Mereja

Author: Serkadis

  • Google Adds New Measurement Features To AdWords For Video

    Google announced the launch of several new measurement features for AdWords for Video designed to bring some consistency among video ad reporting and other forms of media.

    One of the features is Reach & Frequency reporting. AdWords For Video will now show you reach and frequency metrics in the campaign reporting interface.

    “These metrics give you more insight into how many unique viewers have seen your ad and the average number of times they’ve seen it, helping you better measure against other media such as TV,” says YouTube product manager David Tattersall. “To view these metrics on a campaign, ad or targeting group level, just click on Columns >> Customize Columns and look under the Performance section.”

    AdWords For Video measurement

    There’s also a new Column Sets feature, which groups metrics by marketing objective. If you select Branding, you can see how broadly a video has been viewed, with unique viewer average view frequency and average impression frequency data. If you choose Website Traffic and Conversions, you can see website traffic, number of conversions, cost-per-conversion and conversion rate. If you select Audience, you can see follow-on subscribers and follow-on views. If you pick Views, you can see follow-on views and unique viewers.

    There’s also a new GeoMap feature if you click “Map View”.

  • Outdoor fast food ads could promote obesity, study finds

    Past studies have suggested a relationship between neighborhood characteristics and obesity, as well as a connection between obesity and advertisements on television and in magazines.
     
    Now, new research from UCLA has identified a possible link between outdoor food ads and a tendency to pack on pounds. The findings, researchers say, are not encouraging.
     
    In a study published online in the peer-reviewed journal BMC Public Health, Dr. Lenard Lesser and his colleagues suggest that the more outdoor advertisements promoting fast food and soft drinks there are in a given census tract, the higher the likelihood that the area’s residents are overweight.
     
    “Obesity is a significant health problem, so we need to know the factors that contribute to the overeating of processed food,” said Lesser, who conducted the research while a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at the UCLA Department of Family Medicine and UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health.
     
    “Previous research has found that fast food ads are more prevalent in low-income, minority areas, and laboratory studies have shown that marketing gets people to eat more,” said Lesser, now a research physician at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute in California. “This is one of the first studies to suggest an association between outdoor advertising and obesity.”
     
    For the study, the researchers looked at two densely populated areas in Los Angeles and New Orleans, each with more than 2,000 people per square mile. They focused on more than 200 randomly selected census tracts from those two areas, which included a mixture of high- and low-income residents.
     
    They team used data on outdoor food advertising in those areas gleaned from a previous study on ads and alcohol consumption (which had tracked all the outdoor ads). They then linked that information with telephone-survey data from the same study, in which nearly 2,600 people between the ages of 18 and 98 from those areas were asked health-related questions in addition to questions about their height, weight, self-reported body mass index (BMI) and soda consumption.
     
    The researchers found a correlation: The higher the percentage of outdoor ads for food, the higher the odds of obesity in those areas.
     
    “For instance, in a typical census tract with about 5,000 people, if 30 percent of the outdoor ads were devoted to food, we would expect to find an additional 100 to 150 people who are obese, compared with a census tract without any food ads,” Lesser said.
     
    Given that the study focused on only two areas, the authors urge further research to determine if the findings would be replicated in other areas. Because the study was cross-sectional, the researchers do not claim that the ads caused the obesity. They also note that self-reported information about weight is subject to recall bias, and people often under-report their true weight.
     
    But this study suggests enough of a link between outdoor food advertising and “a modest, but clinically meaningful, increased likelihood of obesity” to warrant further examination, the researchers conclude.
     
    “If the … associations are confirmed by additional research, policy approaches may be important to reduce the amount of food advertising in urban areas,” the researchers write, while noting that outright bans on such ads might be deemed unconstitutional. “Innovative strategies, such as warning labels, counter-advertising, or a tax on obesogenic advertising should be tested as possible public health interventions for reducing the prevalence of obesity.”
     
    Frederick J. Zimmerman of UCLA and Deborah A. Cohen of the RAND Corp. co-authored this study, which was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars program.
      
    The UCLA Department of Family Medicine provides comprehensive primary care to entire families from newborns to seniors. It  provides low risk obstetrical services and prenatal and inpatient care at UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica, and outpatient care at the University Family Health Center in Santa Monica and the Mid-Valley Family Health Center, which is located in a Los Angeles County Health Center in Van Nuys, Calif. The department is also a leader in family medicine education, for both medical students and residents, and houses a significant research unit focusing on health care disparities among immigrant families and minority communities and other underserved populations in Los Angeles and California.
     
    The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health is dedicated to enhancing the public’s health by conducting innovative research; training future leaders and health professionals; translating research into policy and practice; and serving local, national and international communities.
     
    The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars program has fostered the development of physicians who are leading the transformation of health care in the United States through positions in academic medicine, public health and other leadership roles. Through the program, future leaders learn to conduct innovative research and work with communities, organizations, practitioners and policymakers on issues important to the health and well-being of all Americans. This program is supported, in part, through collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
     
    The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis.
     
    The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) for Health Care, Research and Education is a not-for-profit health care organization that is a pioneer in the multispecialty group practice of medicine. PAMF’s 1,100 affiliated physicians and 4,300 employees serve approximately 800,000 patients at its medical centers and clinics in Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties AMF’s Research Institute is recognized nationally and internationally as a center of excellence in health care services, health policy, health promotion and outcomes research and training. It leverages its close connection with health care delivery and patient/community education arms, and the information resources, of PAMF to design, execute, and rigorously evaluate new models of health promotion and health care using state-of-the-art research methods.
     
    For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.

  • Windows Phone 7.8 arrives, check your device NOW!

    If you’re one of the many jilted Windows Phone 7.5 users, your day has come. Version 7.8 is rolling out to Nokia phones as I write. “Notifications will begin to appear for Nokia Lumia 510, 610, 710, 800 and 900 owners with an unlocked phone or operator approved software during February”, company spokesperson Boc Ly says. “Simply connect your phone to your computer via Zune for PC, or the Windows Phone app for Mac, and follow the onscreen instructions”.

    The update is long overdue, and in many ways unsatisfactory. For example, Nokia Lumia 900 debuted on U.S. carriers in March 2011. Three months later, Microsoft announced Windows Phone 8 with a bombshell: None of the current devices would support the OS. None. Those phones would get Windows 7.8, which lacks many of the features that make 8 great, by comparison. In the annals of dumb product development moves, I have to rank this one highly. Loyal customers rush to a new platform only to be dissed for it — and people wonder about Windows Phone’s slow start?

    So what do you get for waiting?

    “As well as major system updates, there has been a stream of exciting new features introduced to Nokia Lumia”, Ly says. “These include Internet sharing, Bluetooth sharing, imaging enhancements like Camera Extras, and the release of apps such as Contact Share, Play To and Nokia City Lens that are available”.

    He touts other capabilities:

    With Windows Phone 7.8 installed, your Nokia Lumia gets even better. The Start screen experience is completely refreshed with the ability to re-size your tiles: small, medium and large. In addition, there are also new options available on your lock screen, such as having a daily background image from Bing; plus there’s improved pocket and child lock screen security. Plus, there is increased language support, meaning even more people get to enjoy Nokia Lumia. These new benefits, together with the new look Start screen, will make your Lumia feel like a brand new smartphone.

    There’s another baffling step backwards here that says much about Microsoft’s whole Windows Phone strategy. The 7.5 update dispatched to most WP devices, simultaneously stretched out over several weeks and independent of the interference so common among the carriers. Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners know this pain, being several Android updates behind on a flagship device that’s marketed as getting them right away. Google should never have let this happen, nor should Microsoft with Windows Phone. But watch out.

    “Delivery of the update is operator dependent, meaning you will receive a notification in the coming weeks if you have an unlocked phone or if your operator has approved the update”, Ly says. “If you don’t receive the update notification within the next three weeks, please contact your operator for more information”.

    That’s a step back from Microsoft’s position about Windows Phone updates when 7.5 dispatched in November 2011. The company promised them to all supported devices, regardless of carriers. But eight months later Microsoft unsupported all current devices for Windows Phone 8. Now, at least on Nokia handsets, carriers call the shots on 7.8 updates.

    Windows Phone 7.5 owners, are you satisfied with this?

  • Google Forms Gets Collaboration, Improved Editing

    Google has launched a new version of its Forms Google Drive app. It now includes collaboration features, so you can edit forms with others in real time, not unlike features in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.

    “If you need to work with two colleagues on a survey, all three of you can work on the same form simultaneously and even have a group chat on the side, without leaving the form,” says Google software engineer Nick Santos.

    Google has also made some editing changes for those working alone. Changes are auto-saved, and edits can be easily undone or redone.

    “Improved copy-and-paste will let you copy a list of bullets from the web or multiple rows of text from a spreadsheet; then, when you paste into a form, each line will be appear as an individual answer. And you can use keyboard shortcuts to get things done more quickly,” says Santos.

    The update is rolling out over the course of the next several days.

  • The BlackBerry Q10 Is A Curious Blend Of Old And New

    bbq10-1

    You know, for a company that made its mark thanks to devices with physical QWERTY keyboards, BlackBerry really didn’t spend much time chatting about the Q10. It’s going to hit the street well after the all-touch Z10 does so it’s an understandable move, but I’ve heard many a person begrudgingly stick with an ailing BlackBerry because of its top-notch keyboard. Thankfully, I managed to corner a Q10 for a little hands-on time, and its keyboard is just as good as ever — the big question is, how’s the rest of it?

    Looking at the Q10 is much like a catching a glimpse at familiar-looking stranger walking down the street — the broad strokes are similar, but many of the smaller touches are different and surprising. Take BlackBerry’s legendary keyboard, for instance. It doesn’t look entirely unlike the ones seen on recent BlackBerry 7 devices like the Bold 9900, and it retains the spacious layout and highly-satisfying click of the BlackBerrys of days past, but the familiar row of navigation and menu buttons have finally been put to rest. The volume rocker also looks like its been plucked off of a PlayBook too, which isn’t much of a surprise — the same could be said of the company’s Dev Alpha units.

    The Q10 is actually quite a looker despite those borrowed bits. Its rear-end is buttery soft thanks to its glass-weave construction, and the end result is a carbon fiber-esque pattern that looks awfully familiar to the sort of things Motorola has been doing with its recent smartphones. And don’t worry you special little flower you, because the initially cagey BlackBerry rep on hand said that no two Q10 backs would look the same. It’s not the thinnest device I’ve ever seen at 10.3mm thick, but it’s surprisingly light and felt like it could take a few hits before giving up the ghost.








    Sadly, the BlackBerry representatives on hand didn’t allow for much fiddling with the software (an effort to prevent people from monopolizing demo units for too long), but what I did see was very promising. Checking the hub, peeking at apps, and generally just zipping around the OS was smooth and unfettered, thanks in part to the Q10′s 1.5GHz dual-core processor and its 2GB of RAM. Darrell did a fine job deconstructing all of BlackBerry 10′s particulars in his Z10 review so I won’t rehash it all, but there was a distinct difference in feel between how gestures and navigation work on the two devices. Things are generally a bit more intuitive on the Z10′s expansive display, and having to reach over the keyboard to swipe around is a bit curious at first, but folks coming from touch-enabled devices like the Bold 9900 will already be used to that.

    Overall, the Q10 is a surprisingly handsome device that seems well-equipped to handle the needs of existing BlackBerry fans who need more than just a touchscreen in their lives. Whether or not it’ll cause Android or iOS devotees to jump ship remains to be seen (though I highly doubt it), but that’s more of a quandary for BlackBerry 10 as a whole rather than the device on its own. Sadly, there’s no hard word on when you’ll be able to get a hold of one yourself: CEO Heins mentioned in a post-presser Q&A session that the device will likely hit store shelves in the U.S. and beyond some time in April.

  • Data Center News: PeakColo, AIS, Phoenix NAP, Verne Global

    Here’s some of this week’s noteworthy links for the data center industry:

    PeakColo expands vCloud with NYI.  PeakColo announced the expansion of its VMware vCloud-Powered platform into the New York and New Jersey metro areas through its partnership with New York data center services company NYI. This brings the PeakColo cloud footprint to a total of six geographies, including Chicago, Denver, London, New York, New Jersey, and Seattle. “NYI is a long-standing specialty data center provider, with a very high-touch, personalized approach to serving the greater New York/New Jersey metro areas,” states Luke Norris, CEO and Founder of PeakColo. “With the addition of NYI’s two East Coast data centers to PeakColo’s cloud footprint, our cloud architecture is strengthened, ultimately lowering our cloud’s overall latency, and making PeakColo one of the fastest clouds in the marketplace. With this expanded presence, we can further deliver world-class services coast to coast and allow our channel partners to maximize their profitability with full cloud economies of scale.”

    DAR.fm signs with AIS.  AIS (American Internet Services) announced that DAR.fm, provider of premier web services that allow users to record, pause, and play radio content, has chosen to host its services in the flagship AIS Lightwave facility in San Diego, California.  Cited as highly influential in selecting AIS was that its  direct peering relationship with several subscriber networks including AT&T, Comcast, Cox, Sprint, and Verizon provides a very short and extremely reliable network path between end-users and DAR.fm servers. “Our digital audio recorder service, which works a lot like TiVo for radio, enables users to record radio content, such as popular talk shows, and play them back on demand,” said Michael Robertson, founder and CEO of DAR.fm.  “As you can imagine, sound quality and total reliability are ‘must-haves’ for a service like ours – which is why we turned to AIS, where connectivity is king.”

    Phoenix NAP selected by CCH SureTax.  Phoenix NAP  announced that CCH SureTax, a leading transaction tax calculation provider, has selected the data center for its hosting needs. Reasons listed for selecting Phoenix NAP were  top-level security standards and high level of quality products and services the data center supplies. “We are excited to welcome CCH SureTax to Phoenix NAP,” said Ian McClarty, president of Phoenix NAP. “With the large amount of data CCH SureTax supplies, ensuring the company receives reliable service from a dependable data center is extremely vital and we are glad to be able to assist in this and look forward to establishing a long lasting relationship.” Phoenix NAP also recently announced that Red Fork Hospitality Solutions, a leading mobile, web based service that provides restaurants with the ability to accept mobile orders quickly and easily, has selected the data center for its hosting needs.

    Verne Global receives ISO 27001 certification.  Iceland data center company Verne Global announced that it has received he International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001 certification standard for information security. The ISO 27001 standard recognizes Verne Global’s concentrated effort to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data, as well as maintaining a focus on the security of all vital information assets, all of which are critical for ensuring campus security and continuing customer confidence. Receiving the ISO 27001 certification provides assurance for clients, employees, partners and investors that necessary steps are in place ensuring their critical and confidential data is secure and that pertinent laws and regulations are being observed,” said Tate Cantrell , chief technology officer for Verne Global. “The ability to protect data from attack is critical in the data centre industry.  Verne continues to drive efficiency and security measures into the business operations while providing customers with a best-of-breed infrastructure.”

  • Google Commissions Studies On Economic Impact Of Geo Services

    Google commissioned studies from Boston Consulting Group and Oxera about the geo services industry and its economic impact on the world. The findings have been summarized in an infographic that Google shared on a couple of its blogs this morning.

    According to the studies, the industry is valued at up to $270 billion per year, paying out $90 billion in wages. The U.S. alone has over 500,000 people employed in the industry.

    “We’re proud of the contributions that Google Maps and Earth, the Google Maps APIs and our Enterprise solutions have made to the geo services industry and to making maps more widely available, but there’s a long way to go,” says VP Google Geo, Brian McLendon.

    Impact of Geo Services

    “1.1 billion hours of travel time saved each year? That’s a lot of time,” says McLendon. “Also, consider UPS, which uses map technology to optimize delivery routes—saving 5.3 million miles and more than 650,000 gallons of fuel in 2011. And every eight seconds, a user hails a taxi with Hailo, which used maps and GPS to deliver more than 1 million journeys in London alone last year. Finally, Zipcar uses maps to connect more than 760,000 customers to a growing fleet of cars in locations around the world.”

    Full reports can be found here.

  • Here’s The Latest Android Developer Hangout

    Google has uploaded a new Android developers hangout discussing various Android dev topics. They do note that the U.S. version of Office Hours has moved on to another format.

  • Google Discusses Google Drive SDK OAuth Changes

    Google recently added some new options for how OAuth requests are initiated for Google drive Apps. Google has posted a video discussing the changes, and sharing some tips and tricks.

  • The First BlackBerry 10 Device To Make U.S. Debut In March, Coming To All Four Major Carriers

    availability

    We’re right in the thick of RIM’s big BlackBerry 10 announcement in New York, and it’s been nothing if not eventful so far. CEO Thorsten Heins just recently unveiled the new BlackBerry Z10 (full review here) a little while ago, and now the topic of conversation has turned to something else: availability. RIM’s first BlackBerry 10-powered device will first appear in the UK and Canada, with sales beginning tomorrow across the pond and Feb. 5 in the Great White North for $149.99 on a 3-year contract.

    It’ll arrive in the U.S. in March, with pre-orders starting at the four major carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile today, according to BlackBerry’s Alec Saunders. Pricing in the U.S. has yet to be announced for all carriers, but Verizon has said it will provide the Z10 at $199 on a two-year term for new agreements. And while on stage BlackBerry said that the Z10 will come to the U.K. tomorrow, on through all major UK channels, including EE, Phones4u, CPW, Vodafone, O2, Three UK, and BT.

    BlackBerry 10 first started undergoing carrier testing back in October, and by the end of the month Heins announced that more than 50 carriers had begun testing the veteran smartphone maker’s new mobile OS. Heins said that the delay in U.S. launch of the Z10 was due to American carriers taking longer to test new devices than those in other countries. That’s not exactly wonderful for BlackBerry, since the devices will go to market in the U.S. well after the company’s splashy Super Bowl marketing campaign launches.

    The Z10 has already made some progress getting its regulatory approval, which could suggest we’ll see it on AT&T’s network first, but that will depend on more factors than just government sign-off.

    As for the keyboard-toting Q10, it’ll be available in an “April timeframe,” Heins said at the event. That’s a global expected launch date, and there are no details yet on where it will launch first.

    Additional reporting by Darrell Etherington

  • Brilliant! RIM’s name is now BlackBerry

    Maybe one head really is better than two. Today during the BlackBerry World keynote, Research in Motion CEO Thorsten Heins made a startling, and quite unexpected, announcement. There’s a new name, adopted from the flagship product — BlackBerry.

    Heins replaced co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie a year-ago this month, promising to aright the badly listing RIM. Today, BlackBerry 10 operating system and new devices officially launch, as Heins seeks to deliver on the promise. Apparently, the name change is part of that.

    BlackBerry makes much more sense than RIM, for many reasons, brand awareness being high among them. Then there is what BlackBerry represents: Many people identify the name with RIM, and the product line is the company’s future — or failure — particularly products rolling out today. As a writer, there are headlines I wish to have written. CNN Money’s “Inside BlackBerry’s last stand” is dead on appropriate.

    BlackBerry has fallen hard. In fourth quarter 2009, the device (and now company) commanded 19.6 percent smartphone market share, putting it ahead of Apple (16 percent) and behind category leader Nokia (38.2 percent), according to IDC. Three years later, BlackBerry didn’t even make the top 5, with Apple in second place. Nokia didn’t place among the leaders, either. Oh, have times changed in so short a time.

    Times are as bleak as the weather in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Today really marks BlackBerry’s last stand.

    From a marketing perspective, the company has more than a new name and platform. U.S. President Barack Obama is still BlackBerry-in-Chief. Leader of the free world is by far the most-prominent BlackBerry user. Nine days ago, I asked you if Obama should keep his device. The majority of respondents, 35 percent, answered: “He should upgrade to BlackBerry 10”.

    Now there’s someone Heins really should want on the platform as soon as possible.

  • License will lead to faster-charging batteries for phones, electric vehicles

    An enhanced battery technology that can potentially reduce the time it takes to charge cell phones, electric vehicles and other battery-powered devices from hours to minutes is the subject of a commercial license agreement between Battelle and Vorbeck Materials Corp. of Jessup, Md.  Battelle operates the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash. 

    The agreement will allow Vorbeck to bring lithium batteries incorporating Vor-X® graphene technology to market for use in consumer portable electronic and medical devices, tools and electric vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable and are widely used in electronic devices such as laptops and smartphones, and to power electric cars and trucks.

    “Today, a typical cell phone battery takes between two and five hours to fully recharge, and an electric vehicle has to be plugged in most of the night to recharge,” explained John Lettow, president of Vorbeck Materials. “The pioneering work done by Vorbeck, Princeton University, and PNNL is leading to the development of batteries that recharge quickly, reducing the time it takes to charge a smartphone to minutes and an electric vehicle to just a couple of hours.” 

    Lettow noted the research effort also could lead to the development of batteries that are more stable, have a longer life and store larger amounts of energy.

    “We are very pleased to add this substantial portfolio of graphene-based battery technologies, developed with PNNL and Princeton, to our already very strong graphene patent portfolios in conductive inks, printed electronics, composite materials, and energy storage,” added Lettow.

    “This license is the culmination of a substantial investment of laboratory-directed research and development funds, innovative work by our researchers and a proactive patenting strategy recently deployed at PNNL,” said Cheryl Cejka, the national laboratory’s director of technology commercialization. “PNNL is a leader in linking research to real-world impact, so we are thrilled to see a company like Vorbeck bring our technology to US consumers.”

    Electronics and auto manufacturers would like to develop the next generation of batteries using low-cost materials such as titanium dioxide to replace the more expensive materials used today. But titanium dioxide on its own doesn’t perform well enough to serve as a replacement.

    Recently, PNNL researchers collaborated with Vorbeck to develop a method for building tiny titanium oxide and carbon structures and then demonstrated that small quantities of Vor-X® graphene — a good electronic conductor made from ultra-thin sheets of carbon atoms — can dramatically improve the performance of the batteries, especially with respect to how rapidly the batteries can be charged. 

    Structural analysis studies of the material were conducted with scientists at EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE national user facility located at PNNL. When they compared how well the new combination of electrode materials charged and discharged electric current, the electrodes containing graphene outperformed the standard titanium dioxide by up to three times. 

    Lettow noted the Vorbeck-PNNL team recently received a grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, to develop advanced battery chemistries, and has contracts with major manufacturers for graphene-based printed electronics and battery systems. “As a result, Vorbeck anticipates continued breakthroughs, new patents and rapid commercialization of the new technology in consumer goods,” he said. “Prototypes of Vorbeck’s battery technologies were already on display earlier this month at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.”

  • Amazon To Open Three New Texas Fulfillment Centers

    Amazon announced today that it intends to open three new fulfillment centers in Texas, which the company says will create over 1,000 new jobs in the state. They’ll be located in Coppell, Haslet and Schertz.

    Fulfillment by Amazon“We appreciate the state and local elected officials who have helped us make this exciting investment in the state of Texas,” said Mike Roth, Amazon’s vice president of North American fulfillment.

    Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said, “We’re pleased Amazon is investing in Texas by bringing three fulfillment centers and more than 1,000 jobs to our state. I thank Amazon for working with us—making it possible to bring new jobs and revenue to the state of Texas.”

    The mayor of each city shared similar sentiments.

    “This is the biggest economic development partnership announcement in the history of our city,” said Haslet Mayor Bob Golden. “The jobs and potential tax base that this development will bring to our community is a major milestone in our city’s growth.”

    “Amazon, coming to Coppell, complements our strategy of building a quality business base that supports the community and the region,” said Coppell Mayor Karen Hunt. “We are thrilled Amazon chose Coppell for a new fulfillment center. We recognize their large capital investment and new jobs brought to this area.”

    Schertz Mayor Michael Carpenter added, “We are thrilled to formally and officially welcome Amazon to Schertz. The investment Amazon is making in our community is significant, and it is a manifest expression by yet another highly successful and well-respected company that Schertz is a great place to do business.”

    Amazon says its fulfillment center jobs pay on average 30% more than traditional retail jobs (not including stock grants).

    Last week, Amazon also announced that it will be opening a new California fulfillment center in Tracy.

    The company reported its Q4 and full-year 2012 earnings on Tuesday, missing analysts’ estimates, with a 22% increase in net sales, but a 45% decrease in net income.

  • Google Voices Support For ‘High-Skilled Immigration Reform’

    Google took to its public policy blog today to make sure everyone (including governments) know where it stands when it comes to immigration in the United States. The company has discussed this topic in the past on its official blog, and with President Obama speaking about it today, the company has weighed in again.

    Google SVP, People Operations Laszlo Bock writes:

    Our experiences here at Google and in the tech sector show us that immigrants to the U.S. are a powerful force for entrepreneurship and innovation at every level, from startups to multinational corporations. Immigrants have founded 40 percent of companies in the tech sector that were financed by venture capital and went on to become public in the U.S., among them Yahoo, eBay, Intel, and Google. And according to a recent Kauffman Foundation study, nearly a quarter of the engineering and technology companies founded in the U.S. between 2006 and 2012 had at least one key founder who was foreign-born. In 2012, these companies employed roughly 560,000 workers and generated $63 billion in sales.

    Still, at a time when the U.S. economy needs it most, our immigration policies are stifling innovation. The 2013 cap for the H-1B visas that allow foreign high skilled talent to work temporarily in the U.S. was exhausted by June 2012, preventing tech companies from recruiting some of the world’s brightest minds. Additionally, the severe backlog of green card applications has forced many foreign-born, U.S. educated entrepreneurs to look elsewhere to start their businesses. Other countries, like Chile and Canada, have responded with immigration policies and programs that welcome these innovators who have been turned away from the U.S.

    Here’s the White House’s press release highlighting the president’s proposals.

  • Amazon Net Income Down 45% Year-Over-Year

    Amazon announced its Q4 earnings today, which included a 22% increase in net sales, but a 45% decrease in net income, year-over-year for the quarter. The company’s numbers disappointed Wall Street analysts.

    CEO Jeff Bezos said, “We’re now seeing the transition we’ve been expecting. After 5 years, eBooks is a multi-billion dollar category for us and growing fast – up approximately 70% last year. In contrast, our physical book sales experienced the lowest December growth rate in our 17 years as a book seller, up just 5%. We’re excited and very grateful to our customers for their response to Kindle and our ever expanding ecosystem and selection.”

    The repot also includes full-year numbers, including a 27% net sales increase, a 22% operating income decrease, and a $39 million net loss (compared to a $631 million net income the previous year.

    Here’s the release in its entirety (slightly edited for formatting):

    SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced financial results for its fourth quarter ended December 31, 2012.

    “We’re now seeing the transition we’ve been expecting”

    Operating cash flow increased 7% to $4.18 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $3.90 billion for the trailing twelve months ended December 31, 2011. Free cash flow decreased 81% to $395 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $2.09 billion for the trailing twelve months ended December 31, 2011. Free cash flow for the trailing twelve months ended December 31, 2012 includes fourth quarter cash outflows for purchases of corporate office space and property in Seattle, Washington, of $1.4 billion.

    Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 470 million on December 31, 2012, compared with 468 million one year ago.

    Net sales increased 22% to $21.27 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $17.43 billion in fourth quarter 2011. Excluding the $178 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales grew 23% compared with fourth quarter 2011.

    Operating income increased 56% to $405 million in the fourth quarter, compared with $260 million in fourth quarter 2011. The favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter on operating income was $2 million.

    Net income decreased 45% to $97 million in the fourth quarter, or $0.21 per diluted share, compared with $177 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, in fourth quarter 2011.

    “We’re now seeing the transition we’ve been expecting,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “After 5 years, eBooks is a multi-billion dollar category for us and growing fast – up approximately 70% last year. In contrast, our physical book sales experienced the lowest December growth rate in our 17 years as a book seller, up just 5%. We’re excited and very grateful to our customers for their response to Kindle and our ever expanding ecosystem and selection.”

    Full Year 2012

    Net sales increased 27% to $61.09 billion, compared with $48.08 billion in 2011. Excluding the $854 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the year, net sales grew 29% compared with 2011.

    Operating income decreased 22% to $676 million, compared with $862 million in 2011. The unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the year on operating income was $14 million.

    Net loss was $39 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, compared with net income of $631 million, or $1.37 per diluted share, in 2011.

