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Google has already lost the hardware chief it poached from Amazon
You probably have food that's been in your freezer longer than David Foster (nope, still not the composer) stayed at Google after leaving Amazon. After six months, Foster is vacating his position as vice president of Google's hardware product development, according to Bloomberg. In case you forgot, he played a role in the launch the Pixel phone and Google Home speaker's launches. Prior to that, he led hardware development on Amazon's Echo speakers, the Kindle Paperwhite and Voyage e-readers.
WSJ: Next Amazon Kindle comes with rechargeable cases
Amazon Kindles can already last for weeks on a single charge, but the upcoming "top-of-the-line" model could last even longer than that. According to The Wall Street Journal, it will come with a rechargeable protective casing for extra juice. The publication says this case allows it to be slimmer than its predecessors, which could mean that the device alone will have a battery life shorter or similar to older models. Amazon is reportedly working on a solar-powered casing, as well, though that one won't be ready in time for the new e-reader's launch next week.
The year in reviews: a look back at the best gadgets of 2014
It's been quite a year in products here at the Engadget offices. Not only have we looked at the latest flagship phones and hottest laptops, but our reviews have run the gamut from VR headsets to WiFi Crock-Pots. We've worn lots of smartwatches and fitness wristbands on our arms, tried out an ultra-secure phone and looked at more Chromebooks than we can count. And while we reviewed plenty of average and mediocre devices (and even a few bad ones), there are a handful that emerge at the top of the heap. Some come out as clear winners, while others are good, but don't quite break away from the pack, leaving us with a rather perplexing six-way-tie for seventh place. Thus, we present to you not our top 10, but top 12 highest-scored products of 2014.
Amazon adds instant definitions, family sharing to newer Kindles
Remember all those new Kindle software features Amazon promised? You know, the ones that were announced alongside the shiny new Kindle Voyage? The company's been coy about when exactly we'd get them packaged up for our installing pleasure, but it's now ready to spill the metaphorical beans -- a software update will ferry those features to the Voyage, the new $79 basic Kindle and the second-generation Kindle Paperwhite over the air during the coming weeks... unless you want to just install the update yourself right now.
Amazon's flagship Kindle Voyage e-reader now available in the UK for £169
Amazon's announced today that its new Kindle Voyage e-reader and updated Fire HDX 8.9 tablet are now up for grabs in the UK. The Kindle Voyage is by far Amazon's best e-reader to date, but it commands a pretty penny as a result. At £169 for the WiFi-only model and £229 if you want 3G connectivity, the Voyage is significantly more expensive than the Paperwhite, which starts at £109, and almost three times the price of the bog-standard Kindle. While the Voyage will enjoy all the attention that comes with being a brand new device, the new Fire HDX 8.9 is merely an upgrade. The 8.9-inch tablet has a faster processor and better sound quality, among other tweaks, and is still the biggest, baddest Amazon tablet around. The 16GB, WiFi-only model is now on sale for £329, but if you want more storage or an LTE radio up in there, that'll be costing extra.
Engadget Daily: Kindle Voyage review, Disney's 'Big Hero 6' and more!
If you're a germophobe, Kindle user or Disney fan, this issue of the Engadget Daily is for you -- and really, everyone else is invited too. Read on for all our news highlights from the last 24 hours, including Dyson's germ-zapping humidifier, Disney's Big Hero 6, real-life tractor beam technology and more.
Amazon Kindle Voyage review: The best e-reader is also the priciest
When Amazon introduced an updated version of its flagship Kindle Paperwhite last year, it took the easy way out -- after all, tweaked internals, improved software and slightly better lighting do not a thrilling e-reader make. The 2013 Paperwhite wasn't bad by any stretch, just a bit boring. Now, a year later, Amazon has put together a reader that's anything but. Say hello to the Kindle Voyage. On paper, the new Voyage sounds like a home run. Smaller footprint? High-resolution screen? Something akin to physical page-turn buttons? Sign me up! It's Amazon's first truly premium Kindle, unless you count the dodo that was the DX, and this time around the company's catering to die-hard readers. But here's the real question: Does anyone really need a $199 e-reader (with ads, no less)? In a word, yes.
Amazon listing details new smaller, high-res 'Voyage' Kindles
You don't need supernatural powers to realize that it's been 12 months since a Kindle Paperwhite refresh, ergo we're due a new one. It also kinda helps when Amazon's own web-store lets slip a little bit of info. Some eager searchers spotted a listing for Kindle "Voyage" on Amazon's German and Japanese stores. The listings don't have too much information, but do mention a 300 ppi display on the 6-inch device that comes in the usual WiFi and 3G versions. The 112 x 116 mm dimensions suggest the Voyage will be smaller and at 8mm deep, the "thinnest Kindle up to now" (thanks Google translate). The (now-pulled) product page was even kind enough to give us details on price -- $190 or $250 with 3G -- all set for a November 4th launch date. It could be that the Paperwhite name is on the way out, too, with the Spanish version of this support page replacing "Paperwhite" with the new "Voyage" name.
