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Amazon About to Get More Social

Amazon has acquired Shelfari, a social network focused on books it has been involved with for a while already. A year and a half ago, Amazon invested $1 million in the site.

Amazon Looking to Rekindle its Kindle Strategy

Word on the street is that Amazon is working on some new versions of the Kindle. At least one of them will be aimed at college students, a market that probably should've been targeted more closely the first time around.

Apple Having iTunes Trouble with China

Apple is everywhere in the news this week, with its big score on the American Customer Satisfaction Index, its MobileMe problems, its iPhone 3G lawsuit, and now issues with the Chinese government. Apple's iTunes store has been blocked in China for pushing a controversial benefit album.

Analyst On Amazon's Kindle: "iPod Of The Book World"

Good dogs get compared to Lassie, good sports cars are put next to Corvettes, and good athletes are measured against Michael Jordan.  Now a Citigroup analyst has done Amazon the favor of comparing its Kindle to the iPod.

Amazon To Absorb Holiday Shipping Costs

Online retailers cannot risk raising shipping prices. The sluggish economy combined with high fuel prices are hurting Americans financially but Amazon.com and other online retailers are unlikely to increase shipping costs out of fear of losing customers.Contracts with shippers may protect Amazon and some others as companies look for ways to cut costs. Companies such as Amazon and Overstock depend on low or free shipping to attract business.

Amazon Launches New Online Video Store

Online retailing giant Amazon.com is launching a new online service that will feature TV shows and movies called Amazon Video on Demand.Initially Amazon Video on Demand will only be available to a limited number of invited customers starting today and becoming more widely accessible to other users later in the summer.

Internet Retailer Annual Guide

Today, Internet Retailer released their annual Top 500 Guide that chronicles the online retail industry in general and the top 500 online retailers in particular. As I am listening to their presentation of the report, I am typing these highlights. Total E-Retail revenue hit $166 billion in the US in 2007, representing 6.3% of total revenue. The top 500 online retailers accounted for 61% of the total E-Retail revenue. Total retail growth was at 3.8% last year while E-Retail grew at a much healthier 21.8%.

Wal-Mart Starting To Use Behavioral Targeting; via Yahoo

Yahoo has signed a deal with Wal-Mart under which Yahoo will start selling display advertising on Wal-Mart.

Amazon Teams With Tribeca For Online Films

The Tribeca Film Institute is teaming up with Amazon.com to launch Reframe, a Web site for rare film and content owners to digitally convert and sell their titles.

Bernstein: Google, Amazon To Lead Internet

If you like simplicity, the view of a new report may suit your tastes.  A Sanford C. Bernstein analyst believes many Internet companies will eventually be acquired or fade away, leaving Google and Amazon as the two main names.