Amazon Archives | The Digital Reader

How to Bring Your WordPress Blog Posts to Alexa as Audio

19 February, 201919 February, 2019Amazon, Web PublishingLeave a comment

When Amazon launched Alexa Skill Blueprints last week, they drastically lowered the skill level required to develop new tricks for Amazon's smart speaker. Now anyone can put their work in the Alexa Skills Store...

Amazon Put the Kindle Fire Tablet on Sale

19 February, 201919 February, 2019e-Reading Hardware, FireLeave a comment

Amazon launched another sale the day after President's Day here in the US. They've discounted the Kindle Fire tablets slightly, taking $10 off the price of the Fire 7,...

Kindle Firmware Update 5.10.3 Enhances Page Turn Speeds, eBook Open Times

17 February, 201917 February, 2019e-Reading Hardware, e-Reading Software, KindleLeave a comment

When Amazon rolled out the 5.10.3 firmware update earlier this week, all they told us officially was that it was new and free. (Usually the changelog at least mentions "bug...

Kindle Unlimited Funding Pool Grew in January 2019 as the Per-Page Rate Fell

15 February, 201915 February, 2019Kindle (platform)One Comment

Amazon informed authors on Friday that the Kindle Unlimited funding pool grew to $24.7 million (plus bonuses) in January 2019, up from $23.7 million December . At the same...

Amazon is Still Selling Pirated POD Textbooks

14 February, 201914 February, 2019Amazon, Piracy, POD3 Comments

Over the past three years I have reported no fewer than four times about Amazon's ongoing problem with counterfeit and pirated books in its POD service, Createspace. Here is...

Amazon Cancels Plans for NYC HQ2

14 February, 201914 February, 2019Amazon3 Comments

In response to local activists and politicians raising objections to the bribe tax incentive negotiated between Amazon and the state of New York, the retailer announced on Thursday that...

Birthplace of Amazon Up For Sale for $1.5 Million

12 February, 201912 February, 2019Amazon3 Comments

How would you like to own a piece of history? (I would rather have the $1.5 million) The Seattle Times reports that the Seattle house that Jeff and Mackenzie...

Amazon Doesn’t Sell Nearly As Many Books To Academic Libraries As Some Would Assume

10 February, 201910 February, 2019Amazon, LibrariesLeave a comment

Here's a bit of news that will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with academic libraries. Forbes reports that Amazon is still a distinctly second-tier retailer in the...

New York State Considers a Tax on All Internet Sales Following Projected Budget Shortfall

8 February, 20198 February, 2019Amazon, Taxes7 Comments

Remember that tax deal that New York promised Amazon to bring the retailer to Long Island? Apparently it involved money that the state didn't have. Newsday reports that New...

Amazon, Instacart, and Doordash All Screw Delivery Drivers Out of Their Tips

7 February, 20197 February, 2019Amazon2 Comments

I was going to include this in tomorrow's link post but I decided that it was too important to just link to it. While the average consumer would assume...

You Can Now Have Alexa Play a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Audiobook

6 February, 20196 February, 2019Amazon, Audiobook, Interactive FictionOne Comment

Around this time last year I read about a startup called Select a Story that was developing interactive fiction stories for smart speakers like Alexa and Google Home. Interactive fiction...

Kindle Paperwhite is on Sale for $99

4 February, 20194 February, 2019e-Reading Hardware, Kindle3 Comments

Because nothing says third-century Roman saint more than cheap electronics, Amazon is holding an early Valentine's Day sale. They have dropped the price of the new Kindle Paperwhite to...

Basic Kindle Now Comes Bundled With Three Months Kindle Unlimited

3 February, 20193 February, 2019e-Reading Hardware, KindleLeave a comment

Amazon is running a long-term special on their entry-level Kindle. Starting some time in December, Amazon quietly bundled a 3-month subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Three months of Kindle Unlimited...

Kindle Textbook Creator Merged Into Kindle Create

31 January, 201931 January, 2019content creation, ebook tools, Kindle (platform)Leave a comment

I just got an email from Amazon informing me that they have retired Kindle Textbook Creator in favor of Kindle Create. Kindle Textbook Creator is now part of Kindle...

Amazon’s Super Bowl Advert Features Harrison Ford, and a Boston Terrier (video)

31 January, 201931 January, 2019Amazon10 Comments

Amazon posted its Super Bowl ad yesterday. I am unfortunately in a place where I can't play audio, but it looks like a lot of fun. From what I...

Category: Amazon