    Highlights

    • For the second year in a row, Amazon’s tablet was the most popular item for customers – Kindle Fire HD continued its run as the #1 best-selling, most gifted, and most wished for product across the millions of items available on Amazon worldwide. At year-end, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle held the top four spots on the Amazon worldwide best seller charts since launch.
    • Amazon announced the launch of AutoRip, a new service that gives customers free MP3 versions of CDs they purchase from Amazon. Additionally, customers who have purchased AutoRip CDs at any time since Amazon first opened its Music Store in 1998 will find MP3 versions of those albums in their Cloud Player libraries – also automatically and for free.
    • Amazon introduced Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, bringing together for the first time all of the types of content kids and parents love – books, games, educational apps, movies and TV shows – into one simple, unlimited, easy-to-use service for kids ages 3-8.
    • Amazon’s digital media selection has grown to over 23 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, books, audiobooks, and popular apps and games in 2012, an increase from 19 million at year-end 2011.
    • Amazon.com announced new licensing agreements with Turner Broadcasting, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, and A+E Networks, for popular television series including Falling Skies, The Closer, Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, and Dance Moms, expanding its catalog of title offerings for Prime Instant Video to more than 36,000 movies and television episodes.
    • Amazon launched Kindle Stores for Brazil, Canada, China, and Japan, with a large selection of the most popular books, including thousands of local-language books.
    • Amazon announced that 23 KDP authors each sold over 250,000 copies of their books in 2012, and that over 500 KDP Select books have reached the top 100 Kindle best seller lists around the world.
    • Amazon announced that for the eighth consecutive year, the company ranks #1 in customer satisfaction during the holiday shopping season according to the ForeSee annual Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction Index. ForeSee surveyed over 24,000 customers between Thanksgiving and Christmas, asking them to rate their satisfaction with the top 100 retailers. For the second year in a row, Amazon’s score of 88 is the highest ever attained by any retailer in the study.
    • Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the launch of its newest Asia Pacific Region in Sydney, Australia, now available for multiple services including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), and Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS). Sydney joins Singapore and Tokyo as the third Region in Asia Pacific and the ninth Region worldwide.
    • AWS announced that SAP Business Suite is now certified to run on the AWS cloud platform. Enterprises running SAP Business Suite can now leverage the on-demand, pay as you go AWS platform to support thousands of concurrent users in production without making costly capital expenditures for their underlying infrastructure. AWS also announced that SAP HANA, SAP’s in-memory database and platform, is certified to run on AWS and is available for purchase via AWS Marketplace.
    • AWS continued its rapid pace of innovation by launching 159 new services and features in 2012. This is nearly double the services and features launched in 2011.
    • AWS has lowered prices 24 times since it launched in 2006, including 10 price reductions in 2012.

    Financial Guidance

    The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com’s expectations as of January 29, 2013. 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.

    First Quarter 2013 Guidance

    • Net sales are expected to be between $15.0 billion and $16.6 billion, or to grow between 14% and 26% compared with first quarter 2012.
    • Operating income (loss) is expected to be between $(285) million and $65 million, compared to $192 million in the prior year period.
    • This guidance includes approximately $285 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 and data 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 Paperwhite is the most-advanced e-reader ever constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, extra-long battery life, and a thin and light design. The new latest generation Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now features new, improved fonts and faster page turns. Kindle Fire HD features a stunning custom high-definition display, exclusive Dolby audio with dual stereo speakers, high-end, laptop-grade Wi-Fi with dual-band support, dual-antennas and MIMO for faster streaming and downloads, enough storage for HD content, and the latest generation processor and graphics engine—and it is available in two display sizes—7” and 8.9”. The large-screen Kindle Fire HD is also available with 4G wireless, and comes with a groundbreaking $49.99 introductory 4G LTE data package. The all-new Kindle Fire features a 20% faster processor, 40% faster performance, twice the memory, and longer battery life.

    Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, … 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)
    Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
    December 31, December 31,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (unaudited)
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD $ 2,980 $ 2,823 $ 5,269 $ 3,777
    OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
    Net income (loss) 97 177 (39 ) 631
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities:
    Depreciation of property and equipment, including internal-use software and website development, and other amortization 662 359 2,159 1,083
    Stock-based compensation 235 159 833 557
    Other operating expense (income), net 36 43 154 154
    Losses (gains) on sales of marketable securities, net (1 ) – (9 ) (4 )
    Other expense (income), net 100 (16 ) 253 (56 )
    Deferred income taxes (148 ) 67 (265 ) 136
    Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation (239 ) (1 ) (429 ) (62 )
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
    Inventories (974 ) (1,260 ) (999 ) (1,777 )
    Accounts receivable, net and other (1,024 ) (1,077 ) (861 ) (866 )
    Accounts payable 4,926 4,684 2,070 2,997
    Accrued expenses and other 1,412 1,076 1,038 1,067
    Additions to unearned revenue 545 358 1,796 1,064
    Amortization of previously unearned revenue (546 ) (300 ) (1,521 ) (1,021 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 5,081 4,269 4,180 3,903
    INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
    Purchases of property and equipment, including internal-use software and website development (2,025 ) (550 ) (3,785 ) (1,811 )
    Acquisitions, net of cash acquired, and other (35 ) (49 ) (745 ) (705 )
    Sales and maturities of marketable securities and other investments 506 912 4,237 6,843
    Purchases of marketable securities and other investments (1,528 ) (1,782 ) (3,302 ) (6,257 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (3,082 ) (1,469 ) (3,595 ) (1,930 )
    FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
    Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 239 1 429 62
    Common stock repurchased – (277 ) (960 ) (277 )
    Proceeds from long-term debt and other 3,083 47 3,378 177
    Repayments of long-term debt, capital lease, and finance lease obligations (156 ) (104 ) (588 ) (444 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 3,166 (333 ) 2,259 (482 )
    Foreign-currency effect on cash and cash equivalents (61 ) (21 ) (29 ) 1
    Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 5,104 2,446 2,815 1,492
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD $ 8,084 $ 5,269 $ 8,084 $ 5,269
    SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
    Cash paid for interest on long-term debt $ 10 $ 4 $ 31 $ 14
    Cash paid for income taxes (net of refunds) 52 15 112 33
    Property and equipment acquired under capital leases 239 187 802 753
    Property and equipment acquired, net, under build-to-suit leases (17 ) 39 29 259
    AMAZON.COM, INC.
    Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (in millions, except per share data)
    Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
    December 31, December 31,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (unaudited)
    Net product sales (1) $ 18,147 $ 15,309 $ 51,733 $ 42,000
    Net services sales (2) 3,121 2,122 9,360 6,077
    Net sales 21,268 17,431 61,093 48,077
    Operating expenses (3):
    Cost of sales 16,136 13,830 45,971 37,288
    Fulfillment 2,258 1,659 6,419 4,576
    Marketing 851 593 2,408 1,630
    Technology and content 1,345 862 4,564 2,909
    General and administrative 235 184 896 658
    Other operating expense (income), net 38 43 159 154
    Total operating expenses 20,863 17,171 60,417 47,215
    Income from operations 405 260 676 862
    Interest income 9 14 40 61
    Interest expense (28 ) (20 ) (92 ) (65 )
    Other income (expense), net (49 ) 19 (80 ) 76
    Total non-operating income (expense) (68 ) 13 (132 ) 72
    Income before income taxes 337 273 544 934
    Provision for income taxes (194 ) (86 ) (428 ) (291 )
    Equity-method investment activity, net of tax (46 ) (10 ) (155 ) (12 )
    Net income (loss) $ 97 $ 177 $ (39 ) $ 631
    Basic earnings per share $ 0.21 $ 0.39 $ (0.09 ) $ 1.39
    Diluted earnings per share $ 0.21 $ 0.38 $ (0.09 ) $ 1.37
    Weighted average shares used in computation of earnings per share:
    Basic 454 455 453 453
    Diluted 461 462 453 461
    (1) Represents revenue from the sale of products and related shipping fees and digital content where we are the seller of record.
    (2) Represents third-party seller fees earned (including commissions) and related shipping fees, digital content subscriptions, and non-retail activities.
    (3) Includes stock-based compensation as follows:
    Fulfillment $ 62 $ 42 $ 212 $ 133
    Marketing 18 12 61 39
    Technology and content 124 80 434 292
    General and administrative 31 25 126 93
    AMAZON.COM, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
    (in millions)
    Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
    December 31, December 31,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (unaudited)
    Net income (loss) $ 97 $ 177 $ (39 ) $ 631
    Other comprehensive income (loss):
    Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax of $(12), $3, $(30), and $20 60 (77 ) 76 (123 )
    Net change in unrealized gains on available-for-sale securities:
    Unrealized gains (losses), net of tax of $1, $0, $(3), and $1 (1 ) 1 8 (1 )
    Reclassification adjustment for losses (gains) included in net income, net of tax effect of $0, $0, $3, and $1 (1 ) – (7 ) (2 )
    Net unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities (2 ) 1 1 (3 )
    Total other comprehensive income (loss) 58 (76 ) 77 (126 )
    Comprehensive income $ 155 $ 101 $ 38 $ 505
    AMAZON.COM, INC.
    Segment Information
    (in millions)
    Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
    December 31, December 31,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (unaudited)
    North America
    Net sales $ 12,175 $ 9,902 $ 34,813 $ 26,705
    Segment operating expenses (1) 11,567 9,617 33,221 25,772
    Segment operating income $ 608 $ 285 $ 1,592 $ 933
    International
    Net sales $ 9,093 $ 7,529 $ 26,280 $ 21,372
    Segment operating expenses (1) 9,023 7,352 26,204 20,732
    Segment operating income $ 70 $ 177 $ 76 $ 640
    Consolidated
    Net sales $ 21,268 $ 17,431 $ 61,093 $ 48,077
    Segment operating expenses (1) 20,590 16,969 59,425 46,504
    Segment operating income 678 462 1,668 1,573
    Stock-based compensation (235 ) (159 ) (833 ) (557 )
    Other operating income (expense), net (38 ) (43 ) (159 ) (154 )
    Income from operations 405 260 676 862
    Total non-operating income (expense) (68 ) 13 (132 ) 72
    Provision for income taxes (194 ) (86 ) (428 ) (291 )
    Equity-method investment activity, net of tax (46 ) (10 ) (155 ) (12 )
    Net income (loss) $ 97 $ 177 $ (39 ) $ 631
    Segment Highlights:
    Y/Y net sales growth:
    North America 23 % 37 % 30 % 43 %
    International 21 31 23 38
    Consolidated 22 35 27 41
    Y/Y segment operating income growth (decline):
    North America 114 % (4 ) % 71 % (2 ) %
    International (61 ) (46 ) (88 ) (35 )
    Consolidated 47 (26 ) 6 (19 )
    Net sales mix:
    North America 57 % 57 % 57 % 56 %
    International 43 43 43 44
    100 % 100 % 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)
    Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
    December 31, December 31,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (unaudited)
    North America
    Media $ 2,903 $ 2,562 $ 9,189 $ 7,959
    Electronics and other general merchandise 8,503 6,881 23,273 17,315
    Other (1) 769 459 2,351 1,431
    Total North America $ 12,175 $ 9,902 $ 34,813 $ 26,705
    International
    Media $ 3,611 $ 3,447 $ 10,753 $ 9,820
    Electronics and other general merchandise 5,431 4,032 15,355 11,397
    Other (1) 51 50 172 155
    Total International $ 9,093 $ 7,529 $ 26,280 $ 21,372
    Consolidated
    Media $ 6,514 $ 6,009 $ 19,942 $ 17,779
    Electronics and other general merchandise 13,934 10,913 38,628 28,712
    Other (1) 820 509 2,523 1,586
    Total Consolidated $ 21,268 $ 17,431 $ 61,093 $ 48,077
    Y/Y Net Sales Growth:
    North America:
    Media 13 % 8 % 15 % 16 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise 24 51 34 57
    Other 68 62 64 73
    Total North America 23 37 30 43
    International:
    Media 5 % 20 % 9 % 23 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise 35 42 35 55
    Other 4 32 11 24
    Total International 21 31 23 38
    Consolidated:
    Media 8 % 15 % 12 % 19 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise 28 48 35 56
    Other 61 58 59 66
    Total Consolidated 22 35 27 41
    Y/Y Net Sales Growth Excluding Effect of Exchange Rates:
    International:
    Media 7 % 18 % 12 % 16 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise 37 41 40 47
    Other 5 31 15 18
    Total International 23 29 27 31
    Consolidated:
    Media 10 % 14 % 14 % 16 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise 29 47 36 53
    Other 61 58 59 66
    Total Consolidated 23 34 29 37
    Consolidated Net Sales Mix:
    Media 31 % 34 % 33 % 37 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise 65 63 63 60
    Other 4 3 4 3
    100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %
    (1) Includes sales from non-retail activities, such as AWS in the North America segment, advertising services, and our co-branded credit card agreements in both segments.
    AMAZON.COM, INC.
    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (in millions, except per share data)
    December 31, December 31,
    2012 2011
    ASSETS
    Current assets:
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 8,084 $ 5,269
    Marketable securities 3,364 4,307
    Inventories 6,031 4,992
    Accounts receivable, net and other 3,364 2,571
    Deferred tax assets 453 351
    Total current assets 21,296 17,490
    Property and equipment, net 7,060 4,417
    Deferred tax assets 123 28
    Goodwill 2,552 1,955
    Other assets 1,524 1,388
    Total assets $ 32,555 $ 25,278
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
    Current liabilities:
    Accounts payable $ 13,318 $ 11,145
    Accrued expenses and other 5,684 3,751
    Total current liabilities 19,002 14,896
    Long-term debt 3,084 255
    Other long-term liabilities 2,277 2,370
    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 — 478 and 473
    Outstanding shares — 454 and 455 5 5
    Treasury stock, at cost (1,837 ) (877 )
    Additional paid-in capital 8,347 6,990
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss (239 ) (316 )
    Retained earnings 1,916 1,955
    Total stockholders’ equity 8,192 7,757
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 32,555 $ 25,278
    AMAZON.COM, INC.
    Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics
    (in millions, except per share data)
    (unaudited)
    Y/Y %
    Q4 2011 Q1 2012 Q2 2012 Q3 2012 Q4 2012 Change
    Cash Flows and Shares
    Operating cash flow — trailing twelve months (TTM) $ 3,903 $ 3,051 $ 3,222 $ 3,368 $ 4,180 7 %
    Purchases of property and equipment (incl. internal-use software & website development) — TTM $ 1,811 $ 1,899 $ 2,123 $ 2,310 $ 3,785 109 %
    Free cash flow (operating cash flow less purchases of property and equipment) — TTM $ 2,092 $ 1,152 $ 1,099 $ 1,058 $ 395 (81 %)
    Free cash flow — TTM Y/Y growth (decline) (17 %) (39 %) (40 %) (31 %) (81 %) N/A
    Invested capital (1) $ 9,680 $ 10,006 $ 10,250 $ 10,392 $ 11,181 16 %
    Return on invested capital (2) 22 % 12 % 11 % 10 % 4 % N/A
    Common shares and stock-based awards outstanding 468 464 468 469 470 0 %
    Common shares outstanding 455 450 452 453 454 0 %
    Stock-based awards outstanding 14 13 16 16 16 17 %
    Stock-based awards outstanding — % of common shares outstanding 3.0 % 2.9 % 3.6 % 3.6 % 3.5 % N/A
    Results of Operations
    Worldwide (WW) net sales $ 17,431 $ 13,185 $ 12,834 $ 13,806 $ 21,268 22 %
    WW net sales — Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 34 % 34 % 32 % 30 % 23 % N/A
    WW net sales — TTM $ 48,077 $ 51,404 $ 54,325 $ 57,256 $ 61,093 27 %
    WW net sales — TTM Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 37 % 37 % 35 % 33 % 29 % N/A
    Operating income (loss) $ 260 $ 192 $ 107 $ (28 ) $ 405 56 %
    Operating income — Y/Y growth (decline), excluding F/X (48 %) (38 %) (34 %) (137 %) 59 % N/A
    Operating margin — % of WW net sales 1.5 % 1.5 % 0.8 % (0.2 %) 1.9 % N/A
    Operating income — TTM $ 862 $ 732 $ 637 $ 531 $ 676 (22 %)
    Operating income — TTM Y/Y growth (decline), excluding F/X (44 %) (50 %) (50 %) (48 %) (15 %) N/A
    Operating margin — TTM % of WW net sales 1.8 % 1.4 % 1.2 % 0.9 % 1.1 % N/A
    Net income (loss) $ 177 $ 130 $ 7 $ (274 ) $ 97 (45 %)
    Net income (loss) per diluted share $ 0.38 $ 0.28 $ 0.01 $ (0.60 ) $ 0.21 (45 %)
    Net income (loss) — TTM $ 631 $ 561 $ 377 $ 40 $ (39 ) (106 %)
    Net income (loss) per diluted share — TTM $ 1.37 $ 1.22 $ 0.82 $ 0.09 $ (0.09 ) (106 %)
    Segments
    North America Segment:
    Net sales $ 9,902 $ 7,427 $ 7,326 $ 7,884 $ 12,175 23 %
    Net sales — Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 37 % 36 % 36 % 33 % 23 % N/A
    Net sales — TTM $ 26,705 $ 28,667 $ 30,587 $ 32,540 $ 34,813 30 %
    Operating income $ 285 $ 349 $ 344 $ 291 $ 608 114 %
    Operating margin — % of North America net sales 2.9 % 4.7 % 4.7 % 3.7 % 5.0 % N/A
    Operating income — TTM $ 933 $ 991 $ 1,120 $ 1,268 $ 1,592 71 %
    Operating income — TTM Y/Y growth (decline), excluding F/X (2 %) 2 % 14 % 34 % 71 % N/A
    Operating margin — TTM % of North America net sales 3.5 % 3.5 % 3.7 % 3.9 % 4.6 % N/A
    International Segment:
    Net sales $ 7,529 $ 5,758 $ 5,508 $ 5,922 $ 9,093 21 %
    Net sales — Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 29 % 32 % 28 % 27 % 23 % N/A
    Net sales — TTM $ 21,372 $ 22,737 $ 23,738 $ 24,716 $ 26,280 23 %
    Net sales — TTM % of WW net sales 44 % 44 % 44 % 43 % 43 % N/A
    Operating income (loss) $ 177 $ 49 $ 16 $ (59 ) $ 70 (61 %)
    Operating margin — % of International net sales 2.4 % 0.9 % 0.3 % (1.0 %) 0.8 % N/A
    Operating income — TTM $ 640 $ 515 $ 359 $ 183 $ 76 (88 %)
    Operating income — TTM Y/Y growth (decline), excluding F/X (41 %) (49 %) (57 %) (68 %) (77 %) N/A
    Operating margin — TTM % of International net sales 3.0 % 2.3 % 1.5 % 0.7 % 0.3 % N/A
    Consolidated Segments:
    Operating expenses (3) $ 16,969 $ 12,787 $ 12,474 $ 13,574 $ 20,590 21 %
    Operating expenses — TTM (3) $ 46,504 $ 49,899 $ 52,846 $ 55,805 $ 59,425 28 %
    Operating income $ 462 $ 398 $ 360 $ 232 $ 678 47 %
    Operating margin — % of Consolidated sales 2.7 % 3.0 % 2.8 % 1.7 % 3.2 % N/A
    Operating income — TTM $ 1,573 $ 1,505 $ 1,480 $ 1,451 $ 1,668 6 %
    Operating income — TTM Y/Y growth (decline), excluding F/X (21 %) (22 %) (21 %) (15 %) 7 % N/A
    Operating margin — TTM % of Consolidated net sales 3.3 % 2.9 % 2.7 % 2.5 % 2.7 % N/A
    AMAZON.COM, INC.
    Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics
    (in millions, except inventory turnover, accounts payable days and employee data)
    (unaudited)
    Y/Y %
    Q4 2011 Q1 2012 Q2 2012 Q3 2012 Q4 2012 Change
    Supplemental
    Supplemental North America Segment Net Sales:
    Media $ 2,562 $ 2,197 $ 1,874 $ 2,215 $ 2,903 13 %
    Media — Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 8 % 17 % 18 % 15 % 13 % N/A
    Media — TTM $ 7,959 $ 8,270 $ 8,559 $ 8,847 $ 9,189 15 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise $ 6,881 $ 4,772 $ 4,937 $ 5,061 $ 8,503 24 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise — Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 51 % 44 % 41 % 39 % 24 % N/A
    Electronics and other general merchandise — TTM $ 17,315 $ 18,784 $ 20,226 $ 21,652 $ 23,273 34 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise — TTM % of North America net sales 65 % 66 % 66 % 67 % 67 % N/A
    Other $ 459 $ 458 $ 515 $ 608 $ 769 68 %
    Other — TTM $ 1,431 $ 1,613 $ 1,802 $ 2,041 $ 2,351 64 %
    Supplemental International Segment Net Sales:
    Media $ 3,447 $ 2,513 $ 2,245 $ 2,385 $ 3,611 5 %
    Media — Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 18 % 22 % 12 % 12 % 7 % N/A
    Media — TTM $ 9,820 $ 10,261 $ 10,431 $ 10,590 $ 10,753 9 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise $ 4,032 $ 3,203 $ 3,224 $ 3,497 $ 5,431 35 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise — Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 41 % 42 % 42 % 39 % 37 % N/A
    Electronics and other general merchandise — TTM $ 11,397 $ 12,314 $ 13,139 $ 13,956 $ 15,355 35 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise — TTM % of International net sales 53 % 54 % 55 % 56 % 58 % N/A
    Other $ 50 $ 42 $ 39 $ 40 $ 51 4 %
    Other — TTM $ 155 $ 162 $ 168 $ 170 $ 172 11 %
    Supplemental Worldwide Net Sales:
    Media $ 6,009 $ 4,710 $ 4,119 $ 4,600 $ 6,514 8 %
    Media — Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 14 % 19 % 15 % 14 % 10 % N/A
    Media — TTM $ 17,779 $ 18,531 $ 18,990 $ 19,437 $ 19,942 12 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise $ 10,913 $ 7,975 $ 8,161 $ 8,558 $ 13,934 28 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise — Y/Y growth, excluding F/X 47 % 43 % 42 % 39 % 29 % N/A
    Electronics and other general merchandise — TTM $ 28,712 $ 31,098 $ 33,365 $ 35,608 $ 38,628 35 %
    Electronics and other general merchandise — TTM % of WW net sales 60 % 60 % 61 % 62 % 63 % N/A
    Other $ 509 $ 500 $ 554 $ 648 $ 820 61 %
    Other — TTM $ 1,586 $ 1,775 $ 1,970 $ 2,211 $ 2,523 59 %
    Balance Sheet
    Cash and marketable securities $ 9,576 $ 5,715 $ 4,970 $ 5,248 $ 11,448 20 %
    Inventory, net — ending $ 4,992 $ 4,255 $ 4,380 $ 5,065 $ 6,031 21 %
    Inventory turnover, average — TTM 10.3 10.4 10.1 9.7 9.3 (10 %)
    Fixed assets, net $ 4,417 $ 4,653 $ 5,097 $ 5,662 $ 7,060 60 %
    Accounts payable — ending $ 11,145 $ 6,886 $ 7,072 $ 8,369 $ 13,318 20 %
    Accounts payable days — ending 74 62 68 75 76 2 %
    Other
    WW shipping revenue $ 531 $ 461 $ 469 $ 517 $ 832 57 %
    WW shipping costs $ 1,466 $ 1,129 $ 1,054 $ 1,153 $ 1,798 23 %
    WW net shipping costs $ 935 $ 668 $ 585 $ 636 $ 966 3 %
    WW net shipping costs — % of WW net sales 5.4 % 5.1 % 4.6 % 4.6 % 4.5 % N/A
    Employees (full-time and part-time; excludes contractors & temporary personnel) 56,200 65,600 69,100 81,400 88,400 57 %
    (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.

