Tag Archives: Kindle Fire

Amazon Set to Announce 2 Kindle Fire 7’s?



Rumors have been flying lately around the new Kindle Fire that everyone seems to know is coming, but has no proof of.  Those rumors were compounded last week when Amazon announced the the tablet was “sold out” and no longer available.  Many of the rumors have surrounded a 10 inch version of the tablet to complement the current 7 inch, but now c|net is reporting that, in fact, there will be 2 Kindle Fires, but both will be of the 7 inch variety.

2 tablets that are the same size may sound strange at first, but it really isn’t – after all, there are multiple versions of the iPad that are all the exact same size.  According to the report, Amazon will announce an updated version of the current model, along with a brand new, higher-end model.

The upgraded current model will likely have a new user interface, but it’s unclear if there will be any hardware changes.   On the other hand, the new higher-end model will (supposedly) contain a faster processor, camera, a physical volume control button and an HDMI port.  The Verge recently posted a possible image of the new tablet.

One rumor that has not yet surfaced is pricing.  It’s generally assumed that the updated current model will come with a new, lower price tag – perhaps as low as $149 to undercut the biggest competition, the Nexus 7.  There is no speculation for pricing on the high-end model.  An announcement from Amazon should be forthcoming this week.


Polkcast Creates Your Personal Cloud



Polkast LaptopPolkast thinks that it’s better to have your files in your control in your home or office rather than the nebulous cloud. Andy talks to Dave from Polkast on how they do this but still give you access from your smartphone.

Polkast consists of two components, a server app that’s installed on the PC or Mac where all the documents and files are stored. A client app goes on your smartphone or tablet, and both iOS and Android devices are supported, including the Kindle Fire.

The client app is much like any media player interface with icons for music, photos, videos, documents and so on. You can browse for the media you want and show photos or play music.

For a single PC or Mac, Polkast offer a free service, no matter how many client devices connect. For multiple PCs or Macs, the premium service costs $4.99 per month (though this option doesn’t seem to be available on the website yet).

Interview by Andy McCaskey of SDR News and RV News Net.

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inCarBite iPad and Kindle Fire Car Mount



inCarBite iPad car mountThese days, in-car DVD players are old hat – a tablet is where it’s at. Andy talks to Linda at inCarBite on how their car mount can keep up with the Joneses.

The inCarBite tablet mounting system is available for the Apple iPad 1 & 2 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which is gaining in popularity as an entertainment device. The tablet mount fixes onto the headrest stems of the front seats using a neat clamp, which is detachable from the mount itself to make fitting easier. Power is provided from the car’s cigarette lighter socket so the tablet is charged while it’s in the mount.

And if that’s not enough, there’s a matching home dock with surround sound which takes the same mount so the device can be easily switched between the living room, kitchen and car.

It’s available now for the iPad from $79.99 to $159.99 depending on accessories. The Kindle Fire version is coming soon.

Interview by Andy McCaskey of SDR News and RV News Net.

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G Form Extreme Gadget Protection



G-Form Logo

G-Form is best know for its protective gear for high adrenaline sports but using this know-how, it’s protecting something much more precious – your expensive tablet with its Extreme range of cases. If you think this is gimmick, these guys dropped an iPad in an Extreme Portfolio from a weather balloon at 100,000+ feet….and it survived.

Todd talks to Rick Garrard to find out more about the high altitude drop and gets a demonstration of what happens when an 8 lb bowling ball lands on a packet of chocolate M&Ms covered with G-Form’s Extreme protection. Mmm, chocolate.

The Extreme cases and sleeves are on-sale now from $34.95 upwards for the iPad and Kindle Fire (or 10″ and 7″ tablets).

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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Apple’s Black Friday Deals Don’t Feel Like Much



Apple Black Friday Teaser
Apple Black Friday Teaser

Ah, Black Friday. The day where you push and shove to get in a store for a “Doorbuster deal”. This year, Apple will be getting in the game with their own Black Friday Deals. But are the supposed price reductions a discount, or a slap in the face to the consumer?

Apple is doing something they haven’t in a long time. Put a sale on their computers. Usually, if you want to buy a Mac, prices are set and you have no choice. However, this holiday season, Apple is doing something different – they’re putting devices on “Black Friday” deals.

According to 9to5mac.com, this Friday you can get a 16GB iPad2 for $458 – A $41 discount. Macbook Air, Macbook Pro and iMac will all get $101 discounts, and iPod Nano and Touch will get a $11 discount. accessories will also be discounted.

