kindle

Now we're talking: Amazon buys text-to-speech provider Ivona

Amazon has acquired text-to-speech technology provider Ivona Software for an undisclosed amount, broadening its in-house capabilities as the Internet retailer continues to push its tablet business.

The two companies have collaborated in the past, Amazon noted, with Ivona's technology powering the text-to-speech, voice guide, and explore-by-touch features on Kindle Fire tablets.

In addition, Poland-based Ivona delivers text-to-speech products and services to thousands of developers, businesses, and customers around the world. It offers voice and language portfolios with 44 voices in 17 languages, and it's developing even more.

Amazon has been expanding its tablet business to take on companies … Read more

Amazon's Kindle and Paperwhite available in Canada

The latest generation of Kindle and the Kindle Paperwhite are now available for sale in Canada, according to Amazon.

The company has started selling its e-readers on Amazon.ca, its Canadian site, today. The Kindle costs 89 Canadian dollars ($88.98). The Paperwhite, which has a lighted touch screen, starts at 139 Canadian dollars ($138.95) for the 3G version. The Paperwhite with both Wi-Fi and 3G costs 199 Canadian dollars ($198.97).

The devices, which started shipping in the U.S. in September and October, will also be available at more than 1,000 retail locations in Canada, including … Read more

Get a Nook Tablet 16GB for $99.99

Got tablet?

Until tomorrow, and while supplies last, Fry's has the recertified Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet 16GB for $99.99, plus $6.99 for shipping. (Sales tax may also apply in some states.)

Update: Looks like it's now available in-store only. So unless you have a Fry's near you, you're outta luck.

As you may recall, a short while ago I listed a refurbished Kindle Fire for around the same price. But the Nook Tablet has a few points in its favor, not the least of which are twice the storage and a microSD slot … Read more

Freebook Sifter finds Kindle freebies

E-books are all kinds of awesome. E-book prices? Not so much.

That's why I'm always on the lookout for freebies, relying on sites like Hundred Zeros to help me find gratis reading for my Kindle.

Lately I've been exploring another source: Freebook Sifter, a new site that lists over 35,000 no-cost books available from Amazon. It's not the prettiest site I've ever seen -- all links and text, no cover art or images -- but it definitely delivers on its promise.

When you first visit the site, you'll see a random listing of … Read more

Intel's bet on Windows 8 'convertibles' iffy, say analysts

Intel is betting a chunk of its PC future on so-called convertibles. So far, financial analysts aren't convinced these are designs that will win the day.

Newfangled laptops that perform mechanical acrobatics to convert to tablet mode, like Lenovo's Yoga convertible and Dell's XPS 12, aren't impressive enough yet to revive PC-market doldrums, according to a growing chorus of financial analysts who follow Intel.

On Thursday, Intel CEO Paul Otellini, speaking during an earnings conference call, tried to depict convertible PC designs as the best of both worlds: the laptop and the tablet. In essence, he … Read more

Get a refurbished Kindle Fire tablet for $95.96

Mark my words, 2013 will be the year of the $100 tablet.

Maybe not right away, but already we're seeing models like the Archos 70 Titanium for $119 (coming in February). It's just a matter of time until some major manufacturer hits that magic $99 price point.

Don't want to wait? For a limited time, and while supplies last, All4Cellular has the refurbished Amazon Kindle Fire (first-gen) tablet for $95.96, plus $2 for shipping. That's after applying coupon code A4C20 at checkout. That's the lowest price I've seen, and, I believe, the first … Read more

How to change your Kindle device name

Amazon Kindle devices are automatically named when you activate them to something like, "Ed's Kindle." A second Kindle on your account will be named, "Ed's 2nd Kindle." If you want to change the name to something a bit more descriptive, like the specific model (Paperwhite, Fire, Fire HD, etc.), here's how:

Step 1: Go to the Amazon Kindle management page and log in with the account you used to register your Kindle. Under the "Your Kindle Account" section, click on "Manage your Devices."

Step 2: Click on the "… Read more

Amazon Kindle Fire gains Web usage market share on iPad loss

Web usage of Apple's iPad fell more than 7 percent in North America after Christmas, while competing tablets from Amazon, Google, and Samsung all registered gains, according to a new study released today.

While the iPad dominates the market with 78.8 percent Web usage, its usage after Christmas dropped 7.14 percent, according to Chitika Insights, which sampled hundreds of millions of smartphone and tablet ad impressions in the U.S. and Canada between December 1 and December 27. The Kindle Fire -- the distant second-place player in the market -- gained 3 percent to account for 7.… Read more

Acer drives tablet prices lower, plans $99 model

Tablet prices just seem to keep dropping.

Acer is the latest company to lower the bar on pricing. The company is planning to sell a $99 Android tablet, the Iconia B1, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company plans to target consumers in emerging markets, though the report notes that Acer will get clearance from the Federal Communications Commission for use in the states.

The report, which cites unnamed sources, said the Iconia B1 will come with a 1.2 gigahertz processor and pack a 7-inch display with 1,024x600-pixel resolution -- which matches the specs from the older … Read more

CNET's holiday gift: Our first CNET How To e-book -- free!

CNET How To has grown leaps and bounds in 2012, so we wanted to celebrate our first year with a surprise gift: Some of our very best advice about the Kindle Fire to read on a Kindle Fire.

The precocious Sharon Vaknin, CNET's How To expert, has compiled our very best Kindle advice, tips, and tricks into a comprehensive e-book, Mastering the Kindle Fire. From now through the day after Christmas, we're making the book available for free in the Kindle store. Starting on December 27, you can pick it up for just $4.99.

CNET's guide … Read more