Amazon

658 'Amazon' stories October 2010 - October 2012

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Amazon is the largest Internet company in the world. Originally started as an online book store, there is now almost nothing you can’t buy at amazon.com.

In addition to its ecommerce store, Amazon offers video streaming, music streaming, a publishing company and cloud services. It has also diversified into manufacturing its own branded consumer electronics products, ranging from Amazon Basics cables to Kindle ebook readers, Fire tablets and TV boxes and Echo speakers.

Amazon has its own intelligent assistant, Alexa. Created for its Echo range of smart speakers, Alexa is also supported by a wide range of third-party products, including speakers, TVs, printers, phones, laptops, cars and more. Over 100 million Alexa devices had been sold as of early 2019.

Toys: Audyssey desktop speakers $80, more

Seth Weintraub Oct 12 2012 - 7:27 am PT

Some pretty impressive deals from 9to5Toys.com today as we enter into the weekend:

Woot! has the amazing Audyssey Desktop speakers for $79.99 with $5 shipping on everything you order. I have these speakers (and happily paid $200 for them) and they are quite simply the best desktop speakers I’ve used.

We are in love with the standalone LES powered speakers (right). Very simple I/Os and almost perfect desktop-level sound makes these incredibly good for the small room or workspace. Sure, they won’t fill up a large-sized room, but you will find much larger/expensive setups for that. $199 Amazon. Bonus: If you want Airplay functionality, throw in a $95 Apple TV and an Optical cable.

You don’t need a subwoofer and with an optical cable, I don’t think you’ll find better sound at double the price.

Tiger Direct has a monster Centon waterproof 128GB USB stick for $69.99 with free shipping. That’s as big as many of Apple’s internal SSDs.

If you are looking at entry level DSLRs, Woot! offers the Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18MP Digital SLR
for $599.99 (add to speakers above for free shipping). Fry’s Electronics offers the Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera with the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens, model no. 6558B003, for $699.99 plus around$11 for shipping.

Update: Amazon ended the deal on SSDs… hope you got in early.

Many more at 9to5Toys.com
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Belkin and Brenthaven join the list of mainstream iPad mini accessory makers

Jordan Kahn Oct 11 2012 - 2:12 pm PT

A few reputable case makers have already started creating 7.85-inch iPad cases and screen protectors in anticipation of the rumored iPad mini unveiling, including Zagg and Devicewear. The rumored Oct. 10 mailing of invites to the press came and went; however, according to The Wall Street Journal, we can still expect an unveiling of the device within weeks. Other case manufactures are also now betting on an iPad mini launch, including well-known case makers Belkin, Brenthaven, and others.

The image above shows Belkin’s Screen Guard “Anti-Fingerprint” screen protector, while we see iPad mini folios in black and white in the tweet below from Brenthaven (in stock and selling from its website). XtremeGuard is also accepting pre-orders for its iPad mini screen protector.

[tweet https://twitter.com/johnhowells/status/256483391703232512]

Other manufacturers have started selling iPad mini cases through Amazon. We see Ionic’s Hybrid Leather case cover with stand in the image below, while a case from KHOMO is on the right. Most do not provide exact measurements for the cases, but Brenthaven listed outer dimensions of its case as 7.5″ W x 4.8″ H x .75″ D. There are also a number of other lower-priced products, such as this black premium leather folio from Elsse, but some appear to just be repurposed 7-inch Android tablet cases.

Amazon requests judge throw out Apple’s ‘App Store’ trademark case

Jordan Kahn Sep 27 2012 - 6:39 am PT

Following Apple launching a lawsuit against Amazon in March 2011 over use of the “App Store” trademark, today we get an update on the case with Amazon requesting the claim be thrown out in a filing with the U.S. District Court in Oakland. Reuters reported that Amazon asked a federal judge to throw out the case, claiming the term is too common to constitute false advertising. Amazon also noted that even Apple employees, such as Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, used the term when referring to competitors:

Amazon added that even Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook and his predecessor Steve Jobs have used the term to discuss rivals, with Cook having commented on “the number of app stores out there” and Jobs referring to the “four app stores on Android.”

“Apple presumably does not contend that its past and current CEOs made false statements regarding to those other app stores to thousands of investors in earnings calls,” Amazon said.

“To the contrary, the use of the term ‘app store’ to refer to stores selling apps is commonplace in the industry.”

The case is expected to continue with Amazon’s motion on October 31 and trial date set for August 19, 2013.

