Books everyone should read at least once in a lifetime - by Alex Sharp - Helium

Books everyone should read at least once in a lifetime - by Alex Sharp - Helium: "Thanks to the Amazon Kindle, it is possible to carry your entire library in your backpack. These are the books that everyone should have in their Kindle libraries so they can read them at least once."

Amazon News

Amazon.com Announces First Quarter Sales up 38% to $9.86 Billion; Introduced Kindle with Special Offers for $114
SEATTLE, Apr 26, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2011.

Operating cash flow increased 9% to $3.03 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $2.78billion for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2010. Free cash flow decreased 18% to $1.90 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $2.32 billion for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2010.

Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 466 million on March 31, 2011, compared with 463 million a year ago.

Net sales increased 38% to $9.86 billion in the first quarter, compared with $7.13 billion in first quarter 2010. Excluding the $144 million favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales would have grown 36% compared with first quarter 2010.

Operating income was $322 million in the first quarter, compared with $394 million in first quarter 2010. The favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter on operating income was $7 million.

Net income decreased 33% to $201 million in the first quarter, or $0.44 per diluted share, compared with net income of $299 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, in first quarter 2010.

"In the last 90 days, we announced Kindle with Special Offers, Kindle Library Lending, Audible audiobooks on Kindle, Appstore for Android, Amazon for Windows Phone 7, Checkout by Amazon in both Germany and the U.K., a Kindle Store in Germany, Cloud Drive, Cloud Player, and Prime Instant Video - just to call out a few of the things we've been working on," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "We love inventing on behalf of customers and have never been more excited about the long-term opportunities."

Highlights

Amazon introduced a new member of the Kindle family - Kindle with Special Offers for only $114. Kindle with Special Offers is the same #1 bestselling Kindle, plus special offers and sponsored screensavers designed for Kindle's high-contrast, no glare electronic ink display from sponsors including Buick, Olay, Visa, and Amazon.com Reward Visa Card.
The U.S. Kindle Store now has more than 900,000 books, including New Releases and 107 of 110 New York Times Bestsellers. Over 740,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 65 New York Times Bestsellers. Millions of free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle. In March, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Steig Larsson became the first Kindle book to surpass one million units sold.
Amazon.de launched the largest eBookstore in Germany with over 650,000 titles, including more than 25,000 German-language books. Amazon also announced that its series of free "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" apps for the most popular devices including iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PCs and Android-based devices, are now available in German-language versions for the first time. In addition, in response to customer demand, Amazon is now offering the latest-generation Kindle and Kindle 3G with English user interface directly from Amazon.de.
Amazon announced Kindle Library Lending, a new feature launching later this year that will allow Kindle customers to borrow Kindle books from over 11,000 libraries in the United States. Customers will be able to check out a Kindle book from their local library and start reading on any Kindle device or free Kindle app. If they check out the same book again or choose to purchase the book after the library loan period, Whispersync will preserve their notes, highlights and last page read.
The Company announced Amazon Cloud Drive, Amazon Cloud Player for Web and Amazon Cloud Player for Android. Together, these services enable customers to securely store music in the cloud and play it on any Android phone, Android tablet, Mac or PC, wherever they are. In addition to music, Cloud Drive allows customers to upload and store all kinds of digital files, including photos, videos and documents - all available via web browser on any computer.
Amazon introduced Appstore for Android, where customers can find, discover - test! - and buy Android apps. An innovative new feature called "Test Drive" enables customers to test apps on a simulated Android phone. Since its launch in March, customers have already downloaded millions of apps from the Amazon Appstore for Android.
Amazon added a new benefit for Amazon Prime members in the United States: unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of more than 5,000 movies and TV shows. Amazon Prime's unlimited free Two-Day Shipping has already attracted millions of members, and this new benefit is being added at no additional cost - Prime membership will continue to be $79 per year.
North America segment sales, representing the Company's U.S. and Canadian sites, were $5.47 billion, up 45% from first quarter 2010.
International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, Japanese, French, Chinese and Italian sites, were $4.39 billion, up 31% from first quarter 2010. Excluding the favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, sales grew 27%.
Worldwide Media sales grew 15% to $3.96 billion. Excluding the favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, sales grew 13%.
Worldwide Electronics and Other General Merchandise sales grew 59% to $5.59 billion. Excluding the favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, sales grew 57%.
Amazon announced the availability of Checkout by Amazon (CBA) for Germany and the U.K., making it easy for millions of Amazon customers to purchase securely on another retailer's website using their Amazon account credentials.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) continued to expand globally with the launch of the Asia Pacific (Tokyo) Region. Additionally, AWS began offering Basic and Premium support in Japanese, providing businesses and developers with one-on-one fast-response support from AWS engineers fluent in Japanese.
Financial Guidance

The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of April 26, 2011. Our results are inherently unpredictable and may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce and the various factors detailed below. While this guidance includes our current estimate of second quarter effects from the Japan earthquake and related events, including sales trends to date, impacts from events of this nature are inherently uncertain and we are not able to accurately forecast all potential ramifications.

Second Quarter 2011 Guidance

Net sales are expected to be between $8.85 billion and $9.65 billion, or to grow between 35% and 47% compared with second quarter 2010.
Operating income is expected to be between $95 million and $245 million, or between 65% decline and 9% decline compared with second quarter 2010.
This guidance includes approximately $180 million for stock-based compensation and amortization of intangible assets, and it assumes, among other things, that no additional business acquisitions or investments are concluded and that there are no further revisions to stock-based compensation estimates.
A conference call will be webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET, and will be available for at least three months at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results.

These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments, the mix of products sold to customers, the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services, the extent to which we owe income taxes, competition, management of growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, international growth and expansion, the outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, risks of inventory management, seasonality, the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks related to new products, services and technologies, system interruptions, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. In addition, the current global economic climate amplifies many of these risks. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Our investor relations website is www.amazon.com/ir and we encourage investors to use it as a way of easily finding information about us. We promptly make available on this website, free of charge, the reports that we file or furnish with the SEC, corporate governance information (including our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics), and select press releases and social media postings.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle, Kindle 3G, Kindle with Special Offers and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle 3G and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, and www.amazon.it. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

AMAZON.COM, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in millions)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
March 31, March 31,
2011 2010 2011 2010
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD $ 3,777 $ 3,444 $ 1,844 $ 1,701
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income 201 299 1,054 1,024
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities:

Depreciation of fixed assets, including internal-use software and website development, and other amortization

202 119 652 411
Stock-based compensation 110 87 448 360
Other operating expense (income), net 33 26 112 118
Losses (gains) on sales of marketable securities, net 2 - 1 (2 )
Other expense (income), net 37 (6 ) (36 ) (23 )
Deferred income taxes 15 (20 ) 38 63
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation (46 ) (86 ) (219 ) (141 )
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Inventories 343 321 (997 ) (317 )
Accounts receivable, net and other 359 454 (170 ) (195 )
Accounts payable (2,649 ) (1,892 ) 1,641 1,096
Accrued expenses and other (183 ) (361 ) 697 60
Additions to unearned revenue 210 188 709 1,036
Amortization of previously unearned revenue (220 ) (227 ) (897 ) (710 )
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (1,586 ) (1,098 ) 3,033 2,780
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of fixed assets, including internal-use software and website development

(298 ) (140 ) (1,138 ) (458 )
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired, and other (139 ) (19 ) (473 ) (43 )
Sales and maturities of marketable securities and other investments 1,939 872 5,318 2,524
Purchases of marketable securities and other investments (1,112 ) (1,255 ) (6,135 ) (4,755 )
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 390 (542 ) (2,428 ) (2,732 )
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 46 86 219 141
Proceeds from long-term debt and other 89 62 168 124
Repayments of long-term debt and of capital and financing leases (111 ) (61 ) (295 ) (168 )
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 24 87 92 97
Foreign-currency effect on cash and cash equivalents 36 (47 ) 100 (2 )
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (1,136 ) (1,600 ) 797 143
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD $ 2,641 $ 1,844 $ 2,641 $ 1,844
SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
Cash paid for interest $ 3 $ 2 $ 12 $ 8
Cash paid for income taxes 7 4 79 40
Fixed assets acquired under capital leases 181 60 526 189
Fixed assets acquired under build-to-suit leases 69 60 182 191
(1) A majority of our costs for "Technology and content" are incurred in the United States and most of
AMAZON.COM, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in millions, except per share data)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2011 2010
Net sales $ 9,857 $ 7,131
Operating expenses (1):
Cost of sales 7,608 5,501
Fulfillment 855 546
Marketing 327 201
Technology and content 579 366
General and administrative 133 97
Other operating expense (income), net 33 26
Total operating expenses 9,535 6,737
Income from operations 322 394
Interest income 15 11
Interest expense (12 ) (7 )
Other income (expense), net (18 ) 3
Total non-operating income (expense) (15 ) 7
Income before income taxes 307 401
Provision for income taxes (89 ) (100 )
Equity-method investment activity, net of tax (17 ) (2 )
Net income $ 201 $ 299
Basic earnings per share $ 0.44 $ 0.67
Diluted earnings per share $ 0.44 $ 0.66
Weighted average shares used in computation of earnings per share:
Basic 451 445
Diluted 459 454
__________________________
(1) Includes stock-based compensation as follows:
Fulfillment $ 24 $ 18
Marketing 7 5
Technology and content 61 47
General and administrative 18 17
AMAZON.COM, INC.
Segment Information
(in millions)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2011 2010
North America
Net sales $ 5,465 $ 3,780
Segment operating expenses (1) 5,175 3,507
Segment operating income $ 290 $ 273
International
Net sales $ 4,392 $ 3,351
Segment operating expenses (1) 4,217 3,117
Segment operating income $ 175 $ 234
Consolidated
Net sales $ 9,857 $ 7,131
Segment operating expenses 9,392 6,624
Segment operating income 465 507
Stock-based compensation (110 ) (87 )
Other operating income (expense), net (33 ) (26 )
Income from operations 322 394
Total non-operating income (expense) (15 ) 7
Provision for income taxes (89 ) (100 )
Equity-method investment activity, net of tax (17 ) (2 )
Net income $ 201 $ 299
Segment Highlights:
Y/Y net sales growth:
North America 45 % 47 %
International 31 45
Consolidated 38 46
Y/Y segment operating income growth:
North America 6 % 81 %
International (25 ) 37
Consolidated (8 ) 58
Net sales mix:
North America 55 % 53 %
International 45 47
100 % 100 %
__________________________
(1) Represents operating expenses, excluding stock-based compensation and "Other operating expense (income), net," which are not allocated to segments

AMAZON.COM, INC.
Supplemental Net Sales Information
(in millions)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2011 2010
North America
Media $ 1,885 $ 1,597
Electronics and other general merchandise 3,303 2,024
Other (1) 277 159
Total North America $ 5,465 $ 3,780
International
Media $ 2,073 $ 1,833
Electronics and other general merchandise 2,285 1,489
Other (1) 34 29
Total International $ 4,392 $ 3,351
Consolidated
Media $ 3,958 $ 3,430
Electronics and other general merchandise 5,588 3,513
Other (1) 311 188
Total Consolidated $ 9,857 $ 7,131
Y/Y Net Sales Growth:
North America:
Media 18 % 22 %
Electronics and other general merchandise 63 73
Other 74 57
Total North America 45 47
International:
Media 13 % 29 %
Electronics and other general merchandise 54 70
Other 15 57
Total International 31 45
Consolidated:
Media 15 % 26 %
Electronics and other general merchandise 59 72
Other 65 57
Total Consolidated 38 46
Y/Y Net Sales Growth Excluding Effect of Exchange Rates:
International:
Media 9 % 23 %
Electronics and other general merchandise 49 61
Other 12 47
Total International 27 37
Consolidated:
Media 13 % 22 %
Electronics and other general merchandise 57 68
Other 64 56
Total Consolidated 36 42
Consolidated Net Sales Mix:
Media 40 % 48 %
Electronics and other general merchandise 57 49
Other 3 3
100 % 100 %
__________________________
(1) Includes non-retail activities, such as AWS, miscellaneous marketing and promotional agreements, other seller sites, and co-branded credit card agreements

AMAZON.COM, INC.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in millions, except per share data)
March 31, December 31,
2011 2010
ASSETS (unaudited)
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,641 $ 3,777
Marketable securities 4,240 4,985
Inventories 2,888 3,202
Accounts receivable, net and other 1,304 1,587
Deferred tax assets 215 196
Total current assets 11,288 13,747
Fixed assets, net 2,902 2,414
Deferred tax assets 28 22
Goodwill 1,513 1,349
Other assets 1,151 1,265
Total assets $ 16,882 $ 18,797
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 5,540 $ 8,051
Accrued expenses and other 2,190 2,321
Total current liabilities 7,730 10,372
Long-term liabilities 1,805 1,561
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value:
Authorized shares -- 500
Issued and outstanding shares -- none - -
Common stock, $0.01 par value:
Authorized shares -- 5,000
Issued shares -- 469 and 468
Outstanding shares -- 452 and 451 5 5
Treasury stock, at cost (600 ) (600 )
Additional paid-in capital 6,483 6,325
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (66 ) (190 )
Retained earnings 1,525 1,324
Total stockholders' equity 7,347 6,864
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 16,882 $ 18,797
AMAZON.COM, INC.
Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics
(in millions, except per share data)
(unaudited)
Q1 2010 Q2 2010 Q3 2010 Q4 2010 Q1 2011 Y/Y %
Change
Cash Flows and Shares
Operating cash flow -- trailing twelve months (TTM) $ 2,780 $ 2,561 $ 2,617 $ 3,495 $ 3,033 9%
Purchases of fixed assets (incl. internal-use software & website development) -- TTM $ 458 $ 575 $ 788 $ 979 $ 1,138 148%
Free cash flow (operating cash flow less purchases of fixed assets) -- TTM $ 2,322 $ 1,986 $ 1,829 $ 2,516 $ 1,895 (18%)
Free cash flow -- TTM Y/Y growth 62 % 29 % (5 %) (14 %) (18 %) N/A
Invested capital (1) $ 5,104 $ 5,820 $ 6,576 $ 7,380 $ 7,931 N/A
Return on invested capital (2) 45 % 34 % 28 % 34 % 24 % N/A
Common shares and stock-based awards outstanding 463 465 465 465 466 1%
Common shares outstanding 446 448 449 451 452 1%
Stock-based awards outstanding 18 17 16 15 14 (23%)
Stock-based awards outstanding -- % of common shares outstanding 4.0 % 3.8 % 3.6 % 3.2 % 3.1 % N/A
Results of Operations
Worldwide (WW) net sales $ 7,131 $ 6,566 $ 7,560 $ 12,948 $ 9,857 38%
WW net sales -- Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 42 % 42 % 40 % 37 % 36 % N/A
WW net sales -- TTM $ 26,750 $ 28,664 $ 30,776 $ 34,204 $ 36,931 38%
WW net sales -- TTM Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 33 % 38 % 40 % 40 % 39 % N/A
Operating income $ 394 $ 270 $ 268 $ 474 $ 322 (18%)
Operating income -- Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 56 % 77 % 13 % 3 % (20 %) N/A
Operating margin -- % of WW net sales 5.5 % 4.1 % 3.5 % 3.7 % 3.3 % N/A
Operating income -- TTM $ 1,279 $ 1,391 $ 1,408 $ 1,406 $ 1,334 4%
Operating income -- TTM Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 44 % 65 % 50 % 27 %
7

% N/A
Operating margin -- TTM % of WW net sales 4.8 % 4.9 % 4.6 % 4.1 % 3.6 % N/A
Net income $ 299 $ 207 $ 231 $ 416 $ 201 (33%)
Net income per diluted share $ 0.66 $ 0.45 $ 0.51 $ 0.91 $ 0.44 (33%)
Net income -- TTM $ 1,024 $ 1,088 $ 1,120 $ 1,152 $ 1,054 3%
Net income per diluted share -- TTM $ 2.30 $ 2.42 $ 2.47 $ 2.53 $ 2.30 0%
Segments
North America Segment:
Net sales $ 3,780 $ 3,590 $ 4,126 $ 7,211 $ 5,465 45%
Net sales -- Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 46 % 46 % 45 % 45 % 45 % N/A
Net sales -- TTM $ 14,030 $ 15,168 $ 16,452 $ 18,707 $ 20,392 45%
Operating income $ 273 $ 200 $ 186 $ 295 $ 290 6%
Operating margin -- % of North America net sales 7.2 % 5.6 % 4.5 % 4.1 % 5.3 % N/A
Operating income -- TTM $ 832 $ 907 $ 937 $ 955 $ 972 17%
Operating income -- TTM Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 79 % 84 % 67 % 35 % 17 % N/A
Operating margin -- TTM % of North America net sales 5.9 % 6.0 % 5.7 % 5.1 % 4.8 % N/A
International Segment:
Net sales $ 3,351 $ 2,976 $ 3,434 $ 5,737 $ 4,392 31%
Net sales -- Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 37 % 38 % 35 % 29 % 27 % N/A
Net sales -- TTM $ 12,720 $ 13,496 $ 14,324 $ 15,497 $ 16,539 30%
Net sales -- TTM % of WW net sales 48 % 47 % 47 % 45 % 45 % N/A
Operating income $ 234 $ 206 $ 215 $ 327 $ 175 (25%)
Operating margin -- % of International net sales 7.0 % 6.9 % 6.2 % 5.7 % 4.0 % N/A
Operating income -- TTM $ 925 $ 952 $ 973 $ 981 $ 922 (0%)
Operating income -- TTM Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 33 % 28 % 23 % 20 %
4

% N/A
Operating margin -- TTM % of International net sales 7.3 % 7.1 % 6.8 % 6.3 % 5.6 % N/A
Consolidated Segments:
Operating expenses (3) $ 6,624 $ 6,160 $ 7,159 $ 12,326 $ 9,392 42%
Operating expenses -- TTM (3) $ 24,993 $ 26,805 $ 28,866 $ 32,268 $ 35,037 40%
Operating income $ 507 $ 406 $ 401 $ 622 $ 465 (8%)
Operating margin -- % of Consolidated sales 7.1 % 6.2 % 5.3 % 4.8 % 4.7 % N/A
Operating income -- TTM $ 1,757 $ 1,859 $ 1,910 $ 1,936 $ 1,894 8%
Operating income -- TTM Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 51 % 51 % 42 % 25 % 10 % N/A
Operating margin -- TTM % of Consolidated net sales 6.6 % 6.5 % 6.2 % 5.7 % 5.1 % N/A
AMAZON.COM, INC.
Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics
(in millions, except inventory turnover, accounts payable days and employee data)
(unaudited)
Q1 2010 Q2 2010 Q3 2010 Q4 2010 Q1 2011 Y/Y %
Change
Supplemental
Supplemental North America Segment Net Sales:
Media $ 1,597 $ 1,324 $ 1,591 $ 2,370 $ 1,885 18%
Media -- Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 22 % 15 % 12 % 13 % 18 % N/A
Media -- TTM $ 6,255 $ 6,432 $ 6,610 $ 6,881 $ 7,170 15%
Electronics and other general merchandise $ 2,024 $ 2,090 $ 2,326 $ 4,558 $ 3,303 63%
Electronics and other general merchandise -- Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 73 % 76 % 80 % 71 % 63 % N/A
Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM $ 7,166 $ 8,069 $ 9,103 $ 10,998 $ 12,277 71%
Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM % of North America net sales 51 % 53 % 55 % 59 % 60 % N/A
Other $ 159 $ 176 $ 209 $ 283 $ 277 74%
Other -- TTM $ 608 $ 668 $ 739 $ 828 $ 945 55%
Supplemental International Segment Net Sales:
Media $ 1,833 $ 1,550 $ 1,759 $ 2,865 $ 2,073 13%
Media -- Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 23 % 21 % 18 % 13 % 9 % N/A
Media -- TTM $ 7,225 $ 7,480 $ 7,723 $ 8,007 $ 8,247 14%
Electronics and other general merchandise $ 1,489 $ 1,399 $ 1,644 $ 2,834 $ 2,285 54%
Electronics and other general merchandise -- Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 61 % 63 % 60 % 50 % 49 % N/A
Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM $ 5,382 $ 5,899 $ 6,478 $ 7,365 $ 8,162 52%
Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM % of International net sales 42 % 44 % 45 % 48 % 49 % N/A
Other $ 29 $ 27 $ 31 $ 38 $ 34 15%
Other -- TTM $ 114 $ 117 $ 123 $ 125 $ 130 14%
Supplemental Worldwide Net Sales:
Media $ 3,430 $ 2,874 $ 3,350 $ 5,235 $ 3,958 15%
Media -- Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 22 % 18 % 15 % 13 % 13 % N/A
Media -- TTM $ 13,480 $ 13,912 $ 14,333 $ 14,888 $ 15,417 14%
Electronics and other general merchandise $ 3,513 $ 3,489 $ 3,970 $ 7,392 $ 5,588 59%
Electronics and other general merchandise -- Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 68 % 70 % 71 % 62 % 57 % N/A
Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM $ 12,548 $ 13,968 $ 15,581 $ 18,363 $ 20,439 63%
Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM % of WW net sales 47 % 49 % 51 % 54 % 55 % N/A
Other $ 188 $ 203 $ 240 $ 321 $ 311 65%
Other -- TTM $ 722 $ 785 $ 862 $ 953 $ 1,075 49%
Balance Sheet
Cash and marketable securities (4) $ 5,381 $ 5,419 $ 6,123 $ 8,919 $ 7,019 30%
Inventory, net -- ending $ 1,820 $ 1,940 $ 2,515 $ 3,202 $ 2,888 59%
Inventory turnover, average -- TTM 12.6 12.5 11.8 11.4 11.6 (8%)
Fixed assets, net $ 1,436 $ 1,704 $ 2,099 $ 2,414 $ 2,902 102%
Accounts payable -- ending $ 3,619 $ 3,545 $ 4,614 $ 8,051 $ 5,540 53%
Accounts payable days -- ending 59 65 73 72 66 11%
Other
WW shipping revenue $ 248 $ 239 $ 270 $ 437 $ 330 33%
WW shipping costs $ 518 $ 487 $ 576 $ 999 $ 786 52%
WW net shipping costs $ 270 $ 248 $ 306 $ 562 $ 456 69%
WW net shipping costs -- % of WW net sales 3.8 % 3.8 % 4.0 % 4.3 % 4.6 % N/A
Employees (full-time and part-time; excludes contractors & temporary personnel) 26,100 28,300 31,200 33,700 37,900 45%
(1) Average Total Assets minus Current Liabilities (excluding current portion of Long Term Debt) over five quarter ends.
(2) TTM Free Cash Flow divided by Invested Capital.
(3) Represents cost of sales, fulfillment, marketing, technology and content, and general and administrative operating expenses, excluding stock-based compensation.

(4) Includes restricted cash, classified within "Other Assets" on our consolidated balance sheet, of: $318 million Q1 2010, $311 million in Q2 2010, $238 million in Q3 2010, $157 million in Q4 2010, and $138 million in Q1 2011.

Amazon.com, Inc.

Certain Definitions

Customer Accounts

References to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer places an order or when a customer orders from other sellers on our websites. Customer accounts exclude certain customers, including customers associated with certain of our acquisitions, Amazon Enterprise Solutions program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, Amazon Web Services customers, and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationship. Customers are considered active when they have placed an order during the preceding twelve-month period.
Seller Accounts

References to sellers means seller accounts, which are established when a seller receives an order from a customer account. Seller accounts exclude Amazon Enterprise Solutions sellers. Sellers are considered active when they have received an order from a customer during the preceding twelve-month period.
Registered Developers

References to registered developers mean cumulative registered developer accounts, which are established when potential developers enroll with Amazon Web Services and receive a developer access key.
Units

References to units mean physical and digital units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide - such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn and www.amazon.it, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold through non-Amazon.com domains. Units sold include free units but do not include units associated with certain of our acquisitions or Amazon.com gift certificates.
SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon.com Investor Relations
John Felton, 206-266-2171
www.amazon.com/ir
or
Amazon.com Public Relations
Mary Osako, 206-266-7180


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Media Tools
• Bestsellers (For Example: MP3 Albums)

Angles [+digital booklet] by The Strokes
Amos Lee by Amos Lee
Angles by The Strokes
Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons
Hello Fear by Kirk Franklin
Greatest Hits - We Will Rock You Edition by Queen
F.A.M.E. (Deluxe Version) [Explicit] by Chris Brown
Black Rock by Joe Bonamassa
21 [+digital booklet] by Adele
I Remember Me by Jennifer Hudson


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Barnes and Noble Adds Tablet Features and Apps to the Nook Color

Barnes and Noble Adds Tablet Features and Apps to the Nook Color: "The Nook Color is not a 3G ebook reader, which makes people excited about whatever Amazon.com is cooking with their potential Kindle tablet."

Barnes and Noble Embraces NookColor Tablet-ness

Barnes & Noble Expands Award-Winning NOOK Color(TM) Reading Experience with the Most Requested Tablet Features

Reader's Tablet(TM) Now Offering Popular Apps, Email, Enhanced Web Experience and New Rich Content for Adults and Children

Customers Can Explore One of World's Largest Digital Bookstores Featuring New NOOK Apps(TM), More than 2 Million Books, 150 Interactive Magazines and Newspapers and More Than 12,000 Children's Chapter and Picture Books

At Only $249, the Easy-to-Use, Full-Featured NOOK Color is the Best Value in the Tablet Market, Offering a Great Alternative to Expensive Tablets

Exciting Free Software Update Now Available to All Current and Future NOOK Color Customers

New York, New York - April 25, 2011 - Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller, announced today that it added significant new features and content to the NOOK Color Reader's Tablet, making what has already been acclaimed as the best reading device on the market, the best tablet value on the market at just $249. With a major update to its bestselling device, Barnes & Noble is delivering more of what NOOK Color customers want: shopping a broad collection of popular apps, staying connected with full-featured, built-in email and an enhanced Web experience. In addition, NOOK Color's reading experience gets even better with enhanced books featuring in-page video, new interactivity in digital children's picture books, and now over 150 interactive magazines and newspapers, including new popular titles like The Economist and Food & Wine. All current and future NOOK Color customers can experience all of the great new features in v1.2 now available at www.nookcolor.com/update and provided for free over the air (OTA) via Wi-Fi to customers beginning next week.

"NOOK Color offers the best reading experience of any device, and now delivers the most popular tablet features such as engaging apps so customers can play, learn and explore, free, built-in email, an Android operating system update for enhanced Web browsing and more interactive content," said William Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble. "With our new NOOK Apps program, we've partnered with the world's best publishers and developers to offer popular brands like Angry Birds, Epicurious, Uno, Lonely Planet, Dr. Seuss, Little Critter and many more quality and entertaining applications. These and other enhancements, plus new ways for adults and children to experience exciting content, make NOOK Color a great alternative to paying double the price - or more - for an expensive tablet. Our easy-to-use, full-featured Reader's Tablet is available for only $249, and presents the best value of any tablet on the market."


Barnes & Noble Expands Award-Winning NOOK Color(TM) Reading Experience with the Most Requested Tablet Features

Reader's Tablet(TM) Now Offering Popular Apps, Email, Enhanced Web Experience and New Rich Content for Adults and Children

Customers Can Explore One of World's Largest Digital Bookstores Featuring New NOOK Apps(TM), More than 2 Million Books, 150 Interactive Magazines and Newspapers and More Than 12,000 Children's Chapter and Picture Books

At Only $249, the Easy-to-Use, Full-Featured NOOK Color is the Best Value in the Tablet Market, Offering a Great Alternative to Expensive Tablets

Exciting Free Software Update Now Available to All Current and Future NOOK Color Customers

New York, New York - April 25, 2011 - Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller, announced today that it added significant new features and content to the NOOK Color Reader's Tablet, making what has already been acclaimed as the best reading device on the market, the best tablet value on the market at just $249. With a major update to its bestselling device, Barnes & Noble is delivering more of what NOOK Color customers want: shopping a broad collection of popular apps, staying connected with full-featured, built-in email and an enhanced Web experience. In addition, NOOK Color's reading experience gets even better with enhanced books featuring in-page video, new interactivity in digital children's picture books, and now over 150 interactive magazines and newspapers, including new popular titles like The Economist and Food & Wine. All current and future NOOK Color customers can experience all of the great new features in v1.2 now available at www.nookcolor.com/update and provided for free over the air (OTA) via Wi-Fi to customers beginning next week.

"NOOK Color offers the best reading experience of any device, and now delivers the most popular tablet features such as engaging apps so customers can play, learn and explore, free, built-in email, an Android operating system update for enhanced Web browsing and more interactive content," said William Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble. "With our new NOOK Apps program, we've partnered with the world's best publishers and developers to offer popular brands like Angry Birds, Epicurious, Uno, Lonely Planet, Dr. Seuss, Little Critter and many more quality and entertaining applications. These and other enhancements, plus new ways for adults and children to experience exciting content, make NOOK Color a great alternative to paying double the price - or more - for an expensive tablet. Our easy-to-use, full-featured Reader's Tablet is available for only $249, and presents the best value of any tablet on the market."

- Be of Good Cheer!

Read the Bible in 400 seconds

May 2, 2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. To celebrate the occasion, the YouVersion community is going to read the Bible together — in just 400 seconds. (For those of us who struggle with math, that's 6 minutes and 40 seconds.)

Here's how it will work:
1. We'll all volunteer (and sign up) to read a small section from the Bible out loud.
2. On Monday, May 2, starting at 12:00 PM Noon U.S. EDT, 11 AM CDT (GMT-5), we'll each read our portions out loud, simultaneously. Think of it like a global flash mob.
3. We'll all share what we're doing with our friends on Facebook and / or Twitter.

That's it! Visit http://youversion.com/kjv400 for details and to reserve your spot. zamandelu, we hope you can join us as we make history by celebrating history.


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Do You Want to Work for Amazon.com?

Amazon just released several want-ads via press release. Check out these opportunities:
Amazon Fulfillment Services in Coffeyville, Kan. Hiring for Full-time Jobs
Amazon Fulfillment Services in Pennsylvania Hiring for Full-time Jobs
Amazon Fulfillment Services in Kentucky Hiring for Full-time Jobs
Amazon Fulfillment Services in New Castle, De. Hiring for Full-time Jobs
Amazon Fulfillment Services in Fernley and Las Vegas, Nv. Hiring for Full-time Jobs
Amazon Fulfillment Services in Phoenix and Goodyear, Az. Hiring for Full-time Jobs

Candidates should be highly motivated with drive, ambition and a passion for providing customers a first-class shopping experience. Available positions include management jobs in Operations, Human Resources and Technical Support. Amazon offers comprehensive health care, 401(k), and stock-based awards for employees, within a challenging and exciting work environment.

This year, Amazon was named one of the most admired companies for people management by FORTUNE Magazine. In addition, consumers selected Amazon as the most reputable company in the US through the Reputation Institute 2011 survey.

Interested candidates can apply for positions online at www.amazon.com/careers.


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Ask authors questions with Amazon's Author Interview Series

Amazon Books Launches Author Interview Series: "Author Interviews@Amazon"
Customers can contribute questions for their favorite authors via Amazon.com Books Facebook page and books blog, Omnivoracious
SEATTLE, Apr 25, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

(NASDAQ:AMZN)--Amazon.com today introduced "Author Interviews@Amazon," the new author interview series that will be available in a new content destination called The Backstory (www.amazon.com/thebackstory). Author Interviews@Amazon launches with five video interviews, including celebrity chef and James Beard Award-winning Tom Douglas, New York Times bestselling debut author Joshua Foer, young adult authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, and Gossip Girl producer John Stephens. New author interviews will be announced via the Amazon.com Books Facebook page and on Omnivoracious.com, the Amazon.com Books blog. Customers will be able to post questions for visiting authors that will be incorporated into each interview. All edited videos will be available on the book's detail page and accessible from archives in The Backstory.

"We're extremely lucky to have fascinating and talented authors gracing our hallways here at Amazon and taking time to chat with us," said Mari Malcolm, Managing Editor, books at Amazon.com. "We love these conversations so much that we wanted to share them with our customers. We hope that customers will take the opportunity to submit questions on our Amazon Books Facebook page or through our blog, Omnivoracious. They can also contact us at authorinterviews@amazon.com with questions for visiting authors."

The Backstory will feature Author Interviews@Amazon interviews and other exclusive author content such as guest reviews, interviews, authors' favorite playlists, recipes and more.

Author Interviews@Amazon interviews, including sample quotes, are included below:

Holly Black is the bestselling author of contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children, including her first book, "Tithe," "The Spiderwick Chronicles" with Tony DiTerlizzi, the graphic novel series "The Good Neighbors (with Ted Naifeh), and the mobster fantasy series "The Curse Workers." A quote from her interview: "All my other work has been about fairies, but I've always loved heists, I've always loved capers, and I've always loved noir. So I thought, I'm going to do something totally crazy and come up with this crazy world."
Cassandra Clare is the bestselling author of the "Mortal Instruments" series, and "Clockwork Angel," the first book in the "Infernal Devices" series. A quote from her interview: "I really like writing teenage characters more than adults. You love your adult characters, but they're also obstacles."
Tom Douglas is a James Beard Award-winning chef from Seattle, owner of ten restaurants and author of four books, including the Kindle Exclusive, "Chef Walks: Seattle." A quote from his interview: "Chefs know. We all know. We get out, we go to each other's places, we know where the best food is around the city, we actually take the time to search out and support all these places."
Joshua Foer has written for National Geographic, Esquire, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Slate. "Moonwalking with Einstein" is his first book. A quote from his interview: "The one thing that tends to describe a lot of 'memory geeks' is that a lot of them are actual, physical athletes. The guy who won this year's U.S. Memory Championship is, as we speak, on a plane to Kathmandu to climb Mount Everest. Because, what else would you do after winning the U.S. Memory Championship?"
John Stephens spent ten years in television, was the executive producer of Gossip Girl and a writer for Gilmore Girls and The O.C. He was inspired to write novels for children after reading Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. "The Emerald Atlas" is his first book. A quote from his interview: "I'm a morning writer; I tend to work early in the morning, and even if I'm hungry or thirsty, I don't allow myself to get up and go eat. So frequently, I'll be writing in the morning, I'll be starving, and all of a sudden my characters will magically be eating food!"

