Kindle books outselling print 2 to 1 for Amazon’s top 10 bestsellers, and other relatively positive sales figures
October 25, 2010 No Comment
Amazon has its own applied theory of special relativity, in the sense that we never really know definitive sales figures and instead have to rely on the occasional ratio and comparative figure (based upon aforementioned unknown variables) to glean any sense of success. Jeff Bezos and company are happy to announce the latest Kindle has, in its three months or so since release, surpassed sales of the previous device in its 2009 holiday season (the shopping-heavy October through December period) — in other words, it expects even greater sales for this year’s equivalent quarter, but it can’t exactly time travel to report on the future (yet). Ready for more? Amazon’s also boasting that, for its top 10 bestselling books, Kindle digital books are outselling print (both hardcover and paperback combined) at a rate “great than 2 to 1.” We’re going to guess those are better figures than its tipping point back in July, but Mass-Sales Equivalence was never our strong suit in college. More fun factoids and artistic displays of applied statistics can be found in the press release after the break. Continue reading Kindle books outselling print 2 to 1 for Amazon’s top 10 bestsellers, and other relatively positive sales figures Kindle books outselling print 2 to 1 for Amazon’s top 10 bestsellers, and other relatively positive sales figures originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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So, here’s what we know: a Windows Phone from HTC just earned its FCC wings, it’s production (meaning non-prototype) hardware… and it’s a CDMA device. That alone is notable considering that Microsoft has said that CDMA won’t be available until the first half of next year , and here we are in October with an FCC-approved, production-ready device waiting in the wings already. We’re not the type to be floating conspiracy theories, but could it be that we’re dealing with an artificial delay here, or is the CDMA software stack really that far away from being solid? Anyhow, if we had to guess, this is probably the tilt-sliding 7 Pro , seeing how that’s the only CDMA Windows Phone 7 device to bow so far, equipped with 802.11b / g / n alongside Bluetooth + EDR. Sprint, let’s make this happen. HTC 7 Pro squares away its FCC approval? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Panasonic’s Power Loader Light slims down, stays out of fights with aliens
October 25, 2010 No Comment
Panasonic’s full-size Power Loader exoskeleton certainly has its place, but there are times when giant freaking robots arms might be considered overkill. Thankfully, Panasonic (or more specifically, its Activelink subsidiary) has considered such situations, and has now come out with its streamlined Power Loader Light (or PLL). As you can see, this model eschews the robot arms altogether, but it makes use of the same direct force feedback system that’s able to predict your leg movements and increase your leg strength by up 40 kilograms. Of course, even the Light version is still a bit out of reach for everyday use — it will initially cost around $223,000, but Panasonic is offering a grant program to potential developers that would cut the price in half. Panasonic’s Power Loader Light slims down, stays out of fights with aliens originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Chalk another up to the rumor mill. Just as we’d heard , the Garmin-Asus partnership will soon be no more. After a few arguably valiant attempts to break into the smartphone market, it seems as if ASUS is walking away in hopes of finding greener grass elsewhere. According to Reuters , an unnamed ASUS official has confirmed that it would be “ending its mobile phone cooperation agreement with Garmin.” We’re expecting the rest of the breakup details to roll tomorrow, but honestly, you’d turn the other cheek and move on if you were classy. But we both know that’s not happening, right? ASUS officially walks away from Garmin-Asus partnership originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Two weeks. That’s how long you’ll have to wait before Samsung Mobile officially shows off its latest Android device. We say officially , because as these things go, there’s a chance the gadget will make it into the limelight via unofficial channels. No indication what it might be, but if we had our say, the Continuum and its secondary OLED screen would make for a nice treat… hey, why are you even asking? Of course we’ll be there covering it live! Samsung to unveil new Android device November 8th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Galaxy Tab for Sprint confirmed for November 14th: $400 with two-year contract
October 25, 2010 No Comment
