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Amazon outs X-ray for Textbooks, 'smart glossary' for all of your learning needs
Ever wanted Amazon's X-ray for books to play nice with those school publications as well? If so, you're in the luck. The outfit announced today that X-ray for Textbooks will provide a library of terms to lend a hand with your studies alongside a similar function for movies that's powered by IMDB. Of course, the helpful tech will land with the trio of new slates that were also unveiled at the event.
Amazon unveils Kindle FreeTime, gives kids their own space to play
Amazon just solved one of the bigger dilemmas for parents buying that new Kindle Fire HD -- how to keep the kids in a safe zone for content. It's introducing Kindle FreeTime, a special mode that makes it easier for younguns to navigate while letting the adults create separate profiles dictating what children can access and for how long. The filters are separated by media type, and Amazon even turns the background from black to blue to reassure parents by the glow of the screen on Junior's face. We'd call the parental control a long overdue feature, although we're sure Amazon also sees it as a chance to scoop up an extra Kindle Fire sale or two among families.%Gallery-164595% Follow the Amazon liveblog here!
Amazon unveils new Kindle Fire with doubled RAM, 44 percent better performance and $159 price
Amazon has officially unveiled the 2012 vintage of the Kindle Fire, which is reportedly 44 percent more powerful than its predecessor. The service-orientated slate (as opposed to a gadget, which CEO Jeff Bezos claims nobody wants) comes with a bigger battery, a new processor and 1GB RAM -- double that of the 2011 model. The only other change comes in the form of a front-facing camera, unlike its closest rival. Internally, the device is called the Kindle SD as it now plays second-fiddle to a pair of Kindle Fire HD devices with 1,920 x 1,200 displays, but will be called the "new" Kindle Fire in public. Amazon has also slashed the price of the hardware, which at $159 is $40 cheaper than Google's Nexus 7 -- as well as competing with e-book tablet adversaries Kobo Arc and the forthcoming Nook Tablet replacement with an "incredible" 243ppi display, unless Barnes & Noble are also producing SD and HD hardware. It'll begin shipping on September 14th, with pre-orders expected to begin very soon. %Gallery-164584% %Gallery-164613%
Amazon announces 7 and 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDs, pricing starts at $199
Amazon has made the jump from small to big screens with its e-readers in the past, and its now done so again with its tablets. The company has just announced a new Kindle Fire HD with an 8.9-inch, 1920 x 1200 display (or 254 ppi). The device itself measures 8.8mm thick and weighs in at 20 ounces, and that high-res screen has a polarizing filter on it that promises to cut down on glare -- the touch sensor is also laminated, which Amazon says offers better sharpness and contrast. As for internals, the Fire HD 8.9 (as Amazon has distinguished it) has a TI OMAP 4470 processor, dual speakers, a front-facing HD camera, and HDMI out. As the company is happy to point out, it's also the first tablet with dual-band (2.4GHz, 5GHz) MIMO technology, which Amazon says makes the device's WiFi 41 percent faster than the latest iPad. Look for it to run you $299 for the 16GB version when it starts shipping on November 20th. Those looking for some added connectivity will also be able to opt for a Kindle Fire HD with 4G LTE for $499 (also shipping November 20th). That buys you 32GB of storage instead of the standard 16GB (a 64GB option is also available), and you'll get 250MB of data per month from AT&T if you shell out an extra $50 a year. But that's not all, Amazon has also announced a smaller, 7-inch Kindle Fire HD that will run you just $199 (also for 16GB). It boasts most of the same specs as its larger counterpart, the big exception being the screen resolution -- you'll get 1280 x 800 here, which puts it on par with the Nexus 7. According to Amazon, you can expect 11 hours of battery life from the 7-inch model, but it's curiously not offering battery details on the Fire HD 8.9. Pre-orders for all three options start today.%Gallery-164586% %Gallery-164614%
Live from Amazon's Santa Monica press conference!
