Booksellers push back against Amazon’s titles

After years of undercutting physical booksellers with cheaper titles and greater selection, Amazon is facing trouble placing the books it publishes in stores in the real world.

With its continuing growth in areas outside of its original core business of selling books online – Amazon has, this year, announced the formation of its own videogame studio and is rumored to be getting into the wine business, in addition to its already existing movie production house, digital publishing house, electronics, clothing and grocery stores and “Pinzon” label household products – you’d be forgiven for thinking that everything was coming up Amazon these days. And, while that may be true in the virtual world, the Seattle, Washington company is said to be facing unexpected trouble in another of its satellite business ventures in a way that may make you wonder whether or not there really is such a thing as karma.

The New York Times reported yesterday that booksellers are refusing to handle The 4-Hour Chef, the new book from self-help guru Timothy Ferriss that just so happens to be the first product of his deal with Amazon’s publishing arm. Despite Ferriss’ proven track record in book sales – His first book, The 4-Hour Workweek sold almost half a million copies in its original edition, according to Neilsen BookScan figures, with the sequel The 4-Hour Body reaching similar sales heights (Both made it onto the New York Times’ non-fiction Bestseller list) – booksellers from independent one-store outlets to competitive chains like Barnes & Noble will not be stocking Chef, citing Amazon’s involvement as the reason why.

“We don’t think it’s in our best interests to do business with Amazon,” said Bill Petrocelli, co-owner of Book Passage, a store in Marin County, CA. Michael Tucker, owner of the Books Inc. chain agrees. “At a certain point, you have to decide how far you want to nail your own coffin shut,” he explained. “Amazon wants to completely control the entire book trade. You’re crazy if you want to play that game with them.” (Books Inc. will special order the title for any customer who asks, however.) Barnes & Noble, one of Amazon’s largest competitors in both the book trade and digital reader business, agrees, and has made it clear that it won’t be stocking Amazon product, with Walmart and Target both only carrying the title in their online stores.

There’s also ill-feeling from stores towards Ferriss for signing with Amazon in the first place. “[Previous publisher] Crown put in a lot of effort to promote [Ferriss' first two] books,” Petrocelli pointed out, adding that Ferriss “decided to walk away. That’s his decision to make but I can’t say I applaud it. I think writers should be supportive of publishers that are supportive of them.”

Not all bookstores are boycotting the book. San Francisco’s Green Apple will stock it, although store buyer Kevin Ryan said that the store won’t be “go[ing] out of our way to promote something from Amazon. We’re not going to stretch.”

For his part, Ferriss seemed prepared for this kind of response. He told the NYT “By signing with Amazon, I expected this type of blowback.” Saying that he’s “griding [his] loins” in preparation, he added “I don’t feel like I’m giving anything up, financially or otherwise” with his new deal. Time will tell if that continues to be the case when The 4-Hour Chef is released on November 20.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Bam, pow, vroom: Cars and comic books

In comic books, mild-mannered reporters can fly, and cars can do some pretty amazing things too. These four-wheeled comics characters are the perfect rides for anyone with a fondness fro masked crime fighting, or zombie killing.

Car and nerd cultures rarely intersect, but when they do, great things can happen. Superheroes with more money than powers need a way to get places fast, and the cars writers and artists have created to get them to those places have become (almost) as famous as their drivers. Like any good comic book character, these cars are loaded down with gadgets and can hold their own against the bad guys.

Comic books take the real world and add a bit more action, so its not surprising that cars play such a big role in so many comics, just as they play a big role in brick-and-mortar existence. Here are a few of the best.

The Batmobile

The ultimate comic book car really needs no introduction. The Batmobile has taken on many guises over the years, from an essentially stock sedan to Christopher Nolan’s “Tumbler.” In between, there was the repurposed Lincoln Future concept car that drove Adam West to television stardom, and the winged wonders from Tim Burton’s films.

The Black Beauty

The Green Hornet has a lot in common with Batman: an orphan’s desire for revenge, a faithful sidekick, and a lack of superpowers. Given that, it’s not surprising that Britt Reid’s crime-fighting alter ego has a tricke out car of his own. The Hornet’s ride was designed by George Barris, who built the Adam West-era Batmobile. Based on a 1966 Chrysler Imperial, the Black Beauty is loaded with enough weapons to survive the apocalypse, let alone Mafia gangsters.

The Question’s Volkswagen Beetle

Hub City’s protector has no face (really the best way to protect your secret identity) and his ride of choice is equally anonymous. What appears to be a stock red VW Beetle is packed with a Porsche engine, racing shocks, and a Ferrari transmission. This ultimate stealth racer is actually somewhat plausible: early Porsches and Volkswagens shared many parts, so an engine swap isn’t out of the question. The Ferrari transmission is another story.