- Be of Good Cheer!

Barnes and Noble nook free Friday book 4-22

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson. Remember, Amazon matches the price. Usually.



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Kindle on honeycomb tablets

Over 900,000 "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" Kindle Books available on the most popular platforms and devices, now including tablets running Android Honeycomb
SEATTLE, Apr 21, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- (NASDAQ:AMZN) - Today, Amazon announced an update to Kindle for Android that brings new features and adds support for tablet computers running Android's Honeycomb, including the Motorola Xoom. The latest version of Kindle for Android includes an integrated immersive shopping experience tailored for tablets, a new layout for newspapers and magazines designed for the unique interface of Honeycomb, and dozens of other new enhancements that take advantage of the larger screens. Like all Kindle apps, Kindle for Android includes Amazon's Whispersync technology, which saves and synchronizes a customer's books and bookmarks across their Kindle, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Android-based phones and tablets. Customers can learn more about Kindle for Android at www.amazon.com/kindleforandroid and download the app from the Amazon Appstore for Android or Android Market.

"We've taken all the features customers love about Kindle for Android, and created a beautiful new user interface and a seamless shopping experience tailored to the look and feel of Honeycomb tablets," said Dorothy Nicholls, Director, Amazon Kindle. "As always, Kindle customers 'Buy Once, Read Everywhere,' so Kindle for Android is the perfect companion for the millions of customers who own a Kindle and a way for customers around the world to download and enjoy books on their Android phone or tablet even if they don't yet own a Kindle."

New features of Kindle for Android include:

Seamless integrated shopping experience tailored for tablets gives you quick access to personalized recommendations, customer reviews, and more
Refined newspaper and magazine layout including full color images
Ability to pause, resume download at any time
Enhanced word look-up capability (for Android-based phones and tablets) with built-in dictionary with over 250,000 entries and definitions.
The Kindle Store offers the largest selection of books people want to read, including 110 of 111 New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases from $9.99. Millions of older, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read. Kindle for Android offers customers many features that are unique to the Kindle and Kindle App experience, including:

"Buy Once, Read Everywhere" - sync and read your books, last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights across Kindle devices and the most popular devices and platforms
Worry-Free Archive - Amazon automatically backs up your books and highlights online in your Kindle library where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly anytime on any Kindle device or app
Unparalleled shopping experience - Get all of the features you love about shopping on Amazon.com, including customer reviews, personalized recommendations, and instant 1-click buying using your Amazon account information
For over two years, Amazon has been building and introducing a wide selection of free "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" Kindle apps for iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Android-based devices that let customers read and sync their reading library, bookmarks, notes, and highlights with the device or platform of their choice. Learn more about Kindle apps at www.amazon.com/kindleapps. Customers can download Kindle for Android from the Amazon Appstore for Android or Android Market.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle, Kindle 3G and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle 3G and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, and www.amazon.it. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline, 206-266-7180
www.amazon.com/pr



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YouVersion Mobile Bible App Offers Free Bible Audiobook Options

YouVersion Mobile Bible App Offers Free Bible Audiobook Options: "On April 19, 2011, YouVersion updated their mobile Bible app for iPhone, iPad, and Blackberry devices. You can now listen to different bible audiobooks."

Amazon Kindle to Read OverDrive Library eBook Files in 2011

Amazon Kindle to Read OverDrive Library eBook Files in 2011: "You will be able to check out library ebooks on an Amazon Kindle in 2011. An OverDrive spokesman confirmed that Amazon will be able access library ebooks."

At Last Amazon Kindle Can Get Library Books!!!

(NASDAQ: AMZN)-- Amazon today announced Kindle Library Lending, a new feature launching later this year that will allow Kindle customers to borrow Kindle books from over 11,000 libraries in the United States. Kindle Library Lending will be available for all generations of Kindle devices and free Kindle reading apps.

"We're excited that millions of Kindle customers will be able to borrow Kindle books from their local libraries," said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. "Customers tell us they love Kindle for its Pearl e-ink display that is easy to read even in bright sunlight, up to a month of battery life, and Whispersync technology that synchronizes notes, highlights and last page read between their Kindle and free Kindle apps."

Customers will be able to check out a Kindle book from their local library and start reading on any Kindle device or free Kindle app for Android, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone. If a Kindle book is checked out again or that book is purchased from Amazon, all of a customer's annotations and bookmarks will be preserved.

"We're doing a little something extra here," Marine continued. "Normally, making margin notes in library books is a big no-no. But we're extending our Whispersync technology so that you can highlight and add margin notes to Kindle books you check out from your local library. Your notes will not show up when the next patron checks out the book. But if you check out the book again, or subsequently buy it, your notes will be there just as you left them, perfectly Whispersynced."

With Kindle Library Lending, customers can take advantage of all of the unique features of Kindle and Kindle books, including:

Paper-like Pearl electronic-ink display
No glare even in bright sunlight
Lighter than a paperback - weighs just 8.5 ounces and holds up to 3,500 books
Up to one month of battery life with wireless off
Read everywhere with free Kindle apps for Android, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry and Windows Phone
Whispersync technology wirelessly sync your books, notes, highlights, and last page read across Kindle and free Kindle reading apps
Real Page Numbers - easily reference passages with page numbers that correspond to actual print editions
Amazon is working with OverDrive, the leading provider of digital content solutions for over 11,000 public and educational libraries in the United States, to bring a seamless library borrowing experience to Kindle customers. "We are excited to be working with Amazon to offer Kindle Library Lending to the millions of customers who read on Kindle and Kindle apps," said Steve Potash, CEO, OverDrive. "We hear librarians and patrons rave about Kindle, so we are thrilled that we can be part of bringing library books to the unparalleled experience of reading on Kindle."

Kindle Library Lending will be available later this year for Kindle and free Kindle app users. To learn more about Kindle go to www.amazon.com/kindle.


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Kindle Store Matches Barnes and Noble's Free Friday Nook eBooks

Kindle Store Matches Barnes and Noble's Free Friday Nook eBooks: "Every Friday, Barnes and Noble offers a free book download for Nook owners. The good news is that other ebook sellers often match the prices of Nook ebooks."

You can get Free Friday books on the Kindle!

Barnes and Noble Free Book Friday

This deal is also matched by Amazon. The book is Karen Kingsbury's Divine.

Kindle DX sale

Amazon.com is having a one day sale on the Kindle DX for 299!


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Nook Color at Staples

Staples Announces Plans to Sell NOOK Color(TM), Barnes & Noble's Award-Winning Reader's Tablet, in Stores and On-line Starting May 1

Highly Acclaimed Product Makes its Staples Debut Just in Time for Moms, Dads and Grads Gift-Giving Season

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (April 14, 2011) - Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) and Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) today announced that Staples will be selling the NOOK Color(TM), the first full-color touch Reader's Tablet by Barnes & Noble, just in time for the Mother's Day, Graduation and Father's Day gift-giving season. The perfect gift for people who love to read everything, NOOK Color delivers digital books, magazines, newspapers, children's books and more in immersive, rich color, all in one beautiful, thin and highly portable device. Staples, the only office superstore to carry NOOK Color, will carry the award-winning device in all of its stores nationwide and at Staples.com for $249, beginning May 1.

"Staples is excited to bring this amazing product with its enhanced applications to our stores this Spring, which is just in time to celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day with a gift of the newest technology," said Mark Mettler, senior vice president for consumer technology at Staples. "We invite Staples customers to experience a live demonstration of the NOOK's many features in all our U.S. locations and also enjoy the convenience of free shipping when ordering on Staples.com."

NOOK Color features a stunning 7-inch VividView(TM) Color Touchscreen which brings content to life. NOOK Color customers can shop the vast and growing collection of more than 2 million digital books, more than 140 interactive, full-color magazines and major newspapers and more in the NOOK Bookstore. NOOK Color customers can also easily share books, recommendations, excerpts, reading status and more with friends through leading social networking sites and e-mail. And the highly acclaimed Reader's Tablet keeps getting better. Following a major, free update to the NOOK Color firmware this Spring, customers will be able to discover and enjoy an amazing array of popular apps for NOOK Color, along with full-featured e-mail and other highly requested features.

"We are thrilled to partner with Staples to offer our award-winning NOOK Color Reader's Tablet, at only $249, the best value of any tablet on the market," said Chris Peifer, vice president, digital business development at Barnes & Noble. "NOOK Color is the perfect sleek, sophisticated and reading-centric tablet device for the mom, dad or grad who loves to read everything, surf the Web and listen to music."

NOOK Color is the latest addition in a wide selection of new technology products at Staples. From eReaders to the newest tablets, the shopping experience at Staples extends far beyond office supplies and into a full suite of technology products and services. Staples certified EasyTech associates are highly trained, and able to assist customers in selecting the best technology solutions for their needs.

About Staples:

Staples is the world's largest office products company and a trusted source for office solutions. The company provides products, services and expertise in office supplies, copy & print, technology, facilities and breakroom, and furniture. Staples invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and now has annual sales of $25 billion, ranking second in the world in eCommerce sales. With 90,000 associates worldwide, Staples operates in 26 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, making it easy for businesses of all sizes, and consumers. The company is headquartered outside Boston. More information about Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com/media.

Follow Staples on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/staplestweets and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/staples.

ABOUT BARNES & NOBLE, INC.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the world's largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operates 705 bookstores in 50 states. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, also operates 636 college bookstores serving nearly 4 million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States. Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web's largest e-commerce sites, which also features more than two million titles in its NOOK Bookstore(TM) (www.bn.com/ebooks). Through Barnes & Noble's NOOK(TM) eReading product offering, customers can buy and read eBooks on the widest range of platforms, including NOOK eBook Readers, devices from partner companies, and hundreds of the most popular mobile and computing devices using free NOOK software.

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by visiting the company's corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

NOOK(TM), NOOK Color(TM), NOOK Books(TM), NOOK Newsstand(TM), NOOK Books en español(TM), VividView(TM), NOOK Friends(TM), AliveTouch(TM), LendMe(TM), ArticleView(TM), Daily Shelf(TM), NOOK Kids(TM), NOOK Study(TM), NOOK Developer(TM), ReadAloud(TM), NOOK Book Personal Shopping(TM), Read In Store(TM), More In Store(TM), Free Friday(TM), PubIt! (TM), Lifetime Library(TM), Read What You Love. Anywhere You Like(TM) and Touch the Future of Reading(TM) are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. Other trademarks referenced in this release are the property of their respective owners.

Follow Barnes & Noble on Twitter (www.bn.com/twitter), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/bnstudio).



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Amazon Kindle Has a New Ad-Supported eReader Version for $114

Amazon Kindle Has a New Ad-Supported eReader Version for $114: "Amazon.com announced a less expensive version of the $139 Kindle wi-fi on April 11, 2011: Kindle with Special Offers. Learn how this new approach will work."

Amazon's $114 Kindle Annoucement

Amazon Introduces New Kindle Family Member: Kindle with Special Offers for $114$25 less for the same #1 bestselling latest-generation Kindle plus special offers and sponsored screensavers

Special offers in the initial weeks include $10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Card, $1 for an album in the Amazon MP3 Store, and a $100 Gift Card with a new Amazon Rewards Visa Card

Amazon also introduces "AdMash" - the new free Kindle app and website where customers vote for the most attractive sponsored screensavers

SEATTLE, Apr 11, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- (NASDAQ:AMZN)--Millions of people are reading on Kindle, Kindle has more 5-star reviews than any other product on Amazon, and in just five months the latest-generation Kindle became the bestselling product in the 16-year history of Amazon.com. Today, Amazon introduced a new member of the Kindle family - Kindle with Special Offers for only $114. Kindle with Special Offers is the same #1 bestselling Kindle, plus special offers and sponsored screensavers. Kindle special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen. Learn more about all three latest-generation Kindle family members--$114 Kindle with Special Offers, $139 Kindle, and $189 Kindle 3G--at www.amazon.com/kindle. Kindle with Special Offers is now available for pre-order to customers in the U.S. and will ship on May 3.

"We're working hard to make sure that anyone who wants a Kindle can afford one," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. "Kindle with Special Offers is the same #1 bestselling Kindle - and it's only $114. Kindle is the best deal in consumer electronics anywhere in the world."

Buick, Olay (Procter & Gamble), Visa, and Amazon.com Reward Visa Card (Chase) are sponsoring the first series of screensavers specially-designed for Kindle's high-contrast, no glare electronic ink display (for screensaver examples, visit www.amazon.com/aboutkindlespecialoffers). Examples of deals that will be delivered directly to Kindle with Special Offers devices in the initial weeks include:

• $10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Card
• $6 for 6 Audible Books (normally $68)
• $1 for an album in the Amazon MP3 Store (choose from over 1 million albums)
• $10 for $30 of products in the Amazon Denim Shop or Amazon Swim Shop
• Free $100 Amazon.com Gift Card when you get an Amazon Rewards Visa Card (normally $30)
• Buy one of 30 Kindle bestsellers with your Visa card and get $10 Amazon.com credit
• 50% off Roku Streaming Player (normally $99)

To make sure customers don't miss any of the offers, a full list of active offers will be available from the menu of Kindle with Special Offers at any time.

Amazon is also introducing "AdMash" - the free Kindle app and website where customers choose the most attractive and engaging display advertisements that will become Kindle sponsored screensavers. Kindle's sponsored screensavers are specially-designed display advertisements that take advantage of Kindle's high-contrast, no-glare electronic-ink display. Before these advertisements can be presented to Kindle customers, they are first previewed by customers using AdMash. Users are presented with pairs of sponsored screensaver candidates and asked to select which one they prefer. Screensavers with the most preferred votes qualify to become sponsored screensavers. The AdMash Kindle app will launch in the coming weeks - for a preview, visit www.amazon.com/aboutkindlespecialoffers.

