Amazon.com

Amazon makes Kindle app to make e-books accessible to the blind

Ashley Gross — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:07:09 +0000

Amazon has released an app that makes it easier for the blind to read Kindle electronic books on iPhones. Advocates for blind people say it’s a significant step for a company that’s lagged other technology companies in making accessible products.

Amazon profit falls, but analyst says not to worry

Ashley Gross — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:47:48 +0000

Amazon’s first-quarter profit dropped 37 percent, but at least one analyst says that’s nothing to worry about; it's all part of Amazon's master plan to keep edging out competitors by investing deeply.

Next REI leader will have to confront the Amazon.com threat

Ashley Gross — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

REI may soon need a new leader if CEO Sally Jewell is confirmed as Interior Secretary. The next person to lead the outdoor gear retailer will confront a threat from another Northwest company – Amazon.com.

How are employers observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Ashley Gross — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000

If you’re looking forward to a long weekend, you’re in the minority. The number of employers closing for business on Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been inching up in recent years, but it’s still only 32 percent.

Forecast for the Puget Sound regional economy: Pretty sunny

Ashley Gross — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:45:22 +0000

The national economy will continue to climb out of the recession this year, and the Puget Sound region is forecast to do even better. That’s the word from an economic forecast conference in Seattle.

Blind protesters march at Amazon over Kindle accessibility

Ashley Gross — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 23:45:55 +0000

Dozens of visually impaired people with white canes and guide dogs protested outside Amazon.com’s headquarters in Seattle today. They say Amazon’s Kindle e-readers aren’t fully accessible to the blind.

National Federation of the Blind to protest at Amazon.com

Ashley Gross — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:54:25 +0000

Update: An Amazon.com spokeswoman did return my call after this story aired, but declined to comment.

Blind people – including former New York Governor David Paterson – are planning to protest at Amazon.com today. They want the company to make its Kindle device and apps more accessible to the visually impaired, especially kids as e-readers start to be used in schools.

Mark Anderson's 2012 technology predictions in review

Dave Meyer and Mark Anderson — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:08:00 +0000

It's been nearly a year since Strategic News Service publisher Mark Anderson unveiled his predictions for 2012. Although the year's not over yet, it looks like things are going the way Mark said they would.

Mark and KPLU's Dave Meyer review the predictions on this month's edition of The Digital Future.

Would Microsoft or Amazon.com buy Netflix? Doubtful, analyst says

Ashley Gross — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Amazon.com and Microsoft are two of the cash-rich companies that investors speculate may be interested in buying Netflix. But would either of them want to? One analyst says he doubts it.

Activist investor Carl Icahn kicked up the takeover speculation last month when he disclosed that he’s bought 10 percent of Netflix. He says Netflix is too small on its own and needs to be bought by a bigger company – like Amazon, Microsoft or Google.

Is Amazon.com taking over the world?

Ashley Gross — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 05:46:19 +0000

Amazon.com recently gobbled up more than $1 billion dollars’ worth of real estate in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. The company is growing like crazy – we’ll hear on Thursday how fast quarterly sales and profit are growing.

It’s spread way beyond retailing – the latest is that Amazon is functioning like a bank – lending money to its third-party merchants. It's just one of the many ways in which Amazon is flexing its muscles.

Amazon trying out lockers for delivering your purchases

Bellamy Pailthorp — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:00:50 +0000

If you’ve bought something recently on Amazon.com, you may have noticed it’s testing a new way to deliver packages. The Internet retailer has quietly installed non-descript lockers where you can pick up an order, rather than having it sent to a personal address.

The pilot program is available in four cities including Seattle.

More 'red' books (conservative) bought than 'blue,' Amazon reports

Ashley Gross — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:41:28 +0000

Based on book sales, Republicans are dominating Democrats in most of the country (including Washington state), according to a new “election heat map” created by book retailer Amazon.com.

Why Amazon might make a smartphone

Ashley Gross — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

There’s been growing speculation lately that Amazon has a smartphone in the works. But why?

It’s a crowded market out there in smartphone land. There’s a whole bunch of phones based on Google’s Android software, there’s the Microsoft Windows phone, and of course, Apple’s iPhone.

Also, a small sampling of people on a downtown Seattle street didn't show a whole lot of interest in an Amazon phone.

Amazon.com helps sponsor Lake Union fireworks, blunting criticism

Ashley Gross — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:06:36 +0000

Amazon.com says it’s helping sponsor the fireworks display at Seattle’s Lake Union. It’s a first for the company, which drew criticism in a Seattle Times article for a lack of philanthropy around the city.

Warehouse workers protest at Amazon corporate offices

Paula Wissel — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:24:25 +0000

Amazon will be having its annual shareholder meeting in Seattle on May 24 and Seattle area unions are gearing up. Today, they staged a protest in the plaza below Amazon's new headquarters buildings in the South Lake Union neighborhood.

It was something of a forerunner to a rally planned for the upcoming meeting. Several union activists carried signs that read,

"Hello, Amazon, see you on May 24."