The Kindle Fire Is On Fire; Amazon Expected To Ship 3.9 Million This Quarter

The Kindle Fire looks like a bona fide hit right out of the gate. New estimates from IHS iSuppli have Amazon shipping 3.9 million Kindle Fires this quarter, which would make it the No. 2 tablet after the iPad 2 (with an estimated 18.6 million shipments). The Kindle Fire will become the No. 1 Android tablet by a wide margin (the Samsung Galaxy Tab is the next biggest, with an estimated 1.4 million shipments). To put this 3.9 million number in context, just remember that the very ...
Spotify app to receive major update

Spotify sure has had a lot of app-based announcements this week. First it was the launch of Spotify Apps, then it was the announcement of the iPad app in the works, and now they’ve got one more to make: the Spotify app itself will be getting a major update. For those of you who use Spotify on your computers, expect a significant update soon.
Here are some of the changes that will be included with the new Spotify app: a new “What’s ...
Refresh Roundup: week of November 28, 2011

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you ...
Motorola DROID Xyboard accessories start arriving in stores

Yesterday it was reported that the Motorola Xyboard would be launching on Verizon this month, while a specific date wasn’t mentioned, it looks like it might be pretty soon. Accessories for the upcoming tablets have started arriving at Verizon outlets, signifying the imminent arrival of the Android devices. The Xyboard will be receiving display protectors, a HD Dock and a HD Station. The HD Dock will be a regular dock for you to prop ...
Sony brings the Holodeck to life, throws in giant sea monsters for free (video)

The Holodeck is real and there's no Lt. Barclay to make things awkward. Using a combination of a Steadicam, multiple EyeToy cameras, PlayStation Move controllers, projection mapping, motion tracking, spandex-clad actors and giant rubber sea monster tentacles, Sony Europe, Studio Output and Marshmallow Laser Feast shot three web videos to highlight the immersiveness of movies rented or purchased from the PlayStation Store. Impressively, the shots rely exclusively on visual tricks, with zero editing or postproduction work. Is this ...
Off the Hook shower head

Now here is a fancy shower head that might just appeal to most of you die-hard talkers on the phone – the Off the Hook shower head. The name is hilarious enough, but wait till you see this puppy in action! Resembling the bright red old-fashioned handset telephone, it will wash away the day’s stress with the right kind of shower gel, and you can even hold a fake conversation with your imaginary friend. Definitely something to get ...
Researchers print a fully-functional OLED control circuit using an inkjet

Don't worry, this isn't about teaching bacteria how to climb out of a petri dish and follow a subway map. The picture above actually shows an OLED display control circuit that was quickly and cheaply manufactured thanks to the joys of inkjet printing. Its makers at UCLA start-up Aneeve Nanotechnologies also claim their carbon nanotube circuit yields better performance than traditional silicon counterparts and should therefore be considered a competing technology. On the other hand, it's also true that inkjet circuitry ...