Apps & updates: Pixelmator, Amazon Cloud Player, Reeder, Dropbox, more

Jordan Kahn Sep 18 2012 - 9:21 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVb6081IaUI]

We already told you about some big app news today with an updated Twitter iOS client and the release of popular MMO Guild Wars 2 for Mac. Below is the rest of the notable apps and updates hitting the App Store today:

Pixelmator version 2.1.1: A big update today goes to version 2.1.1 of the Pixelmator Mac App Store app. The updated app includes a new Healing Tool that’s up to 20x faster than the previous version, UI improvements for Retina MacBooks, and a number of fixes and performance enhancements. A full list of changes is here.

We are bursting with pride to tell you that this is the best and the fastest Healing Tool in the world. Pretty sophisticated algorithms and the latest OS X technologies have allowed us to create a tool that performs at an incredible speed. We hope you’ll be as excited about it as we are… A lot of other good things are here, too: the ability to temporarily hide the Alignment Guides with the Command key, significant performance improvements, the effects you’ve missed, and much more.

Amazon Cloud Player version 1.2.4: Amazon updated its Cloud Player app for iOS today, which allows users to stream and download music from their Amazon Cloud account. The biggest news in the update is that Cloud Player is now available in the UK, Germany, and France. Amazon is also introducing support for French and German languages.

Reeder version 3.0.4: The iOS Fever, Readability, and Google Reader client was updated today with a few new features. Included is enhancements bringing full support for iPhone 5 and iOS 6. The update means Facebook sharing becomes an iOS 6 only feature after updating. The developers have also included a fix for issues with Fever syncing and missing folders.

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Cheap! Amazon new 7-inch Kindles now on sale starting at $159

9to5 Staff Sep 14 2012 - 12:03 pm PT

From 9to5Toys.com

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAOJyBxjpcs]

Amazon just opened the floodgates to its forked-Android powered Kindles (7-inch only so far).

The original with some beefed up internals is just $159. The new HD version (which closely matches up with the Google Nexus 7) is $199 for 16GB and $249 for 32GB.

(Or you could wait a month and probably not hate yourself :P)

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Apple tops J.D. Power and Associates 2012 US Tablet Satisfaction Study

Jordan Kahn Sep 13 2012 - 11:19 am PT

J.D.Power and Associates is out with a 2012 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study and Apple is at the top of the list for customer satisfaction in four areas. Amazon is close behind:

The study measures tablet owner satisfaction among those who have owned their tablet for less than two years. Satisfaction is measured across five key factors. In order of importance, they are: performance (26%), ease of operation (22%), styling and design (19%), features (17%), and price (16%).

Apple ranks highest, achieving a score of 848, and performs well in four factors: performance; ease of operation; styling and design; and features. Amazon (841) closely follows Apple in the rankings and performs particularly well in the price factor.

Federal judge approves settlement with three publishers in Apple/Amazon ebook price fixing case

Jordan Kahn Sep 6 2012 - 1:48 pm PT

We noted last month that Apple filed a document with the Southern District of New York attempting to have settlements with the U.S. Department of Justice and three publishers delayed until after the high profile eBook price-fixing case goes to trial in June 2013. The Wall Street Journal reported today that a federal judge approved the settlements, which would allow Amazon and other retailers to return to its previous model and freely set eBook prices. Not surprisingly, Apple is expected to appeal the decision:

In a move that could reshape the publishing industry, a federal judge has approved a settlement with three of the nation’s largest book publishers over alleged collusion in the pricing of e-books… Apple has previously indicated in court papers that it would seek to appeal any decision approving the settlement. As a result, it could take some time before consumers see lower prices on e-books… “It’s devastating to bookstores,” said Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild. “For two years the settling publishers must allow vendors to discount e-books at any price they want. The court acknowledges that this restores the status quo conditions before 2010, when Amazon was able capture 90% of the e-book market. The Justice Department is reshaping the literary marketplace without submitting a single economic study to the court to justify its actions.”

Amazon adds ‘The Hunger Games’ and more EPIX content to Prime Instant Video in latest licensing deal

Élyse Betters Sep 4 2012 - 7:12 am PT

Amazon has consistently bulked its Prime Instant Video service with many Hollywood studio and cable network agreements since the Kindle Fire launched last year, and now it is announcing a new multi-year licensing deal with EPIX studio in the United States.

The agreement adds thousands of fresh and old titles, as well as original programming, from Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Pictures, Liongates, and other EPIX partners. The beefed catalog more than doubles Prime Instant Video’s previous content offering, which provides instant, unlimited streaming to paid Prime members on the Android-powered Kindle Fire or other supported devices like the iPad.