Well, that didn’t take long. After hearing this morning that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab might possibly be hitting Sprint on November 14th , the carrier has come out and confirmed the date, along with some pricing details. Whereas the Verizon deal is a penny under $600 with no commitment required, Sprint’s offering the 7-inch slate for $399.99 along with a necessary two-year 3G Tablet Mobile Broadband plan (according to Phone Scoop who contacted the company, there’ll also be a $599.99 offer with no contract). That’ll run you $29.99 for 2GB and $59.99 for 5GB. Can’t wait to see what price the GSMers might offer ? Pre-orders start today. Galaxy Tab for Sprint confirmed for November 14th: $400 with two-year contract originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 reviewed, deemed a worthy W1 successor for slightly less early adopters
October 25, 2010 No Comment
Early reviews of Fuji’s FinePix Real 3D W1 ? Not so hot . However, a year later the $450 refreshed W3 seems to be doing better, scoring a “Recommended” review over at Photography Blog . The camera’s dual 1/2.3-inch, 10 megapixel CCDs and 3X zoom lenses are carried over from before, but a new design and more user-friendly interface is said to make a huge improvement — even if it’s still too easy to stick a finger over either of the two light portals up front. Build quality is solid and the new 3.5-inch, glasses-free 3D LCD on the back is called “impressive,” far brighter than last year’s parallax barrier. The machine will capture 720p 3D movies and can save both 3D MPO images and 2D JPEGs simultaneously, meaning your holiday snaps are future-proofed even if you haven’t jumped on the 3D bandwagon just yet. Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 reviewed, deemed a worthy W1 successor for slightly less early adopters originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Ubuntu 10.10′s multitouch Unity UI demoed on Dell, makes multitasking look easy (video)
October 25, 2010 No Comment
Want to see how multitouch works in Maverick Meerkat ‘s Unity UI, but don’t have a convertible tablet PC? You’re in luck today, as Ubuntu Developers put together a handy-dandy video of the Ubuntu 10.10 interface running on their very own Dell Latitude XT2 ‘s dual-digitizer touchscreen. As you’d expect, the $2,400 convertible does a bang-up job as a tablet PC, playing Flash video and OpenGL games with ease, but the uTouch gestures appear to contribute to the overall experience by making window management a relative breeze. But in the immoral words of LeVar Burton, you have to take our word for it — see for yourself right after the break, while we pray for Canonical to reconsider its stance on a dedicated tablet version of Ubuntu. Continue reading Ubuntu 10.10′s multitouch Unity UI demoed on Dell, makes multitasking look easy (video) Ubuntu 10.10′s multitouch Unity UI demoed on Dell, makes multitasking look easy (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We know you’re all partyin’ up a storm at the Adobe MAX conference, but just in case one of you missed it, RIM’s announced the availability of the Adobe AIR SDK for BlackBerry Tablet OS — not to mention a little something called the BlackBerry PlayBook Simulator. Needless to say (but we’ll say it anyways), we’re more than anxious to get our hands on the latter. Unfortunately, it requires Adobe AIR 2.5 to run, while the latest release RIM’s site is offering is 2.0.2. Buzzkill, right? That said, we suggest you keep an eye on the source link if you’re looking to get in on the action yourself. Otherwise, if you’re not willing to go all the way, we have some fine PR explaining matters after the break. Continue reading RIM announces PlayBook simulator and SDK for BlackBerry Tablet OS RIM announces PlayBook simulator and SDK for BlackBerry Tablet OS originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Barnes & Noble launching Nook Kids this week, set to be the Nook Color’s killer app?
October 25, 2010 No Comment
Say what you want about the current spate of e-books, few will do anything to hold the interest of your three-year-old nephew. To those who like to keep peanut butter and jelly out of the keys if their Kindles that’s a good thing, but for Barnes & Noble that’s a business opportunity waiting to be tapped. According to The Wall Street Journal , the company will soon launch Nook Kids, a dedicated collection for young readers expected to start with an impressive selection of 12,000 titles. Many of those will be “enhanced,” like the book Jamberry , having one page with falling blueberries that kids can pop with a tap. That seems to be further proof of a full touchscreen on the rumored Color Nook , expected to be unveiled this Tuesday. Later in the year look for a Nook Kids app on the iPad and other devices, so now might be a good time to start teaching little Joey about regular hand cleaning. [Thanks, Carson R.] Barnes & Noble launching Nook Kids this week, set to be the Nook Color’s killer app? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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