fire

App tracks the wise who hate their bosses on Twitter

Frustration is an essential element of the human condition.

Nowhere is it more essential than at work, where people can be openly hostile, appallingly manipulative or, if you happen to work in the San Francisco Bay Area, passive-aggressive till your toenails crack.

You don't know who your friends are, so you have to be careful where and to whom you air your frustrations. However, given its essentially public nature, perhaps Twitter is not the best place and Twitterers are not the best ears.

Some people, though, can help themselves no more than when they are confronted with a chocolate … Read more

Amazon dumps on report claiming $99 Kindle Fire on the horizon

Could Amazon offer a high-definition Kindle Fire tablet as cheap as $99? That's the latest rumor coming from the folks at TechCrunch.

Citing no specific sources, TechCrunch said it's "now hearing" that a $99 7-inch Kindle Fire is on the production line, with plans to ship sometime this year. Reportedly, the new device would use a TI chip and offer a 1280x800-pixel resolution, just like the current Kindle HD 7-inch tablet.

Amazon recently trimmed the prices on its Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch tablets. TechCrunch pointed to price drops as a way of either selling more … Read more

Amazon cuts Kindle Fire HD 8.9 price, sends it to Europe, Japan

Amazon is launching its Kindle Fire HD 8.9 in Europe and Japan today, which means a lower price for the tablet in the U.S., the company announced.

In the U.S., the Wi-Fi version now starts at $269 and the 4G device starts at $399. Customers in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Japan can purchase the 8.9-inch screen Kindle tablet for the original cost: $299 for the Wi-Fi version and $499 for the 4G version.

Amazon Kindle Vice President Dave Limp said in a press release that the company "is thrilled with customer … Read more

NTSB: Boeing Dreamliner blaze probe needs more time

The National Transportation Safety Board today released an interim report detailing the events that led to a lithium-ion battery fire on a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner, but it didn't make any conclusions into what caused the blaze.

The organization noted that the report was strictly factual in nature and based on initial findings. That meant it didn't detail a clear-cut reason for the fire, provide analysis, or make any conclusions or recommendations.

The NTSB said its investigation into the probable cause of the 787 battery fire is continuing. It's also continuing to review the design, certification, … Read more

Low Latency No. 53: There's a Groupon for that

Low Latency is a weekly comic on CNET's Crave blog written by CNET editor and podcast host Jeff Bakalar and illustrated by Blake Stevenson. Be sure to check Crave every Friday at 8 a.m. PT for new panels! Want more? Here's every Low Latency comic so far.… Read more

CNET Giveaway: Geek Squad-certified refurbished Kindle Fire

Editor's note: This contest is now closed.

Been staying up nights pining for a tablet of your very own? Here is your chance. Cast your vote below and be entered to win* one of five Geek Squad-certified refurbished Kindle Fires provided by our friends at Best Buy.

If you already have a Kindle Fire, then we know you are mostly using it to check out the latest in tech using the oh-so-cool CNET app, but we are curious to know what else you are using it for. Enter below for a chance to win one for a friend or … Read more

Samsung cell phone battery explodes in man's pocket

Lithium-ion batteries are notorious for overheating, catching on fire, or exploding. Yet, they're in most electronics that people use daily.

One such battery set ablaze over the weekend while in a man's pants pocket, according to the Associated Press. The man was walking around with his Samsung mobile phone in his pocket when the battery caught on fire, giving him second-degree burns and a one-inch wound on his thigh. Officials said the battery was not inside the phone when it exploded.

The incident took place in South Korea, which is where Samsung is based. According to the local … Read more

Amazon to mint virtual coins for Kindle Fire users

Come May, Kindle Fires users can pocket virtual coins to spend on their favorite apps.

Announced today, Amazon Coins is a new type of virtual currency developed by the retail giant. The coins will be used to purchase Kindle Fire games, apps, and in-app items from the Amazon Appstore.

To kick off the currency in May, Amazon will offer shoppers tens of millions of dollars of free Amazon Coins to spend on Kindle Fire apps. The company will also let customers buy more coins directly through their Amazon accounts.

Amazon sees the currency as a boon for developers, as it … Read more

Microsoft's tablet blip versus Android's boom

As Android tablet shipments surge, probably the best thing that can be said about Microsoft is that it's not going away.

Android tablet shipments totaled about 30 million in the fourth quarter, IDC reported today. And that number (total market) jumps to 50 million if you throw in Apple's iPad.

"There is no question that Microsoft is in this tablet race to compete for the long haul," an IDC analyst said today in a statement, trying to put Microsoft's tablet debut into perspective.

In fact, that's probably about as positive a statement that can … Read more

Get six 10-foot HDMI cables for $12.99 shipped

I don't know about you, but I never seem to have enough HDMI cables. Maybe Obviously it's because I live in a gear-heavy household (Roku boxes everywhere!), so I'm always looking to pad my supply.

Today's deal ought to last me awhile. Today only, and while supplies last, 1SaleADay has a six-pack of 10-foot gold-tip HDMI cables for $12.99 shipped. That works out to about $2.16 per cable, which is less than what you'd typically pay for a single 6-footer.

By now I suspect that most people (or at least most CNET readers) … Read more