The latest Amazon Fire HD 8, updated last month and starting at $100, is a modest refresh, offering more RAM, a nominally upgraded camera and some new AI features. The general sales pitch, however, remains the same: You get a just-competent tablet for the essentials at a dirt-cheap (and often-discounted) price, and in exchange, Amazon gets to plant another appliance for its own apps and services in your home. Nothing about this update drastically changes that agreement, but after using the tablet for the past month (and after using older Fire tablets for years prior), it may be time to demand more from Amazon’s end of the bargain. It’s definitely a cheap tablet Physically, the new Fire HD 8 is nearly identical to the last one. It is, without a doubt, A Budget Tablet — it’s nowhere near premium, but it doesn’t feel distractingly cheap either. At just under eight inches tall and 0.37 inches thick, it’s small enough for most kids to operate without much struggle and most adults to carry with one hand. If you care more about your tablet’s travel-friendliness than its virtues as a miniature TV, this size should be fine. The whole thing is lightweight at 0.74 pounds, so it’s not an anchor in your bag. Its textured plastic frame is somewhat slippery but altogether sturdy, with no creaking or flexing. Its gently rounded edges dig comfortably into your palms. There are fairly thick bezels around the display, but I’ve never minded those on a tablet — they give your thumbs a... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 14:19:25 UTC ]
The Scribe remains a great digital notebook for Kindle loyalists, even if not much has changed over the original. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-12-08 13:00:00 UTC ]
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The brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale for Cyber Monday, as are many other Amazon products, from Eero routers to Ring cameras. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-12-02 13:34:21 UTC ]
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The brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale for Black Friday, as are many other Amazon products, from Eero routers to Echo speakers. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-30 20:44:31 UTC ]
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The brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale for Black Friday, as are many other Amazon products, from Eero routers to Echo speakers. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-29 13:58:24 UTC ]
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Black Friday deals on Amazon devices have started early. Even the brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-22 22:14:23 UTC ]
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The latest Amazon Fire HD 8, updated last month and starting at $100, is a modest refresh, offering more RAM, a nominally upgraded camera and some new AI features. The general sales pitch, however, remains the same: You get a just-competent tablet for the essentials at a dirt-cheap (and... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 14:19:25 UTC ]
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For obvious reasons, Twitter users are leaving en masse and heading to Bluesky, its most prominent decentralized competitor. In this episode, we discuss why Bluesky now feels like the best of early Twitter, filled with vibrant conversations and people discovering a new social network filled with... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 12:30:52 UTC ]
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November is in full swing, which means Black Friday is right around the corner. But the days in which you had to wait for Black Friday proper to get good deals have long been behind us. The holiday shopping season is effectively the entire month of November now, with early Black Friday deals... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-14 17:34:34 UTC ]
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Faulty devices have thrown a wrench in the company’s trade-in program for its color ebook reader. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-14 12:15:00 UTC ]
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Techtober rolled straight into November this year. The first week of the month was a busy one at Engadget HQ as we published a number of high-profile reviews over the last few days. There's the MacBook Pro and Mac mini from Apple alongside the beastly (and expensive) PS5 Pro. Plus, we've got yet... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-09 15:00:04 UTC ]
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Charging two devices at once doesn’t necessarily require a multi-port wall plug — if you purchase the right cable. For example, Anker has a special USB-C cable that splits into two so you can handle two devices at once with a single USB-C port. And the coolest part? Right now, you can... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2024-11-07 16:44:21 UTC ]
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Sony’s new beastly console is a niche product for PlayStation gamers who want the most premium experience. The PlayStation 5 Pro is the console equivalent of the iPhone Pro Max or the Kindle Signature but still cheaper than a PC gaming rig. It has a more powerful GPU, capable of offering 4K and... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-07 12:18:36 UTC ]
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There are really two types of ereaders: Dedicated ebook/audiobook devices or slabs that are more akin to small tablets with E Ink screens. In the first category, the competition is really between Amazon’s Kindle devices and Rakuten’s Kobo readers. Ereaders in the latter group include entries... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-07 08:00:36 UTC ]
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You won't have to worry about repurchasing your Nintendo favorites when the Switch’s successor finally arrives. In its earnings report, Nintendo said its next console will have backwards compatibility and be able to run games made for the Switch. In addition, Switch Online will also be available... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-06 12:15:26 UTC ]
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While we felt that the Kindle Colorsoft was by and large a solid first stab at a color ereader by Amazon, there has been a problem with the device. After several buyers pointed out that a yellow band was discoloring the bottom of the display, the same issue occurred on our review unit. Now, the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-05 19:01:45 UTC ]
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Amazon completely revamped its Kindle family in October when it debuted the entirely new Colorsoft ereader along with updated generations of the other three existing models: the standard Kindle, the Paperwhite and the Scribe E Ink tablet. The new Paperwhite has a slightly larger screen, a bigger... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-04 16:30:36 UTC ]
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I think my colleague Cherlynn Low jinxed us in the last installment with her mention of a slower than usual October. The last week of the month was jam-packed with news, especially from Apple, so we're in for a busy few weeks of reviews to finish out the year. This week, we tested Amazon's... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-02 14:00:46 UTC ]
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If you’re wondering what happened to Amazon’s new and improved version of its Alexa voice assistant, you’re not alone. Bloomberg reports that the new Alexa is still stuck in its developmental phase and Amazon has cut off access to its beta phase including its new “Let’s Chat” phase. As a result,... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-01 21:50:42 UTC ]
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It's been a Mac-heavy week! In this episode, Devindra and producer Ben Ellman dive into all of Apple's new M4 hardware: the new iMac, Mac mini and refreshed Macbook Pros. The Mac mini, in particular, looks like it'll be a huge hit for anyone who needs a simple desktop system. Also, we dive into... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-01 13:20:04 UTC ]
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Finally, a color Kindle. Amazon, the dominant force in ereaders, finally brought color eink to its series of devices — and we’ve reviewed it. The Kindle Colorsoft is a solid premium ereader, ideal for readers of comics and graphic novels. The company has upgraded page-turn speed and a handy... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-31 11:15:38 UTC ]
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