If you’re not sure what gifts to get your family and friends this holiday season then you’ll want to check out the Amazon Holiday Toy List. According to Amazon, the Holiday Toy List features tools that allows customers to search based on criteria such as “bestselling” or “average customer review,” then filter by age, gender, category, price and discount. Here’s a sampling of product ideas for the coming season (we’ve bolded the ones we particularly liked):

• Apple iPod touch 64 GB (3rd Generation), $379.98, Age 12 and up
• Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid, $44.99, Ages 5 – 15
• Barbie Pink 3-Story Dream Townhouse, $144.88, Ages 3 – 10
• Bop It, $15.00, Ages 8 – 18
• Crayola Crayon Maker, $29.99, Ages 8 – 15
• D-Rex Interactive Dinosaur, $148.88, Ages 8 – 12
• Eyeclops Mini Projector, $93.24, Ages 8 – 15
• Fender Starcaster Strat Pack Electric Guitar with Amp and Accessories (Black), $199.89, Age 12 and up
• Fisher Price Elmo’s Tickle Hands, $24.00, Ages 2 – 6
• “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy & BD-Live), $18.99, Age 8 and up
• Huffy Green Machine 2, $113.62, Age 6 and up
• Infantino Twist and Fold Activity Gym (Vintage Boy), $39.99, Ages 1 – 12 months
• Kodak Zi8 HD Pocket Video Camera(Raspberry), $149.99, Age 12 and up
• LeapFrog Zippity High-Energy Learning System, $79.97, Ages 3 – 5
• LEGO City Corner (7641), $59.96, Ages 5 – 12
• Liv Fashion Doll Sophie, $19.97, Ages 4 – 8
• Manhattan Toy Baby Stella Doll, $24.03, Age 12 months and up
• Matchbox Mega Rig Pirates Ship in Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging, $39.99, Ages 4 – 12
• Maxell M&M’s Earbud, $10.53, Ages 12 and up
• Mindflex Game, $74.99, Ages 8 – 15
• Monopoly City Edition, $29.41, Age 8 and up
• “Monsters vs. Aliens” (DVD), $16.99, Age 5 and up
• Nerf N Strike Elite Bundle (Nintendo Wii), $59.99, Ages 8 – 11
• New Super Mario Bros (Nintendo Wii), $46.99, Ages 8 – 11
• Nintendo DSi (Nintendo DS), $169.99, Ages 8 – 11
• Playskool Chuck My Talking Truck, $33.68, Ages 3 – 6
• Razor A Kick Scooter, $29.99, Age 5 and up
• Razor Rip-Rider 360 Drifting Ride-On, $89.87, Age 5 and up
• Scene It? Twilight Deluxe Edition, $28.24, Age 13 and up
• Schwinn Roadster 12-Inch Trike, $67.80, Ages 3 – 6
• Scribblenauts (Nintendo DS), $27.99, Ages 8 – 11
• “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + BD Live w/ Blu-ray packaging), $19.99, Age 5 and up
• Speakal iPig 2.1 Stereo iPod Docking Station with 5 Speakers (Pink), $95.50, Age 12 and up
• Sprig Toys Eco Recycling-Truck in Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging, $19.99, Ages 3 – 6
• Transformers Movie 2 Combiner Construction Devastator, $84.99, Ages 5 – 12
• “Up” (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition + Digital Copy), $21.99, Age 5 and up
• Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board (Nintendo Wii), $97.99, Age 12 and up
• Zune HD 32 GB Video MP3 Player(Platinum), $289.00, Age 12 and up

And yes.. we’re less than 2 months away from Christmas folks!

Technorati Tags: Amazon Holiday Toy List

The Kindle just got a bit more attractive folks. Amazon.com announced today they were lowering the price of the Kindle to $259 (down from $299). In addition, Amazon announced a new Kindle model for those of you needing international wireless coverage called the “Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless.” This new Kindle with international coverage is available for pre-order now for a price of $279 at www.amazon.com/kindle

Unlike the U.S. version of the Kindle which supports the Sprint wireless network, the new Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless works with AT&T’s GSM wireless network and as such, is supported in over 100 countries and territories around the world. (yeah I’m not a fan of AT&T 3G wireless either.. grumble). Main features of the new international Kindle device include:

• Measures 0.36 inches thick and weighs just over 10 oz
• 6 inch electronic ink display
• 2GB of memory holds up to 1500 books
• Read for over two weeks with wireless turned off and up to four days on a single charge with wireless on
• Text-to-speech support
• Automatically syncs with Kindle and Kindle compatible devices – syncs customers last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless, Kindle with U.S. Wireless, Kindle DX, and Kindle compatible devices like Kindle for iPhone
• Wirelessly send, receive, and read personal documents in formats such as Word and PDF
• Comes with New Oxford American Dictionary
• Choose from six different text sizes
• QWERTY keyboard allows you to annotate text, highlight, and clip key passages and bookmark pages

