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 ]
Regardless of how 2021 went for you, 2022 is another chance for all of us to make the new year better than those that came before it. We set New Year’s resolutions with the best of intentions, but it’s no wonder that so many people fail after just a few weeks – old habits die hard. Just as it’s... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-01-01 14:34:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this
In spite of all the advancements we’ve seen in tech, the industry as a whole has consistently neglected people with disabilities. There have been some improvements, including video call apps like FaceTime, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and more adding better support for sign language... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-12-31 21:00:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this
With Christmas right around the corner, now's the time to make sure you have all your gifts in check and grab any last-minute holiday gifts you may need. Thankfully, there remain a good number of tech deals available, and a good portion of them are still slated to arrive before the holiday if... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-12-17 16:45:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this
If you're still on the hunt for good tech gifts to give this year, you still have time to grab some that will arrive before the holidays. Apple's second-generation AirPods are on sale again for $100, while the Fitbit Charge 5 fitness tracker is back down to $130. Both Amazon's Kindle and a few... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-12-10 16:45:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this
If you missed Amazon's standard e-reader when it was on sale for $50 on Black Friday, you have another shot to grab it for less. The regular Kindle is back on sale for $55, and you'll get three months of Kindle Unlimited along with it. It may be a bit more expensive than it was one week ago, but... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-12-03 17:32:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Maybe you've crossed all of the big items off your gift list for the year, but you're still on the lookout for stocking stuffers that aren't the typical picks. There are plenty of options in the tech space that are both small and affordable, and Cyber Monday deals have made a good number of them... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-11-29 18:00:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Bookworms, clear your schedules. Just in time for the winter holidays, Amazon’s entry-level Kindle is back at an all-time low. Right now, you can get the Amazon Kindle for $50, or 44 percent off the normal price. This model’s standout feature is a front light that makes reading in the dark... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2021-11-26 19:51:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
It's officially Black Friday and that means if you didn't snatch up any of the early deals that came and went earlier this month, now's the time to shop. Despite kicking off the holiday season (unbearably) early this year with a deluge of deals, retailers are still have some compelling Black... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-11-26 11:15:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Aside from Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday is the best time of year to save on Amazon gadgets. It's arguably better than Amazon's exclusive shopping day because anyone, not just Prime members, can get Black Friday discounts. Everything from Echo speakers to Fire tablets to Kindles are down to... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-11-26 10:00:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this
While we've had weeks of early Black Friday deals already, Thanksgiving has brought additional sales, some of which we expect to continue through Black Friday proper. This has been a trend for the past few years — if you happen to be online and searching for Black Friday deals a few hours before... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-11-25 21:15:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Amazon isn't quite done with its Black Friday e-reader deals. After it put several other Kindles on sale, the company has dropped the price of the latest Kindle Paperwhite from $140 to $105.Buy Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon - $105The fifth-gen Paperwhite, the first refresh in three years, was... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-11-25 08:15:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Cameron Janes, an Amazon veteran who has overseen Prime Video, retail and Kindle ventures left the company earlier this week. Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal
[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2021-11-24 22:24:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this
We're officially one week out from Black Friday and it seems most retailers have launched at least a portion of their deals and sales already. You can find the exhaustive list on our deals homepage, but we've gathered the highlights here. Bose's new QuietComfort 45 headphones remain on sale for... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-11-19 16:45:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Amazon's Fire tablets make great portable, secondary devices, or primary devices for the kids in your life. They're already pretty affordable — that's one of the best things about them — but Black Friday has knocked their prices down even more. Most Fire tablets are on sale right now, including... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-11-19 09:30:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this
As ever, Amazon is discounting many of its products for the Black Friday shopping period. Like many other companies, Amazon is getting out of the gate a little early with deals on Kindles. The standard Kindle is down from $90 to $50, which is the lowest price we've seen for the e-reader. Back in... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-11-19 09:00:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this
We at Engadget spend a lot of time thinking about the best tech gifts for anyone and everyone in your life. But during that process, we often can’t help but think about the things we’d like to receive as gifts. We encourage everyone to treat themselves in some way while scrambling to find gifts... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-11-11 15:30:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Blu-rays are so done. Using high-speed lasers, researchers have created new data storage tech that could write and keep 500TB of data on a CD-sized glass disc. The 5D storage tech has higher writing speeds that might make it feasible to large-scale archiving projects. Each file uses three layers... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-11-02 11:37:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this
This may be one of your best chances of scoring a smart speaker or e-reader before the holiday rush. Amazon is selling multiple recent Echo devices (plus a Kindle reader) at very low prices. To start, the fourth-generation Echo speaker is on sale for just $60 (usually $100), or the same as its... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-10-31 14:22:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Thriller author Rachel McLean has won the £20,000 Kindle Storyteller Award for her novel The Corfe Castle Murders after a "record number" of submissions. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-23 09:39:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this
October kicked off with a bunch of good tech deals across the web. All of Apple's wireless earbuds remain on sale at Amazon, so you can pick up the AirPods Pro for $179 or even the standard AirPods with the wireless charging case for $129. The new Beats Studio Buds are $25 off while a couple of... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-10-08 15:30:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this