Amazon Fire HD 8 (2024) review: A cheap tablet hampered by outdated software

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 ]
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Lit Hub Weekly: November 4 – 8, 2024

Jaydra Johnson on the intersections of literature, classism, and what it means to be called white trash. | Lit Hub Memoir “It flattens all queer art into the nebulous category of ‘pornography.’” Project 2025 is going to have devastating effects on our freedom to read the books we want to read. |... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-11-09 11:30:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #memoir #devastating effects #jaydra johnson


Black Friday 2024: The best early deals we could find from Amazon, Best Buy, Apple, Samsung and more

With each passing year, Black Friday seems to turn more and more into "Black November," with many retailers starting their holiday sales weeks before the day itself. But while the bombardment of promos can be annoying, it also presents a good chance to beat the rush and finish holiday shopping... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-11-08 17:19:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook #slashing prices #cross things #cyber monday #tech space #end immediately #lightning variants #android device #major hindrance #wider range #listing doesn #touch controls #cloud-based games #play mobile


Lit Hub Daily: November 8, 2024

Jaydra Johnson on the intersections of literature, classism, and what it means to be called white trash. | Lit Hub Memoir “It’s hard to know how a film as perverse as this could have ended satisfyingly in a way that keeps faith with its themes.” Tim Robey remembers Babe: Pig In the City, the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-11-08 11:30:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #memoir


Black Friday 2024: The best early deals we could find from Amazon, Best Buy and more

Black Friday may technically just be one day, but it’s evolved to consume the entire month of November in the US at this point. For the past few years, retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target have ushered in the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier, and this year is no different. Early... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-11-06 16:13:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook #slashing prices #cross things #cyber monday #tech space #end immediately #tv values #web suggest #spacious sound #soundcore motion+ #word processing #lower-power tasks #extra peace #ultrawideband tech


Engadget review recap: Amazon's colorful Kindle, DJI's latest action cam and more

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 ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle #stay tuned #launch day #arc ultra #m4 chips #mac mini


The best early Black Friday 2024 deals we could find from Amazon, Best Buy and more

With each passing year, Black Friday seems to turn more and more into "Black November," with many retailers starting their holiday sales weeks before the day itself. But while the bombardment of promos can be annoying, it also presents a good chance to beat the rush and finish holiday shopping... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-11-01 16:30:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook #slashing prices #cyber monday #tech space #android device #wider range


Amazon Expects a Strong Finish to 2024

Third quarter results exceeded expectations at Amazon, and the company expects a strong fourth quarter, forecasting that total sales will rise between 7% and 11% over last year’s final period, to as much as $188.5 billion. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #total sales #company expects #strong finish


Kindle Colorsoft review: The missing link in Amazon’s ereader lineup

Well, it finally happened. After years of waiting and requests, Amazon debuted the $280 Kindle Colorsoft, its first ereader with a color display. The company’s ereaders have dominated this space since the original Kindle came out 17 years ago, but in this case, it feels like Amazon is playing... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-30 13:15:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle #libraries #ebooks #times bestseller #audiobook #waterproof rating #battery life #holiday gifts #operating systems


iPad mini 7 review: Safe, boring and everything I want in a small tablet

To the surprise of few, the new iPad mini that Apple announced last week is a small update rather than a major reinvention. It may have been three years between iPad mini updates, but the 2021 model was the first to ditch the formerly ubiquitous home button in favor of smaller bezels. Apple... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-22 13:00:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle #apple books #visual artist #death stranding


Tommy Robinson’s book went to No 1 on Amazon. This is what I learned from the reviews | Zoe Williams

The far-right activist’s Manifesto briefly topped the website’s chart. It is gone now, but the comments make for worrying readingIt’s always tempting to self-soothe when the far right is on the march. Tommy Robinson’s new book, Manifesto: Free Speech, Real Democracy, Peaceful Disobedience,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-10-15 10:00:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hardback #zoe williams #indigenous people #sally rooney #british history #richard osman #boris johnson #free speech


Amazon Prime Day 2024: The best deals we found from Apple, Anker, Sony, Lego and others before October Big Deal Days ends tonight

October Prime Day 2024 is half over but you can still save thanks to a slew of deals across the entirety of Amazon’s online storefront. Props to you if you came prepared with a wishlist of items you hope to buy on sale, because it can be easy to get distracted by the thousands of other deals... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-09 15:14:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle #harry potter #follow @engadgetdeals #$100 range #stay tuned #buying advice #productivity setup #ultimate controller #touch strip #programmable buttons #operating system #free content #excellent cameras


Prime Day deals on Amazon devices: You can still get up to 68 percent off Echo speakers, Fire TV Sticks and Blink cameras and more

October Prime Day presents a good opportunity for Prime members to snag holiday gifts early, and that’s perhaps most relevant for those eyeing Amazon’s own devices. Gadgets like Echo speakers, Fire TV sticks and Kindles are almost guaranteed to be on sale during members-only sale events like... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-09 12:22:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle #follow @engadgetdeals #stay tuned #buying advice #cooling levels #automatically adjusting #video doorbells #include cameras #prime days #doorbell wiring #privacy zones #months ago #alarm systems #security cameras #shopping giant


Amazon devices are up to 68 percent off for October Prime Day including Echo speakers, Fire TV Sticks and Blink cameras

When it comes to tech on sale for Amazon Prime Day, Amazon’s own hardware is at the top of the list. The online retailer usually discounts Echo speakers, Fire tablets, Kindles and the like to record-low prices for October Prime Day, and this year is no different. We’re seeing some of the best... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-08 22:19:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle #follow @engadgetdeals #stay tuned #buying advice #video doorbells #include cameras #prime days #doorbell wiring #privacy zones #months ago #alarm systems #security cameras #shopping giant


The Morning After: The best deals we found on Amazon’s Prime Day 2024

Didn’t we already have a Prime Day? Yes, but that was Amazon’s July Prime Day — this one is in October. While it typically doesn’t offer the same breadth of deals (or deep discounts) as the OG day, if you’ve been keeping your eye on a certain pair of AirPods, Kindle tablet or, randomly this... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-08 11:16:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle #play store #getty images #biggest stories


Amazon Prime Day 2024: We found the best early deals to shop before October Big Deal Days

The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days event is coming up in a few days, so it’s time to start thinking about what you may want to snag at a discount during the sale. Some may shudder at the thought of holiday shopping already, but if you pay the $139 annual fee for Prime, these sale events are a great... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-06 13:12:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle #harry potter #follow @engadgetdeals #buying advice #reliable connection #charging base #automatically return #mop floors #mop combo #midrange smartphone #pixel 8a #android phone #solid choice #applecore+ protection #muted colors #nintendo switch


Amazon Prime Day 2024: The best early deals to shop ahead of the October Big Deal Days event next week

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is back this year, returning on October 8 and 9. The “fall Prime Day” of sorts has served as the online retailer’s unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for the past few years. We expect most of the deals to be Prime exclusives, meaning you must be an... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-04 13:25:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle #follow @engadgetdeals #buying advice #charging base #automatically return #mop floors #mop combo #midrange smartphone #pixel 8a #android phone #solid choice #premium smartwatch #applecore+ protection #muted colors #nintendo switch


The best E Ink tablets for 2024

E-Ink tablets have always been intriguing to me because I’m a longtime lover of pen and paper. I’ve had probably hundreds of notebooks over the years, serving as repositories for my story ideas, to-do lists, meeting notes and everything in between. However, I turned away from physical notebooks... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-02 07:01:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #paperback #e-book sales #kindle #responsive screen #ink screen


Amazon announces the return of Prime Big Deal Days on October 8 and 9

We knew Amazon would revive its Prime Big Deal Days sale event this fall, but we didn’t know the exact dates until today. The online retailer announced that the sale event will return this year on October 8 and 9, giving us all the more reason to call it October Prime Day as we have done in... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-09-18 16:55:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle #follow @engadgetdeals #buying advice #bit easier #gaming gear #include gadgets #check back #samsung 55-inch #pixel 8a #apple earlier #holiday season #airpods pro #product page #cyber monday