Tablet Phone: July 2013

Thursday, July 25, 2013

How new Nexus 7 tablets compare to iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook - San Jose Mercury News

Google (GOOG) has announced new versions of its Nexus 7 tablet computers that have better features and a higher price tag.

The new models are available in the U.S. starting Tuesday through Google’s online Play store and the following retailers: Best Buy, Gamestop, Walmart, Staples, Office Max, Office Depot, Amazon, Home Shopping Network, Radio Shack, J&R and B&H Photo. A version with cellular capability is coming later with support for T-Mobile and Verizon.

Here’s a look at how the new Nexus 7 compares with last year’s model and other tablets with comparable screens.

Google’s Nexus 7

– Price: $ 229 with 16 gigabytes of storage, $ 269 for 32 GB. Add $ 80 for 32 GB model with cellular capability.

– Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

– Screen resolution: 1920 x 1200 (323 pixels per inch)

– Size: height: 7.87 inches; width 4.49 inches; thickness: 0.34 inch (200 by 114 by 8.65 millimeters)

– Weight: 10.2 ounces (290 grams) for base model, 10.5 ounces (299 grams) for cellular version

– Cameras: 5 megapixel rear camera, 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera

– Battery life: 9 hours

– Operating system: Google’s Android

Pros: Access to a variety of games, utilities and other software for Android devices, though not as extensive as apps available for iPad. Option for cellular wireless broadband.

Cons: Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards.

Google’s Nexus 7 (2012 model)

– Price: $ 199 with 16 gigabytes of storage, $ 249 with 32 GB. Add $ 50 for 32 GB model with cellular capability.

– Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

– Screen resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels (216 pixels per inch)

– Size: height 7.81 inches; width: 4.72 inches; thickness: 0.41 inch (198.5 by 120 by 10.45 millimeters)

– Weight: 12 ounces (340 grams) for base model, 12.2 ounces (347 grams) for cellular version

– Cameras: Front-facing, 1.2 megapixel camera

– Battery life: 8 hours

– Operating system: Google’s Android

Pros: Access to a variety of games, utilities and other software for Android devices, though not as extensive as apps available for iPad. Option for cellular wireless broadband.

Cons: Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards.

Apple’s iPad Mini

– Price: $ 329 for base model with Wi-Fi only and 16 gigabytes of storage, $ 429 with 32 GB,

The iPad Mini is shown in San Jose, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) (Marcio Jose Sanchez)

$ 529 with 64 GB. Add $ 130 for versions with cellular capability.

– Screen size: 7.9 inches diagonally

– Screen resolution: 1024 by 768 pixels (163 pixels per inch)

– Size: height 7.87 inches; width: 5.3 inches; thickness: 0.28 inch (200 by 134.7 by 7.2 millimeters)

– Weight: 10.9 ounces (308 grams) for base model, 11 ounces (312 grams) for cellular version

– Cameras: 5-megapixel camera on back and a low-resolution camera on front, for videoconferencing

– Battery life: 10 hours

– Operating system: Apple’s iOS

Pros: Unmatched access to third-party applications, high-quality Apple software and the iTunes store. High-resolution screen. Available with access to fast 4G wireless broadband networks, starting at $ 459.

Cons: Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards.

Barnes & Noble’s Nook HD

– Price: $ 129 with 8 gigabytes of storage, $ 149 with 16 GB

– Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

– Screen resolution: 1440 by 900 pixels (243 pixels per inch)

– Size: height 7.65 inches; width: 5 inches; thickness: 0.43 inch (194.4 by 127.1 by 11 millimeters)

– Weight: 11.1 ounces (315 grams)

– Cameras: None

– Battery life: Up to 10.5 hours of reading and up to 9 hours of video

– Operating system: Modified version of Google’s Android

Pros: Expandable with microSD card. High-definition screen. Larger-screen version available.

Cons:

Amazon Kindle Fire (2012)

Selection of third-party applications is small. Lacks cameras and option for cellular broadband.

Amazon.com’s Kindle Fire HD.

– Price: $ 199 with 16 gigabytes of storage, $ 229 with 32 GB

– Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

– Screen resolution: 1280 by 800 pixels (216 pixels per inch)

– Size: height: 7.6 inches; width: 5.4 inches; thickness: 0.4 inch (193 by 137 by 10.3 millimeters)

– Weight: 13.9 ounces (395 grams)

– Cameras: Front-facing camera.

– Battery life: 11 hours.

– Operating system: Modified version of Google’s Android

Pros: Cheap and portable. Convenient access to Amazon store. High-definition screen. Dolby audio. Larger-screen version available, including option for cellular broadband.

Cons: Small selection of third-party applications available from Amazon. No rear camera for taking video and photos. Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards.

Amazon.com’s regular Kindle Fire:

– Price: $ 159 with 8 gigabytes of storage

– Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

– Screen resolution: 1024 by 600 pixels (170 pixels per inch)

– Size: height 7.44 inches; width: 4.72 inches; thickness: 0.45 inch (189 by 120 by 11.5 millimeters)

– Weight: 14.1 ounces (400 grams)

– Cameras: none

– Battery life: 8.5 hours.

– Operating system: Modified version of Google’s Android

Pros: Cheap and portable. Convenient access to Amazon store.

Cons: No-frills tablet lacks camera and microphone. Small selection of third-party applications available from Amazon. Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards. No option for cellular wireless broadband.

Amazon debuts long-form Q&As in Kindle short-form shop - CNET

The company takes another step down the path of content creator by debuting extended written interviews with high-profile figures and world leaders, starting with Israeli President Shimon Peres.

July 25, 2013 7:55 AM PDT

Israeli President Shimon Peres is the subject of the first Kindles Singles Interview.

(Credit: Amazon/Screenshot by Joan E. Solsman/CNET)

Google Glass may be in the spotlight for its efforts to fend off smut, but Amazon’s next Kindle venture is taking a page out of Playboy. But before you get too excited, it’s not one of the pages with pictures.

Amazon on Thursday unveiled a series of long-form interviews for the mini e-book section of its Kindle store, Kindle Singles. “The Kindle Singles Interview,” as the series is called, will be extended interviews with iconic figures and world leaders.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Review - Digit

E-book readers are dime a dozen and yet the Kindle has managed to maintain a good position for itself in the market because of the large content library it offers to users. With the don of the tablet era and the availability of the Kindle app on Android and iOS, does it still make sense for a bookworm to pick up a Kindle e-book reader?

Design and Build

Compact and sturdy is the first thing that will come to your mind when you look at the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. It has a 6-inch display with a 212ppi pixel density. The device is available in two models, Wi-Fi only and 3G+Wi-Fi. The e-book reader offers 2GB built-in storage (1.25GB user available which is approx. 1100 books) with Amazon cloud support. There is no local expansion storage support. The device is really light weighing a mere 213 grams and really slim at 0.91cm.

The front of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite has the display and there are no physical buttons here. The bottom has the on/off switch along with the microUSB port that works for data transfer as well as charging. The rear of the e-book reader has a very nice rubberized finish that adds to the grip.

One thing is for certain; the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is very comfortable to hold. It's light, and for prolonged use, it comfortable to carry. It is also small enough to fit in your jacket pocket. The design is really good and if you are one who finds a tablet like the iPad a bit uncomfortable for prolonged reading, you will definitely appreciate the Kindle Paperwhite.

Features and Performance

Since this is an e-book reader, it is aimed for those that like to read a lot and want very little to do with anything else. If that is the purpose, then the Kindle Paperwhite executes this quite well. To start with the display is quite crisp to read books on.

I have my books synced between my iPad, iPod touch and my Android smartphone, so, I have my books with me wherever I go. And I must say the reading experience on the Kindle Paperwhite was more comfortable for prolonged reading than the other devices. The display is crisp for both indoor as well as outdoor use. A tablet or smartphone may get difficult to read under direct sunlight but not this. It remains comfortable and convenient and the brightness is good too.

There are a few advantages of using the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite for reading books. To start with you not only have access to the Anazon Kindle e-book library, which is now officially available in India, but you also have the ability to transfer PDFs and documents to the device for reading it on the go. The 3G-version ensures that you have access to your books and cloud storage on the go, but the Wi-Fi only version works well for those that have a more defined book requirement and aren't interested in accessing more content on the go. Did we mention that there are books available for free on the Amazon store, and that books start as low as Rs. 55?

