Before Barnes & Noble debuted the Nook with GlowLight last week, I had already bought a Kindle Touch even though it didn’t work in the dark. Now it does, thanks to the Amazon Kindle Touch lighted case. Does this solution work for e-ink? See for yourself. Read More »
Although Microsoft invested $300 million in a Barnes & Noble spin-off on Monday, this isn’t the first time Microsoft played the e-book game. Typical for the company, it often has great ideas, but it errs on the timing: Microsoft debuted e-book software back in 2000! Read More »
The excellent Swype keyboard found its way to Android 4.0 devices this week while questionable rumors of Android 5.0 surfaced. Android tablets made a dent in the overall tablet market share, but its the small and low-priced slates that are selling well. Read More »
Low-priced media tablets sold well in 2011, with an estimated 7.5 million units combined from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. On Thursday, iHS noted that tablets from these two companies accounted for 11 percent of the total market. But it wasn’t the iPad that was hurt. Read More »
This week, two of the latest Android tablets arrived on my doorstep: An Asus Transformer Prime and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7; solid upgrades from last year’s models. Android tablet sales are finally on the rise, mainly on the back of Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Read More »
Amazon’s Kindle Fire is the latest example of a growing trend to move traditional computer activities to tablets and smartphones. AlwaysOnPC, a $25 mobile app, connects the Kindle Fire to a cloud instance of Fedora Linux with Open Office, Firefox, Chrome and integrated Dropbox support. Read More »
Although there’s some overlapping functionality between tablets and e-readers, it doesn’t seem to set up either device to cannibalize the other; at least not yet. The number of adults who owned either a tablet or an e-reader doubled this holiday season. Here’s why neither is “winning.” Read More »
Earlier this week, I grilled Amazon for attempting to control web browsing activities on its Kindle Fire as the device was blocked from browsing Google’s Android Market website. With the new Kindle Fire software update, Amazon no longer blocks access, which is the right move. Read More »
Amazon’s promised software update for its Kindle Fire is now live and rolling out to devices over the air. If you can’t wait and you’re not near a computer to download the software, no worries: You can do it all directly on the Kindle Fire. Read More »
Archos announced on Tuesday an updated 7-inch slate, called the Archos 70b, calling it the first Google Android Honeycomb for under $200. That may not be enough to sway consumers from the $199 Kindle Fire with its custom user interface and broad media ecosystem. Read More »
Amazon’s successful 7-inch tablet, the Kindle Fire, is locked down more than people might think: browser requests to Google’s Android Market are redirected to the Amazon AppStore. Imagine buying a new car and then being told you that it can only be driven on certain roadways. Read More »
News of a rumored smaller iPad made the rounds on Friday as Asian supply channels indicate a 7.85-inch model will arrive in late 2012. With iPhone sales rising, there’s less of a need for the iPod touch line, paving the way for less expensive Apple tablets. Read More »
More Must Reads
Although I like the Kindle Fire, I purchased a 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab last year, and there’s just way too much overlap between the two devices. I decided to change that, by adding some of the Amazon Kindle Fire software and user experience to my Tab. Read More »
If Kindle Fire is a disappointment as a tablet, then Kindle Touch is the epitome of e-book reading experience It’s simple, elegant, easy, lightweight and just great at what it’s supposed to do: offer up reading pleasure. I was impressed in the first couple of hours. Read More »
After deciding if I wanted a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet, I pre-ordered Amazon’s tablet just two days ago and it arrived at my home office today during lunch. Here are my first 30-minutes worth of impressions to share on the hardware, software, and user experience. Read More »
Dedicated e-reader sales aren’t growing as fast as those of tablets, but are still expected to nearly triple in the next five years, reaching 67 million sales by 2016, according to Juniper Research. Even with the growth of tablets, I agree with Juniper for several reasons. Read More »
The highly anticipated Amazon Kindle Fire arrived in our offices on Monday, and here we unbox it and take our first look. The Kindle Fire is Amazon’s first foray into tablets after proving it knows a thing or two about e-book readers. Read More »
Sony’s new Wi-Fi Reader is the only e-reader it introduced this year. It’s good that Sony is streamlining what was an unnecessarily complicated product line, but now that all the eggs are in one basket, how does the device stand up to the competition? Read More »
John S. Wilson of Policy Diary sees some strong similarities between Google’s mobile operating system Android: They’re both open, free (aside from patent issues), and just a utility. Android means different things to different companies, and ultimately, this could be Android’s downfall into irrelevance. Read More »
In the months leading up to the press conference earlier this week, speculation about the prospects for Amazon’s new tablet reached a crescendo. Would the new tablet be a worthy competitor? Dr. Phil Hendrix of immr and R. Paul Singh of SocialNuggets weigh in. Read More »
Amazon unveiled its new Kindle lineup Wednesday, and the first one available, the basic, simply named “Kindle,” reached my doorstep Thursday morning. Here’s what I think about Amazon’s latest reader, and how it stacks up so far to previous Kindles and other similar devices. Read More »
There are 20 new tablets set to hit stores in the next few months, and only one of them has a chance to give Apple any sort of competition. That exception? Amazon’s very-likely-to-soon-to-be-announced, overhauled Kindle, according to UBS analysts, which surveyed the not very hopeful field. Read More »
