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Posts Tagged ‘ Amazon ’

New Apple TV: Living Room as Tech Battleground

By Fei on September 3, 2010

By Jeff Bertolucci

September 3, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Today’s unveiling of a smaller, cheaper Apple TV set-top box is the latest in a long line of tech industry efforts to conquer the living room. Recent reports and rumors have Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Sony all developing low-cost entertainment devices that would stream entertainment bits–movies, TV shows, music, photos, and so on–from the Internet to your HDTV.

These endeavors date back to the Internet’s formative years in the 90s, when numerous hardware, software, and online companies gave the Net-TV fusion a shot, but no one got it right.

The Early Days

America Online, back then the 800-pound ogre of online, tried an interactive TV service called AOL TV that quickly fizzled out. Microsoft and Intel teamed up with MTV to deliver digital TV content to big-screen PCs, which were destined for the living room (well, perhaps not). And Gateway 2000 launched an unsuccessful TV/PC hybrid system, as did Compaq Computer and Thomson Electronics.

Many early efforts failed in part because the technologies needed to make them work–speedy and affordable broadband service, in-home Wi-Fi, and faster processors capable of handling HD video streams–weren’t ready for prime time.

They are now, of course. Online video services like Netflix are seeing a surge in subscribers, while Blockbuster and similar DVD-rental chains are marching toward bankruptcy. The easy availability of low-cost media-streaming hardware, including DVRs, set-top boxes (e.g., Roku and Boxee gear), and various Blu-ray players and game consoles, has helped as well.

Of course, not all recent efforts have succeeded, either. The original Apple TV, which debuted in 2007, long endured a tepid reception from critics and end users alike. Even Apple seemed to ignore it. The aggressive $99 price of the new model, however, will certainly help Cupertino’s chances in the set-top market.

More to Come

The coming months will bring a flood of Apple TV competitors, most notably Google TV, the search giant’s much anticipated set-top box that’s slated to arrive this fall. And Amazon, which already runs a thriving online movie service (which, like Apple TV, offers 99-cent rentals of TV episodes), is reportedly developing a subscription streaming service that would challenge Netflix.

Sony, meanwhile, is expected to announce a new music and video subscription service as early as Wednesday, according to the Financial Times. The service would use Sony’s PlayStation game console and other Internet-connected devices to stream content. Finally, Microsoft is rumored to be developing a TV channel for its Xbox 360 console.

Why Amazon Won’t Release Kindle Sales Figures

By Fei on August 27, 2010

By Jeff Bertolucci

August 27, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – The news is always upbeat in Kindle Land. Amazon routinely issues glowing press releases trumpeting its e-reader’s impressive sales and growing popularity, but it never reveals the actual number of Kindle devices it has sold.

Thursday’s news flash is a prime example. To paraphrase, Amazon reported that its third-generation Kindle (the latest model that’s receiving favorable reviews) is the company’s fastest-selling e-reader ever. In fact, more 3rd-gen Kindles were ordered in the first four weeks of availability than in the same timeframe following previous Kindle launches. Furthermore, the Kindle has maintained its two-year run as Amazon.com’s bestselling product.
Quite impressive. But how many Kindles have you sold, Amazon? Strangely enough, the company won’t say. It never has.

Why is that? Perplexed, I asked IDC mobile device analyst Susan Kevorkian, who tracks the e-reader market, to weigh in on the matter.

“There are a variety of reasons,” Kevorkian replied via email. “Short term, Amazon’s policy means that Kindle won’t get directly, and quite possibly unfavorably, compared to iPad in terms of shipments as the iPad grows in popularity and cannibalizes the e-reader market.”

Kevorkian’s hypothesis makes a lot of sense. After all, iPad sales figures have been gaudily spectacular to date: Apple sold 3.27 tablets during the first full quarter of iPad sales. Assuming the Kindle’s numbers are significantly lower, the disparity between the Kindle and iPad might give the impression that Amazon’s device is losing the e-reader battle vs. Apple.

In reality, that’s not the case at all. Amazon’s Kindle strategy is to distribute digital content (e.g., e-books) to a wide range of devices from multiple vendors and on multiple platforms, including Apple’s iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, Android smartphones and (very soon) tablets, and Mac and Windows PCs.

“This strategy has taken shape over the past several months with the launch of Kindle apps for a variety of devices that extend the Kindle experience well beyond the dedicated Kindle device,” Kevorkian writes.

And although Amazon has declined to release sales figures for Kindle hardware, it’s been “somewhat more forthcoming about Kindle content,” she adds.

For instance, the company last month announced that the late Stieg Larsson, author of the “Millennium Trilogy” novels including The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, became the first writer to sell one million Kindle e-books.

Perhaps Kindle hardware sales stats aren’t all that relevant, particularly since Amazon’s e-book strategy appears to be working. Still, it’d be nice to see some numbers alongside those “fastest-selling ever” claims.

Make Money Selling Your Old Tech

By Fei on August 18, 2010

By Elsa Wenzel
August 18, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Like a new car that plummets in value once you drive it off the dealer’s lot, electronics are worth less the moment you slip them out of the box. The bad news is, there’s nothing you can do about tech depreciation.

The good news is, you can probably find a market for the gear you no longer want. Unloading spent gadgets can put cash in your pocket that you can reinvest toward the latest technology.
Companies shedding old electronics used to have to pay other companies to help with disposal and with legal compliance. Now, however, you have numerous options for handling the process yourself.

In addition to the broader online marketplaces of Craigslist and eBay, specialized Web-based services will pay you for, and then resell or recycle, used electronics. In many cases the amount they’ll pay for goods that are only several seasons old can amount to more than half of the initial ticket price. What’s the best way to navigate this market?

How to Sell

For the greatest resale value later, when you buy new, keep the original box, cables, and software intact. When you’re ready to give your gear a new home, polish that laptop up and send it packing with its manual enclosed.

It takes only minutes to look up a quote for an item on a reselling service’s Website and then request a prepaid shipping envelope. Within a few days you can send away the unwanted stuff and then receive the money via PayPal or a check in the mail.

However, though you may lose money allowing electronics to sit around and depreciate, it’s also a waste of payroll hours if you spend a day scheming how to yield a $30 return from a five-year-old GPS device. Although selling one item at a time can give a minor payback, you’ll get the biggest reward by dealing with at least a handful of goods simultaneously. If your company had to shed five employees in lean times, for example, selling their orphaned desktops and flat-screen monitors in one swoop can help recover some losses.

What to Sell

Smartphones and laptops–particularly from Apple–tend to fetch the highest prices. Digital cameras, MP3 players, HDTVs, storage drives, and inkjet printers are among the hardest sells. If you hold on to any product for long enough that its resale value evaporates, you might as well donate it to a school, or maybe to a tech museum.

If you want the latest laptop every few months, or if you need a team of workstations to serve temporary workers for only one quarter, renting electronics can save you money and prevent the pile-up of old tools in the first place.

Cell Phone Recycling

You can find a plethora of phone-recycling services that pay a pretty penny for relatively new smartphones. To start, EcoSquid lets you search multiple Websites to compare offers for old handsets, and then takes a share if you make a transaction with a referred service. A number of sites specialize in iPhone recycling and trade-ins.

Getting rid of a handset before its service contract expires can ring up an early-termination fee of up to $350, depending on your wireless carrier. CellSwapper and CelltradeUSA arrange for users to get around the penalty by swapping phone plans and phones.

I found it hard on both sites to browse listings casually, however. CelltradeUSA provides a form through which you can contact other users, and charges $20 if you complete a trade. Once you list your phone and service contract, you have to wait for potential takers to reach you. I could find only one iPhone owner with an AT&T contract similar to my own, and no BlackBerry users with the equivalent. On CellSwapper, searches weren’t working after I made several attempts of seeking someone to switch early out of a 24-month contract with AT&T to new Verizon service.

Among the services that pay for old phones but don’t deal with contracts, Cell for Cash, Sell Your Cell, and Simply Sellular offered some of the highest quotes–up to $144 for a 16GB iPhone 3G, and $110 for a BlackBerry Bold 9000. (See the chart at right for more details.) If you want to sell more than phones, sites with a broader focus, such as BuyMyTronics, Gazelle, and NextWorth (more below), offered competitive price quotes.

It’s wise to wipe text messages, contacts, calendar items, and other data off a phone even if you’re sending it to a service that promises to do the same–especially when those security pledges are vaguely worded. Remote wiping is available for the iPhone with a MobileMe account, and for the BlackBerry 6 operating system. For businesses, software such as that of AirWatch can provide deeper device management.

Instant Quotes, Simple Shipping

BuyMyTronics, Gazelle, and NextWorth are competing services that offer cash or credit for an array of electronics. Each Website displays an immediate price quote once you describe the condition of the item you’re selling. Although I saw plenty of information for Apple computers on these sites, I couldn’t find quotes for a ThinkPad laptop. Some of the products I looked up weren’t listed on NextWorth at all.

After you click to commit to a sale on one of these sites, you need to mail in the gear via prepaid shipping that arrives at your door. The service adjusts the quoted price if the item doesn’t match your description. When the transaction is done, you get payment via check, PayPal, or a store gift card.

Comparing quotes for the same products, I saw few drastic differences among the sites. A 16GB, first-generation iPod Touch would fetch $51 on Gazelle, a dollar more on BuyMyTronics, or $63 on NextWorth. The same kind of iPod in varying levels of condition was going for between $100 and $200 on Craigslist in the San Francisco Bay Area, and had sold for between $58 broken and $148 in great shape on eBay.

Price quotes showed a bigger range for larger and less-popular items. BuyMyTronics quoted $41, NextWorth quoted $66, and Gazelle quoted $95 for a 1GHz, 60GB Apple iBook G4. A Garmin Nuvi 785T GPS device, not found on BuyMyTronics, would garner $35 at Gazelle and almost $84 at NextWorth. For older, less desirable goods, such as a Canon SD400 Elph digital camera, you’d be lucky to get $10. I couldn’t find any takers for a year-old Canon inkjet or an older HP laser printer.

Bulk-resale options for small businesses are available at Gazelle and elsewhere. If you’re planning to off-load a bunch of machines, contact the services directly.

As for security, each service pledges to wipe data from your equipment, but the details are relatively slim.

Brett Mosley, CEO of BuyMyTronics, says his company resells tens of thousands of units–more than two-thirds of what it buys–on other sites, including Amazon and eBay. It refurbishes another 15 percent of the items it receives, and sends another 15 percent off for recycling in first-world countries.

Vendor Trade-In Programs

If you’re a brand loyalist, trading in a product through the company that made it can help you afford a same-name upgrade. Apple offers gift cards toward new purchases if you send an approved Mac or PC laptop or desktop to partner PowerON, which provides a prepaid shipping label and a box. On the other hand, recycling a PC or monitor through Apple partner WeRecycle involves paying a $30 charge.

HP’s trade-in program pays in credit toward a new HP purchase for sending in equipment–from copiers to workstations–made by HP and other companies. This could be the best deal for getting old printers out of the office, since few third-party services take them. HP charges $15 to scrub data off your devices according to Department of Defense standards. HP’s return-for-cash options include consumer buyback and asset return for businesses.
If you’re buying a new PC from Dell, that manufacturer will take any other old computer from you for free. The quarterly Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics can tip you off to recycling options from other big electronics brands, although most don’t provide payment or credit.

Selling on Craigslist

If you don’t mind meeting up with strangers, the Craigslist Website is among the fastest options for selling items locally. Depending on your region, you might also reap a higher price than you would on a tech-resesller specialty site; for instance, San Francisco-area Craigslist users selling the Kindle 2, which would fetch $71 or less on BuyMyTronics and its competitors, were asking between $100 and $169. Plus, Craigslist can be a good option for getting rid of printers, monitors, and other gear that resellers often reject. Remember, though, that the asking prices don’t reflect what buyers end up paying. For more advice, check out our tips for using Craigslist.

If you don’t want to post a custom ad, field e-mail messages from real people, and take the time to arrange for an in-person pickup and payment, the online reseller services are a better fit. Then again, you might also consider even less formal channels of exchange online, such as advertising what you’re getting rid of through Facebook or informing your Twitter followers.

Selling on eBay

If you’re already an eBay aficionado, selling electronics there could be convenient and may return a higher price than what you can get elsewhere. In recent weeks the Kindle 2 sold for $120–or, loaded with books, for up to $209. The site is likely a time sink, however, if you’re a first-time user who hasn’t built up a reputation or learned the ins and outs of online auctions.

In any case, research on eBay can give you an idea of a product’s fair market value. You can use the advanced search function to scour completed listings for what people paid in the end for items, versus the list prices, which often differ wildly. You’ll have to sign in to view the results, which cover only the past 15 days.

eBay users were willing to pay a range of prices for a 16GB, first-generation iPod Touch: from $56 for a broken device up to $148 for one with cosmetic wear and tear. An Apple iBook 1GHz G4 fetched between $40 and $170, depending on the condition. Don’t forget to review eBay’s fees before launching an auction.

Selling Media Items on Glyde

If you have a surplus of DVDs, CDs, video games, and books, Glyde is an up-and-coming service for selling and buying media. Unlike with eBay, users involved in a transaction don’t learn each other’s identity; and unlike with Craigslist, buyers can pay by credit card. Red Dead Redemption for the PlayStation 3, for example, is selling on Glyde for about $41, including shipping. NextWorth says it will pay $28 for the same game with normal wear and the original case. Amazon offers store credit for used games.

Selling on Amazon

Amazon allows smaller companies (including some tech resellers) to piggyback on its infrastructure and sell things through its WebStore. However, this service is for selling in bulk, not one-off unloading. After a 30-day free trial, pricing options start at $10 per month with a 7 percent cut of completed transactions.

In-Store Programs

RadioShack accepts some equipment that other services do not, such as car stereo amplifiers, radar detectors, and mice. In exchange for a store gift card, its Trade & Save program offers prepaid shipping of phones, GPS devices, cameras and camcorders, gaming consoles, games, and MP3 players.

The TechForward program at RadioShack, Office Depot, and online via Tiger Direct and CompUSA stores offers a resale program of sorts for consumers who upgrade frequently. You buy a TechForward plan at the time of a new product purchase. Six months later, you can return the product and receive half of its initial price, which you can use toward a newer model.

Printer-Cartridge Recycling

Makers of printers increasingly offer free mail-in recycling for empty ink cartridges, but you can earn back some of the fortune you lost buying printer consumables. Staples stores offer modest coupons for bringing in spent ink cartridges.

Environmental Office Solutions pays money for empty inkjet and laser toner cartridges, as well as cell phones. For a far-from-paperless office, a pile of cartridges with a return amount of $3 to $10 each can add up. The company says the most popular toners it takes include the HP C8543X, CE250, and CC530 cartridges. Inkjets fetch a few dollars less, with the HP 28 and 22, and the Canon CL41, among the most wanted. If you have more than 150 cartridges, Environmental Office Solutions takes bulk orders.

Donate Gear for a Tax Break

Giving away tech for resale through a group such as Goodwill can result in tax deductions for charitable contributions, with the side benefit of enhanced community relations. The nonprofit TechSoup has information on giving equipment to other nonprofits.

Compliance

Businesses must take extra steps to ensure that their getting rid of old gear complies with the law. In some municipalities you can be fined for tossing electronics into Dumpsters. The federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act makes it illegal to carelessly dispose of goods containing hazardous materials, such as lead-laced CRT monitors. Electronics make up 2 percent of municipal waste and are the fastest-growing portion of the waste stream, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Saying good-bye to old computers and hard drives isn’t just about getting rid of the equipment, but also clearing the data they store. Companies dealing with sensitive financial information have to consider the Sarbanes-Oxley and Gramm-Leach-Bliley acts. Those who work in healthcare must follow HIPAA regulations.

That’s why it pays to research security and data-wiping options before handing your laptops or smartphones over to strangers. You can delete the data yourself. If you sell to a third-party service, see that it follows Department of Defense data-destruction standards.

Responsible Recycling

There’s no law against shipping electronics overseas to developing nations for unsafe recycling–and that’s a problem. Just because you’re selling electronics to a willing buyer doesn’t mean that the product will wind up disassembled in a way that doesn’t pollute or harm workers.

“Typically cell phones have a better reuse and recycling market than computers do,” says Sheila Davis, executive director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. And companies reselling phones to developing nations are usually doing the right thing environmentally.

Only 10 percent of obsolete computers, however, are recycled according to high human-rights and ecological standards.

“If they’re taking your computer for free or giving you money for it, more than likely they’re not handling it properly, because it actually costs money to recycle properly,” says Davis.

Only recyclers certified through the Basel Action Network’s e-Stewards program are certified not to ship equipment overseas for unsafe labor, not to use prison labor, and not to incinerate items.

Kindle Gains Free Games

By Fei on August 10, 2010

By PC World staff
August 10, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – The Kindle’s software development kit has been largely forgotten since Amazon announced it in January, because nothing ever came of the supposed iPad counter-measure.
At last, the Kindle Development Kit has yielded two free games: Every Word challenges players to come up with as many words as possible from a scrambled concoction of letters, and Shuffled Row is like a solitary Scrabble, in which letters are replaced whenever the player uses them to create words.

Obviously, this isn’t Doom for Kindle (though I have seen video of Super Mario Bros. running on a Kindle software emulator, riddled with bugs). It’s more of an answer to Barnes & Noble, which stocks the Nook with Chess and Sudoku.

