Amazon

Amazon releases video streaming app for iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Online retailer Amazon has stepped up its game on the iOS platform. Just as it updated its Cloud Player with a new scan-and-match service akin to iTunes Match and featuring high-quality 256Kbps song downloads for both music purchases and ripped CDs, the company today released a brand new video app which enables streaming of video content available through the company's Prime service and Instant Video store.

It supports offline viewing, automatic syncing of your play state across various devices and platforms and more. More screenies right after the break...

Apple renews efforts to protect the App Store moniker

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 26, 2012

Apple first took Amazon to court over the App Store moniker in March of last year, just as the online retailer began using the 'app store' term in their developer portal.

Last November, Apple stepped up its fight as it saw Amazon promoting the Amazon Appstore for Android apps.

Today, we learn that Apple wants to summon an Amazon executive for court testimony over the decision to drop the words “for Android” from some of Amazon’s app store branding...

Half a dozen new Kindle Fire tablets coming to challenge iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Confirming an earlier AllThingsD story, Staple CEO Demos Parneros told Reuters today that Amazon is about to unleash half a dozen new Kindle Fire tablets, including a brand new ten-inch model obviously engineered to take Apple's iPad head on.

The online retailer recently acquired 3D mapping startup UpNext, another indication that it means business when it comes to tablets. And of course, the company is also thought to be readying a smartphone of its own...

Department of Justice defends Apple e-book lawsuit

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

The US Department of Justice says it has received nearly 1000 public comments since it lodged its lawsuit against Apple and a number of major book publishers earlier this year. The suit claims that Apple worked in concert with the publishers in an effort to raise e-book prices.

The DoJ has responded to the comments today, and has strong words for both Apple and the accused publishers. Despite the pushback, the Department says that it has every intention to move forward with its e-book lawsuits and settlement talks as planned...

WSJ confirms Amazon has smartphone in the works

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Rumors that Amazon is working on its own smartphone have been bouncing around for nearly a year now. But the speculation has really ramped up over the past couple of weeks.

Following a scoop from Bloomberg last week, a new report is out today claiming that the online retailer is currently testing an Android handset with a 4-5-inch display...

Amazon launching new Kindle Fire with better display, camera in Q3?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 13, 2012

Online retailer Amazon has reportedly informed select developers that it will be launching a new version of its Kindle Fire tablet some time in the second half of this year, possibly in the third quarter, in time for the holiday shopping season. The new Fire allegedly has a much improved display running at HD-ready 1280-by-800 pixels, matching Google's Nexus 7...

Bloomberg confirms Amazon is working on a smartphone

Cody Lee ∙ July 5, 2012

Over the past few years, the smartphone race has essentially come down to just two manufacturers: Apple and Samsung. HTC is struggling, as is Nokia, and RIM is all but done.

But that doesn't seem to be stopping Amazon from entering the market. Another report is out this evening claiming that the retail giant is cooking up its very own smartphone...

Google’s Nexus 7 beats iPad 3 on repairability

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 4, 2012

Despite being only one millimeter thicker, Google's upcoming Nexus 7 slate is more repairable than the new iPad, a teardown analysis by iFixit has concluded. Its components are assembled using standard tools, unlike the new iPad's innards which are glued together.

A simpler assembly makes servicing the Google tablet fairly easy with standard plastic opening tools that make "cracking the Nexus shell like cutting through butter"...

Amazon takes on Apple and Google, snaps up 3D mapping startup UpNext

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

While you were away: not to be outclassed by Apple or Google, online retailer Amazon has just entered the mapping business by allegedly acquiring a mapping startup UpNext, according to an exclusive GigaOM report. The New York-based company is behind an interesting three-dimensional mapping app for iOS devices, UpNext Maps for iPhone and UpNext HD Maps for iPad (Android and Kindle versions are also available).

Both free downloads, these programs offer both the traditional map view, but also have built-in deals and social features and offline mode. There's also a three-dimensional view with models of more than 50 cities in the United States. Something tells me the apps will soon be gone from the App Store as Amazon makes these exclusive to its own tablet...

Competition: Motorola exiting feature phones, 7″ slates from Amazon, Google loom

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Several reports this morning sourced from Taiwanese supply chain indicate some pretty interesting reshuffling going on in the mobile space outside Apple. Samsung is shooting to cumulatively sell ten million Galaxy S III units by early July while Motorola Mobility is mulling exiting the feature phones business in order to focus all their energies on "innovative products".

In the non-iPad space, a contract manufacturer has apparently landed orders for both Amazon's seven-inch Kindle Fire tablet and Google's Nexus-branded expected to make an appearance at Google I/O on Wednesday...

iPad web traffic drops a little, Nook overtakes Kindle Fire

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 14, 2012

An interesting change in tablet web traffic in June, as observed by ad network Chitika which sampled hundreds of millions of ad impressions across mobile apps that incorporate its solution. While they're by no means an accurate representative of the market, the numbers still outline market trend changes.

Apple's iPad dropped a bit in June, but the biggest change comes in Barnes & Noble's Nook passing Amazon's Kindle Fire. Of all non-iPad tablets, Samsung's Galaxy Tab remains the most widely-used device...