You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
The most striking difference you'll notice in the just leaked announced new Kindle Paperwhite isn't something on the device's screen -- it's on the backplate. AMAZON. That brand, once so subtly tied into the company's game-changing e-reader, is now big, bold and garishly displayed in gloss across the upper part of the Paperwhite's posterior. Why? Well, the answer is quite simple really: compared to the Kindle brand, Amazon's brand equity is much stronger in overseas markets. If you're a longtime Kindle user like me, you'll probably find this design tweak annoying, but that's about all it is. The rest of this new Paperwhite is a matter of finessing the tried-and-true Kindle experience, not disrupting it.
Filed under: Amazon
In case you needed official confirmation, Amazon's new Kindle Paperwhite is indeed real and on the way. While we still don't have much in the way of specifics, according to the public listing, we do know that the refreshed Paperwhite should arrive with a 25-percent faster processor, improved display with higher contrast and longer lasting battery (supposedly rated for up to two months). Amazon's also bundled in some new features: social integration by way of Goodreads so users can get book recommendations from other like-minded readers, Kindle Page Flip which lets users skip ahead without losing their place and Vocabulary Builder which creates flashcards based on past word searches. Pricing remains the same as we reported earlier with the WiFi-only models set to ship out on the 30th of this month and retailing for $119 (with ads) and $139. Users keen on the $189 3G version will have a bit longer to wait as that device is slated for a November 5th release. Pre-orders are available now, so quit reading and get to one-clicking.
Filed under: Amazon
Source: Amazon.com
Well, isn't this a surprise? Without any fanfare, Amazon has posted (and since pulled) a product page for a next-generation Kindle Paperwhite. The new e-reader centers on an upgraded display with higher contrast, improved lighting and more responsive touch input. There's also a faster processor, and the company promises both Goodreads integration and a variant of Kindle FreeTime that encourages young readers through an achievement system. If the listings are accurate, Amazon will sell WiFi and 3G versions of the new Kindle Paperwhite for $119 and $189 respectively. The WiFi model's page also mentioned a $139 ad-free version and a September 30th ship date. Check out a second image of the WiFi variant's listing after the break.
[Thanks, Charles]
Update: That was quick -- the next-gen Kindle Paperwhite is now official.
Filed under: Amazon
Source: Amazon
The Raspberry Pi is all about low-cost computing, which makes this particular hack quite fitting, as it allows you to make a terminal for your lil' Linux machine out of something you may already have at home: a Kindle Paperwhite. Displeased with the glare from his laptop's screen on a sunny day, Max Ogden was inspired to find something better and ended up with this Paperwhite hack. It builds on the original "Kindleberry Pi" method for the Kindle Keyboard, although Ogden had to massage it for the newer model and added some extra hardware to make the setup as wireless as possible. You wouldn't call the end result a monitor, as such -- the Paperwhite logs into an SSH session running on the Pi, so it "pretty much only works for terminals." That's probably for the best, as Ogden guesses the lag between wireless keyboard and e-ink screen is around 200ms, but at least it has portability, battery life and sunlight readability in the 'pros' column. Details of the project can be found at the source below, meaning only time (and probably, a few peripherals) stands between you and the ultimate hipster coffee shop machine.
Filed under: Misc, Software, Amazon
Via: Raspberry Pi
Source: Max Ogden
Amazon is on the cusp of launching the complete Kindle line in Japan, so it's only right that the online retailer fine-tune its firmware for local reading habits. A new version 5.3.0 update for the Kindle Paperwhite puts much of that focus on Manga, introducing options to fit the stylized comics to the screen as well as tweak their page refresh interval separately from that of plain old text. Wider efforts to improve font rendering touch on Japanese characters in the process. Even if we're a little rusty with our hiragana, there's still some usability tweaks in store: settings are accessible directly from the menu, readers can purge their home screens of recommended content and sample books now sync their position relative to the full title. The bookworms among us that are too impatient to wait for an automatic update to 5.3.0 can hit the source link for the full skinny and a fast-track installation through USB.
Filed under: Amazon
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite update optimizes your Manga mania, offers quicker settings originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Nov 2012 04:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Amazon is on the cusp of launching the complete Kindle line in Japan, so it's only right that the online retailer fine-tune its firmware for local reading habits. A new version 5.3.0 update for the Kindle Paperwhite puts much of that focus on Manga, introducing options to fit the stylized comics to the screen as well as tweak their page refresh interval separately from that of plain old text. Wider efforts to improve font rendering touch on Japanese characters in the process. Even if we're a little rusty with our hiragana, there's still some usability tweaks in store: settings are accessible directly from the menu, readers can purge their home screens of recommended content and sample books now sync their position relative to the full title. The bookworms among us that are too impatient to wait for an automatic update to 5.3.0 can hit the source link for the full skinny and a fast-track installation through USB.
Filed under: Amazon
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite update optimizes your Manga mania, offers quicker settings originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Nov 2012 04:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Welcome boys and ghouls, to a very spooky episode of The Engadget Show. We've got plenty of tricks and treats for you in this Halloweentastic October episode. We kick things off with a trip to Oklahoma City, to the home of Flaming Lips frontman, Wayne Coyne, who talks Parking Lot Experiments, Halloween displays and why if your phone screen isn't broken, you aren't living your life. Next up, we'll show you all the necessary tools for a proper ghost hunt, with a little help from author Mary Roach, Ghost Hunters' Adam Berry and the crew of the Central NY Ghost Hunters.
In Vermont, we have a conversation with robot head Bina48 to find out what it really means to be alive and we travel to Los Angeles to talk to movie makeup Wizard Kevin Yagher and the costume experts at Global Effects Inc. And when the Engadget Van breaks down outside of an electronics store, it's up to Tim, Brian and rock band, Free Energy, to solve a very spooky mystery.
All that plus a new Ask @hodgman and a gadget table featuring the new iPod touch, Kindle Paperwhite and Galaxy Note II from Dapper Cadaver, our favorite place to buy prop corpses in the Southern California area. Jump on in after the break -- if you dare!
Hosts: Brian Heater, Jordan Morris, Tim Stevens
Guests: Wayne Coyne, Mary Roach, Kevin Yagher, Adam Berry, Chris Gilman, Jesse Thorn, John Hodgman, Bruce Duncan, Stacey Jones, BJ Winslow
Musical Guest: Free Energy
Producer: Ben Harrison
Executive Producers: Brian Heater, Joshua Fruhlinger
Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 037 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 037 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show - 037 (Small)
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The Engadget Show 37: Halloween Spooktacular with Wayne Coyne, movie monsters and ghost hunting! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As promised, Amazon has started shipping its latest Kindles on the other side of the Atlantic, with the Kindle Paperwhite as well as the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD making the trip. Amazon's branded video services did not make the trip, so Lovefilm is filling in, offering a free month to buyers of either Fire tablet. Despite the switch in names, the Kindle Fire / Fire HD Lovefilm app will support features owners have gotten used to in the US like Whispersync pause / resume across devices, watch list and X-Ray for Movies that brings in extra info about any actors or scenes that are being watched. The Kindle Fire 8GB is available for £129/€159, while the Fire HD in 16GB or 32GB editions costs £159/€199 and £199/€249, respectively. The Kindle Paperwhite isn't invited to the video party, but it starts at £109 for the basic model or £169 with 3G.
Continue reading New Kindles start shipping today in Europe, Lovefilm launches on Kindle Fire
Filed under: Tablets, HD, Amazon
New Kindles start shipping today in Europe, Lovefilm launches on Kindle Fire originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Amazon's just announced that it's bringing the entire Kindle family to Japan. The basic Paperwhite is now available to pre-order for 8,480 yen (around $106) from the online retailer, with the 3G version arriving at a slightly pricier 12,980 yen (approximately $162) -- both will start shipping November 19th. Obviously you're going to need stuff to read, so the Kindle Store is opening its doors tomorrow and shelves are stocked with over 50,000 Japanese language books (including 10,000 for free) and more than 15,000 manga titles. Amazon's tablet range is heading to Japan as well, with the Fire costing 12,800 yen (approximately $160) and the 7-inch Fire HD setting wallets back 15,800 yen (almost $200). You'll have to wait a bit longer for these two, however, as shipping is slated to begin December 19th -- hopefully arriving in time to fill those stockings.
Kindle Paperwhite and two Fires up for pre-order in Japan, Kindle Store opens there tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 02:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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