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WikiLeaks supporter ‘Operation Payback’ targets PayPal, Amazon
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Legal, News,
PayPal is the latest WikiLeaks opponent to be hit with a denial of service attack by anti-piracy group Operation Payback, joining the growing ranks of WikiLeaks opponents that have been targeted.
Operation Payback has also indicated that Amazon is its next target.
"The attacks slowed the Web site itself down for a short while, but did not significantly impact payments," said a PayPal spokesperson.
Last week, PayPal permanently restricted the account used by WikiLeaks "due to a violation of the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy." In a blog post on Wednesday, PayPal general counsel John Muller said that the company's "difficult decision was based on a belief that the WikiLeaks Web site was encouraging sources to release classified material, which is likely a violation of the law by the source."
Muller said PayPal will release the remaining funds to the foundation that was raising money for WikiLeaks, though the organization's account will remain restricted.
Click to continue reading WikiLeaks supporter ‘Operation Payback’ targets PayPal, Amazon
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Amazon shows Kindle for the Web
Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: Internet,
One day after the release of Google eBooks, Amazon has answered with their Kindle for the Web application. Very similar to the Google way, this web application allows people to view samples, or read full books, directly in their web browsers. According to an email sent to Computerworld, an Amazon spokesperson said the new platform will "enable users to read full books in the browser and [enable] any Website to become a bookstore offering Kindle books." While the sampling feature has been available in beta since September, the new web app will allow actual purchase of Kindle books directly from the platform, or from affiliate sites, as well as full reading capabilities. It seems like Amazon is determined to keep its lead in the ebooks market, and now that independent publishers will have the choice between using Google or Amazon's platform for selling on their own sites, it's clear a race will happen for who gets the greater choice. Amazon certainly has the initial advantage, with the research firm Gartner estimating the Kindle accounts for about half of the black-and-white e-readers on the market.
Read More 
| Computerworld
Google Editions ebook service set to launch this year
Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: Google, Internet,
Google Editions is an initiative Google has been working on for a while now, their own e-book venture that aims to compete with Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and others. Word is now making the rounds that t's set to launch by the end of the year in the US. As Google describes it, one of the main features that sets it apart from competitors is the fact that the books sold through this service will be open, available through a web browser, and thus readable on any device that can connect to the Internet. They also plan to have native applications so people can access the e-books offline. Finally, referrals will be available, in order to create an ecosystem between Google and publishers of all types. The company will obviously need to create deals with those various publishers, but that is said to be well on its way. Prices are not known yet, but they should be equivalent to other stores.
Read More | WSJ
2010 Holiday Gift Guide: Amazon Kindle
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Handhelds, Women, Men, Techies, Under $250,
The latest release of the Amazon Kindle, the company's ebook reader, seriously changed the game in the ereader world. It's thinner and lighter than any previous model, it packs in Wi-Fi for the first time, and it is much cheaper despite being the best Kindle they've made to date, and that's why we're adding it to our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. You can get the Wi-Fi model for just $139, or if you need the Wi-Fi + 3G model, that one goes for $189. Thing is, we'd bet that most anyone would do just fine with the Wi-Fi only model, and for $139, you get a cool gadget that book lovers will...uh...love! They're available in white and graphite colors, and we'd recommend picking on up sooner rather than later, because these are gonna be a hot one this year.
Read More | Amazon Kindle
Forrester: E-book sales to hit $1 billion this year
Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: Corporate News,
Research firm Forrester has released some numbers on E-book sales for the year, and they're betting that this is the first year where e-book sales will reach close to $1 billion. They also say that by 2015, that amount will pass the $3 billion mark. The survey questioned 4,000 people and indicated that more and more people get their books in digital form. While only 7% read books in e-book format now, they spend a lot of money on them, and that figure will continue to grow. It seems the most popular device to read e-books on is the desktop computer, followed by the Amazon Kindle, Apple iPhone and Sony eReader.
Read More | CNet
Deal of the Day: Get $3 Amazon MP3 credit for free
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Hot Deals, Music,
Today's Deal of the Day costs you no money at all - it's simple, really. Using a special promo code, you get $3 worth of Amazon MP3 credit for free. This is valid through the end of today only, and it only takes a second, and hey, you can grab a few songs before the holidays kick in:
Don’t forget, if you’re looking for other deals, be sure to check out our Newegg Promo Code thread.
Mark Twain Tops Bestseller List ... 100 Years After His Death
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories:
Mark Twain’s name appears on high school reading lists all over the country, and even decades years after his death he was a controversial character. Twain’s stories have been repeated targets of censorship, in some cases being burned and banned in bulk. The man himself was a colorful character, who is well-known for being a prolific drinker, gambler and rider of riverboats.
Now, a century after his death, he’s at the very top of the Amazon bestseller list … with a brand-new book.
Twain’s last book, Autobiography of Mark Twain, is only one of many books to be published after Twain’s death … but it is perhaps the most anticipated. Twain decreed that the book must wait for publication for 100 years after his death, which occurred in April 1910.
The first volume of the lengthy book will be available on November 15.
Read More | Entertainment Weekly
Doug Wright’s Nipper Vs. Amazon
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Reviews, Independent,
I've been reading that Nipper, the first collection of Doug Wright's cartoons, is out from Drawn & Quarterly and already getting some nice notice.
Nipper's a "mischievous little kid" who appeared in newspapers across the country in the mid 20th century." D&Q's Nipper 1963-64 is the first of what the publisher plans as a long-running series of books collecting Wright's classic.
There's a preview of it (pdf) at the D&Q website that offers a nice taste of Wright.
Click to continue reading Doug Wright’s Nipper Vs. Amazon
Read More | Calgary Herald
Amazon iPhone app now supports barcode scanning for price comparison
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Lifestyle, Free Apps,
Amazon just updated their Amazon Mobile app for iPhone to now include barcode scanning. Basically, while you are out and about shopping, you can use your iPhone to scan the barcode of whatever you are thinking of buying, and Amazon will give you their price on the item. From there, you can purchase it and choose all your shipping options. Seriously, we have no idea what took Amazon so long to implement this, but it’ll definitely be a money saver. You can download the Amazon Mobile app for free.
Read More | Amazon Mobile
Amazon and Target now selling iPad
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Handhelds,
Both Amazon and Target are now selling the iPad, just in time for the holiday season. We’d previously mentioned that Target would get the iPad in October, but having major online retailer Amazon on board as well just gives more choice for the purchasing of the product—especially since most customers will be able to get it tax-free, along with free shipping for Amazon Prime customers. You can check out the iPad on Amazon now.
