Shelly Palmer Radio Report – February 11, 2013

Starting in May, Kindle Fire users are going to have a new way to purchase content. Amazon Coins, announced last week, are a new virtual currency for U.S. customers to use to buy apps, games and in-app items on Kindle Fires. The Coins system seems to be bucking a trend, as similar payment methods in the tech world are being eliminated, not created. Facebook introduced Facebook Credits in 2011, only to eliminate the system a year and a half later. Microsoft seems to be doing the same thing with its Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360. But for Amazon, it hopes the Coins system will get Kindle owners excited about buying more apps.  As an incentive, Amazon will give away tens of millions of dollars in Coins to existing Kindle Fire owners when the program launches. Are Coins really going to make you a loyal Amazon customer, or will they just annoy you?

Author:

Shelly Palmer

Shelly Palmer is Fox 5 New York's On-air Tech Expert (WNYW-TV) and the host of Fox Television's monthly show Shelly Palmer Digital Living. He also hosts United Stations Radio Network's, Shelly Palmer Digital Living Daily, a daily syndicated radio report that features insightful commentary and a unique insiders take on the biggest stories in technology, media, and entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group, LLC an industry-leading advisory and business development firm and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards).