In the online store Amazon appeared two three-dimensional television brand StreamTV. 37-inch model costs $ 4000, 42-inch – $ 6000. TVs do not require glasses for viewing, have built-in player Blu-ray, hard drive 500 GB, Web browser, wireless keyboard, mouse and game pads, camera for video conferencing. TVs can even convert a standard two dimensional image in dimensional . It supports three-dimensional games and streaming video. Among the features may have free access to 500 TV channels.

StreamTV – the company still unknown, and this is its first product. Very interesting how it would spread. No image televisions yet, alas, no. The provisional start date of sales – on May 7.

Via Electronista

Amazon has agreements with publishers Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins, having time to do this for a few days before the opening iBookstore from Apple. MacRumors wrote that the conditions of these transactions are similar to that in January, was struck with Macmillan. Amazon has made concessions to these publishers and authorized, and raise the price, and generally put a price on their own (so-called agency model sales).

At one time, Apple managed to attract many of the publishers is the opportunity to appoint their own price. Amazon they are banned, because of what cooperation it was on the verge of profitability, and sometimes even a loss. Since Apple have signed agreements such major publishers as Penguin, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan.

However, not all publishers managed to convince the benefits of the proposed Apple. Another major company, Random House, has not yet signed a contract with Apple.

Via MacRumors

The New York Times wrote that Amazon actually filed publishers of digital publications ultimatum. In the Amazon want to conclude with the major publishers three-year contracts in which they pledge that they will not offer a better price or Apple, or other providers of electronic books. Under this agreement, publishers are free to assign any value to your content, as long as the price for the Amazon was the best.

The newspaper wrote that the small and large publishers unhappy with this proposal. Several major publishers have refused to sign the contract on such terms, believing that the market for digital books are too dynamic to be bound by the obligations for three years.

Also noteworthy that Apple has placed the vacant position of "independent relations manager with the publishers, whose responsibilities will include negotiating with publishers and promotion of books.

Via Electronista

Amazon announced the launch customer Kindle for Mac OS. The program allows you to read on the Mac books, purchased from an online shop Kindle. Windows supported before, and now added to her Mac. Works synchronization of bookmarks: one and the same book can be read on the Kindle, and on the Mac.

In the beta version of Mac-client no notes, and full-text search, but in the Amazon claim that these functions will appear in future versions.

Program is already available for free download from website Amazon.

Via TechRadar

FBR Capital analyst Craig Berger (Craig Berger) believes that Apple may just three months of sales iPad make it the best-selling e-book in history. He did not agree with those colleagues who speak of the possible production problems and shortages, due to which Apple will not be able to sell a large number of tablets. His forecast: 5 million sold iPad in the first half of 2010. Since the Kindle so far sold about 3 million, iPad automatically becomes the record holder.

This projection is remarkable in the first phase of its marginality. Other analysts, even optimistic about the prospects iPad, give a more modest forecasts. Apple has postponed the beginning of sales on April 3, while international sales and pushed to the far end of April because of lack of product inventories. Yet Berger believes that these considerations do not necessarily affect the final sales figures.

Via Electronista

Resource AppleInsider told a funny story: during a presentation iPad, when Steve Jobs has not yet disappeared from the scene, top managers Amazon began phoning publishers and find out more details on options for cooperation with Apple. At the same time they tried to persuade them not to leave the platform Kindle, that some of them actually started to do shortly after the presentation. Some consumers have already concluded an agreement with Apple, and demanded from Amazon similar conditions: $ 12,99-14,99 a bestseller. Among them, Macmillan, Hachette Book Group and HarperCollins.

On the one hand, Amazon is understandable: its conditions are most beneficial to consumers. If the typical bestseller Kindle costs about $ 10, then at iPad its price is $ 13-15. But publishers can be understood: In the second case, they get more profit. And attract an audience than Steve Jobs is, first and foremost a powerful platform iTunes and a huge number of users loyal to the brand Apple. Meanwhile, moving exclusively to the iPad, publisher risk losing those customers who remain with the Kindle.

AppleInsider quoted from the New York Times: «In order not to lose current subscribers Kindle, some publishers think hard to sign a new contract with Amazon and offer free limited application to view their content on the iPad. Later, when the device is able to reproduce the full Amazon multimedia content, publishers can release already paid product, which will look the same and work on different devices.

Via AppleInsider

Company Amazon and Microsoft signed an agreement on mutual exchange of licenses to its patents. From now on, Microsoft has access to all the technology of electronic book Kindle, including those that allow the Kindle to work with Linux. Terms of the contract has not yet announced, but it is known that Amazon will pay Microsoft an undisclosed sum.

Microsoft commented on the deal rather coldly, saying only that it will accelerate the release of "new, exciting products. Amazon declined to comment. Most likely, the way Microsoft is going to create an ally for more effective competition with Apple.

Recall that recently Microsoft has agreed to make a deal with Yahoo, to more successfully compete with Google in the market of search engines. If cooperation with Amazon to make available to the bank Microsoft branded digital books, it will provide a new tablet device Microsoft – "Courier" – excellent content base, which would create serious difficulties for Apple and its tablet iPad. Everything goes to show: Microsoft is not going to give Apple a nascent market tablets.

Via Electronista

Its share of Amazon at its "home" market of electronic books over the next five years will fall from 90 to 35%, wrote Credit Suisse analyst Spencer Wang (Spencer Wang). This stems from the will – iPad.

"We believe that in the near future iPad and a new pricing model for electronic books will force Amazon to raise prices to catch up with Apple, – said Wang in his report. – In the future, according to our calculations, the market eventually will share between Google, Apple and Amazon ».

Wang assumptions about Google baseless. Recently persistently ply rumors that Google is preparing its tablet production HTC based Chrome OS. In relation to the service Google Books tablet should be a serious competitor for Amazon, and for Apple.

Via WSJ

On Friday, TechCrunch quoting "reliable sources" reported that in the Amazon are thinking about action with the free distribution of Kindle for service subscribers Amazon Prime. This service allows for $ 79 a year can reduce the cost of delivery of purchased goods (up $ 3.99), and long-term delivery (two days) free of charge.

"It's best customers Amazon, – wrote the chief editor Michael Arrington TechCrunch (Michael Arrington). – They tend to buy for your Kindle for a few books a month. If this group is to buy enough books, and Amazon will be able to sufficiently reduce the cost of production Kindle, we get to distribute literally millions of "Kindle, not selling shirts.

According Arringtona, now in Amazon speculate on possible schemes of the transaction. In January the company launched an advertising campaign, which offered to buy Kindle in the case of dissatisfaction with the product to return the money – and leave the device to the client. I wonder what would have resulted in such action in Russia?

Via AppleInsider

We have already reported that Amazon last week acquired the developer multisensor screens Touchco, to implement its development in his Kindle. It turns out that this is not the only innovation planned for the most popular American "reading room". It was learned that the project Kindle has opened 50 new jobs associated with the development of hardware.

Among the jobs are, for example, manager of the development of displays, which requires "knowledge of the market of LCD displays and its key players." But before Amazon did not tire of praising the display of its Kindle electronic ink, emphasizing its high readability and efficiency (Kindle may be a few days to work without recharging).

If the Kindle will go to a traditional LCD screen, then, of course, it will be easier to compete with the iPad in part color, animation and video. Most likely, this screen will be touch.

With Kindle also looking for experts on Wi-Fi, obviously, to expand the number of options for connecting to the Net. Kindle is now equipped with a 3G-only module and firmly tied to the tariff plan. If you release a modified only with the Wi-Fi and no 3G, this will reduce the price of Kindle: answer is correct, since many users are able to use Wi-Fi, but are forced to overpay for not want them to 3G.

A group of jobs associated with the creation of SDK for the Kindle, that unmistakably points to plans for a range of applications.

Thus, all this points to the fact that Amazon plans to completely revise the Kindle, actually create a new device from scratch.

Amazon is not the only player in the market of electronic books, whom emergence iPad forced to reconsider its position. Recently Acer actually declined from breeding to market its device, realizing their inability to compete with Apple in this market.

Via AppleInsider