Amazon

You can now use Amazon Coins, the online retailer’s virtual currency, to purchase apps, games, and in-app content on Android devices. Unsurprisingly, those purchases must all be made within Amazon’s standalone Appstore; Google Play is sticking with more traditional payment options. Amazon first unveiled Coins last year and gave every Kindle Fire owner $5 in Continue Reading →

When Amazon announced in the fall that it would start donating 0.5 percent of some customer purchases to a charity of the shopper’s choice, it was a reason for many nonprofits to rejoice. But the program, dubbed AmazonSmile, included one big hurdle to adoption: Would-be do-gooders needed to start their shopping at the Web address Continue Reading →

Netflix may be the streaming site claiming awards for its original shows, but Amazon has started to bring the heat. Amazon recently released its second batch of 10 original pilots, and is asking its Prime customers to vote on which they want to see turn into full series. Amazon’s first batch of pilots last year Continue Reading →

Is Amazon underestimating how many Amazon Prime subscribers it will lose if it increases the subscription price as much as it says it may? Amazon CFO Tom Szkutak dropped a bit of a bomb on the company’s recent earnings call when he told Wall Street analysts that Amazon was considering raising the price of its Continue Reading →

Look out, brick-and-mortar retailers: Amazon is coming for you. Again. Amazon recently updated its main iOS app to include a shop-by-camera function called Flow. In the past, you could search for items you find in stores by scanning their barcodes in Amazon’s app. Flow just asks you to point your phone at something you want Continue Reading →

Last year Amazon Studios joined the original content game with its first two series, the comedies Betas and Alpha House. Both programs received generally favorable reviews, but they didn’t exactly turn into cultural juggernauts — and meanwhile Netflix was taking victory laps at the Emmys and Golden Globes. For better or worse, prestige has always Continue Reading →

People already use their mobile devices for comparative shopping when paying visits to brick-and-mortar retailers – but it’s about to get a lot worse. Amazon has integrated shopping-by-camera functionality into its main iOS application, which is even easier than the previous barcode scanning feature it used to let shoppers compare prices. The image recognition feature Continue Reading →

Meet Premier, Newegg’s $49 answer to Amazon Prime. With free three-day shipping, discounted expedited shipping, and free returns, it’s a legitimate competitor to Amazon’s proven customer loyalty program. Premier of course lacks the video streaming library found on Prime. Newegg is the second largest e-retailer in the U.S., with 25 million registered users. Second only Continue Reading →

Few things give me more “bang for my buck” than Amazon Prime. For $79 a year, I can one-click shop to my heart’s content, and never worry about hitting a Super Saver Shipping minimum or wonder when my stuff will arrive. Free two-day shipping, $4/item overnight shipping, no minimums … it’s hard to complain about Continue Reading →

Amazon may increase its US Amazon Prime membership fee by $40 dollars more, the company’s chief financial officer announced Thursday during an earnings call. CFO Tom Szkutak said growing transportation costs may cause the online retail giant to add between $20 to $40 to the subscription fee. Prime — which offers free, two-shipping on certain Continue Reading →