prime

Google may soon be delivering much more than just information and the occasional gadget direct to consumers.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Mountain View is looking to partner with retailers on a service that could compete with Amazon's Prime by offering uber-quick delivery for a small fee. So far, OfficeMax, Gap, and Macy's are reportedly onboard.

The WSJ posits that the concept is a result of Google being grumpy that many consumers have taken to searching for products directly via Amazon's site rather than running the query by the search giant first. The new service would integrate with Google Shopping, which aggregates outlets, including Amazon, that carry a particular product. Here's how the Journal explains it:… Read more

Do not adjust your monitors. This is, in fact, only a hands-on and not a full review of the Asus Transformer Prime.

Unfortunately, during the review process, we experienced some very suspect performance issues (detailed below), which led us to believe we were possibly in possession of a faulty unit. So, we are going to hold off on giving final ratings for the Prime, but check out our initial impressions.

Everything below is accurate to our experience with the Transformer Prime. … Read more

One thing is certain. The Android tablet crowd has beaten Apple to the punch with quad-core silicon--and the list is growing.

In the wake of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime becoming available for order at stores like Best Buy in the U.S., a few more details have leaked on upcoming quad-core tablets from Acer and Lenovo, according to an Asia-based Digitimes report. … Read more

It looks like the new Google phone from Samsung running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich might be showing up very soon, but it seems to be suffering from an identity crisis.

This morning the Best Buy subsite on ShopLocal--the arm of the Gannett company responsible for all those newspaper advertising circulars--listed the "Verizon Wireless Samsung Nexus Prime 4G LTE" for $299.99.

There are a few interesting things in the ad: One--the phone, which is clearly what we've been referring to as the Galaxy Nexus for several weeks now, is dubbed the Nexus Prime, which … Read more

Editor's note: Updated with correct physical dimensions facts.

You've been patient. You've done your research and are now ready to finally plop down the cash for a tablet. For whatever reason, you've chosen to overlook the iPad 2 and are dead set on bringing an Android tablet home this year.

There are plenty of available Android tablets to choose from, the very best of which are running the Honeycomb OS; however, the recently revealed Asus Transformer Prime--the next iteration of the well-received Asus Transformer--represents the most significant hardware upgrade for Android tablets since the launch of the Motorola Xoom.

So, do you take the plunge now or wait for the Prime? Make no mistake, thanks to its increased specs over current Android tablets, anyone interested in buying a tablet should watch the Prime's launch closely. I'm looking at you, original Transformer owners, as the Prime will include all the features of the original Transformer, plus more.

So keep reading as I plow through what I consider are the most relevant concerns when considering your tablet-choosing dilemma.… Read more

Want free two-day shipping on Amazon but don't want to pay for it? Well, if you know the right person, you don't have to.

That's right, last year around the holidays I offered up a little Amazon Prime tip for folks planning to do a lot of last-minute online shopping on Amazon.com. Now, with the holidays approaching again and a lot of people interested in the Kindle Fire, I thought I should update the story with some additional info.

Here's the deal. If you own or are considering purchasing an Amazon Prime membership ($79 for … Read more

To my thinking, the most interesting aspect of Amazon.com's new Kindle Fire tablet is not the hardware, nor even the price. It's Amazon Prime, the $79-per-year service that delivers, among other things, video and e-book content to the device.

That $79 outlay may seem like a lot, but let's crunch the numbers a bit.… Read more

In case you didn't already know, Amazon really wants you to know about the features on its Kindle Fire.

After touting earlier this week highlighed applications, we have one more reason to consider the 7-inch device.

According to a follow-up to Wednesday's press announcement, Amazon also plans to offer support for Hulu Plus and its library of content. So in case the access to Amazon's standard library of movies, television shows, and music isn't enough, Hulu Plus can offer you more. … Read more

Hewlett-Packard mulls what to do with WebOS, Asus unveils a powerful tablet, and Adobe ceases development of a Flash Player plug-in for mobile devices.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded: