Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7' : Review

Saturday 18 May 2013
The Amazon kindle Fire HD was launched last year as a sequel to the original Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire was large and bulky with no challenging specs not even a camera. However this new addition to the kindle range has a all new design, operating system and some pretty impressive specs. Will this 7' Tablet stand out from the rest and maybe even go on to challenge the iPad Mini? Lets see..

HARDWARE


Keeping with the idea of the kindle Fire, The Kindle Fire HD has a very minamalistic design (and thats to make it more affordable.) Small changes on this device like tapered edges and a more grip-able back makes the reading experience on this tablet that much more comfortable. The 7' screen has a higher resolution (hence the HD') and is wider and shorter than the original Fire.The screen is suppose to be fit with anti-glare technology but I find that the glare on this tablet is in fact the same as any other tablet.  With the Kindle Fire Hd amazon really wanted it to be used to consume all types of media (like video and audio) which is why amazon put two dolby stereo speakers on the back of this tablet. A nice feature that definitely stands out. Overall the design is a big leap from its  box-shaped predecessor yet it doesn't seem premium in-front of competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Tab II 7' and off course the iPad Mini.


CAMERA & BATTERY 

The Fire has a below average 1.3 MP front-facing camera. The camera is used exclusively on third-party applications like Skype for video calling. It is important to note that it doesn't have any amazon/kindle camera application for taking pictures (like PhotoBooth on the iPad mini) if you want to take pictures you need to install a third-party application. The 4400 mAh battery is pretty good and takes about 2 days to drain on mid-use (reading and average video consumption.)


OPERATING SYSTEM  

The kindle Fire HD runs a forked version of android , just like the Fire. The 'Kindle OS' has the bottom shortcut bar like android (with Home , settings and favorites) but thats the end of the android features. It has a homepage which has your recent apps/books/magazines/movies and TV shows in a carousel as well as a recommendations strip closer to the bottom (from the Amazon Store.) The actual reading experience on the kindle range is by far the best with features that are simply irreplaceable by Apple's iBooks and even Barnes and Noble's Nook. Amazon gives you total customization of your reading experience letting you customize font size, font and even page colour so that your reading experience is suited to the way you like to read. The thing I love about the kindle reading software is that if gives you your page number , your loc (location) in the book and the estimated time left until you finish your chapter and book (estimated through your reading speed) which gives you a feeling of how far you are in the book. The Kindle Fire also has a feature called X-Ray which gives you a break-down of all the characters and scenes and tells you where they appear in the book, it is a great way to summarize information about acharacter/ place when you have forgotten it. The new X-Ray also works with videos using IMDb. The Kindle Fire HD integrates a new software called Kindle Free-Time which is a feature that totally customizes your kindle for children which doesn't allow them to access your files. You can also customize the number of hours your children reads or watches movies. As well as the age restriction of the movies or books. 

STORE 

The amazon store is the heart of the Kindle Fire. With amazing Books titles , magazines , TV Shows and Movies. The Store also has a feature called Whispe



rSync that allows you to share the content bought on your kindle with any other android, iOS or Windows device. The Store doesn't have all of the apps available on traditional Android app stores like Google play however there is a good selection of apps.
The App store has books, movies and TV shows.

OTHER PICTURES





CONCLUSION  


The amazon Kindle fire HD 7' is a great tablet, its HD screen allows for better viewing of content from the Amazon Store. Games, Movies, books and magazines look crisper on than on the original kindle Fire. The Software on the Kindle Fire is minimalist but amazing at the same time. The camera isn't that amazing and doesn't add value to the tablet. Although the Fire HD is really good it doesn't have any exiting specs and features that make if different to the rest. I'd definitely recommend it to a regular book or magazine reader, but other than that the Fire HD isn't made for anything else other than entertainment. 











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5 Gadget Gifts Ideas for Mothers Day.

Saturday 11 May 2013
As you know national mothers-day is this sunday and if you are anything like me , you have either forgotten or are going last-minute gift shopping. So here are a few GADGET GIFT IDEAS!


1. AMAZON KINDLE PAPERWHITE



The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite in my opinion is the best E-Reader on the market with a stunning new Kindle Operating system which is simple and easy to use (perfect for mom). The 6' E-Ink screen is touch screen with quick (almost unnoticeable refreshes) and a new built in reading light so that mom can finish her cliff-hanger murder mystery at night. The Kindle paperwhite has an amazing 8 week battery life , perfect for traveling and just plain day-to-day use. With over 6 fonts and different font sizes for mom to pick from. With the new WhisperSync feature , you can buy books for mom on your iPhone (or any iOS; Android or Windows device) as well as read them yourself. Mom is guaranteed to love this light-weight E-Reader.     


 R2200

2IPOD NANO 



If your mom loves music, this could be the answer. The new iPod nano has a stunning new design. The simple OS is based on the 2.5' multi- touch Screen. The form-factor of the nano is small enough to fit in mom's pocket or handbag and big enough to use comfortably. Mom could easily load her music, an audiobook or even the audio copy of the Qur'an/Bible. The nano comes with pre-loaded apps (Music, Video, Radio, Photos, podcasts and Fitness.) At present the iPod nano doesn't have any App Store or ability to load more apps onto the device. Mom can also store pictures of her children or even grandchildren. The Nike Fitness+ app means that mom can go for a morning jog/walk listen to PowerMusic on the way and have a look at stats like how far she walked, how many calories she burnt. It is an amazing way for mom to keep in shape and track her progress doing it. Mom will definitely love     it and if she doesn't i'm sure you will!


R1899

3. APPLE MACBOOK AIR 11'


If you are really looking to spoil you mom this mothers day or just kissing up to her - The Macbook Air is a perfect entry laptop into the Apple Mac world. Mac OSX is a simple software that allows users to customize the size of apps so that mom can see them easily however buying a macbook itself can be pretty expensive as well as extra costs for software like Office for Mac (R1200). The macbook is slim and light-weight. An amazing companion for work or hobbies.


 R9999

4 . SONY S-FRAME WI-FI SERIES

What better gift than to remind mom of all the good memories  you've had. The Sony S-Frame is the best way to do that. Mom can view pictures from a SD card, the devices memory or even your Facebook profile (which could or could not be a good thing). The Sony S-Frame can also give you the weather, your Facebook updates and the date. A easy and cheaper alternative to printing and framing pictures. The S-Frame automatically organizes and plays your pictures on the amazing screen out of the box. mom doesn't have to spend hours setting up it, she can enjoy amazing slideshows from day one. 
Mom will love it!

R799


5. SAMSUNG GALAXY S4


The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the perfect way for you and your mom to keep in touch. the S4 runs Android Jelly Bean 2.2 with Samsung's Touchwiz UX which is both the easiest and most customizable software out there , whether you mom is 30 or 90, I can guarantee she will love this amazing software! I'd definitely recommend it, I think its better than the iPhone 5. The S4 makes it easy for mom to communicate, keep healthy and fit (using the S'Health app). I would suggest if you go for this option you should buy yourself one too! (if you don't have one already)

 R7899





Happy Mothers day! Hope these GADGET GIFT IDEAS! were helpful - Send your pictures of  your mothers day gadget gifts to : iblogunscripted@yahoo.com
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