Amazon.com
Amazon Studios' first big show is no 'House of Cards'
April 19, 2013: 2:43 PM ETThe first crop of fresh, original content from Amazon's Hollywood arm is now ready-to-stream. But are the shows any good?
FORTUNE -- Amazon Studios has been busy.
Today, Jeff Bezos's nascent TV and feature film studio, which lets the public evaluate and comment on scripts online, went live with eight adult comedy and six children's pilots on Amazon (AMZN) Instant Video and Prime Instant Video in the U.S. and the Amazon-owned Lovefilm service in the U.K. It's the first big wave of fresh original content from Amazon Studios, launched over two years ago.
Amazon's crowdsourcing approach is intended to be a more efficient way to make films and shows. Whereas traditional media companies will front tens of millions of dollars and receive feedback once a film is shot and done, Amazon Studios allows for feedback at almost every step of the creative process. That's far more cost-effective, explained Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, to Fortune last November. "By and large, your $80 million is out the door. You're certainly not going to be able to unmake the movie and go make a different movie that people want to see."
The most high-profile of Amazon's crop of pilots is Zombieland, a TV series treatment of the well-received 2009 dark comedy with Emma Stone and The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg. Series writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are back, but the original cast isn't. Some on the Internet are already knocking the show -- for the cast changes and its low-budget look -- based on the 50-second trailer and the pilot, which was made briefly available earlier this week before resurfacing again today.
But don't take the Internet's word for it. You can watch Zombieland for free, along with the 13 other pilots, at amazonoriginals.com.
Zombieland TV series trailer
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Today in Tech: Music streaming service Rdio launches video site
Also: A new Nexus 7 tablet coming this July?
This morning, the music streaming startup Rdio announced Vdio, a video companion service that will let Rdio Unlimited subscribers buy, rent, and share new and old movies and TV shows. [RDIO]
The first thing you'll notice about Vdio is that it's designed to solve the "what to watch" problem. It's not just that we've got amazing content, but that the experience is now MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer - Apr 3, 2013 12:53 PM ET -
Amazon's recommendation secret
Much is made of what the likes of Facebook, Google and Apple know about users. Truth is, Amazon may know more. And the massive retailer proves it every day.
FORTUNE -- When Amazon recommends a product on its site, it is clearly not a coincidence.
At root, the retail giant's recommendation system is based on a number of simple elements: what a user has bought in the past, which items they have MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer - Jul 30, 2012 7:09 AM ET -
What will happen to Amazon's massive cloud business?
The Seattle tech giant's AWS has midwifed some of the world's most popular startups. That could put it on a collision course with Amazon's mainline business.
FORTUNE -- When Amazon Web Services emerged in 2006, it was questioned far and wide. What, exactly, was the online mega-retailer doing dabbling in web infrastructure?
The move to provide services that have widely become known as cloud computing even puzzled some inside the company. "It MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer - May 22, 2012 11:17 AM ET -
Today in Tech: The lost 'Google phone'
Fortune's curated selection of tech stories from the last 24 hours. Sign up to get the round-up delivered to you each and every day.
* Google (GOOG) is seeking partnerships with automakers to eventually bring its self-driving car technology to real-world drivers. Though, the company still needs to conduct "millions of miles" of testing, and it may take another decade to bring to market. (The Wall Street Journal)
* One good thing to come out of MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer - Apr 26, 2012 3:30 AM ET -
Today in Tech: Will Google's Dropbox rival launch next week?
Fortune's curated selection of tech stories from the last 24 hours. Sign up to get the round-up delivered to you each and every day.
* Research in Motion (RIMM) is reportedly seeking a financial advisor to help the ailing handset maker weigh strategic options. One analyst suggestion? License out the BlackBerry operating system to a company like Samsung. Also: A look at RIM's only (and lonely) BlackBerry story. (Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal)
* Hulu MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer - Apr 17, 2012 3:30 AM ETPosted in: Amazon.com, Android, Apple, BlackBerry, Dropbox, Google, iOS, iPhone, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, Windows 8 -
Today in Tech: Is Path worth $250 million?
Fortune's curated selection of tech stories from the weekend. Sign up to get the round-up delivered to you each and every day.
* Sony (SNE) hasn't had a hit product in years, and expects to lose $6.4 billion this year alone. The New York Times offers an excellent look at Japanese giant's fall from grace. (The New York Times)
* Google (GOOG) co-founder Sergey Brin believes the Internet's underlying principles -- openness and universal access -- are being threatened MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer - Apr 16, 2012 11:16 AM ET -
Today in Tech: Sony firing 10,000 workers in major restructuring effort
Fortune's curated selection of tech stories from the last 24 hours. Sign up to get the round-up delivered to you each and every day.
* It's confirmed: As part of a $926 million restructuring effort, Sony (SNE) will lay off 10,000 employees by the end of March 2013. The struggling Japanese electronics giant also explained its plans to focus on core businesses like gaming, digital imaging, and mobile, as well as hopes of turning around MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer - Apr 12, 2012 11:00 AM ET -
Today in Tech: Yahoo restructures
Fortune's curated selection of tech stories from the last 24 hours. Sign up to get the round-up delivered to you each and every day.
* Yahoo (YHOO) is indeed restructuring into three distinct areas: Consumer, Regions, and Technology. (All Things D)
* In light of Instagram's $1 billion buyout by Facebook, a look at 30 of the most notable tech acquisitions from the last decade. (Wired)
* Amazon (AMZN) finally rolled out its in-app purchasing service, which MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer - Apr 11, 2012 7:45 AM ET -
Today in Tech: Will Sony lay off thousands of employees?
Fortune's curated selection of tech stories from the weekend. Sign up to get the round-up delivered to you each and every day. * Just who exactly is new Research in Motion (RIMM) CEO Thorsten Heins, and how does he intend to turn around the struggling smartphone company? An inside look. (Bloomberg Businessweek) * Sony (SNE) reportedly plans to eliminate 10,000 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, as early as December reports Nikkei. (Nikkei via Reuters) * IBM's MORE
JP Mangalindan, Writer - Apr 9, 2012 3:30 AM ET