It's Amazon day! Greetings from sunny Santa Monica, CA, home of rusty Ferris wheels and namesake of at least one Everclear song we can think of off the top of our head. We're expecting big news from the online mega-retailer today -- after all, we flew across the country to be here. What can we look forward to today? The sequel to the Kindle Fire? Some new e-reading devices? A Kindlephone? Find out today at 1:30PM ET! September 6, 2012 1:30 PM EDT
Amazon's press conference is today -- get your liveblog right here!
Not sick of liveblogs yet? Great news! We're getting settled down in sunny (well, overcast, at the moment) Santa Monica, CA, in order to bring you the latest news from Amazon. We're not entirely sure what to expect this time out, but we've heard rumblings about a Kindle Fire 2, some new e-readers and even talk of a Kindle phone. What does the future hold? Click here and stay tuned to find out.
Did Amazon just tease football fans with new Kindle devices?
Watching tonight's Cowboys / Giants game? We hope you stuck around for the commercials, because Amazon may have given NFL fans a glimpse of what's to come during tomorrow's event. According to folks watching the game, the firm ran a brief commercial featuring what appears to be a pair of Kindle devices, which comfortably fit previous reports that two new versions will be landing soon. One of the devices packs a touchscreen in a black finish, and looks distinct from hardware in the company's current lineup. At any rate, you can catch the minute-long TV spot after the break or wait until the firm's press conference tomorrow for concrete details. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Ceton Companion apps for iOS and Android are available, bring WMC mobile control for $5
For Windows Media Center fans searching for a good looking remote app for their mobile devices, that wait is over, at least on a few platforms. The Ceton Companion app we've been teased with since CES 2012 is finally officially available, and ready for download from the Android and iOS app stores. We're told the Windows Phone 7 version should be along shortly, as well as the Amazon Appstore edition once its approval goes through. If you've somehow avoided its specifics until now, we have walkthrough videos embedded after the break to show what kind of remote DVR scheduling, guide browsing and remote control action it's capable of. To cover the possibility that a whole Lincoln is too rich for your blood, one way to defray the costs and pay for the app on two platforms is to follow the Ceton Twitter account and enter a contest for a $10 Google Play gift card -- instructions are available at the link below. Update: The Windows Phone version of the app is live now as well, check it out at the link below.
Amazon Kindle Fire sequel may have surfaced in logs, points to Android 4.0 and return to dual-core
There have been surprisingly few if any concrete leaks of Amazon's future Kindle Fire plans, even with the follow-up's appearance likely just hours away. Thankfully, we may have been given a last-minute peek into the company's strategy after an Engadget reader tipped us to some unusual activity in an app's hardware usage logs. At least a pair of hits have come from a new device identifying itself as "AmazonKFTT" instead of the much plainer "AmazonKindleFire" language attached to the original model. There's also signs that Amazon has upgraded the OS underneath to Android 4.0.3. We wouldn't anticipate this particular slate carrying a quad-core chip to tackle the Nexus 7 head-on, though -- unless the KFTT variant is just a firmware-updated Kindle Fire with a name change, the next generation should still have at least one dual-core tablet in the range. Here's hoping there are a few more surprises in store by the time Amazon takes the stage on Thursday. [Thanks, Jared]
WSJ: Amazon is building an ad-supported tablet (update: two Kindle Fire devices coming next week)
If you can't quite scrounge up the $200 it takes to buy a quality 7-inch slab these days, Amazon may have a solution for you: sell them your attention. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company plans to develop an ad-supported tablet that would display advertisements whenever the screen is turned on. Sound familiar? Like Amazon's existing ad-supported Kindles, a subsided tablet would ring in at a lower price tag then its ad-free counterparts. WSJ's sources also mentioned that some versions of the device would be WiFi-only, potentially helping Amazon lower the price even further. No word yet, if you'll be able to buy your way out of the ads later, of course. Update: Care for a thicker plot? CNET is now reporting that Amazon will reveal two new Kindle Fire tablets next week -- a 7-incher and a slightly reworked version of the original. While a brand new slab could be an obvious contender for the 7-inch tablet crown, a refreshed version of Amazon's original hardware could very well fit the ad-supported bill. Check out CNET's full report at the source link below.
Amazon reportedly licenses Nokia mapping technologies for Kindle Fire successor
It looks like Nokia's strategy to become the go-to company for location-based services is gaining traction, as anonymous sources of Reuters suggest that Amazon will tap the Finnish company to provide mapping data for its upcoming tablet. The report contends that location-aware features will be core to Amazon's Kindle Fire successor, which is widely expected to debut on September 6th. If true, the move represents a continuation of Amazon's desire to create an ecosystem that's far removed from Google own content offerings. On the plus side, it brings the possibility that some excellent offline navigation capabilities may be in the pipeline. Whatever the case may be, we're sure to know the truth very shortly.
Amazon's Kindle Fire has sold out just in time for the company's next big event
Amazon has just announced that the Kindle Fire has joined the Kindle Touch on the out-of-stock list, presumably forever, a week before the company's mysterious product announcement. Jeff Bezos has teased that the company's got an "exciting roadmap" ahead, which we'd expect to include at least one touchscreen e-reader and a vastly revamped 7-inch tablet, designed to better compete with Google's similarly sized budget offering.
Switched On: Trading places
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. If widespread rumors hold true, the coming weeks will see two of the most successful tablet vendors invade each other's screen size turf. Apple, which once rebuked the 7-inch tablet as unfit for normally proportioned human hands, appears ready to try its own hand at an iPad rumored to be on the larger side of the 7- to 8-inch range. Amazon, which lagged its bookselling rival Barnes & Noble in bringing out a color tablet, stands ready to introduce an infernal successor to the Kindle Fire that may include a display that is close to 9-inches or larger. It's not quite the first ride along the screen size escalator for either company. For Apple, a smaller iPad would fill in the iOS screen size gap between the iPhone and iPad. For Amazon, also rumored to be working on a phone, a larger color tablet would revisit the ground it explored to lackluster results with the Kindle DX. That product hasn't kept up with even e-paper-based e-readers with advances such as touchscreens and side-lighting, both of which are found in the latest Nook Simple Nook.
Amazon throwing press conference September 6th
We can't say we didn't see this coming, but we're certainly excited at the potential that Amazon's upcoming press event holds. The online mega-retailer is doing an press conference on Thursday September 6th, and while there's not a lot in the way of info for the California-based event, we're guessing the word "Kindle" might come up once or twice... What can we expect? A Fire sequel? Some illuminated e-ink readers? Time will tell -- but no matter what it is, you can bet we'll be there to cover it.
Crackle's free movie streaming expands to the Nook Tablet, Android and iOS apps updated for TV playback
It may not have quite the catalog of Netflix (or the same HD quality), but Sony Pictures' Crackle streaming service does have one big thing going for it: it's completely free. It's also found its way onto plenty of different platforms (most recently Windows Phone), and that run has now continued with its expansion onto Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet (but not the Nook Color). What's more, while there's no release date confirmed just yet, Crackle says that the app is "coming soon" to the Kindle Fire as well. It's also revealed that the app has now seen 11 million downloads across all mobile platforms -- a figure that may now see a boost not only from the new Nook app, but from the just-updated Android and iOS apps, which each boast a redesigned interface and support for TV playback via AirPlay or HDMI.
