Amazon has change of heart, will allow opt-out of Kindle Fire HD ads for $15

Posted on 09/09/2012 by Jon Fingas

You'd be forgiven for wondering just what Amazon was up to with Special Offers ads on the Kindle Fire HD: we were given the hope that we could opt out from them, only to watch that dream dashed moments later. Amazon must have been listening to frustrations over the mixed messages, as it just let Engadget and others in the media know that yes, you'll have the option to drop the ads after all. Pay $15 after picking up the new tablet and those lock screen promos will disappear forever. There's no sign that there will be a Kindle Fire shipping with ads missing from the get-go, but you know what they say about gift horses. You can find Amazon's full statement to us after the break.

Continue reading Amazon has change of heart, will allow opt-out of Kindle Fire HD ads for $15

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Amazon has change of heart, will allow opt-out of Kindle Fire HD ads for $15 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 21:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy takes 2012 Amazon Kindle pre-orders for those that hate online shopping, appreciate irony

Posted on 07/09/2012 by Jon Fingas

There's a certain amount of self-contradiction going on if you're visiting a brick-and-mortar store to pre-order a device that's all about e-commerce. If you relish the irony, Best Buy will gladly let you reserve Amazon's $69 Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, upgraded Kindle Fire and both sizes of the Kindle Fire HD (including the LTE model) at both regular locations and Best Buy Mobile. The retailer isn't as specific with its in-stock dates as Amazon: beyond the $69 Kindle's September 14th date, we're only promised a generic October release for the Paperwhite and 7-inch Kindle Fires, while the 8.9-inch tablets will be available "before Christmas." Not the quickest path to getting a new Kindle in your hands, then, but it may be the best way to get a hands-on before clinching the deal.

Continue reading Best Buy takes 2012 Amazon Kindle pre-orders for those that hate online shopping, appreciate irony

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Best Buy takes 2012 Amazon Kindle pre-orders for those that hate online shopping, appreciate irony originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon Silk browser on Kindle Fire tracks page visits to generate trends, isn’t as spooky as it sounds (update: opt-out exists)

Posted on 07/09/2012 by Jon Fingas

When you pick up that new Kindle Fire HD this fall, one of the first things you'll notice is an updated version of Amazon's Silk web browser with a Trending Now section. It's a clever trick that takes advantage of Silk's server-based caching to find out what sites are popular among owners. That sounds good on the surface, but it doesn't take much effort to realize that there are privacy concerns already in the air -- Amazon is sharing personal web habits with a wider audience, after all. While the section is unlikely to include any identifying information, there's no immediate sign that tablet owners can keep their behavior private, and that could create some indignation among those who'd prefer to surf in isolation. We've asked Amazon if there will be an opt-out escape hatch and will let you know if there's a definitive answer. In the meantime, we wouldn't necessarily worry. Silk shouldn't be caching your e-mail, and it's only likely to ever show pages that have far more traffic than anything you'd be embarrassed to show to others. As far as we can tell, your secret knitting obsession should be safe.

Update: A spokesperson has confirmed that the option to disable Silk's caching is still available, and that switching it off will cut you out of Trending Now; that's a very all-or-nothing approach, but it'll likely suit those put off by the browser's predictive approach in the first place. Secure pages are still out of the picture as well, which should keep those private Twitter messages out of the equation.

Filed under: Tablets, Internet

Amazon Silk browser on Kindle Fire tracks page visits to generate trends, isn't as spooky as it sounds (update: opt-out exists) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon says: yes, you can opt out of ads on new Kindle Fire models (update 2: not likely)

Posted on 07/09/2012 by Jon Fingas

The new Kindle Fire range was barely out of the oven before Amazon drew flak for its plans to include Special Offers on the lock screen for US models. In plainer language, the tablets ship with ads built-in -- and unlike e-paper Kindles, there's no option to pay for an ad-free variant from the start. But don't cancel your pre-order just yet. Amazon's support has since confirmed to an Engadget reader that the option to remove the ads will be "announced soon." Although full details aren't forthcoming, we wouldn't be surprised if history repeats and owners have to pay a fee to cover the lost ad subsidies. You can see the relevant snippet of Amazon's response e-mail, in all its tenuous grasp of English, after the break.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Update: Since we've posted, CNET has talked to a spokesperson who claims that there will be "no way" to remove ads. We're getting to the bottom of this, although it's clear there's at least a schism between what PR and support staff understand.

Update 2: We've gotten in touch with Amazon ourselves, and they say that there's been a mix-up in support -- there won't be any opt-out choice. Sorry, folks. If you don't like ads, you'll have to hope there's a change of heart between now and launch.

Continue reading Amazon says: yes, you can opt out of ads on new Kindle Fire models (update 2: not likely)

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Amazon says: yes, you can opt out of ads on new Kindle Fire models (update 2: not likely) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon confirms Kindle Fire HD models use Android 4.0 under the hood

Posted on 06/09/2012 by Jon Fingas

We already had a hunch Amazon's tablets would move to Android 4.0 behind the scenes, and that's just what's happened. An Amazon spokesperson has confirmed to Engadget that at least the Kindle Fire HD's 7-inch and 8.9-inch forms have had a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich to go with their new interfaces. We don't know yet if the sped-up original gets the same treatment, although it's using an older and only slightly tweaked interface. Similarly, there's no word on any upgrade path to Jelly Bean; it's not something to count on, knowing the conservative path for the original slate. We're just glad that Amazon is keeping up with the times where it matters the most.

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Amazon confirms Kindle Fire HD models use Android 4.0 under the hood originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD arriving in the UK October 25th, starting at £129

Posted on 06/09/2012 by Edgar Alvarez

In case you haven't heard, Amazon happily took the wraps off of its new Kindle Fire lineup during today's earlier event in Santa Monica, California. And, for those living in the UK, you, too, can have the online retail giant take your money for one of these slates pretty soon -- well, at least for a couple of the fresh models. As far as pricing goes, the entry-level Kindle Fire will cost a mere £129 (around $205), while the 7-inch Fire HD takes on the slightly heftier price of £159 and £199 for the 16 and 32GB, respectively. Obviously, this leaves out that 8.9-incher Fire HD, though it looks like Amazon's only bringing the smaller Fires to the United Kingdom, as there's no mention of the company's larger tablet anywhere on the site. Still, folks looking to pre-order can do so now at the source link below, but better hurry, since Amazon does note they're all being fulfilled on a "first come, first served" basis.

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Amazon's Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD arriving in the UK October 25th, starting at £129 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 18:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon’s 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD impressions

Posted on 06/09/2012 by Brian Heater

Hey, check out this beaut. It's the 8.9-inch version of Amazon's new Fire HD tablet. The company trotted out several of the 7-inch models, but the big daddy was a rare bird indeed -- and it's almost a shame that it shares a name with last year's model, since it feels like a completely different device. Amazon set out to make a slate that can compete with some of the top models out there, and from some passing impressions, it seems to stack up -- not least with that pixel-disguising 1920 x 1200 display and 8.8mm thickness. Of course, we're going to have to wait until we can actually spend some more time with it before passing judgement. Peep some more photos of the newer, bigger Kindle Fire in the gallery below.

Gallery: Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch