When Amazon announced their iconic e-reader back in November of 2007, few people thought that the Kindle would go beyond a few iterations. Amazon has now released the latest batch of Kindle products on the world. The announcements bring some already expected news, but also some not previously predicted.
Amazon has announced a total of five new kindles in two different lines. In addition to the new Kindles, the existing basic Kindle also got slightly modiied. The two products lines are Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Fire.
Kindle
The basic Kindle received a nice improvement, a lower price. Instead of being $79 for the Kindle with Ads, and $99 for the Kindle without ads, the price is now $69 for the Kindle with ads, and $89 for the Kindle without ads. While it may be a modest decrease, approximately 13%, the price has significance when it comes to the market. When a customer is in the store and sees a non-Amazon e-reader for $59, and an Amazon Kindle for $69, they may be swayed enough to pay the $10 difference just to get the known name of Amazon. There are a couple of other small features as well. The first is that Amazon has included new fonts, so users can select the font that best suits them. The second feature is crisper text. Better text, with better fonts makes for a better experience overall.
The Kindle Paperwhite comes in two varieties, the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Paperwhite 3G. The Kindle Paperwhite lines includes 62% more pixels and a 25% increase in contrast. The increase in pixels means that text will be even sharper than the previous Kindles. The increased contrast means that the whites will appear to be more white, and the black text will be even darker. The pixel density of the Kindle Paperwhite is 212 pixels per inch (ppi). This is not a shabby number by any stretch. It does not come close to the Apple iPhone's Retina screen; which is 362 pixels per inch, but it does not need to do so.
Kindle Paperwhite
The Kindle Paperwhite line also includes a new feature, a built-in front light. The front light will allow for easier reading while in the sun or in a low-light situation. Amazon states that the front light is exactly like ambient light. This means that it will illuminate the actual kindle screen as if there was a light directly behind you, without the need for there to be one.
In addition to have a better screen and front light. The new Kindle Paperwhite also has increased battery life. It can now get up to 8 weeks of battery life. That number is even with the light on, not the light being off.
One might expect that with this better technology that the new Kindle Paperwhite would be heavy, in comparison to other devices. Well, it's not. It's a whole 7.5 ounces. One might also expect the Kindle Paperwhite to be thick. It's a mere 9.1mm thick.
Along with being thin, light, brighter and having a better screen, Amazon has also improved the Kindle software, specifically for the Kindle Paperwhite. A Kindle Paperwhite owner can now see how much time they have left in their chapter or book.
The Kindle Paperwhite still supports Amazon's X-ray technology. In case you were not aware, X-Ray is a way to see particular parts of a book. For instance, with X-Ray a reader is able to see all of the characters, how often they appear and where. This can be done with just the current page, current chapter, or the entire book.
You may be wondering, how much for this fantastic Kindle, $199, $299, even $399? No, it's merely $119. If you wish to get the 3G model, that will cost your $179. Both models are available for pre-order today and will be shipped on October 1st.
Kindle Serials
Amazon also mentioned their platform, Kindle Direct Publishing, which allows authors to publish within hours, maintain copyright, distribute their work globally and above all, keep 70% of the royalty. Out of the Top 100 Kindle books, 27 of these are Kindle Direct Publishing books.
Amazon also made the point that there are two different types of articles within physical media. The short work, called Magazine Articles, which are usually less than 5000 words, and the longer works, called Books, which are typically over 30,000 words. Amazon likes to serve all users, hence why they created their Kindle Singles platform. Kindle Singles are there for those who like to publish items in-between these two numbers. Items that are longer than a magazine article, but shorter than a full-length novel.
Amazon has created a new category of items, Kindle Serials. Kindle Serials is a way for authors to deliver a whole book over time, much like serials were published in the days of yore. With Kindle Serials, a new ‘episode' is published every month. With Kindle Serials, you buy once and get the future episodes for free. How much is a Kindle Serial, you ask? I'm glad you asked. You can get a Kindle Serial for the low-low price of $1.99 per serial. That's $1.99 per serial, not episode. I see Kindle Serials taking off at some point. For those who are huge Charles Dickens' fans, all of Dickens' books are be re-released as Kindle Serials.
Kindle Fire
One of the biggest rumors leading up to the Amazon event was that they would release a new Kindle Fire. Amazon did not disappoint. Immediately following Kindle Serials, Amazon talked about their new Kindle Fire. The new Kindle Fire has 40% faster performance, a big improvement, a new faster processor, twice as much RAM, and even longer battery life. On top of the overall improvement, the price has also been reduced by 20%, to $159. This is down from $199. The new Kindle Fire is available for pre-order and will ship on September 14th.
Kindle Fire HD
Many users would be grateful for what Amazon had already announced, but Amazon was not yet finished. Amazon also announced the Kindle Fire HD. The Kindle Fire HD is an 8.9″ High Definition tablet that sports a 1920 x 1200 In-Plane switched (IPS) display. This high-definition screen is 254 pixels per inch. One of the aspects to the Kindle Fire HD screen is a feature Amazon called “Advanced True Wide Polarizing Filter(s)”. This filter allows for a full spectrum of color at any angle. If you have ever been looking at a television, or any display for that fact, and noticed that the colors start to change and fade after you move to a certain angle, that's due to the screen not having that specific viewing angle. This is not the case with the Amazon Kindle Fire HD.
The HD display also brings with it, HD content. In order to drive that HD content, the internals of the Kindle Fire HD need to be in-place as well. Amazon has included a new OMAP 4470 processor from Texas Instruments. The Nvidia Tegra 3 is considered one of the best processors for mobile, that is widely available. To give a comparison, Amazon claims that the OMAP 4470 can do 12 Billion floating point operations, while the Tegra 3 can only do 3 Billion. The Memory bandwidth on the processor is 7.5GB per second, while the Tegra 3 can handle 5.3GB per second. This means that the OMAP 4470 has a 40% wider memory bus. This will make processing much quicker.
To go with the processor, Amazon also included a better sound system. To take a dig at Apple, Amazon states, quite correctly, that the iPad only has one speaker which can produce mono sound quality. Amazon is including Dolby Digital Plus with the Kindle Fire HD. The Kindle Fire HD has an exclusive audio engine that has been designed just for the Kindle Fire HD. Dolby Digital sound would make a significant improvement when it comes to watching movies.
Better Processor, fantastic display, and great sound, that's plenty. Not for Amazon it's not. Amazon also included an upgraded Wireless to include dual antennas. The two antennas means that no matter which hand you're using with your Kindle Fire HD, it cannot block any signal because the software is smart enough to know which antenna has less interference. Furthermore, Amazon also included MIMO wireless technology with the Kindle Fire HD and it supports both the 2.4GHz band as well as the 5.0GHz wireless band.
With an High Definition display and high definition content, comes increased sizes of media. Many tablets today, excluding Apple's iPad, include only 8GB. Amazon realized that this would not be feasible and has started the Kindle Fire HD off at 16GB of storage. 16GB of storage is a lot of storage.
Property Integrations
Back in January of 2008 Amazon acquired a company called Audible. Audible, in case you're not aware, is the Internet's largest seller of audiobooks. Audible is who provides content for all of the audiobooks in Apple's library. While users have been able to download and listen to their Audible books on Kindle devices since the Kindle 2, there has been one requested feature; The ability to read and listen to the audiobook simultaneously. Guess what Amazon has done.