The new Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless will be available for shipment to customers in over 100 countries around the world starting on October 19th.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Amazon Kindle, Amazon Kindle with U.S.& International Wireless

Here’s an interesting business development for Amazon.com. The company announced today a new private-brand label dubbed “AmazonBasics” which will be a line of affordable consumer electronic “basic” products.  Current basic products available under the brand name include audio/video cables and blank DVD media but expect additional products in the months to come.

According to Paul Ryder, VP of Consumer Electronics at Amazon.com, “We saw an opportunity to create a line of consumer electronics basics that combine quality and low prices for an overall focus on value,”

Here’s a breakdown of the AmazonBasic products currently available:

For Blank Media:

• 8x DVD+R DL 50 pack available for $35.05
• 52x CD-R 100 pack available for $20.48
• 16x DVD-R 100 pack available for $18.39
• 52x CD-R 50 pack available for $15.10
• 16x DVD+R 100 pack available for $19.66

For A/V cables:

• Ultra-high speed HDMI braided cable – 6.5 feet for $34.98
• Ultra-high speed HDMI braided cable – 9.8 feet for $40.18
• High speed HDMI cable – 6.5 feet for $8.94
• High speed HDMI cable – 9.8 feet for $8.35
• HDMI to DVI adapter cable – 9.8 feet for $8.08
• Toslink Digital Audio Optical Cable – 6 feet for $5.41
• RCA Component Video Cable – 6 feet for $10.40
• USB 2.0 A-male to B-male – 6 feet for $6.77
• USB 2.0 A-male to Mini-B cable – 6 feet for $2.69
• USB 2.0 A-male to A-female – 9.8 feet for $4.76
• USB 2.0 A-male to A-female extension cable – 3.3 feet for $3.41
• IEEE 1394 4pin/6pin cable – 6 feet for $7.80
• Cat5e Ethernet Patch cable –14 feet for $4.09
• Cat5e Ethernet Patch cable – 50 feet for $9.91

All AmazonBasics products are eligible for free super-saver shipping or free two-day shipping with Amazon Prime and will ship in Amazon.com’s “Frustration-Free Packaging” which includes easy-to-open boxes made out of recyclable cardboard.

Technorati Tags: AmazonBasics, A/V cables, blank DVD, blank CD

Sure the Kindle DX got all the attention this past week but if you’re more interested in the smaller Kindle 2, then you’ll definitely want to check out the color customization options available through ColorWare.com.  Go to their online customization page, and you’ll be able to custom tailor colors on your Kindle 2 in all sorts of manners – from the main chassis to the back top portion of the device to the keys on the Kindle 2. You name it.

You can send your existing Kindle 2 into ColorWare for a color treatment at a price of $199 or you can purchase a new customized Kindle 2 directly from ColorWare with a starting price of $599. Yes it’s expensive but it’s also oh so pretty…

[Check it out via Chip Chick]

Read this in Arabic, Chinese Simplified, French, and Spanish

Technorati Tags: ColorWare, Kindle 2

As expected, Amazon formally introduced the big brother to the Kindle 2 today and yes, it is indeed called the “Kindle DX”. Here’s what you need to know about the new Kindle reader:

• Measures just over 1/3 of an inch thick
• Has more memory than the Kindle 2 – capable of storing 3500 books (4GB of storage space total with 3.3GB available to the user)
• Has a larger display measuring 9.7 inches diagonal. Displays up to 16 shades of gray. This is approximately 2.5 times the surface area of the Kindle 2’s 6 inch display.
• The display auto-rotates from portrait to landscape thanks to a built-in accelerometer
• Built-in PDF reader thanks to Adobe technology
• Same 3G wireless modem built right in
• Text-to-speech feature like the Kindle 2
• Measures 10.4 x 7.2 x 0.38 inches
• Built-in stereo speakers
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• 5 way controller for easy navigation
• Charge via USB
• Fully charges in 4 hours
• Read up to 4 days with wireless turned on
• Read up to 2 weeks with wireless turned off

So that’s on the hardware side of things. Yes, the Kindle DX is basically a larger Kindle 2 with a built-in PDF reader and accelerometer.  You can preorder the Kindle DX now at Amazon.com for a price of $489.

