E-commerce

Type 'buy' as a Facebook comment, buy some music

Country singer Tim McGraw wants you to buy his album -- on Facebook. Tuesday, the recording artist became one of the first people to try out a new system for selling through status updates on the social network.

McGraw's team used e-commerce platform Chirpify to encourage Facebook fans to type "buy" in the comments section of a post to instantly purchase a special edition of the star's "Two Lanes Of Freedom" album.

The effort marks the start of Chirpify's foray over to Facebook. Chirpify was founded in 2011 and began by turning tweets … Read more

Amazon launches Cloud Player app for iPad, iPad Mini

Amazon today launched its Cloud Player app for the Apple iPad and iPad Mini, expanding the online retail giant's footprint for its music streaming program.

The app allows customers to stream or download music stored in Amazon's cloud, play music already stored on the device, and manage or create playlists.

A quick check by CNET shows iPad users also can purchase songs from Amazon through the Safari Web browser like they can on iPhones and iPod Touches. In the past, iOS users were able to access Amazon's apps but weren't able to purchase items from Amazon. … Read more

Amazon warns iOS users to not update Kindle app due to glitch

Amazon pissed off a few iOS-based Kindle users today.

The online retail giant this morning warned iOS users not to download the latest update to its Kindle app because of a glitch that wiped an existing customer's entire library from the device. However, Amazon had released another update by this afternoon that resolved the issue.

After downloading the initial update, existing Kindle users were logged out of their accounts, and everything they had downloaded was deleted from their devices. They also lost bookmarks and other settings, according to angry comments on iTunes. Users then had to log back in … Read more

PayPal co-founder Levchin launches e-commerce startup

PayPal co-founder Max Levchin is bringing his e-commerce business smarts to a mobile-payments startup he's launching called Affirm, according to AllThingsD.

What's different about Affirm from other mobile-payment companies, like Square and Stripe, is that it's goal is to make payments happen with as few clicks as possible -- similar to how buying something on a desktop computer works.

"We are trying to get as close as possible to one-click, which has always been the case on the desktop," Levchin told AllThingsD. "In mobile, it has become an imperative to be able to buy … Read more

Amazon nabs exclusive rights to stream 'Justified'

Amazon has scored a deal to distribute a couple of FX shows online, dealing another blow to rivals Netflix and Hulu.

The online retail giant today said it has reached a content licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Television to make Amazon Prime the exclusive location to watch FX's "Justified." It also said it would now offer episodes of "The Shield," but that show is not exclusive to Netflix.

Prime subscribers can watch the shows for free, while other Amazon visitors can purchase and download episodes for $1.99 apiece.

"'Justified' and 'The Shield' are … Read more

Amazon tops Netflix in customer satisfaction survey

U.S. consumers who shop online continue to enjoy the experience more than going to brick-and-mortar stores, according to customer satisfaction rankings released today, and Amazon continues to lead the industry.

A report produced by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and analytics firm ForeSee gave the general e-commerce industry a ranking of 82 out of 100 in 2012 -- a 1.2 percent increase from the year before. Brick-and-mortar stores, however, ranked 76.6.

Not surprisingly, the companies that have seen the most growth are small online retailers and brick-and-mortar retailers that also have a Web presence. This category … Read more

Oscars winners, losers jump in Amazon sales rankings

The old adage goes that it doesn't matter who wins or loses but that it's an honor just to be nominated.

Some of last night's Oscar losers may disagree, but it does prove true when it comes to movie and song rankings on Amazon.

The online retail giant says today that winners and losers from the Academy Awards all saw bumps in their sales on Amazon.com.

Seth MacFarlane, the host of the awards show, saw volume 10 of his "Family Guy" TV show rise more than 3,000 percent in the ranks to No. … Read more

Barnes & Noble to consider takeover bid from founder

Barnes & Noble may have found a savior in its founder.

The company, which has struggled in the changing bookselling market, disclosed that Leonard Riggio plans to offer to buy the retail side of Barnes & Noble's operations. Riggio has not yet made a formal bid but said in a regulatory filing that he plans to negotiate a price with the board for Barnes & Noble's 689 stores and Web site. The bulk of the purchase would be made with cash, Riggio said. He is the company's largest shareholder with a 30 percent stake.

The deal would … Read more

Vudu's in-home Disc to Digital service: Promising yet lacking

It sounds ideal. Take all those DVDs and Blu-rays you own and, from the comfort of your own home, effortlessly gain digital copies for a low price. That's the promise of Vudu's new "In-Home Disc to Digital" service. Vudu delivers on that promise in some cases but disappoints in other ways.

Last year, Walmart-owned Vudu launched its Disc to Digital service that required people to go into Walmart stores for the conversion. Who wants to do that? This is where the "In-Home" version of Disc to Digital comes … Read more