Amazon

Amazon is the ultimate online shopping destination that sells pretty much everything you can think of, ranging from books to furniture. The appeal of the digital superstore is simple: it's a one-stop shop with fast delivery options and many discounted items. To make the most of your Amazon shopping experience, follow these tips:

• Freebies: Take advantage of the free eBooks you can download from the Kindle store, and if you're an Amazon Prime member, remember to borrow books from Amazon's lending library. The library has over 145,000 titles you can borrow.
• Used items: The online retailer has a good selection of used goods that you can buy from third-party sellers. Save on the item you want by checking out the used options. Be sure to pick the Amazon reseller carefully and factor in the shipping costs to the total.
• Consider Amazon Prime: If you buy a lot of items from Amazon, you should consider their $79 a year membership called Amazon Prime, which gives you free two-day shipping and access to freebies like the lending library and free streaming of movies and TV shows. This would be worth your money if you find yourself often opting for the fastest delivery options or if it will cost more for you to go a brick-and-mortar store to buy the item.
• Share Amazon Prime: If the cost of Amazon Prime is too high, split the cost by sharing the service with others. You can add up to four "household" members by following these instructions. Amazon doesn't define what a "household" member means, so it's left up to your discretion.

Read on for more.

Not to be outdone by its touchscreen brethren, the entry-level Kindle also received a makeover this morning at the Jeff Bezos-hosted Amazon press event. This Kindle is nearly the same as the previous generation including a six-inch screen, weight of 5.8 ounces, WiFi connectivity, and free Amazon Cloud service. The 2012 Kindle claims new fonts, crisper text, a 15 percent faster page turn, and a lower price — $69. Available to order online today, the Kindle ships Sept. 14.

Want a Kindle with more features like a backlight? Check out the latest Kindle Touch models also announced today.

Source: Instagram User gadgetreview

After days of speculation as to what new product Amazon had up its sleeve for today's LA press conference, the reveals are pouring in, starting with a backlit ereader called Kindle Paperwhite. Sharper with a higher-contrast display than the Kindle Touch, the new device uses Amazon-made Paperwhite technology, a blend of adjustable back lighting and traditional e-ink with a capacitive touchscreen display.

Despite the constant light use, Amazon claims the 7.5-ounce Kindle Paperwhite touts an eight-week battery life from a single charge and measures 9.1mm thick. A small text addition in the lower left corner estimates how much reading time is left in a chapter or the entire book based on a user's reading speed.

This Kindle model continues to use the X-ray feature first introduced with the Kindle Touch, showing relevant information on the page such as dictionary and Wiki entries. The Paperwhite also takes a page from the Kindle Fire with a cover mode homescreen, to swipe through the library without scrolling to a menu. The Kindle Paperwhite WiFi model is $119, and the 3G version, which requires no data contract or plan, is priced at $179. Preorders start today, and both Paperwhite models will ship Oct. 1.

Not to be outdone by its touchscreen brethren, the entry-level Kindle also received a refresh and lower price point today.

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

• After a year-and-a-half as editor in chief of Vogue Paris, Emmanuelle Alt has introduced a redesign that features a renewed focus on the magazine's status as the only Vogue title that represents a city, not a nation. "It's the concept of the 'Parisienne.'" she said. "The 'Parisienne' is a girl who makes people dream worldwide, rightly or wrongly — a girl who represents a particular style, a taste, an allure." [WWD]
  

• "Ultimately, shoes are just a really fun mode of escapism for a woman," said Man Repeller Leandra Medine on a tour of her shoe closet. "The higher the heel, the more fantasy is put into the shoe." [Footwear News]
  

• Louis Vuitton cast Michael Phelps — now the world's most decorated Olympian — in its newest ad campaign, photographed by Annie Leibovitz. [Just Jared]
  

• Meanwhile, Chanel Iman is the face of Amazon's Fall 2012 campaign, seen below. [Modelinia]
  

• New York Magazine's fashion blog today debuted a new look that takes "a cue from the beauty of print fashion magazines with a totally new design." [The Cut]
  

• Choupette Lagerfeld is quickly gaining a name for herself in the modeling industry. "I think she has a very bright future," says V magazine editor Sarah Cristobal, who cast the cat in her September issue alongside Laetitia Casta. "She's going to have an everlasting career." [BuzzFeed Shift]

These days, you can get almost anything ranging from cameras to kitty litter on Amazon. If the website is your go-to shopping destination, then you may notice that the prices can change on a whim. To ensure that you're getting the best deal, track prices of items you're looking to buy and purchase them when the cost is down.

You can keep a watchful eye on the price with the help of the website CamelCamelCamel. Enter the URL of the product in the search bar on the top right of the site, and it'll take you to a page that reveals the historical prices, which will give you an idea of whether you should wait for it to drop again. It even tracks the same product sold by third-party vendors. You can also create email or Twitter price watch alerts so you won't have to keep checking the site manually.

One of the things I love about this digital age is that we have more power as consumers, because we now have a public online forum to voice our dissatisfaction. Sometimes you may feel like your complaints are going unheard. Perhaps the firm did not respond to your multiple calls and emails or maybe the customer service rep was just plain rude. As frustrating as it is, we know that the "customer is always right" adage is no longer true for many establishments. But don't worry, there are plenty of places to voice your unhappiness. Here are some of them:

• Amazon: If you're unhappy with any product you have received, leave a review on Amazon.com to enlighten other customers. Amazon is the largest online retailer in the US so your review will definitely be seen by many pairs of eyes.
• The Consumerist: A bulk of the posts on consumerist.com come from complaints and tips from readers. The blog also scours the news to find other examples of consumers being wronged. Some of the top posts include a customer getting banned from Best Buy after catching the store doing something illegal.
• Yelp: Compelling Yelp reviews can really make a difference. I've gotten messages from shop owners thanking me for my positive review and some who requested me to take down a negative one. Remember, you're the one with the upper hand so don't be cowed by store owners who try to threaten you.

For more places to vent, read on.

Not one to be outshone by its competitors on Black Friday, Amazon released their own set of low-priced electronics marked down for the Thanksgiving weekend. The penny-pincher sale has all phones from Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint for one cent with a new line of service.

The line of phones available in this deal is impressive, including the latest smartphones that have me wishing my current contract was up. Some of the penny-priced phones across the three wireless carriers are the Motorola Droid Razr 4G, BlackBerry Torch 4G, HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Rhyme, Samsung Focus Flash 4G, and on — though no iPhones. If you don't want to be tied to a data plan, you'll be happy to know that not all of the 97 phones for sale on Amazon are smartphones. To avoid higher monthly fees, choose one of the feature or kid-friendly phones that are also selling for one penny.

Verizon and Sprint customers are eligible for some extras. If they activate a mobile hotspot data plan on their hotspot-capable smartphone, they will also receive a $100 Amazon gift card. Verizon 4G smartphones can double the amount of data for the same fee through November, and Sprint customers qualify for free activation through Dec. 5.

The Amazon penny phone deals are on now through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28. Are these sales enough to make you upgrade your current phone?