jeff bezos

How Patent Madness Is Killing Innovation and Costing Us Billions

Big creative companies like Apple are taking out patents on everything they can think of -- lest they develop an idea only to discover someone else claimed it first. That may sound sensible on the surface -- but the rules of the patent game are actually doing more harm than good.

The Christmas Shopping Battle: Early Winners and Losers

The battle for your holiday spending dollars is well under way, and it's not too soon to start handicapping 2012's likely winners. Some may be obvious (like Amazon), but others may surprise you. Here's how the holiday shopping season is shaking out across the retail landscape.

Watch Out, Apple: The Kindle Fire Is Getting Bigger

Size isn't everything when it comes to tablets, but Amazon.com is apparently hoping to make that point moot. DigiTimes is reporting Amazon plans to supersize its Kindle Fire soon with a 10.1-inch screen -- bigger than the iPad.

Target Dumps Amazon Kindles Over Retail Rivalry

Cheap-chic retailer Target will discontinue the sale of Kindle e-readers and Amazon-branded products. It's easy to see why Target isn't keen on enriching the enemy. But it's not business, Amazon.com: It's just personal.

Is an Amazon Store in the Real World a Good Idea?

Soon, you might be able to buy a new Kindle at an actual, brick-and-mortar Amazon Store. The e-commerce giant is reportedly opening its first pilot store in Seattle. It's an intriguing idea, but the real question is: Why would Amazon want to?

Amazon's Next Big Thing: Its Own Smartphones

Amazon has become an surprising gadget rock star. Skeptics bet against the original Kindle, which became a blockbuster, and the Kindle Fire is the first non-iPad tablet to sell well. Next stop for Amazon's gadgeteers: smartphones.

Amazon's World Takeover -- By the Numbers

Amazon plays by its own rules -- and the online retail giant usually wins. Check out this infographic by blogger FrugalDad that gives you a peek at who you're paying when you opt for the Free SuperSaver Shipping.

Is Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos the Next Steve Jobs?

There will never be another Steve Jobs. Apple's iconic co-founder was one of a kind for a host of reasons, but the aspect Apple will miss the most is Jobs the master marketer. Enter Jeff Bezos: The Amazon boss may have they insight to be the tech world's next gadget visionary.

Will Cheap Kindle Fire Burn Amazon or Ignite Profits?

The Kindle Fire hits the market next month, and the $199 tablet is already a "hot" seller. This would normally be the kind of news that would send board rooms into a frenzy of high-fives, but Amazon won't turn much of a profit on the entry-level tablets. Then again, it may not need to.

Why Amazon Doesn't Much Care About Wall Street

Earnings missed analysts' estimates and disappointed the investment community. That's OK by Amazon. The online giant is an iconoclast in the retail sector: a public company that acts like a private firm, more concerned with long-term growth and taking risks than appeasing the folks on Wall Street every quarter.

What Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Is Obsessing About

Amazon (AMZN) boss Jeff Bezos doesn't take the usual approach to sales, technology or even competition. At this week's ShopSmart summit, he spoke with candor about his idiosyncratic strategies, growth opportunities, and how digital technology is still reshaping retailing.

Amazon's Plan to Save You From Unwanted Gifts

While it may sound more Scrooge than Santa Claus, Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, has filed a patent for technology that would allow customers to return -- or "convert" -- gifts they don't like, even before they actually arrive.

Chinese Internet IPOs: The Case for DangDang

Among the Chinese Internet companies recently listing on U.S. exchanges, online video site Youko and e-tailer DangDang have gotten the most attention. Both present risks for investors, but it seems clear that DangDang's longer-term prospects are based on a sounder footing.

Who's Next on Amazon's Acquisition List?

The rumors that e-tail giant Amazon is looking to buy Quidsi, parent company of Diapers.com, have proven true. But Jeff Bezos isn't likely to stop there, and Alice.com and Drugstore.com could be easy pickings.