Amazon Gets Late Christmas Present

Online retailer sees 30% jump in face of economic slowdown

(NEWSER) - Amazon posted a 30% profit jump in the first quarter, the Wall Street Journal reports, defying the sluggish economy. Net income was $143 million (34 cents a share) compared with $111 million (26 cents a share) in last year's first quarter. The company’s operating income guidance for the fiscal year fell, however—pushing shares sharply downward after hours. More»

Despite 313% jump, stock drops in after-hours trading

(NEWSER) - Amazon reported strong increases in third-quarter sales, citing once again its low pricing and free shipping for success. But investors may have been hoping for an even larger increase, because Amazon's share prices fell over 8% in after-hours trading. The company netted a profit of $80 million for the quarter, an increase of 313% over last year’s figures, according to CNNMoney. More»

Amazon's offering will be significantly cheaper than most tablets

(NEWSER) - Amazon is introducing its new Kindle Fire tablet in New York, but Bloomberg got some details—and Mashable got a picture—early. For one thing, the $199 price tag is lower than rumored. It will feature a 7-inch display and WiFi capability, but no 3G, camera, or microphone. A free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, the company’s premium membership service, will be offered along with the device. More»

Facebook founder tops Steve Jobs, Rupert Murdoch

(NEWSER) - Frighteningly enough, Mark Zuckerberg tops Vanity Fair 's list of this year's most influential people of the Information Age. The top 5 of its 100:

1. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook: His company is valued at around $25 billion, has more than 500 million members, runs 176 billion banner ads a month, and is looking at $2 billion in revenue this year.
2. Steve Jobs, Apple: He's already saved the music business, now he's looking to do the same for the publishing industry with the iPad. And sales of his market-dominating iPhone will likely top $20 billion this year.

Even with iPad competition, sales of devices rise

(NEWSER) - Amazon is selling more books as Kindle downloads than as hardcovers, CNET reports . In the past month, the website sold 180 Kindle books for each 100 hardbacks. CEO Jeff Bezos calls the shift "astonishing, when you consider that we've been selling hardcover books for 15 years and Kindle books for 33 months." More»