The Fujiwara Eight-Six

Before drifting became a real-world phenomenon, most fans read about it in the manga Initial D. It starred a tofu delivery boy named Tak Fujiwara and his trusty steed: a 1986 Toyota Corolla AE86, or “Eight Six” for short.

The cheap, tunable, rear-wheel drive Eight Six has always been a favorite of real life drifters, but it was still an underdog in the stories, which took place in Japan’s Gunma Prefecture. They always pitted the little Toyota against Mazda RX-7s, Mitsubishi Evos, and other high tech machines. Somehow, the Eight Six always came out on top.

The Devil Z

When wayward Japanese teenager Akio Asakura wanted a fast car to race on Tokyo’s expressways, he found a derelict Datsun 240Z whose owner, Akio Asakura, was killed in a crash. The Devil Z became the star of the manga series Wangan Midnight, beating everything from Nissan GT-Rs to a Ferrari Testarossa, while nearly killing its new owner on several occasions.

The Star-Spangled Kid’s Star Rocket Racer

Sylvester Pemberton wanted to fight crime, but he had no superpowers. He did have money, and apparently thought a flying car was an important investment for a crime-fighter. The Star Rocket Racer was definitely the coolest thing about the Star-Spangled Kid, or his sidekick, Stripesy. No set of wheels could keep this Captain America-wannabe from falling into obscurity.

S.H.I.E.L.D.’s flying car

Captain America likes to travel by parachute, but his less adventurous comrades at the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division need a way to keep up. Since Nick Fury first donned his eyepatch in the 1960s, top S.H.I.E.L.D. agents have had access to flying cars. They’re usually Porsches: Fury first took flight in a 904, and more recent comics have featured a Boxster.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Acuras

Flying cars didn’t fit the realistic tone of Marvel Comics’ movies, which gave Acura a great opportunity for product placement. Phil Coulson and his squad chased Thor around a desert in MDXs and ZDXs, then showed up in Marvel’s The Avengers with a fleet of matte black TLs. They looked good, but even Joss Whedon couldn’t explain why the U.S. government equipped its spies with Japanese cars.

Hyundai Elantra Coupe Zombie Survival Machine

Most comic book cars start out as drawings, only to rendered in metal later. Hyundai decided to do the opposite, turning its compact Elantra into the ultimate zombie killer for the 2012 San Diego Comic Con. The car was designed by Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, and was built to publicize Dead’s 100th issue.

With its plow and numerous pointy edges, the Elantra definitely looks like it would be useful during the zombie apocalypse, but one wonders why Hyundai didn’t use one of its beefier SUVs instead.

Mach 5

Speed Racer needed a fast car to win races, and the aptly named Mach 5 is just that. Unlike most comic book cars, it’s not just for ferrying superheroes to crimes; it’s a racecar. That doesn’t mean Speed went without gadgets: the Mach 5 can jump over other cars, or cut them apart with its handy circular saws. With those weapons concealed, the Mach 5 also looks as good as any car, real or fictional.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Google updates Play Books application

Google has released an updated version of the Google Play Books application for Android. Some of the biggest complaints with this application were the lack of dictionary, note taking and highlighting abilities and Google has addressed all of them in this update.

As you can guess, you can now add highlights to the text and take notes while reading books. There is also a built-in dictionary now, so you can quickly look up a word.

Other additions include ‘Places’ info cards, translation, sepia mode and sliding page-turn animation. Lastly there are the usual bug fixes. It seems you still can’t open PDF files on your device using the app, which is sad.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

‘Gangham Style’ Video Breaks Guinness World Record

South Korean rapper PSY can add another notch to his belt this week as his viral sensation “Gangnam Style” has danced its way into the record books, Guinness style.

PSY’s video has seen a global stamp of approval on YouTube, amassing 2,234,641 YouTube “likes” as of this writing and crushing the 1,575,979 tally of previous record holder, LMFAO’S “Party Rock Anthem.” That makes “Gangham Style” the most “liked” video in YouTube history, a mere three months after the video’s release.

‘Gangnam Style’: 6 Things You Didn’t Know About the Korean Rapper Psy and His Party Song

As for the all-time most watched YouTube video, that accolade can still go to Justin Beiber, whose 2010 music video for the song “Baby” stands tall at 780,683,863 views. “Gangham Style” has about a quarter of that number at this time. Why has PSY’s  video seen such overwhelming popularity? Nightline explains in the segment below.

Source : abcnews[dot]go[dot]com

California legislature approves laws for self-driving cars

California will become the second state to put laws governing the use of self-driving cars on public roads on the books. Will the DMV be enough to keep the machines in line?

California is on its way to becoming the second state to regulate self-driving cars. A new set of laws for the vehicles passed through both houses of the state’s legislature late last week, and is waiting for a signature from Governor Jerry Brown. Autonomous vehicles have been roaming California’s roads for some time, but this is the first time lawmakers have acknowledged their legality.

As with human-controlled cars, the California Department of Motor Vehicles will determine which self-driving cars will be allowed on public roads. Specifically, cars will be required to have a clearly marked, easily used device (perhaps a giant red “off” button) for switching to manual control in an emergency.

California’s approach to Cylonian motoring is similar to Nevada’s. The Silver State was the first to formally legalize self-driving cars; Governor Brian Sandoval signed a bill last year and the state’s DMV has been writing rules since then. So far, Nevada is requiring autonomous prototypes to wear red license plates; the Nevada DMV is also working on licensing procedures for companies that want to test their cars on public roads.

Nevada may have been the first state to start writing laws for self-driving cars, but Google’s robotic fleet has logged over 300,000 miles on California roads. Google says its fleet of Toyota Prius and Lexus RX450h hybrids logged all those miles without a single accident One car was involved in a fender-bender, but Google blamed the human driver.

Google pushed hard for the Nevada legislation, possibly fearing the legal fallout that would occur if one of its cars did crash. Without laws on the books, it’s hard to say who is responsible if a self-driving car goes rogue, although the company that put it on the road would probably be in for some bad P.R.

Now, Google has two states to play in. The company plans to take its self-driving cars on morning commutes in the Bay Area, encountering shifting traffic patterns and construction zones. Google also thinks it can reduce the number of people in each car from two to one.

Google also wants to test self-driving cars on snow-covered roads, and the California-Nevada border features one of the most treacherous around: Donner Pass. Should Google send unmanned cars over the Pass, it won’t have to worry about a 21st century version of the Donner Party.

A Donner Pas robo-rally is unlikely, but with new legislation being passed, it’s not surprising to see Google getting more ambitious in its self-driving experiments. Formally legalizing self-driving cars means the company will never have to answer the question of whether a motor vehicle driven by cameras and software should have been on the road in the first place, although some average citizens may be left wondering.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

10 Hot Up-and-Coming SEO Blogs

10 Up-and-Coming SEO Blogs

SEO is an ever-changing landscape. That’s why it’s imperative to stay on top of the latest trends in the industry. Magazines and books are a bit too slow for this line of work – to keep your finger on the pulse of search marketing you must follow SEO blogs religiously.

Any SEO worth his salt knows all the greats: SEOmoz, Search Engine Land, forums such as Webmaster World and Digital Point, and (of course) Google’s official Webmaster community beat. But what about the lesser known blogs? The ones run by people who know what’s happening and – more importantly – what’s working right now in the world of search?

This post is dedicated to the up-and-comers. We’ve complied the ultimate list of SEO blogs and resources that show the greatest promise, potential, and most of all – innovation – in search engine marketing.

SEO Skeptic

Aaron Bradley runs SEO Skeptic, and he’s a crackerjack Internet marketer who specializes in enterprise-level organic SEO. His blog proclaims to offer up “fact, fiction, and opinion in the world of search engine optimization” and it does not disappoint. The witty posts examine all the SEO topics de jour – Twitter marketing, keyword research, you name it – but they also provide a fresh new twist that keeps readers coming back for more.

Follow SEO Skeptic - @aaranged

Bryson Meunier

Bryson Meunier’s blog is dedicated to natural search and mobile SEO. The world is rapidly going mobile, and his blog helps SEO buffs keep up with the latest buzz in mobile marketing as it happens.

This guy is one of the first to understand and interpret the ways in which mobility alters search engine optimization, and he’s quickly achieved cult status as a recognized expert in mobile SEO. He’s been a speaker at big-name SEO conferences like SMX Advanced and SMX Local & Mobile – suffice it to say the blog has the info you need to break into mobile SEO with confidence.

Follow Bryson Meunier – @brysonmeunier

PortalFront Hosting

PortalFront Hosting is a killer hosted SharePoint provider. The company offers webmasters a seamless cloud presence, and the PortalFront blog gives users a SharePoint blueprint and some great ideas for prepping a website in anticipation of a launch. The blog is a must-read for SEOs who are serious about their sites.

Follow PortalFront – @HostSharePoint

Commerce Kitchen

This is a blog for ecommerce SEO info, and it definitely has a distinctive spin. The blog takes a unique, tongue-in-cheek approach to SEO, and the killer tips are coupled with tight, highly entertaining writing. If you prefer a side of entertainment with your SEO, you definitely need to stop by the Commerce Kitchen. They serve up hilarious (and insanely useful) search marketing advice piping hot all night long.

Follow Commerce Kitchen – @CommerceKitchen

Blind Five Year Old

A.J. Kohn’s underground SEO blog fuses his deep knowledge of search marketing with his vigor for product strategy and development. He’s all about UX and stats, but he’s got a creative wild hair, too.

