It doesn't seem to be breaking any laws but it's certainly unfair and anti-competitive. This time Amazon is asking its customers to use its Price Check shopping app on products in retail stores and then turn around and buy the same items from Amazon and receive perks in the forms of discounts and credits. Of — Continue reading »
Amazon vs. eBay on Tax Collection
📆 December 1, 2011
So after all the bloviating and firing affiliates whose home states wanted to collect sales taxes from Amazon, suddenly it is talking fair taxation. Where was the fairness when Amazon was (and still is) crushing small business all across the country? I don't like Amazon to begin with anyways, but I hope eBay — Continue reading »
Steve Jobs Lessons
📆 October 10, 2011
Plenty has been said about the life and legacy of Steve Jobs. I'm no Apple fan but I knew technology lost a leader when Jobs died. His passing reinforced a few truths I believe in life myself and here they are: - Do what you're passionate about. - You don't need a lot of people — Continue reading »
Amazon Fire and Silk
📆 October 1, 2011
So amazon finally announced its so-called secret product last week. With much fanfare the world was introduced the new Android-driven tablet called Fire, featuring the Silk browser. Oh, the Kindle is still there too, and at a huge discount to its more glorious days, but who cares about Kindle now. As usual there has been — Continue reading »
Software Patent Sharks
📆 July 24, 2011
This is superb reporting by NPR (link at bottom) on the murky business of software patents and how the real spirit of patent and copyright laws have been subverted by patent mills out to make a quick pile of cash. These days greedy companies get patent protection for the most ridiculous and obscure algorithms. Most — Continue reading »
Microsoft's Fate and DEC
📆 July 17, 2011
In this thought-provoking article titled, "Will Microsoft Learn DEC's Lesson?", the author makes a great comparison between the current state of affairs at Microsoft and the once mighty DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) headed by the late Ken Olsen. I don't know how old the author is and if he remembers the glory days of DEC, — Continue reading »
Amazon fires California affiliates
📆 July 7, 2011
This is old news by now, but fresh on the heels of firing its Connecticut affiliates, Amazon just terminated its California affiliates program in protest over the new state law requiring it to collect sales taxes on purchases. The law may be fair or unfair, but Amazon could have easily complied, as it does reluctantly — Continue reading »
Amazon.com punishes Connecticut associates
📆 June 12, 2011
Not to defend big-box stores but this statement from Amazon is an obvious distortion of facts. Amazon is just being whiny because it hates fair competition. We opposed this new tax law because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive. It was supported by big-box retailers, most of which are based outside Connecticut, that seek to harm — Continue reading »
Give a few Sats