A few of today’s content additions include “The Avengers”, “Iron Man 2”, “The Hunger Games”, “Transformers Dark of the Moon”, “True Grit”, and more. It is worth noting Amazon plans to hold a product launch event on Sept. 5 in Los Angeles; the glitzy location could suggest more content deals are coming down the pipeline.

The full press release is below.

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Amazon adds ‘Parks and Recreation’ to Prime Instant Video, with more popular NBCUniversal content

Élyse Betters Aug 24 2012 - 7:33 am PT

Amazon, NBCUniversal Cable and New Media Distribution announced an agreement today that will bulk the online retailer’s Prime Instant Video selection with hundreds of award-winning TV episodes.

Amazon’s Instant Video touts 22,000 movies and episodes for Prime members to stream on the Android-powered Kindle Fire or other supported devices like the iPad. A few of today’s catalog additions include “Parks and Recreation”, “Parenthood”, “Friday Night Lights”, “Heroes” and “Battlestar Galactica”.

Check out the full story at 9to5Google.com.

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iPhone trade-in roundup: Get as much as $500 back on the iPhone 4S, returns due as late as October

Élyse Betters Aug 21 2012 - 9:04 am PT

The next-generation iPhone is set to launch in just three weeks and trade-ins are peaking, so now is the perfect time to start exchanging those soon-to-be old models to earn some cash for Apple’s upcoming smartphone. 9to5Mac compiled a list of reliable places to help you trade in that ole’ dusty iPhone for cash or credit—up to $500s worth in some cases! That is enough to buy a new iPhone and cover the AT&T early termination fee for moving to a carrier that fully supports FaceTime.

Before browsing the options, take a moment to identify the condition, features, and model of the swappable iPhone. This will help determine its potential value, because most online programs use a survey to calculate the iPhone’s estimate. Moreover, it is prudent to act now, as retailers will likely drop their prices as the launch date draws nearer.

Check out the top 10 trade-ins list below.

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Apple calls DOJ settlement with publishers unlawful, says trial is necessary

Jordan Kahn Aug 16 2012 - 6:22 am PT

The U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement in April with three of the publishers involved in the eBook price-fixing antitrust suit against Apple. Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster were part of the settlement, which would allow Amazon to return to its previous wholesale model and the publishers to set and reduce prices for eBook titles freely. PaidContent provided an update today on the case by reporting Apple has filed a document with the Southern District of New York. It called the proposed settlements with the three publishers “fundamentally unfair, unlawful, and unprecedented.” Apple argued that since it is not settling, the settlement would unlawfully end contracts those publishers have with Apple.

The proposed settlement would require the three settling publishers — HarperCollins, Hachette and Simon & Schuster — to terminate their existing agency pricing contracts with Apple. Apple says that isn’t fair: “The Government is seeking to impose a remedy on Apple before there has been any finding of an antitrust violation.” This case, the company states, revolves around “an alleged conspiracy to force Amazon to adopt agency.” So a settlement “enjoining collusion or precluding publishers from forcing agency on Amazon would be appropriate,” but Apple is entitled to defend its contracts in court.

Apple is hoping the courts decide to reject the settlements or delay a ruling until after the June 2013 trial. Apple also discussed Amazon’ role in the case. It claimed the government has “unwittingly placed a thumb on the scales in favor of Amazon”:

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Toys Weekend: AppleTV: $90, MacFlux 4, New MacBook Pros $999

9to5 Staff Aug 4 2012 - 1:49 pm PT

Lot of stuff happening at 9to5Toys.com this weekend…

.

Amazon has the Apple TV for $89.99 with free shipping. That’s the lowest price going (remember it just got Hulu – 1 week free here). Speaking of Amazon+free, you can get a free month of the new Prime streaming to iPad using the new app.

StackSocial offers downloads of the popular “Dreamweaver killer” MacFlux 4 website building editor application for $40. There is a huge list of great Mac software currently on sale at Stack Social here.

Fry’s Electronics offers the current-generation MacBook Pro Intel Core i5 2.5GHz 13.3″ LED-Backlit Widescreen Notebook, model no. MD101LL/A, for $999. Shipping adds around $11, or choose free in-store pickup. That’s the lowest total price we could find by $129 and even lower than Apple’s refurbished price.

All4Cellular has Applecare for iPhone for $39.99 (usually $99).

