15
Nov
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Amazon Releases Open Source Files For The 8.9" Kindle Fire HD

Posted by in Amazon, Android OS, Development, Kindle Fire HD, News

Amazon, "in accordance with certain free and open  source software licenses," released today the open source code files for their 8.9" Kindle Fire HD, one of the latest tablets to join their wildly successful e-reader lineup.

The source code release comes about five days before the HD 8.9 was scheduled for official launch (though it actually began shipping today), giving those who want to tinker, develop with, or simply ogle the fresh batch of source a fair lead time.

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If you've been waiting to get your hands on the HD 8.9's source code (or even if you haven't), just hit the link below to grab the full download.

15
Nov
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Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Begins Shipping Today, Starting At $299

Posted by in Kindle Fire HD, News

It's been a few weeks now since the 7" Kindle Fire HD went on sale. Beating Amazon's earlier announcement by a few days, the 8.9" version is now shipping, with the LTE model to follow next week. In case you've forgotten, the larger Kindle houses a 1920x1200 screen that's not quite the best display around, but definitely close enough.

If you're still not sold on this don't-call-it-an-Android tablet, here. Allow Amazon to try to convince you with a list of bullet points:

Kindle Fire HD 8.9” is the top-of-the-line Kindle Fire. Features include:

  • A vibrant 8.9”, 1920x1200 resolution display at 254 ppi.

21
Sep
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Kindle Fire HD 7-Inch Review: "Real" Tablet Or Not, This Is The Future Of Digital Consumerism

Posted by in Amazon, Kindle Fire HD, Tablet Reviews
Last Updated: September 22nd, 2012

Considering we're a little late to the game on our review of Amazon's newest Kindle Fire, you've probably skimmed through the thoughts of various blogs and news outlets, finding quips like "not a great general computing tablet," or "no match for the Nexus 7's / iPad's performance." And they're right.

The Fire HD is not a good "tablet" in the sense its competitors are (yet), and it's not really a match for the hardware horsepower of its Google-born arch-nemesis, the Nexus 7. But, like I said in my hands-on, comparing the Fire HD to the Nexus is just kind of a mismatch (though you'll read many comparisons in this review, because a lot people are interested in them).

17
Sep
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Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7 Already Rooted, Here's How To Do It

Posted by in Kindle Fire HD, News

Yesterday, we told you that Amazon's newest Kindles are shipping with locked bootloaders. We mentioned that this probably wouldn't prevent the devices from being rooted, as a method was already in the works. That method has now been confirmed, and root for the Kindle Fire HD is go!

This is confirmed to work on the Fire HD 7, but should work on all new variants that are based on ICS.

First off, this exploit is actually based one that was found on the Transformer Prime in ICS by sparkym3, so full credit goes to him.

Before you get started, you need to download SU:

After you download the file, extract the contents and pull SU from /system/bin/ and SuperUser.apk from /system/app/ and put them in the directory you'll be working from.

16
Sep
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[Weekend Poll] Will You Be Buying A New Kindle?

Posted by in Amazon, Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, Polls

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Do You Stream Your Music Library On Android, Or Store It Locally?

On September 6, Amazon announced three new Kindles: a 6" non-Android model called the Paperwhite (with or without 3G), the 7" Kindle Fire HD (16 and 32GB), and an 8.9" Kindle Fire HD (16 or 32GB), while updating the hardware and dropping the price of the original Fire to $160. Pre-orders for the new versions went live the same day, and release dates vary anywhere from September 14 to November 20.  The specs show Amazon's commitment to the ecosystem - and to not be undersold by Google:

As David found out, they certainly offer a compelling package at a very accessible price, especially thanks to the ecosystem Amazon has built up around the devices.

16
Sep
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The Kindle Fire HD And Second Gen Kindle Fire Both Have Locked Bootloaders

Posted by in Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, News

So, you were thinking about picking up a Kindle Fire HD, rooting it, and throwing a ROM on it for an impressive $200 tablet? Turns out that idea may not work out as well as we initially thought: both the Kindle Fire HD and the second gen KF have locked bootloaders. Bummer.

This may not mean that custom ROMs are impossible on these devices, only that it's more improbable.

For those who may not know, the bootloader is responsible for checking the firmware's signature before a device boots. In this case, if it doesn't match what Amazon says it should, then it simply won't do anything.

14
Sep
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Reminder: The 7-Inch Kindle Fire HD 16GB Is Available Starting Today For $200

Posted by in Amazon, Kindle Fire HD, News

In case you forgot, we thought we'd give you a heads-up that Amazon's new Kindle Fire HD is officially available today - if you want the 7-inch, 16GB version. It's packing a 1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP4460 processor, a 1280x800 display with advanced anti-glare tech, and a set of stereo speakers that really do blow away any other slate on the market. For a more complete look at the HD 7, check out our hands-on (with a comparison to the Nexus 7), and our original announcement post.

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The 32GB iteration of the 7-inch, though, won't be launching until October 25th. And the one you probably actually want, the $300 Kindle Fire 8.9, won't be trotting out until November 20th.

09
Sep
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Users Will Be Able To Opt Out Of Kindle Fire/HD Ads For A One-Time Fee Of $15

Posted by in Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, News

When the new Kindle Fire and HD models were announced three days ago, the tech world was abuzz with the fact that Amazon has laced them with "Special Offers" in order to keep the cost down. Immediately, one question came to everyone's mind: will I be able to remove the ads?

Initially, there was some confusion on the answer to that questions. We actually heard reports from both sides of the fence - some said "yes, the ads will be removable," while others stated that they were there to stay.

The subject quickly became a bit of a hot topic, so Ars Technica decided to reach out to Amazon for a definitive answer: will users be able to opt-out of Special Offers?

06
Sep
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Want To See The New Kindles Officially Unveiled? Watch Today's Event Now On YouTube

Posted by in Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, News, Videos

If you couldn't make your way out to Santa Monica today to watch Jeff Bezos and company take the wraps off the new line of Kindles (and live blogs just aren't good enough), you can now watch the entire event on YouTube.

Hit play above and you'll get about one hour and 12 minutes of pure, unadulterated Kindle-y goodness. We're talking the Kindle Paperweight Paperwhite, rehashed Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HDs, and all other Kindle typing things you can handle.

So grab some snacks and drinks, kick back, and enjoy the show. It's definitely one worth watching.

06
Sep
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Hands-On And Initial Thoughts On The 7-Inch Kindle Fire HD Versus The Nexus 7

Posted by in Amazon, Android OS, Kindle Fire HD, News, Tablets, Videos

I had a chance to spend some time with Amazon's new Kindle Fires today at the company's event in Los Angeles, so I'm going to share a few thoughts about Amazon's newest Android-based slates. Disclaimer: Yes, I only spent about an hour with this tablet today, but I'm going to give you a sense of where I think the Kindle Fire HD is headed, who it's targeted to, and whether or not you should be interested in buying it.

Kindle Fire HD 16GB (7-Inch) vs. Nexus 7 8GB

Wow. For $200, the Kindle Fire HD has set a bar. Granted, Amazon's had a year to refine its original cheap-slate and really hone down the whole concept.

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