Items tagged with kindlefire
The Amazon smartphone rumors are nothing new, but the rumor mill is a-churnin’ again. Reports suggest that Amazon has two smartphones in the works, one a cheaper model (“Project B”) running the FireOS (or something essentially similar to it) that is found on the Kindle Fire and one a high-end handset that could boast some groundbreaking features. According to a post on Hacker Network, the higher-end model, codenamed “Smith”, will have a 3D user interface, but the 3D won’t be built into the display itself; rather, it will be an illusion made from four front-facing cameras, one each at the four corners of the device. The cameras will track the eye and head movements...
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Barnes and Noble recently indicated that it was planning to launch at least one new Nook device in time for the holidays, with more in the pipeline, and according to The Digital Reader’s sources, that time may well be in early October. The sources indicate that B&N is likely releasing both a tablet and an ereader. There’s little information beyond that at this point, unfortunately, but looking at the company’s current ereader and tablet lineup, it’s intriguing to consider what might pop up. For instance, the Nook HD and HD+ got the Google Play treatment earlier this year, which increased their value and appeal and put them on more equal footing with competition such...
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With Amazon’s GameCircle, gamers using the Kindle Fire had the ability to save their game data in the Amazon cloud, so they never lost their saves and other data. Now, Amazon is expanding GameCircle and bringing its game-saving, leaderboard, and achievements features to all Android devices. Game devs can start implementing the updates with the Amazon Mobile App SDK and GameCircle APIs. Additionally, the update includes Whispersync for Games, which is designed to: 1) Automatically resolve data conflicts between mobile devices and the cloud, 2) Queue updates to support offline operation, and 3) Offer a simple interface that can be integrated in minutes. Games will sync automatically, even...
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Got a Kindle? Got a kid? Amazon has you in mind, as the company announced updates to its Kindle FreeTime Unlimited content service that delivers as much kid-friendly content as they can consume. The service originally rolled out in December of last year, and since then Amazon says it has added over a thousand titles to its lineup of books, games, movies, TV shows, and other apps, including content from Disney, Warner Brothers, Interactive Entertainment, and Electronic Arts. The service has no in-app payment system so you don’t have to worry about Junior racking up hundreds of dollars in fees, and there are no ads or social media links, either. There’s just a flat monthly fee, too,...
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Amazon’s FreeTime app for the Kindle Fire lets parents create individual profiles for their children so they can customize the content their little ones can access. It’s somewhat brilliant, because as opposed to simply blocking or restricting what kids can get to, it allows you to pull in just the content they’ll enjoy (and that you approve of), including books, games, videos, and apps. Parents can also set time limits to ensure that the next generation only gets so much screen time. Amazon now offers an extension to FreeTime called FreeTime Unlimited that offers an all-you-can-eat buffet of kids’ content for a flat rate. Designed for 3-8 year olds, Kindle FreeTime Unlimited...
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We knew that Amazon was ditching Google Maps for its Kindle Fire tablets, but now it’s official: Amazon announced today that it’s Amazon Maps API is now in beta and ready for developers to migrate from the Google Maps API on Android. The two core features of Amazon’s maps are Interactive Maps--so users can pan, zoom, display the user’s location as well as toggle between different map views--and Custom Overlays that show businesses, points of interest, and so on. In other words, this is all typical fare for what we’ve come to expect from a maps application. We’re still not sure how exactly Amazon plans to integrate the technology it acquired when it bought 3D...
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Amazon unveiled several new Kindle and Kindle Fire tablet models today, and fans of the tablets now have a much larger product family tree from which to choose. First up: the original Kindle has received a bit of a specs tweak and now sports faster page turns, new fonts, crisper text--and a price drop from $79 to $69. The ereader now has a sibling in the Kindle Paperwhite, which has no physical buttons, strong visibility even in low-light situations, and a battery that can last a purported 8 weeks even with the screen lit. The display boasts 212ppi and enables the use of new fonts, and the device is just 9.1mm thick and weighs 7.5 ounces. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite The Kindle Paperwhite includes...
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According to Reuters, Amazon will be adding integrated mapping to the Kindle Fire by partnering with Nokia, which means that Google Maps won’t be on yet another platform, Apple having ditched it with the iOS 6 release. Amazon is expected to announce a new round of Kindle Fires (and possibly other devices) at a press conference this week, so the news of integrated maps functionality is timely. It’s reasonable to assume that in addition to Nokia’s maps, Amazon will have built in some of the mapping technology it acquired when it bought 3D mapping service UpNext earlier this summer. More exciting for new Kindle Fire buyers, Reuters’ sources also indicated that the new version...
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With the introduction of the Nexus 7, it felt like Amazon's Kindle Fire was immediately outgunned. Both units cost $199, but the Asus-built Nexus 7 is clearly the superior. It has Android 4.1, a far faster processor, a smoother interface -- there's really no good reason to choose the Kindle Fire over the Nexus 7 unless you're head over heels about the UI tweaks on the former. It's obvious that Amazon isn't going to just stand still while a newer, flashier product comes out to rival its own tablet, and according to Demos Parneros, president of U.S. Retail for Staples, those "next tablets" could be here sooner rather than later. With the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons just around the...
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