Toys 'R' Us takes on tablets with Tabeo
Toys "R" Us has its own Android tablet for kids, Amazon has a change of heart about lock-screen ads on the Kindle Fires, and T-Mobile will demo the iPhone in stores -- but won't be selling it.
- Bridget has spent over 18 years as a consumer tech reporter, hosting daily tech news shows and writing syndicated newspaper columns. She's often a guest on national radio and television stations, including ABC, CBS, CNBC and NBC.
This Monday tech news roundup doesn't want to grow up:
Toys "R" Us has created it's own tablet designed for kids, called Tabeo. It goes on sale in stores Oct. 21 for $150, but the store is now taking preorders online. This kid-safe tablet comes with 50 apps pre-installed for games, education, reading -- even apps for cooking and editing photos. And there's 7,000 more apps available in an app store. It comes with 4GB of memory, but is expandable with a memory card slot. And Toys 'R' Us won't be sharing this kid tablet with any other online retailers. As a way to fight "showrooming," you can only buy Tabeo at Toys 'R' Us.
Amazon has changed its mind regarding the advertisements on the lock-screens of its new Kindle Fire tablets. It will now let customers pay a one-time $15 upgrade to remove the Sponsored Screensavers and Special Offers from appearing on the lock-screen. Seems Amazon had a change of heart after telling reporters that it would not offer a way to remove ads from the new tablets.
A browser version of Spotify may be on its way. Multiple reports are out that Spotify is working on a way for users to access its streaming music through a Web browser, so you can jump on any computer to listen instantly without downloading the program.
Google Glass eyewear has made it to the runway. During New York Fashion Week, the designer Diane von Furstenberg had models sporting Google Glass headsets on the catwalk. You'll be able to see video from their perspective on Thursday, when the designer posts a video of the footage taken by the models wearing Glass.
T-Mobile may not be selling the iPhone, but in a unusual marketing campaign, it will be showcasing the iPhone in its stores and commercials. T-Mobile is encouraging customers with unlocked AT&T iPhones to sign up for a cheaper T-Mobile data plan. For most of the country, unlocked iPhones can only run on T-Mobile's slower 2G network. However, some areas have been upgraded so iPhones can tap into faster speeds. Before you switch carriers, check if you area has been upgraded.
That T-Mobile campaign kicks off right after Apple announces its next iPhone on Wednesday. The event is being held at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, which is adorned with window decals that look like extremely stretched-out iOS icons. Why stretched? Perhaps because the new iPhone has stretched out its screen to 4 inches, as many have reported. Check back with CNET.com for live coverage of Apple's next phone on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern.
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