Amazon

4K TV, tablets, and timepieces at CES 2013 (week in review)

Forget about 3D TV -- this year's Consumer Electronics Show was all about 4K.

Sony got the ball rolling with the unveiling of new 55-inch and 65-inch 4K TVs, as well as the world's first 4K video distribution service, which offers native 4K movies from Sony Pictures and other 4K content creators. Additionally, the company also said it would be selling "4K mastered" Blu-ray discs this summer; they'll be standard 1080p resolution (not 4K), but supposedly look better than traditional Blu-rays.

The electronics giant unveiled a prototype 4K OLED TV at 56 inches, although little … Read more

Amazon lets rip with AutoRip music service

As expected, Amazon has launched a service called AutoRip designed to store consumers' CD music tracks in the cloud.

The AutoRip service debuted this morning. When consumers buy an AutoRip-enabled CD, they automatically get the MP3 version for free, and those MP3 versions will be available for streaming or downloading from Amazon's Cloud Player. The MP3 tracks are available immediately, even before the buyer receives the CD.

CNET's Greg Sandoval had first reported on the likely launch, citing multiple sources with knowledge of the plan. "This is the most significant initiative involving the CD in years," … Read more

Amazon to launch auto rip, an effort to sex up CDs

Update January 10 at 6:10 a.m. PT: Amazon has now introduced its AutoRip service.)

LAS VEGAS -- The compact disc has long been left for dead by most tech-savvy music fans, but Amazon apparently still sees some life left in the format.

Amazon managers are expected to announce soon that CD buyers from now on will automatically receive copies of the same tracks stored in their Amazon cloud, free of charge, multiple sources with knowledge of the plan told CNET. The cloud-stored tunes can then be accessed from Web-enabled devices.

The feature is being referred to internally as &… Read more

Amazon Prime lands in Canada

Amazon Prime has expanded its coverage to Canada, but not all benefits will be part of the package.

Starting today, Prime will be offered to Canadian consumers for the yearly fee of $79.

The service's unlimited two-day shipping will be available in most of the country, according to Canada's Times Colonist. People in rural areas can grab the unlimited shipping but with no two-day guarantee. Those in certain locations will be able to upgrade to one-day shipping starting at $3.99 per item.

Steve Oliver, the country manager for Amazon.ca, told the Times Colonist that the shipping … Read more

Market slumps but upgrade sends Amazon to all-time high

When it reports tomorrow, Alcoa officially kicks off the quarterly earnings season. In the meantime, the stock market -- and tech stocks in particular -- are selling off. Not Amazon. In fact, the company touched an all-time high earlier today after an analyst upgrade from Morgan Stanley sent shares of Amazon climbing to $269.30, the highest intraday price since the company's 1997 IPO.

In his upgrade note, Morgan Stanley's Scott Devitt said Amazon should exceed $1 trillion in revenue by 2016, up from $512 billion in 2012. That, in turn, inspired the expected veneration and rhetorical overkill … Read more

How to change your Kindle device name

Amazon Kindle devices are automatically named when you activate them to something like, "Ed's Kindle." A second Kindle on your account will be named, "Ed's 2nd Kindle." If you want to change the name to something a bit more descriptive, like the specific model (Paperwhite, Fire, Fire HD, etc.), here's how:

Step 1: Go to the Amazon Kindle management page and log in with the account you used to register your Kindle. Under the "Your Kindle Account" section, click on "Manage your Devices."

Step 2: Click on the "… Read more

'Dance Moms,' other A&E shows waltz onto Amazon Prime

People seeking their favorite A&E shows -- like "Storage Wars" or "Dance Moms" -- can now watch them via Amazon's video streaming service.

The Web giant today said it has reached a content licensing agreement with A+E Networks, which owns the A&E, Bio, History, and Lifetime channels. Under the agreement, prior seasons of popular shows will be added to Amazon's Prime Instant Video service.

Amazon has been rapidly expanding its streaming service to compete with Netflix, Hulu, and other rivals. The service originally was only available to the company'… Read more

Amazon Kindle Fire gains Web usage market share on iPad loss

Web usage of Apple's iPad fell more than 7 percent in North America after Christmas, while competing tablets from Amazon, Google, and Samsung all registered gains, according to a new study released today.

While the iPad dominates the market with 78.8 percent Web usage, its usage after Christmas dropped 7.14 percent, according to Chitika Insights, which sampled hundreds of millions of smartphone and tablet ad impressions in the U.S. and Canada between December 1 and December 27. The Kindle Fire -- the distant second-place player in the market -- gained 3 percent to account for 7.… Read more

Judge dings Apple 'app store' claim vs. Amazon

A California judge today sided with Amazon and its attempt to toss out claims by Apple about false advertising in a lawsuit involving the use of "app store" in marketing materials.

In an order today, U.S. District Court Judge Phyllis Hamilton granted Amazon's motion for a summary judgment to remove a part of the complaint that involved false advertising claims against it.

Apple sued Amazon in April 2011, accusing the online retail giant of misappropriating the "App Store" moniker, a name it attempted to trademark in 2008 following the launch of the App Store … Read more