fire

Our big rumor of the week is directly related to Google, so thankfully Karyne made it back in town just in time to witness the Google Glass-wearing skydivers jump from a dirigible into Google I/O. Wait, what? Whoa!

Before the keynote went off on a crazed adventure sports tangent, Google announced a new product: the new Nexus 7 tablet running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and selling for the small sum of $199. What else sells for that? Oh right, the Kindle Fire.

So this leads us to the question: is Amazon now feeling the pressure to update its … Read more

Google will soon launch a tablet made by and co-branded with Asus, an executive for Asus said today.

"It's targeting Amazon," the unidentified exec told Reuters about the device. "The Kindle is based on Google's platform but with its own service, so Google has to launch its own service, too."

Google is expected to unveil its own 7-inch tablet at the company's I/O conference, which starts today and runs until Friday. But the Asus executive's statement is the first that seemingly confirms an upcoming launch of the new product.… Read more

What's next for Kindle hardware?

Well, a credible source has told CNET that Amazon will unveil a second-generation Kindle Fire this summer and that it's targeting July 31 for a launch event.

While we can't confirm the date, there's been plenty of chatter about new Kindles coming soon. Most recently, DigiTimes, which has been pretty spotty on the rumor front, reported that Amazon was "considering launching" a new $199 7-inch tablet with a higher resolution 1,280 by 800-pixel display "at the beginning of the third quarter."

The DigiTimes article cited the … Read more

For all the success that Amazon has enjoyed with its Appstore for Android, that's largely been the case only in the United States. Yet, that looks to change later this year as developers can now ready their apps for distribution across a number of European markets.

Android developers logging into the Amazon Developer Portal will find that they can submit apps and games for release in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. It's not immediately known when the internal expansion will begin, however Amazon promises even more markets are on the horizon.

Since its launch a … Read more

As if actual Microsoft product launches haven't been in the news enough this week (ahem, Surface tablet and Windows Phone 8), rumors of the road map for the long-anticipated new Xbox are heating up.

A PowerPoint presentation posted to NeoGAF forums claims to divulge Microsoft's secret product launch plans. No, not the launch codes -- this isn't a nuclear crisis, though the excitement among Xbox gamers is verging on nuclear. (See what I did there?) The document has NOT been authenticated, and Microsoft is mum on the issue, but its contents are in line with previous rumors. … Read more

Amazon's overseas customers will soon have access to apps from the online retail giant, which suggests the Kindle Fire is going international.

Developers can submit apps to Amazon for international distribution this summer, the company announced today. While Amazon is looking for apps for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, the company said in a press release that it has "plans for further global expansion in the near future."

The press release also included praise from various companies, like Rovio and EA, commenting on the success of their apps in the U.S. Amazon Appstore … Read more

Get your battle gear on. It's time for tablet wars and food fights:

What could Microsoft be unveiling Monday afternoon at its mysterious L.A. press event? Some new music or movie product? A tablet or e-reader? The rumors are centering on a new tablet that would go head-to-head with Apple.

Vizio is bringing its television talents to computers with a new line of desktops and laptops, all starting at just under $900. The all-in-one desktop can be its own entertainment hub with a remote and HDMI ports for connecting a cable box or video game system.

According to … Read more

The guesses on Microsoft's June 18 announcement are continuing to fly fast and furiously (if not fluidly).

The latest round is centering on Microsoft's big announcement being some kind of a Microsoft-manufactured tablet. If these rumors are true, I'm wondering whether the coming device might be more of a rival to the Amazon Kindle Fire than the iPad.

I don't have any brand-new rumors or tips to contribute on this topic. But I will revisit some of what we know about Microsoft's tablet and slate strategies.

Microsoft brass have continued to hint over the past … Read more

While the iPad continues to dominate tablet traffic, there is a new leader in the e-reader battle between Barnes & Noble's Nook and Amazon's Kindle Fire.

Apple's tablet accounted for 91 percent of the hundreds of millions of Web traffic impressions sampled by the Chitika Ad network during the week of June 4 -10, a decline of 3.5 percent from 94.6 percent in May. Coming in at a very distant second place was Samsung's Galaxy Tab, which captured only 1.7 percent of tablet Web traffic, followed by Acer Iconia, Toshiba Thrive, and Asus … Read more