Amazon Updates the Kindle Lineup

In a recent press event, Amazon, the makers of the popular Kindle e-reading device, announced the next generation of Kindle devices.

Kindle:

The good old Kindle we all know and love, right? Wrong. Although it keeps the simple, one word name, the new Kindle is a very different looking device. With the same 6 inch screen size as its predecessor, the new Kindle weighs 30% lighter (6 ounces), most likely due to the most noticeable difference: the new Kindle has no keyboard. Instead of using the keyboard, one navigates the device using the new five way controller, as well as four other small buttons.

The New Kindle

Download books over Wi-Fi (no 3G option this time around), and read them wherever you go, with up to a month of battery life on a single charge. Also, as Amazon is marketing strongly, the Kindle can be used even in bright sunlight, because of its black and white e-ink display.

The most compelling aspect of the new Kindle is it's price. The new device is the cheapest Kindle ever, at $79 if you choose "special offers" (click here to get an overview of what special offers is). If you choose not to go for the special offers, you'll pay $109 for this new e-reader.




Kindle Touch:

The Kindle Touch

At first glance, the Kindle Touch looks almost identical to the Kindle. The main noticeable difference is the Touch's lack of buttons. However, no buttons are needed, due to the Kindle Touch's 6 inch, e-ink, thouchscreen display.

Other than the touchscreen display, the Kindle Touch is almost identical to the regular Kindle. Another big difference is the 3G capabilities. The Touch is the only new Kindle that is available with a 3G model. With the always connected convenience of a cell phone, without any monthly fees or yearly contracts. The Wi-Fi version costs only $99, while 3G capabilities will cost you $149.


Kindle Fire:

The Kindle Fire

Probably the most anticipated update to the Kindle family is a color tablet device, called the Kindle Fire. The fire comes packed with a 7 inch color screen (something completely new to the Kindle brand), a 14.6 ounce weight (about the weight of a can of beans), a dual-core processor, and 8GB of storage. The body of the device is simplistic yet pretty, with no visible buttons.

The Fire runs Android, with an Amazon skin that makes it look like a completely new OS. Amazon is marketing the Fire as more of a multimedia player than a tablet computer, and, since it doesn't run the Android Market, that's really what it is. You can, however, download apps from the Amazon Appstore, which has, as Amazon says, "thousands of apps and games". You can download this content via the built in Wi-Fi, as this device has no 3G built in.

The Fire seems to revolve almost solely on Amazon's content. You download music from the Amazon MP3 store, apps from Amazon's Appstore, and movies from it's own video store. As always, books are also downloaded from Amazon's own service. This is an Apple-like strategy (with Apple's iTunes store), and is probably one of the reasons that Amazon can sell this device for only $199.

The new Kindle Fire is available for pre-order now, and will ship on November 15.

5 Android Apps you Need: App 5

This is the final post of a five part series. Read the fourth post here.

So we've been pretty productive with our first four apps, and it's time to have some fun. If you follow sports of any kind, this free app from ESPN.com, is a great download. Called ESPN ScoreCenter, the app puts sports news, videos, scores, and more, in the hand of the user.

The app allows you to what's going on in tens of different leagues, including the big ones like NFL, MLB, and NBA, and the smaller ones, like Formula 1, NCAA Water polo, and Cricket. The app offers live scores, news, videos, and more for free, ad-free, from ESPN.

LauncherPro for Android

Although the design's not the prettiest, it's definitely a lot better than many other apps, making this sports-lover's app a sure download. It can be downloaded for free from the Android Market, or ESPN.com.

Now, I promised in the App 2 post that App 5 would contain a special bonus app. So, here goes.

Everyone knows that User Interface design isn't one of Android's strong points. It may be a powerful system, but iOS leaves Android in the dirt as far as UI. The good thing about Android, is that you're not stuck, and here's an app that'll make your phone just a little more pretty.

A free app from a developer named Federico Carnales, LauncherPro completely changes the look of your Android device, hopefully for the better. It is also extremely customizable, so check out the pics below, and see if you like it. If you do, it's a free download from the Android Market.


Hope you enjoyed this series, bye for now.

5 Android Apps you Need: App 4

This is the fourth part of a five part series. Read the third post here. Check back next Monday for the last part of the series.

The only thing you really can't live without is food, and grocery shopping is never such a fun experience. Make it easier with Grocery iQ, a free app from Coupons.com, which allows you to create personalized shopping lists, get free coupons, and much more.

Coupons on Grocery iQ

When starting with Grocery iQ, you make a list of all of the stores you shop at, and then personalize the aisles in each store, so you know which store has which aisles. Although this is a slightly tedious process, when you're done with it, it's worth it.

You then add grocery items to your list, and add each item to one or more of the stores on your list, and specify which aisle each item is located in. When you then go shopping, you simply click the name of the store, and you see the list of all of the items you need at that store, and which specific aisle it's located in, making your shopping experience a lot more enjoyable.

A great feature of this app is the syncing feature. Grocery iQ also has apps available online and for iOS, so if you have any other device with Grocery iQ, your lists can be automatically shared, and when anyone else with Grocery iQ buys an item, it gets automatically synced with any other users using the same account as you. This makes it great for families, as both a mother and father can share a list on different devices.

Since Grocery iQ comes from Coupons.com, free coupons are integrated to the app, also an extremely convenient feature.

If you eat food, (and I know you do), you need Grocery iQ, so download it for free today, from groceryiq.com or the Android Market.

Hey Twitter users! If you're on Android, check out Plume for Twitter!

5 Android Apps you Need: App 3

This is the second part of a five part series. Read the second post here. Look out for more every Monday and Thursday.

Welcome back to 5 Android Apps you Need. Now that you're reading and chatting, it's time to get some watching done. Netflix, a free app from Netflix.com, allows users to stream thousands of movies and TV shows, with a small monthly fee.

We've talking about Netflix a few times before, but never really in detail. Also, we've never talked about the mobile app, so here goes.

With a $7.99 a month Netflix subscription, users can choose from thousands of movies and TV shows to stream, ad-free, immediately. Although Netflix has a lot of movies for those who like less popular stuff, it also has it's fair share of the more popular content as well, including Mad Men, Super 8, and Secretariat. There's also plenty of stuff for the kids, including, SpongeBob SquarePants, Toy Story 3, and Blue's Clues.

Netflix is also available on, well, almost any device you can think of (Click here for a complete list). A $7.99 subscription gives you access to the Android app, as well as all of the other devices Netflix is available on, and with Netflix's huge collection of content, it's definitely a good deal.

With Netflix's great Android app, huge collection, and free 30 day trial (available at Netflix.com), there's no reason not to try it. The app's free, so give it a download.   

5 Android Apps You Need: App 2

This is the second part of a five part series. Read the first post here. Look out for more every Monday and Thursday (Hopefully).

First off, I'd like to apologize. I had written "Look out for more every Monday and Thursday." in my first post on Monday. Come Thursday, and my next post isn't up. Today is Friday. This is the post that was supposed to be published on Thursday. I plan on being on time, next Monday and next Thursday. Also, to make up for it, App 5 will contain a special bonus app. (If I don't forget.)

Now that that has been taken care of, we can proceed. The second Android app I'm covering in this series is called Skype. Available for free from Skype.com, the Skype Android app allows users to chat with audio or video to any other Skype user. Skype can also be used to any phone number for a small fee. 

To use Skype, you must have a Skype account, also free from Skype.com. Skype is also available on many other platforms, including iOS, Mac OS X, and Windows. This means that you can chat with users from your phone, even if they are at their computer. 

Skype is a great download, as it allows you to video-chat from anywhere, stay connected on the go, and even have meeting while you are away, allowing for more vacation. 

Skype is great for business, great for personal use, and great for you. Also, since it's free, you have nothing to lose. Download the Skype Android app today.

5 Android Apps you Need: App 1

This is the first part of a five part series. Check back every Monday and Thursday for more.

If you've been reading Gadgetator regularly, you probably know about the 5 iPhone Apps you Need series we did a while back. Although iPhone may be slightly more popular than Android, I never like to be biased, so here's... 5 Android Apps you Need.


iOS, the operating system behind the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, has always been known for it's large number of apps available. However, with Android's success over the past few years, it's app numbers have been slowly creeping up, and it's getting hard to choose the great apps from the not so great ones. Here's a little  bit of help, as I, over the next few weeks, will highlight 5 of the best apps for your Android device.

The first app in this series, called Kindle, is available for free from Amazon.com, as well as a free download from Google's Android Market.

Many people enjoy reading for different reasons. Be it to relax, laugh, or soak up information, Kindle strives to help get that reading done without having to lug around heavy books. All you need is your Android phone and the Kindle app (iOS, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry apps also available), and you're set. You can now read wherever you are without carrying heavy books around.

Now, you get that you can read with the Kindle app, but there is much more to it. Kindle allows you to browse over 950,000 books, as well as newspapers and magazines, and read them on your device. Although some books are free, most cost close to $10.

The reading experience is also great, as you can change font size, search inside the book, and instantly look up hard words with the built in dictionary. The Kindle app's Whispersync technology means that the page you are on, any notes you took, and bookmarks are automatically synced with any other Kindle apps you have on other devices, as well as on the actual Kindle device itself, so you never miss a word.

So, if you're running Android and enjoy reading, the Kindle app is a great, free download.