…what this means is that Amazon will capture and control every Web transaction performed by Fire users. Every page they see, every link they follow, every click they make, every ad they see is going to be intermediated by one of the largest server farms on the planet. People who cringe at the privacy and data-mining implications of the Facebook Timeline ought to be just floored by the magnitude of Amazon’s opportunity here. Amazon now has what every storefront lusts for: the knowledge of what other stores your customers are shopping in and what prices they’re being offered there.

Woah! That is a pretty big deal. I tried to get more clarification from Amazon’s spokesperson, who emailed me back that “Usage data is collected anonymously and stored in aggregate, thus protecting user privacy” and pointed me to the FAQ page. I still don’t get it, and I am waiting to chat with Amazon (tomorrow) to get further information. I asked David Ulevitch, founder and CEO of OpenDNS, an Internet security and managed DNS service, for his impressions. Here is what he had to say.

I think it’s brilliant. Not sure if people are wary of Amazon doing it since they will see all your traffic but SOMEONE should be doing this. Performance is one reason, but security benefits could be added too. Ultimately I think the idea of decoupled browsing makes a lot of sense. I’d rather a remote exploit run in a VM in the cloud instead of compromising my mobile device and rooting my phone.

But the caveat is that this is Amazon. People hand over all the cards to Google but they feel the exchange of value is worth it. But it took nearly a decade for people to even recognize they were giving something of value to Google. Armed with that savvy that exists now, consumers now know they are giving something to Amazon — so the burden is on Amazon to say how it will use the data or make the benefits so compelling that consumers don’t care just as Google does. It’s worth remembering that Google is open in many areas, but none of their openness is in the areas that matter.

So what do you guys make of Silk? Is the privacy concern for real or overblown? Love to get your thoughts.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Connected Consumer Q2: Digital music meets the cloud; e-book growth explodes
• The state of the e-book lending market: Business models and challenges
• The future of mobile: a segment analysis by GigaOM Pro

alt=''
border='0'
/>

GigaOM

DJs have been using double turntable setups ever since 1947 with Sir Jimmy Savile. Modern setups, however, forgo the vinyl and even CDs. One such computer-performance system is the Numark NS7 Controller for Serato’s ITCH software.
The NS7 gives DJs the feel of a traditional turntable rig, while functioning as a controller for ITCH. A single USB interface with a computer keeps the rig simple and slightly more “idiot-proof”. But we’re still not at the fun part.

Tomorrow, at the 2009 BPM show in Birmingham, Numark will release the NSFX, a dedicated effects controller for the NS7. This module attaches directly to the NS7 and is completely plug-and-play. DJs can control all of the ITCHs effects systems via USB, without having to go into the software. One of the coolest selling points is all effects automatically sync to the tempo of the track they’re laid on. If I was spinning disks for a living, I would make this module a must-have. A mouse and interface window can’t beat good, solid, hands-on controls. Look for the NSFX at your musical equipment retailers in the last quarter of 2009. (Woah! That’s right now!)