Amazon tells ZDNet that it’s still working with “limited-beta developers” and says to stay tuned for more developments, but over the last seven months I’ve grown apathetic about the whole thing. The Kindle Development Kit was exciting in the run-up to Apple’s iPad debut (remember when we only knew it as “the tablet?”), when it seemed like a desperate attempt to add new uses to an ultimately single-purpose device.

Now, Amazon appears to have embraced the Kindle’s non-iPadness, with an emphasis on a better screen and faster response in the third-generation model instead of a longer feature list. And with the Kindle Wi-Fi’s $139 price tag, comparisons to the iPad just don’t seem all that appropriate anymore.

I’m happy to see the Kindle get a couple games, and I hope we see more apps soon, like the once-promised Zagat dining guide. But getting apps out there no longer seems as urgent as it did when the Kindle Development Kit debuted.

Kindle First Impressions: It’s All Good

By Fei on August 2, 2010

By Liane Cassavoy
August 2, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Well, now we know why Amazon’s stock of Kindle 2 e-readers evaporated so quickly. Just hours after I wrote about the devices being out of stock, Amazon announced a new model of its popular e-reader. The device, called simply the Kindle, is available for pre-order now and will ship August 27. While most of us will have to wait a month to get our hands on the new gadget, a few lucky bloggers and technology reporters already got a chance to check it out. So far, they seem to like it…a lot. In fact, in reading many of the reports about the new Kindle, I found it difficult to find anything they didn’t like about it.

PCWorld’s own Melissa J. Perenson says that the new Kindle is a dramatic improvement over its predecessor, with “an enhanced display, faster navigation, and an entirely redesigned chassis.” She lauds its notably smaller and lighter design, calling it “vastly improved.” The Kindle’s enhanced software allows it to “fly through menus.”

The New York Times’ Claire Cain Miller focuses on the new Wi-Fi feature that Amazon has added to this generation of the Kindle, as well as the lower price point. “Unlike previous Kindles, the $139 ‘Kindle Wi-Fi’ will connect to the Internet using only Wi-Fi instead of a cellphone network,” she writes, noting that $139 is the “lowest price yet” for a Kindle.

CNET’s David Carnoy also was impressed with the design of the new Kindle, noting that in the short time he got to play around with the device, he noticed that “the new model is clearly smaller and sleeker and the screen definitely pops a little more…The letters appear a little darker and…slightly sharper.”

But Carnoy also notes that while the price of the new Kindle is lower, it may not be low enough: “While not the $99 device some were hoping for, at $139 the Wi-Fi-only version is pretty affordable. ”

USA Today’s Edward C. Baig notes that, with the addition of Wi-Fi, Amazon “hopes to rattle rivals,” such as Barnes & Noble and Sony, by offering an e-reader that’s cheaper (by about $10) with the Wi-Fi functionality their devices already include.

Baig quotes a Forrester Research analyst who was impressed with the new, lower price point. James McQuivey tells USA Today, “Anyone who said ‘I don’t want to get (a Kindle) because they’re too expensive,’ will look at $139, and say, ‘It’s time to become a digital reader.’ ”

Hmmm. Wasn’t it Forrester Researcher that recently issued a report saying the price of e-readers will have to drop to between $50 and $99 before more users will be willing to adopt them? Perhaps McQuivey is so delighted with the Kindle’s new features that he’d be willing to pay the extra $40. And from the sounds of these write-ups, he’s not alone.

Amazon Unveils Sleek New Kindle

By Fei on July 30, 2010

By Melissa J. Perenson
July 30, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Amazon took it’s time with its latest Kindle-and that time has paid off in spades. Fully a year-and-half after the Kindle 2, Amazon today introduced its latest iteration Kindle, and the improvements are dramatic. An enhanced display, faster navigation, and an entirely redesigned chassis aren’t all that set this Kindle apart from its competition. Amazon is continuing to be aggressive with its pricing: the Wi-Fi and 3G version will cost $189, while the Wi-Fi-only model will cost $139 (that’s $10 less than Barnes & Noble’s Wi-Fi-only Nook).

Don’t call it a Kindle 3, though: Amazon says its name remains simply Kindle. There is no mistaking this new Kindle for any of its predecessors, though. This Kindle is 15 percent lighter and 21 percent smaller than the second-generation model. And that weight makes a difference.

The new Kindle uses the same E-Ink Pearl screen found on the Kindle DX (Graphite). The screen offers a 20 percent faster refresh rate over its predecessor, a tangible difference that, together with software enhancements, makes the Kindle fly through menus.

Other boosts: Internal storage can now handle up to 3500 books, 2000 more than the previous version.

The physical design of the Kindle has been vastly improved. At just 8.7 ounces, it’s lighter than the competition (Spring Design’s Alex eReader weighs 11 ounces, while Barnes & Noble’s Nook weights 11.6 ounces for the Wi-Fi-only version, 12.1 ounces for the 3G unit; the Bookeen Cybook Opus, with only a 5-inch screen, weighs in at 5.3 ounces).
While Amazon remains cagey about actual Kindle e-reader sales numbers, the company did drop this tidbit when asked about how it achieved some of the design enhancements. Apparently, according to Ian Freed, vice president for Amazon Kindle, Amazon’s sales volumes are high enough now to be driving component costs down-and to encourage component suppliers to come to Amazon with innovations. This could be interpreted as a sign of Amazon’s strength in this market.

The new Kindle is available for pre-order tonight, and will ship on August 27.

Manage Music With Android

By Fei on May 6, 2010

By Robert Strohmeyer
May 6, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Google Android is a great platform for mobile communications, but it’s also designed from the ground up to offer a rich multimedia experience. Your Android device is jam-packed with features that let you manage and play your digital music in a variety of ways.

Like Apple’s iPhone, Android has its own built-in music player with a large touch-screen interface that’s easy to control while you’re on the go. However, because Android is an open platform, you’ll find no shortage of third-party music apps that go well beyond the capabilities of the basic Android Music app. Let’s explore all of Android’s music management features, and take a look at some of the best music add-ons available in the Android Market.

Load Your Tunes

While some phone manufacturers have come out with customized desktop applications for managing media on their Android devices, these apps are not essential for copying music and other files from your desktop computer to your Android phone. All you really need to do is connect the phone to your computer’s USB port and touch the notification area at the top of your phone’s screen. Tap USB connected in the notification area and then tap Mount to make your Android hard drive appear as a storage device on your desktop. This process works the same way in Windows, on the Mac, and in Linux.

Once your computer mounts the Android drive, you can open it to view the files and folders on your phone. Simply locate any DRM-free music files on your PC’s hard drive and drag them to the Music folder on your Android device.

Sync With Windows Media Player

Most Android phones don’t come with their own desktop sync utilities. But if you want the convenience of automatic desktop synchronization in Windows, you need look no further than Windows Media Player.

To sync your tunes (as well as your pics and videos) with Media Player, first take the same steps as described above: Plug your Android phone into your PC’s USB port, tap USB connected in the phone’s notification area, and tap Mount to make your phone recognizable in Windows. Then launch Windows Media Player and wait for your phone to appear as a drive letter in the left pane of Media Player’s Library view.

To set up syncing to your phone, click the Sync tab in the upper-right corner of Windows Media Player and then click the small (and unlabeled) Sync options drop-down menu under that. Click Set up sync… and then either name your device or leave it as the drive letter, at your preference. When you click Finish, you’ll have a sync relationship configured so that your phone will update to mirror your PC’s Music folder whenever the handset is connected.

Amazon MP3 Store

In addition to dragging music directly onto your phone via USB, you can purchase songs and albums from Amazon’s online music store and download them directly to your phone over the air.

Tap the Amazon MP3 icon to enter the store, where you’ll be greeted by options to view the top 100 albums, see the top 100 tracks, browse by musical genre, or search for tunes. To hear a 30-second preview of any song, tap its title. When you find a song or album you want, tap its price button once; the word ‘buy’ will appear. Tap it again, and you’ll see an Amazon login screen. Enter your Amazon-registered e-mail address and password to continue–and if you’d like to speed through this process next time, check the box to enable 1-Click ordering.

Once you’ve completed the purchase process, the song (or songs) will begin downloading. You may be prompted to switch to a Wi-Fi connection; doing so isn’t necessary for downloading music, but if you have access to a Wi-Fi network, that method is generally the fastest way to get songs from Amazon onto your phone.

Amazon music downloads live in a folder labeled ‘amazonmp3′ on your phone’s SD Card. As a precaution against data loss, connect your phone to your computer and drag your purchased songs over to your hard drive for saving as a backup. Since the songs are sold DRM-free, you can also listen to them on your PC at that point, if you want to.

Music Home Screen

When you tap the blue speaker icon for Google’s Music app, you’ll find yourself at the app’s home screen, which is divided into four options that let you search your music collection by artist, album, song title, or playlist. Tapping any of these four items will take you into an alphabetized list that you can scroll through to select the music you want to hear.

Also available from the home screen are two menu options that you can access by pressing the Menu button on your phone. The first, Party Shuffle, will instantly create a shuffled playlist of everything in your music library.

