Amazon.com

About: Amazon.com is a company organization based out in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Computer science & Service (business). The organization has 13363 authors who have published 17317 publications receiving 266589 citations.

Optimizing content management

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring the performance associated with fulfilling resource requests and determining optimizations for improving such performance are provided. A processing device obtains and processes performance metric information associated with processing a request for an original resource and any embedded resource. The processing device uses the processed performance metric information to determine a CDN service provider for alternatively hosting at least a portion of the original resource and/or any embedded resources. In some embodiments, in making such a determination, the processing device assesses performance metric information collected and associated with subsequent resource requests for the original resource and any embedded resources using each of a variety of alternative CDN service providers. Aspects of systems and methods for generating recommendations associated with monitoring the operation and performance of CDN service providers with respect to specific resource requests are also provided.

Computer services for identifying and exposing associations between user communities and items in a catalog

Abstract: A computer-implemented service associated with an electronic catalog analyzes purchase histories of users, and/or other types of activity data reflective of user affinities for specific items, to identify items that are significantly more popular in specific user communities than in a general user population. The communities may, for example, include email-based communities (e.g., all users with email addresses associated with a particular company), shipping address based communities (e.g., all users with shipping addresses in Seattle), and/or communities based on other types of user attributes. In one embodiment, a user of the service can select a particular community, such as by selecting the name of a corresponding organization or geographic region, to view a list of items having relatively high popularity levels therein. The results of the analysis may additionally or alternatively be used to affirmatively notify users of associations between particular items and communities, and/or to recommend items to users.

Consumers' Use of Debit Cards: Patterns, Preferences, and Price Response

Abstract: Debit card use at the point of sale has grown dramatically in recent years in the United States and now exceeds the number of credit card transactions. However, many questions remain regarding patterns of debit card use, consumer preferences when using debit, and how consumers might respond to explicit pricing of card transactions. Using a new nationally representative consumer survey, this paper describes the current use of debit cards by U.S. consumers, including how demographics affect use. In addition, consumers' stated reasons for using debit cards are used to analyze how consumers substitute between debit and other payment instruments. We also examine the relationship between household financial conditions and payment choice. Finally, we use a key variable on bank-imposed transaction fees to analyze price sensitivity of card use, and find a 12% decline in overall use in reaction to a mean 1.8% fee charged on certain debit card transactions; we believe this represents the first microeconomic evidence in the United States on price sensitivity for a card payment at the point of sale.

Page turner for handheld electronic book reader device

Abstract: A page turner is provided for a handheld electronic book reader device. The page turner is configured to detect a human gesture to turn a page in an electronic book that is being displayed by the device. In one implementation, the page turner is configured as a page turning mechanism having at least one tactile member (e.g., ridge, indentation, etc.) and at least one sensor positioned proximate to the tactile member to detect gesture proximity. The tactile member provides tactile feedback as the user passes a finger over the mechanism to simulate a riffle sensation akin to flipping through paper pages in a paperback book. In certain implementations, the eBook reader device has a non-symmetrical shape with a dual display system and QWERTY keyboard.