GeekSugar

A Tiny Tablet Stand of Huge Convenience

Kelly Schwarze — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:03:00 PST

Sometimes you come across a gadget so ingeniously simple you can't believe it didn't exist before. The Stump portable tablet stand ($25) is this deceptively obvious and affordable accessory.

Perfect for when you want to free up your hands for other tasks while using a tablet or ereader, the Stump can be used in three separate viewing angles, ideal options for in-flight and home use. Available in five different colors and made of a rubber-like material, the stand measures just 3.5-inches in diameter and 1.5-inches high. The weighted metal base ensures the gadget of choice stays firmly in place. Small enough to fit in any bag, this little stand will become your tablet's best friend.

Amazon Introduces Kindle Owners' Lending Library

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:23:35 PDT

Kindle owners with an Amazon Prime membership now have even more reading options as today Amazon introduced a free lending library for Prime subscribers. The virtual library boasts over 5,000 books and can only be read via actual Kindle devices, not smartphones or computers with Kindle apps. One book can be checked out per month, though unlike your city library there is no due date for when that title must be returned.

If you're worried the recent bestsellers you've been meaning to pick up for your book club won't be included in the library, Amazon reassures that over 100 of the books are current and past New York Times bestsellers. However, books from the six biggest publishers, Random House, HarperCollins, Penguin, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette, are not participating in the library due to royalty concerns.

Dress Your New Kindle in a Leather Case

Kristy Korcz — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 09:15:08 PDT

Amazon announced the new $79 Kindle yesterday, but Marware isn't wasting time on the accessories. Three new eco-friendly leather cases (coming in pink, black, and brown, $35) will be available soon, each in a portfolio style for easy access. Good news is, these cases will fit both the Kindle and Kindle Touch. Get a closer look in the gallery.

Amazon Stocks Leather Lighted Cases For Kindle Touch

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:12:06 PDT

Already preordered your Kindle Touch? Don't stop at just the ereader; Amazon has already unveiled its classy Kindle Touch Lighted Cover, which provides you with reading light no matter what time you want to crack it open. The built-in LED covers your entire reading area and gets its power from the Kindle Touch. No batteries needed. Plus, the leather exterior looks great in the four optional colors.

I kinda hoped the price tag would be a little cheaper than the listed cost of $60, which is over half the cost of the Kindle Touch itself. I suppose the extra added benefit of being able to read in the dark will cost you. Check out more images of each case - which will be available on Nov. 22 - in the gallery!

Are You Buying a New Kindle?

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:33:05 PDT

Amazon unleashed a flurry of new Kindles earlier this morning, so in case you missed it, here's a quick recap:

Kindle Fire - The all-new Android-backed tablet from Amazon will come with a seven-inch screen, a dual-core processor, and WiFi. It's priced at $199 and will be available Nov. 15.
Kindle Touch - The new (and unexpected) Kindle Touch will come with a six-inch infrared multitouch eInk display and the ability to loan books from your local library, and it will come in two models - WiFi-only for $99 including special offers on your screensaver, and $139 without offers, and WiFi + 3G for $149 with special offers, and $189 without special offers. All versions will be available on Nov. 21.
Kindle - A brand-new version of the Kindle is available today, which comes with a smaller and lighter body than the previous Kindle editions, comes with WiFi connectivity, and has free cloud storage for backing up your books and documents. You can get a Kindle for as low as $79 if you opt for the model that displays special offers on your screensaver, and $109 without special offers.

Amazon is releasing these devices at the perfect time, right before the frenzy of the holiday shopping season. Tell me - will you be buying a new Kindle? If so, which one?

Get the New Amazon Kindle Today For $79

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:26:58 PDT

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced the new Kindle earlier today at a press conference in NYC, and it will be available for purchase starting today. The new Kindle will be stocked with WiFi connectivity and will come in two flavors: with special offers for $79 and without special offers for $109.

The new Kindle is smaller than previous generations - 30 percent smaller and 18 percent lighter - and will hold up to 1,400 ebooks in its 2GB of onboard storage, but you'll be able to automatically back up your content with a free subscription to Amazon's Cloud storage. You can even borrow ebooks from your local library and send personal PDF documents to your Kindle to read on the go.

Get a better look at the new Kindle in the gallery!

A Closer Look at the Kindle Fire

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:15:31 PDT

Amazon announced the $199 Kindle Fire earlier today, which will be available in mid-November. Get a closer look at the seven-inch tablet here!

Amazon's New Kindles Priced at Just $79

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:44:00 PDT

Amazon is on a roll releasing products this morning! We've already seen a Kindle Touch, but Jeff Bezos also announced another lighter and smaller version of the Kindle today at the Amazon press conference in NYC. The latest version of the Kindle is only 5.8 ounces, comes with the most advanced e-ink display, carries 1,400 books, comes stocked with WiFi, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, and Amazon Local offers on screensavers for just $79. The latest Kindle is available starting today.

Amazon Announces $99 Kindle Touch

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:31:10 PDT

Jeff Bezos revealed a new Kindle this morning at a press conference in NYC. The Kindle Touch looks to be about the same size as the previous generation, but it will come sans keyboard but with an infrared touch eInk display - the infrared layer will sit on top of your eInk display so it doesn't interfere with reading. Additionally, the Kindle Touch will include free cloud storage and come stocked with a new "X-ray" feature that will show relevant info on the page (like dictionary and Wiki entries). The Kindle Touch will also be lighter than previous models, and store up to 3,000 titles on its on-board 4GB of memory, but also comes with free backups with Amazon's cloud storage.

There will be a few price points to consider: the Kindle Touch will run at $99 with WiFi while the 3G version will be priced at $149. You can preorder now; shipping will start Nov. 21.

Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire Tablet Revealed [Updated]

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:04:55 PDT

Amazon unveiled the Kindle Fire tablet this morning in NYC. Said to be coming with a low price tag of $199, this seven-inch tablet will run a custom version of Android and come packed with WiFi connectivity, but will be released without a camera, microphone, or 3G access.

Additionally, the Kindle Fire will come stocked with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, the $79 membership that offers free two-day shipping and free movie and video streaming.

Update: Jeff Bezos has officially announced the Kindle Fire himself and has revealed more details:

14.6 ounces
Dual-core processor
Free Amazon Cloud storage
Whispersync includes books, movies, TV shows, songs
Gorilla Glass display
New Silk browser that is split between running in the cloud and running on the device (more on this later)
Amazon Prime members will get unlimited streaming access to music and videos through their membership
8GB of on-board storage, which will hold up to 80 apps, plus either 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books, with unlimited backup in Amazon's cloud storage.
Preorder now; available Nov. 15