Posts in April 22, 2014

When a company sends you a tablet buried under a half foot of sopping-wet turf, you can be reasonably sure that the hardware's going to be sturdier than your average kit. Xplore Technologies makes computing devices for the harshest of environments,... -- For more information read the original article here.

There's a new $500 million pool of potential capital floating around earmarked for the creation of over-the-top video services, thanks to AT&T and Chernin Group, who have collaborated on the new venture (via GigaOM). The team-up aims to pool resources from the two companies to “acquire, invest in and launch” OTT video services, including subscription VOD businesses that… Read More -- For more information read the original article here.

Amazon's sales are taking a hit in states that have recently started making it pay taxes.

New research out of Ohio State University found Amazon shoppers reduced their spending by 10% in states where the company has had to start charging sales tax. Purchases of more than $300 also fell by 24%, according to the study, which we found on Bloomberg.

More states have started to push to collect taxes on Internet purchases, in an effort to treat online and offline retailers equally and, often, to make more revenue to cover budget shortfalls.

Amazon has fought these rulings, and instead supports federal legislation that would let states require sales tax from all e-commerce sites above a certain size. That makes sense, because Amazon's loss of sales led to a 20% increase for competing online retailers. If Amazon has to collect taxes, other large e-commerce sites should have to too, the company argues.

The study also revealed though that the introduction of taxes led to a 61% increase in spending for expensive products on Amazon Marketplace. On Marketplace, merchants pay Amazon a fee to offer products through its website, but don't have to collect taxes. Indirectly, Amazon still benefits, even if it's not selling its own products. Brick-and-mortar retailers, on the other hand, only saw a 2% boost in purchases in states with an online sales tax.

SEE ALSO: What Happened To 7 Of The Earliest Employees Who Launched Amazon

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With a new camera called the Illum, a DSLR-style shooter with an 8X optical zoom and high-speed, sports-worthy shutter, Lytro is hoping to tap into the creative professional market.






-- For more information read the original article here.

Despite suggestions that NFC payments were too slow, London's Tube and bus networks appear ready once again for some contactless disruption. According to the Financial Times, both EE and Vodafone have engaged in talks with Transport for London (TfL)... -- For more information read the original article here.

Originally created way back in 2007 by Eiko Ishizawa as a sort of homage to a bear that was killed after wandering from the Italian side of the Alps to the Bavarian, this plush bearskin sleeping bag is finally available for purchase on a made-to-order basis.

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-- For more information read the original article here.