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Also: the best books coming out this week; Mindy Kaling is writing another memoir; and Francine Prose explores dreams in literature.
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For the first time, Apple's iPad has some competition: Google's Nexus, Amazon's Kindle Fire HD and the Microsoft Surface. Tech reporters Steve Henn and Laura Sydell have been testing out the latest tablets this holiday season — and found that content is king.
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Amazon is expanding its top 100 lists to rank writers, not just books. The new list features a funky mix of authors, from big names to children's classics to Ayn Rand. Essayist Amanda Katz wonders whether the list is silly, useful, a play for world domination, or possibly all three?
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The cloud's vast computing power is making it easier and less expensive for companies and clinicians to discover new drugs and new medical treatments. Analyzing data that used to take years and tens of millions of dollars can now be done for a fraction of that amount.
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The group is set to lobby lawmakers on issues of privacy and piracy.
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Starting Saturday, California shoppers will begin paying sales tax on more online purchases. It's the eighth state to pass a so-called "Amazon tax," named after the mega e-tailer. But most of the sales tax owed will remain uncollected.
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The new Amazon Kindles are faster, less expensive and are aimed squarely at the youngest members of a family. The least expensive model will sell for $69. The Kindle Fire comes with parental controls For instance, you can set a time limit on games or movies but let your kids read as much as they want.
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It's a mobile gadget lover's dream week. Nokia, Microsoft and Google's Motorola introduce new smartphones. Amazon will show off a new Kindle. And all these companies are positioning themselves in advance of Apple's new iPhone 5, which comes out next week.
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Subscription-based business models are nothing new. But right now, e-commerce subscriptions are exploding. And in some cases, companies that make a unique pitch about their product line can win customers away from large retailers like Amazon.
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Seth Horvitz of Washington D. C. says all he wanted was a television. Instead he received a military-grade semi-automatic rifle. Horvitz complained to Amazon.com, UPS and the seller. Nobody took responsibility. But police were happy to take the gun, which is illegal in the nation's capital.