Although Amazon.com has reportedly sold millions of its Kindle Fire tablets, that doesn't necessarily mean that every end user is completely "sold" on the device. Despite the 6.2 update rolled out at the end of November, it seems that Amazon.com is working to fix still more issues and complaints.
Among the issues, and these are readily readable at Amazon.com's own website via reviews for the device (on the same page where the device is sold) are Web browsing speeds and other performance issues. Also listed are a power button that's too easy to accidentally push, and a somewhat unresponsive touchscreen.
Despite these complaints, the Kindle Fire still rates somewhere 3.8 out of 5 stars. Many of those reviewing it especially favorably point out that given the price, a few flaws must be taken. Considering the tablet of choice (the iPad, natch) for most consumers costs at least $300 more, it's understandable that folks who like the Kindle Fire would feel that way, despite the fact that the Fire has a lower storage capacity and no cameras of any sort.
After all, the Kindle Fire is not designed to be a general purpose tablet as much as it is a device for one purpose alone: to sell Amazon.com content, whether it be e-books, movies, or even apps. Amazon.com loses money when hardware alone is considered, in fact.
A company spokesman said the Kindle Fire update is coming within the next two weeks, which would place it right around Christmas.
The company has already said that an "improved" Kindle Fire will launch sometime next year. Changes to hardware will be necessary for some of the complaints, such as the positioning of the power button.
Exactly when that update comes is unclear, though there have been numerous rumors about the device, including information about an 8.9-inch model coming in Q2 2012 (it was originally thought that the 8.9-inch model would ship at the same time as the 7-inch model).
Meanwhile, Jakob Nielsen, of the Nielsen Norman Group, said that the Kindle Fire 2 is Amazon.com's last chance. "If that's a failure (the new version), then the Fire is doomed to the dust pile of history."
The new store, called AndroidLand, is actually a store within a store, operating within wireless carrier Telstra's flagship store in Melbourne. It was designed by Telstra in collaboration with with Google and device OEMs Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and LG. AndroidLand features displays and games that will help shoppers learn about Android phones and tablets.
Notably, Telstra also sells iDevices in addition to Android devices.
The store even has a "spaceship zone" where customers can fly through the world on Google Earth, Androidify themselves, and play with apps using a giant touchscreen display.
AndroidLand opened despite the ongoing battles between Apple and Samsung Down Under. Earlier this week, the full Federal Court of Australia overturned an earlier ruling which had banned the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android tablet in the region, due to a patent dispute.
However, while that ban was scheduled to be lifted at 4 p.m. GMT on Friday, the court instead extended the to Dec. 9 so Apple can file its expected objections.
You can watch a Telstra video about AndroidLand, below.
OK, it's not the same as Mitch Miller and "following the bouncing ball," and Microsoft calls it the "blue dot," but if you go to the site, and click on a tile, you can then follow the blue dot to get a demo of Windows Phone.
It works quite well on Android and iOS, and of course, tapping the blue dot to follow it around is easiest on a touchscreen. However, it's possible to follow the demo on Google's Chrome, too. It doesn't work on Firefox, though. Strangely, it doesn't work on Internet Explorer, either.
It's a decent attempt to get Android and iOS users to switch. It works on tablets, too, but don't bother trying it in landscape mode; the demo will say nay to it.
Amazon.com has promised to make a paid app free every day in the Amazon Appstore, and today's app is Chess-presso.
Chess-presso is priced at $6.00 in the Android Market, and is normally priced at $6.00 in the Amazon Appstore. As we noted previously, prices sometimes differ between the two stores.
Notably, we will comment here that its rating in the Amazon Appstore is the polar opposite of the rating in the Android Market. Don't just tune it out before reading on.
Chess-presso is described as follows:
Chess-presso provides an easy and enjoyable way to play chess on your Android device with people anywhere in the world.
Anyone Care for a Chess-presso?
Initiate a game or accept another player's invitation. Play as many games at one time as you wish. Choose to play random players of all skill levels or restrict your matches to those who describe themselves as experts.
Chess-presso notifies you when it's your turn to make a move: You have 24 hours for each move so you can play at your own pace. Choose from a variety of notification options.
Gameplay Fit for a King
Gameplay on your Android device's touchscreen provides everything you need and nothing you don't. The game board occupies most of the screen. Choose from two different designs, both simple, attractive, and functional. Flip the board around when it's your turn or take a peek from your opponent's angle.
Using the tabbed interface, view your current games, waiting invites, and game history. At a glance, see how many games you're currently playing, if it's your turn, and how much time you've got left to make a move. Each opponent is listed with the home country's flag and the opponent's name.
Chat With Your Chess Mate
Chess-presso provides more than an opportunity to play chess: it also allows you to correspond with your opponents. View your conversation bubbles and enjoy cordial chat with your new chess mate, who may be on the other side of the globe or just down the street.
Chess-presso keeps a complete history of all your matches and lists each player's ELO ranking--the method used for calculating relative skill levels. And by being able to play games simultaneously, your matches can easily fit into your busy schedule.Take a break from your day and enjoy a moment for a little Chess-presso.
Features
Filter opponents by skill level
Chat with your opponents
ELO ranking system
Push notifications
Complete game history
Chess-presso has a 4.6-star rating in the Android Market, and a 1.5-star rating in the Amazon Appstore.
Honestly, the difference between the two markets in terms of ratings would make us tear our hair out if we were the developer. It certainly made us scratch our head in disbelief.
The version in the Amazon Appstore is actually a later version than in the Android Market (1.3.0 vs. 1.2.4). That could be related to the fact that the Amazon Appstore has some different requirements than the Android Market, curates apps, and thus the developer may have had to build a different version because of that.
Could that have introduced bugs? Perhaps.
However, the real issue appears to be that to play a rated game, some say Chess-presso asks for a subscription fee. However, other ratings say this is false. Finally, there are some rating it 1-star simply because there are other 1-star ratings.
Honestly, we tried it briefly, and didn't see the issue with a subscription being required. We also couldn't find an open games to play, but that's a different issue. Finally, we'd say: try it. It's free, has a great Android Market rating, and once again, it's free. Then rate it. Don't rate it based on other ratings.
Those who are considering "buying" a Free Amazon Appstore app might want to consider what it means to developers.
Amazon.com opened up the Appstore despite a lawsuit by Apple, which has previously trademarked the term "App Store." Microsoft has filed an appeal against that trademark, saying the term is too generic. Amazon.com has responded to the lawsuit in the same manner.
Amazon.com has promised to make a paid app free every day in the Amazon Appstore, and today's app is Cut the Rope.
Cut the Rope is priced at $0.99 in the Android Market, and is normally priced at $0.99 in the Amazon Appstore. As we noted previously, prices sometimes differ between the two stores.
Cut the Rope is described as follows:
Cut the Rope
When you see a mysterious package on your doorstep, you can't help but open it. Who wouldn't? But be warned: Once you open the box, there's no going back. You'll be instantly addicted to this premium version of Cut the Rope--a game in which you feed an adorable, candy-craving monster named Om Nom all the sweets he can eat.
Swipe your finger across the ropes to release delicious bundles of candy into his mouth. As you keep your new companion's sweet tooth satisfied, be sure to collect shiny gold stars to unlock new levels. Play through a range of different box types--Cardboard, Fabric, Gift Box, and others--each with interesting new gameplay mechanics to keep you coming back for more.
Join more than 40 million others who have enjoyed the fun, casual gameplay of this critically acclaimed puzzler. The long-awaited hit game arrives on Android at last!
Gameplay
Cut the Rope is a puzzle game with a simple premise: a little monster named Om Nom arrives on your doorstep in a box labeled "Feed with Candy." To satisfy Om Nom's sweet tooth, simply cut the rope--you'll find it's easier said than done when enemies and obstacles await you. Key Features
Enjoy ad-free gameplay with this premium version of Cut the Rope
Solve puzzles in different ways: the quickest path to feeding Om Nom may not yield the most points
Use the touchscreen to interact with puzzles: cut ropes, pop bubbles, and use other contraptions to your advantage
Collect stars to unlock new levels: 7 different box types are available, with more content on the way
Climb the leaderboards and unlock achievements with fully integrated Scoreloop support
Easy to Learn
Read the in-game hints to learn the basics of gameplay for each new level or get help on especially tough puzzles.
Eight Different Levels
Collect up to three gold stars in each puzzle, then use them to unlock new box types.
Interactive Puzzles
Use the touchscreen on your device to cut ropes, pop bubbles, and satisfy Om Nom's sweet tooth.
Cut the Rope has a 4.6-star rating in the Android Market, and a 4.5-star rating in the Amazon Appstore.
Thankfully, after two days of Treasures of Montezuma 2, we get a new app, and a great one. An app with this much agreement between the two markets and no "permissions paranoia" in the Appstore --- nearly unprecedented. The game is highly rated on iOS so --- grab this today.
Those who are considering "buying" a Free Amazon Appstore app might want to consider what it means to developers.
Amazon.com opened up the Appstore despite a lawsuit by Apple, which has previously trademarked the term "App Store." Microsoft has filed an appeal against that trademark, saying the term is too generic. Amazon.com has responded to the lawsuit in the same manner.
We've been waiting for it, and this appears to be it: the Amazon.com announcement of its Android tablet / e-book reader. Amazon.com sent out invitations on Friday for a media event on Sept. 28, 2011 at 10 a.m. EDT in New York City.
While light on details, we expect this will be the introduction of Amazon.com's highly anticipated Android tablet. Rumors have pointed to this timeframe for some time.
Of course, it could be just the introduction of a new Kindle in the old sense of the Kindle, meaning the old e-ink style Kindle. Notably, Amazon.com's Android tablet is said to be branded "Kindle", as well as future e-ink e-book readers.
Earlier reports indicated that Amazon.com would release both a dual-core and quad-core tablet this year, but in later reports it was noted that the quad-core version has been pushed to 2012. It's also been reported that in addition to the tablet, Amazon.com will release two new e-ink Kindles, one of which will have a touchscreen.
Amazon.com's tablet is expected to sell for hundreds less than the iPad 2. Amazon.com will reduce costs, at least somewhat, by using a two-finger multi-touch display rather than the typical ten-finger version.
Additionally, it's been said that the Kindle tablet will not run Honeycomb, but instead a "forked" version of Android, one that was forked away from the mainline code before Froyo (Android 2.2). It will be interesting to see how Amazon.com keeps this tablet compatible as regular old Android moves forward.
After all, considering the Amazon Appstore, it would seem that Amazon.com would want the tablet to run standard Android apps. It's going to be ill-received if developers need to code differently for standard Android and the Kindle tablet.
Naturally, this is all conjecture at this point. We'll see what reality gives us on Sept. 28.
HP's Pre3 is now being sold in Europe. There's no statement from HP on U.S. sales yet, however, just that information on sales in America will be coming soon.
HP's online Palm Eurostore shows the Pre3 priced at £299.00 ($496). The Pre3 has a 1.4GHz Qualcomm CPU (single-core only) with 8GB of storage. It shows as in-stock, shipping within 1-2 business days.
These are for unlocked Pre3's, by the way.
Other sellers listing the Pre3 are Box.co.uk (£349.98 or $580), and Clove.co.uk, which has the device for sale at £360.00 incl. VAT (or $597).
HP's issued a statement on the rollout, but it's pretty vague in terms of a U.S. carrier rollout. It says, "HP is excited to begin its regional rollout of Pre3, the only phone today that offers users a slide-out keyboard coupled with a large touchscreen and the fastest speed (1.4GHz processor – the fastest on the market). We expect to share additional information for U.S. customers soon."
That's not much comfort to those who are webOS fans, and there are some, although certainly not as many as Android or iOS. It's still unclear which U.S. carriers will carry the device, as well.
Amazon.com has promised to make a paid app free every day in the Amazon Appstore, and today's app is Flick Kick Football.
Flick Kick Football is priced at $1.06 in the Android Market. Meanwhile, it is normally priced at $0.99 in the Amazon Appstore. As we noted previously, prices sometimes differ between the two stores.
Flick Kick Football is described as follows:
Hear the roar of the crowd as you curve a beautiful strike past the wall of defenders....Gooooooal! Flick Kick Football delivers the thrill of taking free kicks on the goal: make your shot from different angles and distances, and watch out for shifting defenders and the goalie. Choose from Arcade, Time Attack, Practice, or Bullseye Mode, then use the intuitive flick controls to begin playing right away. Easy to pick up but hard to master, this classic time-killer is sure to appeal to casual gamers and die-hard soccer fans alike.
Gameplay
In Flick Kick Football, players assume the role of a striker taking shots on the goal. Pick one of four different game modes: Practice, Bullseye, Arcade, or Time Attack, and try out Flick Kick Football's intuitive control system to begin making kicks like a pro.
To make a kick, simply line your finger up with the ball and flick the touchscreen in the direction of the goal. Not every kick is straightforward though: experiment with curving left or right in your followthrough, or give a longer swipe to kick the ball further. Find the technique that works for you, then adjust each kick to account for gaps in the opposition's defense.
Challenging Conditions
Learn to curve your shots past defenders and the goalie: to add to the difficulty, some players will shift their positions constantly to throw off your aim. Try to target the corners of the net--referred to as the "skill zones" in the game--to increase your chance of scoring and earn additional bonuses.
Online Scores and Achievements
Flick Kick Football features online leaderboards and achievements with OpenFeint support. Rack up the points and then post your newest scores to Flick Kick's global leaderboards. Think you're good? Show off your skills online as you compete against others for the top spot!
Multiple Game Modes Bullseye
Test your aim with a series of bullseye targets lined up inside the goal. You will need to concentrate to make every shot count as you try to rack up the points before time runs out. Aim for the center of each target to score additional points and get awarded bonus time.
Arcade Mode
Fight to stay calm under pressure in this sudden death-styled goal shootout: one missed goal and it's game over! Your only chance for survival is to try to aim for the "skill zone" edges of the goal: gain up to four extra lives this way.
Time Attack
It's a race against the clock in this quickfire flick kicking challenge. How many goals can you score in only two minutes? As each successful goal adds on bonus time, you'll have to keep cool and maintain steady aim to rack up a new highscore. Multiplayer
Go head to head against friends through Flick Kick Football's pass-and-play multiplayer mode. Take turns passing the Android device between players after each shot: the first player to miss the goal three times loses.
Skillshot
A true test for the Flick Kick Football pros: how many times can you shoot the ball into the Skill Zones in a minute?
Key Features
Simple and intuitive flick controls make it easy to pick up and begin play
Challenging gameplay with moving defenders and target distances
Loading screens with famous soccer quotes and trivia
3D graphics and a zooming, slow-motion "goal camera" add to the excitement
Play against your friends using Flick Kick Football's pass-and-play multiplayer mode
Upload scores through OpenFeint online scoring and achievements
Flick Kick Football has a 4.1-star rating in the Android Market and a 2.5-star rating in the Amazon Appstore.
Ratings are lower at the Amazon Appstore because of a number of issues with the game force closing or not working. It is unclear why that has not affected the Android Market rating, except that it has over 2,000 reviews there (vs. 43 in the Amazon Appstore) and the force close issue might be new.
Those who are considering "buying" a Free Amazon Appstore app might want to consider what it means to developers.
Amazon.com opened up the Appstore despite a lawsuit by Apple, which has previously trademarked the term "App Store." Microsoft has filed an appeal against that trademark, saying the term is too generic. Amazon.com has responded to the lawsuit in the same manner.
Amazon.com has promised to make a paid app free every day in the Amazon Appstore, and today's app is Flick Kick Football.
Flick Kick Football is priced at $1.06 in the Android Market. Meanwhile, it is normally priced at $0.99 in the Amazon Appstore. As we noted previously, prices sometimes differ between the two stores.
Flick Kick Football is described as follows:
Hear the roar of the crowd as you curve a beautiful strike past the wall of defenders....Gooooooal! Flick Kick Football delivers the thrill of taking free kicks on the goal: make your shot from different angles and distances, and watch out for shifting defenders and the goalie. Choose from Arcade, Time Attack, Practice, or Bullseye Mode, then use the intuitive flick controls to begin playing right away. Easy to pick up but hard to master, this classic time-killer is sure to appeal to casual gamers and die-hard soccer fans alike.
Gameplay
In Flick Kick Football, players assume the role of a striker taking shots on the goal. Pick one of four different game modes: Practice, Bullseye, Arcade, or Time Attack, and try out Flick Kick Football's intuitive control system to begin making kicks like a pro.
To make a kick, simply line your finger up with the ball and flick the touchscreen in the direction of the goal. Not every kick is straightforward though: experiment with curving left or right in your followthrough, or give a longer swipe to kick the ball further. Find the technique that works for you, then adjust each kick to account for gaps in the opposition's defense.
Challenging Conditions
Learn to curve your shots past defenders and the goalie: to add to the difficulty, some players will shift their positions constantly to throw off your aim. Try to target the corners of the net--referred to as the "skill zones" in the game--to increase your chance of scoring and earn additional bonuses.
Online Scores and Achievements
Flick Kick Football features online leaderboards and achievements with OpenFeint support. Rack up the points and then post your newest scores to Flick Kick's global leaderboards. Think you're good? Show off your skills online as you compete against others for the top spot!
Multiple Game Modes Bullseye
Test your aim with a series of bullseye targets lined up inside the goal. You will need to concentrate to make every shot count as you try to rack up the points before time runs out. Aim for the center of each target to score additional points and get awarded bonus time.
Arcade Mode
Fight to stay calm under pressure in this sudden death-styled goal shootout: one missed goal and it's game over! Your only chance for survival is to try to aim for the "skill zone" edges of the goal: gain up to four extra lives this way.
Time Attack
It's a race against the clock in this quickfire flick kicking challenge. How many goals can you score in only two minutes? As each successful goal adds on bonus time, you'll have to keep cool and maintain steady aim to rack up a new highscore. Multiplayer
Go head to head against friends through Flick Kick Football's pass-and-play multiplayer mode. Take turns passing the Android device between players after each shot: the first player to miss the goal three times loses.
Skillshot
A true test for the Flick Kick Football pros: how many times can you shoot the ball into the Skill Zones in a minute?
Key Features
Simple and intuitive flick controls make it easy to pick up and begin play
Challenging gameplay with moving defenders and target distances
Loading screens with famous soccer quotes and trivia
3D graphics and a zooming, slow-motion "goal camera" add to the excitement
Play against your friends using Flick Kick Football's pass-and-play multiplayer mode
Upload scores through OpenFeint online scoring and achievements
Flick Kick Football has a 4.1-star rating in the Android Market and a 2.5-star rating in the Amazon Appstore.
Ratings are lower at the Amazon Appstore because of a number of issues with the game force closing or not working. It is unclear why that has not affected the Android Market rating, except that it has over 2,000 reviews there (vs. 43 in the Amazon Appstore) and the force close issue might be new.
Those who are considering "buying" a Free Amazon Appstore app might want to consider what it means to developers.
Amazon.com opened up the Appstore despite a lawsuit by Apple, which has previously trademarked the term "App Store." Microsoft has filed an appeal against that trademark, saying the term is too generic. Amazon.com has responded to the lawsuit in the same manner.
If you've been considering purchasing the pure Android Samsung Nexus S smartphone, then today might be the day to do it. Best Buy, perhaps preparing for the upcoming iPhone 5 release, has announced a one-day sale on all three variants of the Nexus S.
Those who want to buy a Nexus S can go to their local Best Buy store (store locator here) or buy directly from Best Buy's website. The sale will last until 11:59 p.m. CST.
Naturally, there's a catch. You have to either be eligible for an upgrade, or activate a new line. Either way, you will be tied into a two-year contract. All versions of the device are available for the sale, including Sprint's CDMA / WiMax (4G) Nexus S 4G, and the 3G-only GSM versions that support either AT&T or T-Mobile frequencies.
All of the variants carry Gingerbread (Android 2.3) and no UI layer, such as Sense or Blur. They are also the first Android smartphones to carry NFC chips, necessary for Google's Wallet mobile payment service.
In addition, the Nexus S carries a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird CPU, which means it is single-core only; the trend, of late, has been to release dual-core CPUs on the most powerful devices (such as in the Motorola Atrix 4G and the Motorola Droid 3).
It also has 512MB of dedicated RAM (Mobile DDR), which is also a little low in the age of smartphones like the Motorola Atrix 4G, which has 1GB of RAM. That said, 1GB of RAM is still relatively uncommon in a smartphone.
The Nexus S comes with a 4.0-inch "Contour Display," which is a slightly curved glass touchscreen with a Super AMOLED display (outside of the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., it has a Super LCD display).
The Nexus S also comes with 16 GB of storage, which is definitely a good thing, because as another negative, it does not have microSD card support (which is surprising).
Since it lacks a UI layer, the Nexus S is considered Google's current developer phone. As a pure Android phone, the Nexus S will most likely be among those to be first to get access to Ice Cream Sandwich, the next major Android release.
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