amazon

Amazon buys Samsung's color e-ink company

Samsung has sold e-ink company Liquavista to Amazon, the company confirmed Monday.

"We are always looking for new technologies we may be able to incorporate into our products over the long term," an Amazon spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement. "The Liquavista team shares our passion for invention and is creating exciting new technologies with a lot of potential. It's still early days, but we're excited about the possibilities and we look forward to working with Liquavista to develop these displays."

Amazon would not provide other details around the purchase. The news was first … Read more

Amazon Coins arrive for Kindle Fire users

That jingling sound you hear is the arrival of Amazon Coins for Kindle Fire users.

Amazon on Monday announced that customers can use its new coins to purchase apps, games, and in-app items in the Amazon Appstore and on the company's Kindle Fire tablet.

The e-commerce giant and tablet contender is marking the launch by disbursing 500 free coins -- the equivalent of a $5 bill -- into the Amazon accounts of existing and new Kindle Fire customers in the U.S. Amazon unveiled its virtual currency in February.

"Today we are giving Kindle Fire owners $5 worth … Read more

Amazon cloud photos app hits iOS, syncs with camera roll

Amazon's got a new app for iOS that gives users of Apple devices a way to view and sync up with photos they have stored on Amazon's Cloud Drive, including photos they've taken on other devices.

Every time the app (iTunes) is opened up, it can tap into a user's camera roll and automatically sync up photos people have taken. Amazon is the latest company, along with Facebook, to offer such software, and the app works over both Wi-Fi and cellular connections.

Other features include the option to share stored photos on Twitter and Facebook, as … Read more

Amazon Glass: The ultimate shopping experience

Amazon is a company with a huge appetite. It first remade the publishing industry and extended it to online shopping services, rivaling Walmart and Costco, scooping up Zappos (shoes), and Quidsi (Diapers.com, Soap.com, Casa.com) along the way. Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos then turned Amazon's technology infrastructure into a massive side business, Amazon Web Services, and is taking on Apple, Netflix, and Google with music, streaming video, and original programming.

Then there is the consumer hardware, led by the Kindle e-readers and tablets. Amazon doesn't release numbers, but Pacific Crest's Chad Bartley estimates Amazon … Read more

Amazon said to be developing 3D smartphone

Amazon is reportedly working on two smartphones, including one that would have 3D capability.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Amazon is developing a device that features a 3D screen that can be used without special glasses. Citing "people familiar with the company's plans," the Journal wrote that the phone would use retina-tracking technology that would make the images seem to be floating "like a hologram and appear three-dimensional at all angles." What's more, users might be able to navigate through content using just their eyes.… Read more

LinkedIn pushes news with Channels

CNET Update is big on Mars:

In this edition of Update:

- LinkedIn is pushing personalized business news to users with Channels on LinkedIn Today. The professional social network has been busy lately with the acquisition of Pulse and adding the ability to put images and video in profiles.

- Windows 8 users could see the Start button again someday, according to a Windows executive.

- Ford's Sync system now works with the Amazon Cloud Player iOS app, so iPhone owners can stream music from their Amazon cloud storage.

- If you can't go to Mars, at least … Read more

Ford cars now sync with Amazon Cloud Player on iOS

Amazon's Cloud Player for iOS is now available in Ford Sync AppLink-equipped cars, a few months after the Android version hit the market, the Internet giant said Wednesday.

Ford owners can wirelessly connect the Amazon MP3 app on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to the Sync connectivity system to access their entire music library using voice commands or dashboard controls.

Android users have been able to use the app in Ford cars since February.

Carmakers have pushed infotainment as one way to attract new buyers, and it allows app makers to reach consumers in more locations. Ford earlier … Read more

Deep breath: Senate set to vote on Internet sales tax

Many polls from the past few years have found that lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are just slightly less popular than catching the flu while on a beach vacation. Remarkably, the U.S. Senate could approve a bill this week that will likely make lawmakers even less popular with many online shoppers.

The Senate is expected to vote as early as Monday on the long-debated issue of an Internet sales tax. The bill being considered in Washington now would require online outlets with sales of at least $1 million to collect sales tax in all states, even those in which … Read more

Amazon expands its Android Appstore to China

Amazon is aiming to rival Google in China by launching its own Android app store for Chinese consumers.

Unveiled over the weekend, the Chinese version of the Amazon Appstore provides both free and paid apps, Reuters reported Monday. Google Play stocks only free apps for Chinese users, which makes Amazon the first Western tech company to set up a store for paid Android apps in China.

Amazon may now have a leg up on Google. But the retail giant must also square off against local sites in China, many of which offer paid and free apps. Some of the apps … Read more