His blog is a witty, fast-paced read and his rough-around-the-edges images fuse with his ridiculous understanding of the industry to create pure poetry. The detail he provides about how to accomplish SEO tasks is unparalleled, and I’m honestly sure that his blog will be a top one in the SEO world in coming years.

Follow Blind Five Year Old – @ajkohn

Shooting at Bubbles

Even the biggest SEO newbies are aware that social media has become an integral part of search marketing. The algorithm has adjusted to give more weight to social signals, although no one knows exactly how heavy it’s become. Shooting at Bubbles pokes fun at social media marketing, but it provides some awesome tips and tricks along the way.

Follow Shooting at Bubbles – @stevenhodson

Site-Reference

Site Reference has been around for ages, and the blog has volumes of information about ranking in the search engines and increasing traffic. The focus of this blog is great content creation as the core of any successful SEO strategy, which is evidenced by the superb, in-depth writing and community involvement on the site.

Mike Fruchter

By day, Mike Fruchter works as the Director of Digital Strategy at Pierson Grant Public Relations. By night, he blogs about social media and SEO. His professional experience enables him to approach SEO from a PR standpoint, and this is a very good thing given the move toward branding and social as the most valuable ranking signals. His posts tackle topics such as sharing versus self-promotion, how to market on the social web, and unorthodox tips for ranking in the search engines.

Follow Mike Fruchter – @fruchter

Dragon Search

The Dragon Search online marketing blog is a PPC marketer’s dream. The blog has countless posts that tackle tough topics such as maximizing your AdWords ROI, branding issues, and social media woes. The blog boasts a whole team of writers, and each one brings a unique SEO specialty to the table. This produces a well-rounded batch of stellar articles with tips you can implement with confidence.

Dragon Search on Facebook – DragonSearch

SEO Sudo

SEO Sudo is a blog for the corresponding SEO agency. The blog houses great info about all the technical goodies that make SEO experts geek out – keyword talk, anchor text chat, dishing about titles and descriptions, and much more. The blog is a great place to visit when you want to get down to the nitty gritty with your search marketing plan.

Whle SEO is an ever changing game it is always best to keep a close eye on the up and comers.  Watching and learning from creative minds is a part of the SEO and marketing biz, and we should all look forward to the gems that these guys will have for us in the future.

Tags: SEO, SEOmoz, Social Media

Source : techtalkafrica[dot]com

In the Amazon election, it’s Romney by a landslide

Amazon has launched its own Election Heat Map 2012, a tool that shows whether Americans are buying more conservative books than liberal, and by how much. Paul Ryan fans, prepare to get excited.

If America voted the way that it bought books, then Willard Mitt Romney would be a very, very happy man indeed.

With everyone in America beginning to get Election Fever ahead of the race getting started in earnest with next week’s Republican National Convention – Well, that or Election Burnout; it really depends on how closely you’ve been paying attention to the race so far – it shouldn’t really be that much of a surprise to find out that everyone is trying to find some way to offer their own brand of unique political commentary to add to the breathless and heated discussions that will undoubtedly be going on across dinner tables, dimly-lit bars and any and every kind of social gathering point in the United States between now and November. Into this landscape of potential conversational landmines steps Amazon.com, with its “Amazon Election Heat Map 2012,” which lets you see whether states are ordering political screeds that lean left, or right, and what percentage of which.

“Our 2012 Election Heat Map colors each state according to the percentage of red and blue book purchases, based on shipping address, that have been made on Amazon.com during the past 30 days,” the site explains. “We take the top-selling political books on Amazon.com and categorize them as ‘red,’ ‘blue,’ or neutral. We classify books as red or blue if they have a political leaning made evident in book promotion material and/or customer classification, such as tags. We compute percentages, updated daily, for each state and the US by comparing the 250 best-selling blue books during the time period against the 250 best-selling red books during the same time period, including new book launches.” Different sales formats are counted in different calculations, although Amazon reports that “all orders during the period are given equal weighting in the calculation.”

Somewhat amazingly, only five states in the entire US have a more left-leaning bias overall than right, and even more amazingly, none of those states are traditionally-assumed liberal strongholds like California or Oregon. No, the five states that are buying more “blue” books than “red” are New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Washington DC, and DC is the only location where “blue” books have a significant edge (Currently, it’s 68 percent to 32 percent). Overall, at time of writing, the US is leaning towards “red” purchases, with 57 percent of purchases trending conservative. The reddest of red states, according to Amazon’s calculations, is Mississippi, with 73 percent of purchases being “red” books (Current top seller: The Kindle edition of Edward Klein’s Obama administration exposeThe Amateur).

Whether this map will offer any true value in the days and weeks ahead remains to be seen. After all, as Amazon itself points out, its customers “read widely and often buy books that don’t necessarily fit with their own views.” But still: It’s fun to see where the nation’s readers’ heads are at right now, isn’t it?

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com