Amazon has introduced a new feature called Whispersync for voice. Whispersync with voice will allow readers to sync the Kindle copy of their book with their Audible version. This means that a user can listen and read simultaneously. Imagine, having a child who is dyslexic. Imagine if they could listen to an Audiobook as well as read the words on the page. This could be a huge thing for students. Whispersync for voice is not just for those with reading deficiencies. New readers will also benefit from this new feature. The new reader will be able to have a professional read the audiobook while they follow along and see the words and learn the words. Amazon creates Amazon calls the ability to listen to the Audiobook and read along ‘Immersion Reading'.
The Kindle Fire HD will be a great way to watch movies. How would one go about looking for facts about movies while watching a movie on the Kindle Fire HD? My, and may people's, first inclination is to go to another Amazon property, IMDB. Amazon purchased IMDB back in 1998. If you have smartphone or laptop you could use that to look up information, but Amazon has a better solution. X-Ray for Movies. Amazon is leveraging the vast amounts of information contained within IMDB to provide Kindle Fire HD users the ability to look up all of the information on the movie that they are currently watching. This is a nice touch.
Amazon also added a ton of other features to the Kindle Fire HD. These include Whispersync for games. With Whispersync for games you will never have to start a game over just because you switch devices. You'll never have to unlock the same achievements again. All of this information will be stored in Amazon's cloud to be available on all of your Kindle Fire devices.
Amazon has also improved email by including Microsoft Exchange support. Along with Exchange support, Amazon has also added the ability to synchronize contacts and calendars from Google, Hotmail and Yahoo!.
To bring even more people together Amazon has included a custom Facebook application along with Skype. These will let people connect together.
Amazon has also included some parental controls so that parents can control how much time one spend on their Kindle. Amazon has named this ‘Kindle Free Time'. Parents can choose how much time a child can read books, watch videos, and use applications. These can be set for a daily basis. There is also the ability to have multiple profiles, so each child can have their own profile. ]]
Now that you've read all about the new Kindle Fire HD. How much would you expect to pay? $399? $499? $599? The 16GB 7″ version of the Kindle Fire HD is $199. It is available for ordering today and will ship on September 14th. The 16GB 8.9″ model is $299 and will be available on November 20th.
4G Connectivity
There is one last model of Kindle Fire HD that Amazon has also created the Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE edition. The Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE edition is the same as the Kindle Fire HD, with the additional option of 4G LTE connectivity. The 4G LTE connectivity allows for 250MB per month, gives you 20GB of Cloud Storage with Amazon, and a $10 Amazon AppStore Credit. All of this for $49.99 per year. Now the Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE is a bit pricier at $499. You can pre-order the Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE today and it will ship on November 20th.
Final Thoughts
This is all of the Kindles that Amazon has released. This is the fifth-generation of Kindles. Amazon has outdone themselves again this year. With each model, from the Kindle getting the $10 price drop to $69, to the new Kindle Paperwhite models with their brighter screens and crisper text, to the new Kindle Fire that is faster and to the Kindle Fire HD line, Amazon has produced a great line of products. Only time will be able to tell just how well these products work, but it is Amazon and they have build quality down. Amazon has made it very difficult for its competitors to keep up to date with the e-reader juggernaut known as Amazon.
[showhide type=”pressrelease”]Audible and Amazon Introduce “Immersion Reading” and “Whispersync for Voice”—Two Momentous Steps Forward for Reading“Immersion Reading”—the revolutionary multisensory reading experience that intensifies the power of great stories and helps readers retain more of what they read—available exclusively with the all-new Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD family
“Whispersync for Voice”—for the first time ever readers can enjoy their books throughout a busy day—start reading on your Kindle and pick up where you left off by listening to the professionally narrated Audible audiobook on your phone while driving or running—all without losing your place
NEWARK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sep. 6, 2012– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Audible.com, the world’s leading provider of digital spoken-word entertainment and a subsidiary of Amazon.com, today announced two momentous steps forward for reading: “Immersion Reading” and “Whispersync for Voice.” Both new features are offered only by Amazon and are exclusive to the Kindle ecosystem.
New “Whispersync for Voice”
Amazon’s Whispersync technology already enables customers to automatically and seamlessly switch between different devices while reading a Kindle book—all without losing their place. Last year with the introduction of Kindle Fire, Amazon extended Whispersync to video, allowing customers to start watching a video on their Kindle Fire and pick up where they left off on their big-screen TV. With Whispersync for Voice, Kindle and Kindle Fire owners can now switch seamlessly between reading a book and listening to the professionally narrated Audible audiobook on any iOS or Android phone—all without losing their place. This continuous reading experience means that Kindle owners can keep enjoying their books while driving to work or picking up the kids from school.
“Most people I know believe that if they only had more time to read, they would be more imaginative, more interesting, and more successful. Whispersync for Voice directly addresses that need,” said Donald Katz, Audible Founder and CEO. “The ability to seamlessly switch back and forth between reading text on any Kindle and listening to the same title in audio on your smartphone—and always pick up where you left off—means that the story can continue during those times of the day when you cannot look at a screen. We think that Whispersync for Voice can help us all enjoy more books, which is good news indeed.”
New “Immersion Reading”
With Immersion Reading, owners of new Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD can now synchronize Kindle text with the corresponding Audible.com audiobook to create a more immersive and engaging experience, as well as deepen learning and comprehension. As customers read their books on Kindle Fire, text is highlighted while it is professionally narrated via the Audible audiobook. Academic research supports the assertion that all readers can benefit from listening while reading. In an influential 2007 study, “Learning through Listening in the Digital World,” neuropsychologist David Rose and professor Bridget Dalton drew upon cognitive educational research to report that “both learning to listen and listening to learn are critical to literacy in the 21st century as new technologies rebalance what it means to be literate and to learn.” Professor David Dockterman commented on Rose’s and Dalton’s findings, “For struggling readers, narration can provide decoding support, but there’s an added benefit to well-narrated text that helps even competent readers. Hearing something read with expression provides additional clues to the meaning beyond the words themselves.”
“At Amazon we are missionaries when it comes to inventing on behalf of authors and readers. We’re excited today to unveil our latest innovations that will help people read more and retain more of what they read. Reading and listening together has been shown to increase the motivation to read, and it can have meaningful impact on reading retention—Immersion Reading on the new Kindle Fire family sets a new standard for deep reading by engaging the eye and the ear simultaneously with beautifully narrated audiobooks,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “Anyone who wants more time to read, or never wants to put a great book down because it’s time to drive to work or exercise, will love Whispersync for Voice—it offers our customers the profound gift of more time to read.”
Starting today, nearly 15,000 Kindle books and 15,000 Audible audiobooks across a wide array of categories and genres are available for customers to experience using Immersion Reading and Whispersync for Voice. Customers are invited to try both products for free for a limited time with 20 Kindle and Audible audio titles, including full-length classics like “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” narrated by Elijah Wood, and popular children’s books like “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” narrated by Anne Hathaway. Customers who purchase or already own the Kindle edition of one of the nearly 15,000 Whispersync for Voice- or Immersion Reading-ready titles available at launch can add professional narration at a special limited time discount off the full audiobook price, with the discounted price ranging from $4.95 to $12.95.
To use Whispersync for Voice to switch between text and audio using Kindles and their smartphone, customers can download Audible’s free mobile app for iPhone and Android phones.
To see a video demonstration of Whispersync for Voice, visit http://www.audible.com/wsv. To see a demonstration of Immersion Reading, visit http://www.audible.com/immersion.
ABOUT AUDIBLE, INC.
Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc., subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio information and entertainment on the Internet, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. Audible’s mission is to establish literate listening as a core tool for anyone seeking to be more productive, better informed, or more thoughtfully entertained. Audible content, which includes more than 100,000 audio programs from more than 1,800 content providers that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers, is digitally downloaded and played back on over 500 popular devices. Audible is also the preeminent provider of spoken-word audio products for Apple’s iTunes® Store.
Source: Audible.com[/showhide]
[showhide type=”pressrelease”]Introducing “X-Ray for Movies,” Powered by IMDb and Available Exclusively on the All-New Kindle Fire Family
For the first time ever, customers can see the names and filmographies of the actors in a scene simply by tapping on the screen
The classic movie questions — “Who’s that guy?” and “What’s he been in?” — are answered instantly with a tap
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sep. 6, 2012– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon and IMDb today introduced “X-Ray for Movies,” a new feature that revolutionizes the movie experience by bringing the power of IMDb directly to movies on Kindle Fire HD, accessible with a simple tap. Without ever leaving the movie, customers can look up any actor in the scene or movie, see what other movies they have been in, and view photos, biographies and more. X-Ray is offered only by Amazon and is exclusive to the Amazon ecosystem. IMDb, an Amazon company for 14 years, is the #1 movie website in the world with more than 160 million monthly unique visitors worldwide.
X-Ray for Movies. (Photo: Business Wire)
“X-Ray for Movies revolutionizes the way we watch movies, offering an immediate and easy way to know ‘Who’s that guy?’ and ‘What’s he been in?’,” said Col Needham, IMDb’s founder and CEO. “This is the culmination of everything we’ve been working on for over 20 years and is the result of a combination of sophisticated technology and old-fashioned hard work. Backed by the millions of pieces of data in IMDb’s catalog, X-Ray will change the way you watch, discover and enjoy movies — movie lovers will have to see it to believe it.”
Didn’t realize that the actress playing Katniss Everdeen also starred in Winter’s Bone, a movie you’ve been meaning to watch? With X-Ray for Movies, Kindle Fire owners can simply tap to see other movies that include the actors on-screen, another tap adds it to their Watchlist — all without ever leaving their current movie. X-Ray is powered by the over 100 million data items in IMDb’s searchable database, including photos, bios, filmographies and other contextual information that has been accumulated over the past 20 years.
Customers can learn more about X-Ray for Movies at www.imdb.com/x-ray, and can experience X-Ray for themselves by ordering one of the new Kindle Fire devices from www.amazon.com/kindlefirehd.
About IMDb
IMDb is the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. The IMDb consumer site (www.imdb.com) is the #1 movie website in the world with a combined web and mobile audience of more than 160 million unique monthly visitors. IMDb offers a searchable database of more than 100 million data items including more than 2 million movies, TV and entertainment programs and more than 4 million cast and crew members. Consumers rely on the information IMDb provides — including showtimes, trailers, critic and user reviews, personalized recommendations, photo galleries, entertainment news, quotes, trivia, box-office data, editorial feature sections and a universal Watchlist — when making viewing decisions. IMDb’s portfolio of leading entertainment apps includes its popular “Movies & TV” app for iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Android phones, Android tablets, Windows Phone and its mobile-optimized website. To date, there have been more than 40 million downloads of IMDb’s mobile apps worldwide. To learn more, go to: (http://www.imdb.com/apps/). IMDb Pro (http://www.imdbpro.com) is a subscription version of IMDb designed exclusively for professionals who work in the entertainment industry. IMDb Pro provides contact information, in production listings for film and television projects and exclusive STARmeter rankings that are determined by user searches on IMDb. Additionally, IMDb owns and operates Withoutabox (http://www.withoutabox.com), a marketplace for film festivals and filmmakers, and Box Office Mojo (http://www.boxofficemojo.com), the leading online box-office reporting service. IMDb.com is operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) (http://www.amazon.com). To learn more, go to: http://www.imdb.com/press.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.[/showhide]
[showhide type=”pressrelease”]Amazon Publishing Introduces Kindle Serials—Great Stories, One Episode at a Time
Kindle Serials launching today, enabling readers to buy a book once and follow as it’s written, with future episodes added seamlessly at no additional cost
Readers can join the conversation on Amazon discussion boards as the stories unfold – allowing authors to hear from readers in real-time and perhaps influence a story’s path
Building on innovations like Kindle Owners’ Lending Library and Kindle Singles, Amazon Publishing extends Kindle’s already rich and unique content ecosystem with another innovation for authors and readers
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sep. 6, 2012– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Long before the advent of digital publishing, great writers like Charles Dickens wrote many of their works serially, a practice that offered a particular rhythm, often punctuated by cliffhangers to keep readers looking forward to the next episode. Today, Amazon.com announced the launch of Kindle Serials – a new way for customers to enjoy serialized stories on Kindle. Kindle Serials are stories that are published in episodes. When you buy a Kindle Serial you will immediately receive all existing episodes, followed later by future episodes when they are published. When new episodes arrive, they are simply added to the end of your existing book, keeping your place and retaining your highlights and notes. Readers can also join the conversation on Amazon discussion boards as the stories unfold – allowing the authors to learn from readers in real-time and perhaps influence a story’s path.
“Serialized content, whether it’s a TV show, movie trilogy or written work, is a great and much-loved form of entertainment – it leaves viewers and readers wanting more, eagerly anticipating the fates of their favorite characters,” said Jeff Belle, Vice President, Amazon Publishing. “With Kindle Serials, we’re bringing episodic books to readers in a unique way that’s seamless and hassle-free, with new episodes being added to the book as they’re published. And readers can discuss the stories on Amazon discussion boards as they’re being written – like virtual water cooler conversations – perhaps even influencing where the next episode may go. As with Kindle Singles, we’re aiming to open up new ways for authors to write and customers to enjoy great writing – we think people are going to love this format.”
Customers can try out the program for free by downloading Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist” or “The Pickwick Papers,” published with their original covers and illustrations, delivered in the same segments they were published in during Dickens’ day.
Kindle Serials are published by Amazon Publishing and exclusive to the Kindle Store. They are now available in a new section at www.amazon.com/kindleserials. The first eight Kindle Serials are available today at the introductory price of $1.99 and include:
“The Circuit Rider” by Dani Amore: Mike Tower is a traveling preacher with a mysterious past making his way across the American West in the late 1800s. Traveling with his sharpshooter bodyguard, a hard-drinking woman named Bird Hitchcock, they’re forced to protect each other during the long ‘circuit ride’ that promises to be one they’ll never forget.
“The Many Lives of Lilith Lane” by E.V. Anderson: A high school girl discovers a way to pass between two parallel universes and uses this dimensional doorway to attempt to solve her younger sister’s kidnapping. (A collaboration between Amazon Publishing and Plympton.)
“Shop Til You Drop…Dead” by Carol Culver: Cory Sutherland’s last day as the personal assistant to wealthy San Francisco socialite Missy Graybar couldn’t possibly be worse, particularly when Cory finds Missy murdered. When Cory is charged with the murder, she realizes that if she doesn’t find the real killer, she might end up in jail for life. With the help of her ex-husband and the very sexy detective on the case, Cory crisscrosses the city in search of clues that may lead her to the killer.
“9th Circle” by Carolyn McCray and Ben Hopkin: Seattle has become the playground for the most vicious killer the nation has ever known, and only autistic Detective Robi Darcmel can look past the carnage and into the killer’s mind. As even more bizarre murders occur across the city, he begins to realize the scope of the killer’s madness – the murderer is recreating the 9 Circles of Hell.
“Love is Strong as Death” by Carolyn Nash: A hard-boiled investigative journalist learns more about herself than she ever wanted to know when she and her writing partner get assigned to a “haunted house” story that starts to feel personal. History begins to repeat itself as the details circling the members of a deceased family start to be uncovered. (A collaboration between Amazon Publishing and Plympton.)
“Option to Kill” by Andrew Peterson: Former Marine sniper and CIA operations officer Nathan McBride returns in this action-packed follow-up to the best-selling “Forced to Kill.” McBride finds himself teamed up with Lauren, a 12-year-old girl he rescues from a kidnapping. Played out over the course of 36 lightning-fast hours, Nathan and Lauren form a desperate and unlikely alliance to try and stay one step ahead of her kidnapper and the brutal mercenaries who will kill anyone who gets in their way.
“Downward-Facing Death” by Neal Pollack: When the wealthy founder of one of L.A.’s biggest yoga empires is found brutally murdered, former LAPD detective and struggling yoga instructor Matt Bolster thinks he may have found the break he’s needed. Yoga isn’t paying the bills and when Bolster’s former boss calls for help, Bolster takes on the case. Of course sticking to the principles of the yamas and niyamas during a murder investigation isn’t easy. But personal ethics will be the least of Bolster’s problems if the killer finds him first.
“Hacker Mom” by Austen Rachlis: A stay-at-home mom married to a straight-arrow government lawyer finds self-fulfillment in a secret life as she ascends the ranks of an online international whistle-blowing ring. (A collaboration between Amazon Publishing and Plympton.)
“When Amazon Publishing told me about the Kindle Serials program, I wanted to participate right away,” said Neal Pollack, author of “Downward-Facing Death.” “I've been writing serialized fiction since I was a kid, and I'm thrilled to be doing it again, nearly 30 years later, with an (at least somewhat) adult sensibility. Serialized fiction is perfect for contemporary book culture, where writers interact with their readers directly and books can be delivered with an immediacy that the old pulp writers never could have imagined. It's fast and fun and you barely have time to blink. I can't wait to see how my book ends!”
“I feel honored to participate in the launch of Kindle Serials,” said Andrew Peterson, authors of “Option to Kill.” “Writing and publishing stories in serialized form is ideal for thrillers because keeping readers engaged and wanting more is the goal of every thriller novelist. It’s exciting to see Amazon develop new and innovative ways for readers to enjoy books – I think readers are going to love Kindle Serials.”
To be considered for Kindle Serials, interested parties should visit www.amazon.com/kindleserialssubmissions and submit ideas.
Kindle Serials are “Buy Once, Read Everywhere” – customers will be able to read them on any Kindle device or free Kindle reading app. Amazon’s Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off. In addition, with the Kindle Worry-Free Archive, Kindle Serials will be automatically backed up online in your Kindle Library on Amazon where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime.
Amazon Publishing is the publishing arm of Amazon.com. Amazon Publishing’s West Coast Group includes imprints AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing, Montlake Romance, Thomas & Mercer and 47North. Amazon Publishing’s East Coast Group publishes adult trade, children’s and young adult titles. For more information about all imprints of Amazon Publishing, visit www.amazon.com/amazonpublishing. Amazon Publishing is a brand used by Amazon Content Services, LLC.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the most-advanced e-reader ever constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, extra-long battery life, and a thin and light design. The new latest generation Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now features new, improved fonts and faster page turns. Kindle Fire HD features a stunning custom high-definition display, exclusive Dolby audio with dual stereo speakers, high-end, laptop-grade Wi-Fi with dual-band support and dual-antennas/MIMO for 40% faster throughput than other tablets, enough storage for HD content, and the latest generation processor and graphics engine—and it is available in two display sizes—7” and 8.9”. Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, and www.amazon.es. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.[/showhide]
[showhide type=”pressrelease”]Amazon Takes on the High-End—Introducing the New Kindle Fire HD Family
$199 now gets you the world’s most-advanced 7” tablet, with a stunning custom HD display, the fastest Wi-Fi, exclusive Dolby audio, powerful processor and graphics engine, and 16 GB of storage—all backed by the world’s best content ecosystem, the best cross-platform interoperability, and the best customer service
$299 now gets you all the same advanced technology on a stunning 8.9” large-screen 1920×1200 HD display with 254 ppi and a powerful OMAP4 4470 processor and graphics engine
$499 now gets you the same high-end large-screen HD tablet, 32 GB of storage, plus ultra-fast 4G LTE wireless powered by the latest generation 4G chipset, and Amazon’s groundbreaking $49.99 one year 4G LTE data package—customers save hundreds of dollars in the first year compared to other 4G tablets
New inventions exclusively on the new family of Kindle Fire devices—X-Ray for Movies, X-Ray for Textbooks, Immersion Reading, Whispersync for Voice, Whispersync for Games, and Kindle FreeTime
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sep. 6, 2012– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Less than one year ago, Amazon introduced Kindle Fire—combining 15 years of innovation into a fully-integrated, end-to-end service for customers. Kindle Fire quickly became the most successful product launch in the history of Amazon.com, earning over 10,000 5-star customer reviews, remaining the #1 best-selling product across the millions of items available on Amazon since its introduction, and capturing 22% of U.S. tablet sales in just nine months. Today, Amazon is excited to announce that it’s taking on the high-end with Kindle Fire HD—the next generation of Kindle Fire.
Kindle Fire HD (Photo: Business Wire)
The Kindle Fire HD family—the most-advanced tablets:
Ultra-fast 4G LTE wireless, powered by the latest generation 4G chipset, support for all 10 4G bands, and Amazon’s breakthrough 4G LTE data package—customers save hundreds of dollars in the first year compared to other 4G tablets.
Stunning custom HD display with in-plane switching, Advanced True Wide polarizing filter and custom laminated touch sensor for 25% less glare with rich color and deep contrast from any viewing angle.
Fastest Wi-Fi of any tablet—dual antenna, dual-band, and MIMO—40% faster downloads and streaming compared to the next fastest tablet.
High-performance processor and graphics engine for snappy and smooth performance.
Dual stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus audio—the standard in high-end audio—available for the first time on a tablet.
Kindle Fire HD starts with 16 GB of local storage, enough to accommodate the larger file sizes of HD content.
Exceptional battery life—7” Kindle Fire HD gets 11 hours of battery life.
Front-facing HD camera with custom Skype application for video calling from anywhere in the world.
New Amazon-exclusive features like X-Ray for Movies, X-Ray for Textbooks, Immersion Reading, Whispersync for Voice, Whispersync for Games, and Kindle FreeTime.
World’s best content ecosystem—over 22 million movies, TV shows, songs, apps, games, books, audiobooks and magazines.
Best cross-platform interoperability, with Amazon apps available on the largest number of devices and platforms so customers can access content anytime, anywhere.
Amazon’s top-rated, world-class customer service.
Amazon is also introducing an all-new upgraded version of the best-selling standard definition Kindle Fire with a faster processor, twice the memory and longer battery life—all for an even lower breakthrough price—only $159. Meet the all-new Kindle Fire family at www.amazon.com/kindlefirehd.
“We’re taking on the most popular price point for a tablet, $499, but doubling the storage and incredibly, adding ultra-fast 4G LTE wireless,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “Kindle Fire HD is not only the most-advanced hardware, it’s also a service. When combined with our enormous content ecosystem, unmatched cross-platform interoperability and standard-setting customer service, we hope people will agree that Kindle Fire HD is the best high-end tablet anywhere, at any price.”