So the best deal out of the group is the Macbook Air for $898. While it is a discount to normal prices, this doesn’t feel like a Black Friday deal. Usually, if you stand in a line for hours, you can get a free MP3 player or 20″ LCD TV. You can get a 20% discount on certain items in the store.

Apple’s discount is about 10%.

With Kindle Fire being $199 and nook color at $249, then add in the fact that Blackberry Playbook just got reduced to $300, Apple’s $41 discount on an iPad might not be the magic number for people to get excited in standing in a Apple Store line on November 25th. Then again, Apple always has been about quality, and with quality comes price.

Still, some fans hold Apple products on a silver pedestal. They will pay whatever price Apple puts in front of them. So a $41 discount might be a big deal to someone who wants an iPad.

Conspicuously missing was any price breaks for iPhones. Especially since Best Buy posted their Black Friday circular (in which an Apple TV is $10 off). Some other phones will be 30-50% off on Friday.  Six Android smartphones will be free (with 2 year activation).

The LG Thrill is one of those phones – a 4G phone with glasses-less 3D technology. It matches the specs to an iPhone 4S. That would be a good reason to hit Best Buy when they open.

Still, any discount is a good one. So get your running shoes on and get ready for a long day in shopping lines. Unless you are like me, waiting for Cyber Monday to get all the deals online…


Price of Chromebook Drops. Will You Buy it Now?



Chromebook Display at Google Places Event
Chromebook Display at Google Places Event

Google announced they are dropping the price of the Chromebook by 30%. Some Chromebooks will be as low as $299. But questions still arise if a Chromebook is in your holiday wish list, when you can get a Kindle Fire, nook Color for less. Even the iPad could be in more stockings than the ultra-portable laptop.

Chromebook came out back in June as Google’s answer to a PC that didn’t have a complicated OS to it. You would load the Chromebook up to a Chrome browser; inside, all your applications would be in the cloud and the data you create would also mostly reside in a cloud drive. However, if you were in a 3G deadspot or didn’t have Wifi, then your work would be rather limited.

Competing with a Tablet

Chromebook’s price drop is pretty much an attempt to counter the prices of the Kindle Fire and nook color tablets, which debuted to the general public last week at $199 and $249 respectively. The tablet – which you could connect a bluetooth keyboard and mouse – could technically become a more functional notebook than a Chromebook itself. And with prices at $100 lower than the device,  will a Samsung or Acer Chromebook even be in your holiday purchase radar?

What is Chromebook’s Market?

Google Chair at SF Airport
Google Chair at SF Airport

Chromebook has to figure out where their niche is going to be. Maybe as a laptop for the kids, or a machine you can keep in the kitchen to call up recipes or as a kiosk in a public place? Back in September, I saw the Chromebook lounge in the San Francisco Airport. Those kiosks would be great for people that have hours to wait but don’t have a computer to check their Facebook profiles or email on.

Remember when the Netbook was a popular item two years ago? What happened to that? The answer is the netbook disappeared fast. You can still get a netbook, but just like the Chromebook, why should you spend $300 or more for a device that is the same speed and power as a Kindle Fire or nook Color?

So now we can start to see the impact of these two new tablets are bringing to the holiday shopping season. Chromebook has to compete with something more compact and useable. Google has not released any data regarding Chromebooks sold, but a DigiTimes report (premium content site) says it all:

“In June 2011, Acer and Samsung launched their Chromebooks ahead of other PC brand vendors, but by the end of July, Acer had reportedly only sold 5,000 units and Samsung was said to have had even lower sales than Acer, according to sources from the PC industry.”

What does that mean to Chromebook? Simply: It’s time to drop prices and hope the Chromebook will sell well in Q4.


Preparing for the Kindle Fire: Amazon App Store Updates to 2.0



Next Tuesday, November 15th, Amazon will release the much-anticipated Kindle Fire.  The 7″ Android tablet has been rumored to be receiving a huge number of pre-orders – 250,000 in the first 5 days if the news reports are correct.  Now, with the release only 5 days away, Amazon has bumped their App Store to version 2.0.

The new look of the App Store is designed to make it more tablet-compatible.  In fact, the user interface looks very Kindle Fire-like with the new UI being a mix of greys and black, instead of the previous mostly white background.  Amazon has also introduced better control with the addition of Parental Controls, plus they have enabled in-app purchases.

You can get instructions for adding or updating the Amazon App Store on your mobile device by visiting this Amazon page.  Check out the screenshots of the new App Store posted below.