Tablets

Amazon makes kid play with new Kindle subscription service

In a bold experiment to differentiate its tablets from the competition, Amazon has launched a new service called Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, which is geared toward kids between 3 and 8 years old, allowing them to access a wide assortment of books, games, apps, and video content after parents ante up a monthly fee.

Amazon is initially offering FreeTime Unlimited, which costs Prime members $2.99 per month per child -- or $6.99 per family -- on the Kindle Fire (2012), Kindle Fire HD, and Kindle Fire Fire HD 8.9. If you're not a Prime member, the monthly … Read more

Get alerted when the Nexus 4 is back in stock

The Nexus 4 release has been anything but smooth. Google saw the launch day stock ordered up in just a few minutes. Then last week Google released some more inventory in the Play Store here in the U.S. and was met with more issues. The 8GB Nexus 4 started out at a 4-to-5-week ship time and eventually maxed out at 8-9 weeks before going back out of stock. The 16GB model is still available, although you'll be waiting 5-6 weeks for it to ship.

Google has been sporadically releasing more stock in other countries, such as the U.K. and Germany. … Read more

Toshiba adds another 10-inch tablet to Excite lineup

Toshiba has announced a new addition to its lineup of Excite tablets. The Excite 10 SE tablet comes equipped with a 10.1-inch screen, Android 4.1, and an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor.

The tablet starts at $349.99 for the 16GB model and will be available for purchase starting on December 6.

The Excite 10 SE is the third 10.1-inch tablet Toshiba has introduced in its family of tablets this year, although it is the first that runs Android 4.1.

Toshiba has been ambitious in its 2012 lineup of Excite tablets, which at one point included the … Read more

eBay: Cyber Monday wasn't our biggest mobile day. Dec. 2 was

Turns out that Cyber Monday and Black Friday aren't the biggest online shopping days of the year, at least not for eBay.

The online auction site operator today revealed that Sunday, December 2 was the biggest mobile shopping day ever for eBay Marketplaces in the U.S. and PayPal globally.

That seems to defy conventional wisdom, but eBay says it actually makes a lot of sense.

Steve Yankovich, vice president of mobile at eBay, said that Sunday typically is a "day of relaxation," but because consumers always have their smartphones in hand, it's easy to shop … Read more

Enable swipe-to-delete in Gmail 4.2 on Android

One feature Android users have been asking for in the Gmail app has been the ability to swipe and delete or archive a message. With the release of Gmail 4.2, that's now possible.

By default, the swipe gesture is set to archive or delete a message, depending on whether the message has already been archived. Should you want to change it to always delete (or disable the feature altogether), you'll need to dive into the settings.

To enable swipe-to-delete, make sure you have the latest version of Gmail running on your Android device. After you've updated, … Read more

iPad shipments could hit 26 million this quarter, says analyst

The iPad should ring up lots of holiday cheer for Apple, according to a forecast today from analyst Sameer Singh.

An analyst with mergers and acquisitions consulting group Finvista Advisors, Singh put together his projections for iPad shipments based on some historical cues.

The second and fourth quarters have traditionally been the strongest ones for the iPad, however, the fourth quarter has been the champ. That's not surprising because Apple has typically unveiled each year's new iPad in the second quarter. Holiday shoppers provide a jolt to the fourth quarter.

But this year the company launched two new … Read more

Facebook Android Messenger only needs name, phone number

Facebook today made a few tweaks to its Messenger feature, allowing Android users to create an account with just their name and phone number.

Unlike in the past, people now aren't required to have a Facebook account to access Messenger.

The move is a way for Facebook to reach a bigger audience, attracting people who don't already have Facebook accounts and getting them to gradually use more Facebook services. In addition, it could also become a way to increase the Facebook usage of existing members by giving them a way to communicate via Facebook with friends who aren'… Read more

PengPod, a true Linux tablet, hits its mark on Indiegogo

Not satisfied with the current crop of Android tablets and the restrictions Google often places on its mobile OS? Finally, the Linux army has its own portable, touch-screen option.

As of this morning, PengPod, a spin-off of a Florida-based importing company, officially closed its crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo for its line of open Linux and Android-based tablets and mini-PCs on a stick.

It wasn't a barn-burner campaign like some of those seen on Kickstarter for things like the Ouya game console or Pebble smart watch, but it did raise more than $72,000 to meet its $49,000 goal and be able to start production.… Read more

iPhone 5 sales even better than earlier thought, Canaccord says

The iPhone 5 is selling at a brisk pace, analysts at investment bank Canaccord Genuity say, and supply for Apple's newest smartphone has "dramatically improved."

Based on channel checks in November, the company has found "very strong sales" of the iPhone 5 at AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, as well as in international markets. Given the checks, as well as Apple's strong plans for an iPhone 5 ramp to 240 carriers in 100 countries by year's end, including China, Canaccord has slightly increased its estimates for iPhone sales in the December quarter.… Read more