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Amazon Fire HD tablets now receive Alexa drop-in calls
You can already start calls to Alexa devices from Amazon's tablets, but it's now possible to receive those calls, too. As of December 5th, people with recent Fire HD 8 (2017 and 2018) and Fire HD 10 models can take Drop-In calls and intercom-style Announcements when they're in Show Mode. This will mainly be useful if you have a Show Mode charging dock, which invokes the mode automatically. If you're in that position, though, it could be very helpful -- you could tell your kids it's time for dinner without buying another Echo or (gasp) walking across the house.
Amazon's newest Fire HD 8 tablet offers always-on Alexa
Amazon has offered truly hands-free Alexa on the Fire HD 10 tablet, but not its 8-inch counterpart -- you've had to wake it up first, which isn't much use when you're across the room. The company is taking care of that omission today with an updated Fire HD 8. The new model touts always-on Alexa that lets you bark commands even when the device is asleep, turning it into an impromptu Echo speaker. The battery life drops from last year's 12 hours to 10 hours as a result, a spokesperson told CNET, but you can turn off the always-available feature if that extra running time is valuable.
Alexa hands-free mode is available on Fire 7 and 8 HD tablets
If you own an Amazon Fire 7 or Fire 8 HD (2017) tablet, then you're in luck because your device just gained a new feature. If your device is connected to power and/or the screen is in use, you can use the device for smart home voice control thanks to Alexa. The software update that will enable the hands-free Alexa feature is currently rolling out to devices.
Amazon brings Alexa calls and messaging to tablets
You no longer need to hang around an Echo speaker to make free calls and messages with Alexa. As of now, you can use Alexa to place calls (including video calls) and send messages from Android tablets, iPads and of course Amazon's own Fire models. How easy it is depends on the device. It's easiest on the Fire HD 10, where you only have to ask Alexa to get in touch; other Alexa-ready Fire tablets require that you tap the home button first. And for everyone else, you'll have to open the Alexa app.
The best smartphones and mobile gear for students
Some of us here at Engadget can remember a time when cellphones on college campuses were strictly "for emergencies" (read: calls home to Mom and Dad). By now, of course, things have changed: Our handsets come with us everywhere, and most of us don't have to worry about pissing off our parents by exceeding our minutes allotment. We imagine many of today's college freshmen already have phones, but for those of you who've earned an upgrade, we crammed five into our back-to-school guide, including some budget options. Not in the market yet for a new phone? You might still want an external battery pack, a fast microSDXC card or, heaven forbid, a "selfie case," which is definitely a thing.
Amazon's Fire tablets get a little thinner and a little faster
If you grabbed a person in the street and asked them when Amazon releases new tablets, you'd expect them to shout "September-ish!" before calling the calls. After all, the company has released a new Fire HD slate in late September or early October for pretty much the last five years. So it's a little surprising to see Amazon pulling the dust sheets off its updated lineup of tablets in May.
Alexa makes Amazon's new Fire HD 8 tablet even more useful
With the Echo and Echo Dot, Amazon proved that its Alexa assistant -- and voice commands in general -- could actually be pretty helpful. But how will it fare on a device that isn't listening to you all the time? That's the question I had when Amazon unveiled the new Fire HD 8, its first tablet to include Alexa support (it's also coming over the next few weeks to the last-gen Fire tablets). Instead of shouting "Alexa" or "Amazon" aloud, you have to hold down the Fire HD 8's home button to activate the assistant, similar to how you'd access it on the Fire TV. That means using Alexa is less seamless than on Echo devices, but it still ends up making the Fire HD 8 a more capable device.
Amazon's $250 Fire bundle will feed your reading habit
If you've been eyeing an e-reader for that special someone this holiday, Amazon has a new bundle that could do the trick. The online retailer announced what it's calling the Reader's Edition of the Fire HD 8. In addition to the reading gadget itself, the $250 price includes a year of books from Kindle Unlimited and a leather cover. If you were to pay separately, the Kindle Unlimited subscription alone would cost you $120 for 12 months.
Amazon's tablet web browser is getting easier to use
Amazon's Silk may not be the darling of the web browser world, but you should know it's still getting plenty of affection. The internet giant is recapping recent updates that promise an easier-to-use tablet surfing experience. You'll now see your most visited sites as easy-to-read tiles when you visit Silk's home screen, putting your go-to page a quick tap away. Bookmarking a page has been simplified to a single tap, and there's a reading list section on the home screen that offers quick access to your saved articles. Oh, and this is your dream upgrade if you can't help but open sites in new tabs -- you can keep an unlimited number of tabs open instead of the previous 10. All good things to know, especially since it's been nearly a year since we heard any updates on the supercomputer-powered browser project.
Amazon's thinner Fire HD tablets always have something to watch
Amazon tablets are for content consumption. That's what the company keeps saying and with today's announcement of new two new Fire HD tablets, it's clear that the company that sells you socks and cat food over the internet is doubling down on that message. The new lighter tablets come in eight and 10.1-inch versions and are only 7.7mm thick. But that's only a small part of the news, the tablets and new Fire OS 5 are laser focused on reading, watching and listening. For example, the new tablets now preemptively download Amazon Prime videos based on your video recommendations so when you are offline, you have videos ready to watch. The new Word Runner feature for reading is to help you quickly get through a chapter or a book in record time, And to make sure you have enough room for all those videos, songs and books you'll be consuming the tablets ship with microSD slots for additional storage for content. Content is king at Amazon and these are the devices they've created to deliver it to you.
