E-Commerce Times

E-Commerce Times

• Kindle Fire Makes Amazon Appstore Cozy for Devs
  Some developers are making more money by showcasing their wares in Amazon's Appstore instead of Google's Android Market, according to research from Distimo. The mobile analytics firm looked at the 110 apps available in both online stores that generated at least $200 per day in revenue during the last week of January.
  
  
• Think Bigger
  I spent the best part of last week cruising up and down Silicon Valley, checking in with customers and would-be clients. The consensus from this non-scientific survey is that business is better than OK, and most people are expecting this year to be the best in a while. Of course, there is a cloud -- literal and figuratively -- to go with that silver lining.
  
  
• RIM Launches PlayBook OS 2.0, Critics Hit Snooze Button
  Research In Motion has released its first update for the PlayBook's operating system. The debut of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 adds -- finally -- some essential features to the tablet, such as a native email client, calendar and contact functionality. RIM wanted to ensure that it would not just provide email via the tablet -- but secure email, said David Heit, director of product management, enterprise.
  
  
• Apple Goes Sunny Side Up
  Apple is hard at work building the "largest end-user-owned onsite solar array" in the U.S., according to a brief environmental report it released this week. Its Maiden, N.C., data center, the central nervous system for services like iCloud and Siri, will be a LEED-certified data center running completely on renewable energy.
  
  
• Can the Nook Find Its Niche?
  Barnes & Noble released a new Nook Tablet Tuesday, shaving US$50 off the price and reducing the storage by half. The new price, $199, matches Amazon's Kindle Fire. The new Nook emulates the Fire on a number of fronts -- price and 8 GB storage. The new Nook comes with a 1 GHz dual-core processor and a slot for a microSD card that will hold up to 32 GB.
  
  
• Federal Virtualization Business: Let the Vendor Clawing and Scratching Begin
  "We are seizing on the power of 21st century technology to consolidate data centers and moving to lightweight, shareable technologies, such as cloud computing, while also directing agencies to consolidate commodity IT services, and shift to shared services," said Federal Chief Information Officer Steven VanRoekel.
  
  
• The Over/Under on Cloud Security
  For some, any move to the cloud -- at least the public cloud -- means a higher risk for security. For others, relying more on a public cloud provider means better security. There's more of a concentrated and comprehensive focus on security best practices that are perhaps better implemented and monitored centrally in the major public clouds. And so which is it?
  
  
• Yelp Steps Out on IPO High Wire With Cautious Pricing
  Yelp, the online local review service, expects to sell 7.15 million shares in its IPO, at US$12 to $14 each. The total potential take is $100 million. The company will list its stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "YELP." Yelp's price target values the company at roughly $778 million, about nine times last year's sales.
  
  
• Banks in the Crosshairs: 8 Ways Cybercriminals Outfox Strong Security Controls
  These days, cybercriminals are successfully circumventing advanced security controls with the precision of a sniper. In the crosshairs are banks, financial institutions, governments and enterprises. In a recent Gartner survey, 76 U.S. banks indicated that malware-based attacks were a growing problem and that fraudsters were able to defeat defenses such as advanced profiling systems.
  
  
• After Explosive Debut, Amazon Will Have to Keep Stoking to Keep Fire Hot
  Amazon's Kindle Fire was second in tablet market share only to Apple's iPad in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to a report from IHS iSuppli. Amazon didn't release official sales figures when it reported its quarterly earnings for the end of 2011 recently, but the iSuppli report states the company shipped 3.9 million Kindle Fires during the last three months of 2011.
  
  
• Turbulent Waters Ahead for Amazon?
  A Morgan Stanley analyst has cut his rating on Amazon to equal weight from overweight. The reason? Mounting near-term challenges that mean 2012 will be a year of transition for the stock. Generally, the company is a long-term supporter of Amazon, Scott Devitt wrote, and it remains a long-term supporter. However, there are near-term trends the company must address, and soon, he said.
  
  
• iPad Rumble in China: Apple Slaps Amazon, Grapples With Proview
  Amazon's Chinese website is no longer offering Apple iPads for sale. This follows a request from Apple to drop the product because Amazon isn't authorized to sell the device in that country, according to a recent report. Meanwhile, officials in various Chinese cities are confiscating iPads from retailers, apparently in connection with a legal dispute between Cupertino and Taiwanese firm Proview.