Category Archives: Amazon

Amazon Registers AmazonBoomerang.com – What is It?

Posted by on September 12, 2011 No comments

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After Amazon went and secured KindleScribe.com and KindleScribes.com, it seems they have something else called the Amazon Boomerang as they’ve registered AmazonBoomerang.com. I should note that we have no idea what this could be – Amazon has yet to file a trademark with such a name (from what we can find) that could have given a bit of insight into what we’re expecting. This could be a phone, a tablet, or even a popcorn maker. But you all know we’re hoping this will be that second device with Android we keep hearing Amazon will be bringing. [Fusible]

Amazon Hopes Web Service Credit Can Lure Developers to their App Store

Posted by on September 7, 2011 No comments

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Amazon is looking to grow their Android Appstore out even more with the introduction of a special offer aimed at luring developers to peddle their wares via the retailer’s virtual storefront. From now through November 15th, any developer who submits an app will be awarded a $50 credit to be used towards Amazon’s suite of Web Services including cloud storage, database management, and messaging capabilities. The Amazon Web Services SDK can be built directly into Android applications, and a $50 credit is a generous nudge towards more developers using the integrated amenities. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship for both parties, at least until the $50 runs out.

Amazon has taken some heat in the past over the terms with which they do business with mobile developers — the Free App of the Day offer is great for consumers, but has resulted in empty pockets for at least a few developers. Still, the Amazon Appstore is arguably the biggest third party source of Android software and should continue to grow.

[via TechCrunch]

Amazon Kindle Tablet Confirmed, Hands-on Detailed

Posted by on September 3, 2011 No comments

TechCrunch has sort of a premiere here, since they’re the ones to debunk the myths about Amazon’s tablet strategy. It appears that they won’t launch two versions of tablets after all, only settling for a 7 incher simply called the Amazon Kindle tablet. One of the guys from the website already played with such a device and detailed his experience in the source link below.

Recent rumors say we might see this unit priced at $250 and TechCrunch seems to be pretty excited about the gadget, claiming it has huge potential. Sadly, there are no pictures available, but they provided a mockup based on their experience. Apparently, the Kindle tablet looks very much like the BlackBerry PlayBook, especially as far as form factor goes.

The 7 incher will come with a capacitive touchscreen display, a multitouch one that relies on two finger touch, instead of the iPad’s 10 finger, but still accurate. We get a full color screen with back lighting, so don’t worry about E-ink on this Kindle unit. The end of November is the target launch time frame and the version TechCrunch tested was a Design Verification Testing unit.

A 10 inch slate might follow next year, but I wouldn’t bet on that. The interface will be Kindle and Amazon into one single experience, with lots of orange, dark blue and black. The main screen looks like the iTunes Cover Flow and displays the content in a carousel. You also get a status bar, that also acts as a notification tray. No physical buttons have been integrated and you’ll bring a navigation menu to the screen simply by tapping once.

You’ll find these details and more over at TechCrunch, so don’t hesitate to check their piece out.


Amazon Kindle Tablet More Nook Color than Honeycomb Heavyweight

Posted by on September 2, 2011 No comments

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Amazon’s Kindle tablet has been a hot item on the rumor circuits ever since rumors first popped up last spring, and the first real hands-on evidence is now showing up. TechCrunch had the opportunity to go hands-on with the new Amazon Kindle (and yes, it’s simply being called the Kindle) and their report, while offering no visual proof, should leave those awaiting the new device with mixed feelings. First of all, this isn’t the Honeycomb heavy-hitter everyone was expecting. No, it is a device with a completely overhauled user interface built up from a pre-Android 2.2 build. It borrows heavily from Amazon’s design  language with a color scheme featuring black, blue, and orange highlights.

The Amazon Kindle tablet is design more as a competitor to the Nook Color and features a 7-inch traditional multi-touch display. No eInk, and no 10-inch option either. The 10-inch device has been set aside for a possible release next year pending the success of the the 7-inch model. For now, Amazon is fully focused on the development of the smaller device, which should launch later this fall for a very competitive $250.

The specs aren’t nearly as impressive as the dual-core beast we have heard rumors of. Within the device said to look somewhat like a BlackBerry PlayBook is found a single core chip is in place (and if a 10-inch version were to launch it would run a dual-core, not quad-core, CPU), it houses 6GB of internal storage, and will be WiFi-only. Possible 3G versions are in the works for release on US mobile providers, but nothing is final. It lacks hardware buttons (controls are relegated to on-screen, has no cameras, and might be limited to two-point multitouch.

While the Kindle tablet might not be the iPad killer everyone hoped for, it still looks to make a pretty big splash. It is fully integrated with Amazon’s various services and will rely heavily on the cloud. A big advertising campaign combined with the popularity of the Kindle brand should amount to huge sales. Does it have the potential to oust the Nook Color (or its rumored sequel) from the top of its class? Certainly. Is it the Android tablet savior most hoped it would be. Very far from it. Read the full report at the source link below to gain a bit of extra insight.

[via TechCrunch]

Amazon Free App Of The Day – Photo Enhance Pro

Posted by on August 27, 2011 No comments

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If it’s one thing that most Android devices need a little help with, it’s in the camera department. That’s why I wanted to let you guys know about Amazon’s free paid app of the day, Photo Enhance Pro. This photo editing app allows you to enhance and tweak your photos by boosting colors, increasing detail, even applying an HDR effect and exports your photos in full resolution. I was surprised at how this was definitely one of the more user friendly photo editing apps I’ve come across.

Normally the app is $5 in the Android Market but you can download it for FREE in the Amazon Appstore. Don’t forget to leave a comment after giving it a spin and if you recommend something else, let us know as well. Cheers!

[MarketLink]

Could Amazon’s Android Tablets Cost ‘Hundreds Less’ than the iPad?

Posted by on August 26, 2011 No comments

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A New York Post article commenting on the recent $99 HP TouchPad craze points to price as a main reason why no tablet has been able to topple the iPad’s top ranking. Given that many have attempted to match the iPad’s $499 price tag without much success, the report mentions that Amazon may stand the best chance by offering tablets priced “hundreds” of dollars less than the iPad. An aggressive pricing model might include Amazon accepting losses on the actual hardware in hopes that the sale of digital media such as apps, eBooks and video rentals will compensate for a device priced at a low margin. Unlike other manufacturers, Amazon certainly has the retail power to take such a risk.

But Amazon is rumored to be launching two versions of their tablet, a 7-inch and 10-inch model. While it is feasible that the 7-inch version with its supposed NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor could come in for well less than $499, it is hard to imagine the 10-inch model, which is said to be one of the first devices that will launch with NVIDIA’s quad-core Kal El chipset, will be able to do the same. That is unless Amazon is more than willing to accept negative revenues on the tablet, putting much faith on the device’s ability to generate revenues in other ways. There is always the possibility that Amazon takes an ad-subsidized approach such as the one recently introduced for the Kindle.

Amazon’s first Android devices have much of the tech world waiting in anticipation to see how the retailer approaches elements such as hardware and pricing, and for good reason. Could Amazon, as the New York Post  piece suggests, stand the best chance of stealing the lead away from the iPad?

[via NYPost]

Amazon Registers KindleScribe.com and KindleScribes.com

Posted by on August 22, 2011 No comments

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Two  new domains have been bought up by Amazon today. KindleScribe.com and KindleScribes.com suggest something with a touchscreen, but what? Our first guess is always the Amazon tablet we’ve been hearing so much about, but it could also be a new Kindle eReader (which could also be Android-based). The name Scribe suggests one will be able to “write” or take notes on it with a pen or with just a finger. Interesting I’d say, but nothing else exists to back the theory up. Just speculation until Amazon decides to fess up and announce whatever they’ve got up their sleeves. [Fusible]

Getting Your Mobile Patent Suits Straight [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted by on August 19, 2011 No comments

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Who is suing who in the mobile industry? Perhaps the above chart courtesy of Reuters will help make sense of the whole mess. Or maybe not. Just looking at all those crisscrossing lines gives me a headache.

[via Reuters]

If Amazon Comes to Market With an Android Tablet, You’ll have Access to Over 100,000 On-Demand Videos

Posted by on August 18, 2011 No comments

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The folks at Amazon are making big noise regarding their video on-demand service this morning, boasting a library of over 100,000 movies or TV shows to rent or buy. Fascinating if you aren’t opposed to taking your business outside of the Android market.

This wouldn’t be Android related at all if not for the belief that Amazon will be bringing a tablet sometime this holiday season and with their video on-demand service as one of many Amazon services available on the device(s). While Google’s rental service is cool and pretty good in terms of selection for how long it’s been out, Amazon clearly has them beat. Any of you enticed by this possibility when Amazon introduces their tablet later this year?

Amazon Instant Video Now Offers Customers More Than 100,000 Movies and TV Shows

Prime members now have access to more than 9,000 Prime instant videos at no additional cost
SEATTLE, Aug 18, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced that Amazon Instant Video now offers customers more than 100,000 movies and TV shows, including new releases and classic favorites, available to purchase or rent on an à la carte basis. In addition, Amazon Prime members can now watch more than 9,000 movies and TV shows included at no additional cost with their Prime membership.

With Amazon Instant Video, customers can rent or purchase new release movies starting at just $3.99, stream popular TV shows the day after they first air, and access their purchased video content from a cloud-based video library on any compatible device. Movies and TV shows from Amazon can be viewed on a Mac, PC or directly on a TV with any of the 300 compatible models of Internet-connected TVs, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes from partners including LG, Logitech, Panasonic, Roku, Samsung, Sony, Tivo and Vizio.

“We are focused on offering our customers the very best selection and are always working to expand our already extensive list of great video content,” said Steve Oliver, director of video at Amazon. “The 100,000 titles on Amazon Instant Video range from new hit blockbusters to old favorites, with more than 15,000 of those titles available in HD, and popular TV shows available the day after they first air. On top of that, Amazon Prime members have the added benefit of unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of more than 9,000 Prime instant videos at no additional cost.”

Amazon Prime is a membership program that gives customers unlimited free Two-Day Shipping with no minimum purchase for only $79 a year. Millions of items are eligible, including books, home and garden products, electronics, video games, clothing, accessories and beauty products. With Prime instant videos, free trial and paid Amazon Prime members in the U.S. also have unlimited instant access to more than 9,000 movies and TV shows at no additional cost.

For more information on Amazon Instant Video, visit www.amazon.com/instantvideo.

For a full list of Amazon Instant Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/watchontv.

For more information on Amazon Prime and Prime instant videos and to start an Amazon Prime free trial, visit www.amazon.com/primevideos.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle, Kindle 3G, Kindle with Special Offers, Kindle 3G with Special Offers and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle 3G, Kindle 3G with Special Offers and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, and www.amazon.it. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com‘s financial results is included in Amazon.com‘s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Amazon Expected To Ship As Many As 3 Million “Coyote” Tablets By October

Posted by on August 5, 2011 No comments

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Amazon is prepping for a massive invasion of their 7-inch Android tablets in Q3. Apparently, Amazon’s manufacturing partner Quanta (who also makes the Kindle and Playbook) expects to ship around 3 million of their dual-core tablets to the online retailer by October. This translates into roughly 800,000 to a million units every month for the remainder of Q3. This is actually a lot more than what Digitimes first reported with 700,000 to 800,000 units being shipped each month this quarter. As far as Amazon’s 10.1-inch quad-core tablet goes, the “Hollywood” isn’t expected until sometime next year and is currently being manufactured by Foxconn.

[Via Cens]