Vaas FM Transmitter with Car Charger and Remote for iPhone and iPod – $9.99+free ship

Western Digital USB 3.0 1TB portable drives for $89+free shipping at Go4Computer/Ebay, Tax in Florida.

Viewsonic VX2450wm-LED 24″ Widescreen LED Backlit Monitor: 49.99+Free shipping from Buy.com

More follow:
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Amazon Instant Video app for iPad hits the App Store with offline viewing and Prime streaming

Seth Weintraub Aug 1 2012 - 4:09 am PT

[slideshow]

Just 24 hours after Hulu started popping up on Apple TV, we now see Amazon’s Instant Video Store in the App Store for iPad. It looks like a full app capable of not only streaming Prime content for free (with the$79 a yearl Amazon Prime membership, but the first month is free) as well as being able to download content for offline viewing. Also, Season Pass is available for TV shows, and episodes are available the morning after the show airs on TV. The app will also resume where you left off watching from Kindle Fire, PS3, PC, Mac, or hundreds of models of connected TVs and Blu-ray players with Amazon Whispersync.

Interestingly, no iPhone version yet.

I can confirm that Airplay only works for audio in streaming video so you can’t stream to an AppleTV, yet. Also, I am able to stream my purchased movies but offline downloading doesn’t appear to be working at the moment (update: 8 hours later, 1 movie has finished downloading).

Amazon’s Cloud Drive got updated just yesterday as well, but with the proximity to the Hulu announcement, we’re thinking this might be Apple’s move more than Amazon finally building the app. On the other hand, perhaps the $199 Google Nexus 7 is signaling a big shift – that Amazon doesn’t need to build its own hardware and it can just produce software for the variety of tablets out there.

Full App Description below:
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Amazon Cloud Drive’s gets ‘scan and match’, higher bit rates, much more

Seth Weintraub Jul 31 2012 - 11:42 am PT

A huge update today from Amazon:

Amazon Cloud Player is a service that enables customers to securely store music in the cloud and play it wherever they are on a Kindle Fire, Android phone, Android tablet, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac, or PC. Amazon Cloud Player now has more benefits, including:

Faster music import for Cloud Player using scan and match technology
Upgrade of matched files to high-quality 256 Kbps audio
Delivery of future Amazon MP3 purchases directly to Cloud Player
Delivery of eligible past Amazon MP3 purchases to Cloud Player without having to import them
Ability to edit song and album information (such as title and track number), and the ability to import that information for matched files directly from Amazon’s catalog
Support for more music file types

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Gang of Kindle Fire tablets including 10-incher outed by Staples President, due soon

9to5 Staff Jul 23 2012 - 5:28 am PT

A long-rumored refresh of Amazon’s Kindle Fire line was outed by Staple CEO Demos Parneros… More at 9to5Google.com

WSJ: Sen. Schumer presses DOJ to drop Apple eBook suit

Élyse Betters Jul 18 2012 - 8:22 am PT

Sen. Charles Schumer pleaded with the U.S. Justice Department in the Wall Street Journal yesterday to drop its antitrust lawsuit against Apple and publishers by suggesting it will only lay the foundation for Amazon to reclaim control over the eBook industry.

According to the New York senator’s Op-Ed piece:

Recently the Department of Justice filed suit against Apple and major publishers, alleging that they colluded to raise prices in the digital books market. While the claim sounds plausible on its face, the suit could wipe out the publishing industry as we know it, making it much harder for young authors to get published.

The suit will restore Amazon to the dominant position atop the e-books market it occupied for years before competition arrived in the form of Apple. If that happens, consumers will be forced to accept whatever prices Amazon sets.

The Justice Department filed suit last spring against Apple, Macmillan, and Penguin Group for allegedly fixing eBook prices, while Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster settled to dodge the legal dispute.

Amazon set its eBook prices at $9.99, but, according to the government (via The Hill), Apple and the publishers supposedly colluded to build a new business model that drove the standard price of eBooks up and placed pricing in the hands of publishers instead of retailers.

Schumer claimed the business model would effectively relinquish the eBook market from Amazon’s dominion. He also mentioned Amazon’s share dropped to 60 percent after the publishers launched the new pricing matrix, while older eBook prices also lowered.

The Justice Department has ignored this overall trend and instead focused on the fact that the prices for some new releases have gone up. This misses the forest for the trees. While consumers may have a short-term interest in today’s new release e-book prices, they have a more pressing long-term interest in the survival of the publishing industry.

Like Apple contended in its legal response, Schumer is concerned the Justice Department’s lawsuit allows “monopolists and hurt innovators,” while having a “deterrent effect not only on publishers but on other industries that are coming up with creative ways to grow and adapt to the Internet.”

