Amazon -- Engadget

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FLO TV Personal Television now on sale for $250, should be in cereal boxes soon

by Darren Murph posted Nov 13th 2009 at 10:19AM

Look, we fully understand that someone, somewhere put a lot of time and effort into designing a $250 handheld that does nothing but watch pixelated mobile TV for a lofty per-month price, but seriously, there has to be better uses of one's time. The 3.5-inch FLO TV Personal Television is on sale today at Amazon, Best Buy and RadioShack, though we suspect that the $249.99 up front price will probably keep most potential buyers at bay. Six months of service are included, but afterwards you'll be paying at least $8.99 per month (and a rate that low requires a three-year contract) to keep the signals flowing. If we're being honest, this thing is still more useful than Celio's REDFLY, but that sure ain't sayin' much.

Kindle for PC app out now, Mac version to soon follow

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 10th 2009 at 5:12AM

Amazon has just expanded the potential audience for its ebook format by a few orders of magnitude with the Beta release of its free Kindle for PC application. Doing exactly what it says on the (imaginary) tin, this will allow you to read the locked-down Kindle format on your Windows weapon of choice, though Mac users are left with merely the "coming soon" message you see above. Given that you'll now be able to consume Amazon's ebooks on your PC and iPhone, there's a risk that people might entirely sidestep the Kindle and Kindle DX for more familiar hardware, but clearly the company is willing to undertake it in order to get its wares out to a wider client base. We still think Amazon should do away with the proprietary madness and utilize a common standard like ePUB, but until then we can at least appreciate being given the ability to sync our Robinson Crusoe read across a few more devices than before.

ASUS delivers Eee PC T91MT to Amazon.com, completes world tour

by Richard Lai posted Nov 9th 2009 at 1:11AM

It was only two weeks ago when the ASUS T91MT -- the first-ever Windows 7 convertible netbook -- dropped by Amazon's German site, and now the Eastern wind from Taiwan has finally reached US soil. Amazon.com buyers are offered pretty much the same configuration as their European counterpart: Intel Atom Z520, 8.9-inch multitouch swivel screen, 1GB RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium. While there's only one color option available for now, those who're cool with white will be spoiled with a 32GB SSD -- twice as much as the German version yet $200 cheaper. Any students out there going to pick one of these up for some improved note-taking before Christmas exams?

[Thanks, Bernard]

Entelligence: Of ebooks and suburban moms

by Michael Gartenberg posted Nov 1st 2009 at 6:10PM

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

There was a raging debate going on last week at Engadget HQ over the role of dedicated ebook readers that spilled over on to the Engadget Show. You can watch the show here, but essentially big boss Joshua Topolsky and Paul Miller feel that the new Barnes and Noble Nook is going to be a hit -- the one machine that gets suburban moms to buy. On the other hand, Nilay Patel, rationally (as he agrees with me) says it's not going to happen and there's no mass market for dedicated ebook readers. I'm going to weigh in and say Nilay is probably right.

Now don't get me wrong, this is not entirely an integration vs. convergence story. I believe there's a market for dedicated devices: cameras have not been displaced by music phones, media players have not been displaced by music phones and ebook readers could serve bibliophiles, especially those who travel a lot. However, mobile reader apps like those from Amazon and Barnes & Noble can easily tap into more casual markets, allowing users to leverage the investment in screens they already own instead of buying a dedicated device. That's one reason why I think it has been important for Amazon and B&N to get their ebook platform onto as many devices with screens as possible, and why Sony's making a mistake by ignoring the opportunity.

Continue reading Entelligence: Of ebooks and suburban moms

Important Norwegian consumer reads Amazon Kindle's EULA, sends angry letter

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 30th 2009 at 9:23AM

Remember that legal dealio with Apple that erupted after the Norwegian Consumer Council, Forbrukerrådet, read the iTunes EULA? Right, that toothless complaint that waffled on for years until it was finally rendered moot by Apple going DRM-free -- long after Apple benefited from the iTunes-to-iPod lock-in. Well, it's brewing again only this time the council has focused its meticulously crafted aluminum spectacles, often highlighted with vibrant reds or blues, upon Amazon's practice of tying its content exclusively to the Kindle's new international reader. According to a critique published by the Council's boss, Hans Marius Graasvold, the fine print in the Kindle's terms of service, "violated several provisions of Norwegian consumer protection law." He takes exception with Amazon's ability terminate the terms of service entirely should customers violate said terms. In other words, Amazon could deny you access to all your purchased books if you make an illegal copy of just one -- unimaginable by brick-and-mortar standards where a Wal-mart could take your entire CD collection should you decide to rip a single disc. Graasvold's also miffed at Amazon's ability to change the agreement at any time without advanced notification. The Council does not currently have official support from the country's Consumer Ombudsman as it did when it went after Apple. For the moment, the council says that it's awaiting feedback from Amazon and Norwegian publishers before proceeding with what Graasvold calls, "an iTunes 2 case if we are not satisfied." Good luck with that.

Garmin nuvifone G60 going for $100 on Amazon

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 27th 2009 at 9:53PM

You know what's insulting? Charging $300 for a nuvifone G60 in the year 2009. It's cool, though -- Amazon, as usual, is our knight in shining armor by swooping in with a $99.99 deal on contract, making the idea of a one-trick pony nav phone with a closed platform and hellish browser just a little more palatable. A big, fat caveat emptor still applies, of course.

The TwitterPeek is... a Peek for Twitter?

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 27th 2009 at 6:13PM

Peek's never been one to shy away from the wacky and opportunistic marketing schemes but launching a whole product just for Twitter? That's courage, drive, and possibly a mental health issue. Yet here's the TwitterPeek -- what looks to be the same old Peek you know, love, and probably haven't purchased, stripped of its email and SMS functionality and re-oriented towards telling the entire world too much about your body and what you're doing to it every waking moment of the day. Now, to be fair, we're getting a distinctly strange feeling of phoniness about this whole thing, but there's already an Amazon listing and a picture of the box has already surfaced on -- where else? -- Twitter, so this could really be happening. Just think about that for a second. And then tweet about it, of course.

[Via LiveDigitally]

Read - Amazon TwitterPeek listing
Read - Peter Ha's TwitPic of the box

Continue reading The TwitterPeek is... a Peek for Twitter?

Black Nintendo Wii bundle listed on Amazon UK for £164.99

by Ross Miller posted Oct 27th 2009 at 5:01AM

That black Nintendo Wii bundle Nintendo is gifting to Europe on November 6th has found itself home amongst the Amazon UK listings. Recommended price is £179.99 but the online retailer is knocking off eight percent to make it an event £164.99 -- that's about $269 to the US gamers who still don't have a shot at getting this. What makes it interesting is that the identical bundle in white doesn't have that £15 discount, but Amazon is sweetening the pot with the choice of two free titles, including FIFA10. Of course there's still the £142.99 white, non-bundled Wii for a lot less. Our money's still on the black bundle -- or it would be, at least, if Nintendo would give the US writers on staff, and the country at large, a stab at the new console color.

[Thanks, Ian]

Read - Black Wii bundle with Wii Sports Resort
Read - White Wii bundle with Wii Sports Resort and two free games

Switched On: Making book with ePUB

by Ross Rubin posted Oct 25th 2009 at 12:30PM

Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

The ePUB standard, developed by Adobe, allows consumers to purchase books at a variety of digital stores and use them on a wide range of compatible devices without the manufacturer having to explicitly support them. That may sound a bit like the PlaysForSure initiative that Microsoft tried mounting to challenge the iPod but ultimately shifted away from (at least for MP3 players) in favor of the Zune, but ePUB has a better shot than PlaysForSure did.

First, unlike PlaysForSure, which was playing catch-up to the already dominant iPod, ePUB is appearing relatively early in the market; it need not break anyone's "stranglehold." Second, after attracting the support of Sony, the format achieved a significant coup with the support of Barnes & Noble, which noted last week that it was "excited" to be supporting the format in its forthcoming Nook e-reader.

Continue reading Switched On: Making book with ePUB

Amazon Kindle for PC available 'soonish'

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 22nd 2009 at 7:39PM

No, Amazon wasn't kidding when it said it would be moving the Kindle onto devices besides, well, the Kindle. Sure, the iPhone was a no-brainer (never mind the eye strain) but guess who's next? That's right -- your ever lovin' PC will be getting its own free reader app. How soon? You'll have to hit the read link and sign up as a beta tester to find out. Are you prepared to sync your digital e-book purchases to yet another device? View notes and highlights marked on your Kindle and Kindle DX? Zoom and pinch text and turn pages with the swipe of your finger (granted you are a Windows 7 touchscreen user)? Sure you are. Are you ready to skip the Kindle altogether and simply buy books on your lappie? Well, we're guessing that Amazon isn't too worried about that eventuality. That reminds us, we've been meaning to pick up a copy of Knife Music. We'll tell you if it lives up to the hype.

[Via CNET]

Amazon's international Kindle surprises owners with $20 refund, limited web browsing

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 22nd 2009 at 4:21AM

The only thing better than unannounced functionality is an automatic, surprise refund on your purchase. With the international version of Amazon's 6-inch Kindle you get both. Several readers who ordered the $279 international Kindle have received the following email:

Good news! Due to strong customer demand for our newest Kindle with U.S. and international wireless, we are consolidating our family of 6" Kindles. As part of this consolidation, we are lowering the price of the Kindle you just purchased from $279 down to $259. You don't need to do anything to get the lower price--we are automatically issuing you a $20 refund. This refund should be processed in the next few days and will appear as a credit on your next billing statement.

By "strong customer demand" we assume that Amazon means "we're trying to stay competitive with the $259 Barnes and Noble Nook," but that's just a hunch. A hands-on at the Gadget Lab also reveals the inclusion of web browsing thought to have been disabled. For the most part it is disabled but Amazon does let you browse to the English version of Wikipedia and nowhere else. The hands-on also notes "dead slow" 3G performance and Amazon's decision to ship the international Kindle with a US power plug regardless of destination. Weird.

[Thanks, Simon]

Windows 7 breaks Amazon UK pre-order volume record, ousts Harry Potter

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 21st 2009 at 8:24AM

Take it from us, your London-based sleuths, when anything sells faster than Harry Potter books or DVDs in the UK, it's scorching hot. Case in point is Microsoft's Vista successor, which has sold so well that it has beaten the Amazon UK pre-order record previously held by J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In fact, Windows 7 was able to tally up more sales in the first 8 hours of pre-order availability than Vista was able to collect altogether. Now that's what we call an upgrade.

ASUS Eee PC T91MT multitouch tablet listed on Amazon.de for October 22nd

by Ross Miller posted Oct 19th 2009 at 6:56AM

Surprise! Another "new" computer coming out October 22nd alongside Windows 7, or at least rumored to be. This time it's the previously-rumored ASUS Eee PC T91MT, which has wound up as a listing on Amazon Germany. Same processor and 8.9-inch screen size as the T91, but with a 160GB HDD instead of solid-state. Since it's Windows 7, there's now multitouch support, hence the "MT." The color options are black and white and it'll set you back about 506 euros ($754). Oh, you wanted US prices and release dates? Show a little more patience, why don't ya?

[Via Netbooknews.de]

Patriot's $130 Box Office 1080p media player streams on the cheap

by Darren Murph posted Oct 18th 2009 at 7:02AM

Eying a Popcorn Hour device, are you? We know Patriot isn't exactly the first name you think of when pondering your next media streamer, but the $129.99 price tag affixed to the black box shown above definitely piqued our interest. Like most of its rivals, this one features a 2.5-inch HDD slot (though you'll need to bring your own drive, obviously), a trio of USB sockets, 10/100 Ethernet for content streaming, UPnP support, a rather decent file support list and a bundled remote. There's also an optional USB WiFi adapter for those not keen on running 80 feet of Ethernet cabling through their den, and while the GUI won't revolutionize your life, it certainly ain't bad given the low barrier to entry. Too bad it's still stuck in that painful-to-watch "pre-order" stage, huh?

[Via thegadgetsite]

Samsung rolls out Amazon, Blockbuster video store access across HDTVs, HTIBs and Blu-ray players everywhere

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 14th 2009 at 4:42PM

Just as promised, the (still SD only) Blockbuster OnDemand service is now available on a slew of Samsung hardware via firmware update, while the Internet@TV lineup (LCD and Plasma HDTVs Series 650 and above and LED HDTVs Series 7000) has a brand new toy with the Amazon VOD Yahoo! widget (which does support HD.) Both services offer a slew of rental and/or purchase options for the digital delivery fanatic, though we still hunger for the audio and quality of VUDU plus the all you can eat goodness of Netflix Watch Instantly, of the millions of TVs out there, there's surely someone willing to sift through those menus for the ease of viewing Ghosts of Girlfriends Past without resorting to cable VOD -- or getting up from the couch. The "convenience" goes both ways, since they'll also be able to pick up compatible Samsung blu-ray players at Blockbuster stores, right next to the TiVo section -- check for exact model #s supported in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Samsung rolls out Amazon, Blockbuster video store access across HDTVs, HTIBs and Blu-ray players everywhere