Amazon launches Kindle in Italy and Spain, brings Kindle Store to the Mediterranean

After having already conquered France, Germany and the UK, Amazon has now brought the Kindle and its associated online store to the shores of Italy and Spain. With today's launch, Iberian users will be able to choose from a selection of more than 22,000 Spanish-language titles, which they can now devour on their very own Kindle devices, available for the first time on Amazon.es. Italian readers will have a slightly smaller selection to choose from, with about 16,000 native-language books available online, though they too now have a Kindle to call their own, giving them access to Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing service, as well Both country-specific versions of the e-reader are available for €99 at the source link below, but curious lettori can dig up more information in the dueling press releases, after the break.

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/01/amazon-launches-kindle-in-italy-and-spain-brings-kindle-store-t/

AMD's getting into the DRAM game, isn't afraid to shoot the outside J

Don't you wish every component in your computer were made by the same company? That's AMD's thinking behind a range of desktop DRAM -- leaping into bed with VisionTek and Patriot Memory who will build the branded modules to Sunnyvale's specifications, tweaked for speed with OverDrive tuning tools. You'll be able to pick up DIMMs in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB flavors -- a low-end "entertainment" model running at 1333MHz and 1600MHz, "performance" edition also at 1600MHz and a Radeon-branded unit that will top the family at 1866MHz. The stuff will be available from retailers like Amazon, Fry's and Best Buy Canada, but we don't know when nor how much it'll cost to bring this level of branding harmony to the inside of your case.

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/28/amds-getting-into-the-dram-game-isnt-afraid-to-shoot-the-outs/

Amazon sees huge jump in Kindle Black Friday sales, Fire leads the way

The pandemonium of Black Friday has now subsided, leaving Amazon with nothing but a big grin and stellar sales. According to the retailer, the Kindle Fire dominated this year's one-day extravaganza, standing proud as the top-selling product across all of Amazon.com and the best-selling tablet at Target. Amazon also claims to have sold four times as many Kindle products as it did during last year's post-Thanksgiving rush, though it didn't divulge any precise figures -- Cyber Monday, after all, is far from over. Head past the break for the full PR.

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/28/amazon-sees-huge-jump-in-kindle-black-friday-sales-fire-leads-t/

Amazon: Kindles Are Flying Off The Shelves (But We’re Still Not Sharing Numbers)

Amazon this morning pounded itself on the chest once more for selling Kinde devices as if they were hotcakes, particularly during last (Black) Friday. According to the company, it was the “best Black Friday ever” for the Kindle family, with Kindle sales “increasing 4x over last year”. As usual, don’t expect Amazon to share hard sales numbers, because they never do.We’ll have to do with analyst estimates, which I’m sure will be rolling in during the course of this week (today is Cyber Monday and will likely result in another sales spike for Kindle devices). The number does run in the millions, of course, and Dave Limp, Kindle VP, is quoted as follows:“Even before the busy holiday shopping weekend, we’d already sold millions of the new Kindle family.”Amazon also reiterated, again, that its tablet computer, the Kindle Fire, is its bestselling producton Amazon.com. In fact, they say this has been the case for the past 8 weeks now, since the device was introduced on September 28.

Source:http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/28/amazon-kindle-sales-are-blowing-up-but-were-still-not-sharing-numbers/

Penguin Shuts Down Libraries’ Access To New E-Titles On Amazon’s Kindle

Chances are you’ve already heard about the beef between Amazon and Penguin over the sales and lending terms of Penguin e-titles through Amazon’s Kindle lending program. If not, we can recap quickly. A few days ago Penguin came out with a statement saying that it would suspend making digital editions of new books for libraries and that libraries are to lock down any e-titles for Amazon’s Kindle ereader.
“We have always placed a high value on the role that libraries can play in connecting our authors with our readers,” said Penguin in an official statement on Monday, reports HuffPo. “However, due to new concerns about the security of our digital editions, we find it necessary to delay the availability of our new titles in the digital format while we resolve these concerns with our business partners.”
While many are blaming Amazon for the revocation of already-sold titles, it may not be the digital retailer’s fault. Amazon has released a statement saying that it was totally uninvolved in the actions that Penguin took in collaboration with OverDrive, an e-book supplier service, to freeze the titles. According to BoingBoing, The American Library Association had said the following:

Penguin Group’s recent action to limit access to new e-book titles to libraries has serious ramifications. The issue for library patrons is loss of access to books, period. Once again, readers are the losers.
If Penguin has an issue with Amazon, we ask that they deal with Amazon directly and not hold libraries hostage to a conflict of business models.
This situation is one more log thrown onto the fire of libraries’ abilities to provide access to books – in this case titles they’ve already purchased. Penguin should restore access for library patrons now.

UPDATE – Penguin replies:

In follow-up to our statement yesterday about supplying Penguin Group (USA) digital books to libraries:
Penguin USA took the decision yesterday to withhold the supply of new digital titles from suppliers to US libraries until concerns about the security of the copyright of its authors have been resolved.
In addition, Penguin informed suppliers to libraries that it expected them to abide by existing agreements to offer older digital titles to libraries only if those files were held behind the firewalls of the suppliers.
Following receipt of this information, Overdrive, a supplier of ebooks to US libraries, removed “Get for Kindle” from its offering.
Penguin has subsequently been informed by Amazon that it had not been consulted by Overdrive about the terms of Penguin’s agreement with Overdrive. Amazon has undertaken to work with Penguin and Overdrive between now and the end of the year to address Penguin’s concerns. Penguin will, as a result, restore the supply of these titles until the end of the year in order to return the availability of older titles to all its digital customers.

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/23/penguin-shuts-down-libraries-access-to-new-e-titles-on-amazons-kindle/

Microsoft And TechStars Launch Kinect Accelerator For New Kinect-Based Startups

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The Kinect has proved fertile ground for hackers and innovators all over the world, from individuals to student teams to established researchers. But as yet there haven’t been many commercial applications. Microsoft and TechStars are hoping to turn the creativity and momentum associated with the Kinect into some functioning startups.
Applications are being taken through January 25th; ten will be chosen and given the opportunity to participate in a three-month incubation program at Microsoft — and get $20,000 in seed funding. Got an idea for a new device, service, or method of using the Kinect’s low-cost real-time depth sensor? This could be a good opportunity — if you can afford to move to Seattle for a while this Spring. Don’t worry: the program is in the downtown area, not Redmond.

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There are minor catches. TechStars, in exchange for funding and leading the program, will be getting a 6% stake in your new company (in common stock). And it’s not just a way to put the finishing touches on a game you’ve been working on. The goal is “to create businesses that leverage the Kinect for Xbox or Windows.” And since the Accelerator is based in South Lake Union, there will likely be daily rumbles with Amazon employees, who consider the area their exclusive territory.

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Clearly, the idea is to package and monetize some of the creative energy going into the platform. It seems like a good fit for the student engineering teams we’ve seen that likely put their devices together with university tools. Travel to the Emerald City, get some expert help and learn your way around the SDK, and get a shot a creating a business. Microsoft doesn’t get to keep any of your IP or anything, but it’s no secret that you’re essentially working for them. What’s good for the Kinect is good for Microsoft.
Source: http://blog-bin.com/