The curtailed availability of the second-gen iPad comes after Proview called for a complete customs ban of imports and exports of the tablet. The company admitted that such a block would be difficult if not impossible to implement, but hinted that it would be open to an out-of-court settlement by Apple as a workaround.

Nonetheless, sales of the iPad 2 continue from Apple’s own online store in China, as well as from other third-party retailers. Although reports earlier this week suggested officials from the Chinese Administration of Industry and Commerce had seized some iPad 2 stock from retailers, the tablet is still supposedly broadly available if only unofficially.

Although Apple bought the iPad trademark from a Proview subsidiary some years ago, the company maintains that the deal did not include use of the name within China. A court agreed back in December, and Apple now faces a potentially difficult appeals process unless it agrees to a settlement.

Update: According to Sina Tech, the decision to pull the iPad 2 from sale on the two sites was at Apple’s own request. The company apparently told the retailers that the changes were necessary “according to their sales strategy” though did not specify whether it was down to the Proview case. As for Proview’s lawyer, he claims the company has not approached online retailers about freezing iPad 2 sales, and “does not understand” Apple’s motivations for the move.  [via M.I.C. Gadget]

[via Tech in Asia]

Amazon is still very much the new kid on the block when it comes to streaming. Even though a year of Amazon Prime is cheaper than a year of Netflix, and the volume of movies and TV shows is comparable, it’s tough to compete against the well defined leader in the market. So these new job postings on Amazon.com are pretty interesting. Specifically, the jobs are for Amazon’s “People Production Company.”

One of the listings is for a VP of Series Development, which lists responsibilities like asessing pilot proposals, working with writers and artists, staffing and casting new projects, and supervising series production. This idea of original content is also starting to break out in Netflix, as well as sponsored content on YouTube. Apparently, Amazon paid more than $2.5 million to develop potential pilots in 2011, but nothing made it to distribution. At least not yet.

[via GigaOM]

“What we learn from you, and others like you, will help us improve Google products and services and make a better online experience for everyone,” Google explained in a statement. Only those who are 13 years of age or older are eligible to apply. In addition, participants are oliged to use Google’s Chrome browser when surfing the Web. This program comes after Google faced heavy criticism for revamping its privacy policies across most of its online platforms.

Google noted that Amazon is not a sponsor of the promotion, which is known as Google Screenwise. It just so happens that Amazon gift cards are a pretty easy and efficient means of sending money online, since anyone can find $25 worth of stuff they need on Amazon. The program is obviously not designed with the intention of keeping tabs on any one individual users but rather to collect massive amounts of data and better understand how Internet browsers interact with the World Wide Web. If you’re interested, you can sign up here.

UPDATE: Google has reached out to us with the following statement:

“Like many other web and media companies, we do panel research to help better serve our users by learning more about people’s media use, on the web and elsewhere. This panel is one such small project that started near the beginning of the year. Of course, this is completely optional to join. People can choose to participate if it’s of interest (or if the gift appeals) and everyone who does participate has complete transparency and control over what Internet use is being included in the panel. People can stay on the panel as long as they’d like, or leave at any time.” – Google Spokesperson

What do you think, folks?

For most people, landing an executive position at Microsoft would be the pinnacle of their career. Watson’s new position at Amazon is working on Kindle apps, so it is almost exactly the same line of work, though now for what was one of his biggest competitors. It leaves a question mark about Microsoft’s future in the mobile space, though not a black hole. The software giant has actually done a formidable job at building the Windows Phone brand.

It got a much-needed boost from Nokia, which recently launched its Lumia 710 smartphone in the US. At $50, the Lumia 710 is seen as a great entry-level smartphone. But alas, selling Windows Phone as the “cheap” option is only driving a bigger wedge when it comes to the smartphone aficianados who simply don’t believe there’s a need for a third player in an iOS and Android duel. For Watson, that battle won’t be an issue anymore.

[via SFGate]

What VIP Deals did was to take a $60 case for a tablet, reduce the price down to $10 USD, then include in the box in which it was shipped a slip of paper. This slip of paper noted how the person receiving the item might get a $10 refund (the entire list price) if they simply leave a review on the site they purchased it from. The note read thusly:

“In return for writing the review, we will refund your order so you will have received the product for free. … We strive to earn 100 percent perfect ‘FIVE-STAR’ scores from you!”

So 4,945 reviews later and VIP Deals is a powerhouse, able to sell a bridge to you in Brooklyn if you don’t head into their reviews and notice how insane they are. Thats why Bing Liu, also a computer science professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is currently in the process of devising a mathematical model (or set of models) that’ll systematically take apart scams such as this in the future.

“More people are depending on reviews for what to buy and where to go, so the incentives for faking are getting bigger. It’s a very cheap way of marketing.” – Liu

Too cheap, we’re thinking, and so thinks Liu and the law. Take them apart Liu, we’d much rather have the reality of good or bad product reviews than a few bucks off a case we do not need in the first place.

[via NYTimes]

You’ll be treated here to a vision of Ice Cream Sandwich working on the Fire, complete with some lovely widgets and the cyan coloring. Not one whole heck of a lot of the primary functions are working in full force as of yet, but it’s encouraging to see. This especially since this device was not approved by Google and therefor did not have the Android Market nor a suite of Google-made apps, not to mention a custom user interface that made the whole system appear Amazon in nature.

It’s not like the Kindle Fire isn’t up to spec when it comes to having a great user experience right out of the box, but here we’ve got a whole new world of accessibility. What will you do with your tablet when you’re able to do everything a normal tab could do? Surely not take photos or video, that’s for certain. Play some Riptide for a good time, even without the hacks. Instructions for making this process happen can be found here: Liliputing and take cation from start to finish.

[via Liliputing]

Amazon has a virtual supercomputer that is on the list of the world’s fastest machines. The big difference between the Amazon cloud supercomputer and the other machines on the list is that Amazon’s machine doesn’t actually exist. The cloud supercomputer runs on the Elastic Compute Cloud that Amazon deployed, and the company provides access to the virtual supercomputer when it is needed.

The big difference between the Amazon virtual supercomputer, that at its core still uses real clusters like the other machines on the list, and the traditional machines on the list is that the Amazon offering runs on a virtual layer. This supercomputer is also interesting because anyone can use it. The crux of this is that the Amazon cloud infrastructure is so large that the company can field one of the world’s fastest supercomputers at will. That is impressive to say the least. Using the virtual supercomputer is cheap too compared to building your own. A virtual machine set up for a pharmaceutical firm with 30,000 processor cores cost $1,279 an hour to run. The costs of installing and operating a dedicated supercomputer are much higher than that.

[via Wired]

But rather than waste time thinking about some of the winners, why not just get right to the biggest loser of 2011: Netflix.

Where to begin? Netflix started the year at the top of the streaming market. Just about everyone I knew was using the streaming service, and judging by the growth of the company’s subscriber figures, just about everyone you knew was using it, as well.

But then something happened. First, the company started running into trouble with content providers who wanted more cash. Companies like HBO started saying that if Netflix wanted its content, the company would need to pay much more than it typically does. Netflix, meanwhile, tried to stay strong and rebuff those claims.

However, behind the scenes, the company was seemingly taking a much different tack. It started to pay more for content and its expenditures attributable to its meteoric rise were skyocketing with it. The time had come for Netflix to do something.

So, the streaming provider announced that it was going to break apart its streaming and DVD-by-mail plans and charge $15.98 a month. Previously, those customers were paying $9.99 per month. Just hours later, customers started complaining. And by the end of the quarter, it was clear that the wheels were falling off as Netflix announced that trouble was afoot with subscribers.

But Netflix had a plan. In order to make things a bit more palatable for consumers, the company said that it was going to spin off its DVD-by-mail company into a new firm, called Qwikster. But once again, customers complained. And before long, Netflix realized that too was a bad idea.

Now, Netflix is trying to expand internationally, even though most analysts believe that will cost the company upwards of $300 million, and subscribers, finding better DVD rental options at Redbox and potentially better streaming services with Amazon, are leaving in droves.

Whereas in January, when Netflix’s stock was trading at over $175 a share, the company was a case study in how to run a firm; now, it has become a study in what not to do (its stock has shaved off 60 percent of its value to hover at around $70).

So, what can fix Netflix? Your guess is as good as Reed Hastings’. He has been saying for months now that he has a solution, and that things are going fine, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. In fact, he seems lost.

So, with all that in mind, Netflix has earned my award for the biggest loser of 2011. And although RIM was a close second, Netflix’s drop was unexpected. And it might have been one of the most epic implosions we’ve seen in the technology space in a long, long time.

But that’s my take. What company do you believe was this year’s biggest loser?

The news of the retailer’s interest in RIM comes amid claims that the BlackBerry company is also a possible target for a joint Microsoft and Nokia bid. None the of the named parties is saying anything publicly, but a head of technology investment banking at a Wall Street bank says “[RIM] have had approaches from folks who have wanted to have discussions.”

Those discussions have met with silence, however, when takeovers are a possibility. RIM’s board has decided the company won’t entertain the possibility of a buy-out, split or partnership deal until the new platform has at least had a chance at the market next year. The talk of deals is seen as a “distraction” best avoided for now.

Still, RIM and the retailer remain in talks, with the Canadian company looking to better “leverage” its service assets such as BBM and the network operations centers through which all mail, browsing and IM traffic flows.

The real trick to the one-day delivery service is that it would have to be cheap. Very few online shoppers will be willing to pay much more for faster delivery. Analysts claim that the Google move is motivated by the need to compete with Amazon. There are a lot of retailers that sell goods online that have shown interest in the Google program according to the Chicago Tribune.

The retailers in talks now are said to include Macy’s, Gap, and OfficeMax. The one-day program from Google would use the existing product search feature of Google and then link the shopper directly to the retailer website to purchase. That existing search and link capability will then have shipping overseen by the Google service. The Google service would find out if the product is in stock and if it can be shipped for delivery within one day. The program would have partnerships with UPS and apparently other local courier services too.

[via Chicago Tribune]

I came to that realization recently when I started accessing content on Amazon’s Prime Instant Video. I watched a few television shows, checked out a couple movies I hadn’t seen in a long time, and realized something: for $79 per year, I was getting an experience that matches what I get from Netflix for about $96 per year.

[Image credit: Roo Reynolds]

So, I have to ask: Why do we have Netflix?

Looking around the entertainment space, it seems that many content providers agree. Starz, for example, is likely going to pull its content from Netflix at the beginning of March after the companies couldn’t come to a new agreement. HBO has been one of the most desired content providers for Netflix users, but that company has balked at the idea of offering its content on the service, saying that such a deal wouldn’t make sound financial sense.

Now, many believe that Netflix will need to pay much more just to get the same content it currently offers. And with a major cash shortfall that forced the company to raise $400 million in November just to keep things going, it’s quite possible that the company could have some trouble offering the same level of service it does now.

But Amazon is different. Although its Instant Video service doesn’t have as much content as Netflix, and it too lacks key shows and movies, the e-retail giant has the cash to manage its streaming service. What’s more, its relationship with content providers seems to be much stronger, which should only help it enter into key agreements.

I should note that I don’t have anything against Netflix. I just don’t see how multiple companies can succeed in the streaming space over time. Content providers will start entering into exclusive agreements, streaming companies will establish greater barriers to entry, and in the process, consumers will lose. Rather than get all the content we want on one service, we’ll be forced to pay for multiple offerings to do so.

Granted, it’s not so different from what we’re experiencing now, but how much longer do we really want to go through this?

The time has come for one content provider to rule them all. And as much as I have enjoyed using Netflix over the years (and still do), it’s quickly becoming the weak link. Amazon, on the other hand, is well on its way to becoming the streaming leader. So, why not embrace that and see Amazon destroy (or at the very least, acquire) Netflix?

Offers are otherwise known as ads. The ads on the Kobo Touch with Offers are on screen savers when the reader is off or in sleep mode. The ads also pop up on the bottom of the home page. The good news is that there are no ads on the eBooks you purchase. This is identical to how the Kindle with Special Offers works.

That Kobo Touch us an eReader with a 6-inch screen using infrared touch technology. It packs 2GB of storage inside and has a microSD card slot for when you run out of space. It has WiFi only and can surf the web. The Kobo Touch supports most common eBook formats. The device is offered only in the US.

[via The-ebook-reader]

In celebration of the 11-11-11 launch date of the Razr you can order the smartphone with a new contract for $111.11. That price is only good on phones on new accounts. If you add the phone to an existing account, the price is $249.99. If you want the phone sans contract, it will cost you $749.99.

In case you somehow have missed all the coverage on this smartphone, it’s the thinnest Android device around at 7.1mm thick until you get to the bump for the camera. The front camera is 1.3MP; the rear is 8MP and can record 1080p video. It has an OMAP 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. It also has a microSD card slot for expansion. If you want to know more about his smartphone, se posted up our review here. Amazon dropped us a line to let us know that the special $111.11 price isn’t for today only, but for a “limited time” with no clarification the length of the special deal.

Hulu Plus offers access to recent and classic TV shows from ABC, Comedy Central, The CW, Fox, NBC, MTV, VH-1 and others, with a monthly subscription rate of $7.99. That still includes some “limited advertising” however. Shows currently on offer include Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Glee and Modern Family.

As for ESPN ScoreCenter, that pulls in multiple game results and updates for a variety of leagues worldwide, including football, soccer, tennis, golf and more.

While Hulu Plus and ESPN ScoreCenter are both already available in the Android Market, Kindle Fire owners will not be able to access Google’s official download store. Instead, they’ll be limited to the titles Amazon selects for its own Appstore for Android. That tight control over software is likely to reduce and contribute to owner frustration in equal measure: Kindle Fire users will have the confidence of knowing the apps available to them have been checked through for compatibility with the modified ereader-slate, but they’ll also be restricted from trying new titles that Amazon doesn’t approve of.

The Amazon Kindle Fire begins shipping on November 15. More information in our launch day report.

That means plenty of grey and the occasional splash of Amazon orange, along with a layout that’s suited to a 7-inch 1024 x 600 screen as on the Kindle Fire. The retailer announced its launch lineup of apps earlier this week, making specific mention of Netflix; that was generally considered a pre-emptive strike at the NOOK Tablet, also announced this week, and one of the key selling points of which is a deal between Barnes & Noble and Netflix for streaming media.

The Netflix app itself is not yet present in the Amazon Appstore for Android, so it could be that the two companies are holding it back just for the Kindle Fire. Amazon’s model undercuts Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Tablet, though the latter does beat it in some respects including onboard storage.

Earlier today, rumors circulated that Amazon had increased its Kindle Fire orders to 5m units by the end of the year, based on continued strong pre-order demand for the $199.99 slate.

[via Android Community]

Amazon is strongly pushing content on both its traditional Kindle models and the new Kindle Fire, stomaching lower cash upfront on device sales on the expectation that ebook downloads, along with music and video rentals and purchases, will offset that.

That strategy will need to pay off if Amazon is to survive the strong demand for the Kindle. Analysts iSuppli did the bill-of-materials math and suggest each of the ad-supported Kindles costs $84.25 to manufacture, Mainstreet reports [via Ereader-Info], including components and production costs but not the cost of Amazon’s software and development, nor licensing fees. According to the teardown, the Kindle’s E Ink display module costs Amazon $30.50 per unit, the main PCB $30.37 and actually putting the whole ereader together contributes $5.66.

Amazon is yet to release pre-order stats for the Kindle Fire, though unofficial numbers suggest the company saw 250,00 orders in the first five days. The tablet is priced at $199.99, another loss-leading figure based on iSuppli’s $209.63 production cost estimate, and will reach customers on November 15. Meanwhile, an 8.9-inch Kindle Fire is believed to be in the pipeline next.

The purchase was revealed in an SEC filing that surfaced today. Although the filing doesn’t name Amazon directly, it shows that Yap had merged with a company called “Dion Acquisition Sub” that also happens to be headquartered in Amazon’s Seattle building.

Yap seemed to have been doing quite well with its voicemail-to-text service and owned a good chunk of speech-recognition intellectual property that has been in development since 2006, further fueled by a $6.5 million Series A round of R&D funding in 2008.

Amazon will be launching its Kindle Fire tablet this month and although it’s not considered to be in direct competition with Apple’s iPad, it is expected to reach more consumers than any Android-based tablet has so far. Plus, the company has already emulated Apple with its own app store, mp3 download store, and cloud storage and streaming, so having its own Siri counterpart sometime soon won’t be too surprising either.

[via TechCrunch]

Titles bought on the Kindle Fire through the Amazon Appstore for Android will also be available to download on other Android-based devices with the store installed. As has been the case since the Amazon Appstore’s launch on phones, the retailer will be offering a premium app for free download each day to Kindle Fire owners. Amazon will be testing each app to make sure it plays nicely with its custom interface and the underlying Gingerbread OS.

The Weather Channel, Allrecipes, Bloomberg, Cut the Rope, Doodle Fit, Doodle Jump, Fruit Ninja, Jenga, LinkedIn, Zillow, Airport Mania, Battleheart, Pulse, The Cat in the Hat, Quickoffice Pro, Jamie’s 20-Minute Meals, IMDb Movies & TV, and Monkey Preschool Lunchbox will all be available, as will games from Zynga, EA, Gameloft, PopCap and Rovio. The Kindle Fire is expected to begin shipping to pre-order customers on November 15; check out our full launch report here.

Kobo’s founding company, Canadian-based Indigo Books & Music, which owns 58 percent, will receive $140 to $150 million from the deal, while Rakuten will receive 100 percent of all issued and outstanding shares of Kobo. This will bring Rakuten a line of e-readers, tablets, software, and a 5.6 million user base spread over more than 100 countries.

Rakuten claims to be one of the world’s top three e-commerce companies by revenue and will be adding 50 million potential Kobo customers from around the world. Kobo will become a wholly owned subsidiary that will continue to operate as a standalone company under CEO Michael Serbinis in Toronto.

Kobo recently introduced the new 7-inch Kobo Vox Android-based e-reader that competes with Amazon’s Kindle Fire with a $199.99 price tag, but allows for full access to the installed Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

[via VentureBeat]

In fact, Amazon could have quite the spread of tablet sizes, potentially rivaling Samsung in the breadth of its range if the tipsters are correct. The company is believed to be considering 9.7- and 10.1-inch models, though it seems unlikely that it would opt for both those sizes since the resulting slates would be so close in size.

LG Display and CPT, both suppliers of the 7-inch LCD in the Kindle Fire, will apparently also be supplying Amazon with its 8.9-inch screen. They’re reportedly already preparing production to meet Amazon’s demand.

It’s unclear what the motivation behind Amazon’s design decision change has been, though manufacturing issues could well be a part of it. Currently 7-inch, 9.7-inch and 10.1-inch displays are the most common, with Apple absorbing most of the 9.7-inch supply while many Android tablets occupy the 10.1-inch bracket. 8.9-inches has been a less saturated niche, and so Amazon could be more confident at securing the sort of bulk display order that it will presumably need as it tries to push its tablets on the mainstream market.

The Amazon Kindle Fire begins shipping on November 15. More details in our launch event coverage.

This new Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus replaces the original Galaxy Tab 7-inch tablet and boasts more beefy specs. The tablet now runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb underneath Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz UI and is powered by a faster 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM. It features a 7-inch 1024 x 600 resolution touchscreen display, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2 megapixel front-facing camera.

The tablet comes in both 16GB and 32GB models, priced at $399 and $499, respectively. However, it appears that only the 16GB model is available on Amazon for shipping out today. Overnight delivery is even available so that you could get your hands on your own Tab 7.0 Plus by tomorrow.

[via Android Community]

The Kindle Fire – announced in late September and shipping on November 15 – runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a version of the OS that Google intends for smartphones rather than tablets. However, Amazon’s software team has significantly redesigned the interface, replacing it with the retailer’s own UI. The upshot is heavy integration with Amazon’s own Kindle ebook, Prime video streaming and Music Store downloads; the downside is no official Android Market access, instead relying on Amazon’s own Appstore for Android.

“While the pricing at $199 looks disruptive for what seems to be the iPad’s most important rising challenge, the Amazon Fire – it is important to note that it could fuel further fragmentation in the tablet market—given it represents yet another platform. While compatible with Android, the Apps work with Amazon products. The more fragmentation, the better, says Apple, since that could drive more consumers to the stable Apple platform. We believe that Apple will get more aggressive on price with the iPad eventually but not compromise the product quality and experience” Ben Reitzes, analyst, Barclays

Fragmentation – or Android devices running different versions of the OS, some with manufacturer customizations – has grown to be an increasing headache for Google, both in introducing delays to older devices getting new versions of software, and in public and industry perception of the platform as a whole. Android lead Andy Rubin has argued that the fragmentation talk is “FUD” and that there’s in reality no issues, and Android-based tablets have certainly eaten into Apple’s market share.

The Kindle Fire is arguably more appliance than tablet: a way for Amazon to extend its reach into customers’ homes by escaping from the browser and into a dedicated piece of hardware. While the slate offers a browser, email and other tablet apps, its core function is to push Amazon’s own services. Nonetheless, as we’ve written before, price holds huge sway in the market and Amazon’s $199.99 tag for the Kindle Fire has already gathered a serious number of preorders. Apple may not publicly be worried, but you can bet Cook & Co. will be watching eagle-eyed at the first Kindle Fire feedback.

Titles that support borrowing under the scheme will have a new option in their listings – either on the Amazon site, its mobile apps, or on dedicated Kindle hardware – to “Borrow for Free”. Tapping that will download the ebook, with no limit on how long you can keep hold of it. However, readers can only have a single borrowed book on the go at any one time.

Highlights, annotations and bookmarking is all supported, with that data left behind when you return the book; if you subsequently borrow it again – or indeed purchase it – they should all show up in the correct place. Prime membership is $79 per year.

As for publishers, not all seem to be fully onboard with the concept at this stage. Amazon has agreed set fees for most of the 5,000 titles, the company says, but for others it’s swallowing a fee each time the ebook is borrowed:

“Titles in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library come from a range of publishers under a variety of terms. For the vast majority of titles, Amazon has reached agreement with publishers to include titles for a fixed fee. In some cases, Amazon is purchasing a title each time it is borrowed by a reader under standard wholesale terms as a no-risk trial to demonstrate to publishers the incremental growth and revenue opportunity that this new service presents” Amazon

Netflix already had an agreement in place with Disney-ABC, which saw the company offering streaming access to shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, Ugly Betty and Hannah Montana. This new deal extends that back-catalog access, as well as adding new Disney and ABC shows to the line-up. These will include Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters, Switched at Birth, Secret Lives of the American Teenager, Make It or Break It, Phineas and Ferb, Shake It Up, Pair of Kings and Kick Buttowski.

Amazon’s new contract, meanwhile, will also see Marvel animated shows on offer, though the exact titles are yet to be confirmed. Amazon Prime members will be able to stream them to their Kindle Fire tablets, which will begin shipping midway through next month, as well as to PCs, Macs, and TVs with the relevant hardware.

To get this app, you’ll first have to download the Amazon Appstore. All this consists of is dropping your email in the box in the upper left of Amazon’s Online Appstore, waiting for a confirmation email in your inbox, and clicking the link inside that email. Your download then will contain the appstore itself, and inside you’ll find not only a full-range of lovely applications including the only ad-free Android versions of Angry Birds, but OfficeSuite Pro 5, an app that’ll normally cost your three $5 bills, completely free today.

The Amazon Appstore is set to gain some vast popularity this holiday season as the Kindle Fire will rely solely on it for app purchases. In that Amazon used its own appstore instead of working with Google to gain their favor for the Android Market, Amazon freed themselves from adding the rest of the Google suite of apps as well, creating a whole new monster based on the Android system architecture. Have a look at the Kindle Fire, download the Amazon Appstore, and see for yourself why Amazon is set to make bank this coming holiday season.

The way the patent outlines the new gift card the person giving the card would be able to recommend items that the person receiving the card might like. The giver would also be able to limit the purchases to specific things. Presumably that would mean if you don’t want the receiver to use it for video games you could restrict that category.

The part that is a bit more intrusive for the receiver of the gift card is that the sender can get a report back on what the person they gave the card to actually purchased. I can see the use for the restrictions. If an uncle for instance wants to send an 11-year-old a virtual gift card for Christmas, but wants to be sure the kid uses it for books or toys and not violent video games this would allow that.

[via Geekwire]

On the other hand, net income decreased 73% to $63 million in the third quarter of 2011 while net income in the third quarter of 2010 was $231 million. That’s a pretty big drop, if you did not know. It’s of course at this point in the presentation, right after dropping that relative bomb, that Amazon lets the board know that the Kindle Fire is doing really, really well. Have a look at this quote from Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com:

“September 28th was the biggest order day ever for Kindle, even bigger than previous holiday peak days – we introduced Kindle Fire for $199, Kindle Touch 3G for $149, Kindle Touch for $99, and our all new Kindle for only $79. In the three weeks since launch, orders for electronic ink Kindles are double the previous launch. And based on what we’re seeing with Kindle Fire pre-orders, we’re increasing capacity and building millions more than we’d already planned.” – Bezos

As far as the fourth quarter goes, Amazon.com expects things to be rather good. Net sales are being seen as quite possibly being between $16.45 billion and $18.65 billion, that bing between 27% and 44% compared to the same quarter in 2010. Similarly, operating income (loss) is set to be between a 142% and 47% decline when compared to the same quarter 2010. Have a peek at our hands-on with the Kindle Fire from the release day a few weeks ago below and see if you’ve got the hankering to add to the next quarter of Amazon.com sales greatness:

iSuppli estimated that Amazon spends almost $210 making each Kindle Fire, the 7-inch Android-based tablet it announced in late September. Although Amazon has used Google’s mobile OS, the software has been heavily reskinned and modified to integrate with the retailer’s cloud storage, streaming media services and Kindle ebook platform. That, the company is betting on, will make owners more likely to purchase content and offset any hardware sales losses.

The sales tax issue will be tougher to crack, however. An increasing number of US states are demanding that Amazon hand over sales taxes, a shift that could see Amazon either increase prices to offset the losses, or swallow the shortfall in profit themselves. Either way, the market is expected to react negatively, with predictions of a 19-percent drop in 2012 profit if prices go up.

Shipments of the Kindle Fire are expected to begin on November 15, with Amazon tipped to have sold 250,000 pre-orders in the first five days. More on the Kindle Fire in our coverage of Amazon’s launch event.

KF8 will replace Mobi 7 and will is the format showcased on the Kindle Fire tablet. The big benefits of this new format won’t be your normal ebooks. The ebooks that benefit most will be children’s books and graphic novels that need lots of color and benefit from more interactivity. The update adds over 150 new formatting capabilities to the ebook bag of tricks.

There are enhancements to the Kindle Publisher tools that will let the publisher create Kindle books to take advantage of the new formatting supported in KF8. Amazon will be launching a Kindle Previewer 2 soon to allow the publisher to preview how books will look using the new format. The Kindle Fire will be the first device to support the new format and in the coming months support will be rolled out to existing apps and devices.

If you’ve still been rocking your original Kindle, then the news isn’t so great. Amazon will give you up to $29.25 for the first-gen model, assuming the condition as as-new. If you’ve been less than careful with the ereader, then you’re looking at $18.50 for “acceptable” condition, which Amazon defines as fully-functional but perhaps missing one or all of the accessories, or showing scratches, marks or dents in the casing.

Should your Kindle be personalized, however, with a custom engraving or similar, don’t expect to get anything above “average” pricing for it; we guess Amazon isn’t convinced it will find a second-hand buyer with exactly the same name as you, wanting the same loving message from your wife. Credit will automatically be added to your Amazon account once the Kindle has been received and checked over.

Amazon announced a new range of Kindle ereaders last month, including a $79 entry-level model, a touchscreen version and the Android-based Kindle Fire tablet.

