kindle

Amazon to users: Hey, the Kindle Paperwhite isn't perfect

How's this for honesty? Amazon took it upon itself to post a note today on its site listing the limitations of its newest e-reader, the Kindle Paperwhite.

The Kindle Paperwhite has a light-up screen that lets you read in the dark, which previous Kindle e-readers lacked. That light, however, isn't perfect. So to get in front of the complaints, Amazon opted to disclose some of its drawbacks -- plus other design changes -- ahead of time.

For instance, Amazon acknowledged that the built-in light will provide uneven illumination under certain lighting conditions. The uneven lighting occurs in the … Read more

Amazon's Jeff Bezos admits Kindles are sold at cost

Amazon's Jeff Bezos doesn't like to reveal much about the Kindle hardware business. When he was asked in an interview with All Things D whether Amazon made money on the new Kindle hardware, ranging from $69 to $499, introduced September 6, he responded, "We don't disclose the exact bill and materials, so I can't answer that. But we don't want to lose a lot of money on the device because then we'd really hate it if you put it in the desk drawer. On the other hand, if you make a lot of … Read more

Amazon wins FCC approval to sell Kindle Fire HD

Amazon's new Kindle Fire HD 4G tablet has received clearance from the Federal Communications Commission, Amazon told Reuters today.

Although the device was unveiled last month, Amazon had not yet received the commission's approval to sell the device, which is required of all new wireless communications devices to assure device safety and prevent spectrum interference issues.

Amazon Web pages and e-mails promoting the high-end device included a disclaimer indicating it still required regulatory approval. "We will send you an email asking you to confirm your pre-order of Kindle Fire when it is approved for sale by the … Read more

Top 5 iPad Mini competitors

The iPad Mini has yet to be officially announced, but it's kind of the worst-kept secret in tech right now. There's a very good chance it'll be revealed later this month (although what its final name will be remains to be seen) and even if you've no plans to purchase it, you'll likely want to know what it has to offer anyway.

The Mini is rumored to sport a 7.85-inch screen at a price of at least $299. But when and if it debuts, it will not enter a vacuous 7-inch tablet market. Its opponents will compete on price, ecosystem, performance, and features. Each offers something unique, and Apple's new tablet will have to be an amazing piece of kit to answer the challenge.

Without further lollygagging, let's get to the list.… Read more

Episode 17: Kindle-palooza!

Last month Amazon.com's CEO Jeff Besos, unveiled the new Kindle line, complete with new updates to the current Kindles and an 8.9" Fire. Naturally, Molly bought all of the new kindles, including the "revolutionary" Paperwhite!

We unboxed the 7" Kindle Fire a few episodes back, and now it was time to enter it into our torture chamber. That Kindle Fire really took a beating from us, and we were all shocked to see it survive. I personally would be using it right now, but agree with Molly. It's just too WIDE to … Read more

Name your own price for six science-fiction and fantasy e-books

If you like reading, bundles, science fiction, fantasy, and/or supporting charity, today's your lucky day.

The folks at Humble Bundle, who regularly serve up indie games on the cheap, have created the Humble eBook Bundle, a collection of six sci-fi/fantasy e-books for whatever price you want to pay.

That means you can literally drop a penny to get half a dozen DRM-free novels. But you're not that cheap, right? Here's why you should give serious consideration to paying more:

Writers need to eat. I've often railed against e-book prices, but certainly a buck per … Read more

Kindle Paperwhite on backorder until November

Although Amazon started shipping pre-ordered Kindle Paperwhite devices this week, customers who order one today will have to wait a month or more for the e-reader to ship.

The backlog for the Kindle Paperwhite e-reader shipments has grown to 4 to 6 weeks, according to the product's listing on Amazon.

Once again, Amazon says the delay is "due to popular demand."

Amazon unveiled the Kindle Paperwhite device earlier this month as one of its trio of new tablets. The device is Amazon's first self-illuminating e-ink reader.

Just last week, the delay was three weeks for new … Read more

Get an 8GB Nook Tablet for $98.88

Wonderful as the latest Amazon and Barnes & Noble e-readers are, it's getting hard to justify buying one when you can get a full-blown tablet for the same price -- or even less.

Case in point: BrandsMart U.S.A. has the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet (8GB) for $98.88, plus $7.87 for shipping (a charge you can avoid by option for in-store pickup). Sales tax applies where, um, applicable.

Just to clarify, this is the Nook Tablet, not the older Nook Color (which was also quite tablet-like, but really more of an e-reader on steroids). And … Read more

Nest 2.0: Slimmer, sleeker thermostat smarter than ever

When the "Father of the iPod" Tony Fadell unveiled Nest, the "learning thermostat" last fall, it was likely the first time anyone had ever thought of a thermostat as sexy.

Now, less than a year after the first version of the product arrived, bringing Apple style design and user interfaces to what had traditionally been one of the most staid home appliances, Fadell's Palo Alto, Calif.-based company today announced Nest 2.0, a slimmer version of the thermostat that was built to work in more homes and brings new flexibility and features to the … Read more