WebProNews

Will MicroPayments Work For The Financial Times?

Micropayments have worked for companies like iTunes and even Amazon.com for songs and television episodes. But could they be the solution to the newspaper industry’s pending demise? The Financial Times is ready to find out. They currently use a hybrid paid-free model, where users can access up to 20 stories a month for free, but they’re looking to a pay-per-story or possibly subject or time period model.

Consumer Interest In E-Readers Mixed

E-readers such as Amazon's Kindle have sparked interest among consumers but have not yet reached mainstream adoption, according to a new report from the NPD Group. Some 37 percent of consumers expressed interest in purchasing an e-reader, but more than 40 percent said they were "somewhat uninterested" or "not interested at all." When asked why, nearly 70 percent said it's because they prefer the feel of an actual book.

Group Calls On Amazon To End Kindle DRM

The Free Software Foundation has launched an online petition to convince Amazon.com to drop its use of digital rights management (DRM) technology on its Kindle. The move comes after Amazon deleted customers copies of George Orwell's "Animal Farm" and "1984" without notice. Amazon says the titles were added to the Kindle store by a company that did not have the rights to them and it removed the copies at the request of the publisher from both its Kindle store and users personal electronic readers.

Amazon Sued Over Holocaust Denial Books

The American Jewish Committee filed a lawsuit Friday against Amazon-Germany for selling books it says question the Holocaust and "trivialize" the Nazis. The AJC says there are about 50 titles available on Amazon.de that question the Holocaust and promote Nazis.

Amazon Apologizes To Kindle Customers

Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos has apologized for the way his company handled the deletion of two George Orwell titles from its customers Kindle readers. Last week Amazon, without notice, deleted customers copies of Orwell's "Animal Farm" and "1984" later saying the action was taken at the request of the publisher. After removing the titles from its catalogue, Amazon deleted the titles from all of its customers Kindle devices. Customers were refunded for their purchase of the titles.

Amazon In Book Printing Deal With University Of Michigan

Amazon.com is partnering with the University of Michigan to reprint 400,000 titles that are no longer under copyright protection or are out of print. Amazon's BookSurge unit will print and bind the books in soft cover and they will be available on the site for $10 to $45 depending on the length.

Amazon Sued Over Cracked Kindles

Amazon.com has been hit with a $5 million class action suit over its popular Kindle 2 book reader. Some Kindle owners who purchased the optional $30 protective cover are complaining it is causing cracks in the device, which eventually lead it to stop working. The cover fastens onto the body of the Kindle with a set of metal clips.

Amazon Launches New Wireless Store

Amazon has launched a new site catering specifically to cell phones and their service plans. The online store located at wireless.amazon.com lets users shop for phones by model, service, color, etc.  You may be able to shop by carrier at AmazonWireless, but that only includes AT&T and Verizon. On top of that, they don't even carry the iPhone, which is available through AT&T. Here is a look at the site's bestselling phones:

Amazon Launches Web Services Start-Up Challenge

Amazon.com has announced its third annual Amazon Web Services Start-Up Challenge, a contest for entrepreneurs and start-ups. The winner of the contest will receive $50,000 in cash, $50,000 in Amazon Web Services (AWS) credits, mentoring sessions, and premium gold support for one year. The winner may also receive an investment from Amazon. All finalists will receive $5,000 in AWS credits and all qualified participants will receive $25 in AWS credits.

Advertising To Make Its Way Onto Amazon Kindles

Amazon apparently has some big plans for their Kindle e-reader and it involves advertising. That’s right, advertising. After all, what would a good book be without advertising, right?