Hasta La Gadget!

There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Kindle Fire HD, but we’ve been finding out more piece by piece since the tablet was revealed yesterday. One detail that has surfaced today is that the Kindle Fire HD will be swapping default search engines. Amazon has updated the Silk browser, and with it comes the swap – Ubergizmo reports that Bing is now the default search engine for Silk, and by extension, the Kindle Fire family.

That’s a change that’s likely to make some waves, considering that Google used to be the default search engine for the Kindle Fire. Ubergizmo said that they didn’t know if users could change the default search engine, but in the time since their hands-on went live, Ars Technica has confirmed with Amazon that changing the default is possible. Bing comes as the default for Silk, Amazon says, but users will have the option of switching to Google or Yahoo if they wish.

So, it isn’t that big of a deal, just an annoyance at first for those who prefer Google. Why did Amazon make the switch? It’s probably because Microsoft paid them to make Bing the default browser. The amount Microsoft paid likely isn’t paltry either – the company is serious about pulling people away from Google and getting them to use Bing, so money probably isn’t an issue for the big M. Microsoft, of course, is declining to comment on the deal with Amazon, but you can bet that some money changed hands in order to get Bing as the featured search engine in Silk.

Microsoft has had a difficult time getting users to leave Google behind and switch to Bing, so it’s no surprise that the company is aggressively trying to get Bing onto as many devices as it can. We’ve seen Bing become a little more prevalent since its launch, but it still has a very long way to go before it can catch up with Google. Perhaps this new team up with Amazon will help with that? We’ll see soon enough. Stay tuned.

Kindle Fire HD snubs Google with Bing integration is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

When you pick up that new Kindle Fire HD this fall, one of the first things you’ll notice is an updated version of Amazon’s Silk web browser with a Trending Now section. It’s a clever trick that takes advantage of Silk’s server-based caching to find out what sites are popular among owners. That sounds good on the surface, but it doesn’t take much effort to realize that there are privacy concerns already in the air — Amazon is sharing personal web habits with a wider audience, after all. While the section is unlikely to include any identifying information, there’s no immediate sign that tablet owners can keep their behavior private, and that could create some indignation among those who’d prefer to surf in isolation. We’ve asked Amazon if there will be an opt-out escape hatch and will let you know if there’s a definitive answer. In the meantime, we wouldn’t necessarily worry. Silk shouldn’t be caching your e-mail, and it’s only likely to ever show pages that have far more traffic than anything you’d be embarrassed to show to others. As far as we can tell, your secret knitting obsession should be safe.

Update: A spokesperson has confirmed that the option to disable Silk’s caching is still available, and that switching it off will cut you out of Trending Now; that’s a very all-or-nothing approach, but it’ll likely suit those put off by the browser’s predictive approach in the first place. Secure pages are still out of the picture as well, which should keep those private Twitter messages out of the equation.

Filed under: Tablets, Internet

Amazon Silk browser on Kindle Fire tracks page visits to generate trends, isn’t as spooky as it sounds (update: opt-out exists) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon’s roster of fresh Kindle Fire slates won’t just be delivering content for your entertainment, they’ll also be serving up ads. That’s right, each of the new tablets will greet users with “Special Offers” on their lock screens like some of the firm’s other e-readers, which matches previous rumors nicely. While the low-end Kindle and Paperwhite devices come in both subsidized and ad-free flavors, its tablet brethren aren’t getting the same treatment. Also, there’s no word if you’ll be able to avoid gracing the advertisements with your eyeballs in exchange for some additional cash once you have the hardware in hand. Alongside messages from other companies, the folks in Seattle promise to offer a $5 credit for both the Amazon MP3 and Instant Video Stores.

Filed under: Tablets

Every new Kindle Fire model is ad-subsidized with lock screen ‘Special Offers’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just as the rumors foretold, the Kindle Fire HD has arrived, and it has a bevy of features in tow. Amazon obviously wants to position itself as a major player in the technology market, which is all well and good, but before we can give Amazon a pat on the back, we need to get down to the nitty gritty and talk pricing. How much will the Kindle Fire HD be with all of its new bells and whistles? The 7-inch Kindle Fire HD, complete with 16GB of storage, comes it at $199.

We suspected as much, mostly because it’s clear that Amazon wants this new tablet to offer some stiff competition to the Nexus 7. If you want the larger, 8.9-inch variant of the Kindle Fire HD (again with 16GB of storage), that’ll cost you $299. Those prices aren’t too bad for either tablet, and we’re sure that Amazon will have no problem netting significant sales from Kindle Fire veterans and newcomers alike. Additionally, the Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE 8.9-inch with 32GB of storage will be available for $499. Amazon’s also got a solid 4G plan ready to go as well – 250MB of data a month, 200GB of cloud storage, and $10 Amazon credit for $50 a year.

The 7-inch Kindle Fire HD will be available on September 14 – just over a week away. If you’re interested in either of the 8.9-inch versions, you’ll have to wait a little bit longer, as those aren’t launching until November 20. This means that all three will be arriving in time for the holiday shopping season, so expect them to be big hits at the tail end of 2012, especially the 7-inch version. All three are available for pre-order today, so have at it folks.

Kindle Fire HD 7-inch priced at $199, 8.9-inch at $299 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Amazon just solved one of the bigger dilemmas for parents buying that new Kindle Fire HD — how to keep the kids in a safe zone for content. It’s introducing Kindle FreeTime, a special mode that makes it easier for younguns to navigate while letting the adults create separate profiles dictating what children can access and for how long. The filters are separated by media type, and Amazon even turns the background from black to blue to reassure parents by the glow of the screen on Junior’s face. We’d call the parental control a long overdue feature, although we’re sure Amazon also sees it as a chance to scoop up an extra Kindle Fire sale or two among families.

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Filed under: Tablets

Amazon unveils Kindle FreeTime, gives kids their own space to play originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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