    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 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. 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 domains worldwide – … – as well as Amazon-owned items sold through non-Amazon domains. Units sold are paid units and do not include units associated with certain acquisitions, rental businesses, web services or advertising businesses, or Amazon gift certificates.

     

  • Image Search Changes Google Said Would Be Good For Webmasters Might Be Hurting Some Sites

    Last week, Google announced a new design for its Image Search. It’s been rolling out, so maybe you have it by now. One thing that was interesting about this particular launch is that Google made a major point of talking about how good it was going to be for webmasters. They even made the announcement on the Google Webmaster Central blog.

    Google implied that the changes would be good for webmasters in terms of increasing traffic to their sites.

    “The domain name is now clickable, and we also added a new button to visit the page the image is hosted on,” said associate product manager Hongyi Li. “This means that there are now four clickable targets to the source page instead of just two. In our tests, we’ve seen a net increase in the average click-through rate to the hosting website.”

    Of course, that doesn’t mean that this will be the case for everyone, but that’s the kind of thing you want to hear, if they’re going to talk about the effects the changes have had on sites in internal testing.

    Some sites, however, appear to be experiencing quite the opposite. Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable has been monitoring the forums as usual, and has seen webmasters complaining about “significant” decreases in traffic. He points to threads in both WebmasterWorld and DigitalPoint.

    It’s hard to see why the changes would have a negative effect on traffic based on the layout. As Google notes, there are now more clickable targets to get to your pages. It seems like a shuffle in rankings would be a more likley culprit.

    Have you seen a dramatic difference in traffic coming from Google Image Searches for better or for worse?

    On a somewhat related note, Google has been rolling out its recent SafeSearch changes to more countries, and that may be having a direct affect on some businesses. One WebProNews reader, who says they work in adult business, says the change affects their sales and research. More on all of that here.

  • Another Great Report For Google Product Listing Ads

    Google Shopping is turning out to be a hit for Google and for advertisers, it seems. We keep seeing report after report come out with nothing but positive data.

    Earlier this month, we looked at data from Kenshoo indicating that Google’s Product Listing Ads (on which Google Shopping is based) are proving way more effective than text ads. Not long after that, we spoke with Adobe, who shared some similar findings.

    Today, a report from Wired discusses data from Marin Software finding that advertisers managing $4 billion annually in ad campaigns spent 600% more on Google PLAs after Google’s transition to Google Shopping in October, and that the PLAs were generating 210% higher clickthrough rates than the text ads from the previous year.

    Google PLAs - Marin Software

    On a semi-related note, Google recently launched a beta for Google Shopping For Suppliers for B2B-specific searches, though currently, it only includes electrical and electronic results.

    [image via Wired]

  • Quora Optimizes Android App For Tablets

    Quora announced today that it has optimized its Android app for the tablet experience.

    “More and more, people read and write on Quora while on-the-go. Many people also love using tablets, making a unique Quora experience for tablets one of our most popular requests,” the company says in a blog post.

    The design makes use of a split panel to take advantage of landscape view:

    Quora for Android tablets

    Quora for Tablets

    Quora for tablets

    The app also comes with improves search functionality, and makes use of the service’s new blogs feature. The feature debuted with support for iOS. They didn’t waste too much time getting it out to the important Android market as well.

    The updated Android app also comes with some speed and performance enhancements.

    You can find it in Google Play here.

  • Google Shopping For Suppliers Is A B2B Google Shopping

    Update: Google did return a comment, though not much in the way of additional details:

    Google Shopping for Suppliers is a beta that helps users searching for B2B products to quickly find what they’re looking for, evaluate options and connect with suppliers to make their purchases.

    Google has launched a product called Google Shopping For Suppliers in beta. It requires listings to be in US dollars by default (though a few European sites have already picked up on the launch), and adheres to the same policies as Google Shopping, but with a handful of exceptions.

    For example, most Pricing and Payments policies for Google Shopping don’t apply, because, as Google notes in a help center article, suppliers and buyers frequently negotiate their price based on item quantity. The same goes for shipping policies.

    “Given that tax requirements vary by buyer’s country and buyers may come from any location, tax practices are not governed by Google policy,” Google also notes. “Suppliers and buyers are expected to abide by local law.”

    Additionally, Google doesn’t require suppliers to post return/refund policies on their sites, which is a departure from Google Shopping’s terms, though it does maintain a requirement that suppliers “conspicuously” post terms for returns/refunds in their Google Shopping for Suppliers listings.

    Finally, Google Shopping For Suppliers doesn’t rely on Google Merchant Center technology.

    The full policies for Google Shopping For Suppliers can be found here.

    So far, the product only returns results for electrical and electronic products, but Google says to check back soon for more product types. It’s easy to imagine a large pool of B2B products populating the results in time.

    It looks like all the merchants that are listed come with the “Google Verified Supplier” label.

    Google Suppliers

    Andrew Davis makes a few additional observations:

    – $1000 yearly verification fee required for American suppliers, Chinese suppliers need to pay ￥6000 (plus 6% VAT) / year, Hong Kong suppliers need to pay $7500 / year.

    – It looks like Google has not made this a CPC engine yet and after you submit your verification fee you should be able to sell your products in bulk.

    – It looks like the data feed requirements are very different than that for Google Shopping. Make sure you take a close look at them. Namely Price, Shipping, Tax, and Returns and Refunds policies have changed.

    Considering how well Google Shopping has been doing for Google, this could turn out to be an important product for the company in capturing B2B ad dollars.

    We’ve reached out to Google for more details.

    [Thanks to Andrew Davis for the tip]

  • Rdio Extends Free Music Streaming To 15 Countries

    Rdio announced today that it is expanding its free music streaming web service, which has been available in the U.S. since 2011, to 15 countries. The offering is now available in the following countries:

    • United States
    • United Kingdom
    • Australia
    • Belgium
    • Canada
    • Denmark
    • Estonia
    • Finland
    • France
    • Netherlands
    • New Zealand
    • Norway
    • Portugal
    • Spain
    • Sweden

    Users can listen to free music for up to six months, depending on how many songs they stream. It’s available through the web or via the company’s desktop apps for Mac and Windows.

    Last year Rdio launched a big revamp with drag and drop playlist creation, more personalization features, and the ability to create private playlists.