firing

Top movies not out on Blu-ray: 'Chariots of Fire' off the list

For the past few years, we've kept a running list of top titles not out on Blu-ray. It started out with 40 titles and has been whittled down to 15 in more recent months.

"Chariots of Fire," which won an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1981 and hit stores yesterday (just in time for the Olympics), is the latest flick to be removed from the list, which is a good thing.

Warner Bros. has done an impressive job bringing the movie to Blu-ray, with an excellent video transfer (the audio's also quite good, but when … Read more

Google's Nexus 7 costs $152 to build, iSuppli says

The components that make up the Google's entry-level Nexus 7 cost roughly $152, according to a teardown study by IHS iSuppli.

The results, which were first reported by AllThingsD, suggest the possibility of a minor profit from the device, which will retail for $199 and come with 8 gigabytes of storage. It goes on sale this month.

A 16GB model, which sells for $249, costs $159.25, with the higher storage making the difference. iSuppli told AllThingsD that Google would most likely break even on the 8GB model and record a profit on the 16GB one.

The Nexus 7 … Read more

Google Glass spurs battle for eyeballs

Friday's news roundup will have you eyeing Google's competition:

We've sung this tune before: Amazon is tinkering with creating its own smartphone. A recent Bloomberg report has the media buzzing again about the possibility, but we first heard this last year from an analyst. If true, would Amazon knock Windows from the No. 3 spot? I think we're just hungry for more choice.

Google wasn't the first company to tinker with a computerized headset for augmented-reality vision. With all the buzz on Google Glass, Olympus felt confident about sharing news on its Glass-like prototype. And … Read more

Amazon, here's why you should stay away from smartphones

To: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Re: Those reports of your plans to build an Amazon smartphone

As alluring and potentially lucrative as the smartphone business may seem, it isn't worth the headache and distractions it will bring to Amazon.

Look, I get it. Amazon is riding high with profits that still impress Wall Street, a dominant presence online, and healthy gadget business with the Kindle e-reader and Kindle Fire tablet. You also don't want to get muscled out of the mobile world, a growing opportunity to sell your books, music, movies, and other products. So naturally, you'd … Read more

At least three Kindle Fire 2 tablets, one with 4G, on the way

The Kindle Fire 2 will see the Google's Nexus 7 tablet and then raise it, according to an analyst.

Amazon will bring out at least three new Kindle Fire models, according to Richard Shim, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch.

Shim gets his information from sources in the "supply chain" -- a collection of companies that manufacture components and assemble products. … Read more

Amazon may join the map-app fray with reported NextUp buy

Amazon may have bought a 3D mapping company, which could signal the company's desire to jump on the mapping service bandwagon where Google and Apple have been slugging it out.

The company closed a deal to acquire UpNext, an up and coming 3D mapping startup, GigaOM reported today.

Neither Amazon or UpNext has not confirmed the deal yet, but we will update when we get more information.

UpNext's HD maps -- available for iPhone, iPad and Android -- boast a fast, seamless experience with 3D mapping, navigation and directory services for over 50 cities. The company has also … Read more

Nexus 7 vs. Kindle Fire or wait for something better?

The $200 tablet market is heating up as Google introduces its own Android Nexus 7 tablet. Is now the right time to buy one of these bargain tablets?

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I try to help one reader determine which tablet is best for her. And I give her some advice about waiting to see what might be coming next down the mini-tablet line. I also offer some advice to another reader about whether to wait for the iPhone 5 or not.

Nexus 7, Kindle Fire or wait?

Dear Maggie, Our family has an iPad. But I've … Read more

Two new Kindle Fires on Amazon's front burner?

Amazon may be cooking up two new Kindle Fire tablets -- a 10-inch version and a new 7-inch flavor.

Citing intel from one of its sources, blogging site Boy Genius Report says it confirmed the launch of Amazon's 10-inch tablet for sometime in the coming months. The 10-inch tablet would be powered by a quad-core processor.

A new 7-inch Kindle Fire is also in the works, according to BGR. A source recently revealed similar information to CNET, saying that Amazon is targeting July 31 as the launch date for the new 7-inch variety.

Claiming to have handled both tablets, … Read more

Nexus 7 vs. Kindle Fire vs. Nook Tablet: Battle of the $199 tablets

Amazon opened a lot of eyes when it introduced the Kindle Fire last year at $199. Many people expected it to come out at $249, but Amazon surprised everybody with $199. Now Google's done the same with its Asus-made Nexus 7, which, on paper anyway, offers the best specs for a 7-inch tablet at its price point, besting its closest competitors, the Kindle Fire and the 8GB Nook Tablet (you could also include the Samsung Tab 2 7.0 in this group, but it starts at $250).

Of course, specs aren't everything, so before we declare the Nexus … Read more

Google Nexus tablet poses no threat to iPad, says analyst

Apple can breathe easy -- Google's new Nexus tablet poses little competition for the iPad. At least that's the opinion of Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White.

Most of the specs for the Nexus 7 are impressive -- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 1280x800 pixel resolution, Tegra 3 quad-core processor, a nine-hour battery, a micro-USB port, GPS, a gyroscope, and support for NFC and Android Beam. The tablet is also price friendly, selling at $199 for the 8GB version and $249 for the 16GB model.

But White thinks the iPad will continue to reign as king of … Read more