fires

Is it a Kindle? Join CNET at 10 a.m. PT for Amazon press event (live blog)

Tune in to CNET's live blog from Amazon's Santa Monica press conference starting at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET today.

Nokia and Motorola have had their say, and Apple and Nintendo are still a week away. But the parade of gadget unveilings known in techdom as September continues today with Amazon set to take the wraps off a new batch of Kindle devices in Santa Monica, Calif.

The company has said only that it is hosting a press conference, without divulging details of what it will discuss. But several leaks -- and the fact that … Read more

Kindle Fire won't go big to take on iPad

Amazon plans to double down on the 7-inch tablet market with two new Kindle Fire models, CNET has learned.

Despite speculation that Amazon was preparing a larger 8.9 or 10-inch version, the company will only unveil a new 7-inch Kindle Fire and a slightly revamped version of the original tablet in an event scheduled for next week, according to a person who has seen the products.

The new Kindle Fire tablets are crucial in keeping Amazon competitive in the tablet business, which already faces tougher competition from Google's own Nexus 7 and the prospects of a lower-priced, smaller … Read more

Amazon taps Nokia for Kindle Fire maps, report says

Nokia has a new mapping partner in Amazon, a new report claims.

The companies recently inked a deal that will see Nokia power the built-in mapping services in the Amazon Kindle Fire 2, Reuters is reporting today, citing sources. The move is seen as a snub to Google, which powers the Android platform likely to be running on the next Kindle Fire. Google's mapping service comes built-in with Android.

The Google snub, if true, is the second the search giant has faced this year. Apple announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June that it was removing Google Maps … Read more

How many Kindle Fires did Amazon sell? 5M, maybe

Amazon may have sold close to 5 million Kindle Fire tablet since the device debuted late last year.

At least, that's the number estimated by Asymco analyst Horace Dediu based on Amazon's own claims.

The retail company said yesterday that the Fire accounted for 22 percent of all tablet sales in the United States over the past nine months. Assuming that number is accurate, here's how Dediu arrived at total sales of 5 million.

Based on testimony from Apple and Samsung at their recent patent trial, the iPad racked up unit sales of 16.14 million from … Read more

Windows 8 hybrid-tablet mania

Thursday's tech news roundup calls for a deluge of tablet-PC hybrids:

Everyone is talking about tablet hybrids at this year's IFA electronics trade show in Berlin. Every major laptop maker is getting in the game, all because of the October 26 release of Windows 8. Some choose to have the screen swivel or fold to be held like a tablet, such as the Dell XPS Duo 12 and the Asus Taichi. But most hardware makers are also offering tablets with full keyboards that snap on, like HP's Envy x2 tablet and Samsung's Series 5 and 7 Slates (… Read more

Kindle Fire 'sold out' as new model looms

Consumers aiming to buy Amazon's current Kindle Fire are out of luck, but a new model may be just around the corner.

The retail giant said today that its popular tablet is officially sold out after becoming the top-selling product since its debut almost a year ago. Amazon wasn't shy in bragging about the Fire, calling it the "most successful product launch in the history" of the company, one that has garnered more than 10,000 5-star customer reviews.

"Kindle Fire is sold out, but we have an exciting roadmap ahead," Amazon CEO Jeff … Read more

Google's Nexus 7 tablet pops up in rare home-page ad

Google really wants people to take a look at its Nexus 7 tablet.

The $199 tablet started popping up on Google's home page today, a rare instance in which Google is actively promoting one of its own products. It's similar to the way Amazon's front page is often dominated by Kindle advertising.

That Google would go to such lengths underscores the company's desire to make a bigger dent in the burgeoning tablet market, one still dominated by Apple's iPad. Given the traffic that goes through Google, the home page would be one of the most … Read more

Amazon about to start a new Fire

Friday's tech news roundup can ease symptoms of Gadget News Overload:

Looks like a new Kindle is on the way. Amazon's making an announcement on Sept. 6 in Santa Monica. We're expecting to hear about a new Kindle Fire with a camera and volume-control buttons, and it could have an improved display.

But be prepared for a rush of new gadget news over the next two weeks. When iPhone season nears, every device maker wants to get their news out before the iPhone steals all media glory. Here's a quick list of what's coming up: … Read more

Amazon set to introduce new Kindles at September 6 event?

We'd been expecting new Kindles to be unveiled almost any day, and now that day has been set -- Amazon has sent out invites for a press conference in Santa Monica, Calif., on the morning of September 6.

While it's unclear just what Amazon will roll out, it's a good bet we'll see a new Kindle Fire (or maybe even multiple Fires) and an e-ink Kindle with a built-in lighting option.

New Kindles: What to expect Back in late June, a source told CNET that the next Kindle Fire would have a camera and physical volume-control … Read more

Barnes & Noble Q1 loss narrows to $40M as Nook sales decline

Barnes & Noble narrowed its fiscal first-quarter loss, but suffered through a few hiccups with its Nook e-reader business.

The book retailer posted a loss of $40.9 million, or 78 cents a share, compared with a loss of $56.6 million, or 99 cents a share, from a year ago. Revenue rose only slightly to $1.45 billion from $1.42 billion a year ago.

Analysts, on average, estimated that the company would post a loss of 98 cents on revenue of $1.48 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.

The company's Nook unit, which includes the e-reader and … Read more