The cloud servers and SPDY will be used to route most webpage elements through the cloud servers to speed page downloading. The privacy fears came in that when in cloud mode the user would be trusting Amazon with a lot of information that could be used to track the browsers habits online. Amazon tells the EFF that cloud mode will be the default setting, but it can be easily turned off. Amazon also notes that it will not intercept SSL traffic.

Requests from the browser for SSL traffic will be routed directly to the tablet browser. Amazon also says that even though the SPDY connection is persistent between the device and Amazon servers the only info that is regularly logged is the URL of the resource requested, timestamp, and a token identifying a session. SPDY also means that a user on an open network will not be able to spy on the browsing session of the Silk user. The EFF is still concerned about the storing of URLs that you visit, which could allow for the identification of users through search history with some degree of accuracy. The EFF says that it is generally satisfied with the privacy design of Silk.

These aren’t self-publishing hobbyists or first-time authors, either – Timothy Ferriss, best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek is among them. A memoir by Penny Marshall is rumored to have cost $800,000 in rights alone, a sum that Amazon paid happily. Reports from the industry indicate that the company is aggressively headhunting authors from established publishers, leading an agent to comment that “Everyone’s afraid of Amazon.”

And why shouldn’t they be? With the number one e-book reader on the planet and apps servicing hundreds of millions of smartphones, tablets and PCs, there’s hardly anywhere that isn’t a target for Amazon’s expansion, to say nothing of their new Kindle Fire. The cheap tablet has already racked up at least a quarter million pre-orders, and after the holiday season many expect it to become the first viable competitor to Apple’s iPad. The Fire is a vector for Amazon’s music, video, book and periodical ventures – the loss-leading device will essentially be a new mobile customer interface exclusively for Amazon.

Amazon sees itself as a catalyst for some much-needed change. Executive Russell Grandinetti notes that the demise of the traditional publishing industry is always being foretold, but that now, “The only really necessary people in the publishing process now are the writer and reader.” Anyone who’s paid $29.99 for a new hardcover can certainly appreciate the sentiment.

There are eight locker systems in each of the major cities. The idea is that the lockers could be used to deliver packages bought from Amazon rather than having them shipped to a person’s residence or office, they can ship them to these lockers. I guess I could see the benefit if you were ordering a gift you didn’t want someone else in the house to see.

The majority of shoppers on Amazon won’t have access to the locker system at this point. If you do live in an area where you can access the lockers the option for shipping there rather than your home or office should be available at checkout. What do you think; does this make any sense as an option?

[via Electronista]

Get this update NOW via Amazon’s simple to use update process — not only will you get the update to be able to access your personal documents, there’s also an expansion of elements you’ve already been enjoying, including Whispersync of last page read, bookmarks, and annotations to your archived personal documents that have been converted into Kindle format. Can you resist such excellent updates all included in this free update?

All you’ve got to do to get to this update on your Kindle 3 is, starting from the Home screen, is hit Settings. From there you’ll see your Kindle version at the bottom of your display. If you see Version Kindle 3.1″ or earlier, you’ve got an update coming to you. To download, just head to Amazon or hit one of the following links:

Kindle Keyboard Wi-Fi: Download 3.3 
Your serial number will start with “B008″

Kindle Keyboard 3G (Free 3G + Wi-Fi) – U.S. and Canadian Customers*: Download 3.3
Your serial number will start with “B006″

Kindle Keyboard 3G (Free 3G + Wi-Fi) – European Customers*: Download 3.3
Your serial number will start with “B00A”

If you’re unsure of your Kindle serial number, just check at the bottom of your Settings menu just like you did for the Kindle software version. Once you’ve got the software downloaded, you’ll have to transfer it to your Kindle device. To do this, again follow directions as provided by Amazon:

1. Transfer software to your Kindle Keyboard: Turn your Kindle Keyboard on and connect it to your computer using the USB cable. Drag and drop the new update file from your computer to the root Kindle drive. (The drive contains a number of folders – such as “audible,” “documents,” and “music” – and is typically displayed as a “device” icon).

2. Monitor file transfer and disconnect: Check your file transfer progress to ensure file transfer to your Kindle Keyboard is complete before disconnecting. After the file has transferred successfully, eject the Kindle to safely disconnect Kindle Keyboard from your computer. Disconnect the USB cable from your Kindle Keyboard and your computer.

3. Start the software update: Go to the Home screen, press the Menu key, and select “Settings.” Press the Menu key again, and then select “Update Your Kindle.” (This option will be grayed out if the most recent update has already been installed or if the file transfer was not successful.) Select “Ok” when prompted if you want to perform an update. Your Kindle Keyboard will restart twice during the update. After the first restart, you will see “Your Kindle is Updating”.

