Cool toys and Gadgets

Section: Gaming, Portable

One of the growing markets within the tech world at the moment is the e-reader, a futuristic answer to the book.  Lots of manufacturers are getting in on the act following in the footsteps of the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Readers, it was only a matter of time till portable consoles caught up with this trend.  It would appear that Nintendo is ready to go the e-reader route with their first eBook software allowing you read books on your DS.

The DS would seem like a good solution: it is small, it has a touch screen, it can connect to the Internet and many people have them which translates to a large user base. 

Nintendo’s offering is miles behind Amazon and Sony on so many levels.  Firstly, you are limited to a choice of the 100 books that come on the card which instantly puts you behind the thousands of novels, magazines, and newspapers that the e-readers have.  Secondly, and most crucially, the only reason that these books are available is because they are out of copyright, so don’t expect anything written in this century.

Look at the size difference between a DS screen and a book and you will see that the DS is tiny in comparison which will make reading harder on the eye.  This is something that is perhaps easy to overlook now, but when you have to “turn the page” every sentence it is not so good.  Also the Wi-Fi function is utterly awful, merely allowing you download 10 different books which are probably classics as well (so why didn’t they just put them on the software?) and rate the books.

Now, it’s not all bad.  If you already have a DS then this is a great way to get to know some classic novels made especially easy by the search function that allows you to look for specific phrases.  This, coupled with the ability to zoom and turn pages with the stylus, makes it fun for children as well, and the $27 price tag isn’t bad either.

Source [ElectricPig]

Full Story » | Written by Christian Milsom for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous

Anyone looking to pick up an Amazon Kindle for the holidays seems to be out of luck as Amazon has once again sold out of the Kindle.  Current expected shipping times for a new Kindle are being listed as “11 to 13 weeks” and given that, some may start looking for alternate ways to make a purchase.

Amazon is offering, when available, refurbished models that are selling for $329.  Not much of a discount, but with such a popular item I guess that is a fair price.  Of course, as of this posting even those are sold out as well.  However, there are some alternative methods, but as you can expect, they are not going to be cheap.  The Amazon marketplace currently has some “used - like new” models that are available, which are priced anywhere from $500 even up to $1,500.

Finally, for those that are really desperate, there is always eBay.  Heck, with prices like this, I am almost tempted to part with mine.

Via [I4U]  Via [The Kindle]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Haven’t caught all of the Gadgetell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Wal-Mart leaks out full Black Friday deals
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• Black Friday too early?  Hot Cyber Monday deals
  “  This year, many Black Friday shoppers will be greeted with near-freezing temperatures but some deal seekers will remain warm and toasty.  How so?  These shoppers are choosing to wait out Black Friday and their limited quantities, cat fighting…“ MORE »
• TiVo launches TiVo Mobile
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• SanDisk announces BLOWOUT sale for MP3 players
  “ As we mentioned earlier today, SanDisk was going to have a huge sale on Cyber Monday. They have also announced a deal that takes 50% off select MP3 players.  Unfortunately, select MP3 players only applies to three: the…“ MORE »
• Win $6000+ of computer stuff with the HP Magic Giveaway
  “ Are you ready to win over $6000 worth of computer stuff?  Well, here comes the HP Magic Giveaway and we’re going to help you win!  Gadgetell is participating in this giveaway along with 49 other blogs.   How can you…“ MORE »
• T-Mobile offering the Motorola ZN5 for free, this weekend only
  “ Looking for a great Black Friday phone deal?  If so, you may want to check out the Motorola ZN5 because T-Mobile will be dropping the price down to free.  The good news here is that you can still take care of all your Black…“ MORE »
• SanDisk to have huge sale
  “ A Cyber Weekend sale is coming thanks to SanDisk.  If you don’t want to wake up early and trudge through a mass of humanity to get some deals, you can check out SanDisk’s sale that will take place…“ MORE »
• Amazon Kindle 2 now rumored to be launching early-2009
  “ This certainly is not the first we are hearing about the Kindle 2, however it looks like anyone who was holding out is going to have to wait a little longer. …“ MORE »
• HTC to buy Palm?
  “HTC front man, Peter Chou made three interesting comments on Friday.  HTC is surprising just about everyone with the products they put out now under their own brand.  How good are things for HTC?  Check out these almost outlandish statements below: We have increased production on the G1…“ MORE »
• Gadgetell Listens: Gibson Presents: Hot Tones on HDtracks
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Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Amazon is having some trouble. Maybe they didn’t count on Oprah selling so many units. Maybe they just are really bad at stock management. Whatever the case, shipping on the Kindle ebook reader is currently listed as 11 to 13 weeks time, completely overshooting Christmas and making deliveries at some point in Q1 2009. This will be the second year in a row that the retailer could not meet demand. Last year, with the device being new, Amazon could at least use the excuse that they were ramping up production.