My first hands-on look at AT&T’s Galaxy S II shows a powerful smartphone with brilliant display and fast mobile broadband. Amazon’s tablet is expected to launch next week, although it runs on Google’s platform, you may not see Android. Hulu Plus fans gain a software upgrade. Read More »
Given that a press invite from Amazon just hit my Inbox for next Wednesday, it’s a safe bet that the long wait for Amazon’s tablet entry is about to end. It’s not meant to compete with the iPad, but at $250, it ought to sell well. Read More »
Amazon’s long awaited entry into the Android tablet space is nearly ready, but it’s not the tablet that some were expecting. Samsung blurs the lines between tablet and phone with the new 5.3-inch Samsung Note, while Toshiba and Lenovo debut new Android tablets this week. Read More »
Amazon is expected to enter the tablet market soon; if priced at $300 or less, Forrester believes Amazon can sell 3 to 5 million slates this year. I don’t know about those sales figures, but I do know how Amazon could price it’s tablet even lower. Read More »
The crowded e-book market has just squeezed in room for one more contender, as iriver has created an eInk reader that works with the Google Books store. Priced at $139.99 and available from Target, the iriver Story HD can access 3 million free titles plus various … Read More »
Spurred on by lower prices and by growing acceptance among college graduates and Hispanics, e-reader usage is taking off with 12 percent of adults using an e-reader in May, double the rate from November, according to the Pew Internet Project. Read More »
Although dedicated e-readers arrived and became popular before the current tablet trend, multi-purpose connected slates are set to outsell single-purpose devices as early as next year. While some will always prefer an eInk reader over a tablet, software and connectivity are powering tablet sales past e-readers. Read More »
Quanta has reportedly received orders to build up to 800,000 Amazon tablets per month. Only Quanta knows what Amazon’s new tablet will physically look like, but it’s easy to see how such a device might be used and how it can stand out from the crowd. Read More »
Now that e-book content sales are taking off, what’s the holdup for digital magazines? Part of the problem is varied pricing and subscription models, which can put consumers off. But the vivid experience of a color display on a connected device is bringing them back. Read More »
Sprint is adding another M2M, or machine to machine, device on its 3G network: the BodyMedia armband will capture workout data and shoot it to the cloud. This new “Internet of Things” approach for devices is expected to generate nearly 300 million data subscriptions by 2015. Read More »
The $249 NookColor from Barnes & Noble just became much more attractive to owners of Kindle content and fans of Android tablets. A short rooting process adds the Android Market to the NookColor, which allows installation of the Kindle for Android app. One device, many uses! Read More »
Amazon’s latest Kindle reader, just five months old, is already the company’s best selling product ever. Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, explains that Amazon can see many customers own both a Kindle device and an LCD tablet, underscoring Amazon’s wise move to make Kindle a platform. Read More »
Amazon has rolled out a major new version of the Kindle app for Android that adds magazines and newspapers to the standard e-book fare. The app also adds shopping capability within the app, making it easier to browse for new content, and usability improvements. Read More »
Amazon is bringing the e-book more in line with the paper variety with the ability to give Kindle e-books as gifts this year. Giving that special book to a friend or family member is always a good gift, and now that includes the digital variety. Read More »
Starting next year, the NYT will extend Best-Seller lists to include the top-selling e-books, a validation of how significant the digital publishing business has grown. This validation is fitting given a recent report that e-books have seen a growth in sales of almost 190 percent. Read More »
Amazon is selling a lot of Kindles, according to a press release issued today. The latest Kindle e-reader is the fastest selling Kindle yet, and when you add Kindle e-books into the mix, Kindle products are the top-selling 15 items on Amazon. Read More »
Amazon is pushing the self-publishing movement forward with the introduction of its new Kindle Singles. Singles are shorter (10,000 – 30,000 words) works that anyone can submit to Amazon for sale in the new Kindle Singles section of the Kindle online store. Standard Amazon royalties apply. Read More »
The e-reader war is heating up with Amazon announcing the Kindle and Kindle 3G will be sold in Best Buy stores this fall. This has the Kindle joining the Barnes & Noble Nook and Sony Readers at Best Buy. Pricing will be the same as Amazon’s. Read More »
Retail giant Staples will play a role in heating up the e-reader war as it will start selling Amazon’s Kindles in its retail stores. This move, coupled with price drops, shows how competitive the e-book business has become. Borders dropped prices on two of its e-readers. Read More »
Amazon is feeling good about the latest Kindle, with sales in the first four weeks topping all products sold by the retailer. The new Kindle has outsold every past model in the first four weeks of sales, and continues the 2-year streak as Amazon’s top product. Read More »
Amazon is riding the wave created by high Kindle e-book sales by releasing two new Kindle readers. The new readers offer the same size screen, while reducing the physical size and weight of the devices. They start shipping on Aug. 27, and pricing starts at $139. Read More »
A visitor to China discovered that the Whispernet connectivity of her Kindle was able to download news publications otherwise impossible to get inside China due to the Great Firewall. China takes this censorship duty seriously, so it is surprising this hole exists. Read More »
Kindle producer Amazon is all excited because the recent price drop of the Kindle has resulted in a growth rate three times as high as before the drop. Kindle books (e-books) are now outselling the hardcover editions on Amazon by a healthy margin, too. Read More »
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