Now on the content side of the equation, Amazon has signed three of the top 5 textbook publishers out there in an attempt to make the Kindle DX the preferred way of buying and reading textbooks. The idea for college kids? Replace bulky textbooks with the lightweight/thin form factor of the Kindle 2.

Now to help spur this market segment along, five colleges will launch trial programs this fall where Kindle DX devices will be made available to students. According to the Amazon press release, “schools will distribute hundreds of Kindle DX devices to students spread across a broad range of academic disciplines. “

Our thoughts (or should I say.. My thoughts?)

• It’s pricey.. but we knew it was going to be pricey given the fact that the original Kindle 2 is pricey. Amazon’s basically priced themselves into this position. They can’t risk cannibalizing sales from Kindle 2 – yet they need to make sure Kindle DX does well too. Plus – it’s dangerously close to low end notebook prices. Granted, the battery life and the comfort level isn’t there in a notebook like it is in the DX yet.. a notebook offers more functionality and is a possibly a better bang for the buck in today’s economy
• Love the fact that there’s a built-in PDF viewer now. It’s about time.
• Question to be answered – will kids really latch onto the Kindle DX? The idea of carrying around just the DX instead of full-on textbooks is a great one but is it practical? Many of today’s students carry notebooks with them to class and to the library. The Kindle DX just makes the load lighter but it doesn’t remedy the fact that I have to read a textbook in one hand and write my essay in another device. Why not integrate the two with a single notebook? Something to consider.
• Finally, there’s the potential competition. As Sascha Sagan points out – someone could easily come out with a cool PC design – say Apple’s long rumored tablet device – that would essentially knock the socks off of the Kindle DX. I would much rather carry a large screen iPod touch-like device where I had a full featured web browser, an e-book reader application, the ability to use a touch-screen display, and the potential idea of attaching a keyboard for user input. If that meant it would cost $700 dollars.. OK – I can deal with that because it offers function not available today in a $500 dollar notebook or a $500 dollar Kindle DX.
• I wonder if some Kindle 2 buyers are pissed at the thought that a larger Kindle is now available. Would they have gladly waited for the larger display and forked over additional bucks for that model??

To be fair, I think the Kindle is a great device overall. From concept to look and feel to execution, the Kindle is solid. There’s no doubt about it. However, the main beef is with the pricing. Pricing in my opinion has left the Kindle vulnerable to the competition (assuming it’s executed correctly also).  The question is – will the competition answer in kind and at a lower or more competitive price point? Does Amazon ultimately care? Probably not – especially if it means it can sell more and more e-books.

Ok.. enough of my blabbering – here’s some early looks at the Kindle DX:

• PC Magazine
• News.com
• Gizmodo.com
• Engadget.com
• NYTimes.com

[Check out the press release]

Read this in Chinese Simplified and in French

Technorati Tags: Amazon, Kindle DX

Just wanted to provide additional info on the whole larger Kindle story from the last few days. The folks at Engadget have unearthed additional blurry pictures of the new Kindle (now known as the Kindle DX) and it appears Amazon is set to announce the new device today (Wednesday that is). (I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard the “DX” moniker. Thought about the old days of the 486 DX and SX…). Here are the basics from the article:

• New Kindle DX will have 9.7 inch display
• Built-in PDF reader finally
• Add annotations in addition to notes and highlights
• NY Times will be available for a $9.99 a month subscription – lower than the current $13.99
• Amazon to launch a trial program with select universities to offer textbooks with the larger Kindle devices. Universities involved include Case Western Reserve University, Pace, Princeton, Reed, Darden School at the University of Virginia, and Arizona State
• Several newspapers and magazine publishers will be part of the Kindle DX announcement including NY Times, and Time Inc.

No word on price as of yet but it’ll all be unveiled shortly..

[Check it out at WSJ]

[Check it out at Engadget]

Technorati Tags: Amazon, Amazon Kindle DX, Kindle

The web has been buzzing over the last several days over the possibility that Amazon might release a larger screen form factor Kindle device as early as this week. According to a New York Times article yesterday, people who have been “briefed on the online retailer’s plans” say that the company will introduce a larger version of the Kindle ideally suited for displaying newspapers, magazines, and even textbooks as early as this week.

The bigger question at hand of course is – will such a device save the newspaper industry which has seen subscription rates and advertising revenue plummet as more and more people go to the web for news and information? Will having a device such as this spur you on to subscribe to say, the New York Times – or will you simply use the larger display to more comfortably view e-books?

See – here’s the rub. If I can easily get all of my news content for free on the web – there’s very little incentive for me to subscribe to a news service on Amazon or through Amazon. There needs to be significant added value for me to consider that route.

There’s also another problem. The Kindle is already fairly expensive at $359. If Amazon does come out with a larger display – what would the price point? It can’t possibly be less than $399 – if only because it might cannibalize the Kindle 2 sales. Of course, Amazon could cripple the device in other ways but one would figure the larger display Kindle to be more expensive than the Kindle 2. Ok.. so if we go along those lines, we’re not entering the territory of small notebooks or netbook systems. Again – if I can get my newspaper or magazine content for free on a small notebook, then there’s no real advantage for me to go with the Kindle except for battery life and ease of use factor.

Yes, there’s also a coolness factor with the Kindle but in this day and age, coolness quickly gets overwhelmed by economic practicality.

The fact of the matter remains – newspapers are in trouble and need to adapt quickly. They need to either strip away all free content and force people to pay up for their services or they need to find some new means of revenue. It’s going to be incredibly hard to convince someone that they need to purchase a subscription for some content that they can readily get for free through some other medium.

Now with that said – I welcome a larger Kindle if only because I would love to read books in a larger display form factor.

[Check it out]

Read this in Chinese Simplified and in French

Technorati Tags: Amazon, Kindle

If you’re a fan (and a customer) of Amazon Video On Demand, then you’ll be happy to hear that the company has added HD titles into the service mix. Customers will now be able to rent movie titles and purchase TV shows in HD format from a wide variety of networks and studios. There are currently over 500 HD TV show and movies from places such as Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Showtime Networks. In addition, Amazon also announced that their entire library of 40,000 titles (including HD titles) will now be available on Panasonic’s VIERA CAST enabled HDTV sets. Other devices compatible with the service include the Roku digital video player, TiVo Series3, HD, and HD XL DVRs, and the Sony Bravia Internet Video Link.

Using the aforementioned devices, customers will be able to rent HD movies for $3.99 to $4.99 a title. Customers will also be able to purchase HD quality TV shows for $2.99. Purchased shows can be watched on Macs, PCs, and other compatible media devices.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Amazon, Amazon Video On Demand

Do you have a growing stack of video games lying around collecting dust? If so, then you’ll probably be interested in Amazon.com’s newly launched Video Games Trade-In beta program. The concept’s pretty darn simple. Trade-in your video game in exchange for an Amazon.com gift card.

All you need to do is go to www.amazon.com/tradeingames and see if your game is on the list of trade-in games. Once you find your game (and assuming you’re happy with the trade-in value), go ahead and print out the pre-paid label, and drop the game off in the mail. Once the game is received and verified by Amazon, a gift card will be deposited into your Amazon.com account which you can then use for other Amazon.com purchases.

Pretty simple right? Time to go home and check on my dusty game titles!

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Amazon Video Game Trade-in Program

As expected, Amazon made it official on Monday by unveiling the second generation Kindle reading device aptly named the “Kindle 2”. Priced at $359 and scheduled to be released on February 24th, the Kindle 2 features the following:

• Thin form factor – measuring just over 1/3rd of an inch thin and weighing 10. oz
• As before, you’ll get 3G wireless connectivity built right into the device
• Get e-books delivered to the Kindle in less than 60 seconds
• Display now features 16 shades of gray for clearer text and sharper images
• 25% longer battery life than the first Kindle
• 20% faster page turns than the first Kindle
• New Text-to-Speech feature – the Kindle will read your e-book, blog, magazine, and newspaper to you
• Measures 8 x 5.3 x 0.36 inches
• 2GB of memory with about 1.4GB available for user content
• Single charge can provide up to 4 days of reading with wireless on. Turn wireless off and you’ll get upwards of 2 weeks
• 3.5mm stereo audio jack with rear mounted stereo speakers
• Supports Kindle (AZW), TXT, Audible, MP3, MOBI, PRC natively, PDF, HTML, DOC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP (through conversion) file formats
• New 5 way controller for better on-screen navigation

As before, the Kindle 2 doesn’t come with a monthly wireless charge. Amazon pays for the wireless connectivity – you just buy the hardware and the electronics content. There’s certainly a lot to like with the new Kindle 2 and you can read the full feature list here at Amazon.com.

About the only downer is the price of the Kindle 2. While the device is arguably light years better than the first Kindle, $359 is still a hefty price to pay for the device. Customers most likely to purchase the new Kindle include mobile professional constantly on the go or on the road, users who go through books like there’s no tomorrow, and possibly students (though again – it seems a bit expensive for this market). If the price came down by approximately 100 dollars, I could easily see a mass adoption of Kindle 2. For now, the reading elite will likely jump on the Kindle 2 with many others ooohing and ahhing along the side.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Amazon, Kindle 2