Amazon has gained a step ahead of competitors Apple Inc. and Google when they introduced their locker services Cloud Drive and Cloud Player earlier today.

The Cloud Drive and Cloud Player services enable Amazon users and customers to store their music in the cloud and play it on any computer (Mac or PC) or any Android-powered mobile device. Users can either upload their own music library or save any mp3 purchases made on Amazon directly to their Amazon Cloud Drive for free.

Customers automatically get a FREE 5G Cloud Drive storage account and those who purchase an Amazon MP3 album will automatically get an upgraded 20GB Cloud Drive space (good for 1 year from date of purchase). Amazon MP3 purchases are saved directly to the Cloud Drive, stored for free and doesn’t count against the storage quota.

The Cloud Player for the Web enables customers to listen to the music stored on their Cloud Drive using any computer. It also allows users to manage their music files and playlists. Cloud Player for Web currently supports Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari for Mac, and Chrome. Cloud Player for Android is a mobile version of the Cloud Player for the web – so it basically does everything that the Cloud Player for the Web does on any Android-powered device like tablets and smartphones. Some notable features include ability to search and browse by artist, album or song, create playlists and dowload music directly from the Cloud Drive. The Cloud Player for Android is now bundled into the new version of the Amazon MP3 app.

Files uploaded to the Cloud Drive are securely stored on Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) and each individual file are uploaded in it’s original bit rate. Aside from music files, users can also upload and store other types of digital files like photos, videos and documents. If 5GB is not enough, customers have the option to purchase storage plans which start at $20/year for 20GB of storage.

Cloud Drive and Cloud Player services features:

I already have an Amazon Prime account so I don’t have to sign up but I haven’t uploaded any music or digital files nor have tried the Cloud Drive and Cloud Player services yet. Will try it out later and see how it works. Too bad they only have the mobile version on Android. I hope they also release an iOS version of the Cloud Player and I think they should if they really want to compete with iTunes. A desktop client would also be nice so users won’t have to login and navigate through Amazon’s website.

Anyone already signed up and using Amazon’s Cloud Drive and Cloud Player services? How do you like it so far? Are you using the free 5G account or did you purchase extra storage? If you’re not using Amazon’s Cloud Drive and Cloud Player services, which online service are you using to store your music and other digital files?

The Unlimited Instant Videos feature will be using the same technology as Amazon’s video-on-demand service which means that all movies and TV shows can be viewed on any computer, Internet-connected TV, Blu-ray players or set-up boxes that support Amazon VOD. For now, the selection of videos are limited compared to the video-on-demand service – 1,669 movies and 484 TV seasons. This new feature is now available for all Amazon Prime members but not for those who are members of the free version or signed up via the Amazon Student and Amazon Mom promotions.

Screenshots:
Movie Selections

Selected Movie

Video Player

Video Player Fullscreen

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:

Amazon Prime Members Now Get Unlimited, Commercial-free, Instant Streaming of More Than 5,000 Movies and TV Shows at No Additional Cost
Amazon Adds Instant Videos to Amazon Prime

SEATTLE, Feb 22, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced the launch of a new benefit for Amazon Prime members: unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of more than 5,000 movies and TV shows. This new benefit is being added at no additional cost — Prime membership will continue to be $79 per year. Amazon Prime’s all-you-can-eat free Two-Day Shipping has already attracted millions of members. Customers can learn more about an Amazon Prime one-month free trial and start watching instantly at www.amazon.com/primevideos.

“Millions of Amazon Prime members already enjoy the convenience of free Two-Day Shipping,” said Robbie Schwietzer, vice president of Amazon Prime. “Adding unlimited instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows at no additional cost is a great way to give members even more value for their $79 annual Amazon Prime membership.”

Movies and TV shows included with an Amazon Prime membership can be watched instantly on Macs, PCs and nearly 200 models of Internet-connected TVs, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes that are compatible with Amazon Instant Video. The selection of videos available for instant streaming currently includes movies, such as “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” trilogy, “Amadeus,” “Syriana,” and “Chariots of Fire,” noted documentaries such as “Food Inc.,” “March of the Penguins” and “Ken Burns’ National Parks,” plus TV shows, such as “Doctor Who,” “Farscape,” “Fawlty Towers” and children’s shows, such as “Arthur,” “Caillou,” “Super Why!” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

Amazon Prime is a membership program that offers customers unlimited free Two-Day Shipping with no minimum purchase requirement for only $79 a year. Millions of items are eligible, including books, home and garden products, electronics, video games, clothing, accessories and beauty products. With the introduction of Prime instant videos, free trial and paid Amazon Prime members in the U.S. now also have unlimited instant access to more than 5,000 videos.

