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Written by: Matthew McGuire
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Amazon released so many updates and products today, they might as well have held a press conference, and had a burned out pop band demolish the ending to the event in grand fashion. I’m not saying any other major technology companies did that recently, but yeah, it happened.

What is really happening is the developments taking place at Amazon.

First, the company has released a series of tablets that fit the budget and needs of different users from all age categories. The Fire tablet product line will include a model for $49.99. Amazon notes that the new Fire tablet includes a quad-core processor, 7″ IPS display, front- and rear-facing cameras, up to 128GB of expandable storage, exclusive Amazon features and services, and access to the world’s best content ecosystem–all for just $49.99. Customers can also choose to buy Fire as a six-pack for less than $250.

This is extremely important for the education sector. I have had several conversations recently about the efficiency of tablets in the classroom. My mother works with administration in the education industry. We share which tablet would work best for students. Overall, I find that being able to buy six tablets and get one free is a good deal.

Here is where I would like to see Amazon expand. When talking with friends and family, one thing continues to breakdown within the process of owning an electronic device.

When I bought my last tablet, and cell phone, the memory available fills up quickly, and the applications slows down to the point of not functioning properly.

Students and consumers need an easy exchange process to mail in their current device, and have data saved, but clear the majority of the memory on the device. I have found out that technology companies want us to hit a limit with memory, and have to go buy another device. Well, most people hate that concept, and to build a better connection with customers, I find that Amazon should pioneer an easy and convenient way to exchange devices without losing their data, and not getting stuck paying for another device. This would work great for students each year, and possibly each semester.

“Today, we’re taking another step in our mission to deliver premium products at non-premium prices,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “The all-new Fire features a quad-core processor, is incredibly durable, and is backed by the Amazon content ecosystem, the new Amazon Underground, andAmazon customer service with Mayday Screen Sharing. Fire sets a new bar for what customers should expect from a low cost tablet.”

In addition, the company is has also released a high definition tablet for a more mature audience. The Fire HD also allows for up to 128 GB storage. I see a future of SD cards, similar to how DSLR camera operate. I would rather have removable storage that I could trade with friends, and have it all work in unison. It would also be a huge plus for professional photographers.

The Fire HD does include a collection of impressive features:

  • Thin and light industrial design–at 7.7mm, Amazon’s thinnest tablets ever.
  • Crisp and vivid HD display with over 1 million pixels; with a 16:10widescreen aspect ratio, Fire HD 8 offers 15% more HD video viewing area and Fire HD 10 offers 22% more HD video viewing area than similarly-sized tablets with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
  • Powerful quad-core processor running at up to 1.5 GHz for fast app switching and fluidity.
  • As measured in tumble tests, Fire HD is almost 2x more durable than the latest generation iPad Air.
  • Up to 128GB of expandable storage via microSD–enjoy even more videos, music, games, and photos while offline.
  • Stereo speakers with Dolby Audio, which are custom-tuned for immersive, high-quality sound.
  • Powered by the latest version of Fire OS–Fire OS 5 “Bellini”–with an updated user interface that is inspired by the beautiful layouts of high-quality magazines, making it fun to browse for your next movie, song, or book, or easy to pick up where you left off. Plus, Fire OS 5 includes hundreds of new and upgraded features, platform updates, and Amazon-exclusive services.
  • First tablet with Amazon Underground, a one-of-a-kind app store experience where over $10,000 in apps, games, and even in-app items are actually free–including extra lives, unlocked levels, unlimited add-on packs, and more.
  • Have you ever forgotten to download a movie ahead of a flight? For Prime members, On Deck automatically keeps your Fire tablet current with popular Prime movies and TV shows, as well as Amazon Original Series, so you always have something good to watch. Importantly, On Deck only uses the available storage on your tablet, opportunistically in a special shadow mode. When you download something, On Deck automatically makes room for your selected content–there’s no hassle of needing to clear out space yourself.
  • The best reading experience on a tablet gets even better with Word Runner, a new feature designed to help you read faster–one word at a time–by bringing each word to the center of the screen to where your eyes are already focused. Word Runner gradually builds to your preferred reading speed, then algorithmically and automatically slows down for difficult words, punctuation, and paragraph breaks.
  • For parents whose kids have outgrown Amazon FreeTime, Activity Center provides an easy way for them to see how their kids are spending time on their Fire tablet–from how much time their kids spend playing games to which websites they visit.
  • Mayday Screen Sharing lets an Amazon expert guide you remotely through any feature on your screen, available 24×7, 365 days a year–for free.
  • Access to over 38 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, magazines, Android apps and games, and more–with free, unlimited cloud storage for all Amazon content.
  • Amazon-exclusive features customers love, including ASAP, X-Ray, Second Screen, Family Library, Amazon FreeTime, Prime Video downloads, and more.
  • Video chat with friends and family with the 720p front-facing camera; take photos and capture videos in 1080p full HD with the 5MP rear-facing camera.
  • Free, unlimited cloud storage for all photos taken on Fire devices, automatically backed-up wirelessly.
  • All-day battery life delivers up to 8 hours of reading, browsing the web, listening to music, and watching video.

Now let’s take a look at the updates with Amazon’ Fire TV. Amazon is getting a little too close to the other major technology company that rolled out updates recently. They need to start providing services that is not available on the market to stay competitive. Their drive and ability to host 4K content is excellent. Their media team should have already contacted us to help with content, but that is one reason I am writing about Amazon so much. They will get the memo one way or another.

Business Wire has reported that the Fire TV now offers the following features:

  • Say It, Watch It with voice search that actually works–Simply speak the name of a movie, TV show, actor, director, or genre into the remote on the Amazon Fire TV, the all-new Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote, or the Fire TV Voice Remote App on Fire TV Stick. No more hunting and pecking in an alphabet grid.
  • Instant streaming with ASAP–No more waiting for movies and TV shows to buffer. ASAP (Advanced Streaming and Prediction) is now 40% faster on the new Amazon Fire TV, so videos start instantly. ASAP predicts which Amazon movies and TV episodes you want to watch and buffers them for playback before you even hit play, so there’s no waiting.
  • Instantly find out who that actor is–X-Ray for Movies and TV Shows is available directly on the TV screen using Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick–simply click the Fire TV Remote and get instant access to actor biographies in the scene, trivia, soundtracks, and more, on tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes. X-Ray for Movies and TV Shows is exclusive to Amazon Video and powered by IMDb–the #1 movie website in the world.
  • Simple to set up and easy to use–Arrives pre-registered so you can simply plug it in and start streaming in minutes.
  • Screen sharing and display mirroring–Tap the “fling” icon on your Fire tablet to send video and audio to your big screen, or fling services like YouTube, Spotify and Netflix from your Android phone or iPhone. Or, share whatever is on your small screen–including movies and TV shows, music, and photos–with everyone in your living room using display mirroring, which includes support for Fire OS and Android, and devices from Motorola, LG, and Google.
  • Personal photos and videos–Play slideshows and choose a favorite album for the screensaver on Fire TV devices. Photos or videos you take via phone or tablet can be automatically uploaded to Amazon Cloud Drive, making them accessible on Fire TV devices.
  • Whispersync–Amazon’s Whispersync technology saves and synchronizes your Amazon video and music library across all Amazon devices. Start watching a movie on an iPhone with the Amazon Video app, or on a Fire tablet, and pick up where you left off on Fire TV.
  • Watch on hundreds of devices–Buy a movie or TV show from Amazon Video and watch it on hundreds of devices that are compatible with the Amazon Video app, including iOS, Android, and Fire OS devices.
  • 1-Tap Archive–Automatically backs up your Amazon digital content in the cloud so you never need to worry about losing content.
  • Top-rated, world-class customer service–When you shop on Amazon, buy a Fire TV device, or buy digital content from Amazon, you are also getting Amazon’s world-class customer service.
  • Free month of Amazon Prime–Amazon continues to invest in bringing Prime members new movies, TV shows, songs, and books to enjoy at no additional cost. Prime members enjoy unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV episodes with Prime Video, and unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive. Eligible customers can get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime when they purchase an Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick.

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Watch and scan over the updates on YouTube with The Verge.

Amazon News

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