The device also has a bunch of nifty features. For example, you can long press on a word to see what it means. There is also an X-Ray mode that brings certain important content right in front. For example, if you are reading a series that has way too many characters or want a recap, you can select the name or place and you have access to all the relevant content. The official Kindle Paperwhite description of the X-Ray feature is "Exclusive on Kindle, explore the “bones of the Book”. With a single tap, see all the passages across a book that mention relevant ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics of interest."

Syncing the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is as simple as entering your Amazon account details or creating one and voila, you are ready to download your favourite books.

The user interface of the Paperwhite is very easy to get used to. Even your grandfather will be comfortable with it. The home screen displays shows all the books that are present on the device and in your cloud storage. You can display content under all items, books, periodicals, docs, and active content.

The Top Navigation bar of the Kindle Paperwhite has home, back, brightness adjust, Kindle store access, search and a drop down menu that gives you access to options such as Shop in Kindle Store, List View, Create New Collection, Sync and Check Items, Settings and the Experimental Browser. All these features work seamlessly as their names suggests.

While reading a book on the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, you can touch the right of the display to go to the next page and the left to go the previous page. You can touch the top of the display to go back to the home or access a bunch of settings such as text size, font, line spacing and margins.

Coming to the downside of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, it isn't a lot of fun reading comics or browsing the Internet on the experimental browser. The browser crashed a few times and some heavy websites didn't load swiftly.

Bottom Line

At Rs. 11,000 for the Wi-Fi only version and Rs. 14,000 for the Wi-Fi+3G version, the Kindle Paperwhite is expensive. But if you are someone who reads a lot of books and doesn't care about tablet functionality, or is a part of the Amazon/Kindle ecosystem, you can consider this device. After all, it gives you the ability to carry 1,100 books and more wherever you go. There are cheaper e-book readers available in the market but the package deal on offer with the Kindle Paperwhite may be more attractive to the avid reader.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Rains kindle district adminstration's hopes to make Dasara attractive - Deccan Herald

Mysore, July 24, 2013, DHNS:

Focus on weekend crowds from B’lore; shift focus from Palace to other venues, says DC

Copious rains has not only brought smiles on the faces of farmers, but also the district administration, which is confident in attracting more number of people for 'Nada Habba' Dasara this year. Navaratri (Dasara) is scheduled to start on October 6 and will culminate on October 14 with Jamboo Savari.

Presiding over the Dasara preliminary meeting at her office on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner?C?Shikha said that with the district witnessing a bounty of rainfall, people will be looking at Mysore, and the programmes should be made further attractive.

She instructed deputy special officers (district officers of different departments) to prepare a draft of popular programmes, equally emphasising on improving the existing programmes and introducing newer events to make it a success.
The focus should be on attracting the weekend crowd from Bangalore that has Mysore on their itinerary. Besides, apart from Ambavilas Palace the hub of attraction during Dasara, officers should also think on making other venues too equally attractive by hosting popular programmes. The deputy commissioner was of the opinion that crowds should not be centralised at one place, as "Dasara should truly be a melange of attractions".
She also said that instead of offering varieties of food of different States on dedicated days, it should be extended to all the days. This will enable people get the taste of different delicacies throughout the festival.
Also, Dasara website, the only link between the event and people outside, should be l aunched at least a month in advance with schedules and programmes for the benefit of the people. All the sub-committees must look at sponsors and refer the same to the dedicated sub-committee.

The deputy commissioner also directed the officers not to compromise on health and hygiene, besides the quality of food served in hotels, with huge conglomeration of people expected during the festival.
Excise Deputy Commissioner Y?Manjunath explained that Yuva Dasara was the crowd puller during the event. He reasoned that, as Yuva Dasara was dropped owing to drought previous year, there was also a dip in revenue in the form of sponsorship by Rs 15 lakh in 2012. In the year 2012, a total of?Rs 46 lakh was collected in the form of sponsorship against Rs 61 lakh in 2011.

It was also discussed on fixing a 'muhurat' for 'Gajapayana', the march of first batch of elephants participating in Jamboo Savari, preference to local artistes among other topics.

New Nexus 7 vs. Amazon Kindle FIre HD 2 - The Full Signal

Update: Google’s new Nexus 7 specs are officially here, as the company announced its second-gen tablet during a press event on Thursday, July 24. Rather than dubbing it the “Nexus 7 2″ like so many rumors suggested, the follow up slab is simply being referred to by Google as the new Nexus 7 (remember when Apple did that with its “new iPad”?). Forgetting for a moment that the name could get confusing down the road, the features are just as slick as expected.

The new Nexus 7 includes plenty of the same elements that made its predecessor so popular including the same size screen. However, this display gets a massive bump in the resolution arena, boasting one of the highest resolutions in the 7-inch arena at 1900 x 1200. Design wise, it features the same black on black appearance with the soft-touch texture. The second-generation Nexus is also 50-grams lighter and nearly 2mm thinner than the original version, making it even easier to tote around in your purse or even in your pocket (assuming you’re not sporting skinny jeans).

New Nexus 7 specs and price announced
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is officially here

Read our original story here:

Google's original Nexus 7 shook up the tablet market when it launched last July, offering stellar specs for a bargain basement price tag. Meanwhile, Amazon's Kindle Fire HD did its very best to emulate the success of Google's tablet when it hit the streets a couple of months later – but now we find ourselves nearly a year on, waiting to see what both companies do with their second-gen tablets.

There have been plenty of rumors regarding the prospective virtues for both devices, and today, we take a look at both new tablets to see how they measure up to one another. Here’s what we’ve learned so far.

Display

Rumor has it the new Kindle Fire HD 2 will feature an 8.9-inch display, which will operate at a resolution of 1920 x 1200, delivering more pixels in its smaller screen than Apple's hugely successful iPad.

The Nexus 7 2 should launch with a 7-inch screen, which is currently rumored to offer a resolution of 1980 x 1200. Much like the Kindle Fire HD 2, it will offer more pixels on screen than its predecessor and possibly even Apple's market-leading device.

Other rumors, however, suggest that Google may even be ready to ditch the 7-inch screen (and the “7″ name), opting instead for an 8-inch display and the moniker Nexus 8.

Winner: Draw

Camera

We expect the next Nexus to launch with a 5MP rear-facing camera and an improved 2MP front-facing unit for video conferencing. We aren't sure at this stage what augmentations the cameras will offer, but we're betting it will be a considerable amount more than the previous Nexus 7, which didn't even have a camera app.

The original Kindle Fire HD packed just one camera, a 1.3MP front-facing shooter which was fine for video calling. We expect the next-gen device to up the ante and offer an improved front-facing sensor and possibly even a rear-facing camera, too. Unfortunately, we have no information to suggest that will be the case at this point.

Winner: Google Nexus 7 2

Power

The Nexus 7 2 is expected to be driven by new Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and will also reportedly offer 4GB of DDR3L RAM, in addition to the 16 and 32GB on-board storage options. We wouldn't imagine there will be any support for removable memory though.

The original Kindle Fire HD wasn't exactly a powerhouse, offering a 1.2GHz dual-core chip, but we would imagine Amazon will give the new device a little bit more poke, delivering possibly a quad-core chip, and we may see the new device get bumped up to 2GB RAM.

The Kindle Fire HD 2 will almost certainly be offered in the same 16 and 32GB flavors as its forebear though and, like the Nexus 7, don't expect any micro SD slot.

Winner: Google Nexus 7

Software

The Google Nexus 7 2 will reportedly launch at the same time as Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will run on the software. There has been some gossip to suggest that the next-gen tablet may herald the launch of Android 5.0 – Key Lime Pie, but we aren't quite sure what to believe as yet.

The most plausible suggestion is that the tablet will launch the newest (and last) version of Jelly Bean, but surprises do tend to happen where Google are concerned.

The Kindle Fire HD 2 will almost certainly run on Android 4.2, though like the company's previous Kindle Fire HD, it will be heavily masked by Amazon's own UX, which dumbs down the OS into what is basically a digital shop front.

Winner: Google Nexus 7 2

Release Date and Price

The current belief is that Amazon will lift the curtain on its new hardware in September, much like it did last year, and we can expect to cast our eyes on a slimmer, lighter, more aesthetically pleasing device at such an event.

While Amazon hasn't commented publically on price (or any rumors, for that matter) the belief is that company will be keeping the prices rock bottom for this device, just as it has for previous offerings.

The Nexus 7 2 is expected to be revealed at the July 24 event that Google recently sent out cryptic press invites to and, as mentioned, it may not be the only thing launching at the gathering! The price of the Nexus 7 2 is expected to be low, possibly even lower than the original, with price points of $ 199 and $ 249 discussed.

Winner: Google Nexus 7 2

And the winner is …

Google Nexus 7 2

Google is expected to keep the bar high with its second-generation tablet, delivering top quality at an affordable price, whereas Amazon's new device is expected to offer a few neat upgrades, but nothing major in the hardware department. Still, neither of these slabs have been revealed yet, so it’s still anybody’s game.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

The Voice of Kindle Fire - Voice Over Times

Professional voice-over talent, September Day, worked with IVONA, Amazon's recently acquired text-to-speech specialists, as one of the company's American text-to-speech voices and her voice is now being featured as the voice for Kindle Fire's accessibility software.

Kindle Fire leverages IVONA technology to deliver natural sounding voices for their products which help the visually impaired enjoy books and also help those with learning disabilities improve their reading skills. The Voice Guide, introduced earlier this year, helps the visually-impaired navigate menus and content on the device by reading aloud every action taken by the user.

Speech synthesis has come a long way over the years. With innovative companies like IVONA at the helm the visually-impaired are no longer subject to the robotic voices they once were. As the user navigates the Kindle Fire touchscreen September Day's natural delivery, intonations and easy-on-the-ears voice guides them every step of the way.

iStockphoto/Bosca78

— Lin Parkin

Lin has worked with Voices.com since 2007. She helps raise public awareness about the voice-over industry through content creation, blogging and as Editor of Voice Over Times. See more of Lin’s work at blogs.voices.com. Questions? Contact her directly at lin [at] voices.com.

Amazon slashes price of 16GB 7-inch Kindle Fire HD to $169 - Inferse

Brandon Martin
On July 6, 2013
http://www.inferse.com

Into Amazon has officially announced basis to permanent discount of $ 30 on the 7-inch HD versions of Kindle Fire tablets. With this discount, the firm has now re-priced Kindle Fire HD tablets, and These New prices are applicable right away.

Into Amazon Kindle Fire HD tablets have now become blackberries budget friendly as they help you save a handful amount of money. Starting from today, the 16GB version of Kindle Fire HD will be available for $ 169.99 and the 32GB version will be available for $ 199.99. But These prices are only applicable to the tablets That have the ‘special offer’ included, the one with ads and coupons.

Into

Into Amazon’s price cut will benefit consumers Also in the UK and Europe as they will now be Able to get the 16GB version of Kindle Fire HD for £ 139 in the UK and € 169 in the rest of Europe.

Into Amazon Kindle Fire HD tablets have been in the market for a significant amount of time and have developed a wide consumer base. The company did not really need to come up with ways to boost sales, as a result of Which, in this price cut comes as a surprise. Amazon does not seem to have any plans for unveiling its next generation of HD Kindle Fire tablets any time soon, and we have not even heard anything about this from the rumor mill.

Into Typically, the holiday season is a perfect time to launch new products. Therefore, Amazon might have plans to unveil new Kindle Fire HD tablets by Q3 this year and start offering them During the holiday season in Q4.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Today's Deals: Candles, Kindle Books and Free Photo Books - Money Talks News (blog)

I subscribe to the promotional emails of hundreds of companies so you don't have to. I sift through 1,000 deal-touting emails every week. Most are worthless. But some offer valuable coupons, promo codes, sales and freebies — which I collect and organize.

Note: Expiration dates are in brackets and special instructions are in parentheses.

Personalized photo products

Photo book: Free 5×7 softcover photo book – an $ 11 value – at YorkPhoto.com (use code MYBOOK) [7/31]. This offer is for new customers, who also get 40 free 4×6 photo prints with their first order.

Food

Arby's: Roast beef classic sandwich for 64 cents on their 49th anniversary, which is Tuesday (print first) [7/23 only].

Home

Air freshener: Renuzit Adjustables cone air freshener three-packs are buy-one-get-one-free at Target stores (print first) [expiration unknown].
Thermos: Thermos Funtainers are buy-one-get-one-free at Toys R Us online [expiration unknown].
Yankee Candle Company: $ 20 off a $ 45 purchase in stores (print first) [8/4].

Office and school

Office Depot: $ 15 off a $ 75 regular-priced purchase in stores (print first) and online (use code 70344192) [7/22].
Stationery: Buy-one-get-one-free at Toys R Us online [expiration unknown].

Personal care

Sunscreen: $ 5 off the purchase of two Coppertone products (print first) [expiration unknown]. Check out The Best Sunscreen for Your Money for more ways to save.
Ulta Beauty: $ 3.50 off a $ 10 purchase in stores (print first) and online (use code 105441) [7/27].

Tech

Kindle books: Up to 85 percent off 500 titles during The Big Deal sale at Amazon.com [8/4].

Toys

The Very Busy Spider Children's Board Game: 57 percent off at Amazon.com [expiration unknown]. Instead of $ 16, it's $ 7.

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Path app introduced for Kindle Fire tablets - Tech2

Amazon Kindle Fire users can now finally use the Path app on their tablet devices. The new app, a free download from the Amazon store, will work on Kindle Fire HD 7-inch, Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch Wi-Fi and Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch 4G LTE tablets.

For those who've still not tried out Path, this personal social networking app allows users to send private messages to their family and friends either on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. Path users can also choose Stickers to say more in a single tap, and these can be found in the Shop.

The Path app for Kindle Fire devices

In addition to sending private messages, users can capture photos and enhance them with custom-designed filters and editing features of app. They can share the music, movies and books too. They can also post their Path actions to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Foursquare.

Within the app, users can search for their Path moments by keywords, season, weather, dates, people, places, et al. They can also import their photos, statuses, check-ins from their social media accounts.

"Making Path available for Kindle is a goal our Android team has worked tirelessly and excitedly to accomplish over the past few months. We were thrilled to work with Amazon, a team who sets the standard for quality and customer satisfaction. The Kindle Fire HD is a device representative of this standard, having sold millions worldwide to satisfied Amazon enthusiasts since its launch last year," a post on the Path blog reads.

Click here to download the Path app for your Kindle Fire tablet.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Book 'em, Danno: Surf's Up and So's Your Kindle Warranty - Businessweek

Now for something e-readers can’t do.

Go to the beach! Hah!

Whether you like it or not, tablets and e-readers are here to stay. They’re handy, they’re light, they’re portable. No wonder they’ve weaseled their way into almost every crevice of daily life. But the double hazard of sand and sea has largely relegated smartphones to zip-lock bags and tablets to the kitchen counter.

Your bookshelves are bare and your Kindle’s overloaded? Tough. Unless you like your pricey electronics with a dash of salt, kiss ‘em goodbye on your way to the water, and get ready to turn — actually turn — an actual page.

To prepare you, we’ve compiled a list of great summer reads: Beach Books Oiled by Money, Murder, Psychos and Greed.

See, oil — there’s another thing you wouldn’t want on your tablet.

James Tarmy reports on arts and culture for Bloomberg Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

AMAZON KINDLE FIRE HD 7 - Business Today

Home /G&G /Test Bench /August 2013 /Story

Does Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD 7 have enough power to outshine the Nexus 7 or the iPad Mini? Here is our take.

Nidhi Singal Edition: August 2013

This Has Some Fire

AMAZON KINDLE FIRE HD 7
Price: Rs 15,999
Rating: 4.5/5
Specs: 7 inch display; Android operating system; 1.2GHz dual core processor; 16GB onboard storage, no expandable memory card slot; Wi-Fi, Bluetooth; Dolby audio dual speaker; 395 grams

As soon as we opened the box and powered the Fire HD, we fell in love with the hardware. Rarely do we come across tablets that are so finely designed.

