"Bonjour, Amazon. Kindle Store Debuts In France With Its First French Kindle" - paidContent

Is this a plus for newspapers?

"Sims Social Is an Astonishing Success on Facebook" - NYTimes.com

I'd love to see a session next year devoted entirely to what newspapers can learn from these games. For this year, it's surely worth a mention.

"Deal Sites Have Fading Allure for Merchants" - NYTimes.com

Newspapers have a lot more to learn about these offerings, their impact on customers, and how best to respond.

"Tweets reveal worldwide moods" - Cornell Chronicle

I hope we will have a chance to talk about this study in the context of newspapers and news publishers. What actions might be worth considering as a result of this? Of course, no one can or should control the news, but are there some ways that newspapers could take advantage of this to serve customers better?

"Hearst and HGTV Enter a New Magazine in a Murky Market" - NYTimes.com

How often, other than program listings, television program reviews, and popular features on television personalities, have newspapers chosen to work cooperatively with a television channel or program(s) in order to yield mutual benefit? What are good examples, if any?

"'Ebony,' 'Jet' Parent Takes A Bold New Tack" - NPR

This is a very impressive story about a US magazine publishing organization, family owned, that appears to be doing very well after a challenging period. Newspapers elsewhere may find something to learn here.

Printed newspapers to apps and back again....

This from The New York Times this morning. A great discussion of so many complex issues written from the most important perspective, the customer.

"QR Codes Provide Information When Scanned" - NYTimes.com

What is the new potential for newspapers with this technology?

"AP to Launch Mobile Ad Circulars" - WSJ.com

Newspaper "circulars" remain an important revenue source for papers in the US and in some other countries. Initiaitives like this will surely be worth discusssing in Vienna.

"In E-Books, Publishing Houses Have a Rival in News Sites" - NYTimes.com

In an all digital world, more of these sorts of things become inevitable.

"With No Amazon as a Rival, FlipKart Moves Fast in India" - NYTimes.com

Is this an opportunity for newspapers?

"Google Buys Zagat, Crushes OpenTable" - Deal Journal - WSJ

Connecting people to local businesses and restaurants (and food!) has historically been a job that newspapers would have said was theirs. Can newspapers hope to be core players in the lives of consumers who make these choices, and in the case of food must make these decisions, every day?

"Reference Apps for the Budding Know-It-All" - NYTimes.com

It's interesting that this story mentions not a single newspaper as offering a "reference app". Seems to me like a big newspaper opportunity!

"Bloomberg to Buy Bureau of National Affairs for $990 Million" - NYTimes.com

This is surely one way to pursue an opportunity!

"Journalists-Join-the-Education-Field" - Editor & Publisher ®

Why not?

"Google Pays $500 Million in Drug Ad Settlement" - WSJ.com

Newspapers may choose not to pursue this revenue "opportunity"!

"Newly Flush, Local TV Newscasts Are Expanding" - NYTimes.com

Where do newspapers stand in the global growth of television, and especially very local television? How does that fit into the strategies of newspapers from different countries? Who is handling this especially well either in terms of doing a better news job than television competitors or in terms of the newspaper doing the television news itself?

"Jacob Boehm Found Through Social Media in Malaysia" - NYTimes.com

Is the role of newspapers limited to reporting a story like this one? Or is there a service element that newspapers might also choose to embrace?

"Dr. Google and e-Patients" - The People's Pharmacy®

As newspapers assess areas in which they might expand, invest and generally offer more value to customers, health issues are surely near the top of the list. This excellent discussion of the evolving role of the internet in healthcare might spark some ideas.

"Denver Post Unveils ‘New’ YourHub. But Is It New Enough?" - Street Fight

This is a piece by a fellow well-qualified to comment on the subject in a "publication" that I frankly had never seen.