The Best Hardware
Stunning Custom HD Display
The 8.9” display on Kindle Fire HD features an incredible 254 pixels per inch with a resolution of 1920×1200, with pixels that are indistinguishable to the human eye. The 7” Kindle Fire HD features a stunning HD display with 1280×800 resolution that delivers deep, detailed contrast and rich, natural color. Kindle Fire HD also uses Gorilla Glass to provide superior strength and reliability. Kindle Fire HD starts with excellent resolution, but that is only the beginning—Amazon also added custom features that reduce glare and improve color saturation at any viewing angle.
Most tablet displays are made up of two pieces of glass—an LCD on the bottom and a touch sensor on the top, separated by an air gap. This air gap allows light to come through the touch sensor and reflect off the LCD, which causes added glare for the user. Fire HD solves this air gap problem by laminating the touch sensor and the LCD together into a single layer of glass, creating a display that is easy to view even in overhead light, and reducing glare by 25% relative to the latest generation iPad.
Like many tablets, Kindle Fire HD uses in-plane switching (IPS) to improve color reproduction. But displays that only use IPS still appear washed out at various angles, such as laid sideways in bed, flat on a table, or propped up in a case. Fire HD features an Advanced True Wide polarizing filter that is applied directly to the LCD panel. This results in a display that shows the same deep contrast and rich, detailed color from any angle.
High-End Laptop-Quality Wi-Fi—40% Faster Downloads and High-Speed Streaming
HD content has much larger file sizes than standard definition content—for example, Marvel’s The Avengers in standard definition is 785 MB, but in HD, The Avengers is 2.97 GB. Files of this size require the very latest in Wi-Fi technology to download or stream the HD content quickly and reliably—anything else results in buffering, slow downloads and dropped connections. Many Wi-Fi enabled devices only use the 2.4 GHz wireless frequency. This frequency is crowded since it is used by everything from other tablets to microwave ovens, baby monitors, Bluetooth devices, not to mention the neighbors’ Wi-Fi networks. Kindle Fire HD circumvents this congestion with state-of-the-art dual-band Wi-Fi. Kindle Fire HD can automatically switch between the 2.4 GHz network and the newer, less crowded 5 GHz network, resulting in better range and less interference. In addition, dual antennas and Multiple In/Multiple Out (MIMO) allow for higher bandwidth and longer range. The new Kindle Fire HD is the first tablet to market with all three of these latest generation Wi-Fi technologies—dual-band support, dual antennas, and MIMO. This is the first time this state-of-the-art Wi-Fi technology has been offered in a tablet, resulting in 40% faster throughput compared to the latest generation iPad.
Latest Generation 4G LTE Wireless
The large-screen Kindle Fire HD is also available with ultra-fast 4G LTE, with download speeds as fast as Wi-Fi. To keep the 4G Kindle Fire HD just 8.8 mm thin, Amazon custom-designed its 4G wireless modem to be just 2.2 mm. Some 4G devices don’t support all of the non-4G bands—Kindle Fire HD includes support for 10-bands, so even if a customer doesn’t have perfect 4G coverage, the Kindle will fall back to the fastest available 3G speeds.
Amazon’s Breakthrough 4G LTE Data Package
The 4G Kindle Fire HD comes with the most affordable 4G tablet data package. Customers will have access to a 12-month data plan with 250MB per month, 20GB of Amazon Cloud storage, and a $10 credit in the Amazon Appstore for a one-time cost of $49.99. In fact, when you combine the cost of the device and the data plan, customers who purchase the Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE will pay over $400 less than latest generation iPad owners in the first year of ownership. Customers can also choose to upgrade to 3 GB or 5 GB data plans from AT&T directly from the device.
8 GB of Storage is Not Enough for an HD Tablet
Customers want to enjoy HD content if they have an HD tablet—and 8 GB of on-device storage isn’t enough for the larger HD file sizes. The 7” Kindle Fire HD is available with 16 GB or 32 GB of on-device storage, and the large screen Kindle Fire is available with 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of on-device storage. This large on-device storage capacity is in addition to the free storage Amazon provides for Amazon digital content in the Amazon Cloud. Amazon digital content is automatically backed up for free in the Amazon Cloud’s Worry-Free Archive where it’s available anytime.
Powerful World-Class Processor—Snappy and Smooth
An HD display and HD content must be driven by a powerful processor and optimized software. The Kindle Fire HD family features world-class processors and the new Imagination Technologies graphics engine for lightning-fast HD graphics and excellent fluidity. The 8.9” Kindle Fire HD is powered by the latest generation OMAP4 4470 processor and Imagination SGX544 graphics engine capable of over 12 billion floating point operations per second—50 percent more than Tegra 3, and both Kindle Fire HD 7” and 8.9” come with higher memory bandwidth than Tegra 3. Combining the latest generation processors with significant customization of the Kindle Fire software by Amazon engineers results in a snappy and smooth experience for the user.
Dual Stereo Speakers and Exclusive Dolby Audio—The New Standard for Tablet Audio
Customers shouldn’t need to wear headphones while watching a movie on a tablet to get excellent sound. Kindle Fire HD solves this by combining dual stereo speakers with the next generation Dolby Digital Plus audio platform—the standard in high performance audio—to offer a world-class audio experience. Dolby’s audio suite for Kindle Fire HD includes technology used to adjust volume and deliver easier-to-understand dialogue in movies and TV shows. Kindle Fire HD automatically optimizes the audio profile based on what a customer is doing, such as watching a movie, listening to music, using third party apps like Pandora and Netflix, and also optimizes for headphones versus speakers. All of these pieces combine to create an exceptional audio experience that results in clearer, crisper and balanced sound quality.
11 Hours of Battery Life
The 7” Kindle Fire HD is optimized to deliver high performance without sacrificing battery life, delivering over 11 hours of battery life.
Thin and Light
Even with a custom display, a powerful processor, extra speakers and dual-band/dual-antenna Wi-Fi, the new Kindle Fire HD is extremely light and thin. In fact, Kindle Fire HD 8.9” weighs only 20 ounces and is just 8.8 mm thin. Kindle Fire HD 7” is small enough to take everywhere and light enough to hold easily and comfortably in one hand.
Connect with Bluetooth and HDMI
Kindle Fire HD supports Bluetooth, enabling customers to connect their wireless Bluetooth headphones or Bluetooth speakers to listen to songs, videos or audiobooks. With Bluetooth connectivity, customers can also easily connect to a wide range of Bluetooth-enabled keyboards. HDMI out makes it easy for customers to connect the Kindle Fire HD to their big-screen TV to enjoy their favorite HD videos and photos.
Stay in Touch with Front-Facing HD Camera
The new Kindle Fire HD features a front-facing HD camera. Skype created a customized app tailored for Kindle Fire HD that is ready to use out of the box for free HD video calls at home and abroad. Kindle Fire HD makes it easy for the over 500 million customers already using Skype to get in touch with friends and family.
Beautiful Leather Covers
Covers for Kindle Fire HD feature a premium textured leather exterior in a variety of colors and a subtle woven nylon interior to provide the lightest and thinnest form of protection. The integrated magnetic clasp ensures the cover remains securely closed while in a backpack, purse, or briefcase. The cover automatically wakes Kindle Fire HD upon opening and puts it to sleep when closed, making it easy to dive right back into whatever content a customer is enjoying.
All-New Features Only Amazon Can Offer
X-Ray for Books
One year ago, Amazon introduced X-Ray on Kindle Touch, and customers loved it. Amazon is extending X-Ray to books on Kindle Fire, making it easier than ever for customers to learn more about the content they love by exploring the “bones of the book.” With a single tap, readers can see all the passages across a book that mention ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics that interest them, as well as more detailed descriptions from Wikipedia and Shelfari, Amazon’s community-powered encyclopedia for book lovers.
X-Ray for Movies
“X-Ray for Movies” is a new feature that revolutionizes the movie experience by bringing the power of IMDb directly to movies on Kindle Fire HD, accessible with a simple tap. Without ever leaving the movie, customers can look up any actor in the scene or movie, see what other movies they have been in, and view photos, biographies and more. X-Ray is offered only by Amazon and is exclusive to the Amazon ecosystem. IMDb, an Amazon company for 14 years, is the #1 movie website in the world with more than 160 million monthly unique visitors worldwide.
X-Ray for Textbooks
Glossaries in print textbooks contain the most important information for students, but they’re placed inconveniently in the back of the book. And glossaries don't always contain enough information for students working to understand new concepts. X-Ray for Textbooks solves these problems by integrating the glossary directly into each textbook page and by algorithmically assembling related data from Wikipedia and YouTube.
Immersion Reading
Research supports that readers can benefit from listening while reading. Together, Amazon and Audible invented “Immersion Reading,” allowing customers to fuse together printed text and professionally-narrated audiobooks, giving readers the ability to experience their reading with two senses—sight and sound. As the reader views the text of their book on Kindle Fire, text is highlighted as it is professionally-narrated, creating a more immersive experience, as well as deeper learning and comprehension.
Whispersync for Voice
Whispersync for Voice allows customers to synchronize their Kindle books with professionally-narrated audiobooks—customers can start reading a book on Kindle Fire and seamlessly switch to listening to the companion audiobook, picking up exactly where they left off. With Whispersync for Voice, customers can continue enjoying books during commutes or any other time their eyes are busy. When they get in the car, customers can effortlessly pick up the story right where they left off reading by listening to the professionally-narrated audiobook using Bluetooth on Kindle Fire HD or with any Audible app on their smartphone.
Ideal for Gaming
Amazon has worked with leading developers to offer new Android games exclusively on Kindle Fire HD, including Activision’s popular Skylanders Cloud Patrol franchise and Crytek’s Fibble. In Skylanders Cloud Patrol, gamers will discover a new feature—the ability to purchase physical toys from within a game. Customers will be able to purchase a unique Skylanders character with a single click, and Amazon.com will deliver it to their doorstep. In addition to hardware that’s perfect for gaming like stunning custom HD displays, fast Wi-Fi and large on-device storage, the Kindle Fire HD family also offers HD Games, gyroscope and accelerometer for full tilt and turn controls, as well as social gaming features including group leaderboards and achievements.
Whispersync for Games
One of the biggest frustrations of mobile gaming is that when customers switch devices or delete and re-install the game on the same device, they have to start a level over or go back to the beginning of the game. To solve this problem, Amazon extended its Whispersync technology to gaming with Whispersync for Games. Whispersync for Games syncs a customer’s place in the game and saves unlocked levels, so even if they get a new device, the progress is backed up in the cloud.
Kindle FreeTime
Amazon today reinvented parental controls with Kindle FreeTime. FreeTime gives parents easy-to-use tools to personalize their children’s digital media experience. With FreeTime, parents never have to worry what content their kids will access—parents select all of the content their kids can see and kids can’t exit FreeTime without a password. FreeTime also lets parents limit their kids’ screen time by content type—they may choose to limit videos and games, for example, but make reading time unlimited. Kindle FreeTime will be available for free on all of the new Kindle Fire devices starting in the coming weeks.
Cloud-Accelerated Silk Browser
The new Kindle Fire family uses a new version of Amazon Silk with the unique “split browser” architecture that leverages the computing speed and power of Amazon Web Services to deliver content faster. The new Amazon Silk browser features an updated core rendering engine and a reengineered transport layer that contribute to faster page loads. Customers can experience full-screen browsing, reading view, and improved browsing with most-visited, trending and recommended sites all available from a single screen.
All-New Email and Calendar
The new Kindle Fire family features world-class Microsoft Exchange integration, with fine-tuned performance on many of the most critical e-mail functions. For example, typical Exchange accounts sync with the oldest emails first, ending with the most recent emails—Kindle Fire instead syncs with newer emails first, then with older emails, getting customers faster access to the most recent emails they are looking for. Kindle Fire also features a new calendar app, making it easy for customers to stay connected and keep track of their schedules. The new e-mail client offers support for the world’s most popular email providers—including Gmail, Microsoft Exchange, Hotmail and more.
Photos Brought to Life
Photos come alive in stunning high-resolution on Kindle Fire HD. Fire’s mosaic view arranges personal photos beautifully, and customers will be delighted to see their best shots on their TV with HDMI out. Kindle Fire lets customers easily import their photos from Facebook and because their photos are securely stored in Amazon Cloud Drive, they never have to worry about losing their favorite pictures.
New Latest Generation Kindle Fire—Only $159
Kindle Fire, the #1 best-selling product on Amazon for the past year, is now even better, with all the features customers love about the original Kindle Fire—all the content, seamless integration with the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, and a brilliant 7” touchscreen—now with a faster processor for 40% faster performance, twice the memory and longer battery life. The new Kindle Fire also offers all of the new features that are exclusive to the Kindle Fire family—including X-Ray for Movies, X-Ray for Books, Immersion Reading, Whispersync for Voice, Kindle FreeTime and more.
Backed by the World’s Best Content Ecosystem, Cross-Platform Interoperability and Customer Service
All the Content—Over 22 Million Movies, TV Shows, Songs, Apps, Games, Books, Audiobooks and Magazines
Kindle Fire offers customers the largest selection of digital content, including thousands of exclusives:
Over 120,000 movies and TV episodes, including the most popular titles and the biggest new releases. Customers can stream or download, purchase or rent. Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 25,000 popular movies and TV episodes at no additional cost with Prime Instant Video. Customers who are new to Prime get one free month of Amazon Prime when they purchase Kindle Fire.
Instant access to the most popular apps and games, including Where's My Perry?, Pinterest, NBA JAM, HBO GO, Hulu Plus and Asphalt 7—each one optimized for Kindle Fire HD.
Millions of songs from over 3 million artists. Customers can stream purchases from the cloud, download playlists for offline listening, and store their personal collection in the cloud for access anytime, anywhere.
Millions of books, including over 180,000 titles that are exclusive to the Kindle Store. Over 650,000 books are priced at $4.99 or less; over 1.2 million are $9.99 or less. Amazon Prime members can choose from over 180,000 titles, including all 7 Harry Potter books and over 100 current and former New York Times best sellers, to borrow for free as part of Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, as frequently as a book a month with no waiting and no due dates.
Hundreds of magazines and newspapers—including Vogue, Esquire, National Geographic and Better Homes and Gardens—with glossy full-color layouts, HD photography, and beautifully detailed illustrations. Customers can try more than 50 free single issues available in the Kindle Newsstand, including Cosmopolitan, Maxim, O, The Oprah Magazine, ESPN The Magazine, Elle and Martha Stewart Living.
Over 100,000 professionally-narrated audiobook titles available, with free samples to listen to before buying.
Best Cross-Platform Interoperability with “Buy Once, Enjoy Everywhere”
With apps available on the largest number of devices and platforms, Kindle makes it easier than ever to access content anytime, anywhere. Customers can read and sync their Kindle books across iPad, iPhone, PC, Mac, Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry, Windows Phones and in their web browsers with Kindle Cloud Reader. Amazon Instant Video and Prime Instant Video are available to watch on iPad, PC, Mac, Xbox, Playstation 3, Blue-Ray, Roku and hundreds of compatible TVs, and because of Amazon’s Whispersync technology, customers never have to worry about losing their place in a movie or TV show. Amazon MP3s are available on iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, Sonos and web browsers with Cloud Player. Apps from the Amazon Appstore for Android are available on all Android phones and tablets. No other company offers customers this level of flexibility with their content.
Free Month of Amazon Prime
Amazon continues to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to bring Prime members new movies, TV shows and books to enjoy at no additional cost. Amazon customers enjoy unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of over 25,000 movies and TV episodes with Prime Instant Video; over 180,000 books from Kindle Owners’ Lending Library to borrow for free, as frequently as a book a month, with no waiting and no due dates; and receive the convenience of Free Two-Day Shipping on over 15 million items from Amazon.com. Even with all this investment and continually growing selection, Prime remains at the same low price it launched with seven years ago—just $79. Customers who are new to Prime get one free month of Amazon Prime when they purchase Kindle Fire.
Arrives Pre-Registered
Kindle Fire comes automatically pre-registered so customers can immediately start enjoying their digital content purchased from Amazon or shop for new content.
Top-Rated, World-Class Customer Service
When a customer shops on Amazon.com, buys a Kindle Fire, or buys Kindle content, they know that with that they are also getting Amazon’s world-class customer service. Amazon scored 86—the top score—on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), and 89 on the ForeSee customer satisfaction survey—the highest ever attained by a retailer. Amazon has been rated #1 in the National Retail Federation Customers' Choice Awards, has been awarded the top spot in the MSN Money Customer Service Hall of Fame three years in a row, and is a JD Power and Associates 2012 Customer Service Champion. Customers have been shopping on Amazon for over 15 years, and they continue to do so because of the unparalleled end-to-end customer experience.
Special Offers
The new Kindle Fire family comes with special offers that appear on the lock screen. Examples of special money-saving offers that customers will enjoy include a $5 credit in the Amazon MP3 Store and a $5 credit for select titles in the Amazon Instant Video Store. Customers will also receive special offers and screensavers from brands like AT&T, Discover and Intel, such as a special offer of a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card when a customer uses their Discover card to purchase a digital product on Amazon.
Best Tablets at Any Price
The all-new Kindle Fire HD 7”—with a stunning HD display, the fastest Wi-Fi, exclusive HD audio with two stereo speakers and Dolby Digital Plus, 16 or 32 GB of storage and a powerful world-class processor—all backed by the world’s best content ecosystem, best cross-platform interoperability and best customer service is $199. Kindle Fire HD 7” is available for preorder starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlefirehd7 and will begin shipping on September 14.
Kindle Fire HD 8.9”, with all of these features plus an ultra-high definition 8.9” screen, and 16 or 32 GB of storage, starts at $299 and is available for preorder starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlefirehd, and will begin shipping on November 20.
Kindle Fire HD 8.9” 4G, with the most affordable 4G data plan in the world, and 32 or 64 GB of storage, starts at $499 and is available for preorder starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlefirehd4G, and will begin shipping on November 20.
The new latest generation Kindle Fire with a faster processor for 40% faster performance, twice the memory and all the new features is only $159, and pre-order to reserve their page in line at www.amazon.com/kindlefire and will begin shipping on September 14.
For high resolution images and video of the all-new Kindle Fire family, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindle.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the most-advanced e-reader ever constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, extra-long battery life, and a thin and light design. The new latest generation Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now features new, improved fonts and faster page turns. Kindle Fire HD features a stunning custom high-definition display, exclusive Dolby audio with dual stereo speakers, high-end, laptop-grade Wi-Fi with dual-band support and dual-antennas/MIMO for 40% faster throughput than other tablets, enough storage for HD content, and the latest generation processor and graphics engine—and it is available in two display sizes—7” and 8.9”. The large-screen Kindle Fire HD is also available with 4G wireless, and comes with Amazon’s groundbreaking $49.99 one year 4G LTE data package—customers save hundreds of dollars in the first year compared to other 4G tablets. The all-new Kindle Fire features a 20% faster processor, 40% faster performance, twice the memory, and longer battery life.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, and www.amazon.es. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
The 4G device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50399383&lang=en[/showhide]
[showhide type=”pressrelease”]Introducing the New Kindle Paperwhite, the Most Advanced E-Reader Ever Constructed
Higher resolution, 62% more pixels, 25% higher-contrast, patented built-in front light, 8 weeks of battery life and an even slimmer and sleeker design — only $119
New Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G — the top-of-the-line Kindle with free 3G wireless — only $179
New latest generation Kindle — small, light and even faster — now only $69
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sep. 6, 2012– (NASDAQ:AMZN)—Kindle is the world’s #1 best-selling e-reader for five years running, and tens of millions of readers are already reading on Kindle. Today, Amazon is excited to introduce the fifth generation Kindle e-readers: Kindle Paperwhite is the most advanced e-reader ever constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, up to 8 weeks of battery life, and a thin and light design for just $119; Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G — never pay for or hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot with the all-new top-of-the-line Kindle e-reader with free 3G wireless for just $179; and the new latest generation Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now with new, improved fonts, faster page turns and an even more unbelievable price: $69. Meet the all-new Kindle e-reader family at www.amazon.com/kindlepaperwhite.
Kindle Paperwhite (Photo: Business Wire)
“Paperwhite is the Kindle we’ve always wanted to build — the technology didn’t exist to build a display with this level of contrast, resolution, brightness and battery life, so our engineers invented it,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “62% more pixels, 25% higher contrast, built-in front light, perfect for bed, perfect for beach, even thinner, 8 weeks of battery life — this is a quantum leap forward and the best Kindle we’ve ever built by far.”
All-New Kindle Paperwhite — The World’s Most Advanced E-Reader
Most Advanced E-Reader Display, 62% More Pixels, 25% More Contrast
Kindle Paperwhite’s display is the most advanced e-reader display ever constructed. Featuring a 212 ppi display, Kindle Paperwhite has 62% more pixels, making text in books and periodicals crisp and clear at any size. Images are sharper, richer and show even more detail. Kindle Paperwhite’s screen has 25% higher contrast — the blacks are blacker, and the whites are whiter.
Innovative Built-In Light
Backlit LCD displays direct light up through the display into the user’s eyes. Kindle Paperwhite’s patented front-lit display guides light underneath an anti-glare layer and down toward the display, away from the reader’s eyes. This means a reader can read for hours without eye fatigue or strain. The screen brightness is easily adjusted for reading in any light. The Paperwhite display provides an unparalleled experience in the dark and in direct sunlight.
Breakthrough Battery Life
Kindle Paperwhite’s built-in front light is designed to be used at all times — both in daylight and in a dark room — for the clearest, crispest reading experience. In order to use the light at all times, Kindle Paperwhite requires exceptional power management to maintain the battery life that customers love about Kindle. Amazon’s light guide technology precisely diffuses the light across the screen and only requires four LEDs to light the entire screen (unlike LCD screens which can use up to 50 LEDs). The light guide is so efficient that Kindle Paperwhite has a remarkable 8 weeks of battery life, even with the light on at all times.
Free 3G
Kindle’s free 3G connection means customers never have to hunt for or pay for a Wi-Fi hotspot — they simply download and read books anytime, anywhere in over 100 countries around the world. Amazon pays for the 3G connection on Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G, so customers pay no monthly fees and sign no annual contracts.
Built-In Wi-Fi
Kindle Paperwhite comes with built-in Wi-Fi, letting readers discover new content at home or on the road. Kindle owners also enjoy free Wi-Fi access at AT&T hotspots across the US.
New Touch Technology
Kindle Paperwhite’s new capacitive touch technology is uniquely integrated into the Paperwhite display, allowing for a thinner form factor for Kindle Paperwhite and even better touch accuracy.
Slim and Sleek Design
At just over a third of an inch thin and weighing 7.5 ounces, Kindle Paperwhite is thinner than a magazine and weighs less than a typical paperback. The bezel height between the side of the device and the display itself is 77% thinner.
Hand-Tuned Fonts
Every font on Kindle Paperwhite is hand-tuned for maximum readability. The Amazon typography team worked at the pixel level to ensure consistency of stroke thickness and shape profiles across all individual glyphs, aligning each size to the specific grid of the new Paperwhite display. This allows for unprecedented sharpness of fonts. Kindle Paperwhite’s higher resolution display also allows for new elegant typeface options, such as Baskerville and Palatino, which use thin stems that would not render well on any lower resolution display.
Time to Read
Time to Read is a new feature for Kindle Paperwhite that helps readers know the amount of time it will take them to finish a chapter or a book. This feature is smart — it personalizes the time for each customer based on their reading speed and is constantly updated as the reader’s speed and habits change. With Time to Read, it’s never been easier to decide when to start a new chapter or finish the chapter you’re reading.
Explore the “Bones of a Book” with X-Ray
With a single tap, readers can see all passages across a book that mention ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics that interest them, as well as more detailed descriptions from Wikipedia and Shelfari, Amazon’s community-powered encyclopedia for book lovers. Amazon built X-Ray using its expertise in language processing and machine learning, access to significant storage and computing resources with Amazon S3 and EC2, and a deep library of book and character information.
Whispersync for Voice
All Kindles use Amazon’s popular Whispersync technology to automatically synchronize a customer’s Kindle library, including last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights, across the widest range of devices and platforms. Now, Amazon is extending Whispersync to professionally narrated audiobooks — customers can start reading a book on their Kindle, and seamlessly switch to listening to their corresponding Whispersync for Voice-enabled audiobook from Audible on their phone or tablet, picking up exactly where they left off. With Whispersync for Voice, customers can continue enjoying books during commutes or any other time their eyes are busy. Whispersync for Voice is a solution for the millions of Amazon customers who want to spend more time with their favorite books. Customers can listen to their Audible audiobooks on Kindle Fire, iPhone, Android phones and Windows Phones.
Beautiful Leather Covers with Auto Wake and Sleep
Covers for Kindle Paperwhite feature a premium textured leather exterior and a subtle woven nylon interior to provide the lightest and thinnest form of protection. The integrated magnetic clasp ensures the cover remains securely closed while in a backpack, purse, or briefcase. The cover automatically wakes Kindle Paperwhite upon opening and puts it to sleep when closed, making it easy to dive right back into the book.
Latest Generation Kindle — Small, Light and Now Even Faster — only $69
Introducing the new, latest generation Kindle — the smallest, lightest and most affordable Kindle ever is now even better, with new improved fonts, 15% faster page turns and a new, unbelievably low price: just $69. In addition, the new Kindle now supports children’s books and comics, and includes new parental controls. Weighing just 5.98 ounces, Kindle is small and light enough to fit easily in a pocket and take everywhere, and still features the same 6-inch electronic ink display that reads like real paper. At just $69, the new Kindle is the perfect entry Kindle for young and adult readers alike.
Plus All the Features Customers Love About Kindle
All of the new Kindle e-readers come with instant access to the features that have made Kindle the #1 best-selling e-reader in the world for five years running:
Top-Rated, World-Class Customer Service
When a customer shops on Amazon.com, buys a Kindle, or buys Kindle content, they know that they are also getting Amazon’s world-class customer service. Amazon scored 86 — the top score — on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), and 89 on the ForeSee customer satisfaction survey — the highest ever attained by a retailer. Amazon has been rated #1 in the National Retail Federation Customers' Choice Awards, has been awarded the top spot in the MSN Money Customer Service Hall of Fame three years in a row, and is a JD Power and Associates 2012 Customer Service Champion. Customers have been shopping on Amazon for over 15 years, and they continue to do so because of the unparalleled end-to-end customer experience. So far in 2012, Kindle customer service has received a 97.1% satisfaction rate from customers.
Read for Free with Kindle Owners’ Lending Library
With Prime, Kindle owners can read for free — choose from over 180,000 books in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, including all 7 Harry Potter books in 5 languages and over 100 current and former New York Times bestsellers, to borrow for free — as frequently as a book a month, with no waiting and no due dates.
Unparalleled Interoperability — “Buy Once, Read Everywhere”
Customers can read their Kindle books on the largest number of devices and platforms, including any Kindle as well as on iPhone, iPad, Android devices, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, Windows Phone or in their web browser with Kindle Cloud Reader.
Whispersync
Amazon’s Whispersync technology synchronizes a customer’s last page read, bookmarks and annotations across all of their devices, so they can always pick up where they left off.
Features Built Just for Readers
Each Kindle offers a variety of font styles and sizes, so customers can easily customize their reading experience. Kindle also comes with a built-in dictionary, instant lookup and translation of words, Real Page Numbers, support for bookmarks and annotations, and more.
Sharing
Customers can share highlighted sections, notes and meaningful quotes on Facebook and Twitter directly from Kindle without leaving the book. Customers can also view the passages frequently highlighted by other Kindle readers to discover interesting and meaningful passages in books using Popular Highlights.
Massive Selection, Lowest Prices
Every Kindle has instant access to millions of books at the best prices, including over 180,000 exclusive titles. Over 650,000 books are priced at $4.99 or less; over 1.2 million are $9.99 or less. Millions of free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle, and Kindle customers can borrow Kindle books from their public library and have them delivered to their Kindle via Wi-Fi.
No Setup Required, Simple and Easy-to-Use
Kindle comes automatically pre-registered so customers can immediately start enjoying their existing Kindle library or shop for new content, with no set-up required.
Parental Controls
Parental Controls allow parents to restrict access to the Kindle Store, Cloud Archive and the Experimental Web Browser so they can give their Kindle to a child worry-free.
Worry-Free Cloud Storage
Customers’ Kindle books are automatically backed up in the cloud, so they never need to worry about losing their books. Customers can re-download their books wirelessly anytime for free.
Pricing and Availability
The new Kindle Paperwhite is only $119. Kindle Paperwhite is available for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlepaperwhite and ships October 1.
The new top-of-the-line Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G is only $179. Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G is available for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlepaperwhite3G and ships October 1.
The new $69 Kindle is available to customers around the world at www.amazon.com/kindle and begins shipping today.
For high resolution images and video of the all-new Kindle family, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindle.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the most-advanced e-reader ever constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, extra-long battery life, and a thin and light design. The new latest generation Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now features new, improved fonts and faster page turns. Kindle Fire HD features a stunning custom high-definition display, exclusive Dolby audio with dual stereo speakers, high-end, laptop-grade Wi-Fi with dual-band support and dual-antennas/MIMO for 40% faster throughput than other tablets, enough storage for HD content, and the latest generation processor and graphics engine — and it is available in two display sizes — 7” and 8.9”. Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, and www.amazon.es. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.[/showhide]
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