Tag Archives: Amazon

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition finally catches up with the eReader trend

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The eBook reader, a.k.a. eReader, market has grown considerably since the very first Kindles, now encompassing a more varied range of devices and capabilities. There are plenty that are really Android tablets in disguise, and some have gone beyond the blacks and grays of conventional E Ink devices. Despite all these advancements, Amazon’s devices are still the household name in this market, but the Kindle seems to have fallen behind its rivals in features. It wasn’t until late 2022, for example, that Amazon launched its first pen-enabled Kindle, the Scribe, and now it’s making another step forward with its first-ever Color E Ink device, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition.

Designer: Amazon

Color E Ink isn’t a new technology, but Amazon has been very slow to embrace it. On the one hand, its core audience and the bulk of its library are centered around plain text eBooks anyway so it might not have been a high priority. But with more electronic documents embracing color and eReaders offering functions beyond just basic reading, it was definitely high time for a Kindle to follow suit.

The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition brings Amazon’s eReader family up to snuff, slapping a 7-inch E Ink Kaleido screen on a very familiar design. Of course, it also comes with a few Kindle innovations, like custom-formulated coatings between display layers to enhance the typically dull colors of Color E Ink, micro-deflectors to minimize stray light, and an oxide backplane for better image quality and faster page turns. There’s also 32GB of storage on board and support for wireless charging, the latter a rarity in this device category.

With a $279.99 price tag, the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is quite pricey compared to other Color E Ink devices, such as the BOOX Go Color 7 and Bigme B751C, both of which have a more open Android operating system. In this regard, the Kindle Colorsoft probably only makes sense for people already hooked or locked into Amazon’s ecosystem, which includes comics and other colored documents.

Amazon also launched new editions of its existing Kindle devices, upgrading the pen-enabled Kindle Scribe with the ability to make in-book annotations using the stylus. The new Kindle Paperwhite also promises even faster page turns with a larger 7-inch display that still manages to be its thinnest Paperwhite. On the flip side, Amazon has officially discontinued the Kindle Oasis, the last of its kind in the Kindle family to have physical page-turn buttons.

The post Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition finally catches up with the eReader trend first appeared on Yanko Design.

Amazon Echo Spot returns with a fresh new look that ditches the camera

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We rarely hear about new smart speakers these days. Either they have died off or that all wireless speakers are expected to be smart anyway. Even rarer, however, is news on smart speakers with displays, a.k.a. smart displays, outside of a few select devices, like the Google Pixel Tablet, and rumors, like a new Apple HomePod with a screen. Even Amazon, arguably the brand that really kicked off the smart speaker market, is pretty silent, at least until now. Seven years after it first launched, the controversial Echo Spot is making a comeback, bearing an aesthetic that is more modern, more soothing, and, more importantly, more privacy-focused.

Designer: Amazon

The first Amazon Echo Spot launched in 2017 as the smaller sibling to the Echo Show, perhaps the market’s first smart display. It had a funky circular screen and was positioned as a hi-tech bedside alarm clock rather than a general-purpose smart speaker with a display like the Echo Show. Unfortunately, two things made it less palatable even to Amazon’s loyal following: its price and the fact that it had a camera, a big no-no for something that’s supposed to stay in a very private part of your home.

After what felt like forever, the second-gen Echo Spot is finally rolling out with a design that addresses both concerns. At $79.99, it’s immediately half the launch price of its predecessor, and Prime Members can even get it for only $44.99 for Prime Day. It also no longer has a camera, but you can still make audio calls as usual. At least you won’t have to worry about people peeking at you, accidentally or otherwise.

With that functionality out of the way, there’s no longer a reason for a full display on the front, freeing Amazon to adopt a new design that is admittedly more suited for a bedroom. It still has a spherical shape that looks more like a tilted bowl, and the outer surface is still the same matte plastic material. The front, however, is now split in half, with a brighter and more vibrant screen taking up the upper portion, and a fabric-covered 1.73-inch front-facing directional speaker. The new Echo Spot also comes in a new Ocean Blue colorway in addition to the traditional Black and Glacier White.

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You can still touch that screen to control some of the speaker’s smart functions, though it really shines more when giving visual feedback to queries and commands. Being Amazon, the focus is on voice control and AI smarts, including routines and the ability to control other smart devices in the house. This does mean that the Echo Spot is always listening even if it is never watching, but there’s a physical mute button on its back when you really want that privacy in the bedroom.

The post Amazon Echo Spot returns with a fresh new look that ditches the camera first appeared on Yanko Design.

Amazon Is Selling A Modern Foldable Tiny Home That You Can Build Within 15 Minutes

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No matter what you are looking to buy, you’re almost always bound to end up on Amazon. Amazon is lovingly called the Everything Store: Anything, and quite rightly so because you get everything on there, and now even a foldable tiny home! Yes, you can now go house shopping on Amazon. So next time you’re out shopping for pillow covers or a book or two, you can add a tiny home to your shopping cart. Meet Officer Owl’s Modern Foldable Home – a 20-foot by 20-foot kit that helps you build the cozy little tiny house of your micro-living dreams!

Designer: Officer Owl

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The oversized kit includes a steel frame, amped with a hydraulic ceiling, floor, and four walls. The Foldable Home is quite user-friendly, you don’t need to be a construction wizard to set the little house up. Follow the directions, put in a bit of effort, and you can easily lift the hydraulic ceiling, set up the walls, and lay down the floor in around 15 minutes! Pretty quick, right?

It’s the kind of DIY project you could easily take up in your free time, if you’re looking to build a guest unit in your backyard, or even your own private office. Since the prefab home kit is so easy to set up, you may feel that it’s not designed to last, but that is not true in the least! The home has strategically placed windows to offer plenty of sunlight and air circulation. The frame is flame-retardent, waterproof, and thermally insulated as well. It can also withstand grade-eight earthquakes and grade-ten winds. Officer Owl claims that the home can last 25 years!

The home features a built-in electrical system complete with LED. It is also equipped with a fully plumbed kitchen and bathroom, allowing it to function as almost anything – from an office to even a gym. You don’t need to limit the space to a garage or a tool shed! I mean, you could even use it as your full-time home. Although you may need to consider the price. The tiny home is priced at $13,450, so it isn’t a cheap housing solution. But when you consider having to build a guest unit from scratch, the Modern Foldable house does seem so much more convenient, and worth the price!

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The post Amazon Is Selling A Modern Foldable Tiny Home That You Can Build Within 15 Minutes first appeared on Yanko Design.