4. Once the update is complete: Your Kindle Keyboard will automatically restart a second time. When you go to the Settings page, you should notice Version: Kindle 3.3 at the bottom of the screen. Once you see this, you know your update is complete.

Got it? Any troubles, ask below or go straight to Amazon for support. Get in the cloud!

BONUS have a look at the Kindle Touch while you’re at it.

Kumar, an analyst with Rodman & Renshaw, said that his check with the supply chain indicated that Amazon could move as many as 5 million tablets in Q4. That would give the Fire about half the numbers of the iPad. The reason for the increase is also cited as the record pre-orders that were received. Naturally, supply will need to go up to meet that demand.

The Fire might give Apple a real run once things get going, if it can keep the momentum. Amazon is the first real competitor to launch a tablet that has a chance at matching the iPad. Things can turn quickly for Amazon though it the tablets get into customer hands and have issues with performance.

[via CNET]

As expected, the collection process is straightforward. Amazon sends an email with a pick-up code for the locker location you select during the ordering process, telling you that the parcel is ready and waiting. At the lockers, you punch in that code on the touchscreen: the display shows you which of the differently sized cubbies the package is inside, and then pops open the door. A reminder flashes up to get you to close the door.

What’s not entirely clear is what happens if you accidentally close the locker before taking out everything you’ve ordered; we’re guessing the same access code won’t work a second time, unless there’s some sort of time delay to the system. Still, it’s a slick and convenient way to buy online without having to worry about being around to sign for delivery, and Amazon is likely to give it the official announcement any time now.

What you should notice with each of these devices that are set to ship inside 24 hours (with only a few exceptions, of course,) is that you’ll need to start a brand new account to attain them. This sale also only lasts between 5PM PDT on October 11th through 11:59PM PDT on October 17th, 2011. Get in on this deal before you regret not having done so. That said, do you think that the timing on this offer has anything to do with the new Apple iPhone suite (iPhone 3GS for free, iPhone 4 for $199, and iPhone 4S) being released this week? I think there’s no question about it.

So have at them, race fans, Androids galore, some feature phones, a Windows phone, and even a selection of BlackBerry devices, all for a penny. Also be sure to check out our reviews of a few key players here:
Pantech Breakout LTE
DROID Incredible 2
HTC ThunderBolt LTE
DROID BIONIC LTE
DROID CHARGE LTE
LG Revolution LTE
and of course, the lovely HTC Rhyme

Gotta catch em all! At AmazonWireless now!

French readers will find a choice of more than 35,000 French-language ebooks – including all 28 L’Express best sellers, Amazon is keen to point out – along with “hundreds” of graphic novels and ore than 4,000 free classics in French. They’ll also have access to a catalog of English-language ebooks, while French authors will be able to use the Kindle Direct Publishing tool to put their titles up for sale as well.

The Kindle hardware itself misses out on the keyboard of its third-gen predecessor, making do with a potentially-fiddly D-pad control system to navigate an on-screen keyboard. However it’s also lighter and smaller than the model it replaces. Pre-orders for the French Kindle begin today, with the ereader expected to begin shipping on October 14.

I bet after using the Kindle for a while there are plenty of folks out there that are now wishing they had paid the extra $30 for the standard Kindle reader. Amazon knew that a bunch of folks would tire of the ads on the eReader and rather than have people angry about their purchase or making returns, there is a way to get out of the sponsored screensavers and ads.

All you need to do is head to the Manage Your Kindle page and choose to unsubscribe from the ads. You will have to pay the $30 discount to remove them, but at least you can then use your device without ads bothering you. I’m actually surprised that all Amazon wants is the difference you would have paid for the normal Kindle at the time of purchase. I bet there are some that would have gladly paid more to shed the ads.

[via The-digital-reader]

The Kindle Fire may not have turned out to be the ulimate iPad-killer given the great disparity in specs and price point, but analysts still consider it to be a lot more competitive than expected. In comparison, Apple’s iPad 2 sold 2.5 million units in its first month, which is about 80,000 units a day. Amazon’s Kindle Fire is looking at about 50,000 units a day right now and that’s not too shabby, especially when you consider that the Motorola XOOM is rumored to have sold only 100,000 units after a month and a half, while the BlackBerry PlayBook, which the Kindle Fire is modeled after, only sold 500,000 units total in its first quarter. But again, pricing is surely a huge factor and Amazon’s known to be aggressive with that. The $199 price tag for the Kindle Fire is believed to be about $10 below the actual cost of each unit.

Sales of Amazon’s Kindle Touch e-reader, however, have not been as impressive. According to the same source that leaked the sales data for the Kindle Fire, the WiFi and 3G e-reader has only sold 32,000 units in the five days since it launched. For more details on Amazon’s Kindle Fire and its latest series of Kindle e-readers, make sure to check out our wrap-up post from the launch event last week.

[via TechCrunch]