The Fire HD 7 in black has got a rectangular design with curved edges with the soft back that award it a comfortable grip. The front has the 7-inch display with 1280x800p resolution surrounded by a thick bezel with the camera sitting on the top centre. There is not much glare on this tablet. Controls have been strategically placed on the right, with a 3.5mm port, volume button and the power key.

Just below the power key is a black strip running across the other side, housing the stereo speakers. The micro USB and micro HDMI are placed at the bottom. There are memory card slots or SIM slots on this device.

Weighing 395 grams in all, it doesn’t feel too heavy to hold. Indeed, the 7-incher is so comfortable to hold that you can continue to walk around with stuff in one hand and the tablet in the other.

Setting up the Kindle Fire HD doesn’t take much of your time. Amazon had pre-registered our unit before shipping it to us. So all we had to do was to connect it on Wi-Fi and within a few seconds, all the content we had purchased from the Amazon ecosystem appeared on our device. The books we had purchased earlier appeared under the cloud option. We had to tap on the each book individually to download it to the tablet.

While the Fire HD is an Android tablet, the interface has been completely tweaked and does not have any similarity between the hundreds of Android tablets out there.

It has got a neat home screen with a plain black background and white text. There isn’t any concept of application launcher or app shortcuts. The homescreen has got a simple interface with a row for all the preinstalled apps on the top. This includes search, shop, games, apps, books, music, videos, newsstand, audiobooks, web, photos, docs and offers.

Just below the row is a ‘carousel’, a stack of scrolling items that shows the recently opened items. There is a star that appears at the bottom where our favourites items appeared. When in an app, a set of keys (home, back, search and view) popped up on the screen. There is a dropdown bar notification bar that has got the shortcuts for important settings such as auto rotation, volume, brightness, wireless, sync along with the complete settings menu.

Be it books, emails or web browsing, reading was a delight on this tablet. The text appeared crisp and it has got a wide viewing angle. The colour reproduction was also good. The Silk browser onboard fetched pages at the same speed as Safari and Chrome did on the other tablets. However, sometimes there was a lag and images took some time to load.

Amazon has done its homework before launching the Kindle Fire HD and has a curated app store instead of Google Play with all popular apps. There was a noticeable lag in browsing as well as downloading the apps. But this experience was relatively much smoother while browsing and buying the books. Also, all the content is priced in US dollars and not Indian Rupees. Otherwise, everything worked smoothly on this tablet, be it playing games or typing over the QWERTY keyboard.

Watching movies and videos over the Fire HD 7 was impressive. The sound coming from the tiny speakers was further enhanced when we turned on the Dolby Digital Plus.

Amazon claims to offer an 11-hour battery backup. The Fire HD lives up to the claim as it can lasted us a week with a couple of hours of reading every day. But the battery did discharge quickly when we used it for playing games and watching videos on full brightness.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT:
Good value for money if you love books from Kindle Store.

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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

New Amazon Kindle Touch 2012 - GeekSugar.com

by Kelly Schwarze 0

After days of speculation as to what new product Amazon had up its sleeve for today’s LA press conference, the reveals are pouring in, starting with a backlit ereader called Kindle Paperwhite. Sharper with a higher-contrast display than the Kindle Touch, the new device uses Amazon-made Paperwhite technology, a blend of adjustable back lighting and traditional e-ink with a capacitive touchscreen display.

Despite the constant light use, Amazon claims the 7.5-ounce Kindle Paperwhite touts an eight-week battery life from a single charge and measures 9.1mm thick. A small text addition in the lower left corner estimates how much reading time is left in a chapter or the entire book based on a user’s reading speed.

This Kindle model continues to use the X-ray feature first introduced with the Kindle Touch, showing relevant information on the page such as dictionary and Wiki entries. The Paperwhite also takes a page from the Kindle Fire with a cover mode homescreen, to swipe through the library without scrolling to a menu. The Kindle Paperwhite WiFi model is $ 119, and the 3G version, which requires no data contract or plan, is priced at $ 179. Preorders start today, and both Paperwhite models will ship Oct. 1.

Not to be outdone by its touchscreen brethren, the entry-level Kindle also received a refresh and lower price point today.

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