He further beseeched the Justice Department to “reassess its prosecution priorities” and assemble inclusive guidelines before filing antitrust suits in the future.

Check out the full memo at The Wall Street Journal.

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Twelve South re-introduces the ‘little black book(book)’ for the iPhone Age

Jordan Kahn Jul 17 2012 - 9:56 am PT

Back when we used to write phone numbers down, the Little Black Book kept our “contacts” and contact information in one handy place. Twelve South today brings us up to date with the attractively styled black version of the BookBook iPhone case.

You can grab the Classic Black BookBook for $60 from Twelve South or Amazon now.

Product Features

Handmade, genuine leather case protects iPhone with style
Includes wallet pockets for ID, cards and cash
Unique book design disguises iPhone for added security

Dimensions

Size (LWH): 7.1 inches, 1 inches, 4.1 inches

The older brown version can be seen in the video below:

Amazon combats Apple’s Game Center with its own GameCircle [Video]

Élyse Betters Jul 11 2012 - 7:15 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdoxX0XGros&feature=player_embedded]

Amazon just announced a new gaming experience for developers and the Kindle Fire: GameCircle.

According to the Amazon Mobile App Distribution blog, GameCircle is a “new set of services designed to make it easier for you to create more engaging gaming experiences and grow your business on Kindle Fire,” by making “achievements, leaderboards and sync APIs accessible, simple and quick for you to integrate, and will give gamers a more seamless and entertaining in-game experience.”

Amazon offers a growing suite of developer services. Its new GameCircle is geared specifically for game developers too, which is great news for the Kindle Fire since it is facing a firestorm of Android-based content competition from the new Nexus 7. Game Circle also helps players to better experience their games through three key features —achievements, leaderboards, and sync—that will surely continue to entice folks to the dominating Android-based eReader.

Amazon’s new gaming experience clearly draws cues from Apple’s Game Center, which is an online multiplayer social gaming network. It launched in 2010 to allow iOS app users the ability to invite friends, start multiplayer games, track achievements, and compare scores on a leaderboard.

Google was looking to develop a similar system for Android, according to reports in May, but it looks like Amazon beat the gurus in Mountain View to the punch. The launch of GameCircle is timely due to rumors of a Kindle Fire 2 launch allegedly set for this summer.

Visit 9to5Google for the full story.

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Amazon’s Kindle app now supports 1000 titles for children’s books, graphic novels, and comics

Élyse Betters Jun 14 2012 - 9:02 am PT

Amazon just bulked its Kindle app for iOS, Android, and its Cloud Reader by adding children’s books, comics, and graphic novels that were previously exclusive to Kindle Fire owners.

The apps now offer over 1,000 titles for children with features like Text Pop-Up, which help to improve and simplify the reading experience, and Kindle Panel View for comics and graphics to allow panel-by-panel viewing. A few of the literary additions include Brown Bear, Curious George, Batman, and Superman.

The iOS version also touts a new Search option to locate content by title or author. Meanwhile, Android tablet owners, or those with Cloud Reader on a widescreen display, will notice the ability to customize their reading experience with new margin and line spacing controls and side-by-side viewing of two pages in landscape mode.

The Kindle for iOS app is free on the App Store and boasts a 3.5-star rating based on over 165,000 reviews as of press time.

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.

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Toys: eBay celebrates Apple product launch by slashing prices on Apple products and accessories

9to5 Staff Jun 12 2012 - 3:59 pm PT

From 9to5Toys.com:

Many solid deals on eBay today, including:

AppleTV 1080P for $89 (lowest price we’ve seen)
Unlocked iPhone 4S in black or white for $619
iPod Nanos, assorted colors: $99
64GB iPod touch (current in black or white for $349)
iPad 2 64GB :$529
USB Sync Cable USB Charger: $6.99, Apple headphones $7.99
Smartcovers for $36.99

iPad 2 & iPod touch up to $50 off, Target offering $25 off iPhones on contract (9to5mac.com)
iHome iP71 Stereo Computer Speakers for iPod/iPhone for $30 + free shipping (9to5toys.com)
Toys: Amazon drops 5% off the price of the AppleTV 1080P to $94.86 (9to5mac.com)

Amazon Cloud Player app for iPhone finally lands in App Store

Jordan Kahn Jun 12 2012 - 7:53 am PT

Almost a year after first debuting its cloud-based music service, Amazon released an iPhone version of the app today that provides access to most of the features offered in the Android and desktop versions. Not surprisingly, the ability to buy music from directly within the app is missing. Otherwise, you will be able to get access to all the music stored in your Amazon Cloud Drive and features such as creating and editing playlists, downloading for offline listening, and streaming over Bluetooth.

As noted in Amazon’s full press release below, on top of the automatic free 5GB of storage, it will offer a launch promotion providing “those who purchase any storage plan will receive unlimited space for MP3 and AAC (.m4a) music files at no additional cost.”

Amazon Cloud Player App Now Available for iPhone & iPod touch

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jun. 12, 2012– (NASDAQ:AMZN) – Amazon.com, Inc. today announced its Amazon Cloud Player App for iPhone and iPod touch is now available on the App Store. The app allows customers to stream or download music stored in Cloud Player to their iPhone or iPod touch, play music that is already stored on their device, and manage or create playlists.

“Customers tell us that they want access to all of their music, wherever they are, and on all of the devices they use,” said Steve Boom, Vice President of Digital Music for Amazon. “By bringing Cloud Player to iPhone and iPod touch, we now have the most widely compatible cloud playback solution available, giving our customers the ability to buy once and enjoy their music everywhere.”

Customers using the Amazon Cloud Player App can stream, download, and manage their music in the cloud, eliminating the need to download files before playing them. With this new app, customers have full access to their Cloud Player music libraries and also can seamlessly add playlists that are currently on their iPhone or iPod touch.

All Amazon customers automatically start with 5 GB of free storage to begin uploading their digital music library to Cloud Player, and for a limited time, those who purchase any storage plan will receive unlimited space for MP3 and AAC (.m4a) music files at no additional cost.

The Amazon Cloud Player App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

Best Buy takes 15% off of iTunes credit – from $15 to $100 now $12.75 to $85

9to5 Staff Jun 3 2012 - 8:14 am PT

From 9to5Toys.com:

Today only, Best Buy takes 15% off select iTunes eGift Cards, as listed below. We saw Walmart has a similar deal last week but only on $50 denominations. Note that international US iTunes users are eligible to purchase because the gift cards will be emailed for redemption but must use a US credit card or Paypal.

iTunes gift cards are good for Mac Apps, iOS Apps, iTunes Music, Videos, iBooks and more.

The deals:

$15 iTunes eGift Card for $12.75
$25 iTunes eGift Card for $21.25
$50 iTunes eGift Card for $42.50
$100 iTunes eGift Card for $85

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Apple’s legal response to DOJ in eBook price-fixing case

Élyse Betters May 25 2012 - 12:46 pm PT

Ars Technica posted Apple’s legal response (PDF) to the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit against the Cupertino, Calif.-based Company, and six publishers, for allegedly conspiring to fix eBook prices. In the document, Apple condemned the federal government for siding with “monopoly, rather than competition,” and then called the Department of Justice’s complaint “fundamentally flawed as a matter of fact and law.”

Phrases like “false” and “absurd” appear throughout Apple’s response to the accusations, which parallels the company’s statement from April, in regards to the suit’s filing, where Apple essentially said it is breaking monopolies, rather than starting them. Daring Fireball cropped this little nugget from the legal response that summarizes the entire 31-page document:

The Government sides with monopoly, rather than competition, in bringing this case. The Government starts from the false premise that an eBooks “market” was characterized by “robust price competition” prior to Apple’s entry. This ignores a simple and incontrovertible fact: before 2010, there was no real competition, there was only Amazon. At the time Apple entered the market, Amazon sold nearly nine out of every ten eBooks, and its power over price and product selection was nearly absolute. Apple’s entry spurred tremendous growth in eBook titles, range and variety of offerings, sales, and improved quality of the eBook reading experience. This is evidence of a dynamic, competitive market. These inconvenient facts are ignored in the Complaint. Instead, the Government focuses on increased prices for a handful of titles. The Complaint does not allege that all eBook prices, or even most eBook prices, increased after Apple entered the market.

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Best Buy knocks $20 off a $100 iTunes gift card, today only

9to5 Staff May 22 2012 - 5:32 am PT

From 9to5Toys.com:

..

Today only, Best Buy takes 20% off $100 iTunes gift Cards, both physical and digital delivery. Note that international US iTunes users are eligible to purchase digital because the gift cards will be emailed for redemption but must use a US credit card or Paypal.

iTunes gift cards are good for Mac Apps, iOS Apps, iTunes Music, Videos, iBooks and more. You are basically getting 20% off any media you’d buy at Apple.

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