kindle fire

Acer drives tablet prices lower, plans $99 model

Tablet prices just seem to keep dropping.

Acer is the latest company to lower the bar on pricing. The company is planning to sell a $99 Android tablet, the Iconia B1, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company plans to target consumers in emerging markets, though the report notes that Acer will get clearance from the Federal Communications Commission for use in the states.

The report, which cites unnamed sources, said the Iconia B1 will come with a 1.2 gigahertz processor and pack a 7-inch display with 1,024x600-pixel resolution -- which matches the specs from the older … Read more

CNET's holiday gift: Our first CNET How To e-book -- free!

CNET How To has grown leaps and bounds in 2012, so we wanted to celebrate our first year with a surprise gift: Some of our very best advice about the Kindle Fire to read on a Kindle Fire.

The precocious Sharon Vaknin, CNET's How To expert, has compiled our very best Kindle advice, tips, and tricks into a comprehensive e-book, Mastering the Kindle Fire. From now through the day after Christmas, we're making the book available for free in the Kindle store. Starting on December 27, you can pick it up for just $4.99.

CNET's guide … Read more

iPad is left behind as rival tablets get multiuser support

When I got my Microsoft Surface two months ago, my 11-year-old asked if he could try it. "Sure," I said, and I was able to hand it over without worry that he'd be getting into my work e-mail or accidentally tweeting on my behalf. The Surface has what the iPad lacks: multiuser support.

It's not just the Surface, either. Any Windows tablet allows different users to have their own accounts. The latest version of Android, such as on the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10, also offers this. Even Amazon's Kindle Fire HD has a … Read more

Tablet owners weigh in with their biggest beefs

Planning to buy a 7-inch tablet? A new report from the folks at FixYa reveals some of the top issues with today's crop of small-size tablets.

Apple's iPad Mini New to the 7-inch tablet arena, the iPad Mini didn't trigger much in the way of specific problems reported by its users. Rather, people were more unhappy about what the device doesn't offer.

The Mini's 4:3 aspect ratio was cited by users as less than ideal for watching movies, which are typically better served by a screen with a 16:9 ratio. The small tablet … Read more

Tablet Tuesday: Get a new Kindle Fire for $139.99

Killer holiday gift alert! While supplies last, Best Buy has the second-gen Kindle Fire (8GB) tablet for $139.99 plus tax. Amazingly, it's new, not refurbished.

The only catch is that although you can order this online, you can't have it shipped -- you'll have to pick it up in your local Best Buy store. But at least you can make sure it's waiting for you when you arrive; it's not like you have to go racing over there this minute in the hopes of snagging one.

Also, when I clicked Check Stores on the … Read more

Today only: Amazon offers $50 off Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch

Amazon's 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD is a bit cheaper today.

When customers check out the tablet on Amazon's site, a pop-up is displayed, informing them of a $50 deal. After placing the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD in their shopping cart, customers can input the promotional code "FireHD89" at checkout to get the deal.

Amazon is only offering the deal for today, and it's limited to one unit per customer. Only U.S.-based customers can take advantage of the deal.

Amazon launched the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD line earlier this year, helping … Read more

YouTube gets channel-surfing makeover

Friday's CNET Update is channel surfing:

YouTube has a new design that puts a greater focus on subscriptions and channels. YouTube hopes it will get more users to stay on the site longer by flipping through channels -- similar to how folks lose themselves while browsing television stations.

Also in today's tech news roundup:

- Foursquare added event listings, so a business can post about when there's something unique going on, such as a trivia night, book signing, or wine tasting.

- You can now create repeat events on Facebook. Handy for people with regularly-scheduled meetups.

- … Read more

GameStop to carry Kindle Fire, give $25 gift card with purchase

Shoppers can now get their hands on a Kindle Fire tablet in a new location -- GameStop stores.

GameStop, the large video game retailer, now offers the Kindle Fire family of tablets, including the 7-inch and 8.9-inch versions of the HD device and the 7-inch version of the regular Kindle Fire. The devices will sell for the same price as on Amazon's site.

As a perk, up to January 31, buyers also will receive a free $25 Amazon gift card with any Kindle Fire purchase.

And if GameStop customers trade in an original Kindle Fire, they'll get … Read more

Kindle Fire line builds its voice and touch accessibility skills

Amazon is making strides to make its entire Kindle Fire tablet series more accessible to all consumers via expanded support for two very important features.

The two features in question are the Voice Guide and Explore by Touch navigation tools. With these features, the goal is to both help vision-impaired Kindle owners read books more easily and aid those with learning disabilities to improve their reading skills.

Leveraging technology from text-to-speech software provider Ivona, the Voice Guide can read aloud menus and actions happening on the device, such as when a particular title has been opened or closed.

Explore by … Read more