The upcoming “affordable” Amazon Kindle includes Wi-Fi access (not 3G)  to download books and more, and it costs just $139.  The upcoming $189 Amazon Kindle includes free 3G access to download books and more.

That’s quite a price difference from the original Kindle as well as Apple’s hot (and pricey) iPad product.  It’s also $10 cheaper than the more competitive Nook ereader from Barnes & Noble.

The $139 and $189 Amazon Kindle devices were only announced recently for pre-orders, but there is already a backlog due to high demand (although Amazon has been known to manufacture backlogs in the past, so it’s impossible to predict what the real pre-order volume looks like) with shipping on new devices now delayed.  New orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis as new Amazon Kindles become available for shipping.

Sounds like the more affordable Amazon Kindles are already a success.

However, marketing experts are predicting that the Amazon Kindle and other ereaders won’t reach the masses until the price tag drops below $100.  We’ll have to wait and see how the actual sales volume numbers shake out for the more affordable Amazon Kindle devices, but I think the $100 estimate is probably accurate in terms of predicting when ereaders will be purchased in multiple quantities per household across a broad consumer audience.

What do you think?  Do you own an Amazon Kindle, an iPad, Nook or another ereader device?  Leave a comment and tell us what made you decide to buy (or not buy) a particular ereader.

By the way, all blogs syndicated through Newstex are automatically available on Amazon Kindle!  If you’re a Newstex publisher, you can follow the link to get your free Amazon Kindle badge.

comScore released its ranking of online video sites among the U.S. Internet audience for July 2010 this week, and as you might expect, YouTube continues to lead by a very wide margin.  You can see the results in the chart below:

According to the report, 178 million U.S. Internet users watched online video in July 2010 with an average of 14.7 hours watched per person.  The monthly rankings didn’t change significantly in terms of market share from previous months, but Facebook did climb one spot to the third position in the ranking list, above Microsoft sites.

In total, 84.9% of the U.S. Internet population viewed online video in July 2010.  The average online video was 4.8 minutes long.  Interestingly, online video ads accounted for 9.8% of online video content viewed in July 2010 but made up just 0.9% of actual online minutes spent viewing online video content during the month.

Of sites known for publishing short-form video content, YouTube by far surpassed all other sites in terms of viewer engagement (i.e., the length of time users actually viewed content).  Hulu also ranked high in terms of viewer engagement, but Hulu is known for publishing long-form video content, so this is to be expected.

It’s an exciting time of growth for online video, and it’s very interesting to keep track of viewer statistics related to online video.  Will another site ever be able to compete with YouTube for short-form video content?  It’s interesting to consider what’s next for online video.  What do you think?

Time for the Publisher INsider where we highlight some of the most INovative, INteresting and INspirational content providers that are part of Newstex Authoritative Content.

This month, the Publisher INsider profiles Financial Sense Newshour whose online video content is offered through Newstex Authoritative Content.

Financial Sense Newshour is a free financial market broadcast hosted by money manager Jim Puplava where he discusses the week’s market action, interviews financial experts, and offers his personal perspective on the markets and economy.  The audio program is part of Financial Sense whose mission is to “give each investor, no matter their income, net worth, or level of financial expertise, a greater understanding of the markets, and a more informed approach to making investment decisions.”

Each Newshour program is three-hours (often longer) and includes interviews with financial experts, Jim Puplava’s personal perspective on the markets and current “hot topics,” and Jim’s responses to questions from listeners.  Jim has a long history of experience in finance and the media having hosted radio talk shows, television programs, and Internet radio programs since 1987.  His discussions on Financial Sense Newshour are always informative and interesting, as you can see from some recent programs:

• Oil Crunch – Metals: Oil crunch, silver to outperform gold
• S&P 500 and U.S. Dollar Index: Inverse correlation between dollar index and S&P 500
• Debt Forgiveness and Trading Markets: Financial reform legislation, gold and gold equities, and finding returns in zero interest rate environment
• On the Beach: The economy and energy wakeup call

Financial Sense is published by PFS Group (James Puplava is President of PFS Group), and as the Financial Sense website explains:

“Financial Sense online (FSO), with its free market perspectives, editorials and specialized resource news and links, and Financial Sense Newshour (FSN), with its free interviews with some of today’s top financial thinkers, represent Jim Puplava’s commitment to providing excellent educational financial resources to all investors. He feels that the investment community has given him a wonderful living since 1985 and he is grateful for the trust of his readers, listeners, and clientele. Financial Sense is his way of giving back to that community. That’s why PFS Group publishes Financial Sense and Financial Sense Newshour to the public without cost.”

If you’re interested in finance, trading, and investing, then Financial Sense and the Financial Sense Newshour are excellent resources providing authoritative content from experts.  Be sure to check it out!

I often write about the cluttered online video environment and how hard it is to find specific, authoritative online video content amid that clutter.  Now, there is some clear proof available which paints that cluttered picture of the online video landscape in one place.

Mark Robertson of ReelSEO put together two blog posts that compile lists of video sites like YouTube (there are 300 of them on his list) along with their langauges, URLs, Alexa ranks, and Google page ranks.  He also put together a list of video search sites and video search engines (there are 30 of them on his list) along with URLs, Alexa ranks, and Google page ranks.

So next time you publish an authoritative online video on YouTube or your preferred online video site, remember Mark’s lists.  It’s harder for people to find that video than you might think.

Fortunately, syndicating your online video content through a licensed syndication company like Newstex puts your authoritative content (including video content) in front of professionals who need it but don’t have the time or patience to find it through online video search sites and video search engines. You can learn more about online video syndication in the free ebook — The Truth about Online Video and Licensed Syndication.

Did you know there were so many options for publishing online video and searching online video content?  Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Time for a new interview in the Newstex Blogger in the Spotlight Video Interview Series where we turn the spotlight on the bloggers, Twitter publishers, and video publishers who syndicate their Authoritative Content through Newstex.

Today’s interview is with Garland Pollard who writes about legacy brands (you know — those brands we all remember that are no longer around) at BrandlandUSA.  Watch the video interview below to learn more about Garland’s blog and what makes it unique and authoritative.

You can watch previous video interviews in the Newstex Blogger in the Spotlight Video Interview Series on the Newstex YouTube Channel, and keep your eyes open for new video interviews coming soon!