click on the link and actually purchase the product online.

Fast forward to now. Amazon Associates has launched a new feature that might actually give us easier way to gain commission. And this feature is called – Share on Twitter.

Much as I don’t want to admit it, Amazon Associates works similar to Sponsored Tweets. But instead of posting random tweets that promotes various advertisers, Amazon Associate’s Share on Twitter feature lets you post Amazon product links as tweets.

To use this feature, you need to have an Amazon Associate account. Just view any product that you want to promote on your Twitter account and then click on the “Share on Twitter” button located at the Site Stripe of any Amazon.com page.

Once you’ve clicked the “Share on Twitter” button, you will need to log in to your Twitter account. Your Twitter’s update box will then be populated with the pre-arranged tweet that includes a shortened URL for the product page and a brief sales pitch. You’re free to edit the brief statement to suit your preference. Then just click on the update button to publish the “sponsored” tweet.

Dead easy, right? But earning might not be as easy though. Unless of course your Twitter followers are avid Amazon users, and would be generous enough to click on the link on your tweets before purchasing Amazon items.

Amazon Should Not Worry About Nook, But with the iPhone Instead

Arnold Zafra — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:09:54 +0000

It looks like Amazon should not worry about the upcoming Barnes & Noble’s Nook ebook reader but with the iPhone instead. According to a report by analytics research company Flurry, book apps for the iPhone have overtaken previous most downloaded category – game apps.

Beginning September, one out of every five new apps that launched in the iTunes Apps Store were actually ebooks which can be read by many ereader apps available for the iPhone. This was not the trend from August 2008 to August 2009, when the top downloaded apps belong to the games category.

Flurry further predicts that this trend will continue and it might come a time when iPhone apps will take Amazon Kindle’s market share in ebook sales.

Amazon’s woes could have been aggravated if the rumored Applet Tablet comes into reality. The good news is, should the Apple Tablet push through, some Apple insiders are saying that it will not be geared for ebook reading but rather as a portable media device.

Amazon relies on iPhone camera for product matching in new app

Andy Merrett — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:01:53 +0000

Amazon UK, keen to allow you to buy things from its massive warehouse of products even while on the move, has just announced its new app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Though you’ve been able to access Amazon from the Safari web browser from the word go, the standalone app introduces an interesting new feature: Amazon Remembers.

Using the iPhone/iPod Touch camera, users can find products based on images they’ve snapped. So, you could pop into your local high street store, snap a picture of the exorbitantly-priced gadget, and then get Amazon to find you a cheaper version.

If it works, this is a great feature to have. It saves the user having to tap in the make and model number. I guess it will work a little better on the later iPhone models which have (marginally) better cameras.

Presumably it uses a variant of the near-ubiquitous face recognition technology found in many digital cameras. I wonder if it’s harder to recognise human faces or variants of different classes of gadgets?

Amazon.co.uk iPhone app

Barnes & Noble introduces Nook, the advanced Kindle killer?

Andy Merrett — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:39:35 +0000

As expected, online book retailer Barnes & Noble has launched what it surely hopes will be an Amazon Kindle killer — the Nook — which it claims is the world’s most advanced eBook reader.

The device features a colour touchscreen and allows acess to over one million B&N titles, delivered via free 3G or Wi-Fi, plus memory expansion via microSD cards.

The device is Android based, and is slightly smaller but slightly heavier than the Kindle 2.

There’s a useful Nook/Kindle 2 comparison chart on B&N’s web site, though it’s worth remembering that there are plenty of other eReaders around, in a corner of the hardware market that’s sure to increase over the coming few years.

The Nook is available for pre-order now, initially in the US for $259.

Google Books under attack from Microsoft, Yahoo, Amazon, indies

Andy Merrett — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:48:55 +0000

Oh dear. It seems as if everyone, from the big boys to the independent publisher, is against Google when it comes to the Google Books project.

New bedfellows Microsoft and Yahoo, along with book-turned-Aladdin’s-cave seller Amazon, are set to join the Internet Archive and library associations to oppose Google’s plan to put millions of books online and make them freely searchable.

A serious problem is that Google is effectively saying to authors and publishers “you’ve automatically opted in unless you explicitly opt out”.

Google may be big, but this presumes that every author has heard of the Google Books project and will react before September 4 this year if they don’t want to be involved.

As things stand, all out-of-copyright books are fair game for Google to scan and archive, along with any books that the author has given permission.

From a reader’s point of view, Google Books sounds great — discover books that you like and then find out where you can buy or borrow a real copy.

However, now the big corporations have joined in (whatever their individual motivation is) this is set to rumble on for a long time.

You can bet that Google isn’t going to throw away five years plus of investment into the project.

Let battle commence.

Via

Everything Jeff Bezos Knows

Mike Abundo — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:11:01 +0000

Amazon just bought Zappos, and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos decided to get all vlogger-ghetto in his YouTube message to the Zappos people. I’m not complaining, though — if the CEO of a major corporation wants to get down-to-earth and relatable, this is a good way to do it.

In the video, Bezos shares what he claims is everything he knows:

1) Obsess over customers.
2) Invent.
3) Think long term.
4) It’s always Day 1.

I only wish the video was posted in a YouTube channel I could actually subscribe to, instead of the disposable-sounding “youtube.com/07272009july”. I’d actually like to hear more of this stuff. Considering that it’s only the twenty-third of July, perhaps this video was meant for later release on a more proper channel — in which case, Amazon PR has some explaining to do.

Amazon launches BlackBerry application

Cristina Ledesma — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:30:56 +0000

Amazon.com, Inc. announced its latest mobile offering for customers– “Amazon App for BlackBerry,” which is now available as a free download. Designed specifically for the BlackBerry, the app offers customers who use a BlackBerry device with a track ball a quick and simple way to find, discover, and buy products from Amazon.com and thousands of other retailers.

BlackBerry users can also now access the Amazon Remembers feature for a fun and easy way to build a list of photographs showing products they want to remember for later, make price comparisons across multiple merchants, and purchase.

Amazon Remembers helps customers keep track of items they see in their daily lives and even tries to match photos of products to the same or similar products available on Amazon.com. Customers simply snap photos with their BlackBerry and the photos are automatically uploaded to Amazon.com, which then tries to find products similar to the ones in the photos. As soon as the customer receives the results, they can then purchase the item immediately or “remember it” for later in their Amazon account.

Amazon.com launches Inauguration Store

Cristina Ledesma — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:18:15 +0000

With just 15 days until a historic presidential inauguration, Amazon.com has launched the Inauguration Store. The store features everything customers need to get ready to attend the event, host an inauguration party or watch from home.

The Inauguration Store features a countdown to the event, along with a host of product ideas to help customers prepare. Those who are attending can find top cameras, outerwear and other items to stay warm and capture history at the event. For those watching from home, the store features the latest in home entertaining and Barack Obama-related souvenirs and memorabilia.

Amazon releases “Best of 2008″ lists

Cristina Ledesma — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:51:53 +0000

Amazon.com released its “Best of 2008” lists, which include the bestselling, most positively reviewed, most-wished-for and favorite gift products as determined by Amazon.com customers in 2008.

The following is a list of the bestselling products on Amazon.com in 2008 by total units sold:

Books: “Breaking Dawn” by Stephenie Meyer (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)
DVD: “Wall-E” (widescreen single-disc edition)
Music: “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay
Video Games: Nintendo Wii
Software: Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
Electronics: Amazon Kindle
Home & Garden: Oster 4207 electric wine opener
Grocery: Senseo Douwe Egberts dark roast coffee pods
Gourmet: Taste of Italy gift basket
Health & Personal Care: Groom Mate Platinum XL nose and ear hair trimmer
Beauty: Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 foundation
Toys: Wild Planet Hyper Dash
Baby: Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube
Apparel & Accessories: Levi’s men’s 501 pre-shrunk jeans
Shoes and Handbags (Amazon.com and Endless.com): crocs Cayman sandal
Jewelry: sterling silver open Double Flower pendant, 16″ – 18″
Watches: Casio men’s Pathfinder multi-band solar atomic silver watch
Sports & Outdoors: Razor A Kick scooter
Home Improvement: First Alert CO600 plug-in carbon monoxide alarm
Automotive: Accutire MS-4751WC digital programmable tire gauge with light

The following is a list of products that were reviewed most positively by Amazon.com customers in 2008:

Books: “The Revolution: A Manifesto” by Ron Paul (hardcover)
Kindle Books: “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
DVD: “Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity”
Music: “Noel” by Josh Groban
Video Games: Wii Fit
Software: VMware Fusion
Electronics: Samsung 46-inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color
Home & Garden: KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixers
Grocery: Pamela’s ultimate baking and pancake mix, 64-ounce bags
Gourmet: Premium Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla beans
Health & Personal Care: Omron HJ-112 digital premium pedometer
Beauty: Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 foundation
Toys: LeapFrog Learn & Groove musical table
Baby: Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo
Apparel & Accessories: shoe pouch for Nike + iPod and Nike + SportBand
Shoes and handbags (Amazon.com and Endless.com): crocs Athens Thong Sandal
Jewelry: sparkling diamond-cut sterling silver 1 MM Italian snake chain necklace
Watches: Invicta men’s Pro Diver collection automatic watch
Sports & Outdoors: Perfect Pushup
Home Improvement: Toro Ultra 12-amp variable-speed electric blower/vacuum
Automotive: ScanGauge II 3-in-1 compact multifunction vehicle computer

Amazon customers can now watch ad-free movies and TV shows

Cristina Ledesma — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:48:34 +0000

Amazon announced that customers can now instantly watch ad-free movies and television shows on Macs or PCs with Amazon Video On Demand, its digital video service offering thousands of movies and television shows.

Previously, customers could only download titles and watch them on a PC (using the Amazon Unbox application) or on their TiVo box. Now customers can either watch instantly within their web browser or download using the Unbox application and watch anytime. Additionally, customers can now rent or purchase Amazon Video On Demand movies and TV shows directly through Sony’s BRAVIA Internet Video Link device on compatible BRAVIA television sets (currently in beta). Sony’s BRAVIA Internet Video Link device seamlessly streams Internet video content directly to compatible Sony HDTVs through a broadband connection.

Also starting today, Sony BRAVIA Internet Video Link users can rent or purchase and instantly watch movies and commercial-free TV shows directly on their compatible BRAVIA TV. With the Sony BRAVIA Internet Video Link, customers can explore and purchase or rent from the Amazon Video On Demand library with the push of a button.