crosscut.com : Amazon

My word of mouth on Kindle

Crosscut — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:00:01 PDT

A veteran author and book lover gives props to Kindle, despite Amazon's lack of advertising for the electronic reading device.

Seattle and the elixir of growth

Crosscut — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:00:01 PDT

In some moods, I think that Seattle's business renaissance has peaked. Starbucks is contracting, Microsoft is stumbling, Boeing is losing bids, Safeco is sold, and Washington Mutual is sinking. Has our formula of rapid growth spreading across the globe run into the wall?

But then I look at the front page of today's "Marketplace" section of The Wall Street Journal, where three of the four stories are about Seattle-based companies. There's the story of Microsoft's scramble in the executive suite, with the sudden departure of Kevin Johnson, formerly in charge of the Yahoo merger campaign; Costco reporting an earnings squeeze as the prices for merchandise are rising faster than they can pass along costs to its value-seeking customers; and Amazon doubling its second-quarter profits as customers shift from shopping by car to shopping by online.

A writer's weekend: The case of the iffy stiffy

Crosscut — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:00:01 PDT

Sex, struggle, and the future of reading are fodder for famous writers at a Bainbridge conference.

What made the Seattle style of business a success

Crosscut — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:00:01 PDT

As civic icons like Safeco drift away from their Puget Sound roots, here's a look at the components of a Seattle way of doing business that built up such brands. The key was motivated employees. The poison was rapid growth.

What gives Seattle so much global sizzle?

Crosscut — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:01 PST

An article in the February 19 Singapore Straits Times (registration required) makes the striking observation that Seattle alone has produced approximately the same number of leading global brands as the combined population (3 billion) of Asia. On the Seattle list are: Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Boeing, UPS, Nordstrom, Washington Mutual, Costco, and Safeco. The list from Asia (excluding Japan) is: Singapore Airlines, Lenovo, Samsung, Hundai, San Miguel, Arcelor-Mittal, Oberio, Cathay Pacific, Acer, and Thai Airways.

We are not 'the next Silicon Valley'

Crosscut — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:00:01 PST

Nor should we be. An expert on the original high-tech nexus explains why all these technology clusters are unique and not able to be imitated. Instead, Seattle should build on its local strengths while remaining a key part of the global network of technology industries.

Anatomy of a one-party state

Crosscut — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:00:01 PST

In Washington, the Democrats are "routing" Republicans in money, recruitment, and centrist ideology, so much so that GOP defector Fred Jarrett says his former party has positioned itself outside the "governing coalition."

Seattle's 'Amazone' and why it went unreported so long

Crosscut — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 10:48:01 PST

One of the curious aspects of the story about Amazon's move to a multi-block campus at South Lake Union is why the story, reported here on Oct. 1 and in the Daily Journal of Commerce just before, took so long to become public. One obvious reason is that three of the most secretive institutions in town (Amazon; Vulcan, the real estate developer; and Mayor Greg Nickels dealmaking shop) wanted it that way and are powerful enough to make that stick.

Amazon joins a parade of high tech to the urban core

Crosscut — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 05:00:01 PST

The New Economy started in the suburbs, but the new trend is back to urban neighborhoods. Amazon is a good match for South Lake Union, but the danger is that it could be too big, with too few small companies clustering around.

A proposal: Combine South Lake Union with the University District

Crosscut — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:00:01 PST

Amazon and Vulcan are ensnared in a familiar mayor-City Council tussle over developer concessions. One way to resolve these problems would be to enlarge South Lake Union and the University District into a large, vibrant, research-based area with its own distinctive flavor and zoning rules.

Kindle catches fire and flak in the blogosphere

Crosscut — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 22:46:01 PST

Now that the hype has subsided, what is Kindle? It's too expensive (Wall Street Journal). Yet it sold out immediately. No it didn't, it can't be selling well at all (Motley Fool) and the price will plummet. It's really ugly but it has a lot of potential (ZDNet). Hardly anyone has one yet but the consumer ratings on Amazon's own site say it sucks.

Kindle: Here's what it looks like

Crosscut — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:26:01 PST

Don't know where they got it, but here's the image Wired and others are offering as a photograph of Kindle, Amazon's electronic book, which is to be announced today. That number in the upper-right corner is the phone extension of the Amazon employee who'll be fired today for leaking it ... Update: Now on sale, with more images at the Amazon Web site.

Amazon plans a headquarters move to South Lake Union

Crosscut — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 05:00:01 PDT

The company is in talks to lease buildings on three blocks of land alongside the new streetcar line. Over time, the plan goes, the company would consolidate operations on a single campus there.

Just another metropolis

Crosscut — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:00:01 PDT

There remain only hints of Seattle's scrappy, provincial heritage of fish, timber, and frontier commerce — of even the sonic and binary booms that propelled the modern city to greatness. Seattle no longer feels unique.