It was back in October that Oprah Winfrey endorsed the Kindle. Amazon is also rumored to be preparing the Kindle’s replacement, which was once expected to be on the market this holiday season, but now it is expected to be delayed until Q1 2009.

If there’s one lesson that everyone already knew, and they should have paid attention to, it’s that the power of Oprah rivals the dark side of the force. If Oprah likes something, make a zillion.

[Slashgear]

Amazon have either underestimated the Oprah-effect or merely messed up on their stock management: shipping on the Kindle ebook reader is currently listed as in 11 to 13 weeks time, overshooting Christmas and pegging deliveries as sometime in Q1 2009.  That makes the second year in a row that the retailer could not meet demand.

Last year, Amazon could at least use the excuse that they were ramping up production on the newly announced device.  Based around a monochrome e-ink display, the Kindle includes EVDO connectivity to wirelessly download books from the company’s store.

Oprah Winfrey warmly endorsed the Kindle on her show back in October, in a move that was predicted to see sales of the ebook reader rapidly rise.  However Amazon are also rumored to be preparing the Kindle’s replacement, once expected to be on the market by this holiday season, but now believed to be delayed until Q1 2009.  It’s unclear what sort of overlap, if any, existing Kindle orders will have with shipments of the new device.

[via I4U]

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We’ve been hearing about the Garmin Nuvifone for quite some time now. It was slated for release earlier this year, but now it seems the early 2009 release timeframe is set in stone. This phone will be offered from a carrier exclusively, though which carrier is still unknown.

The Nuvifone will definitely be a different sort of product for Garmin, who is traditionally known for GPS devices. This phone will of course feature GPS mapping, but it will also sport a 3G data connection.

Anticipated specs include a 3.5-inch touchscreen and a windshield mount, which can hold the device horizontally in order to turn it into a standard GPS. We should hear about the UK carrier for the Nuvifone in the next few months, but we anticipated AT&T will carry it in the US.

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• Amazon Kindle 2 coming early Q1 2009?

Section: Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous

This certainly is not the first we are hearing about the Kindle 2, however it looks like anyone who was holding out is going to have to wait a little longer.  Initially, the Kindle 2 was expected to hit the market this past October, which would have given it a good launch to pick up some holiday sales.  According to the reports, the delay was caused by Jeff Bezos in order to make some last minute changes to the software. 

So what we do know, is that the image of the Kindle 2 (pictured here) is the real deal; you can tell has gotten a slight makeover.  The Kindle 2 is said to be a little bit thinner and also has a slightly redesigned keyboard along with some changes to the buttons on the sides.  Additionally, the device is said to be a little taller than the original.  As for when we can expect the Kindle 2, according to the latest report, it’s “tentatively scheduled” to be available early next quarter.  Judging from the looks of the new model, it seems to be a nice design improvement, but still unknown is what improvements have been made on the software side.  In the meantime I am going to continue enjoying my current Kindle.

Via [TechCrunch]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »