Amazon's Future Is Not in Selling Stuff — And That's a Good Thing - During Amazon's wonkish earnings call this week, Chief Financial Officer Tom Szkutak revealed a number that offered a surprising glimpse into the company's ambitious future -- a future where Amazon doesn't sell stuff. At least not directly.
(Via Wired Top Stories.)
128GB iPad should mean the end of the 64GB MacBook Air - By increasing the storage capacity of the iPad, the distance between the iPad and the MacBook Air shrinks. It's high time that the entry-level 11-inch Air started at 128GB. [Read more]
(Via CNET News.com.)
Staples Appears Set to Begin Selling Apple Products in U.S. - Last week, MacRumors received word that office supply retailer Staples would soon begin offering Apple products for sale. While the company has offered Apple products in international markets for some time, it had long been unsuccessful in striking a deal for the U.S. market.
We were unable to confirm the claim at the time, but 9to5Mac now reports that Apple products have begun appearing on the Staples website in the United States as part of an Apple Mock Up section. The section includes a number of products, including the Apple TV (listed at a remarkably low price of $49.99) and iPad Smart Covers, all marked with "Test" in the item description.
Amazon profit falls by almost half, but sales rise 22 percent - Shares of the online retailer jump after hours as it rings up improvements in profit margin. CEO Jeff Bezos says that e-books are now a multi-billion-dollar category for Amazon.
(Via CNET News.com.)
Dropbox launches quick file previews for photos, documents - The storage company says it's making a move away from files to content. The challenge it faces will be retaining its signature simplicity as it revamps the service for a mobile world.
(Via CNET News.com.)
Why Apple is the stumbling block in Amazon’s ebook transition -
Nobody can predict the future, but Amazon thinks that when it comes to ebooks the writing is on the wall.
“We’re now seeing the transition we’ve been expecting,” CEO Jeff Bezos said in the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report, released Tuesday. “After five years, ebooks is a multi-billion dollar category for us and growing fast – up approximately 70 percent last year. In contrast, our physical book sales experienced the lowest December growth rate in our 17 years as a book seller, up just five percent.”
That’s impressive growth, but as the ebook transition moves forward, Amazon should worry that Kindle is not going to be the device leading the revolution. Apple and iPad will cut into its growth.
Amazon has mastered the art of the press release that doesn’t say much. Several data points are missing from Bezos’s statement — here are some questions I have ...
(Via TheAppleBlog.)
Apple: Apple TV spotted at FCC to offer same great experience, updated components -
An Apple TV model spotted recently at the FCC won't bring our living rooms into the 21st century as hoped. According to a statement by Apple that was provided to The Verge, the unit spotted in FCC regulatory documents is only a refresh of the current version. It will include updated components and the same functionality as the third-generation Apple TV.
We sometimes make component changes which require an updated model number for regulatory approval. The component changes we made don't affect product features and Apple TV customers will continue to have the same great user experience.