In addition, Kindle with Special Offers customers can give Amazon hints on the style and types of sponsored screensavers they would like to see. From the Manage Your Kindle page on Amazon.com, customers can use Kindle Screensaver Preferences to indicate whether they like to see more or less screensavers that include elements such as landscapes and scenery, architecture, travel images, photography, and illustrations. Together, AdMash voting and Kindle Screensaver Preferences help Amazon present sponsored screensavers that customers find attractive and engaging. For screenshots of Kindle screensavers, AdMash and Kindle Screensaver Preferences, visit www.amazon.com/aboutkindlespecialoffers.

"The opportunity to offer custom-designed Kindle screensavers was a natural fit for Buick because Kindle is such a unique device surrounded by a community of intelligent, passionate people," said Craig Bierley, Director of Advertising and Promotions, Buick. "Kindle's high contrast e-ink display eliminates glare and is perfect for emotionally engaging and impactful brand imagery, allowing us to connect with Kindle readers wherever and whenever."

Kindle with Special Offers includes all the same features that helped make the third-generation Kindle the #1 bestselling product in the history of Amazon.com:

• Paper-like Pearl electronic-ink display, no glare even in bright sunlight
• 8.5 ounce body for hours of comfortable reading with one hand
• Up to one month of battery life with wireless off eliminates battery anxiety
• Kindle Store with over 900,000 books - largest selection of the most popular books
• Seamless integration with free "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" Kindle apps for iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Android-based devices

Learn more about all three latest-generation Kindle family members--$114 Kindle with Special Offers, $139 Kindle, and $189 Kindle 3G--at www.amazon.com/kindle. Advertisers and agencies interested in learning more about Kindle sponsorship opportunities can contact kindle-sponsorships@amazon.com.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle, Kindle 3G and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle 3G and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, and www.amazon.it. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

Audiobook Review: Doctor Who and The Ribos Operation

Audiobook Review: Doctor Who and The Ribos Operation: "A look at AudioGo's new audiobook release of Doctor Who and The Ribos Operation written by Ian Marter and read by John Leeson."

Listen to Three Free Audiobooks by Bill Cosby on Cosby's iPad App

Listen to Three Free Audiobooks by Bill Cosby on Cosby's iPad App: "Come on People, Fatherhood, and Friends of a Feather are free streaming audiobooks by Bill Cosby. They are available on the the free Bill Cosby Mobile app."

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

Barnes & Noble Selects Children's Novel for the Barnes & Noble Recommends Program "Main Selection": Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

First Time That a Children's Novel Has Been Chosen Since the Program Launched Over Four Years Ago


New York, NY - April 5, 2011 - Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller, today announced that Gary D. Schmidt's new novel, Okay for Now (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is the latest "Main Selection" and the first-ever children's novel chosen for the Barnes & Noble Recommends program since it was launched more than four years ago. The book is on sale now and can be purchased at any Barnes & Noble store, online at Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com/recommends), or instantly downloaded on the NOOK(TM) family of eBook Readers (www.nook.com).

Out of the thousands of books considered for Recommends, Okay for Now was chosen because it is a stirring novel with an artistic touch that transcends age. The Barnes & Noble Recommends program celebrates books that are "unputdownable" and sure to be unforgettable.

"This is a powerful story that will stay with the reader. It transcends time in the same way as The Outsiders and The Giver," said Mary Amicucci, vice president of children's books at Barnes & Noble. "It's about people learning how to care for each other by seeing beyond what's on the surface. Through incredible characters and a compelling story, everyone can relate to and connect with Okay for Now."

Doug Swieteck tells the reader, "Joe Pepitone once gave me his New York Yankees baseball cap. I'm not lying. He gave it to me. To me, Doug Swieteck. To me." And so begins Okay for Now. When Doug's older brother steals his prized possession - a baseball cap signed by Doug's favorite baseball player, Yankees first baseman Joe Pepitone - Doug is convinced things can't get worse. But they do. Instead of tickets to a Yankees game, Doug's father brings home a black eye, a pink slip, and the news that the Swietecks are leaving Long Island and moving to a small town in upstate New York. Though it's 1968 and NASA's getting closer to putting a man on the moon, Doug is anxious about his family's move to a 'dump' of a house in the boondocks, and facing eighth grade at a new school with no friends. Without Joe Pepitone, he's convinced the odds are stacked against him - until he meets a girl on a bike named Lil, and a flock of colorful birds from the plates in John James Audubon's Birds of America.

Schmidt masterfully weaves multiple themes of loss and recovery, art and inventiveness, truth and lies, in a story filled with distinctive characters and a narrative told through Audubon's bird drawings.


- Be of Good Cheer!

Nook users get free NYT access

Subscribers to The New York Times on NOOK(TM) by Barnes & Noble to Receive Free Access to NYTimes.com

Customers Enjoy Digital Edition of Newspaper on NOOK Devices, Plus Online News, Opinion, Videos and More

New York, New York - April 5, 2011 - Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller, today announced that all subscribers to The New York Times through NOOK Newsstand(TM) will also enjoy access to the NYTimes.com website. Barnes & Noble customers can already enjoy their digital subscription to The New York Times, reading the daily e-edition content on NOOK Color(TM) Reader's Tablet, NOOK(TM) and NOOK Wi-Fi® eReaders. Coming soon, NOOK subscribers to The New York Times will also be able to access NYTimes.com, The Times's award-winning website, including timely news updates, opinion, blogs, video, interactive graphics and more, at no additional cost.

"We are excited to expand our long-standing relationship with The New York Times to provide NOOK customers with online access to even more great content any time," said Jonathan Shar, Vice President and General Manager of digital newsstand at Barnes & Noble. "Our customers already enjoy access to one of the leading NOOK Newspapers(TM) on their favorite NOOK device, and we believe they'll appreciate the easy access to all of the wonderful online content available at NYTimes.com at no extra cost."

The New York Times continues to be one of the bestselling NOOK Newspapers and, as with other digital periodicals, is available for a risk-free, 14 day free trial for all customers.

"The Times's digital subscription plan was designed to offer access to our high-quality journalism across a variety of platforms," said Yasmin Namini, senior vice president, marketing and circulation, and general manager, reader applications, The New York Times Media Group. "We are pleased be able to offer online access to NYTimes.com as part of the subscription experience for our loyal readers on NOOK devices."

Barnes & Noble customers with current subscriptions to The New York Times through NOOK Newsstand(TM) will be notified via email in the coming weeks with more information on how to enjoy free access to NYTimes.com.

For more information and to order The New York Times for NOOK, visit www.bn.com/nytimes or visit any of NOOK Boutique or display in one of Barnes & Noble's more than 700 bookstores (http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com) to learn more.



- Be of Good Cheer!