“You may not be able to tell the difference,” says the advertisement’s narrator, as both the iPad and the Kindle Fire HD sit side-by-side displaying the same images. “But your wallet definitely can.” Amazon’s new 30-second ad draws the comparison in screen resolution between the iPad and the (new, larger) Fire HD 8.9-inch screen. Visually, the Fire looks awesome. Actually, both tablet screens do. I feel that strictly based on just screen clarity, sure, either would be a sufficient choice for new tablet owners. But the Kindle Fire HD's $299 price tag sure does appear as the ‘nice price’ alongside Apple’s $499...

By Adrian Diaconescu Success is very transient in the ever-changing tech world, so it’s obvious every gadget sold and penny cashed in counts. You can be on top now and then hit rock bottom the next moment, which is exactly what has happened recently with Nokia and BlackBerry. But if there’s one landmark of stability in today’s tech décor, that’s definitely Apple. The Cupertino-based giant has been on the rise for years—especially with its various iPad models—and there’s no sign of that status quo changing anytime soon. Or is there? There’s been a lot of buzz recently about how Samsung’s Galaxy S3 and other...

Move over iBooks, there's a new e-reader for iPad in town: Marvin. I heard about it from a KindleKorner reader, and it's almost enough to make me wish I'd bought an iPad Mini instead of a Nexus 7. First, the basic information. Marvin is free, for now, but their website indicates that will end at some time. It opens DRM-free EPUBs, but they say they're working on more formats. I'm hoping for MOBI to come soon. It's an iPad-only app, but an iPhone version is coming. So, why another e-book app? Because this one is just amazing. Want complete control of how your...

  By Stanley Goodner Archos, a pioneer in multimedia portable devices, has just announced the Archos Ultrathin Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad. This magnetic Bluetooth keyboard has a full QWERTY keyboard and fits 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation iPads. With a 5 mm ultra-thin profile and an adjustable kickstand, the keyboard has a very similar look and feel to the Archos Gen10 XS coverboard. “‘The needs and wants of today’s consumer have changed drastically over the past few years," says Henri Crohas, founder and CEO of Archos. "Consumers expect everything to be smaller, faster, thinner, lighter and aesthetically pleasing. In order to meet this demand, we feel that...

Some people like to carry their iPads around in their hands. I’m not one of them, because I’m always afraid I’m going to drop it. A messenger bag is good, but sometimes it’s overkill. For those times, I like the AmazonBasics Netbook Sleeve with Handle. Like all AmazonBasics products, it comes in frustration-free packaging, and they mean it. Rip one tab, and you’re in. Made of neoprene, it’s light and sturdy. The padding goes all the way around, even on the bottom, so your tablet is completely protected. The handle is padded and makes it easy to carry. It has a little side pocket, which sets...

  By Kirk Hiner | for Technology Tell With the price of 7″ tablets now plumbing the sub-$200 level, should these entry-level units be considered disposable computing devices? ZNet’s Jason Perlow posed that question in a commentary last weekend, in which he relates an anecdote about his wife falling asleep in bed while using a Google Nexus 7 he’d recently passed on to her, dropping the tablet onto a tile floor, the impact of which shattered its glass screen. Perlow vetted out the cost of replacing the screen, discovering that ASUS charges about $170 to replace the digitizer/screen/glass assembly, and the parts for a DIY repair would cost about $140. The Nexus 7′s touch digitizer,...

I posted earlier this year about my first impressions of the iPad Mini, and since then, I've remained on the fence about whether or not I would get one. I use my devices so much, and I really welcomed something smaller and lighter and nimbler. On the other hand, the price point horrified me a little, and I was having trouble justifying the purchase. Then I got a gift card to a mall I wouldn't otherwise shop at, and it was time to cash in the tech jar, and there was nothing else I especially wanted... ...and so I bit. And after two...

My Christmas holiday week just ended. The Beloved and I took a few days off for a road trip visit with a beloved little friend, and in between the train building, Lego building, blanket-fort building and grilled-cheese sandwich excursions, Little Monkey amused himself with some gadget play. He's only two-and-a-half years old, but he's already logged some (heavily) supervised time with parental iPhones, iPads and so on. I had, in fact, loaded up my own iPad with Mr. Potato Head, Toca Band and other kid-friendly goodies just for his amusement. And ... ? Google Nexus for the win! Little Monkey spent most of his gadget time...

Just to be 100 percent clear from the jump, the infuriating bit of news in this post doesn't directly have anything at all to do with e-books or e-reading. But I'd guess that the majority of us here have ordered expensive electronic devices online in the past—devices that have to be shipped via FedEx or UPS or DHL. And considering that the holiday season is now in full swing, who isn't coming home from work each day to find a small mountain of brown cardboard boxes waiting on the stoop? (No one actually does their holiday shopping in stores anymore, right?) But I digress....

  By Brian Burton With the introduction of children’s books to various app stores, countless learning opportunities are presenting themselves for you and your children.  With the moderation process on Apple’s app store being spotty at best, you want to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.  I have read and scoured over more children’s books than you can imagine, and with the introduction of this new digital format, I was anxious to see how this platform could further heighten the storytelling experience. After a few downloads and finger slides across my iPad’s screen, I have to tell you, I...

  By Michael Weinstein | for Book Business As we all know, the new norm is that in the next week there will be recorded a big surge in purchases in e-book reading hardware (including tablets, which are not just for reading). This will be followed, of course, by a surge in purchases of e-books. But what about between the surges? What’s the new level of purchase? The assumption is certainly that each surge builds on itself to increase the overall level of e-book use and purchase ... is this true? Before this surge hits, I thought it would be interesting to take a look...

As most of you are perfectly well aware, there are a lot of really bad YouTube videos floating around out there online. But occasionally, a video comes along that it so ragingly goofy—embarrassing, even—that you can't help but share it with friends. To wit: The well-intentioned (yet still cringe-inducing) "Karaoke the News: So Long, Farewell," a sort of 'one-last-hoorah' goodbye video featuring former staffers of The Daily, the News Corp's tablet-only newspaper that regrettably published its final issue today, December 15, 2012. (Scroll down to view the video.) Of course, for those of us lucky enough to still have jobs in the publishing industry, it's always...