IHS iSuppli: Apple iPad takes 69.6 percent of tablet brand market share in Q2, reader tablets take a bruising
An earlier portrait of the second quarter's tablet market share made it quite clear that the iPad was on a rebound, if it was ever in a slump to start with. All those numbers focused on platforms and not brands, however -- we didn't know how the individual makers were doing. If IHS iSuppli's figures are on the ball, there's even more of a discrepancy if you break down the period's results by manufacturer. The iPad staked out 69.6 percent of tablet shipments in the spring. That wasn't just an 11-point jump over a year earlier; it was a level of share Apple hasn't had since the Motorola Xoom was just cutting its teeth early in 2011. As for the rest? Transformer Pads kept ASUS growing, but it's not a pretty sight if you're making an Android reader tablet; both Amazon and Barnes & Noble shed roughly a point and a half each, which is no small amount relative to their size. Samsung also lost share by this after its deliveries of Galaxy Tabs mostly stayed flat. We'd add that there's some wiggle room as to real performance knowing that units shipped and sold aren't always one and the same. Most of these companies are leaving clues regarding upcoming tablet refreshes that might level the playing field, some not so subtle, but it's currently Apple's game to win.
Live streams come to Cablevision's Optimum App for the Kindle Fire
The Optimum App for the Kindle Fire has served Cablevision customers in search of a second screen for some time now, but now it's more like its siblings on iOS, PC or Mac. What we mean is that now it can stream live and on demand content subscribed to via your Cablevision service. That's the good news, the catch is that you have to be connected to your home network for the live streams to work, but at least all the channels are available, rather than a subset like some providers. Of course if you aren't interested in watching video on the small screen, you can still use the aforementioned Kindle Fire app as a remote as well as to manage your DVR or discover new content while the action plays on the big screen for the rest of those in your home to enjoy.
Spotify app hits Kindle Fire, brings mobile radio and 320kbps listening
Love your Kindle Fire, but find yourself habitually cursing its lack of Swedish music streaming services? Great news, Spotify's now available through everyone's favorite $200 Amazon tablet, bringing with it free custom radio stations, social functionality like the ability to view friends' playlists and 320kbps listening. Interested parties can download the app from the source link below.
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: tablets
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we're leaning back with our tablets -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of August we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- you can hit up the hub page right here! Your back may be straining from the textbooks, laptop, gym gear and lunch in that dangling overstuffed messenger, but you're still gonna want to save room for one more item -- a tablet. After all, while you can surf, tweet, play games and watch video from your other devices, there's nothing like doing it from a simple glass window that sits in the palm of your hand. As the hardware gets more powerful, these devices are rapidly becoming versatile enough to let you justify leaving the laptop at home on less-intensive days, so why not check out our picks of the finest devices you should be using and abusing before, during and after class.
IDC: Apple extends lead in tablet market
In a bit of news that should surprise almost nobody, IDC & Macworld reported on Thursday that Apple has increased its market share of units shipped in the tablet market to almost 70 percent worldwide. By the numbers, Apple shipped a total of 17 million iPads in the April to June quarter of 2012, boosting its market share from 61.5 percent for the same quarter of 2011 to 68.2 percent this year. In that quarter of 2011, Apple shipped 9.24 million iPads, so a year over year comparison shows a growth of 84.3 percent. According to IDC, the majority of consumers favor the iPad over competing tablets, and Apple also gets the nod in vertical markets like education. Shipments of iPads do appear to be slowing in mature markets, but sales growth for the iPad in other regions is robust. In the number two spot of the tablet market for the quarter was Samsung, with 2.4 million units shipped and an almost 10 percent market share. Amazon's Kindle Fire has surged from a slow first quarter of 2012 to ship 1.25 million units for a 5 percent share of the market. Asus and Acer came in at fourth and fifth place, with Asus seeing a year-over-year increase in shipments of 115.5 percent (885,000 tablets shipped). Acer, on the other hand, had a drop of about 40 percent in sales from the same quarter in 2011, shipping only 385,000 tablets. While Apple's currently at the top of the heap, analysts expect more competition in the tablet space beginning in the second half of 2012, with new Kindle Fire models from Amazon and a number of new devices running Windows 8 and Windows RT. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