Amazon Instant Video is a digital video service that offers customers more than 90,000 commercial-free movies and television shows to buy or rent on an a la carte basis. New-release movies are often available as soon as they are released on DVD, and many TV shows are available the day after their first broadcast. Amazon Instant Video also offers thousands of movies and TV shows in high definition. With Amazon Instant Video, customers can watch instantly on Macs, PCs, and nearly 200 Internet connected TVs, Blu-ray players, and set-top boxes. To learn more about Amazon Instant Video on your TV, visit www.amazon.com/watchontv.

“In addition to now offering unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of 5,000 movies and TV shows to Amazon Prime members, we continue to offer all customers more than 90,000 movies and TV shows through Amazon Instant Video,” said Cameron Janes, director of Amazon Instant Video. “With Amazon Instant Video customers can rent or purchase hit movies, such as ‘The Social Network’ as well as purchase the latest TV shows available the day-after they broadcast.”

Customers who receive Prime shipping benefits through our Amazon Student and Amazon Mom programs can upgrade to receive paid Prime benefits for just $79 a year.

For more information on Amazon Prime and Prime instant videos and to start an Amazon Prime free trial, visit www.amazon.com/primevideos.

Amazon’s Unlimited Instant Videos may not be as good as the separate Amazon on-demand-service or Netflix but it is definitely a cool bonus if you’re already with the Amazon Prime Program. As an Amazon Prime member, I’m very glad with this development. I already enjoyed and benefited much from the free 2 day shipping but by adding free unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows, Amazon has added more value for the annual $79 Amazon Prime membership fee.

Anyone else who’s an Amazon Prime member? What do you think of this new feature that offers free unlimited streaming videos? Would you renew your membership because of this new feature? Please share your thoughts.

Yesterday morning, Amazon officially announced and introduced its 2nd generation ebook reader, the Kindle 2.

Aside from a new sleek and thin design, Kindle 2′s improvements over the Kindle 1 include seven times more storage and can hold more than 1,500 books. It also has a much longer battery life and turns pages 20 times faster. The Amazon Kindle 2 also has a couple new features. The first one is called the “Read to Me“, a Text to Speech feature that reads ebooks, magazines and newspapers for you. The other one is called “Whispersync bookmarking”, which lets you read from one Kindle and continued reading it right where you left off from another Kindle.

Here’s the complete list of new features and enhancements:

• Slim & Lightweight: Just over 1/3 inch and 10.2 ounces
• Books in under 60 seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
• Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for crisp images and text; even reads well in bright sunlight
• Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging
• More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books
• Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns
• Read-to-Me: Text-to-Speech feature means Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud.
• No Wireless Bills: No monthly wireless bills, data plans, or commitments. Amazon pays for Kindle’s wireless connectivity so you won’t see a monthly wireless bill.
• Large Selection: Over 230,000 books, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines and blogs available
• Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise

Additional Photos:
Front and Rear views

Size comparisons

If you travel a lot and love reading books, the Kindle 2 is definitely a good travel companion. It saves you the hassle of carrying several books, magazines and newspapers around plus it also saves you luggage space and weight. The Kindle 2 would also be a nice gift for friends and loved ones this coming Valentine’s day.

Although you don’t have to pay for monthly bills to use Kindle’s wireless connectivity, I think it would be nice if the Kindle would have the option of using a regular WiFi connection to download ebooks, magazines and newspapers instead of just relying on Sprint’s 3G network. Right now, the Kindle only comes in one color – white. I think it would also be nice if they’d make them in different colors like black, blue, brown or grey.

The Amazon Kindle 2 will be released on February 24th but is now available for pre-order starting today for $359 and will start shipping later this month.

For those who have previoulsy placed an order for the Kindle 1 and haven’t received it yet, your order will automatically be upgraded to a Kindle 2. And for Kindle 1 owners, if you place your order today, February 10th at midnight PST, you will get first priority.

DISCLAIMER: JaypeeOnline is an affiliate of Amazon.com

Last month, I bought my wife a 3rd generation iPod Nano for her birthday and since she wanted to play songs in the car, she also asked me to find a FM transmitter for it. What we needed was a simple FM transmitter that doubles as a car charger and of course one that has good sound quality and transmission. I browsed through Amazon and decided to get the Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger.

Technical Specifications:

• Width: 0.49″ (12.5 mm)
• Length: 2.84″ (72 mm)
• Total length: 33.47″ (85 cm)
• Weight: 0.6 oz
• Antenna: Built-in
• Power: Provided by cigarette lighter or 12 volt power outlet (no batteries required)
• Modulation: FM Stereo
• Frequencies: US (88.1 -107.9 MHz)
• Oscillator: High stability crystal oscillator, phase-lock loop control
• Frequency response: 50 Hz to 15 kHz
• Operating range: 10-30 ft
• FCC Compliance: PAV9501

Since I have an Amazon Prime account, I got 2 day shipping for free and got the package 3 days after I placed the order.

The moment it arrived, I tried it right away to see if it works or not. Since the Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter is also a car charger, you need to plug it into the cigarette lighter power adapter. This thing works right off the box. Just plug it to the cigarette lighter power adapter, turn on your car radio, choose the frequency, turn on your iPod and you’re good to go!

Most people who buy the Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger, don’t know that they can set the frequency to 87.9 and are stuck on the lowest default frequency which is 88.1. To be able to get the 87.9 frequency (still a legal frequency in the US), you’ll need to set the unit to International mode. To do that, just press on the PRESET button for about 10-15 seconds. First option you’ll see is switching LX to DX, continue pressing until you see the US/INTL mode. If you see the US mode blinking, just click on the +/- button to switch to INTL (vice versa). After that, it will just go back to the main screen. Now your Griffin Technology iTrip Auto FM Transmitter can transmit at 87.9 frequency.

Pros:

• Works out of the box.
• Plugs directly to the dock connector and has a constant line-out volume level and is not affected by the iPod’s volume dial setting.
• Starts instantly when car is started and iPod is auto-paused when car is stopped. Doesn’t require warming up unlike other previous Griffin FM transmitters.
• You can tune to 87.9 FM, turn off your car or unplug iTrip, turn it back on and resume use of the channel immediately.
• Since it also works as a car charger, this unit charges the iPod while you’re using it. You don’t have to get a separate iPod car charger and you don’t have to worry about your iPod losing power.

Cons:

• The FM transmitter power is quite weak.
• Volume transmitted is a little bit soft so you’ll have to increase your car radio’s volume.
• The LCD unit is wired to the connector and located in between the cigarette lighter plug and the dock connector. It can be an issue if you use your cigarette lighter power adapter for something else like a GPS unit.
• Static can be strong and annoying depending on your location.

Bottom line, if your car doesn’t have a tape deck, Bluetooth or an in-line jack and are looking for a simple and affordable way to an iPod on your car, then the Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Chargeris something you would consider buying. The overall quality is not as good as listening with headphones, using a cassette deck adapter, Bluetooth or in-line jack but the sound is good enough. What I needed was a simple FM transmitter that worked so I got what I needed and for the price, I can’t really complain about it coz I got it for less than $30.

DISCLAIMER: JaypeeOnline is an affiliate of Amazon.com

The book “WordPress For Dummies” was launched today and is now available at local bookstores, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million and Dummies.Com, while the e-book version can be purchased from Wiley.com.

From the author’s blog:

About the book
WordPress is powerful software known for helping bloggers share their thoughts online. Whether you want to set up a blog in the WordPress community, add a blog to another site, or build your own blogging community, this book shows how WordPress can help. With this book, you’ll soon be navigating WordPress templates, plugins, and themes with no problem.

WordPress is one of the most popular blogging tools available, with over a million registered bloggers, and climbing! This all-new Dummies guide delivers just what would-be bloggers need to get up and running with WordPress and start communicating with the world. WordPress For Dummies covers blogging basics, choosing a hosting solution or setting up a host, developing blog content, syndicating blog posts with RSS, launching a specialized blog (including podcasting, photoblogging, mobile blogging, and videoblogging), and even earning revenue. It includes help on every aspect of installing and using WordPress, illustrations from real-world WordPress blogs, step-by-step tutorials on key topics, and insights from bloggers who use WordPress.

With this book you’ll learn how to:

• Personalize WordPress Settings
• Understand common template tags
• Manage and moderate comments
• Deal with comment and trackback spam
• Troubleshoot common problems
• Sign up for, set up and use a hosted blog at WordPress.com
• Download, install, set up and use WordPress on your own web hosting account
• Find, download, install and manage WordPress plugins
• Learn and understand the “Loop”
• Learn the ins and outs of simple template tags and theme creation
• Download, install, configure, set up and use the WordPress MU software to create your own blog community/network
• ….and MORE

The author of this book is Lisa Sabin-Wilson, blog designer and owner of E.Webscapes a blog design and web development studio.

You don’t have to be a dummy to get one. If you want to improve your WordPress skills and learn more about it then you should grab a copy.

Btw, Lisa is also celebrating her 5th blogging anniversary and to celebrate it she’s giving away 5 autographed copies of WordPress For Dummies. For further details, visit her blog.