Playlists

To create playlists on your phone, tap and hold any song title until the context menu appears, and then tap Add to playlist. Choose an existing playlist or tap New to create a playlist. Give your new playlist a name, and return to the song list to select more tracks to add.

More Music Apps

In addition to Android’s built-in music player, you can download a wide variety of music apps from the Android Market. Pandora, Last.fm, and CherryRplayer are just a few of the most interesting options.

For comprehensive tips about Android and reviews of the best apps and devices to help you get the most out of the mobile operating system, order PCWorld’s Android Superguide, on CD-ROM or in a convenient, downloadable PDF file.

Kindle for iPad Could Heat Up E-Book Business

By Fei on March 24, 2010

By David Coursey
March 24, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Amazon has posted a preview of the future of e-books, its Kindle e-reader app for Apple’s forthcoming iPad. Amazon, the top e-book reseller, is teaming its e-book format with the most anticipated tablet device we’ve seen so far. Altogether, that will almost certainly make the iPad the world’s top e-reader when deliveries begin April 3.

If this all works out–and where Apple and mobile apps are concerned, you can never be too sure–this could make the iPad attractive to everyone who owns and Kindle but wishes they could do more with it. It also makes Apple interesting to people, like me, who want an e-reader but never seriously considered an iPad.

Sadly, I am already wondering whether this marriage of convenience can be saved.

First, it’s not clear Apple whether has even approved Amazon’s Kindle app for iPad and its associated e-bookstore. It is not beyond possibility that Amazon has not received approval and is, essentially, playing chicken with Apple. Or maybe all is peaceful, the deal has been done, and Apple has suddenly learned how to play well with others.

Apple’s strong preference to have tight control over applications and content on its mobile devices is what makes the idea of a Kindle app and competing iPad bookstores seem so strange. Barnes & Noble has said it plans a Nook iPad app and store, too.

At some point, Amazon and B&N are almost certain to chafe under Apple’s reins. It’s not clear whether either bookseller really wants to be in the hardware business, but it would not be wise either to get out of it anytime soon.

Today, it makes sense, especially for Apple, to make the iPad compatible with the Kindle and Nook, but should Amazon and/or B&N get out of the hardware business, I can imagine compatibility could disappear fairly quickly, leaving Apple’s own iBooks store as the only option for the iPad.

I don’t think Apple sees a reason why Amazon or B&N should be allowed to live as e-book reseller, when Apple does so well with other content all by itself.

But there is a good reason for Apple to allow competition, and it presents itself in the form of the U.S. Dept. of Justice, which might step-in on the side of Amazon and B&N should Apple behave too aggressively.

E-book users should hope that Apple will understand the differences between its music and apps stores and selling e-Books online, as well as accept that a separate category of e-reader hardware will exist, mostly at lower price points than the iPad.

We can hope all that, but Apple getting along with sometime competitors is an uncommon thing.

Today, this cooperation looks like a shotgun wedding. Apple and the booksellers each have something the other needs. Apple needs content and e-book customers, while Amazon and B&N benefit from Apple’s hot new platform.

We’ll have to wait and see how long this lasts.

Desktop PC Buying Guide: Shopping Tips

By Fei on March 18, 2010

By PC World staff
March 18, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Ready to buy a desktop? Once you’ve determined the type of desktop you want and consulted our guide to desktop PC specs, you likely have a clear idea of the configuration that’s right for you.

To narrow your choices further, consult our desktop reviews. But when you’re ready to buy, keep these handy tips in mind.

Know your way around standard upgrades: Be wary of the upgrade options posted on a desktop vendor’s Website. Though prices for components like memory and hard drives are often competitive, a quick search on Amazon or Newegg for the same component can save you a few bucks–if you’re willing to perform the upgrade yourself. Our interactive guide to building your own PC steps you through the process of installing components yourself.

If you’re inclined to try the do-it-yourself route, be aware of which components are easy to install, and which require extra effort. Adding a graphics card, for example, can be easy as opening the case, inserting the card into an open slot, and installing the necessary driver. Similarly, adding a second hard drive may involve nothing more than opening the case and popping it in. But if you plan to replace your primary hard drive after buying the system, you’ll have to reinstall the operating system–a potential hassle that undercuts the advantage of buying a premade PC.

If you want to upgrade the system’s memory, pay close attention to the type of RAM that came with your machine. Though RAM is relatively simple to install, motherboards generally only support one type, such as DDR2 or DDR3. If you’re looking at dual- or triple-channel memory, and you’re sure that your motherboard supports it, be aware that you’ll have to buy your RAM in pairs or triplets, respectively.

When you’re customizing your machine, always be on the lookout for deals. PC makers generally offer competitive prices on their components, but you may be able to find a better price by shopping around. If you’re comfortable upgrading your PC yourself, sites like Newegg and Amazon are a great place to start.

Consider an extended warranty and tech support: A two- or three-year warranty can add between $100 to $200 to the cost of your PC, with services and coverage varying by retailer. Before purchasing one, read the fine print. An extended warranty can be a lifesaver if your PC malfunctions, but then again you may never need it during the period it covers. When we conducted a survey investigating customer satisfaction with extended warranties, 71 percent of respondents said that they were glad they had bought one. If you aren’t especially computer-savvy, or if you worry that your desktop may fall victim to a curious pet or messy toddler, you might want to pay extra to protect the investment–but only if the extra is within reason.

Be wary of pushy salespeople offering you services you may not need. Some retailers offer software installation or “computer tune-up” packages that consist of deleting shortcuts or clicking through software prompts. When in doubt, try to get a straight answer as to the specific services being rendered, or do a bit of research: You can probably tune up your new PC yourself.

Make sure that your PC meets your connectivity needs: You’ll be using all sorts of electronics with your PC. External hard drives, cameras, and portable media players are a few of the devices that can occupy precious USB ports on your machine, so be sure you’re satisfied with what your machine offers. Compact PCs have fewer ports than full-size tower desktops do, but even the most minuscule should offer at least six USB 2.0 ports, scattered around the case. Watch for different interfaces, too: Many external hard drives benefit from e-SATA ports, and still other devices may require FireWire.

If you purchase your monitor separately from the rest of the system, the interface connector may vary by brand or model. Connection options include VGA, DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. So if you buy (or already have) a nonbundled display, make sure that it will work the new system, by checking the interface connectors on your graphics card or on your computer’s motherboard. The same applies if you’d like to stream media to your HDTV.

If your PC lacks the right interface–because your HDTV has HDMI only ports, and your graphics card has only a DVI port, for example–you can purchase adapters or cables that merge two different formats.

On larger towers, port placement is important. Most input ports are located on the rear of a PC, but nearly all PCs include at least a few on the front of the case as well, where they share space with headphone jacks, microphone jacks, and multiformat memory card readers. If you’d rather not have to fumble around behind the case when attaching or detaching peripheral devices, make sure that the model you chose has enough ports situated on or near the front of the machine.

Don’t get caught on the upgrade treadmill: If you’re a savvy consumer, you know that today’s top-of-the-line PC will be tomorrow’s budget box–and you’ll be able to get that dream machine on the cheap, if you wait just a little bit longer.

Prices will inevitably drop, and upper-end performance will continue to improve. But if you persist in waiting for a mythical sweet spot to appear, you’re likely to end up stuck. Though you should certainly keep potential sales and price cuts in mind, your best bet is to decide exactly what you need, pick your acceptable price range, and go for it.

Dell Mini 5 to Take on iPad With Amazon, Kindle Integration?

By Fei on March 12, 2010

By Chris Brandrick
March 12, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Dell’s upcoming Mini 5, which was first shown publicly at this years CES, will be made available in a range of colors and will also feature integration with a host of Amazon services, according to a recently leaked internal document.

The leaked information, which was originally posted on Engadget, details that the Android-powered tablet may be available in a number of “premium finishes.” The document also mentions that the Mini 5 will be available in a range of colors and designs.
Beyond the personalization options, the first leaked page sadly didn’t offer any other new information about Dell’s upcoming tablet , simply listing its features, such as the front-facing video camera, dock connector, and capacitive touch-screen. However, a second leaked page offers some more interesting tidbits that were previously unknown.

The second page details a content partnership that Dell may be entering with Amazon. The document states that the Mini 5 will integrate with Amazon’s Kindle, MP3 and Video services, and will include a Kindle reader app

Could this partnership with Amazon be seen as a move to compete with the upcoming iPad? Apple’s tablet has the iTunes and iBooks Stores, so supporting Amazon’s services could help Dell bring something similar to the table.

For those eagle-eyed readers, you may have spotted that the leaked documentation refers to the Snapdragon-powered device as the ‘Streak’, a name that first surfaced late last year. As for whether this is just the internal codename for the upcoming product, or an official change away from the Mini 5 moniker is currently unknown.

Dell have yet to confirm a solid release date or final price for the device.

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